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Sunday, January 20, 2013
Sheriff: Calif. burglar was using sauna
SAN ANDREAS, Calif. (AP) ? Authorities in Northern California say a man arrested in nothing but a trench coat and socks after a break-in told investigators he had been using the homeowner's sauna.
Calaveras (ka-luh-VER'-is) County sheriff's deputies arrested 49-year-old Robert London this week after they responded to a report of a burglary at a home in San Andreas. He pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of burglary and possession of stolen property.
Sheriff's Sgt. Chris Hewitt says arriving deputies found the homeowner on top of a nearly naked London on the driveway.
The homeowner said he discovered London going through his kitchen cabinets and chased him out the door.
Hewitt says London told investigators he thought the house was vacant, and he had used the sauna there in the past.
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Saturday, January 19, 2013
Cleric leaps into center of Pakistan's political maelstrom
W. Khan / EPA
Tahir-ul Qadri, with white cap, greets Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, head of coaltion party Pakistan Muslim League Quaid on Thursday after successfully negotiating an end to the four-day Islamabad protest he ignited.
By Amna NawazPakistan Bureau Chief, NBC News
Seemingly overnight, the moderate Islamic cleric and Canadian ?migr? Tahir-ul Qadri, whose massive protest forced Pakistan?s government to agree to major concessions on Thursday, has risen from obscurity to become a force to be reckoned with in Pakistani politics.
Until this week, local TV anchors and headlines did not scream his name, as they do now. His face was not plastered on rickshaws and lampposts, nor on signs carried by the 50,000 people who followed him to a sit-in, camp-out, anti-government protest in the cold and rainy streets of Islamabad, where they remain, celebrating his negotiated agreement with government representatives.
But the 62-year-old Qadri landed squarely at the center of Pakistan's latest political crisis, which saw a population desperate for change and frustrated by leaders long-accused of corruption and ineptitude seize upon his message of free, fair elections and accountability at the highest levels.
Qadri, who only returned to his homeland in late 2012, had demanded the immediate dissolution of the current government and sweeping reforms to guarantee free and fair national elections, which are expected to be held this spring. He agreed to something less in Thursday's declaration, signed after hours-long, closed-door discussions with government representatives. The deal calls for the dissolution of the current government before March 16, with elections to take place within 90 days, and a pledge to enforce Pakistan's Constitution regarding the eligibility of political candidates.?
Despite denying having any political ambitions, Qadri made himself a part of the political process by stipulating in the declaration that meetings to discuss Pakistan's Election Commission make-up would be held at his office's headquarters and that his own political party -- the Pakistan Awami Tehreek -- would help select a caretaker prime minister.?
Lahore-based defense analyst Hasan Askari Rizvi said that Qadri fell short of his aims.
"His assessment was that as he raises populist demands, other groups and parties will fall in line and he will become the undisputed and popular leader of Pakistan. This did not happen," Rizvi said. "However, the federal government in Islamabad has become hostage, because he has brought huge number of his followers to Islamabad, making it impossible for the government to take any action against him."
Tahir-ul Qadri, a moderate Islamic cleric who led a protest in Islamabad that forced the government to make major concessions on Thursday, tells NBC News that his movement is aimed at implementing 'transparency' into Pakistan's government.
Still, for a country built on a feudal mentality, where political loyalties are handed down over generations like family heirlooms, Qadri?s accomplishments are no small feat.
So how did he do it? One former government official, who attended a Qadri rally this week, heard him address the crowd, and spoke to those in attendance, called that "the million dollar question."
"This chap .. he comes here and he holds a huge public meeting in Lahore, which is very well organized and very well-attended, and then this enormous march to Islamabad?" wondered the official, who spoke with NBC News on condition of anonymity. "How did this happen? Who's supporting him? It's a mystery to me."?
Professor C. Christine Fair, who teaches at Georgetown University and studies Pakistan, calls Qadri's sudden emergence on the national stage "theater,? and suspects the country?s powerful military helped to engineer the cleric?s return and organize his massive protest.
"If this came out of civil society, he'd be universally lauded,? she said. ?The reason he's not is that a lot of people think he's got an invisible hand behind him. This isn't Pakistani civil society saying enough is enough. It's something else."
