Thursday, February 28, 2013

New Greek observatory sheds light on old star

Feb. 27, 2013 ? Continuing a tradition stretching back more than 25 centuries, astronomers have used the new 2.3-m 'Aristarchos' telescope, sited at Helmos Observatory (2340m high) in the Pel?ponnese Mountains in Greece, to determine the distance to and history of an enigmatic stellar system, discovering it to likely be a binary star cocooned within an exotic nebula.

The researchers, Panos Boumis of the National Observatory of Athens and John Meaburn of the University of Manchester, publish the first scientific result from the telescope in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Stars of a similar mass to the Sun end their lives by ejecting much of their outer atmosphere into space, leaving behind a remnant core that eventually becomes a so called white dwarf. The shells of ejected material sometimes have the superficial appearance of planets so were named planetary nebulae. Astronomers can study the motion and appearance of the material in planetary nebulae to deduce how the remnant stars have changed over time.

In the 1950s the planetary nebula KjPn8 was discovered on Palomar Observatory Sky Survey plates. Follow up work in the 1990s by Mexican astronomers at the San Pedro Martir Observatory led to the discovery of giant lobes around the system, one quarter of a degree across, while in 2000 the central star was finally revealed by the Hubble Space Telescope.

Dr Boumis and Prof. Meaburn set out to study this system, installing a narrowband imaging camera on the Aristarchos telescope, the largest aperture instrument in south-eastern Europe, to measure the expansion more accurately.

By measuring the velocity and increasing size of the expanding material, the two scientists were able to deduce the distance to the system and date the history of the three ejected lobes. They found that KjPn8 is around 6000 light years away and that the material was thrown out in three phases 3200, 7200 and 50000 years ago.

The inner lobe of material is expanding at 334 km per second, suggesting it originates in an Intermediate Luminosity Optical Transient (ILOT) event. ILOTs are caused by the transfer of material from a massive star to its less massive companion, in turn creating jets that flow in different directions. Boumis and Meaburn believe that the core of KjPn8 is therefore a binary system, where every so often ILOT events lead to the ejection of material at high speed.

Dr Boumis is delighted to see the first results from the new telescope giving clues to the history of such an intriguing system. He comments: "Greece is one of the global birthplaces of astronomy, so it is fitting that research into the wider universe continues in the 21st century. With the new telescope we expect to contribute to that global effort for many years to come."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).

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Journal Reference:

  1. P. Boumis, S. Akras, E. M. Xilouris, F. Mavromatakis, E. Kapakos, J. Papamastorakis, C. D. Goudis. New planetary nebulae in the Galactic bulge region with l > 0o- II. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 2006; 367 (4): 1551 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10048.x

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/space_time/nasa/~3/eg9GNNpVhU8/130227085842.htm

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Obama nears deadline on gay marriage decision

President Barack Obama speaks at the Business Council dinner in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama speaks at the Business Council dinner in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

(AP) ? The next phase of President Barack Obama's evolution on gay marriage may come with the deadline for his administration to weigh in on a landmark Supreme Court case that could determine whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to wed.

Gay rights supporters are pressing the administration to file a friend-of-the-court brief urging the justices to overturn California's gay marriage ban. Obama is not required to file a brief, though he raised expectations in his second inaugural address when he declared that gays and lesbians must be "treated like anyone else under the law."

An administration brief would not be legally binding. But it could offer the clearest insight into Obama's views on gay marriage, which he supports but has said should be governed by the states.

Ahead of Thursday's deadline, dozens of prominent Republicans signed a friend of the court brief asking the justices to declare California's Proposition 8 ballot measure unconstitutional. Among them are former GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman and Florida Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

The Proposition 8 ballot initiative was approved by California voters in 2008 in response to a state Supreme Court decision that had allowed gay marriage. Twenty-nine other states have constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, while nine states and the District of Columbia recognize same-sex marriage.

Gay rights advocates are anticipating the administration filing a broad brief, one that would ask the justices to not only strike down the California measure, but also rule that the Constitution forbids any state from banning same-sex unions. But the administration could also file a narrower brief applying only to California.

Even the latter brief would appear to mark a shift away from the president's contention that states have the right to determine whether to allow same-sex marriages.

While an administration brief alone is unlikely to sway the high court, the government's opinion does carry weight with the justices.

Solicitor General Donald Verrilli would formally file a brief, though he has been consulting with White House officials. And it's almost certain that Obama, a former constitutional law professor, made the administration's final decision.

In his inaugural address, the president said the nation's journey "is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law."

"For if we are truly created equal, than surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well," he said.

Obama has a complicated history on gay marriage. As a presidential candidate in 2008, he opposed the California ban but didn't endorse gay marriage. As he ran for re-election last year, he announced his personal support for same-sex marriage but said marriage was an issue that should be decided by the states, not the federal government.

Public opinion has shifted in support of gay marriage in recent years. In May 2008, Gallup found that 56 percent of Americans felt same-sex marriages should not be recognized by the law as valid. By November 2012, 53 percent felt they should be legally recognized.

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the Proposition 8 case on March 26. One day later, the justices will hear arguments on another gay marriage case, this one involving provisions of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. The act defines marriage as between a man and a woman for the purpose of deciding who can receive a range of federal benefits.

The Obama administration abandoned its defense of the law in 2011 but continues to enforce it. In a brief filed last week, the government said Section 3 of DOMA "violates the fundamental constitutional guarantee of equal protection" because it denies legally married same-sex couples many federal benefits that are available only to legally married heterosexual couples.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-28-Obama-Gay%20Marriage/id-1e2950d915454b0db26fedd94562dcc7

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Real estate developer wins narrow re-election as GOP chair

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DETROIT ? GOP Chairman Bobby Schostak pulled off a narrow re-election in Lansing Saturday, setting the stage for 2014 ? when the governor, attorney general, secretary of state and Legislature are up for grabs.

Republicans have controlled all three branches of state government for more than two years.

Party chairs raise money, recruit candidates and coordinate get-out-the-vote efforts.

During Democrat Mark Brewer?s 18-year tenure, the Republican Party has had six different chairs.

Schostak, a real estate developer who took the helm two years ago, fended off a challenge from conservative attorney Todd Courser of Lapeer, 52 percent to 48 percent.

