Encountering connections may make life feel more meaningful

Public release date: 30-Apr-2013
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Contact: Anna Mikulak
amikulak@psychologicalscience.org
202-293-9300
Association for Psychological Science

Experiencing connections, regularities, and coherence in their environment may lead people to feel a greater sense of meaning in life, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

The research, conducted by graduate student Samantha Heintzelman of the University of Missouri, along with advisor Laura King and fellow graduate student Jason Trent, suggests that meaning in life has an important adaptive function, connecting people to the world that surrounds them and, thereby, boosting their chances of survival.

"Meaning in life tells the individual when the world is making sense," say Heintzelman and colleagues.

The research may help to explain previous findings that show that people who say that they have highly meaningful lives seem to be better off in many ways reporting higher quality of life, better health, and fewer psychological disorders, among other outcomes.

Although experiencing coherence has often been thought of as an important component of meaning in life, it hasn't been the focus of much research. Heintzelman and colleagues began exploring the relationship by making use of a natural pattern: the four seasons.

Participants taking an online survey looked at nature photographs that showed at least one tree and included indicators of the season, such as blossoms, greenery, fall color, and snow. After viewing the photos, they answered questions designed to measure their sense of meaning in life, such as "My life has a clear sense of purpose" and "I have found a really significant meaning in my life." They also rated their current mood.

The data revealed that participants who saw the photographs in the natural order of the seasons reported greater meaning in life than those who viewed the photos in a random order.

But the relationship wasn't limited to natural patterns. Even when participants saw the photographs in an arbitrary seasonal pattern for example, autumn, summer, spring, winter they reported greater meaning in life than those who saw them in a completely random order.

Additional studies suggest that the relationship between coherence in the environment and meaning in life holds even when the coherence isn't obvious.

Participants who read groups of related words such as "falling," "actor," and "dust," which are all related to the word "star" reporter greater meaning in life than those who read unrelated words, even though they weren't aware of any connections linking the words they read.

These findings provide evidence that coherence is recognizable even without explicit awareness.

Heintzelman and colleagues acknowledge that there are many other variables that contribute to existential meaning, such as religious faith, social connections, and sense of self. "We do not claim that the cognitive aspect of meaning in life captured in these studies fully encompasses this rich experience," they write.

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The research was supported by National Science Foundation Grant 1036447.

For more information about this study, please contact: Samantha J. Heintzelman at sjhgh2@mail.missouri.edu.

The APS journal Psychological Science is the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology. For a copy of the article "Encounters With Objective Coherence and the Experience of Meaning in Life" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org.

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

Public release date: 30-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Anna Mikulak
amikulak@psychologicalscience.org
202-293-9300
Association for Psychological Science

Experiencing connections, regularities, and coherence in their environment may lead people to feel a greater sense of meaning in life, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

The research, conducted by graduate student Samantha Heintzelman of the University of Missouri, along with advisor Laura King and fellow graduate student Jason Trent, suggests that meaning in life has an important adaptive function, connecting people to the world that surrounds them and, thereby, boosting their chances of survival.

"Meaning in life tells the individual when the world is making sense," say Heintzelman and colleagues.

The research may help to explain previous findings that show that people who say that they have highly meaningful lives seem to be better off in many ways reporting higher quality of life, better health, and fewer psychological disorders, among other outcomes.

Although experiencing coherence has often been thought of as an important component of meaning in life, it hasn't been the focus of much research. Heintzelman and colleagues began exploring the relationship by making use of a natural pattern: the four seasons.

Participants taking an online survey looked at nature photographs that showed at least one tree and included indicators of the season, such as blossoms, greenery, fall color, and snow. After viewing the photos, they answered questions designed to measure their sense of meaning in life, such as "My life has a clear sense of purpose" and "I have found a really significant meaning in my life." They also rated their current mood.

The data revealed that participants who saw the photographs in the natural order of the seasons reported greater meaning in life than those who viewed the photos in a random order.

But the relationship wasn't limited to natural patterns. Even when participants saw the photographs in an arbitrary seasonal pattern for example, autumn, summer, spring, winter they reported greater meaning in life than those who saw them in a completely random order.

Additional studies suggest that the relationship between coherence in the environment and meaning in life holds even when the coherence isn't obvious.

Participants who read groups of related words such as "falling," "actor," and "dust," which are all related to the word "star" reporter greater meaning in life than those who read unrelated words, even though they weren't aware of any connections linking the words they read.

These findings provide evidence that coherence is recognizable even without explicit awareness.

Heintzelman and colleagues acknowledge that there are many other variables that contribute to existential meaning, such as religious faith, social connections, and sense of self. "We do not claim that the cognitive aspect of meaning in life captured in these studies fully encompasses this rich experience," they write.

###

The research was supported by National Science Foundation Grant 1036447.

For more information about this study, please contact: Samantha J. Heintzelman at sjhgh2@mail.missouri.edu.

The APS journal Psychological Science is the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology. For a copy of the article "Encounters With Objective Coherence and the Experience of Meaning in Life" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org.

---

[ | 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/afps-ecm043013.php

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Google readies Chrome OS for all comers at the kiosk

If you've yet to lay your hands on a Chromebook or Chromebox, that could change shortly, as the computers may soon find a new life in libraries, hotels, retail stores and even the break room. Today, Google announced an update to its management console for Chrome OS that allows for Managed Public Sessions -- in other words, a kiosk mode. Central to the idea, users will be able to login to the computer without supplying credentials, and their data will be automatically cleared at the end of the session. The setup has plenty of appeal for system administrators, too, as they'll find the ability to set the default web page, block access to specific sites and apps, configure device I/O operation and manage timed logouts. Google has tested Managed Public Sessions with Dillards, The Hyatt in San Francisco and the Multnomah County Library in Oregon. If anything, it's a good reason to keep a keen watch on your surroundings... you might just spot a Chromebook in the wild that's begging for some attention.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Software, Google

Comments

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Google Enterprise Blog

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/-hfwR7Sy_xs/

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Twitter opens up ad-buying to all US users, brings new tools to self-promoters

Twitter has been slowly expanding its advertising offerings for some time now -- first with more ads in more places, then with more folks able to buy ads. Now it's taken things one big step further and opened up its self-serve Twitter Ads platform to all users in the United States. That means anyone can now sign up and buy promoted tweets of their very own, with all the same options and analytics previously afforded to businesses and individuals invited to take part in the program. That doesn't necessarily mean you'll be seeing more ads on Twitter, but you may well start seeing some more unexpected ones. Those interested in shelling out some cash can find all they need to get started at the links below.

