Cities affect temperatures for thousands of miles

Public release date: 27-Jan-2013
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Contact: David Hosansky
hosansky@ucar.edu
303-497-8611
National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

BOULDER Even if you live more than 1,000 miles from the nearest large city, it could be affecting your weather.

In a new study that shows the extent to which human activities are influencing the atmosphere, scientists have concluded that the heat generated by everyday activities in metropolitan areas alters the character of the jet stream and other major atmospheric systems. This affects temperatures across thousands of miles, significantly warming some areas and cooling others, according to the study in Nature Climate Change.

The extra "waste heat" generated from buildings, cars, and other sources in major Northern Hemisphere urban areas causes winter warming across large areas of northern North American and northern Asia. Temperatures in some remote areas increase by as much as 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the research by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego; Florida State University; and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

At the same time, the changes to atmospheric circulation caused by the waste heat cool areas of Europe by as much as 1 degree C (1.8 degrees F), with much of the temperature decrease occurring in the fall.

The net effect on global mean temperatures is nearly negligiblean average increase worldwide of just 0.01 degrees C (about 0.02 degrees F). This is because the total human-produced waste heat is only about 0.3 percent of the heat transported across higher latitudes by atmospheric and oceanic circulations.

However, the noticeable impact on regional temperatures may explain why some regions are experiencing more winter warming than projected by climate computer models, the researchers conclude. They suggest that models be adjusted to take the influence of waste heat into account.

"The burning of fossil fuel not only emits greenhouse gases but also directly affects temperatures because of heat that escapes from sources like buildings and cars," says NCAR scientist Aixue Hu, a co-author of the study. "Although much of this waste heat is concentrated in large cities, it can change atmospheric patterns in a way that raises or lowers temperatures across considerable distances."

The researchers stressed that the effect of waste heat is distinct from the so-called urban heat island effect. Such islands are mainly a function of the heat collected and re-radiated by pavement, buildings, and other urban features, whereas the new study examines the heat produced directly through transportation, heating and cooling units, and other activities.

The study, "Energy consumption and the unexplained winter warming over northern Asia and North America" appears this Sunday. It was funded by the National Science Foundation, NCAR's sponsor, as well as the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Hu, along with lead author Guang Zhang of Scripps and Ming Cai of Florida State University, analyzed the energy consumption from heating buildings to powering vehicles that generates waste heat release. The world's total energy consumption in 2006 was equivalent to a constant-use rate of 16 terawatts (one terawatt, or TW, equals 1 trillion watts). Of that, an average rate of 6.7 TW was consumed in 86 metropolitan areas in the Northern Hemisphere.

Using a computer model of the atmosphere, the authors found that the influence of this waste heat can widen the jet stream.

"What we found is that energy use from multiple urban areas collectively can warm the atmosphere remotely, thousands of miles away from the energy consumption regions," Zhang says. "This is accomplished through atmospheric circulation change."

The release of waste heat is different from energy that is naturally distributed in the atmosphere, the researchers noted. The largest source of heat, solar energy, warms Earth's surface and atmospheric circulations redistribute that energy from one region to another. Human energy consumption distributes energy that had lain dormant and sequestered for millions of years, mostly in the form of oil or coal.

Though the amount of human-generated energy is a small portion of that transported by nature, it is highly concentrated in urban areas. In the Northern Hemisphere, many of those urban areas lie directly under major atmospheric troughs and jet streams.

"The world's most populated and energy-intensive metropolitan areas are along the east and west coasts of the North American and Eurasian continents, underneath the most prominent atmospheric circulation troughs and ridges," Cai says. "The release of this concentrated waste energy causes the noticeable interruption to the normal atmospheric circulation systems above, leading to remote surface temperature changes far away from the regions where waste heat is generated."

###

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research under sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

About the article:

Title: Energy consumption and the unexplained winter warming over northern Asia and North America

Authors: Ghang J. Zhang, Ming Cai, and Aixue Hu

Publication: Nature Climate Change, Jan. 27, 2013

On the Web:

For news releases, images, and more - www.ucar.edu/atmosnews

Additional contacts:

Zhenya Gallon, NCAR/UCAR Media Relations
303-497-8607
zhenya@ucar.edu

Aixue Hu, NCAR Scientist
ahu@ucar.edu
303-497-1334

Guang Zhang, Scripps Research Meteorologist
gzhang@mail.ucsd.edu
858-534-7535

Ming Cai, FSU Professor, Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science
mcai@fsu.edu
850-645-1551

---

[ | 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: 27-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: David Hosansky
hosansky@ucar.edu
303-497-8611
National Center for Atmospheric Research/University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

BOULDER Even if you live more than 1,000 miles from the nearest large city, it could be affecting your weather.