Supporters credited Schostak for helping Republicans hold onto the state House and Supreme Court in November despite President Barack Obama?s and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow?s lopsided wins in Michigan. Detractors said the GOP had a lousy year.

Gov. Rick Snyder, who is expected to seek re-election, supported Schostak?s candidacy.

?It?s time for us to stand up and say we?re reinventing Michigan,? the governor told thousands of delegates in the Lansing Center. ?It?s time to sweep the ticket again in 2014.?

Source: http://www.macombdaily.com/article/20130223/NEWS01/130229690/real-estate-developer-wins-narrow-re-election-as-gop-chair

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Video: Steenkamp?s dad may someday forgive Pistorius



>>> living in his uncle's house after being released on bond, unable to return to his own home where he shot and killed his girlfriend nine days ago. tonight we're hearing from rina steenkamp's father. michelle kosinski is in south africa with the latest.

>> reporter: oscar pistorius went to his uncle's house after being released on bond yesterday, not allowed back in his own home which is the scene of the alleged crime. tonight we're hearing from his girlfriend's father, bitterly grieving, saying he someday might forgive pistorius , on one condition. oscar pistorius did not venture outside his uncle's home today where cameras of course were waiting. po base officers did pay him a visit. one of the many conditions of his release that is he can't go home where pistorius shot and killed reeva steenkamp early valentine's day morning, he says mistaking him for a burglar in his bathroom. today "beeld" ran an interview with her father barry. steenkamp saying, there are only two people who really know what happened, oscar pistorius and the lord. it doesn't matter how much money he has and how good his legal team is, he must live with his conshouldn't. if it did not happen as he told it, he must suffer. if he speaks the truth, i can perhaps someday forgive him. the pistorius family, emotional and so supportive of oscar in court, sent the steenkamp family flowers and a card. yes, but what does it mean? steenkamp's mother was quoted as saying. "nothing." now everything is taken away from her in such a violent way. we want to know the truth." people around the world have reached out to them. messages of support have been posted on pistorius ' redesigned website, now foeg him with his hand over his heart. his release causing split reactions.

>> i think the guy is, you know, he should be behind bars.

>> reporter: now he can live his life, though needing permission to travel even outside his town, having to check in at a police station bite a week. although his agent canceled all his upcoming races, sponsors including nike have suspended sponsorships, his coach wants to start training him again as soon as possible to clear his mind, possibly as early as monday. pistorius might have a long time to wait for trial under this system, though the eyes of the world are now on it. he doesn't have to be back in court until june.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50923066/

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Plants 'talk' to bees with electricity, say scientists

Bees use the weak electrical charge carried by plants to determine if they have nectar, a new study has found.?

By Marc Lallanilla,?LiveScience Assistant Editor / February 22, 2013

Bees can sense a flower's electrical charge, which tells them if the flower's worth visiting.

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Everyone knows that bees buzz around flowers in their quest for nectar. But scientists have now learned that flowers are buzzing right back ? with electricity.

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Plants generally have a negative electrical charge and emit a weak electrical signal, according to researchers at the University of Bristol in England. And scientists have known for years that bees' flapping wings create a positive electrical charge of up to 200 volts as they flit from flower to flower, according to a news release.

But can the bees detect flowers' electrical charge? While animals like?sharks are known to sense electrical fields, nobody had ever found that an insect could do the same,?ScientificAmerican?reports.

To test the bees' sensitivity, researchers filled a room with artificial flowers: Half of the flowers were electrically charged and carried a sugary reward, while the other half had no charge and a bitter solution of quinine.

The bees quickly learned to visit only the electrically charged flowers, and to not waste their energy visiting flowers with no electrical charge. But when the electrical charges were switched off, the bees once again visited flowers randomly, suggesting that they had been reacting to the electrical charges. [The 10 Weirdest Animal Discoveries]

"Animals are just constantly surprising us as to how good their senses are," Dominic Clarke, lead author of the study, published in journal?Science, told the?BBC. "More and more we're starting to see that nature's senses are almost as good as they could possibly be."

Bees and flowers, of course, co-evolved with a long-standing symbiotic relationship: The bees depend on flowers for nectar, which they use to produce honey, and flowers need bees to help pollinate other flowers.

Flowers use various means to attract bees and other pollinators. In addition to their electrical charge and alluring fragrance, flowers display bright colors ? and research has found that?bees see colors?three times faster than humans.

But bees ? busy as they famously are ? don't have time to waste visiting pretty flowers whose nectar has just been taken by another insect. "The last thing a flower wants is to attract a bee and then fail to provide nectar," said Daniel Robert, co-author of the study, in a statement. "Bees are good learners and would soon lose interest in such [an] unrewarding flower."

So flowers, the researchers confirmed, emit a different electrical signal after their nectar has been harvested. They found that petunias became slightly more positively charged after a bee visited them, according to ScientificAmerican.

That revised electrical charge acts as a kind of "No Vacancy" sign to other bees, which learn to trust the signals that the flowers emit.

"This is a magnificent interaction where you have an animal and a plant, and they both want this to go as well as possible," study co-author?Gregory Sutton told NPR. "The flowers are trying to make themselves look as different as possible. This is to establish the flower's brand."

How do bees sense an electrical charge? Researchers aren't sure, but they suspect the fuzzy hairs on bees' bodies "bristle up" under an electrostatic force, just like hair in front of a television screen.

Other scientists are excited about the possible implications this research may have for other nectar-gathering insects such as hoverflies and moths.

"We had no idea that this sense even existed," Thomas Seeley, a behavioral biologist at Cornell University, told ScientificAmerican. "Assuming we can replicate the findings, this is going to open up a whole new window on insect sensory systems."

Contact Marc Lallanilla at?mlallanilla@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter?@MarcLallanilla. Follow LiveScience on Twitter?@livescience. We're also on?Facebook?&?Google+.

Copyright 2013?LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/zrTTMHP3NCM/Plants-talk-to-bees-with-electricity-say-scientists

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Wedding bell blues

I'm a 31-year-old genderqueer in Brooklyn with a large family on Long Island. My only sister got engaged 48 hours ago, and she's moving fast on planning the wedding. I have two questions.