Filed under: Internet

Comments

Source: Twitter Advertising Blog, Twitter Ads

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/30/twitter-ads-opens-to-us-users/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Experiment Will Determine Dinosaur's Skin Color

It's unlikely that this creature had feathers. Feathers are only known in Coelurosauria, which is a subset of theropods that, for example, includes Tyrannosaurus but not Allosaurus.

The hadrosaur under study is an ornithischian - a very, very distant relative that's more closely related to Stegosaurus and Triceratops. Psittacosaurus, a primitive horned dinosaur, did have tail bristles, but they appear to have been decorative for display and not feather-like at all.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/Bl_hqlwhfag/story01.htm

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Miley Cyrus Talks Engagement, Privacy, Advice for Justin Bieber

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/miley-cyrus-talks-engagement-privacy-advice-for-justin-bieber/

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Hungary's rawest nerve: Learning to love the Roma | Politics.hu

Only the most violent extremists actually spell it out, but somewhere in the debate in Hungary lurks the ugly sentence, ??They kill us so we kill them.?

Tit for tat ? the recipe for ethnic war.

But their own experience can help Hungarians understand the difference between ordinary crime and hate crime ? like when people in Romania or Slovakia or Serbia, are attacked just because they speak Hungarian in the street.

Source: http://www.politics.hu/20130428/hungarys-rawest-nerve-learning-to-love-the-roma/

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Movie Review: Michael Bay Lightens Up with True Crime Comedy ...

A group of bodybuilding criminals fumble their way through mayhem in this "visual extravaganza."

Pain & Gain is rated R and runs 129 minutes. It is now playing at?Aurora Cineplex and Studio Movie Grill. For more theater information, show times and pricing, click the links above.

Here's what the critics are saying:

"This weekend, "Pain and Gain" opens nationwide, for both muscle-building juiceheads and those of us who try to make it to yoga a couple of times a week because we want to age gracefully, like Helen Mirren. The true-life story of kidnapping and murder stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as a pair of criminals who were part of what was known as the Sun Gym gang ?- bodybuilders whose criminal activity eventually extended into kidnapping, extortion, and murder." Drew Taylor, Moviefone. Full Review

"Memo to director Michael Bay: Stick to movies with massive pyrotechnics and minimally developed characters. Blending sharp wit and brutality is a tough proposition. Best to leave such a feat in the nimbler hands of Quentin Tarantino, the Coen brothers, Guy Ritchie and Martin McDonagh. Bay's Pain & Gain is a badly constructed, blood-spattered caper that comes unglued early on." Claudia Puig, USA TODAY. Full Review

"[Bay's] big-budget popcorn productions like Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and the Transformers films have always strained to give audiences an excess of bang for their buck, but you never got the sense that he could tell a joke. If anything, Bay seemed like the type of guy who was incapable of figuring out whether audiences were laughing with him or at him. But with Pain & Gain, his surprising true-crime comedy, Bay has finally decided to lighten up a bit." Chris Nashawaty, EW.com. Full Review

Do you plan on seeing this movie? Leave a review of the film with a comment below after you do.

Source: http://roswell.patch.com/articles/movie-review-michael-bay-lightens-up-with-true-crime-comedy-pain-and-gain

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Commercial Real Estate: Helpful Tips For You - Maynas Eric

Unless you already know where to start, locating the right kind of commercial property for your new business can be hard. Take the time to read this article.

If you?re a buyer or if you?re a seller, it?s important that you negotiate. Be heard and fight to get a fair property price.

You will need to have all of your financial information if you want to procure a commercial real estate loan. Not having your own financial statements in order will make a poor impression on the bank, possibly making them turn down your loan application.

TIP! Be sure to negotiate on the fact of what you are, the seller or buyer. Be certain your needs are met, your concerns are heard, and you champion a fair, honest price for the real estate.

Select your financing before you do anything else. Loan products and commercial lenders are different from home loans. They can actually be better in some ways. Commercial properties require huge down payments, but regulations make it possible to avoid responsibility if things go bad. Additionally, banks aren?t as picky about how you come up with the down payment.

Compile a number of people to partner with financially. These can be professional lenders, friends and family. This will allow you to ascertain cash flow. Come up with a contract where you have to pay back the loans either with a fixed rate of interest, or via a certain percentage of the property income.

A commercial loan usually requires a higher down payment when compared to a residential loan. It is in your best interest to search for the most trustworthy lenders and locate the best possible investments.

TIP! When dealing with commercial properties location is everything. When investing in a property, consider what type of neighborhood it is located in.

Square Footage

Be clearheaded about what amount of square footage is really usable. In commercial real estate, square footage can be reported in usable square footage only, or the total square footage which would include walls and unusable space as well. In order to make the whole transaction much more clear, it is important to know both square footage totals.

In the earliest stages of negotiating your lease, it is in your best interest to ensure that only a few conditions are capable of constituting acceptable means of default. This will greatly lessen the likelihood that the tenant might default. This is a bad thing, so do what you can to minimize the chance of it happening.

TIP! Before you sign a lease, find out about pest control. This is especially important when an area is known to have pest and rodent problems.

Real Estate

You should consult with a reputable lawyer before closing on any commercial real estate property transaction. If a complication arises relating to your real estate transaction, you should be represented by the best person in order to set everything straight.

All of your property buying ventures should include feng shui in their decor. Two fundamentals of feng shui are the removal of clutter and having a lot of open space. Both of these will also be attractive to prospective buyers.

