Blog Archive ? Cats' impact on native wildlife ? Experts respond

A campaign launched by economist Gareth Morgan to raise awareness about the impact of cats on native wildlife has elicited a range of opinions, but what does the evidence say?

Yesterday, Dr Morgan launched the?Cats-to-go?campaign, calling for further efforts to prevent cats killing native birds. Recommendations included: affixing bells to collars, keeping cats indoors, neutering, requiring registration and microchipping for cats and ? more controversially ? calling on cat owners?not to replace their pets when they die.

You can read more about the website and the extensive media coverage it has received here. Bloggers Dr David Winter and Dr Wayne Linklater have also written about the issue on science blogging network Sciblogs.co.nz

The Science Media Centre gathered the following comments from experts on predator control and conservation. If you would like to contact a New Zealand expert, please contact the SMC (04 499 5476; smc@sciencemediacentre.co.nz).

Dr Yolanda van Heezik, Senior Lecturer, Zoology, University of Otago, comments:

?There have been three published studies quantifying the prey caught by domestic cats in New Zealand (in Auckland, Christchurch and my study in Dunedin) and they all agree in reporting that pet cats catch birds, including native species. Cats appear to catch species in proportion to their abundance in the environment, so in Dunedin, the two most abundant bird species (silvereyes and house sparrows) were the two most common bird species caught by cats. Cats in the Dunedin study also caught native species such as fantails and bellbirds. Fantails seem to be particularly vulnerable. My study identified that about one third of cats did not bring any prey home, about a half brought back prey infrequently, but that about 20% were frequent hunters. The average number of prey brought back per year was 13, but that included rats, mice, lizards and invertebrates. It should be borne in mind though, that a recent study using Kittycams in the US reported that cats brought back only one third of the prey that they actually caught and killed, so the NZ studies probably under-estimated total numbers killed.

?I support Gareth Morgan in his campaign to raise awareness about the impacts that pet, stray, and feral cats have on our native wildlife. I suspect that most people have never given the issue much thought, or they think that the one or two birds caught by their own cat makes no difference. People need to consider that cats exists across cities at a density of about 225 per sq km, and that even though individual cats may catch few birds, cumulatively the total of birds killed is large. Other countries such as Australia have regulations in place around cat ownership and cat movements, and we need to start thinking along the same lines, if we value our native wildlife, and want to live in towns and cities where we can encounter native wildlife as part of our everyday lives.

?Feral cats are known to be a problem. The impact of pet cats is less well known. Because pet cats are fed, they are referred to as subsidized predators. They are more likely to hunt wildlife populations to extinction, as they do not rely on wild prey for food, so they are less likely to switch to alternative sources of prey when their prey population becomes so depleted it costs too much energy to hunt for it.

?Stray cats are an important issue. Stray cat colonies that are fed by the public still kill wild species. Well-fed cats hunt. TNR policies (trap-neuter-return) have been shown in other countries to be ineffective at controlling stray cat populations.

?Cats do prey on rats, which are also significant predators of wildlife. This is an argument for carrying out simultaneous rat control in areas where cats are absent.

?The recommendations given by Gareth Morgan are reasonable: consider using a collar with a bell: our research has shown they reduced catch by 50%. There are other devices to curb cat predation, such as the catBib, and I suspect more in development. Consider keeping your cat inside at all times. This ruling is in effect already in some parts of Australia. And consider not replacing your cat when it eventually dies.

?I?m currently involved in a study coordinated by Assoc. Prof Mike Calver at Murdoch University in Australia, surveying the public in NZ, Australia, the UK and the USA to ascertain the opinions of the community on cat ownership and regulations around ownership. The results from that study should be available later this year.?

Mr John Innes, Scientist ? Biodiversity and Conservation, Landcare Research, comments:

?On?his website, Gareth Morgan paints a broad picture of cats as major predators of native birds in New Zealand (?cats are wiping out our native birds?) and suggests that New Zealand without cats? is ?a New Zealand teeming with native wildlife, penguins on the beach, kiwis roaming about in your garden.? Imagine hearing birdsong in our cities?.? However, careful reading of the site does show that its authors are aware that there are other predator species to consider besides cats.? They refer to cats being ?one step? towards a Predator Free New Zealand.

?The impact of cats ?- whether feral or pet ? on valued wildlife remains controversial because it is site-dependent and ecologically complex, and because key impact questions are frequently unresearched.? The website cites Medina et al (2011) regarding birds threatened or made extinct by cats, but this is a worldwide study of islands and not just New Zealand, and effects of cats are frequently additive to those of other predators, especially rodents, and habitat modification.? In New Zealand also, cats alone cannot be blamed for the loss of any species.? However, they are undoubtedly key contributors to declines of some birds (and other fauna) in some places, for example black stilts, black-fronted terns and wrybills in braided rivers and other shorebirds trying to nest on beaches, but so potentially are hedgehogs, ferrets, stoats, four wheel drive vehicles, people walking dogs and fishermen.? When cats, ferrets and hedgehogs were targeted in Mackenzie Basin braided rivers, possums and Norway rats then ate the black-fronted terns.

?Cat diet studies in New Zealand urban areas (e.g. Gillies & Clout (2003); van Heezik et al. (2010)) show that cats eat small mammals, birds, lizards and invertebrates.? The birds are mostly common introduced species or widespread natives, especially silvereyes.? The research to clarify whether the negative effects of cats on these fauna outweighs the positive effects of their predation on ship rats, Norway rats and mice has not been done.? However, keeping cats inside, especially at night, will negate these possible positive effects.? Urban sanctuaries like Zealandia in Wellington clearly change this context because highly threatened species like saddlebacks may be taken by cats, but it is likely that they would be taken by ship rats or possums anyway if cats were removed.

?In New Zealand native forests, ship rats are the major prey, and this little-seen predator eats many more birds than cats do.? The Gareth Morgan website refers to kaka, kokako, weka, mohua, t?eke and robins as endangered, perhaps implying that cat control might help them, but cats are not significant predators of any of these species, except ?possibly weka.

?I agree with the website that ?we need to control cats and rats together?, and in fact recent thinking around a Predator Free New Zealand has always focused on several species, usually stoats, ship rats and possums.? Whether mice, hedgehogs, Norway rats, ferrets, weasels and cats may yet be included is still unfolding.

?In the meantime, pet cat owners should educate themselves about the possible threats of their cats to local wildlife, and they should plant trees and shrubs suitable for native wildlife.?