Number one question: I texted my sister the only date I wasn't available in the next two years, which is Columbus Day weekend 2013. I have my 10-year college reunion, which I've been organizing. My sister texted me back that they picked this Columbus Day weekend for the wedding even though they have no idea if the places they want will be booked up. It quickly came out that they didn't check with anyone about potential conflicts. She wants me to be the maid of honor, and I'm not sure what to do. She's really upset with me. Columbus Day weekend is of no significance to them (it's not the anniversary of the date they met or anything), and I can't reschedule the reunion.

Number two question: I was born female but do not identify that way. I'm genderqueer and do not look like a girl. I have not worn a dress in 10 years and feel like I'm in drag in one. In the past, my sister said she would consider putting me in a pantsuit-ish kind of thing at her wedding, which would be great, but I am worried that now I'm rocking the boat too much with this Columbus Day thing and I don't know if I should just leave it alone. My girlfriend, who is very pretty and feminine, said if I had to wear a dress, she'd go in a suit and bow tie.

Dan, help! If for some reason my sister can't get her weekend, it will be because they're rushing and everything is booked, but I have already caused trouble! Is it worth it to fight for the pantsuit thing, or should I just leave it alone and do what she wants?

Thank You So Much

Number one answer: If your sister didn't check with anyone ? not members of her immediate family, not members of her bridal party ? about potential conflicts, then your sister should've anticipated that some of the folks wouldn't be able to attend. Folks who aren't getting married have lives and commitments of their own, which means they can have conflicts, and your sister could've worked around those conflicts if she had cared to ask about them. But she didn't care to ask, because she seems to be one of those brides-to-be who think an engagement ring on her finger puts her ass at the center of the universe. Here's hoping your sister can't get the venue she wants and has to reschedule. If that doesn't happen, TYSM, tell your sister you'll be with her in spirit and send a gift.

Number two answer: The fact that your sister has been engaged for 48 hours and is already furious with her maid-of-honor-elect is a bad sign. You'll be doing yourself, both families, and your sister a service if you stand up to her now. A little pushback now will either prevent your sister from going Bridezilla or get you dropped from the wedding party. You literally can't lose. So tell your sister now that you're delighted to be her maid of honor, if scheduling allows, and that you look forward to shopping for a pantsuit that matches her dress and the dresses of her bridal party. If she tells you that you have to wear a dress to be her maid of honor, TYSM, then it's clear that the dress is more important to your sister than the person wearing it, and you should tell her to find someone else to model it at her wedding.

My boyfriend and I are talking about getting married, and I am incredibly excited about marrying this awesome dude. My problem is that my ideal engagement ring is something that looks nice but is cheap. Seriously, a $50 ring would be perfect. I don't want something expensive because (A) it'll make me paranoid about losing it/having it stolen, and (B) I'd rather use the money for something else, like a house. However, my guy wants to spend about a grand on an engagement/wedding ring set. Given his income, this is far from an outrageous expense, but I'd still rather have my $50 cubic zirconia. I've talked with him about this, and we joke about how the stereotypical roles are reversed here, with me being the one who wants to go cheap and him wanting something more. But he's holding fast. Any ideas how I might be able to get my way and make him see that he's my prize, not the jewelry?

Not A Ring Girl

The difference between the engagement ring you'd prefer and the ring set your fianc? wants to buy ? $950 ? ain't nothin', NARG, but it's not enough to buy a fucking house. I could see digging in your heels if your fianc? wanted to spend twenty grand on a ring, as that kind of money would go a long way toward a down payment; I could see going to war if he was planning to go into debt to buy you a rock. But learning to pick your battles is the secret to a happy, successful marriage, NARG, and the difference between a $50 ring and a far from outrageous $1,000 ring set isn't worth fighting about. You want to make him see that he's your prize? Let him have his way on this.

Source: http://clclt.com/charlotte/wedding-bell-blues/Content?oid=3018958

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Williams College basketball teams get playoffs started

Saturday February 23, 2013

WILLIAMSTOWN -- If the Williams College basketball teams win their respective NESCAC championships this weekend, the victories will be sweeter because they would win the titles on the home court of their biggest rivals.

Amherst College?s LeFrak Gymnasium will host the men?s and women?s semifinals this weekend.

The second-seeded Williams men will play No. 3 Middlebury in the second game of the four-game series. The Ephs and Panthers will tip-off at 3 p.m. The women?s tournament semifinals begin at 5:30. The third-seeded Ephs will play No. 4 Middlebury in the 7:30 p.m. finale.

The men?s championship game is Sunday at noon, and the women?s game is at 2:30 p.m.

Men?s semifinals

This semifinal is a rematch of a Jan. 26 game, the Ephs won 64-63 on Daniel Wohl?s layup with 31 seconds left in the game.

"We expect a conference semifinal game to be highly contested and it?s going to be that," Williams coach Mike Maker said.

Williams and Middlebury are tied for second in points for at 79.5 and points against at 64.1 The Ephs lead the conference in field goal percentage (50.4) and Middlebury is second (49.8)

Going into the Wayback Machine, the Ephs trailed 41-38 at halftime and were down 63-56 when Middlebury?s Nolan Thompson hit a 3-point shot with 4:21 left. From that point, the Ephs held the Panthers scoreless.

Taylor Epley hit a pair of

free throws to make it 63-62 with 1:10 left to play. But with the clock running down, Michael Mayer stole the ball from Thompson and Wohl converted at the other end. Middlebury?s Joey Kizel had a shot blocked by Nate Robertson with 8 seconds left and Hunter Merryman missed a trey with 2 seconds left, giving the Ephs the win.

Wohl, who had a bout of mono, was cleared to practice without contact early in the week. The sophomore swingman has not played since the Amherst game, and will be a game-time decision. James Klemm, who missed the Trinity game with an injury, is back and hit four 3-pointers in the quarterfinal win against Bates.

Epley (18.1 points-per-game) and Mayer (17.2) are two of the top five scorers in NESCAC. Middlebury?s top scorer is senior Peter Lynch (15.1).