TIP! Check the company?s reputation for customer service before you deal with them. If you don?t do your research and end up in bed with wolves, you will be the one to suffer.

Know your business goals before starting the search for commercial property! Know exactly what kind of office space you will be using. If you?re interested in eventually expanding your business, buy more office space than you currently need. This saves money in the long run because prices may be higher by the time you?re ready for more office space.

As you comb through possible brokers, search for those who have extensive experience in commercial markets. For better results they should specialize in the specific area that you want to buy or sell in. Allow the broker to acknowledge your wish for an exclusive agreement between the two of you.

Get your commercial property inspected before you try to sell it. If they flag issues that need to be fixed, repair them before you list the property for sale.

TIP! Tour any properties you are considering for purchase. Think about having a contractor as a companion to help evaluate the property.

Advertising your property to parties locally and abroad is important to ensure you get the best price possible. Many people only think locals will buy their property, and that?s a mistake. Many investors will consider purchasing a property outside their own region if the price is right.

If you are new to commercial real estate investing, you should investigate any tax benefits that you could be eligible for. Investors receive interest deductions on top of depreciation benefits. There is also ?phantom income?, which is taxed by the government although not received by the investor as cash. You need to be aware of this type of income before investing.

With the information you just acquired from this article you should have learned good tips you can apply when it comes to selling or buying commercial property. Take what you?ve learned here to heart, and continue to learn as much as you can about the real estate market.

TIP! It is a far lengthier, and more complicated, process to purchase a commercial property than a residential one. Understand, however, that the intensity and duration of the process is necessary to achieve the higher return on your investment.

Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/commercial-real-estate-helpful-tips-for-you-5

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Google Drive

What started as a free online alternative to Microsoft Office has quickly become one of the most impressive services for creating, editing, saving, syncing, and collaborating on documents. Google Drive (freemium) has long impressed me in just how far it goes toward helping groups of people work together on files simultaneously. Some new features rolling out in a recent update add even more support for teamwork.

It hasn't been long since Google Docs rebranded itself as Google Drive, so allow me to briefly recap: Google Docs took on the new name after it added local file syncing to its service. In other words, Google Docs?ahem, Drive?now works more like Dropbox , SugarSync, or any other file-syncing service you care to name, while still retaining the core office productivity apps. In that sense, its closest competitor may well be Microsoft SkyDrive, which also has online document creation tools.

With Google Drive, you can upload files to your Google account, convert them to Google's file format to edit them online, create new docs in the Web interface, collaborate with other users in real time, and export the finished products to more standard file formats, such as .doc, .rtf, .pdf, and so on. The latest round of changes makes working with others in real time even more intuitive, because you can see their profile pictures on the screen, where formerly you only saw a line of text at the top and a color code indicating who else was looking at or editing the file.

Because of these wide-ranging capabilities and its dedication to collaborative document editing, Google Drive remains a PCMag Editors' Choice. We have no hesitation recommending Google Drive?although it is important to understand how one of the new features works. The feature in question could potentially reveal your identity to others, but managing it is simple when you know how it works. And as much as Google Drive is an excellent platform and service, that doesn't mean it's the only file-syncing service you should use either.

What's New in Drive?
The newest change in Google Drive, which will roll out to users slowly, is that Google+ profile pictures of collaborators now appear at the top of the file when they're viewing or editing a document. Formerly, when collaborators opened a document, you would see a line of text reading "2 other viewers" at the top right, which opened to reveal their names or email addresses and a color code for each person. For example, if I invited Maria to edit a spreadsheet with me, I would see her name appear next to a pink square at the top of the spreadsheet any time she opened it. As she moved through cells, they would appear highlighted in pink.

The new feature adds Maria's profile picture at the top of the document and would let me add her to my Google+ circles. There's also now an integrated group chat feature that lets multiple collaborators hold discussions via text while they're working.

Another fairly big addition is offline access to all your Drive materials if you're using Google Chrome OS. To enable this setting, go to your Google Drive page and look under the "More" button the left for the offline access setting. Turning on this feature lets you read and edit your files offline; changes will sync to the cloud the next time you connect.

Privacy
The toughest criticism Google Drive has faced amount to concerns over privacy and IP ownership. The new collaboration features could put your face in front of strangers if you're not careful, but it's very easy to manage this potential problem with an ounce of care.

Some Google Drive owners keep their documents open to the public, and if you're signed into your Google account when you view these files, other users will be able to see your picture and name. When looking at public files, it's a better idea to log out of Google, or use a different browser, and maybe also turn on incognito features if your browser has them to keep yourself anonymous. Anonymous users are assigned random profile pictures of animals instead, such as a dolphin, dinosaur, or beaver.

My feeling on the matter of privacy in Google Drive is this: If you are comfortable using Gmail, you should be comfortable with Drive. If you are skeptical of Google's user agreements, don't use Google products. For more in-depth analysis, see "Google Drive's Terms of Use: Lazy People Should Worry."

Main Features of Drive
The gist of Google Drive, and the main attraction to it, is it can store your files in the cloud where they are accessible to you and your collaborators, and become highly searchable.

One feature related to "search" stands out: Google's ability to scan a photo and "read" it using optical character recognition, or identify it using its own technology. The only other app of this kind that uses built-in OCR nearly as well is Evernote , although you have to have a paid Premium account to use it.

Google also claims Drive allows videos to be uploaded, but we encountered some issues with that part of the service.

Like many other general file-syncing services, Google Drive works better for document files than multimedia. It's not ideally meant to be a music and video streaming service?for that kind of product, you'll likely need a paid service and device, such as the Verbatim Mediashare Mini, although SugarSync does offer some neat capabilities and support for streaming iTunes music. Amazon Cloud also offers some special support for music and movies. However, within the Google universe you can use Google Play in tandem with Drive (more on that in a bit).