Source: http://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2013/01/23/cats-impact-on-native-wildlife-experts-respond/

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Political stakes high as Clinton testifies on Benghazi

By Tom Curry, National Affairs Writer, NBC News

The political stakes will be high Wednesday morning when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee about her role in the events leading up to the September attack on a U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya, that resulted in the killing of Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans.

The stakes will also be high for a Republican member of the committee, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, whom some pundits see as a possible presidential candidate in 2016. It will be a rare instance when one potential White House hopeful gets an opportunity to interrogate a potential rival from the opposing party. Clinton herself is thought to be a strong contender for the Democratic nomination, should she chose to throw her hat into the ring.

Gary Cameron / Reuters

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks at the State Department in Washington January 18, 2013.

Rubio said Tuesday that he hoped Clinton?s testimony would shed light on ?the decision-making process in terms of the amount of security that was at the consulate. She has a unique insight that no one else in the State Department can offer, so we look forward to hearing about that.??

Last month, a report issued by the Accountability Review Board (appointed by Clinton to investigate the attack) blamed State Department officials for ?systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies? that led to protection for the Benghazi facility that was ?grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place.?

Rubio said Tuesday that one aspect of the report that bothered him was ?how much blame was put on lower-level officials in the State Department when in fact this (Benghazi) is a high-profile assignment, a high-profile installation, where we should have been aware of some of the security risks that existed.?

In an interview last October, Clinton said, ?I take responsibility. I?m in charge of the State Department, 60,000-plus people all over the world, 275 posts. The president and the vice president certainly wouldn?t be knowledgeable about specific decisions that are made by security professionals.?

'Political charade'
The furor over the Benghazi attack has already helped derail one possible nominee to replace Clinton at the State Department, United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, whom Republicans assailed for using administration talking points that portrayed the incident as a spontaneous response to an inflammatory anti-Islamic video.

Asked whether there was any way that Wednesday?s hearing could not become a political event or spectacle, Rubio responded, ?Everyone here takes their job seriously. We understand that everyone involved cared for and highly valued the people whose lives were lost. But mistakes were made and it?s important to understand why they were made and how they were made so that they?re never made again.?

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., talks about Wednesday's Benghazi hearings and previews Sen. John Kerry's upcoming confirmation hearing.

A newly elected Democratic member of the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, said Tuesday, ?My perspective is looking forward. I want to understand how we can better secure (U.S. diplomatic) complexes across the globe and how we can make the case here in Washington that we need the money to do it. There were resource pressures on the State Department to make decisions on security and we need to be able to have the ammunition to make the case here to increase their budget.?

Murphy said he did not see the question of whether Clinton was personally responsible for lapses in security at the Benghazi facility as the central issue in the hearing. ?The decisions that were made (regarding security in Benghazi) clearly didn?t reach Secretary Clinton?s desk and I want her thoughts on how we make sure this doesn?t happen again,? the Connecticut Democrat said.

Murphy, who served three terms in the House before winning a Senate seat, criticized Republicans on the House Oversight Committee for politicizing the Benghazi attack and for running a Benghazi hearing last year that he called ?a debacle, a political charade. I?m hopeful that tomorrow?s hearing won?t be the same.?

Stockpiled weapons?
One senator not on the Foreign Affairs Committee but who has led the call for the Obama administration to be more forthcoming about the attack, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., said she hoped to find out from Clinton?s testimony what Clinton was told about security threats to the U.S. facility and what she was told about prior attacks on the facility. She asked, ?Does she believe in the characterization that the security was substantial and significant? That was the characterization that Ambassador Rice gave to the nation. And what conversations did she have with the president about securing the consulate??

Ayotte?made the connection Tuesday between the turmoil in Libya ? in which jihadists seized weapons stockpiles that had been amassed by the regime of toppled dictator Moammar Gadhafi ? and the danger of a similar outcome in Syria, where the security of the Assad regime?s chemical weapons stockpiles is doubt.

Ayotte, a member of a bipartisan Senate delegation that just returned from the Middle East, said, ?We have seen the lesson learned, for example, in Libya.?

She said on the Senate delegation?s trip, ?We heard in Egypt about weapons from Libya being shipped to the Sinai from Libya. There are reports that there may be connections between weapons from Libya and the (hostage taking) incident in Algeria (in which 37 were killed). We heard from leaders in the Middle East that these weapons are going throughout the Middle East from Libya. We?ve heard concerns about weapons (from Libya) getting the wrong hands?. When you don?t secure weapons and they get in the wrong hands, you put tools in the hands of terrorists.?

A theme from Rubio and other Republicans has been the Obama administration got engaged ?too late? and ?not decisively enough? in Libya, allowing chaos to prevail in some parts of the country. ?The reason why there are all these multiple militias in Libya is because this was a protracted conflict that created the opportunity and the space for these militias to form ? similar to what we?re seeing now in Syria,? Rubio said after a Dec. 20 Foreign Relations Committee hearing.

Related:

Republicans press for answers from Clinton on Benghazi

Clinton: 'We did everything we could to keep our people safe'

Rice: 'I relied solely and squarely' on intel given to me for Benghazi comments

Source: http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/22/16647765-with-her-political-future-in-question-clinton-heads-for-benghazi-testimony?lite

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Friendship replaces marriage in the modern value system ? 1000 ...

It is another interesting trend: Friendship as a value takes the place of marriage in the modern western world. What we see on the surface is the relationship status ?girl-friend?, ?boy-friend?. It is not by chance that people choose this words to explain that they are actually lovers.? In many western countries this kind of relationship has been legalized and has almost the status of marriage, even from the taxation point of view. Despite this fact people, especially males tend to see this kind of relationship as a ?light? version of marriage, a less value-loaded status with less responsibilities.

On the other hand we have a significant shift in the collective consciousness regarding the value of friendship. While the girl-friend-boy-friend-relationship has less weight than a marriage, we can see the value of friendship as an intimate relationship without any sex involved rising high.In the online world, thanks for Facebook & Co it is a matter of prestige and social value to have many friends, no matter how ?real? they are.

In the offline world people start loving, relying on, valuing friends more that their families. Why? First of all, for various reasons (one is given here) the generations of 20 to 50 year-old in the West suffer from problems with parents. For many a family is not the place to relax and enjoy, on the contrary? it is a place to quarrel, debate on relationship issues and even sue each other. At the same time it?s becoming a great problem for young people to create their own families ? may be because they have seen so many divorces, may be of high expectaions planted in minds by the mass media? Whatever it is, the lack of peace in the family corner makes people seek peace and joy elsewhere. And many find it in friendship.