Women?s semifinals

The Ephs are seeking their first-ever NESCAC title this year. Based on the seeds, the semifinals should have been at Tufts. But Williams coach Pat Manning said she isn?t surprised her team isn?t busing to Medford for the weekend.

"The eighth seed was sort of weird because of the tiebreaker. [Bowdoin] definitely [wasn?t] a typical eighth seed," said Manning. "They lost to Wesleyan by a point, otherwise they would have been the fourth seed at home."

When Williams and Middlebury played in January, the Ephs held the Panthers to 15 points in the first half and won 62-36. Claire Baecher led the Ephs with 20 points, while Middlebury?s Tracy Borsinger (14) was the only Panther in double figures.

The Ephs are second in NESCAC in team defense, giving up 44.4 points per game. They are tops in field goal percentage defense (28.4) and field goal percentage on offense (41.6).

"We really preach defense. We talk about defense and we have starters and kids off the bench that play great ?D?," Manning said. "That?s what this team is all about."

Source: http://www.thetranscript.com/sports/ci_22652007/williams-college-basketball-teams-get-playoffs-started?source=rss

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Friday, February 15, 2013

Small Business Consulting - Harrison Marketing

small-business-consultingDo not underestimate the small businesses out there today, these small babies have plenty to coo about. These businesses come in all shapes and sizes and are all very different in many ways. It is all about making money and enjoying yourself while doing so.?None?wants to be unhappy with their jobs, it just makes life so frustrating and difficult at times. If you are not knowledgeable about the different kinds of small business opportunities that are available in today?s job market then you should seriously consider doing some research over the internet about small business consulting, or the small business specialists programs that could be made ready and available to you for your purposes.

The small business consulting companies have really come a long way now and have the great potential to grow into an enormous business consulting company. The many people involved in maintaining these types of businesses are very professional and they always know what they are talking about. They demonstrate a quality leadership that can not be found in many other companies out there today. These fantastic leadership qualities help when influencing the small business specialists to thrive to perfect their skills, by doing the proper researches in finding the correct resources for them to strengthen their capabilities, before their huge launch. By staying ahead of the game you can rest assured that your clients are going to love what you can help them achieve and they are going to be telling everybody about it, which means, many more clients down the road for you.

There are many up to date service offerings available that are convincing small business consultants that they should really consider right now, to begin figuring out new ways to ensure that their will always be prospective clients available for you. Many of the clients out there today are interested in finding options that will allow them to grow and they need to know for sure that these will be presented in a very professional manner and in such a way that anyone around them could understand exactly what it is they are trying to say. No confusions about it at all. Well managed services, along with software and hardware, are beginning to really get their names out there and are making some very positive gains. These need to be made available to the consultant of your choice.

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Some small business consultants need some new creative solutions in order to keep them truly hard core in today?s business world. There are many advantages to being involved in the small business communities, one of those being, having the ability to swap ideas with one another all over the country. You will have absolutely no boundaries, your options are totally limitless. The small business specialists can feel very proud, because of them helping achieve a job very well done, in the hopes of retrieving many permanent clients. It does not matter which type of consulting you decide to pursue, it just matters that you can be dedicated and determined enough to create a reputable business name for your small business of choice.

Source: http://harrisonmarketingmd.com/small-business-consulting/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=small-business-consulting

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Thursday, February 14, 2013

$10 for iPad Acoustic Amplifier Horn and Stand ($50 Value)

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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

STAPLES Center Named Top Veggie-Friendly NBA Arena

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) ? When it comes to enjoying sporting events meat-free, Lakers and Clippers fans have a lot to celebrate, according to a new survey released Wednesday.

Animal rights group People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has named STAPLES Center as the most vegetarian-friendly arena in the NBA ? along with a not-so-subtle jab at the two teams? respective season trajectories.

?Clippers fans may have more to cheer about this year than Lakers fans do, but one thing that fans of both teams can celebrate is the STAPLES Center?s number-one ranking on PETA?s inaugural top 10 most vegetarian-friendly NBA arenas list,? said PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt.

Menus at the downtown Los Angeles venue include everything from vegan sloppy Joes, a veggie burger, and vegan sushi.

The sloppy Joe is made from soy-based tempeh with peppers, onions, and brown sugar barbecue sauce, in addition to other traditional animal-friendly dishes like edamame, PB&J, and hummus and pita plate.

Fans in the club sections of the arena can also enjoy a couscous salad with peppers, onions, zucchini, and fig vinaigrette; butternut squash with shallots, spinach, toasted pecans, and walnut vinaigrette; and green beans with dried figs, almonds, shallots, and red-wine vinaigrette.

The only other California arena to place in this year?s top 10 list was the Bay Area?s Oracle Arena, home of the Golden State Warriors, which features an Asian focus with a Vietnamese ginger-garlic tofu sandwich, tofu lettuce wraps, and Vietnamese noodle salad lead.

Source: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/02/13/staples-center-named-top-veggie-friendly-nba-arena/

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'Walking Dead' goes black, white on Valentine's

Frank Ockenfels / AMC

Michael Rooker as Merle Dixon on "The Walking Dead."

By Anna Chan, TODAY

Blood racing through the veins of a pounding heart. Clutching your lover (or dog, cat, beer, pillow -- take your pick) close as you snuggle on the couch. It's all very Valentine-y, no? "The Walking Dead" will be helping to set the mood on Thursday when AMC begins airing season one of the survival drama in romantic black and white.

Yes, yes, we know "Walking Dead" overflows with the guts and gore of zombies (and an unfortunate horse or two), but don't forget about the sweet reunion for Rick and Lori in season one, back when viewers still liked her. A then-saner Shane even stepped back -- albeit with a broken heart -- as he watched husband and wife reunite. Besides the clearly lovey-dovey scene, the scary bits can also drive viewers into one another's arms. (Guilty!) So romantic!

To celebrate the airing of season one in black and white, AMC shared an exclusive photo of Merle Dixon (Michael Rooker) in the same color scheme. Sure, Merle didn't have any romantic scenes back then (or at all, for that matter), but enjoy anyway.

AMC will air the pilot and second episode beginning at 6:30 p.m. Episode three will kick off at the regular time of 8 p.m. Thursdays next week.