Carryover Features from Google Docs
The core services and functionality that were in Google Docs, namely, a free online office suite where files are also hosted, remain intact in Drive. Google Docs is one of the best known free alternative to Microsoft Office, although it's entirely Web-based?there's no software to install to use it (the only downloadable part is the app for local syncing with Drive).

As with Microsoft Office, Google Drive lets you create word processing documents, spreadsheets, presentation documents, forms, vector drawings, and now in beta, tables. Google hosts your files, too, so when you log in, all your files are there. You can sort them into customizable folders, which appear along a left pane, or just search for what you need, using a standard search bar in the Web app.

When you create a document in Google Drive, the file format used is Google's own. However, the system couldn't be more flexible. You can export Google documents to more standardized files formats, like .doc, .rtf, .ppt, .pdf, and more; and you can import practically any document with the option of keeping it in its native format (which may limit your ability to edit it) or translating it into a Google doc file, which makes it editable in the online service. I've certainly had my share of moments when I was stuck on a computer that didn't have Microsoft Office at the very moment someone emailed me an important file that required my feedback pronto. Google Drive saved the day. I could open the file in GoogleDrive, edit it, and export the revised file back out to its original form. Occasionally some formatting will go haywire during this process, but it gets the job done.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/hpQ0vAJfEIY/0,2817,2403546,00.asp

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92% The Gatekeepers

All Critics (89) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (82) | Rotten (7)

The film and its talking head participants paint the picture in both broad strokes and fine detail.

Whatever one's political stripe regarding Israel, it's hard to dispute the impressions and perspective of the film's six eyewitnesses.

The level of candor here may not satisfy hard-liners of either stripe, but it can help viewers begin to formulate new questions about the philosophical, strategic and moral challenges of conflict, in particular "wars on terror."

Ultimately the movie feels evasive, and its flashy, digitally animated re-creations of military surveillance footage unpleasantly evoke the Call of Duty video games.

It offers startlingly honest insight into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from some of those who called the shots.

As a political testament, the result is revealing and important.

...a riveting and sobering documentary about Shin Bet that raises important if unanswerable questions about the morality of state-sanctioned violence in the name of internal security.

[Moreh] asks just the right questions, never prodding these understandably private men too far but getting what he needs.

A riveting but depressing history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It's a depressing movie, yet there is encouragement to be found in the manifest decency and reasonableness of these six honest, articulate men ...

The former heads of Israel's military anti-terrorism agency Shin Bet break their silence in this unnerving, eye-opening documentary.

The film, though based on the exploits of Shin Bet, gives us reason to think about the drones that take out more than just terrorists.

Makes for truly bracing viewing.

A fascinating film offering a startling look inside one of the most tightlipped intelligence agencies on the planet, and providing powerful resonances with the US and UK's "war on terror".

A compelling overview of a modern security agency - bred in a moral grey area, organising state-sanctioned violence, but uncertain of the strength of its political safety net.

While memorable in sometimes unexpected ways (1980 head Avraham Shalom's long unwashed nails), there is always the nagging feeling that any revelations are being pushed or sold a little too hard.

Dror Moreh's Oscar-nominated documentary is riveting, haunting and depressing in equal measure, offering a sobering assessment of the Israel-Palestine conflict from a unique perspective.

[T]he Oscar-nominated documentary in which the six living former heads of Shin Bet, the ultrasecretive Israeli domestic security agency, talk about their antiterrorism work...

Although The Gatekeepers may not be quite theatrical nor dramatic enough for it to be highly recommended as a cinematic experience, this does feel like a film that really should be seen.

Many secrets are revealed and examined in director Dror Moreh's mind-blowingly fine film. If I have a quibble, it's that he never reveals the most tantalizing secret of all: how the hell he pulled it off.

[An] absorbing documentary, which charts the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from the Six Day War to the presentday.

Insightful, revelatory and profound, Moreh's Oscar-nominated documentary combines riveting interviews, archive footage and - yes - state-of-the-art photographic effects to offer a unique perspective on the Israel-Palestine issue.

Both journalistic coup and unsettling confirmation of the idea that 'you can't make peace using military means.'

Much like Errol Morris' "The Fog of War," Dror Moreh's film is a sobering inside look inside history, at mistakes made and opportunities missed.

Moreh employs a direct interviewing style, reminiscent of Errol Morris' work, to get the men to talk about their days leading Shin Bet.

Moreh gets some startling confessions and insights from each man but also misses the opportunity to truly challenge his subjects on their regard for democracy, basic human rights and their own accountability.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_gatekeepers_2012/

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275 FISH TANK - Classified Ad

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.classifiedads.com/fish_reptile_pets-ad30474098.htm

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Eva Longoria Talks About Life After Divorce | Video - PopSugar

by Becca Frucht 0

Eva Longoria chatted with Dr. Oz recently, and in the interview that airs today, the actress reflected on her painful 2011 divorce from NBA player Tony Parker. Eva admitted that while she might have looked great from the outside, she was really struggling on the inside. Hear Eva explain why depression surprised her, plus Nicki Minaj's silver-screen debut, Tribeca Film Festival winners, and a Scream TV show on the way!

View Transcript??

Source: http://www.popsugar.com/Eva-Longoria-Talks-About-Life-After-Divorce-Video-29911971

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Biden: Economy kept McCain from victory over Obama

SEDONA, Ariz. (AP) ? Vice President Joe Biden said Friday that Arizona Sen. John McCain probably would have beat his boss in the 2008 presidential election had the economy not collapsed.

Biden's comment about McCain and President Barack Obama came during the opening dinner of an annual forum among the Red Rocks of Sedona in northern Arizona. He and McCain, a Republican, touched on the gun control debate following the Newtown shootings and the bombings in Boston, but made no mention of Syria. Just as the night came to a close, Biden turned to the grueling nature of presidential campaigns.

"The truth of the matter is, Barack knows it, I know, had the economy not collapsed around your ears, John, in the middle of literally ? as things were moving ? I think you probably would have won," Biden said. "But it would have been incredibly, incredibly, incredibly close. You inherited a really difficult time."