A true friendship is a perfect relationship because it does not suggest any responsibilities and obligations like a marriage does. We are free to meet up, talk, do some activities together, enjoy? We do not ?have to?? and yet we are happy to help, to support, ?to be there for a friend in need?, to invest time and money. But why? What moves us?

Friendship gives the security of a ?safe? relationship and stability, which has always been the role of a marriage but seems to be not the case any more: Marriages/relationships may come and go, but a true friendship is normally a life long thing. Interestingly even happily married people value the most the fact of being friends wit each other ? and this was not the case even a century ago.

One of my favorite authors explained why friendship is the ultimate form of any relationship ?please read this beautiful piece here.

I believe that this trend of friendship becoming a higher value? is the new step in the collective evolution. Friendship across boarders is the new reality. Beautiful relationship with people from far away or at home town are part and parcel of our daily life. Getting new friendship cultivates our hearts and makes us more aware of others. It makes us collective and teaches to enjoy every human being.

With loads of love to all my online and offline friends,

axinia

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Source: http://1000petals.wordpress.com/2013/01/16/friendship-replaces-marriage-in-the-modern-value-system/

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Watch for real estate brokers, franchisors to join tech buying spree ...

January 16th, 2013 \\ Blog

Acquisition image via Shutterstock.

Om Malik recently wrote about companies that aren?t necessarily associated with technology buying up other companies that were. For example, Avis purchasing ZipCar and Athena Health buying Epocrates.

The thrust of his piece is that digital technologies are becoming the norm. Possessing digital capabilities isn?t just for hot new startup whatevers. It?s becoming table stakes.

How might this sort of trend play out in the real estate industry?

When you think about it, it might seem surprising that more straight-ahead technology acquisitions haven?t happened at the brokerage or franchise level. The real estate industry must be more lucrative than the car rental business, right?

Of course, there are really only a few national players in car rentals, and the small, local shops are just fighting for scraps. Perhaps in real estate, the busines is divided among so many different players that none of them can afford to acquire companies with interesting and useful technologies.

So maybe it?s a money thing. Let?s hold that thought for a moment as we exam the demand side of real estate technology acquisitions.

Another possibility is that perhaps there just aren?t any interesting technologies that a brokerage would want to acquire, even if it had the resources. Perhaps all the yammering about ?blahblah percent of people start their search for a house online? hasn?t spurred the development of enough useful technologies. Perhaps real estate isn?t sexy enough to attract the kind of top-notch talent that conceives and launches something like Instagram, Sparrow, Gowalla, Siri or Zipcar.

But somehow I doubt that. Partly because in writing this column I have seen a lot of fantastic and interesting technology over the years that was devoted to real and imagined problems in the real estate customer use case. There are scores of companies and entrepreneurs out there making things big and small that would be acquirable by a brokerage that wanted to achieve strategic advantage in real estate.

Just for the sake of argument, though, let?s say it could be a supply thing. Maybe no one is making technology that is worth locking up at the brokerage level.

A third possibility is that maybe no one has the right set of skills to evaluate whether a technology acquisition is viable or not. Maybe everyone who?s in a position to purchase a technology firm lacks the skills and familiarity with the medium to know whether that promising new technology is actually useful, or if it?s just a bag of wind.

Maybe the people who would be examining potential technology acquisitions don?t understand enough about meshing together cultures. And let?s be honest: a tech startup firm?s culture is quite likely to be significantly different from a real estate brokerage culture. Aligning cultures is always one of those areas of gaping misery and failure in acquisitions. Just ask Foursquare nee Dodgeball.

Perhaps a lack of leadership is to blame for a dearth of acquisitions by established real estate companies. Don?t take it personally, if you?re reading this column I?m probably not talking about you.

But you get what I?m saying here. The skills for running a brokerage might not be the same as the skills for evaluating technology and culture. And if you decide to loop in your director of IT to help, are they likely or unlikely to approve of a technology that isn?t built in house or by their new friend at the brokerage tech partnership?

Three reasons, then, we?ve covered for why brokerage hasn?t been snapping up useful technologies: brokerage is too poor to play that game, no one is making anything useful, and leadership lacks the tech or culture skills to pull it off. That?s worded a little harshly but you get where I?m at with this.

Now there?s a fourth possibility as well. The fourth possibility is that brokerages are buying technology firms. Some examples include M Realty in Portland Ore., and Beangroup in N.H. buying the firms that built their websites. Pretty shrewd acquisitions, given the cost of building and maintaining IDX websites over the past years.

Another example would be a sort of hybrid approach ? bring in a highly competent tech, marketing, and customer experience person who can adequately manage outside vendors. Jack Miller at GoodLife Team is probably the poster boy for this approach. Expand that team with some competent and dedicated support personnel, and you end up with someone like Matthew Shadbolt at Corcoran Group in Manhattan.

The hybrid group is an excellent middle way, but may lack some of the strategic advantages of the full-on technology acquisition. It?s highly dependent on the quality of that internal resource.

Also, because outside vendors make it their business to provide a standard product to all of their customers, working with an outside vendor is not necessarily the best way to achieve a strategic advantage over competitors. If everyone is getting the same product, then there is no strategic advantage.

The hybrid approach thus requires either exceptional outside-the-box sourcing capabilities, or considerable expertise in modifying or customizing off-the-rack vendor solutions.

In many ways, the hybrid approach is founded on developing and supporting the leadership capabilities at that tech/marketing level. These tech/marketing business leaders must constantly be managing cultural relationships between the core business and the vendor relationships.

This is in addition to completing all of the tech/marketing/customer experience functions for which their role is responsible. A tall order.

An acquisition would shift the cultural duties over to human resources or general C-level leadership, leaving the tech/marketing business leaders to focus on that role.

The technology firm acquisitions that are occurring in the industry appear to be happening mostly at the aggregator level: Diverse Solutions and Tigerleads for example. Perhaps this is because the aggregators have a funding model that?s different enough from brokerage.

But the aggregators are, for the most part, digital natives. Evaluating and buying technology is their core business. Merging and dealing with culture issues is common for them. Tech people typically understand distributed culture.

Will ?traditional? brokers ever stop paying monthly fees to their tech companies, and simply acquire vendors instead? Will they learn how to evaluate and purchase compelling technology that gives them a strategic advantage, and then purchase it as a means of denying that advantage to their competitors?

Now is an interesting time to consider these questions. If the market is indeed turning around, then the cost side of the tech buying equation is going to shift with it.