In a new study that shows the extent to which human activities are influencing the atmosphere, scientists have concluded that the heat generated by everyday activities in metropolitan areas alters the character of the jet stream and other major atmospheric systems. This affects temperatures across thousands of miles, significantly warming some areas and cooling others, according to the study in Nature Climate Change.

The extra "waste heat" generated from buildings, cars, and other sources in major Northern Hemisphere urban areas causes winter warming across large areas of northern North American and northern Asia. Temperatures in some remote areas increase by as much as 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the research by scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego; Florida State University; and the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

At the same time, the changes to atmospheric circulation caused by the waste heat cool areas of Europe by as much as 1 degree C (1.8 degrees F), with much of the temperature decrease occurring in the fall.

The net effect on global mean temperatures is nearly negligiblean average increase worldwide of just 0.01 degrees C (about 0.02 degrees F). This is because the total human-produced waste heat is only about 0.3 percent of the heat transported across higher latitudes by atmospheric and oceanic circulations.

However, the noticeable impact on regional temperatures may explain why some regions are experiencing more winter warming than projected by climate computer models, the researchers conclude. They suggest that models be adjusted to take the influence of waste heat into account.

"The burning of fossil fuel not only emits greenhouse gases but also directly affects temperatures because of heat that escapes from sources like buildings and cars," says NCAR scientist Aixue Hu, a co-author of the study. "Although much of this waste heat is concentrated in large cities, it can change atmospheric patterns in a way that raises or lowers temperatures across considerable distances."

The researchers stressed that the effect of waste heat is distinct from the so-called urban heat island effect. Such islands are mainly a function of the heat collected and re-radiated by pavement, buildings, and other urban features, whereas the new study examines the heat produced directly through transportation, heating and cooling units, and other activities.

The study, "Energy consumption and the unexplained winter warming over northern Asia and North America" appears this Sunday. It was funded by the National Science Foundation, NCAR's sponsor, as well as the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Hu, along with lead author Guang Zhang of Scripps and Ming Cai of Florida State University, analyzed the energy consumption from heating buildings to powering vehicles that generates waste heat release. The world's total energy consumption in 2006 was equivalent to a constant-use rate of 16 terawatts (one terawatt, or TW, equals 1 trillion watts). Of that, an average rate of 6.7 TW was consumed in 86 metropolitan areas in the Northern Hemisphere.

Using a computer model of the atmosphere, the authors found that the influence of this waste heat can widen the jet stream.

"What we found is that energy use from multiple urban areas collectively can warm the atmosphere remotely, thousands of miles away from the energy consumption regions," Zhang says. "This is accomplished through atmospheric circulation change."

The release of waste heat is different from energy that is naturally distributed in the atmosphere, the researchers noted. The largest source of heat, solar energy, warms Earth's surface and atmospheric circulations redistribute that energy from one region to another. Human energy consumption distributes energy that had lain dormant and sequestered for millions of years, mostly in the form of oil or coal.

Though the amount of human-generated energy is a small portion of that transported by nature, it is highly concentrated in urban areas. In the Northern Hemisphere, many of those urban areas lie directly under major atmospheric troughs and jet streams.

"The world's most populated and energy-intensive metropolitan areas are along the east and west coasts of the North American and Eurasian continents, underneath the most prominent atmospheric circulation troughs and ridges," Cai says. "The release of this concentrated waste energy causes the noticeable interruption to the normal atmospheric circulation systems above, leading to remote surface temperature changes far away from the regions where waste heat is generated."

###

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research under sponsorship by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

About the article:

Title: Energy consumption and the unexplained winter warming over northern Asia and North America

Authors: Ghang J. Zhang, Ming Cai, and Aixue Hu

Publication: Nature Climate Change, Jan. 27, 2013

On the Web:

For news releases, images, and more - www.ucar.edu/atmosnews

Additional contacts:

Zhenya Gallon, NCAR/UCAR Media Relations
303-497-8607
zhenya@ucar.edu

Aixue Hu, NCAR Scientist
ahu@ucar.edu
303-497-1334

Guang Zhang, Scripps Research Meteorologist
gzhang@mail.ucsd.edu
858-534-7535

Ming Cai, FSU Professor, Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science
mcai@fsu.edu
850-645-1551

---

[ | 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/ncfa-cat012413.php

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Roleplayers Wanted!

Ariel was known as the angel of nature. She oversaw the protection and healing of animals and plants, as well as the care of the Earth's elements. Sometimes when people asked for her help, Ariel provided healing that they needed, according to God's will.
Ariel usually worked with the archangel Raphael, but one day when he was away Ariel went to help a horribly wounded man. That man happened to be of the forbidden race, a Nephilim, the offspring of the Angels and Humans. Even thought she was supposed to go back to Heaven and report to the Archangels, she couldn't bring herself to do so.
She committed a sin.
She fell in love.
Leaving Heaven and sealing away her powers and wings, she managed to stay invisible among the humans living with the man she loved and their little daughter, Harmony. But Harmony wasn't an ordinary girl, after all her mother was a powerful angel and even her father had an angel's blood running through in his veins. At age seven her wings started to grow and Ariel had to use her powers to seal them. The moment she used them the Archangels located her whereabouts and sent the Fallen after them. They caught Ariel and the Nephilim, but the little girl was no where to be found. After erasing the Angel's memory they let her continue her work but they watched her every move, as for the Nephilim, he was cast away, never to be seen again.