The forum is part of the McCain Institute for International Leadership, a program formed by McCain as a way to debate foreign affairs. This year's theme for the Sedona Forum is "How can we promote freedom and democracy effectively?"

Rather than a discussion between McCain and Biden, the two sat on stage together with McCain posing questions to his former Democratic adversary on gun control and whether background checks are necessary, human rights abuses at the hands of the United States and the recent bombings at the Boston marathon.

McCain and Biden both said that despite their disagreements, they've never lost respect for one another.

On gun control, Biden said it's never been a simple issue, but that Congress has miscalculated how deeply the public feels about it and has failed to stand up to groups like the National Rifle Association, particularly after the shootings in Newtown. He said the public is looking to Congress to be mature enough to figure out a way to diminish the chance it will happen again.

"For the first time ever, you have people who are for gun safety, for increasing background checks," Biden said. "Two out of three of them say it will be a major determining factor in how I vote. That's the political dynamic that has changed. So I think we're going to get this anyway. I think this will pass before the year is out, within this Congress."

In responding to a question about the vulnerabilities of the United States when it comes to terrorist attacks, Biden said that the radical, lone wolves have been the most difficult to catch. But he said America shouldn't change its values, how it treats people abroad or people coming into the United States. Nor should America adopt policies that keep people from freely walking down the street without being frisked by police or carrying identification cards, he said.

"The moment we change any of those things, that's when they win," Biden said. "Because they don't see how you can have a society that is not ordered and regimented and wedded to an orthodoxy that is theirs. That's the point that bothers them most about us."

McCain followed up by saying that those who tortured U.S. prisoners, in violation of the Geneva convention, should be exposed and be held responsible to prevent repeated abuses.

Biden agreed with the man once held as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. He said the internal debate in Congress and at the White House is how things got to that point, but it's not yet resolved.

"I think the only way you excise the demons is you acknowledge what happened, straightforward," Biden said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/biden-economy-kept-mccain-victory-over-obama-050052639.html

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Archeologists unearth new information on origins of Maya civilization

Apr. 25, 2013 ? The Maya civilization is well-known for its elaborate temples, sophisticated writing system, and mathematical and astronomical developments, yet the civilization's origins remain something of a mystery.

A new University of Arizona study to be published in the journal Science challenges the two prevailing theories on how the ancient civilization began, suggesting its origins are more complex than previously thought.

Anthropologists typically fall into one of two competing camps with regard to the origins of Maya civilization. The first camp believes that it developed almost entirely on its own in the jungles of what is now Guatemala and southern Mexico. The second believes that the Maya civilization developed as the result of direct influences from the older Olmec civilization and its center of La Venta.

It's likely that neither of those theories tells the full story, according to findings by a team of archaeologists led by UA husband-and-wife anthropologists Takeshi Inomata and Daniela Triadan.

"We really focused on the beginning of this civilization and how this remarkable civilization developed," said Inomata, UA professor of anthropology and the study's lead author.

In their excavations at Ceibal, an ancient Maya site in Guatemala, researchers found that Ceibal actually predates the growth of La Venta as a major center by as much as 200 years, suggesting that La Venta could not have been the prevailing influence over early Mayan development.

That does not make the Maya civilization older than the Olmec civilization -- since Olmec had another center prior to La Venta -- nor does it prove that the Maya civilization developed entirely independently, researchers say.

What it does indicate, they say, is that both Ceibal and La Venta probably participated in a broader cultural shift taking place in the period between 1,150-800 B.C.

"We're saying that the scenario of early Maya culture is really more complex than we thought," said UA anthropology graduate student Victor Castillo, who co-authored the paper with Inomata and Triadan.

"We have this idea of the origin of Maya civilization as an indigenous development, and we have this other idea that it was an external influence that triggered the social complexity of Maya civilization. We're now thinking it's not actually black and white," Castillo said.

There is no denying the striking similarities between Ceibal and La Venta, such as evidence of similar ritual practices and the presence of similar architecture -- namely the pyramids that would come to be the hallmark of Mesoamerican civilization but did not exist at the earlier Olmec center of San Lorenzo.

However, researchers don't think this is the case of simply one site mimicking the other. Rather, they suspect that both the Maya site of Ceibal and the Olmec site of La Venta were parts of a more geographically far-reaching cultural shift that occurred around 1,000 B.C., about the time when the Olmec center was transitioning from San Lorenzo to La Venta.

"Basically, there was a major social change happening from the southern Maya lowlands to possibly the coast of Chiapas and the southern Gulf Coast, and this site of Ceibal was a part of that broader social change," Inomata said. "The emergence of a new form of society -- with new architecture, with new rituals -- became really the important basis for all later Mesoamerican civilizations."

The Science paper, titled "Early Ceremonial Constructions at Ceibal, Guatemala, and the Origins of Lowland Maya Civilization," is based on seven years of excavations at Ceibal.

Additional authors of the paper include Japanese researchers Kazuo Aoyama of the University of Ibaraki, Mito and Hitoshi Yonenobu of the Naruto University of Education, Tokushima.

"We were looking at the emergence of specific cultural traits that were shared by many of those Mesoamerican centers, particularly the form of rituals and the construction of the pyramids," Inomata said. "This gives us a new idea about the beginning of Maya civilization, and it also tells us about how common traits shared by many different Mesoamerican civilizations emerged during that time."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Arizona. The original article was written by Alexis Blue.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. T. Inomata, D. Triadan, K. Aoyama, V. Castillo, H. Yonenobu. Early Ceremonial Constructions at Ceibal, Guatemala, and the Origins of Lowland Maya Civilization. Science, 2013; 340 (6131): 467 DOI: 10.1126/science.1234493

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/top_news/top_science/~3/uVkWQnVLzNQ/130425142343.htm

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Circles for iPhone and iPad review: A beautiful memory game

Circles for iPhone and iPad is a gorgeous memory game, similar to Simon, that tests your ability to repeat a sequence of lighted circles. You can play alone or challenge your friends to a battle to see who out-memorizes who.