*********
For the last seven years, Qadri has by all accounts led a quiet life in Toronto, where he immigrated with his wife and children. But he'd made a name for himself in certain Pakistani circles much earlier.?
In the mid-1980s, early in the presidential tenure of Gen. Zia-ul-Haq, the young Qadri was already a known quantity in the corridors of power.
According to a former government official, Qadri was one of a handful of Islamic scholars called in to present his views on how a proper Islamic state should function to Zia -- who came to power in 1977 in a military coup and launched the Islamization of Pakistan -- and his cabinet. Whether or not his input was used is unclear, but he left an impression -- that of a confident, moderate, articulate young scholar who was incredibly knowledgeable on Islam.?
His early political career in Pakistan, however, was brief and largely forgettable. He founded the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) political party in 1989, listing education as its top priority and promising to revive "the faith of the masses in politics, elections and the government." Qadri briefly held office as a member of parliament during the military dictatorship of Gen. Pervez Musharraf, from 2002 until he resigned in protest in 2004. One local report at the time quoted him as saying that Musharraf had reduced parliament's power to "a rubber stamp."?
"I don't feel that I should sit in such a powerless parliament which can be suspended with a single stroke of a general's pen," he told Pakistan's Daily Times at the time.?
But after leaving the political arena, Qadri succeeded in developing an international network and loyal following in religious and social circles. In 1981, he established an organization called Minaj-ul-Quran International (MQI), founded to promote "true Islamic teachings and philosophy" for those "dissatisfied with the existing religious institutions and organizations and their narrow-minded approach," according to the group's website.?
The MQI manifesto espouses, "Love, peace, harmony, universal brotherhood, justice, equity and prosperity," and boasts a registered membership of 280,000 worldwide. The organization claims to be operating in more than 90 countries, including operating 69 educational and cultural centers in Pakistan, and 600 schools educating 170,000 students across the country. A social welfare and disaster relief sister organization was added in 1989, which the website says has delivered aid to victims of "the Tsunami affecting Indonesia; the Bam earthquake, Iran; the South Asian earthquake in Pakistan, as well as various developments and educational projects in Pakistan and other underprivileged countries."
Pakistan's envoy to US faces potentially deadly blasphemy charge
After founding MQI, Qadri appears to have spent years trying to be heard and cultivating his public image. He wrote books (1,000 of them, according to his website, of which 43 have been published), delivered lectures (5,000 total, 1,500 of which are available for purchase on CD or DVD at MQI sale centers "around the world"). His message and achievements are cross-published and highlighted on multiple websites, including those of his Islamic organization, his political party and his personal site.?
But it wasn't until March 2010 that he strode onto the international stage. Qadri wrote and published a 500-page ?fatwa,? or Islamic decree, "to place the Islamic stance on terrorism precisely in its proper perspective before the Western and Islamic worlds." The document, which is available for download in four different languages, lays out Quranic laws prohibiting terrorism and the killing of others in the name of Islam. At the time, nine years into the West's "War on Terror," his unequivocal language condemning terrorist acts set him apart from most Muslim scholars, and the world took note. His fatwa won praise from the U.S. State Department, drew international news coverage and made Qadri a sought-after speaker on the international circuit.?
In November 2010, he came to Washington, D.C., and delivered a lecture at Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. He spoke at the United States Institute of Peace that same month about the struggle against radicalism in Islam. He traveled to England and Australia to discuss terrorism and integration. But back in Pakistan -- where gas prices ballooned, power shortages proliferated and terrorism intensified -- Qadri remained a non-player.?
*********
But while he enjoyed success in his adopted country, Qadri's home country was in precipitous decline.?
The International Monetary Fund last year issued a dismal report on Pakistan's deteriorating economy, citing "deep seated and structural problems and weak macroeconomic policies" that have led to low GDP growth and a drain of foreign exchange reserves. Terrorist attacks have killed tens of thousands of Pakistanis and left the country teetering on the precipice of security chaos. A 2012 Gallup survey revealed President Asif Ali Zardari's performance ratings had plummeted and that 87 percent of Pakistanis believed the country was headed in the wrong direction. Power struggles between the military, judiciary and ruling government persisted, preventing legislators hell bent on maintaining their posts from turning their full attention to the nation's needs.?