* * *

It has been ten years since then. Harmony is now living like any ordinary girl, until the day when mysterious people start appearing in her life. She sees strange lights around people, hears voices softly whisper and she swears that sometimes it seems like the time has stopped. She thinks that all that is related to her past and her real parents who'm she can't remember. Together with a few angels and fallen she will try to make the Archangels understand that they all deserve live and to love. They are all God's children after all. The rules have to change, even if they are cast down from heaven, they will try to make them understand.

Love is a sacred thing yet for love will Angels have to sin?

There are a lot of characters open so if you are interested be sure to check it out :)
http://www.roleplaygateway.com/roleplay/angels-tale/

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/tOV-thvfxKg/viewtopic.php

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Mass human sacrifice? Ancient skulls piled up

Archaeologists have unearthed a trove of skulls in Mexico that may have once belonged to human sacrifice victims. The skulls, which date between the year 600 and 850, may also shatter existing notions about the ancient culture of the area.

The find, described in the January issue of the journal Latin American Antiquity, was located in an otherwise empty field that once held a vast lake, but was miles from the nearest major city of the day, said study co-author Christopher Morehart, an archaeologist at Georgia State University.

"It's absolutely remarkable to think about this little nothing on the landscape having potentially evidence of the largest mass human sacrifice in ancient Mesoamerica," Morehart said.

Middle of nowhere
Morehart and his colleagues were using satellite imagery to map ancient canals, irrigation channels and lakes that used to surround the kingdom of Teotihuacan (home to the Pyramid of the Sun), about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Mexico City. The vast ancient kingdom flourished from around the year 200 to 650, though who built it remains a mystery. [In Photos: Amazing Ruins of the Ancient World]

In a now-drained lake called Lake Xaltocan, around which was essentially rural farmland at the time, Morehart stumbled upon a site with evidence of looting.

When the team investigated, they discovered lines of human skulls with just one or two vertebra attached. To date, more than 150 skulls have been discovered there. The site also contained a shrine with incense burners, water-deity figurines and agricultural pottery, such as corncob depictions, suggesting a ritual purpose tied to local farming. [See images from the grisly excavation]

Carbon dating suggested that the skulls were at least 1,100 years old, and the few dozen analyzed so far are mostly from men, Morehart told LiveScience. The researchers did not release photos of the skulls because the sacrifice victims may have historic ties to modern-day indigenous cultures.

The findings shake up existing notions of the culture of the day, because the site is not associated with Teotihuacan or other regional powers, said Destiny Crider, an archaeologist at Luther College in Iowa, who was not involved in the study.

Big event in a little place
Human sacrifice was practiced throughout the region, both at Teotihuacan and in the later Aztec Empire, but most of those rituals happened at great pyramids within cities and were tied to state powers.

By contrast, "this one is a big event in a little place," Crider said.

1. Science news from NBCNews.com

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      Nearly 2,000 years ago, at a time when Egypt was under the control of the Roman Empire, a young woman with an elaborate hairstyle was laid to rest only yards away from a king's pyramid, researchers report.

   2. Elusive giant squid is still a deep mystery
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The shrines and the fact that sacrifice victims were mostly male suggest that they were carefully chosen, not simply the result of indiscriminate slaughter of a whole village, Crider told LiveScience.

Many researchers believe that massive drought caused the fall of Teotihuacan and ushered in a period of warfare and political infighting as smaller regional powers sprang up, Morehart said. Crider said those tumultuous times could have spurred innovative ? and bloody ? practices.

"Maybe they needed to intensify their activities because everything was changing," she said. "When things are uncertain, you try new strategies."

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook and Google+.

? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50599143/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Al-Qaida's No. 2 in Yemen dead, report says

SANAA, Yemen (AP) ? Yemen's official news agency says al-Qaida's No. 2 in Yemen has died of wounds sustained in a drone attack last year in southern Yemen.

Saeed al-Shihri, a Saudi national who fought in Afghanistan and spent six years in the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, was wounded in a missile attack in the southern city of Saada on Nov. 28, according to SABA news agency.

The agency said that he was in a coma since then. It was not clear when he actually died.

A security official said that the missile has been fired by a U.S. -operated, unmanned drone aircraft. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.

Washington considers al-Qaida in The Arabian Peninsula the most dangerous the group's offshoots.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaidas-no-2-yemen-dead-report-says-202056030.html

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Sen. Feinstein unveils bill to ban assault weapons

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top Democratic lawmaker tried on Thursday to revive a U.S. assault-weapons ban, riding a wave of support for gun control after the killing of 20 children and six adults at a school in Connecticut last month.