The premise is simple: you are presented with up to six circles, each a different color and with a different sound. For your first turn, a sequence of two lights will light up and it's your job to repeat that sequence. For each turn, an additional light is added to the sequence. You simply continue playing until you make a mistake.

That's the basic idea, and fun even as is, but Circles takes it a step further with multiplier gameplay and weapons! There are three different weapons you can use against your opponents: Lightning, which speeds up the playback, Twirl, which will rotate the circles after playback, and Blackout, which removes sound and color from the circles.

As you play the game, whether it's alone or against an opponent (except Practice mode), you earn coins that can be used to purchase weapons and chances. You can also buy coins with real money as in-app purchases.

The good

• Beautiful design
• Soothing sounds
• Adds a new twist to the classic Simon memory game with Lightning, Twirl, and Blackout
• Gives encouraging words when you pass a level
• Multiplayer through Game Center
• Earn coins to buy weapons and chances
• iCloud support

The bad

• No complaints

The bottom line

Circles is a fantastic little game. It's challenging and good for your brain. I love that you can play against your friends and attack them with weapons to make it more challenging to win. I have a terrible memory and tend to be fairly horrible at these types of games, yet I still enjoy Circles? I'll just keep it to myself what my max number of taps is? what's yours?!

• $1.99 - Download now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/1Lwycbba6Sc/story01.htm

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Obama, former presidents rally around George W. Bush as library opens

By Steve Holland

DALLAS (Reuters) - George W. Bush basked in warm praise from President Barack Obama and three fellow former presidents on Thursday as Bush's library was dedicated in a ceremony that emphasized his resolute response to terrorism while skirting controversies such as his decision to invade Iraq.

Obama and fellow Democrats Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, along with Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, came together on the campus of Southern Methodist University to honor one of their own. At the end of the hour-long ceremony, Bush - who has largely avoided public life since leaving Washington in January 2009 - choked back tears as he concluded his remarks.

Obama captured the feeling of the day when he indicated that Bush's political friends and foes both view the former president as genuine.

"To know the man is to like the man, because he's comfortable in his own skin," Obama said. "He takes his job seriously but he doesn't take himself too seriously. He's a good man."

Bush, a Republican, had historically low popularity ratings for a U.S. president - about 33 percent - when he left office.

Although most Americans give him credit him for his steadfast response to the September 11, 2001, attacks, many opposed his decision to go war against Iraq on what turned out to be a false claim that Saddam Hussein's regime was stockpiling biological and chemical weapons. By the end of Bush's term a once-vibrant economy was collapsing, fueling an image of an administration gone awry.

But time away from the spotlight has helped Bush in the eyes of many Americans. In the days leading up to the dedication of his library and museum, a Washington Post-ABC News poll indicated that Bush's approval rating was 47 percent, about equal to Obama's.

In his speech, Bush alluded to the difficult choices he faced as president, which is a theme that runs through several of the library's exhibits.

"One of the things about democracies is people are free to disagree. It's fair to say I gave people plenty of opportunities to exercise that right," Bush said with a chuckle.

ELDER BUSH: 'GLAD TO BE HERE'

The former presidents form what amounts to the world's most exclusive gathering, known informally as the Presidents Club. Most were rivals at one time or another, but the shared experience of being president has created bonds between them.

The United States has 13 presidential libraries around the country which preserve documents and records from presidents dating to Herbert Hoover.

During the ceremony the former presidents focused on the positive aspects of Bush's tenure. Clinton and Carter praised Bush for pushing Congress to fund AIDS relief for Africa.

Clinton is particularly close to Bush's father, George H.W. Bush, because the two have worked on various relief projects together.

Clinton teased Bush about the not-so-complex paintings that Bush, a novice artist, had produced in recent years, including self-portraits of Bush in the shower and the bathtub.

Clinton, a Democrat, said he considered asking Bush to do a similar painting of him, but then thought better of it.

"Those bathroom sketches are great, but at my age I think I should keep my suit," he said to laughter.

George H.W. Bush, 88 and in a wheelchair, had a health scare last December. But on Thursday he joined the other former presidents and their wives onstage, and spoke briefly.

"We're glad to be here," he said in a shaky voice. "God bless America."

Unlike other former presidents, Carter, a Democrat who served from 1977 to 1981, has not been shy about criticizing his predecessors. But he was upbeat when he stood before the crowd of Bush supporters.

Carter recalled that Bush had become president after winning a disputed election in 2000 against Democrat Al Gore. Carter said that two months later, he was among the few Democrats to show up for Bush's first inauguration.

Carter thanked Bush for helping the needy in Africa with increased foreign assistance and for seeking a solution to the conflict in Sudan. Carter told Bush he was grateful "for the contributions you've made to the most needy people on Earth."

The crowd included a who's who of dignitaries who served with Bush, such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, forever linked with Bush on the decision to launch the Iraq war. Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi also attended.

Since he left office, Bush, a 66-year-old Texan, has focused mostly on helping to build his library and museum, getting involved in charitable projects as well as painting, playing golf and riding mountain bikes.

The museum exhibits cover major points of Bush's presidency and offer visitors an opportunity to decide how they would have responded to those challenges. A central part is devoted to the September 11 attacks.

"When our freedom came under attack we made the tough decision required to keep our people safe," Bush said. He said his library's presidential center will be devoting to promoting freedom abroad.

"I'm retired from politics - happily so, I might add - but not from public service," he said.

Bush's supporters hope the library and the passage of time will lead more Americans to their belief that his performance in the White House was better than they might have thought.

(Editing by David Lindsey and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/george-w-bush-returns-spotlight-library-dedication-055506893.html

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Congressman questions legal handling of Boston suspect

By Tabassum Zakaria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers has expressed concern to Attorney General Eric Holder that the legal handling of the Boston Marathon bombing suspect may have "prematurely cut off" a lawful FBI interview.

Rogers, a Republican from Michigan, said he wanted more information about the appearance by U.S. Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler at the hospital where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is being held after being charged in the bombings that killed three people and wounded more than 200.