Valentine's Day also marks the kickoff of the network's Real Original Thursdays, a block of unscripted programs -- "Comic Book Men," "Freakshow" and "Immortalized" -- beginning at 9 p.m.

Related content:

More in The Clicker:

Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/02/13/16952854-walking-dead-goes-black-and-white-on-valentines-day?lite

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Gartner: Global cellphone sales fell in 2012

NEW YORK (AP) ? Research firm Gartner says worldwide cellphone sales fell last year, as economic turmoil dampened shopper appetites.

The decline was 1.7 percent, and it was the first time since 2009 that cellphone sales have fallen, Gartner says. Sales amounted to 1.75 billion units, meaning that one out of every four people on the planet bought a new cellphone last year.

A competing research firm, IDC, last month said that sales grew at 1.2 percent last year.

The firms agree that smartphone sales grew quickly, while non-smartphone sales declined by a roughly equal number.

Samsung Electronics of Korea is the world's largest maker of phones, followed by Finland's Nokia Corp. and Apple Inc. of the US, according to both research firms.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gartner-global-cellphone-sales-fell-2012-212214561--finance.html

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Spring into action: Volunteers needed for Ilford?s first Easter parade

Amanda Nunn Tuesday, February 12, 2013
12:49 PM

Anyone interested in helping organise an Easter parade in Ilford Town Centre should go along to one of the weekly meetings being held every Tuesday.

To send a link to this page to a friend, you must be logged in.

Whether you are interested in getting your church or organisations involved, or just want to volunteer on the day, everyone is welcome.

The meetings are held each week at 7pm at the Ilford High Road Baptist Church, High Road, Ilford.

Wilson Chowdhry, of the Pakistani-Christian Association, said: ?The recent decline of those that profess to be Christians within the 2011 census made us want to really show we are a community and to express that Christianity is vibrant and relevant in today?s society.?

Source: http://www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk/spring_into_action_volunteers_needed_for_ilford_s_first_easter_parade_1_1929516

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Nevada Dems outpace GOP by 136,000 voters statewide after January

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Source: http://www.rgj.com/article/20130209/NEWS19/302090054/1232

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(( VaginaPagina )) - MMMMonday! National Teen Dating Violence ...

It's MMMMonday! Each Monday, we bring you special, maintainer-curated content intended to enrich your VP experience. Please note that you can find past MMMMonday posts using the "mmmmonday" tag.

Also, a quick reminder about the other places you can find VP: vp_bulletins for local announcements; contact_vp for questions and feedback on the way VP is run; the Vulvapedia for basic questions; and don't forget about our sibling community over on Dreamwidth!

February is National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month. Because of the subject matter, this post may be triggering for mentions of abuse and sexual assault. Also, though this post and its information is focused on young people, much of this information applies to relationships between people of any age! Here are some facts about teen dating violence in the U.S.:

* 1 in 3 young people experience some form of dating abuse.

* One quarter of high school girls have been victims of physical or sexual abuse or rape.

* Nearly half (43%) of dating college women report experiencing violent and abusive dating behaviors.

*Eight states currently do not include dating relationships in their definition of domestic violence. As a result, youth victims of dating violence cannot apply for restraining orders.

*Eighty one percent of parents believe teen dating violence is not an issue or admit they don?t know if it?s an issue. Though 82% of parents feel confident that they could recognize the signs if their child was experiencing dating abuse, a majority of parents (58%) could not correctly identify all the warning signs of abuse.

--Source: http://www.teendvmonth.org/research

So what are the signs of abuse in a relationship? The same website offers these ten signs for young people in assessing their own relationships (note that these warning signs apply to relationships between people of any age):

Checking your cell phone or email without permission
Constantly putting you down
Extreme jealousy or insecurity
Explosive temper
Isolating you from family or friends
Making false accusations
Mood swings
Physically hurting you in any way
Possessiveness
Telling you what to do

Love Is Not Abuse offers this list for parents:

Your Teen:

Apologizes and/or makes excuses for his/her partner's behavior.
Loses interest in activities that he/she used to enjoy.
Stops seeing friends and family members and becomes more and more isolated.
Casually mentions the partner's violent behavior, but laughs it off as a joke.
Often has unexplained injuries or the explanations often don't make sense.

The Partner:

Calls your teen names and puts him/her down in front of others.
Acts extremely jealous of others who pay attention to your teen.
Thinks or tells your teen that you, the parent(s), don't like them.
Controls your teen's behavior, checking up constantly, calling or texting,
and demanding to know who he/she has been with.

You:

See the partner violently lose their temper, striking or breaking objects.

This power and control wheel shows many ways an abuser may use power and control against another person. It may be useful in examining a relationship, or in discussion with teens about these issues.

In addition to these resources, here are some others that may be helpful:

*Start Strong Teens
National Dating Abuse Helpline
Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network

Did these statistics surprise you? Did you grow up with a sense of what healthy relationships look like? Did you see or experience abuse as a teenager or college student? As always, this is a supportive place to ask questions or talk if you want to. You are invited to talk about whatever feels comfortable. Take care, superstars!

Source: http://vaginapagina.livejournal.com/21442646.html

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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

'SOCIETY Clothing' Mixes California Casual With New York Class Whether you'r...

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Treatment For Traumatized Kids? Best Way To Help Children Heal Is Unknown

CHICAGO -- Shootings and other traumatic events involving children are not rare events, but there's a startling lack of scientific evidence on the best ways to help young survivors and witnesses heal, a government-funded analysis found.

School-based counseling treatments showed the most promise, but there's no hard proof that anxiety drugs or other medication work and far more research is needed to provide solid answers, say the authors who reviewed 25 studies. Their report was sponsored by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

According to research cited in the report, about two-thirds of U.S. children and teens younger than 18 will experience at least one traumatic event, including shootings and other violence, car crashes and weather disasters. That includes survivors and witnesses of trauma. Most will not suffer any long-term psychological problems, but about 13 percent will develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress, including anxiety, behavior difficulties and other problems related to the event.

The report's conclusions don't mean that no treatment works. It's just that no one knows which treatments are best, or if certain ones work better for some children but not others.

"Our findings serve as a call to action," the researchers wrote in their analysis, published online Monday by the journal Pediatrics.