Gahlord Dewald is the president and janitor of Thoughtfaucet, a strategic creative services company in Burlington, Vt.

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Source: http://lotusadvisors.com/watch-for-real-estate-brokers-franchisors-to-join-tech-buying-spree/

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Top Ideas For Turning out to be A Fantastic Forex trading Trader ...

There is not an grownup that is not able to benefit from the overseas currency trade marketplace. Inside this short article you will discover the way that the forex trading industry performs, which would make it less complicated for you to start investing.

Choose a investing timetable that mirrors your personal agenda. If you only have a couple several hours through the working day to trade, take into account basing your tactic on delayed orders and opt for a bigger time body, like a day-to-day or monthly just one.

Make certain that you can customize your automatic Forex trading Technique. You ought to be in a position to choose software package that is customizable, and will match your way of undertaking points. Consider the time to appearance at the software program you want to obtain, and research if you can customise it or not.

Fx traders ought to understand that they need to not trade from the market if they are rookies or if they do not have the endurance to continue to be in it for the lengthy haul. Novices really should completely steer clear of exchanging towards current market developments, and seasoned forex traders need to be incredibly careful about doing so considering that it generally stops badly.

Don?t always acquire the same place with your trades. There are Currency trading traders who wide open at the very same placement each and every time. They stop ujp committing far too much or also little income mainly because of this. Modify your situation to latest current market conditions to become productive.

In particular never let feeling change the rational final decision you made about a quit stage. Stop reduction points are your defense in opposition to dropping your shirt. Kind in brain, that relocating a stop level immediately after it has been set, is unlikely to be a ration decision, and is normally a choice manufactured when your sentiments are heightened. You?ll only eliminate if you attempt this.

If your investing outcomes have been favorable currently, you could want to start scalping. The art of scalping calls for executing loads of smaller time-frame trades and including their earnings with each other.

When working with fx, you have to by no means give up. You have to continue to be geared up, because every trader will have negative luck. Diligence and difficult perform will make you stand out from other forex trading traders. Irrespective of appearances, keep with your instincts and time will usually guarantee good results.

Be positive to constantly have a notebook on hand. You never know when you will operate across valuable marketplace info, so this way you will constantly be geared up to report this kind of tidbits. You can do this in order to maintain track of your progress. Appearance about the tips as time passes to find out if they are relevant.

As was mentioned in the beginning of the write-up, buying and selling with Foreign exchange is only baffling for these who do not do their analysis just before commencing the dealing process. If you get the advice granted to you in the higher than article, you will start the approach of becoming educated in Currency trading trading.

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Source: http://invetingmarketanalysis.com/2013/01/08/top-ideas-for-turning-out-to-be-a-fantastic-forex-trading-trader/

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App acts as a personal assistant for busy digital life

TORONTO (Reuters) - Looking for a reliable assistant for your complex digital life? A new app that can detect tasks and help users to complete them could be the answer.

Easilydo, which is available in English for iPhone and iPod Touch in 46 countries, aims to be a pervasive assistant that uncovers tasks from email, calendars, social network and address books.

Tasks it helps to tackle include sending a birthday greeting through Facebook, tracking shipments, or adding contacts to an address book. Twenty four tasks can be detected and are cued up visually within the app.

"We're focusing on the consumer with recognition that most consumers, especially those with high-end smartphones also have professional tasks that they want to get done," said Mikael Berner, the CEO of San-Francisco-based company Easilydo.

According to Berner, the app is useful for knocking off tasks in batches, and also for getting assistance with impending chores.

If there's an upcoming conference call, the app will dial into the number. If there's an in-person meeting, it will remind the user when it's time to leave, and even provide a map to get there.

"We look at your location and if there's a major change in location we calculate the drive time and notify you 15 minutes before you should leave," Berner explained.

The app is also constantly on the lookout for news from social networks using language processing technology that can detect, for example, when someone buys a new home or gets engaged, so that a greeting or gift can be sent using the app.

"Every person has to make roughly 35,000 decisions a day, and the more decisions you have to make, the more worn out you are at the end of the day," said Berner, adding that only about five percent of those decision are conscious.

Another problem the app aims to ease is context switching, being diverted from one task to another before eventually returning to complete it.

According to Berner, the average office worker switches tasks every three minutes and doesn't return to a particular task until 22 minutes later.

"We think by helping to bring the information right when you need it and when you can do something about it we're helping to reduce that problem as well," he said.

The company plans to add new tasks monthly and to create a way for users to create custom tasks. It also plans to release an Android app and hopes to work with businesses such as banks or airlines to help their customers with tasks such as paying bills, checking into airlines or booking flights.

Similar apps include Google Now for Android, and Cue for iPhone.

(Editing by Patricia Reaney and Paul Casciato)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/app-acts-personal-assistant-busy-digital-life-150339375--sector.html

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Volunteers are Trained to Become Special Education Surrogate ...

The surrogate?s main purpose is to review and sign off on the child?s individualized education plan.

by Jenn Smith -

When a struggling child has no family member or guardian to speak for them, they need someone else who can.

The?Recruitment Training and Support Center?at The?Federation for Children with Special Needs?will beat the Eagleton School in Great Barrington this coming Saturday to host orientation and training for volunteers who want to help.

The program is designed to train people to be?special education surrogate parents?(SESPs). The SESPs are appointed volunteers who act as special education decision-makers for children who are in the custody of a state agency, residential placement program or hospital.

Elaine Arsenault, outreach and recruitment specialist for the SESP program of The Federation for Children with Special Needs, said that there are currently about 600 children between the ages of 3 and 18 in Massachusetts who are eligible to be assigned an SESP. She said currently the majority of children needing an advocate are in the 7- and 8-year-old age groups.

?There?s definitely a need in the Berkshires, with places like the Eagleton School and sites in Pittsfield,? Arsenault said.

?Right now we have volunteers that are driving in from Northampton and Easthampton. We?re trying to find more volunteers in [the Berkshire County] area,? she said.

The main purpose of an SESP is to review and sign off on the?individualized education plan?(IEP) of a child with special needs. By?federal law, a parent or guardian must sign the plan in order for a young person to get the educational accommodations he or she needs. When that adult is not present, an SESP can be assigned to do the task.

Volunteers must commit to at least a year, which averages to between 10 and 20 hours.

Inmost cases, volunteers spend time observing a child or children they?re assigned to in a school setting. They are responsible for reviewing a child?s IEP, advocating for any additional services needed, and attending at least four meetings a year.