Senator Dianne Feinstein and several other Democrats said they were introducing a bill to ban semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips. It faces stiff opposition in Congress as well as from the National Rifle Association, the main U.S. lobby for gun manufacturers, and from many Americans.

"Getting this bill signed into law will be an uphill battle, and I recognize that - but it is a battle worth having," Feinstein said at a news conference to announce the bill.

The legislation mirrors some of the proposals that President Barack Obama offered last week as he vowed to make gun control a top priority in his second term.

Banning assault weapons is seen as the most unlikely part of Obama's gun control package to pass Congress. A previous ban expired in 2004 after 10 years.

With 310 million guns in civilian hands and 11,000 homicides with firearms last year, the United States is one of the world's most heavily armed and violent countries.

Feinstein's bill would ban the purchase of semiautomatic rifles that can accept a detachable magazine clip and prohibit high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.

(Reporting By Thomas Ferraro, Editing by Alistair Bell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/assault-weapons-ban-announced-congress-faces-uphill-battle-171358623.html

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Stock Upgrades: Blockbuster Day For Netflix - Minyanville

Stocks scored fresh five year highs after politicians opted to kick the can on our debt ceiling debacle?until May 18. (Or?May 19, for it would be just like the government to be a day late and $16 trillion short.) ?Atari fans are so upset, they?re organizing a massive letter-writing campaign?to President Reagan.? So said Conan O?Brien earlier this week after the iconic outfit filed for chapter 11. Far better to instead invest in another iconic tech name, one which entered the world as did Ronnie in 1911.
?
An?upgraded?International Business Machines?(IBM) jumped 4.41% to top the?Dow?(^DJI), which was utterly reliant on Big Blue to stay green.?Canadian Pacific Railway?(CP) hit an all time high and industry peer?CSX Corp.?(CSX) rose 4.18% for its best gain since last March. Training beats Coaching (COH), you could say, especially after the handbag maker slumped 16.36%. Longtime Tory leader Margaret Thatcher loved handbags of course, but like many she likely now prefers Tory Burch to Coach. Her successor as Conservative Prime Minister said in a speech yesterday that Britain?s backing for Europe is ?wafer thin.? Which is not such a bad thing to be, after?Advanced Micro Devices?(AMD) advanced 11.43% to top the entire?S&P 500 Index?(^GSPC).
?
French foreign minister Laurent Fabius replied by claiming his country would ?roll out the red carpet? if London left. Thus one?smells a rat across the English Channel, but Mouse House?Walt Disney?(DIS) hit an all-time high, computer mouse maker?Logitech?gained 4.82%, and?EntreMed?(ENMD) added on 15.93% after promise in its drug trials involving mice.
?
Today in economics, December leading indicators are expected to tick up at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. In corporate action the quarterly earnings express rolls on, with?AT&T Inc.?(T),?Bristol-Myers Squibb?(BMY),?E*Trade Financial (ETFC), Lockheed Martin (LMT), Microsoft (MSFT), Nokia?(NOK) Raytheon?(RTN),?Southwest Airlines (LUV), Starbucks (SBUX),?3M Company (MMM),?United Continental?(UAL), and?Xerox?(XRX) all due to release results.
?
Akzo Nobel N.V.?(PINK:AKZOY) The stock is now Neutral from Underweight at JPMorgan.
?
ASML Holding?(ASML): Bank of America-Merrill Lynch lifts ASML to Buy from Neutral.
?
Autodesk?(ADSK): Impressed by both margin expansion and increased adoption of suites and Cloud, RBC Capital raises its recommendation to Outperform from Perform. The price objective is also increased, to $50 from $33.
?
Bed Bath & Beyond?(BBBY): Calling it one of the best-run companies in all hardline retailing, Oppenheimer raises its rating to Outperform from Perform and takes its target to $71 from $67.
?
Cubist Pharmaceuticals?(CBST): Cantor Fitzgerald hoists the company to Hold from Sell.
?
Emerson?(EMR): Deutsche Bank boosts the industrial outfit to Buy from Hold.
?
GOL Linhas A?reas Inteligentes?(GOL): The Brazilian air carrier gets upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Goldman Sachs.
?
Netflix?(NASDAQ:NFLX): Shares, surging some 35.39% before this morning?s opening bell after last night?s impressive earnings, are moved to Overweight from Neutral at JPMorgan, raised to Market Perform from Underperform at Raymond James, and lifted to Buy from Hold at Lazard. Catalysts include solid subscriber growth and an improved margin outlook. (Note that Credit Suisse downgraded the name to Neutral from Outperform today.)
?
Pearson?(PSO): The British publisher is trading higher in London today after being lifted to Equal-Weight from Underweight by Barclays.
?
Randgold Resources?(GOLD): GOLD gets upgraded to Buy from Neutral at Bank of America-Merrill.
?
Retailers: Credit Suisse gives Outperform-from-Neutral upgrades to?Dillard?s?(DDS) and?Ross Stores?(ROST).
?
SanDisk?(SNDK): Needham boosts the tech company to Buy from Hold with a $60 target after fourth quarter earnings beat Street estimates, with impressive gross margins of 40%.
?
Torchmark?(TMK): The insurance outfit is taken to Buy from Neutral at SunTrust Robinson Humphrey.
?
United Parcel Service?(UPS): Shares are now Buy from Neutral at Bank of America-Merrill.