"This is a very important topic, just in light of recent events," said lead author Valerie Forman-Hoffman, a researcher at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

She has two young children and said the results suggest that it's likely one of them will experience some kind of trauma before reaching adulthood. "As a parent I want to know what works best," the researcher said.

Besides the December massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, other recent tragedies involving young survivors or witnesses include the fatal shooting last month of a 15-year-old Chicago girl gunned down in front of a group of friends; Superstorm Sandy in October; and the 2011 Joplin, Mo., tornado, whose survivors include students whose high school was destroyed.

Some may do fine with no treatment; others will need some sort of counseling to help them cope.

Studying which treatments are most effective is difficult because so many things affect how a child or teen will fare emotionally after a traumatic event, said Dr. Denise Dowd, an emergency physician and research director at Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City, Mo., who wrote a Pediatrics editorial.

One of the most important factors is how the child's parents handle the aftermath, Dowd said.

"If the parent is freaking out" and has difficulty controlling emotions, kids will have a tougher time dealing with trauma. Traumatized kids need to feel like they're in a safe and stable environment, and if their parents have trouble coping, "it's going to be very difficult for the kid," she said.

The researchers analyzed 25 studies of treatments that included anti-anxiety and depression drugs, school-based counseling, and various types of psychotherapy. The strongest evidence favored school-based treatments involving cognitive behavior therapy, which helps patients find ways to cope with disturbing thoughts and emotions, sometimes including talking repeatedly about their trauma.

This treatment worked better than nothing, but more research is needed comparing it with alternatives, the report says.

"We really don't have a gold standard treatment right now," said William Copeland, a psychologist and researcher at Duke University Medical Center who was not involved in the report. A lot of doctors and therapists may be "patching together a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and that might not add up to the most effective treatment for any given child," he said.

___

Online:

Pediatrics: http://www.pediatrics.org

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/11/treatment-for-traumatized-kids_n_2661176.html

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?3.4 million boost for Whitby and Scarborough to create thousands of jobs

?3.4 million boost for Whitby and Scarborough to create thousands of jobs

THOUSANDS of jobs could be created at North Yorkshire's coast line after the region received part of a ?16 million Government funding.

Scarborough Borough Council is to receive ?2,599,373 to develop Whitby Business Park, which is expected to help create 206 direct jobs and 2,500 indirect jobs in the local economy.

About ?1 million from the Coastal Communities Fund grant will be injected in to the business park to open up land and improve infrastructure in readiness for the creation of Europe?s largest offshore wind farm near Dogger Bank and the planned new potash mine near the village of Sneaton, a few miles outside Whitby.

The remainder of the grant will be used to subsidise 200 apprenticeships in engineering and manufacturing in the borough; fund training and business support for enterprises linked to the potash, renewable energy and other local industries; support enterprise ?boot camps? for young people in the Borough; and help fund the second phase of the council?s Jobmatch project, which in phase one saw more than 1,000 people recruited by 300 companies.

Coun Derek Bastiman, cabinet portfolio holder for strategic planning and regeneration, said: ?The potash mine and offshore wind industry have the potential to completely transform the area and bring a new dimension to the local economy which for so long has relied heavily on tourism."

North York Moors Historical Railway Trust is also to receive ?800,000 to develop the North York Moors heritage railway service linking Whitby to the North York Moors National Park. The project is expected to create 15 new jobs on the railway service and 52 jobs indirectly in Whitby?s tourism sector.

Source: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/10220181.__3_4_million_boost_for_Whitby_and_Scarborough_to_create_thousands_of_jobs/?ref=rss

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Boeing completes 'uneventful' 787 test flight

CHICAGO - Boeing Co. completed what it called an uneventful flight on Saturday of a test 787 Dreamliner, its first since the airplanes were grounded more than three weeks ago after a series of battery-related problems.

The test flight to gather detailed information on the airplane's lithium-ion batteries lasted two hours and 19 minutes, taking off from and returning to Boeing Field in Seattle, Boeing said.

"The crew reports that the flight was uneventful," Boeing said in a statement.

The 50 Dreamliners in commercial service were grounded worldwide on Jan. 16 after a series of battery-related incidents including a fire on board a parked 787 at Boston's Logan International Airport and an in-flight problem on another airplane in Japan.

The groundings have cost airlines tens of millions of dollars, with no solution yet in sight.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Thursday it would allow 787 test flights, under more stringent rules, to monitor the batteries in flight.

Boeing said the information gathered during the flight was part of the investigations into the battery events that occurred in January and that additional details could not be shared.

The airplane is Boeing's fifth 787 flight test airplane, marked as ZA005, and the only member of the test fleet in service. The flight had a crew of 13, including pilots and testing personnel, Boeing said.

Boeing said no flights of the airplane were planned on Sunday, but it planned to resume flights early in the coming week. Boeing does not provide advance flight schedules.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/boeing-completes-uneventful-787-test-flight-1B8310244

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Monday, February 11, 2013

Giant bill for fixing Rowan Atkinson's McLaren

Photo dated Nov. 15 1998 of comedian Rowan Atkinson at the wheel of his McLaren F1 sports car. It was reported Friday Feb. 8 2013 that it took more than a year ? and more than 900,000 pounds ($1,400,000) ? to get his supercar up and running after a 2011 crash in which he badly injured a shoulder, but F1's now sell for around 3.5 million pounds. The car makes extensive use of carbon fiber and needed specialist care. The car insurance settlement is one of the largest in British history. (AP Photo/Barry Batchelor/PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE

Photo dated Nov. 15 1998 of comedian Rowan Atkinson at the wheel of his McLaren F1 sports car. It was reported Friday Feb. 8 2013 that it took more than a year ? and more than 900,000 pounds ($1,400,000) ? to get his supercar up and running after a 2011 crash in which he badly injured a shoulder, but F1's now sell for around 3.5 million pounds. The car makes extensive use of carbon fiber and needed specialist care. The car insurance settlement is one of the largest in British history. (AP Photo/Barry Batchelor/PA) UNITED KINGDOM OUT NO SALES NO ARCHIVE

(AP) ? Everyone who's had a fender bender knows the cost of repairs is going up. But few cars can be as costly to fix as "Mr. Bean" actor Rowan Atkinson's rare McLaren F1.