Many thought the answer to the country's ills lay with former cricketer-turned-presidential-candidate Imran Khan. His self-proclaimed "tsunami" of supporters, inspired by his reputation as an outsider determined to change the system, set attendance records at his rallies, and gave Pakistan's notoriously rough-and-tumble journalists someone to cast as the political dark horse. But the candidate of change lost some of his shine in the Fall of 2012, when he began cherry-picking senior members of the same political parties he was criticizing for his leadership team. One senior adviser, Shireen Mazari, resigned from his party in protest in September. In her resignation letter, she accused Khan of trading his original ideals for ?traditional ?electables.??
For a country seeking salvation, Qadri, free from the confines of political process, checks the boxes that others in the current cast of characters in Pakistani politics cannot.?
Asif Hassan / AFP - Getty Images
Supporters of Pakistani Muslim cleric Tahir-ul Qadri flash victory signs in Islamabad Thursday as they celebrate government concessions on upcoming elections.
"Who are the other people to be supported?" asked one former government official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. "They are maybe not as incompetent and corrupt (as the current government leaders), but they are very good runners-up."
Qadri's message, on the other hand, has been simple and consistent.?
He has demanded free, fair and transparent elections in a country where political patronage is often bought. He's demanded that political candidates meet the constitutional requirements for candidacy, such as paying their taxes. A recent investigation by Pakistani journalist Umar Cheema found that fewer than one-third of Pakistan's members of parliament file annual tax returns, including president Zardari.?
Rizvi says Qadri's support is borne of "widespread alienation" in Pakistan, and is in reaction to the poor performance by the federal and provincial governments.?
PhotoBlog: Declaring victory from behind bulletproof glass
But professor Fair believes Qadri's quick rise has all the hallmarks of Pakistan's powerful military, which has historically?worked to influence policy and force political turnover -- both behind the scenes and through direct intervention. Though the military leadership has publicly taken a backseat during power struggles playing out before national elections, she believes it is privately pulling strings to prevent the same government officials from winning a majority, and to keep its hand in the game.
"They know that Pakistanis will not tolerate a direct military intervention. And this is (going to be) the second peaceful transition where parliament serves out its full term in Pakistan," Fair said of the military leaders. "Every time it happens, it makes it more difficult for the army to intervene. I don't think the intention is to overthrow the government -- it's to weaken the PPP (ruling party) before elections."
In an interview this week with NBC News, Qadri lambasted the current government as a "total failure," but insisted his goal was to reform, not topple it.
"We want to eradicate our political process and electoral process from might, money and manipulation," he said. "We want true democracy in place.?
He vehemently denied any support from Pakistan's military, or from external forces, as has been speculated in the local press, calling it "a false accusation," and "disinformation."
Now that he has the ear of the country and its leaders, it's unclear what Qadri will do next.?
Under the agreement signed Thursday, he has a role to play in the lead-up to elections. And while he insists he holds no political ambitions, that doesn't stop him from comparing himself to the elected-leader of the United States when asked what he stands for.
"I would say my slogan is like the slogan of Obama in America," he said. "He stood for change. If Americans accepted the slogan of change and voted for him, why not the same change? Democratically formed, the change in the corrupt system, why not the same change, democratically, peacefully should come in Pakistan???
NBC's Wajahat S. Khan and Fakhar Rehman in Islamabad, and Mushtaq Yousafzai in Peshawar, contributed to this report.
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Fun Facts About My Family's Four-Legged Friend | Aggie's Kitchen
1. Amber turned 8 years old on January 1.
2. Amber has a keen sense of hearing, she can hear a Cheerio drop in the kitchen from all the way across the house. It?s pretty impressive.
3. Amber is a rescue dog. She was abandoned as a puppy by her ?owners? and found by my sister?s mother-in-law, who took her in. At the time Amber joined her family, she had 5 other large dogs, some of them rescues as well. The first time I visited her home, I was in awe of how well behaved her pack of 6 dogs were as they greeted us, she has a gift.
4. Amber was originally my mom?s pet. When we met her, we were just visiting with no intentions of bringing home a dog. I fell in love with Amber instantly, and insisted that my mom adopt her (I was pregnant at the time and a dog was not in my plans at all). I was so happy when my mom made Amber part of the family.