"Specifically, I would like more information as to who determined that the proceedings would occur at that specific time and place while questioning was still ongoing," Rogers said in a letter dated Wednesday and obtained by Reuters on Thursday.

"My understanding is that the normal practice places the duty to take the defendant to court (and accordingly discretion as to timing consistent with the rules) on law enforcement, and not the court," the letter said.

Tsarnaev, who was captured on Friday, was charged at a bedside hearing on Monday with using a weapon of mass destruction and malicious destruction of property resulting in death. He and his older brother, Tamerlan, who was killed in a shootout with police, are both suspected with carrying out the Boston Marathon bombings.

It was during the proceeding before Bowler that Tsarnaev was warned of his right to remain silent and his right to an attorney.

Before Monday's hearing, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev told investigators that he and his brother had also planned to set off bombs in New York's Times Square, according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

There is an ongoing debate about whether authorities should hold off reading the so-called Miranda warning to a suspect in a terrorism case until questioning has been completed to ensure no other plot is in the works that could harm the public.

A federal law enforcement official told Reuters that the magistrate judge initiated the process.

"The court schedules initial court appearances for defendants, not the Justice Department," the official said.

Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure require that anyone who is arrested must appear before a magistrate judge "without unnecessary delay" and that, during the proceeding, the magistrate judge must advise the defendant of his or her right to remain silent.

After the criminal complaint was filed on Sunday, Bowler sought to arrange an appearance for Monday morning, according to the law enforcement official. Prosecutors, the federal public defender and FBI agents in Boston were all aware of Bowler's plans, the official said.

(Additional reporting by Lawrence Hurley; editing by Karey Van Hall and Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/congressman-questions-legal-handling-boston-suspect-231858887.html

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Windows 8 Wednesdays: A Q&A with a Technical School that ...

Students report that the operating system makes it easy to view information without opening applications.

In this week?s Windows 8 Wednesday post the Microsoft in Education blog talks with Heiki T?his, Head of IT and CIO of the Tallinn Polytechnic School in Estonia, about the school?s adoption of the Windows 8 operating system.

Microsoft in Education: Tell us about the Tallinn Polytechnic School.
T?his: Tallinn Polytechnic School is the oldest and largest technical vocational school in Estonia. The main curriculum includes computers, computer networks, web development, automation, electricity, printing, and photography. Our IT infrastructure is quite large by Estonian standards; we have more than 500 workstations, more than 10 virtual servers, almost 2,000 users and two IT professionals who manage our on-site environment.

Microsoft in Education: Why did you choose to deploy the Windows 8 operating system?
T?his: We had two reasons for this deployment. On the one hand, most of our students are learning IT-related programs and we want to teach them by using the newest technologies. On the other hand, our IT team is small and we needed to simplify management procedures.

Microsoft in Education: Talk about your Windows 8 pilot program.
T?his: On August 15, we got early access to Windows 8 because we have a Microsoft School Agreement and TechNet subscription. That?s when we started our pilot program. We had a deadline of August 27, the beginning of the academic semester. This was an ?all or nothing? project because the next suitable deployment timeframe would be the end of December. The main goal of our pilot program was to make sure that applications necessary to the learning process would be compatible. We had to apply minor changes to some application packages. We made those kinds of changes and conducted tests. Everything worked. It was amazing.

Microsoft in Education: Did you use System Center Configuration Manager 2012 to install Windows 8?
T?his: We were able to implement rapidly because of System Center 2012 Configuration Manager (SCCM), which is very powerful tool that we used it to simplify application deployments. To be clear, most of our classroom computers are stateless. We don?t migrate or back up data on those machines. All files must be stored on a file server. We back up and migrate data and settings on the teachers? and staff members? computers. If you use SCCM, this task is fully automated.

Microsoft in Education: How long did deployment take?
T?his: We finished testing the morning of August 21. The decision was clear: Let?s do it. We had already prepared the images so we were ready to start the deployment process. In eight hours, we had migrated more than 200 computers to Windows 8. This included all the clients in the computer classes and lecture room. This was a bit risky, but we knew that if something went wrong, we could easily reinstall Windows 7.

Microsoft in Education: How has your Windows deployment changed your IT environment?
T?his: The beauty of Windows 8 is that it?s Windows, and everything that was possible to do in previous versions of the operating system is possible in Windows 8. We made only modest changes to our infrastructure. All classroom workstations are identical and feature Windows 8 and various applications. Students use clients that run Client Hyper-V, which makes it possible for them to use virtual machines to operate Windows Server or Linux. As a result, our learning environment is now much more flexible. We also use Windows 8 on staff computers because it?s easier to manage a unified IT environment.

Microsoft in Education: Are you using Windows 8 on touch-screen tablet computers?
T?his: Yes, we use HP EliteBook and Lenovo devices. We have six tablets used by chemistry and automation teachers, who use the touch screen and stylus when they teach drawing and sketching. We plan to purchase at least another 10 devices. We have one Microsoft Surface, which is a fantastic device. We?re waiting for Intel Core-based Windows 8 tablets because they are light and mobile. The touch screen experience has come to be normal and expected, but Windows 8 is a very good operating system without it.

Microsoft in Education: Are you working with any Windows 8 Metro apps?
T?his: Most of our users prefer to use the Mail app.? In December, we will begin deploying Microsoft Office 2013. At the moment, the Estonian Public Transport application is very popular.

Microsoft in Education: How is Windows 8 helping increase productivity?
T?his: Most of our students and teachers like the user interface. We use mostly high-definition monitors in classrooms and Windows 8 makes it much easier to view applications; you don?t even have to open them to get the necessary information. Users like that and report that it saves them a lot of time. The improved multi-monitor support means that our teachers can lecture more efficiently when using a monitor and a projector.

Microsoft in Education: How is Windows 8 helping enhance computer security and control?
T?his: We use BitLocker and BitLocker To Go drive encryption, available with Windows 8, to manage workstations and tablets. This is very important because we work with personal data. Another nice feature that Windows 8 supports is the Estonian smart card, which works without installing additional drivers. Our users use this card to log in to a learning management system and this is a very critical service for us. It works seamlessly.