(See also: New Stock Coverage: Colgate Is All Smiles but Kimberly-Clark Cries Into Its Kleenex and Stock Downgrades: Apple Looks Like a Lemon.)

No positions in stocks mentioned.

The information on this website solely reflects the analysis of or opinion about the performance of securities and financial markets by the writers whose articles appear on the site. The views expressed by the writers are not necessarily the views of Minyanville Media, Inc. or members of its management. Nothing contained on the website is intended to constitute a recommendation or advice addressed to an individual investor or category of investors to purchase, sell or hold any security, or to take any action with respect to the prospective movement of the securities markets or to solicit the purchase or sale of any security. Any investment decisions must be made by the reader either individually or in consultation with his or her investment professional. Minyanville writers and staff may trade or hold positions in securities that are discussed in articles appearing on the website. Writers of articles are required to disclose whether they have a position in any stock or fund discussed in an article, but are not permitted to disclose the size or direction of the position. Nothing on this website is intended to solicit business of any kind for a writer's business or fund. Minyanville management and staff as well as contributing writers will not respond to emails or other communications requesting investment advice.

Copyright 2011 Minyanville Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://www.minyanville.com/trading-and-investing/stocks/articles/Stock-Upgrades253A-Blockbuster-Day-For-Netflix/1/24/2013/id/47598

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With Today?s Update, Tumblr Starts To Look More Like A Fully Featured Twitter Than Blogging Platform

In an effort to make its Dashboard a "smaller and more streamlined experience," the social blogging platform Tumblr is today overhauling the way users create posts on its website. Instead of the larger, full-screen experience which makes writing or sharing content on Tumblr feel more like blogging, the new post screens seem to be taking a page from Twitter in their design.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/1jxPnvC243E/

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Realtors: Watch Your Clients - Sarasota Real Estate

Realtors should be careful of losing their clients to agents holding open houses. Some agents are very aggressive in trying to poach buyers at their open houses. We have had two separate recent incidents?where the open house Realtors tried to steal both of our clients despite telling them that they were already working with us. Fortunately, both sets of clients are fabulous and remained loyal to us.

I know what the text book Realtor instructor will say - Don't let your buyers go to open houses without you!?That is just impossible. Some buyers want to go to every available open house on Sunday and it is just ridiculous to even try to attend every open house with them. That is not good, real world advice.?

If buyers walk into my open house and say that they are already working with a Realtor I am not going to try to steal them. Regardless of whether or not it is a violation of a Realtor ethics it is just plain wrong. Agents can spend tons of money and?months or even years to cultivate clients. Don't be a weasel and try to steal that client when they are already represented.?

I called the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR) legal hotline and spoke with the ethics expert about this. According to them, it is not an ethics violation for an agent to try to steal a client when they mention that they are already working with a Realtor. However, if the buyers indicate they have an exclusive relationship with a Realtor then?it becomes a violation of article 16.?

Standard of Practice 16-9
REALTORS?, prior to entering into a representation agreement, have an affirmative obligation to make reasonable efforts to determine whether the prospect is subject to a current, valid exclusive agreement to provide the same type of real estate service.

Standard of Practice 16-13
All dealings concerning property exclusively listed, or with buyer/tenants who are subject to an exclusive agreement shall be carried on with the client?s representative or broker, and not with the client, except with the consent of the client?s representative or broker or except where such dealings are initiated by the client.

Before providing substantive services (such as writing a purchase offer or presenting a CMA) to prospects, REALTORS? shall ask prospects whether they are a party to any exclusive representation agreement. REALTORS? shall not knowingly provide substantive services concerning a prospective transaction to prospects who are parties to exclusive representation agreements, except with the consent of the prospects? exclusive representatives or at the direction of prospects.?

1. Have your buyers sign an exclusive buyer representation agreement. Then file an ethics complaint when the open house agent tries to poach your buyers. ;-)
2. Attend every open house with your buyers. (pretty unrealistic)
3. Only work with loyal buyers.

Perhaps the Realtors Standards of Practice could change where an agent could be in violation when a buyer says, "I am already working with a Realtor."?

?

?

?

I would love to hear your opinions about this.?

?

?

?

?