Beginning volunteers may only have a child or two to advocate for, while volunteers who are more experienced with the?special education?system might monitor progress and needs of multiple children.

Read more at?Training set for special education surrogate parents.

[Via The Berkshire Eagle]

Source: http://specialedpost.com/2013/01/08/volunteers-are-trained-to-become-special-education-surrogate-parents/

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Lenovo to release giant 27-inch 'coffee table PC'

An image provided by Lenoovo shows the IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC that they say is the first "interpersonal computer." It is a PC the size of a coffee table that works like a gigantic tablet and lets four people use it at once. (AP Photo/Lenovo)

An image provided by Lenoovo shows the IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC that they say is the first "interpersonal computer." It is a PC the size of a coffee table that works like a gigantic tablet and lets four people use it at once. (AP Photo/Lenovo)

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Dismayed that family members are spread out over the house, each with a separate PC or tablet? Lenovo has something it believes will get them back together: a PC the size of a coffee table that works like a gigantic tablet and lets four people use it at once.

Lenovo Group Ltd., one of the world's largest PC makers, is calling the IdeaCentre Horizon Table PC the first "interpersonal computer" ? as opposed to a "personal computer."

At first glance, it looks like a regular all-in-one machine in the vein of the iMac: It's a 27-inch screen with the innards of a Windows 8 computer built into it, and it can stand up on a table.

But you can pick it up off the table, unhook the power cord and lay it flat for games of "Monopoly." It's big enough to fit four people around it, and the screen can respond to ten fingers touching it at the same time.

As a tablet, it's a monstrosity. The screen is the size of eight iPads stitched together, and it weighs 15 pounds. It's almost as homebound as a flat-panel TV.

The Table PC will include plastic "strikers" for "Air Hockey," and joysticks that attach to the screen for other games, including multiplayer shooter "Raiding Company."

Lenovo, a Chinese company that owns IBM Corp.'s former PC business, said the Table PC will go on sale this summer starting at $1,699. It's being unveiled this week at the International CES gadget show in Las Vegas.

Microsoft Corp. pioneered the idea of a table PC with the Surface, a PC with a 30-inch touch-sensitive screen released in 2008. It was designed for store displays and other commercial applications. The concept is now called PixelSense, as Microsoft started using the "Surface" name for an unrelated tablet computer last year.

More recently, Sony Corp. released the Tap 20, an all-in-one PC that can also be laid flat. But it's smaller than the Lenovo model, at 20 inches diagonally, and doesn't have as much table-oriented software as the Table PC.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-01-06-Gadget%20Show-Lenovo-Coffee-Table%20Tablet/id-f7aaa3015a5047afaa8b93fab19e9d27

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Google Gives Up China Censorship Fight - Business Insider

Google has quietly removed a feature that warned Chinese citizens when they were searching for terms banned by the Chinese government, reports Chinese censorship watchdog site, Greatfire.org.

For instance, when people tried to search for the term "freedom" from mainland China, they would get a pop-warning from Google that said, "We've observed that searching for [freedom] in mainland China may break your connection to Google for a short while. This interruption is outside of Google's control," and it would give the person the option to change the search term or search anyway.

At some point in the first week of December, the warning stopped being displayed and the help article that explained how to use the feature was removed. This after months of games over it, where the Chinese government found ways to disable it and Google found ways to bring the warning back.

Google and the Chinese government have been battling it out over the censorship issue for years, since Google began offering its search service in the country in 2006. The government would disconnect users from the Internet when they attempted to view politically sensitive material and Google would counter with workarounds. This warning was Google's latest attempt, added in May.

But now it looks like Google has conceded defeat, writes Josh Halliday at the Guardian. Halliday quotes a source in China that said Google concluded it was "counterproductive" to continue the fight.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-gives-up-china-censorship-fight-2013-1

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First fossil bird with teeth specialized for tough diet

Jan. 7, 2013 ? Beak shape variation in Darwin's finches is a classic example of evolutionary adaptation, with beaks that vary widely in proportions and shape, reflecting a diversity of ecologies. While living birds have a beak to manipulate their food, their fossil bird ancestors had teeth. Now a new fossil discovery shows some fossil birds evolved teeth adapted for specialized diets.

A study of the teeth of a new species of early bird, Sulcavis geeorum, published in the latest issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, suggests this fossil bird had a durophagous diet, meaning the bird's teeth were capable of eating prey with hard exoskeletons like insects or crabs. The researchers believe the teeth of the new specimen greatly increase the known diversity of tooth shape in early birds, and hints at previously unrecognized ecological diversity.

Sulcavis geeorum is an enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous (121-125 million years ago) of Liaoning Province, China. Enantiornithine birds are an early group of birds, and the most numerous birds from the Mesozoic (the time of the dinosaurs). Sulcavis is the first discovery of a bird with ornamented tooth enamel. The dinosaurs -- from which birds evolved -- are mostly characterized by carnivorous teeth with special features for eating meat. The enantiornithines are unique among birds in showing minimal tooth reduction and a diversity of dental patterns. This new enantiornithine has robust teeth with grooves on the inside surface, which likely strengthened the teeth against harder food items.

No previous bird species have preserved ridges, striations, serrated edges, or any other form of dental ornamentation. "While other birds were losing their teeth, enantiornithines were evolving new morphologies and dental specializations. We still don't understand why enantiornithines were so successful in the Cretaceous but then died out -- maybe differences in diet played a part." says Jingmai O'Connor, lead author of the new study.

"This study highlights again how uneven the diversity of birds was during the Cretaceous. There are many more enantiornithines than any other group of early birds, each one with its own anatomical specialization." offers study co-author Luis Chiappe, from Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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. O'Connor, J.K., Y. Zhang, L. M. Chiappe, Q. Meng, L. Quanguo, and L. Di. A new enantiornithine from the Yixian formation with the first recognized avian enamel specialization. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2013; 33 (1): 1-12

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_environment/~3/-eFWkfYHZGM/130107082602.htm

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Competitive Gaming is Coming of Age as the Esports Scene Takes Off

Ask a person what they associate Las Vegas with and you?ll be given quite the list. However, not generally included among the gambling, drinking, smoking, lounging, partying, and sliding hangovers is a new category of Vegas entertainment: video games.

And no, we don?t mean video poker. That?s different.

Recently TNW headed to The Strip to attend IGN?s IPL 5 tournament in person. The?tournament?itself was in fact several competitions, with titles Starcraft 2, League of Legends, and the nascent ShootMania each occupying a ballroom of their own to host a multi-day showdown between the world?s top players.