To conclude this blog we want to keep with the theme of highlighting an app every week and this week it is
Khan Academy.? This site has something for everyone to challenge the mind whether it?s math, science, history and more.? Khan Academy is perfectly matched for the features of Windows 8. With Windows 8 you can bring multiple environments together seamlessly and learn in a dynamic way. For example, while watching a video tutorial online or downloaded and used offline, students can take notes on their computer or multitask on another project. Khan Academy for Windows 8 is designed to meet the learning realities of students head-on.

#? #? #

Source: http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_in_education/archive/2013/04/24/windows-8-wednesdays-a-q-amp-a-with-a-technical-school-that-simplifies-the-it-environment-with-windows-8-deployment.aspx

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Scientist at Work Blog: Monsters of the River at One Moment in Time

Lesley de Souza, a research biologist at John G. Shedd Aquarium, writes from Guyana, where she studies the region?s rich aquatic wildlife, including the arapaima, one of the largest freshwater fishes in the world.

Feb. 17, 2013

My heavy heart catches me off guard as I prepare to leave Rewa.? I have been captivated by the combination of a people, place and fish for the last few months.? Many of the villagers stand atop the riverbank and wave goodbye as we make our journey to the landing strip by boat.? We approach the runway, and I welcome the deafening buzz of the bush plane?s propeller, as it seems to quiet my emotions.?We take off, and I look back to the vast, expansive forests and meandering rivers that I have had the pleasure of living in.

I reflect on my time in Rewa, what we have accomplished, and what is yet ahead for arapaima conservation as I make my journey back to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.? I was met with great skepticism when I first approached some of the villagers about tagging arapaima with radio transmitters: ?The challenges are greater than you think, Lesley. These fish are bigger than you; how will you handle them long enough to perform surgery? Some of these ponds are dangerous. Will you get in the water??

A conversation with two local guides, Terry Haynes and Winston Edwards, reawakened my courage.? They said: ?Lesley, we have to try.? This research could be important for us.?

The importance of arapaima to local Amerindian communities and their larger ecological function underscores the urgent need to refine and implement a management plan.? Using radio telemetry to track arapaima migration patterns is a novel approach, a technique that will allow Shedd Aquarium and its partners to quantify and qualify the importance of habitats for feeding and reproduction in both the dry and wet seasons.? This type of high-quality ecological data is critical to generate this plan for arapaima conservation.

Over the last three months my crew and I tagged 20 arapaima with radio transmitters for tracking.? The fish are a mix of juveniles and adults spread throughout ponds, oxbows and main river channels along the Rewa and Rupununi Rivers.? It is too soon to elucidate overall migration routes, but various movement patterns are emerging among these tagged fish during this short time. There seems to be consistent movement from the fish as the water levels fluctuate. When water levels remain constant, they are more stationary.? We tracked several of the individuals that are more than five feet long to deep pools in the river channel, where they remain.? Other tagged fish were found rolling with a partner, a behavior that Amerindian guides say suggests mating.

I have successfully reached my goals for the first phase of this research: tagging and tracking arapaima during the dry season.? Rovin Alvin and Winston Edwards have shown great interest in the research and have offered to continue tracking until I return at the start of the rains, in late April or early May.? In the interim, I will be compiling the data from the first phase and preparing for the rainy season phase from the aquarium.

Naturally, my Amerindian colleagues assure me that greater challenges lie ahead.? Even something as simple as getting gas will become challenging in the rainy season. The roads become flooded by the steady rains. Traveling by boat, we?ll lose the open expanse of the river and maneuver instead through a flooded forest. The jungle becomes one large floodplain with no boundaries. Where will the arapaima go? How will I find them?? Not to mention the abundance of biting insects.? It can be miserable, I am told.

I feel a hint of discomfort when I visualize being inundated by hungry mosquitoes or cabora flies, but I resist thinking about it further.? I will overcome those challenges as I am confronted with them.? For now, the United States lies ahead ? and maybe a milkshake or two.

Source: http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/04/24/monsters-of-the-river-at-one-moment-in-time/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Satellite Imagery Company Skybox Teams Up With MapBox For Analysis And Annotation Of Data

Google isn’t the only company working on mapping out the entire world with satellite imagery and detailed information about every nook and cranny in the universe. Two companies are teaming up to create publishable information on your site or news article using detailed satellite imagery and advanced publishing tools. Skybox, a company that has raised $91M to launch its own satellites into outer space to capture detailed imagery of our streets and buildings, is working with MapBox, an OpenStreetMap contributor, on some pretty sweet analysis and publishing tools. Two Skybox satellites will be launched this summer, so the tools are coming at the perfect time. One of the examples of analyzing all of the images that Skybox captures, is a “change detection” system that focuses in on one area and builds a playlist of photos that you can go through to detect changes in the area. Why would something like this be useful? Well, say you’re a company that has a fleet of ships and want to know when they dock and leave. This tool could help track that: Additionally, MapBox provides tools that allow anyone to annotate imagery. In the example above, you could easily add notes to each coming and going ship that you’ve detected, with important context that will help you go back in time to make sense of all of the imagery you’ve collected: When I spoke with MapBox’s founder, Eric Gundersen, about the project, he pointed out that what you can do with maps are very limited right, which is what makes this partnership important: You can’t annoate images, you can’t zoom in, can’t interact on your tablet. This is our first experiment of “how do you package up information along with data,” that would usually be a PDF. As Gundersen pointed out, the information that the tools above allow you to surface and track would normally be passed around in a huge Word document or PDF, which is a pretty rough, and manual process, for people that are analyzing thousands of images a day. MapBox, which is a fully bootstrapped company, is working on some other really neat tools on their own, which should be available in the coming weeks. Think Google Map Maker, but easier to use and more available to the community that is already participating on the OpenStreetMap project.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/RLXimV1WoM8/

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