It took more than a year ? and more than 900,000 pounds ($1.4 million) ? to get his supercar up and running after a 2011 crash that left Atkinson with a badly damaged shoulder.

The high-performance car makes extensive use of carbon fiber and needed specialist care ? it took weeks just to get a proper insurance estimate.

Ben Stagg, specialty insurer with RK Harrison, said the quality components used to make an F1 are one reason the repair costs were so high.

"All modern supercars are predominantly carbon fiber ? most Lamborghinis, most Ferraris ? and the smallest ding in carbon fiber is a big repair job," he said. "And part of the engine bay is gold, that's the best heat conductor. It's the materials they used compared to everyday cars that make it so expensive."

He said many owners baby their expensive cars, driving them only a few times a year in perfect weather conditions, but Atkinson actually drives his McLaren extensively.

The unusual repair job, thought to involve one of the largest car insurance settlements in British history, is extensively documented in Classic & Sports Car magazine, with a picture of the burgundy McLaren on the cover.

Atkinson, last seen by many playing piano as Mr. Bean during the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, told the magazine he believes supercars should be used, not sequestered in garages.

"It depresses me when great cars are hidden away," he said. "It's a crime not to use it."

Magazine editor Alastair Clements said Atkinson should be applauded.

"He let us do the story because he wanted other enthusiasts to know that he loves it, that he isn't just some celebrity with an expensive car, that he's owned it for 15 years and loved it for 15 years," he said. "He's put it back exactly as it was. He's a bit of a hero. It's much more than the value."

Of course, the value is there ? Stagg said the last used McLaren F1 sold on the open market went for about 3.5 million pounds.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-02-08-Britain-Actor's%20Car%20Repair/id-a9a36b54e4b849508255dfbb289f07dc

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APNewsBreak: Flaws found in US missile shield

FILE - In this Friday, May 4, 2012 file photo, a Russian military officer is on duty in the main control center of a radar station at the missile defense facility in Sofrino, 50 km (31 miles) northeast of Moscow. Secret U.S. Defense Department studies have cast doubt on whether a multibillion dollar missile defense system planned for Europe will ever be able to protect the United States from Iranian missiles as intended, congressional investigators say. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel, File)

FILE - In this Friday, May 4, 2012 file photo, a Russian military officer is on duty in the main control center of a radar station at the missile defense facility in Sofrino, 50 km (31 miles) northeast of Moscow. Secret U.S. Defense Department studies have cast doubt on whether a multibillion dollar missile defense system planned for Europe will ever be able to protect the United States from Iranian missiles as intended, congressional investigators say. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel, File)

Sailors man the rails aboard the guided -missile destroyer USS Barry as the ship depart the Norfolk Naval Station Thursday morning, Feb. 7, 2013 for a 6-month deployment. The USS Barry has deployed to Europe to protect U.S. allies from ballistic missiles. (AP Photo/TheVirginian-Pilot,Bill Tiernan) MAGS OUT

Sailors man the rails aboard the guided -missile destroyer USS Barry as the ship departs the Norfolk Naval Station Thursday morning, Feb. 7, 2013 for a 6-month deployment. The USS Barry has deployed to Europe to protect U.S. allies from ballistic missiles. (AP Photo/TheVirginian-Pilot,Bill Tiernan) MAGS OUT

(AP) ? Secret Defense Department studies cast doubt on whether a multibillion-dollar missile defense system planned for Europe can ever protect the U.S. from Iranian missiles as intended, congressional investigators say.

Military officials say they believe they can overcome the problems and are moving forward with plans. But proposed fixes could prove difficult. One possibility has been ruled out as technically unfeasible. A second, relocating missile interceptors planned for Poland and possibly Romania to ships on the North Sea, could be diplomatically troublesome.

The studies are the latest to highlight serious problems for a plan that has been criticized on several fronts.

Republicans claim it was developed hastily in an attempt to appease Russia, which had opposed an earlier system. But Russia is also critical of the plan, which it believes is really intended to counter its missiles. A series of governmental and scientific reports has raised questions about whether it would ever work as planned.

At a time that the military faces giant budget cuts, the studies could lead Congress to reconsider whether it is worthwhile to spend billions for a system that may not fulfill its original goals.

The classified studies were summarized in a briefing for lawmakers by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' nonpartisan investigative and auditing arm, which is preparing a report. The GAO briefing, which was not classified, was obtained by The Associated Press.

Military officials declined repeated requests to discuss the studies on the record, noting they were classified. Even speaking on condition of anonymity, officials declined to say whether the GAO accurately had reported its conclusions. But the briefing had been reviewed by several Defense Department officials and the revisions they requested were incorporated. There was no indication they had objected to how the studies had been described.

The officials who spoke to the AP emphasized that the interceptor intended to protect the United States is in the early stages of development and its capabilities are not known. They said that the U.S. is already protected by other missile defense systems. Even if European-based interceptors are unable to directly defend the United States, they say they would protect not only European allies and U.S. troops stationed on the continent, but also U.S. radars there that are necessary for all U.S. missile defense plans.

Missile defense has been a contentious issue since President George W. Bush sought to base long-range interceptors in Central Europe to stop missiles from Iran. Some Democrats criticized the plans, saying they were rushed and based on unproven technology. Russia believed the program was aimed at countering its missiles and undermining its nuclear deterrent.

It might seem logical for the U.S. to want to have a defense against Russian missiles, but it's not that simple.

A new missile defense system aimed at Russia could undermine the balance between the nuclear powers, leading Moscow to add to its arsenal and build up its own defenses. It would undermine prospects for further cuts in nuclear weapons, which are a priority for President Barack Obama, and could hurt U.S.-Russian cooperation on other issues of international importance.

Obama reworked the plans soon after taking office in 2009, saying the threat from long-range Iranian missiles was years off. His plans called for slower interceptors that could address Iran's medium-range missiles. The interceptors would be upgraded gradually over four phases, culminating early next decade with those intended to protect both Europe and the United States.

The plans have gained momentum in Europe with the signing of basing agreements in Poland, Romania and Turkey, as well as backing by NATO.