Let?s retreat for a moment: why would there be a video game tournament inside of the Cosmopolitan? As it turns out, for all the normal Vegas reasons: money, competition, sport, betting, and masses of people carrying cash.

TNW has written sporadically on esports, the competitive gaming scene. While still mostly unknown to those not in certain demographics, esports itself is now more than a cottage industry. Once more a hope and a vision than a reality, esports has come into its own on the?international?and domestic scenes.

As audiences have grown, teams have matured, and more competition-friendly titles have been released, the money has followed. The Starcraft 2 and League of Legends events at IPL 5 ? the fifth incarnation of IGN?s live esports ProLeague series ? sported $100,000 prize pools. The event itself sold out, bringing a self-reported 10,000 live attendees to the venue in the Cosmopolitan.

For several days, among the usual Vegas mobs were a?surprisingly?large contingent of younger folks, many seemingly too young to gamble at all, stomping around the city as if it had been built for them. The gamers had arrived.

Scale

That 10,000 individuals turned out for IPL 5 is impressive, given that esports is itself a comparatively young industry. IGN doubled the price of tickets for IPL 5, compared to IPL 4, and still sold out of passes. IGN, however, doesn?t intend to raise prices as drastically in the future; it wishes to keep the event series accessible.

Still, 10,000 is a number that college football stadiums fly past, NASCAR scoffs at, and other sports generally crush. If esports events could only manage 10,000 spectators, the entire idea would collapse.

But, just as football games are broadcasted onto your television, so too are esports events livestreamed to your computer. At IPL 5, a peak of?454,000 concurrent viewers tuned into the various streams of the event, across several platforms. All told, over the three-day event some 20 million hours of video content was consumed.

IPL 4, the event?preceding?the most recent, sorted?346,000 concurrent viewers who consumed a small in comparison 6 million hours of content. IGN?s IPL events are besting their previous incarnations sequentially.

That?s to be expected, frankly, as IGN has reported that its IGN ProLeague series has doubled in traffic every six months since its birth in 2011.

Here?s the final figure that matters: 6 million unique individuals tuned into IPL 5 during its run.

Expense

Putting on an event on the scale of an IPL isn?t cheap. IGN put in ?well more? than $1 million, according to its founder David Ting. IGN lost money on the event, all told, Ting informed TNW, but the company has made a five-year bet that it is only one year in. It expects in five years that its esports efforts, the larger IPL series, to make money.

That?s a long runway, but one that is feasible. IGN is a division of News Corp, giving it the financial backing that it could need.

There is a simple fact that undergirds esports as a potentially profitable, potentially?massively?profitable business: demographics.?Competitive?gaming has oodles of young males in the 18-34 age bracket, a key market segment for advertisers and brands.

IGN?s mixture of live and online events are hardly alone in seeking to capture the attention of gamers. Major League Gaming (MLG), which TNW has covered extensively, operates in the same space. In fact, IGN is something of a new competitor to the older MLG.

Both MLG and IGN host tournaments in person and virtually, all of which are streamed through services such as Twitch.tv and their own?proprietary?technology.

For IGN, its IPL events see about one third of their streaming loads through their own technology, and two thirds through third-party services like Twitch, which cater to the gaming market.

What is next?

Here in the United States, MLG and the IGN IPL ProLeague have proven that there is a large, monetizable market for competitive gaming. Also, the two have demonstrated that it isn?t a passing fad, as each has held numerous events to large draw. And as the industry has grown in the past two years, stability has been established as fact; gaming isn?t becoming any less popular, and titles that lend themselves well to the competitive scene are at the top of the charts.

For IGN, the IPL has two key avenues of growth to tap in 2013: multi-language?broadcasting, and fighting games. IGN is working to have its content cast ? think sportscasters, but for games instead of basketball ? in different?languages?around the world, greatly increasing its reach. The Chinese market, for example, is something that IGN is targeting.

Fighting games are coming to IGN?s circuit as well. While fighting games have their own audience, and events, they never posted large numbers for MLG. IGN is betting that it can?derive?more out of them.

The games

Esports grew greatly following the?release?of Starcraft 2. TNW tends to view the explosion of competitive gaming outside of Korea ? long the bastion of corporate sponsored esports ? that Starcraft 2 brought as the first era of international esports. It drove online and offline audiences. It helped birth and grow livestreaming as a broadcast option, and laid the groundwork for more tournamnet activity as the number of folks tuning in was simply larger.

League of Legends followed, quickly becoming the most popular video game in the world. It has become a more popular spectator title than Starcraft 2. This is akin to the second era of international esports, as League has built on certain foundational elements that Starcraft 2 helped put into place, driving gaming to new heights.

However, Starcraft 2 is due to receive its very first expansion, of a planned two, which could reignite its userbase, and perhaps help its audiences find growth. Starcraft 2 has been a consistent performer in the last year, but it is now some time since it exploded onto the scene.

TNW spoke with?Mike Morhaime, President and co-founder of Blizzard, the company that created Starcraft 2 and its predecessor, who stated that a number of esports-friendly additions and upgrades are coming to Heart of the Swarm, the upcoming update to the game.

Heart of the Swarm will also contain new units, and a fresh single player campaign. Blizzard anticipates that this will bring a fresh crop of casual players to the Starcraft 2 scene.

TNW specifically asked if there are now too many Starcraft 2 tournaments, a question based on the fact that IGN and MLG are hardly the only players in the space. Korean and European tournaments often land on conflicting dates with North American events, forcing certain players to miss key events, or to suffer from whiplash-esque jetlag as they fly to and fro. Mike?s take was that there aren?t too many, but that more organization is needed to keep things straight.

However, Blizzard itself doesn?t want to assume that role. The company wants to work with both its partners and the larger community, but doesn?t want to ?run the scene.? This approach is in direct contrast with Riot Games, creator of League of Legends, which takes a more direct role in its game?s management.

This is not to say that Blizzard is making a mistake. The company has a storied history of creating hit games, such as the Warcraft and World of Warcraft titles, not to mention the entire Starcraft franchise.

Viability

Certainly, esports has proven that it can deliver a large audience, both in person and virtually. At the same time, the economics of professional teams have been mostly sorted out. What has not yet, at least in North America, been completely solved is the financial viability of large events.

It?s not cheap to host 10,000 people inside of Vegas? hottest hotel. And spending six figures on cash prizes isn?t always easy to recoup.