5. Amber came to live with us 3 years later. I went to visit my mom one day while my husband was away on a business trip for a week. Amber loved visiting my house and being with the kids, so I ?borrowed? her for the week to keep me company since my mom had been working a lot and wasn?t able to spend as much time with her as she would like. Amber decided she wanted to stay and live with us and everyone was okay with it.
6. Amber insists on daily belly rubs and back scratches. It?s part of the deal if you?re a guest in our home, she?ll give you a few gentle nudges to make sure you don?t forget.
7. Amber has manners. She doesn?t jump on you. She won?t bother you when you?re eating either. She just stares. And watches. And waits. Then she makes sure the floors and chairs are free of any possible crumb of food particle that could have been dropped by us. She likes to help out. I guess we can be messy.
8. We have deemed Amber the Director of Security of our house. Beware of dog. She?s our protector and she is very loud about it when she needs to be.
9. Amber is part Fox Red Retriever. She likes to run, fetch balls and gets excited about people me on bikes. She is obsessed with car rides. She hates water and wants no part of it. She doesn?t like to get her paws wet in the grass either and has been known to hold it in for over 18 hours if it?s raining. Crazy girl.
10. Amber enjoys singing. She will belt out a nice long howl for us every now and then when the blender is running, or the rare occasion she hears a fire engine come by. It?s a treat.
11. Amber is my daily companion. She keeps me company any time I?m working in the yard or in the garden, she loves to be outside in the sun and in the (dry) grass. She snores naps nearby while I?m working on my laptop. She?s always just a few feet away. Especially when I?m cooking.
12. I may be biased, but if you?ve met Amber, you may agree. Amber is the best dog ever.
Source: http://aggieskitchen.com/2013/01/18/fun-facts-about-my-familys-four-legged-friend/
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Climate change's effects on temperate rain forests surprisingly complex
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tTSkET48UABOxc9N6Xw8adu0FkDAz_v6MR5MSvDMD8NUCStzPc1-_-K82ccj_k0ChdwGjhExAdAD44z9L3-uG_af59ZUu2-MElPBEQdLQ=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 18-Jan-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Yasmeen Sands
ysands@fs.fed.us
360-753-7716
USDA Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Research Station
Science-based strategies help managers to adapt to general warming trend
Longer, warmer growing seasons associated with a changing climate are altering growing conditions in temperate rain forests, but not all plant species will be negatively affected, according to research conducted by the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Research featured in the January 2013 issue of Science Findingsa monthly publication of the stationreveals a complex range of forest plant responses to a warming climate.
"Although the overall potential for growth increases as the climate warms, we found that plant species differ in their ability to adapt to these changing conditions," said Tara Barrett, a research forester with the station who led the study.
Barrett and her colleagues explored trends in forest composition in southeastern and south-central Alaska, home to the bulk of the world's temperate rain forests. The researchers found an uptick in growth in higher elevations of the region over the 13-year period, with an almost 8-percent increase in live-tree biomass, a measure of tree growth. Individual species within the rain forest, however, differedwestern redcedar biomass increased by four percent, while shore pine declined by almost five percent.
As forest managers consider climate impacts like these in the management of their forests, scientists, including Barrett and research biologist David L. Peterson, are communicating climate change science within the agency, helping managersin Alaska and beyondto meet this challenge.
In another research effort, featured in the December 2012 issue of Science Findings, Peterson summarized the scientific basis for climate change adaptation. He and his colleagues across the country have conducted case studies that revealed the critical role of science-management partnerships in adaptation planning and have produced a climate change guidebook and Web portal for climate science information.
"The main objective is to get science in the hands of managers so that they have the basic information but also have access to the documentation they need to do their jobs," said Peterson.
###
To read more about the studies online, visit http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/42402 (January Science Findings) and http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/42317 (December Science Findings).