Russia initially welcomed the plan, but now strongly opposes it, especially the interceptors in the final stage. Russia fears those interceptors could catch its intercontinental missiles launched at the U.S.

It is that fourth stage that is now at issue.

The GAO investigators said that the classified reports by the Missile Defense Agency concluded that Romania was a poor location for an interceptor to protect the U.S. It said the Polish site would work only if the U.S. developed capabilities to launch interceptors while an Iranian missile was in its short initial phase of powered flight.

But the administration is not pursuing that capability because it does not believe it is feasible, according to one senior defense official.

The military has considered deploying interceptors on ships, but the Navy has safety concerns that have not yet been resolved. The suggestion of attempting intercepts from ships on the North Sea probably would aggravate tensions with Russia. That could put it right in the path that some Russian ICBMs would use, further reinforcing Russia's belief that it, not Iran, is the target of the system.

The GAO investigators also took the administration to task for not conducting studies earlier that could have revealed the problems. Reports by the GAO and scientific bodies advising the government have raised other concerns about the missile shield, citing production glitches, cost overruns, problems with radars and sensors that cannot distinguish between warheads and other objects.

One report by the National Academy of Sciences recommended canceling the fourth phase of the system and deploying the interceptors to the East Coast.

The GAO study was requested by Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, who until recently led a panel that oversees missile defense. He said he is concerned that the interceptor in development might be useless in protecting the United States.

"This report really confirms what I have said all along: that this was a hurried proposal by the president," he said.

___

Online:

Missile Defense Agency: http://www.mda.mil/system/system.html

___

Follow Desmond Butler on Twitter: http://twitter.com/desmondbutler

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-09-US-Europe-Missile%20Defense/id-d119471687de413bb8d85c44687b0f16

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LAPD to reopen probe into fugitive ex-cop's firing

BIG BEAR LAKE, Calif. (AP) ? The hunt in the snowy mountains for a former Los Angeles police officer suspected in three killings continued Saturday as police announced they will reopen the disciplinary proceedings that led to the fugitive's firing.

Officials will particularly re-examine Christopher Dorner's allegations that his law enforcement career was undone by racist colleagues, Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck told KCBS-TV. He also urged Dorner to surrender.

"If he was to give himself up, we'd be happy to hear what he has to say," Beck said.

Authorities suspect Dorner in a series of attacks in Southern California over the past several days that left three people dead, including a police officer. Authorities say he has vowed revenge against several former LAPD colleagues who he blamed for ending his career.

A scaled-back search party took advantage of a break from stormy weather Saturday to hunt for Dorner in the San Bernardino mountains using heat-sensing helicopters. Officers also fanned out in fresh snow near Big Bear Lake as vacationing families and weekend skiers frolicked nearby.

The manhunt didn't appear to bother the majority of tourists intent on enjoying Saturday's perfect winter weather, which made for strikingly odd contrasts: the sound of barking bloodhounds mixed with rap music blaring off the ski slopes; a family with kids strolling by a deputy, who was clad in full tactical gear and practicing his aim on a small snowdrift.

San Bernardino County sheriff's Detective Chad Johnson said he and others were intent on finding Dorner but also looking for other telltale signs of his whereabouts.

"There's a million clues in the mountain. You've just got to be patient to find them," Johnson said.

Johnson said the search includes mountainous areas that are very steep and high climbs that often end in cliffs.

"It's a challenging day of work," he said.

Saturday was the third full day of the massive multi-agency effort now centered on this resort town about 80 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles where Dorner's burned-out pickup truck was discovered Thursday. Investigators are trying to determine whether Dorner, 33, torched it or if it caught fire for other reasons.

The search once included 125 officers but that number was reduced to 50 on Saturday, according to the sheriff's office.

Officers have been going door to door examining hundreds of vacant cabins, aware that they could be walking into a trap set by the well-trained former Navy reservist who knows their tactics and strategies.

"Christopher Dorner is probably one of the most dangerous fugitives that law enforcement has gone after in recent times," said Clint Van Zandt, former supervisor of FBI's profiling unit. "The challenge is, with his law enforcement and military background, he's very competent with weapons."

Sheriff's Detective Jeremiah MacKay, who began his patrol at 5 a.m. Saturday, said the operation was both massive and tactically complex.

"This one you just never know if the guy's going to pop out, or where he's going to pop out. We're hoping this comes to a close without more casualties. The best thing would be for him to give up," MacKay said.

On Friday night, authorities served a search warrant and collected evidence from a Buena Park storage unit as part of their investigation. Irvine police Lt. Julia Engen wouldn't elaborate on the nature of the evidence or say who had rented the unit.

Earlier Friday, another warrant was served at a La Palma house belonging to Dorner's mother. Officers collected 10 bags of evidence, including five electronic items.

Police said officers still were guarding more than 40 people mentioned as targets in a rant that authorities said Dorner posted on Facebook. He vowed to use "every bit of small arms training, demolition, ordnance and survival training I've been given" to bring "warfare" to the LAPD and its families.

Dorner served in the Navy, earning a rifle marksman ribbon and pistol expert medal. He was assigned to a naval undersea warfare unit and various aviation training units, according to military records. He took leave from the LAPD for a six-month deployment to Bahrain in 2006 and 2007.

Last Friday was his last day with the Navy and also the day CNN's Anderson Cooper received a package that contained a note on it that read, in part, "I never lied." A coin riddled with bullet holes that former Chief William Bratton gave out as a souvenir was also in the package.

Police said it was a sign of planning by Dorner before the killing began.

On Sunday, police say Dorner shot and killed a couple in a parking garage at their condominium in Irvine. The woman was the daughter of a retired police captain who had represented Dorner in the disciplinary proceedings that led to his firing.

Dorner wrote in his manifesto that he believed the retired captain had represented the interests of the department over his.

Hours after authorities identified Dorner as a suspect in the double murder, police believe Dorner shot and grazed an LAPD officer in Corona and then used a rifle to ambush two Riverside police officers early Thursday, killing one and seriously wounding the other.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Christopher Weber, Greg Risling, Haven Daley, Michael Blood, John Antczak, Mark Evans and Julie Watson.

Abdollah can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LATams .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lapd-reopen-probe-fugitive-ex-cops-firing-014700767.html

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