For esports to reach something like its full height, advertising rates need to grow, and fill rates need to strengthen. CBSi is working on the issue for MLG, Twitch.tv and the North American Starleague, but much work remains to be done.

In 2013, if advertising across livestreamed content could be improved, that alone could provide the lifeblood to take esports from something that could exist at a medium size for some time, to a much higher plane.

IGN has a five-year plan. MLG has fresh cash from investors. The North American Star League is on for at least two more seasons.

The games, players, fans, and tournaments are in place for esports to become a multiple of its current size. 2013 will perhaps be the year we find out if competitive gaming can muster and execute to its full potential.

I?ll be watching.

Disclosure: IGN flew me out for the event, and paid for my lodging for the event?s duration. TNW covered all other expenses, naturally.

Image Credits: Miguel Villagran/Getty Images, IGNProLeague

Source: http://thenextweb.com/media/2013/01/06/esports/

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Ahmedabad-a Unique Blend Of Contemporary And Rustic Charm

Ahmedabad, Gujarat"s largest city is an exciting business centre and a major hub for education, IT and scientific industries. The city offers diverse moods and varied colors- the hustle-bustle of C.G. Road and the peaceful retreat of Sabarmati Ashram all lend a multihued charm to this city.

Ahmedabad prides itself on its rich culture and tradition. Popular festivals and celebration like Uttarayan "" the kite-flying day and the nights of Navratri with its Garba dance are the main Ahmedabad tourist attractions.

Ahmedabad Travel Guide

Reaching Ahmedabad is absolutely convenient as this city is accessible from all the major cities in India. It has an excellent network of roads that are safe to travel by night also. The Ahmedabad railway station connects to all corner of the country. Ahmedabad has domestic as well as International flights coming to its airport.
Travelling within the city is equally convenient as this city offers a range of travel options from taxi service to bus and auto rickshaw service that are safe as well as reasonable.

Weather in Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad has a little hot and dry climate except during monsoons. The ideal time to visit this city is from October to March.
Winters offer a cool windy climate- pleasant for tourist activities. Summers are extremely hot- not suitable for sightseeing. During monsoons the city receives medium to heavy showers.
October to March is pleasant- perfect for sightseeing and participating in festive celebrations.

Ahmedabad tourist attractions
The Sabarmati ashram, Hathee Singh Jain Temple, Sidi Saiyed"s Mosque, Akshardham Temple, Jama Masjid, Swaminarayan Temple, ISCON temple and the Science City are the major Ahmedabad tourist attractions.

Tourists should not leave Ahmedabad without a tour to the Calico Museum of Textiles. Highlights of the museum include a range of exquisite items made for the Portuguese and the British, lovely pieces from royal households and robes of Shah Jahan.
Other galleries in the museum are dedicated to intricate embroideries, tribal crafts and bandhani tie-and-dye textiles. This museum boasts of some of the finest collection of Indian handicraft textiles and fabrics that span more than five centuries.

Other places of tourist interest are:
Adalaj, 19 kilometers off Ahmedabad that has a beautiful Step Well.
Sarkhej, located 8 kilometers from Ahmedabad has some of the finest architectural complexes.
Patan situated by the Sarawati River is a town established by the Solanki dynasty. Patan has some captivating monuments and amazing temples that offer a visual treat to visitors. This place is also famous for its Patola saris.

Accommodation in Ahmedabad
Budget Accommodation in Ahmedabad includes Hotel Airport Residency, Hotel Kamran Palace and Hotel Formule 1. These economy hotels offer affordable and comfortable accommodation with all requisite services to ensure a memorable stay. Whether it is luxurious five star hotels or cheap accommodation, all the hotels in the city of Ahmedabad follow the needed quality standards to exceed the guest expectations.

About the Author:
Praveen is a prominent and amateur writer, primarily focusing on providing Ahmedabad travel guide and lots more.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Ahmedabad-a-Unique-Blend-Of-Contemporary-And-Rustic-Charm/4365178

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County Sheriff: Inmates using newspaper?s gun permit map to intimidate guards (Michellemalkin)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

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Races

Human: Good at everything, masters of nothing unless they put their mind to it. They are the middle child of all races, being a race that is not old but no longer young. Perfect for adaptable or all-arounder characters

Ability: They can have any job

Possible Jobs: All

High Elf: Noble and oldest Elf race, they are often magic users or archers, but also excel in the more nimble of swordsman classes. They are noble and civilized, perfect for honorable or stuck-up characters, or even any type of magic user.

Ability: +2 Intelligence, + 1 Dexterity

Possible Jobs: Mage, Sorcerer, Wizard, Cleric, Archer, Hunter, Fencer, Blade Mage, Ranger, Scholar, Bow mage, Zealot, Avatar, Necromancer, Negotiator, Orator, Mediator, Hypnotist.

Wood Elf: Younger race of elf than High Elves, they prefer the woods, and are less attuned to magic, and more physically attuned. Great for a clever or quick character

Ability: +2 Dexterity +1 Agility

Possible Jobs: Fencer, Archer, Ranger, Hunter, Godbow, Assassin, Theif, Robber, Scholar, Knight, Soldier, Paladin, Rogue, Scout, Mage, Warrior, Brawler

Tief: Ancient race now cursed for their crimes, they look much like demons. Characters who are more attuned to evil, have a natural pull to evil to overcome, or are stealthy fit god into this race

Ability: Shadowalk (can teleport when not in battle once per day), +2 Dexterity

Possible Jobs: Mage, Sorcerer, Scholar, Cleric, Paladin, Warrior, Archer, Hunter, Thief, Robber, Rogue, Necromancer, Avatar, Blade Mage, Wizard, Fencer, Warlord, Brawler

Drakon: Dragon decendant race with their power of Breath, with tough skin. Most are brutish, but charming, rarely are they interested in magic, but many have ancient dragon knowledge and live for a few centuries. Great for strong, powerful, suave, charismatic, or long-living characters

Abilities: Dragon Breath (Choose Ice or fire for life, and use the power of a dragon's breath once per day, +2 Charisma, +1 Strength, -1 Agility

Possible Jobs: Paladin, Mage, Warrior, Berserker, Soldier, Knight, Negotiator, Orator, Mediator, Charmspeaker, Seer, Warlord, Brawler

Dwarf: Hardy people small in stature but high in honor and strength, they aren't the brightest, but can cleave the head off of most monsters, and are considered good luck by some. Good for hardy, lovable, short characters.