Source: http://www.luxurysarasotarealestate.com/blog/realtors-watch-your-clients.html

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Life Insurance | HASTAC

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If you think you have reached this page in error, please contact us and let us know the URL you currently see in the address bar of your browser.

Source: http://hastac.org/blogs/buddhakwee/2013/01/24/life-insurance

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Arabian al Qaeda's number two is dead: Yemeni official

SANAA (Reuters) - A Saudi who was freed by U.S. authorities from detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, only to become second-in-command of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has died after being wounded by Yemeni security forces, a Yemeni security official said on Friday.

Said al-Shehri suffered injuries in an operation by the security apparatus on November 28 in the northern province of Saada, a member of Yemen's supreme security committee told the Yemeni state news agency.

He subsequently fell into a coma and then died, the source said, without saying when exactly Shehri had died.

"He was buried by al Qaeda in an unknown location as a strategy to keep up the morale of its members," the source, who was not named, was quoted as saying.

It was not the first time Yemen had announced Shehri's death. In September, the Ministry of Defense said he had been killed in an army operation, only for him to issue an audio tape a month later.

But whereas in September Saudi Arabia declined to confirm the death, this week Saudi-owned media have reported that Shehri is dead.

U.S. officials described Shehri as one of the most important al Qaeda-linked militants to be released from the Guantanamo detention facility, where he was taken in January 2002 after Pakistan handed him to U.S. authorities.

Shehri, a former officer in Saudi Arabia's internal security force, allegedly joined al Qaeda and helped to facilitate the movements of Saudi militants seeking to travel to Afghanistan via Iran, according to a classified Pentagon report made public by WikiLeaks.

According to the Pentagon document, Shehri was "assessed to be a HIGH risk" prisoner because "he is likely to pose a threat to the U.S., its interests and allies".

A U.S. official familiar with the case said Shehri was one of numerous Saudi militants at Guantanamo released by the administration of President George W. Bush under heavy pressure from Saudi authorities and the U.S. court system.

Shehri was released to Saudi Arabia in 2007 and put through a Saudi rehabilitation program for militants.

But he later returned to the battlefield in Yemen, and became AQAP's number two, leading one U.S. official to call him a "poster child for recidivism".

Shehri was wanted by Yemeni authorities for a suspected role in an attack on the U.S. embassy in Sanaa in 2008.

AQAP, which has planned attacks on international targets including airliners, is described by Washington, which has repeatedly used unmanned drones to target its members, as perhaps al Qaeda's most dangerous and innovative affiliate.

(Reporting by Mohammed Ghobari; Writing by Raissa Kasolowsky; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/yemen-says-regional-al-qaedas-deputy-head-dead-184541137.html

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A Message from the Dean | Seidenberg School News

23. Jan, 2013

First of all, I must thank the Seidenberg Community for the warm welcome that I have received since coming to Pace in mid-August.? I am excited to be back on the east coast to lead new initiatives and promote existing programs to flourish.? I was at MIT from 1979 to 2004. Between 2004 and 2012, I spent the academic year at the University of Arizona and the summers at MIT. ?The Seidenberg School is unique as it encompasses all aspects of Computer Science and Information Systems.

It has been a busy time at the Seidenberg School.? The Information Assurance Program?continues to be strong at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.? We have been reaccredited as a National Center of Academic Excellence:

http://www.pace.edu/seidenberg/research/labs/information-assurance-education-and-research-center

Students receive full scholarships from the Department of Homeland Security or the Scholarship for Service Program through a grant from the National Science Foundation, and faculty and students collaborate on research on Biometric Keystroke Recognition and diverse facets of Cybersecurity.

I am instituting a new initiative on TeleHealth, based on my assessment that this is going to be the next trillion dollar industry.? Back in 2001, I proposed the notion that healthcare applications should be handled in a three pronged manner involving on-site personnel, off-site personnel, and advanced computer techniques. My ongoing research in the area of Telemedicine (?The Constitutionality of Current Legal Barriers to Telemedicine in the United States: Analysis and Future Directions of Its Relationship to National and International Health Care Reform,?(with D. Sao), Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine?, 11, 2011.), coupled with my research focusing on distributed teams and the concept of a 24 hour knowledge factory Expanding the 24 Hour Workplace, Wall Street Journal,?September 15, 2007 (extended article and online podcast interview), looks at the technical, business, medical, legal, public policy, economic, and other hurdles related to this emerging field.? The Seidenberg School anticipates offering the first of an array of courses related to telemedicine in the Spring 2013 semester.

Based on the growing realization and computers and technology are increasingly relevant to all fields of study, we have increased the number of Seidenberg courses that are available to all members of the PACE community. CIS101 was the course that students from other programs at PACE University normally took at Seidenberg School. Commencing Spring 2013, we will have the following set of 5 courses for students from other schools of PACE University:

CIS 101, Introduction to Computing

CIS 103, Problem Solving Using Technology

CIT 110, Introduction to Information Technology (also a Writing-enhanced course)

CS 121, Computer Programming I

TS 105, Computers for Human Empowerment

My colleagues and I are Seidenberg School are currently involved in designing new interdisciplinary courses and programs with other schools.