The Pacific Northwest Research Stationheadquartered in Portland, Oregongenerates and communicates scientific knowledge that helps people make informed choices about natural resources and the environment. The station has 11 laboratories and centers located in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington and about 390 employees. Learn more online at http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 18-Jan-2013[ | E-mail |
Share ] Contact: Yasmeen Sands
ysands@fs.fed.us
360-753-7716
USDA Forest Service - Pacific Northwest Research Station
Science-based strategies help managers to adapt to general warming trend
Longer, warmer growing seasons associated with a changing climate are altering growing conditions in temperate rain forests, but not all plant species will be negatively affected, according to research conducted by the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Research featured in the January 2013 issue of Science Findingsa monthly publication of the stationreveals a complex range of forest plant responses to a warming climate.
"Although the overall potential for growth increases as the climate warms, we found that plant species differ in their ability to adapt to these changing conditions," said Tara Barrett, a research forester with the station who led the study.
Barrett and her colleagues explored trends in forest composition in southeastern and south-central Alaska, home to the bulk of the world's temperate rain forests. The researchers found an uptick in growth in higher elevations of the region over the 13-year period, with an almost 8-percent increase in live-tree biomass, a measure of tree growth. Individual species within the rain forest, however, differedwestern redcedar biomass increased by four percent, while shore pine declined by almost five percent.
As forest managers consider climate impacts like these in the management of their forests, scientists, including Barrett and research biologist David L. Peterson, are communicating climate change science within the agency, helping managersin Alaska and beyondto meet this challenge.
In another research effort, featured in the December 2012 issue of Science Findings, Peterson summarized the scientific basis for climate change adaptation. He and his colleagues across the country have conducted case studies that revealed the critical role of science-management partnerships in adaptation planning and have produced a climate change guidebook and Web portal for climate science information.
"The main objective is to get science in the hands of managers so that they have the basic information but also have access to the documentation they need to do their jobs," said Peterson.
###
To read more about the studies online, visit http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/42402 (January Science Findings) and http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/42317 (December Science Findings).
The Pacific Northwest Research Stationheadquartered in Portland, Oregongenerates and communicates scientific knowledge that helps people make informed choices about natural resources and the environment. The station has 11 laboratories and centers located in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington and about 390 employees. Learn more online at http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/ufs--cce011813.php
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Friday, January 18, 2013
Photos: First look at Algeria hostages who escaped
Hostages react after they were freed from a gas facility in Algeria where Islamist militants were holding them in Tigantourine, in this still image taken from video footage January 18, 2013. About 60 foreigners were still being held hostage or missing inside a gas plant on Friday after Algerian forces stormed the desert complex to free hundreds of captives taken by Islamist militants, who threatened to attack other energy installations. ... more?Hostages react after they were freed from a gas facility in Algeria where Islamist militants were holding them in Tigantourine, in this still image taken from video footage January 18, 2013. About 60 foreigners were still being held hostage or missing inside a gas plant on Friday after Algerian forces stormed the desert complex to free hundreds of captives taken by Islamist militants, who threatened to attack other energy installations. REUTERS/Algerian TV via Reuters TV less?
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/photos/algeria-hostage-crisis-slideshow/
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Iphone case - VW bus in Teal Iphone 4 case , Iphone 4s case Volkswagen by TheCaseCrib
****THIS LISTING IS FOR THE 3 PIECE BUMPER COVER*******
The bumper cover comes in 3 pieces (the bumper case is 2 pieces and the metal insert). Just slide your phone in, slide the insert in and snap on the bottom piece and you are good to go. The inserts are easily changed out of the 2 piece bumper cover, making a phone wardrobe! The additional photos above show how easily the pieces are put together to change the inserts so you don't have to buy a new cover each time. You will be saving money by just buying the inserts! Please see link below to buy additional inserts.
The bumper covers are available in black and white. Please leave a note in the message to seller section during checkout letting me know which color case you would like. If there is no note, the color in the 1st picture above will be sent.
The bumper case is compatible with Iphone 4 or Iphone 4s only.
Snaps together around the bottom sides of your Iphone 4 and 4s.
Openings for the buttons and camera lens for easy accessibility.
Available in black and white.
If additional inserts are needed, please click on the link below to buy additional inserts without the cover.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/113030489/metal-insert-for-iphone-4-4s-2-piece
Have any questions? Contact the shop owner.
Source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/105004375/iphone-case-vw-bus-in-teal-iphone-4-case
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