Abilities: +2 Strength, +1 Luck, chance of weapon breaking lowered by 25%

Possible Jobs: Besrker, Warrior, Soldier, Paladin, Knight, Guardian, Warlord, Cleric, Brawler

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/4L1oBa-Miy8/viewtopic.php

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Places

A final refuge for the human race where even your greatest strength comes with a price.

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Consequence?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

Places: Consequence

The Surface- Where the majority of the RP will take place. It is divided up into 5 main districts, 4 of them playable to the characters. Each district is technically in ruins, save for the military district, but people have scraped together various forms of living within the shattered buildings.

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Military District:

The base of operations for the military and its seat of power in the city. It is walled off itself and guard lie at every entrance. Ordinary citizens are denied this part of the city. No person outside of the military itself would be stupid enough to set foot here.

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The slums/Shacktown:

Comprised of lopsided shacks and makeshift buildings, the slums were raised just outside the Military District under the watchful eye of its soldiers. Most people living here believe the closer you are to the walls of the Military district, the further you are from the other horrors of the city. The military has a more firm grip of the citizens in this area than the others. Dubbed ?Shacktown? by its? residents.

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Core District:

Lying almost directly in the center of the city, this is the site of the most action within the city. People with Various Shops and trades are located in more abundance here than any other part of the city. People from all over the city will pass through here quite frequently. It is the city?s main source of information and trade. The Gun NPC is located here as well as bars and almost anything else worthwhile in the city.

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Gang Territory:

As the name suggests, the entire district is nearly overrun with gang activity. The military keeps a close eye turned this way and will intervene anytime the gangs begin to branch out. Fighting is almost always evident in the buildings and streets throughout this district.

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Hollow Pointe:

The furthest and quite possibly the least traversed part of the entire city. Virtually a ghost town, sinkholes and time have ravaged this part of the city. Cutthroats, deranged citizens, and horrors from the Undercity are the inhabitants of this district. Even the Military doesn?t risk spending any amount of time in this part of the city.

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The Undercity

The entrance to this portion of the city is located within Hollow Pointe. Made up of the sewers and old tunnels that run beneath the city itself. The depths of this area are, without a doubt, the most dangerous part of the entire city. ?Things? live down here that have been transformed and warped from dumping and evolution over the years. Light is as much a danger down here as it is a blessing. When in the Undercity, remember one thing: you are never alone.

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Consequence- "A More Unique Survival RP"
-"So long as the new moon returns in heaven, a bent, beautiful bow, so long will the fascination of Archery keep hold of the hearts of men." --Thompson

legacy14

Member for 2 years

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NJ man arrested in NY police cannibalism case

NEW YORK (AP) ? The arrest of a New Jersey man accused Friday of seeking to pay $5,000 to a New York City police officer to kidnap a Manhattan woman whom he intended to rape and kill drew claims from a defense lawyer that the government was trying to prevent him from testifying about Internet sexual fantasies at the officer's cannibalism-tinged trial.

The attorney, Julia Gatto, spoke after Trenton resident Michael Vanhise, 22, appeared briefly in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, where he was ordered held pending a bail hearing Monday on a conspiracy to commit kidnapping charge.

"Mr. Vanhise is being used as a pawn by the government to bolster a very weak case," Gatto said outside court. She represents Officer Gilberto Valle, 28, of Queens, who is scheduled to go to trial later this month after he was charged in October with one count of kidnapping conspiracy and one count of accessing a computer without authorization.

She said Vanhise "would have exonerated our client" with testimony about his own participation in a world of Internet sexual fantasies where people could speak of unspeakable acts they would never commit. She said the arrest Friday appeared to be a tactical move by authorities to prevent testimony by Vanhise or others about Internet fantasies.

"He definitely could have been a defense witness, yes. We believe he would certainly support the defense," Gatto said.

The lawyer said the government appeared to be pressuring potential defense witnesses not to take the witness stand by saying in court documents filed against Vanhise that there were other co-conspirators who had not been charged in the case.

Authorities said Vanhise agreed to pay Valle $5,000 to kidnap the woman in New York and deliver her bound to Vanhise's home in New Jersey, where she would be raped and killed. They said Vanhise also participated in planning the kidnapping of a girl.

Vanhise's lawyer, Alice Fontier, said her client, an auto mechanic who seemed to wipe tears from his eyes during his court hearing, was "very upset," especially because he wanted to be home after his wife gave birth to a daughter last month, one of several young children the couple has.

She said he had been in contact with the FBI since late October and there had "certainly been ongoing meetings."

"He has not stopped cooperating," she said, though she added: "Obviously, the relationship has changed since he was arrested."

Besides being accused of agreeing to pay Valle for the abduction last year when Valle was an active police officer, Vanhise also admitted emailing others about kidnapping, raping and killing women and children, the FBI said in court papers.

The FBI quoted Valle in court papers as saying in an email to Vanhise that it would be hard to restrain himself when he knocks the woman out, "but I am aspiring to be a professional kidnapper and that's business."

It quoted him as also saying he would tie her hands and bare feet and gag her. "Then she will be stuffed into a large piece of luggage and wheeled out to my van," it said he told Vanhise.

"Just make sure she doesn't die before I get her," Vanhise was quoted in court papers as telling Valle in response.

"No need to worry. She will be alive. It's a short drive to you," the officer was quoted as responding.

Valle was charged last year with using a law-enforcement database as he allegedly made plans to kidnap, rape, kill and eat women. Gatto said at that time that he was engaging in sexual fantasies and intended no violence.

In court papers filed Monday, defense lawyers wrote that Valle was accused from January 2012 to Oct. 24 of conspiring with others he met on a website devoted to the exploration of deviant sexual fantasies.

"Mr. Valle and the individuals with whom he communicated discussed, among other things, their violent sexual fantasies of abducting, raping, murdering and cannibalizing women," they wrote. They said Valle sometimes distributed the photographs of women he knew through his social network "to enhance the fantasy," though he never intended for any acts to be committed in the "real world."

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said Vanhise engaged in conduct "that reads like a script for a bad horror film."

He said the arrest was the second "in this bone-chilling case, but we are not finished."

George Venizelos, head of the New York FBI office, said the charges "convey the depravity of the offense."

The court papers said Vanhise also emailed photographs of a girl whom Vanhise knew well. They said this occurred after other unidentified co-conspirators expressed interest in kidnapping the child.

If convicted, Vanhise could face life in prison.

___

Associated Press Writer Colleen Long contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-04-Police%20Officer-Cannibalism/id-c60271e15abc41519115bbc46207aaa8

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