I look forward to continuing to meet new folks from the industry, our illustrious alums, and current students.? Please keep in touch with us and review our website (http://seidenberg.pace.edu) often to learn of the new and exciting initiatives within the School.

?

Amar Gupta

Dean and Professor

Source: http://seidenbergnews.blogs.pace.edu/2013/01/23/a-message-from-the-dean/

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Deep freeze slides toward the northeast

MADISON, Wis. (AP) ? The Upper Midwest remained locked in a deep freeze Wednesday as the bitter temperatures crept eastward where at least one mountain resort warned it was too cold even to ski.

Overnight, ice-covered Chicago firefighters spent hours fighting a massive fire at a warehouse on the city's South Side, hindered by the single digit chill.

The cold snap arrived Saturday night as waves of Arctic air swept south from Canada, pushing temperatures to dangerous lows and leaving a section of the country well-versed in winter's pains reeling. The National Weather Service said states from Ohio through to the far northeast of Maine could expect to be slammed by that Arctic blast on Wednesday.

The numbers so far are chilling in themselves: 35 below at Crane Lake, Minn., on Tuesday; Embarrass, Minn., at 36 below on Monday; and Babbitt, Minn., at 29 below on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

The weather service issued a wind chill warning for Wednesday in the far north of Maine. In Presque Isle and Caribou, temperatures are not expected to rise above 7 below. And the wind chill could make it feel more like 40 below. Vermont was similarly afflicted, with wind chill advisories and highs peaking in the single digits. Forecasters said Boston and New York City could expect temperatures in the double digits, but that the wind chill would make it feel 5 below. And in mid-Massachusetts, high winds up to 30 mph in Worcester will add to the weather misery.

At least one ski resort in New Hampshire was planning to close Wednesday and Thursday because of the extraordinary cold. Wildcat Mountain in the White Mountains region said it was expecting temperatures in the negative double digits and a wind chill of 48 degrees below zero ? conditions that would not be safe for guests or employees on the slopes.

Late Tuesday, some 170 Chicago firefighters ? approximately one third of the city's fire department ? turned out in frigid temperatures to battle a blaze at a warehouse on the South Side. Officials said the fire prompted the department's biggest response in recent years, according to The Chicago Sun-Times. Despite the scale of the fire, firefighters' soaked jackets and hats froze, and icicles formed and dangled from hoses and hydrants.

Authorities said exposure has played a role in at least four deaths.

On Sunday, a 70-year-old man was found frozen in his unheated home in Des Plaines, Ill. And in Green Bay, Wis., a 38-year-old man was found dead outside his home Monday morning. Authorities in both cases said the victims died of hypothermia and cold exposure, with alcohol a possible contributing factor.

A 77-year-old Illinois woman also was found dead near her car in southwestern Wisconsin on Saturday night, and a 61-year-old Minnesota man was pronounced dead at a hospital after he was found in a storage building Saturday morning.

The bitter conditions were expected to persist into the weekend in the Midwest through the eastern half of the U.S., said Shawn DeVinny, a National Weather Service meteorologist in suburban Minneapolis.

Ariana Laffey, a 30-year-old homeless woman, kept warm with a blanket, three pairs of pants and six shirts as she sat on a milk crate begging near Chicago's Willis Tower on Tuesday morning. She said she and her husband spent the night under a bridge, bundled up under a half-dozen blankets.

"We're just trying to make enough to get a warm room to sleep in tonight," Laffey said.

___

Associated Press writers Doug Glass in Minneapolis, Don Babwin and Tammy Webber in Chicago, Jeff Karoub in Detroit, Dirk Lammers in Sioux Falls, S.D., and Dinesh Ramde and Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/deep-freeze-slides-toward-northeast-141921150.html

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The #Bachelor Sean Lowe Recap ? January 21, 2013 (ABC) - From ...

Tonight?s first one-on-one date goes to Lesley M. the Political Consultant. Sean takes her to the Guiness Museum on Hollywood Boulevard which, sidebar, is about two miles from where I live.

I always laugh to myself when people who don?t live in Hollywood see Hollywood Boulevard on television and imagine it?s full of beautiful people and swanky restaurants, when in fact the only things to do there are pose for pictures with an out of work actor in a bad Mickey Mouse costume, shop for a mini license plate with your name on it, and eat a ten dollar hot dog in the gutter while watching the security guard chase junkies out of Rite-Aid.

Sean and Lesley are going to try and break the world record for the longest on-screen kiss, everybody!

You heard that right. The longest on-screen kiss. Not the longest kiss, which is fifty hours, 25 minutes and 1 second. The longest on-screen kiss is only three minutes and fifteen seconds. Hell, I kissed my pillow longer than that when I was in puberty.

Personally, I wouldn?t want to kiss either Sean or Lesley for three minutes. We?ve all been in that position where we suddenly realize we?ve reached the point where we no longer wish to kiss the person we?re kissing? but they still seem to really be into it, so we just keep going while we ponder the things we never have time to ponder otherwise in life? like why yogurt can suddenly stay way longer in the fridge than it could twenty years ago, or what the white guy on CHiPs is doing now.

I personally don?t need to kiss for more than thirty seconds if I?m fully clothed, forty seconds if there?s a television in the room, and a minute max if there?s a cute little kitty around I could be shaking a string at. ?Three minutes of kissing is pretty fucked up for any human being as far as I?m concerned.

?He?s starting to cop a feel now!? squealed Chris Harrison midway through Sean and Lesley?s lip-lock, extending his own record for being the sleazy best friend who never gets any tail on his own and always gets voted to go on the beer run. ?Chris should never go off script.

Well, surprise? they broke the record. There must have been at least three and a half ounces of confetti launched into the air. ?Then all the people who?d been standing around?in one place on Hollywood Boulevard distracted did what they always do? frantically checked to see if they still had their wallets and wondered how far it was to Sea World.

By the way, no one on the show mentioned who in fact had the record for longest on-screen kiss before Sean and Lesley. I spent some of my evening trying to research it, until I realized I?d actually found something to do with my time that was even more pathetic than recapping The Bachelor, so I quit.

By the way, Lesley got a rose, and later that evening another kiss from Sean. ?This time he used his tongue. ?It was gross, and this is coming from a guy who?s already freely admitted to you that he used to make out with his own bedding.

Here we are on the Group Date!

Sean wants to lay back and throw around the football at the beach. I?d be out already. I can neither throw nor catch, I have no idea how many people make up a football team, I don?t know what a conference is, and black and white vertical stripes on a man is just plain gauche!

I?ll be over here making sand pies.

Oh look! Chris Harrison got off early from his day job as Baskin Robbins store manager to let the girls know they were going to play volleyball, with the winning team staying with Sean for the rest of the date, and the losers shipped back to the Crab Shack.

Taryn the Health Club Manager from Troutdale, Oregon cooed, ?This volleyball game is the most important game of my life!? which doesn?t say much for Taryn, but says even less about the level of recreational activities available in Troutdale, Oregon.

It was hardly Olympic-level physicality, folks. ?The girls shouted things like ?Look alive!? and ?Call it!? ? But basically all they did was run in circles and squeal tirelessly, the way a puppy might if you tied a Snausage to his tail.

Kristy was so upset about losing, she cried. ?Cheer up Kristy! ?At least you?re not from a place called Troutdale!

Later that evening, Desiree the Bridal Stylist bravely admitted to Sean that she was the kind of girl who lived life to the fullest! ?Lindsay the Substitute Teacher bravely?admitted to Sean that she was the kind of girl who didn?t need constant attention! ?Kacie B. bravely?admitted to Sean that she?s not a dramatic person! ?I was reminded of the time I was inspired to bravely admit that I like to skip for no reason and can still fit into my high school pants! ?I felt so good about myself, but I didn?t get a second interview.

The next one-on-one date went to AshLee the Personal Organizer. ?What can you say about a personal organizer that she wouldn?t be able to say for you in fewer words, on a lovely pink index card, folded just so, and tucked away in a nice box next to your paper clip caddy and your thumb tacks categorized by sharpness?

You can?t just put ?Personal? and ?Organizer? together and call it a profession. ?What if everyone forged their careers that way? ?Think how many Cinnamon Roll Smellers we?d have!

I don?t like people with made-up professions any more than I like people who capitalize a letter in the middle of their first name. ?But what I really don?t like is when The Bachelor tries to pretend its heart is in the right place. ?For their date, Sean and AshLee had an entire amusement park to themselves? well themselves and two girls who suffer from mitochondrial disease. ?Holy crap! ?How am I supposed to say something snarky about mitochondrial disease? ?It?s one of those diseases that?s so rare I don?t even know if I?m spelling it properly.

I feel like the producers of The Bachelor have a strategy: when they really want you to like one of the girls competing for the man?s heart, they shove them into a date where they?ll look selfless and wholesome. ?When they?re trying to make you think the girl?s a psycho, they make her jump off a cliff or a skyscraper hoping she?ll whimper and mumble hysterically so we can feel superior.

And of course, when it?s a girl who?s comparatively homely-looking, they make her hunt for bugs in a cave, or process her own pork at a slaughtering plant.

Yeah, I?ve cracked this code, and we can all just sit back and learn to like AshLee? she?ll be with us for some time to come.

Later in the evening, AshLee was proud of herself for sharing with Sean that she was adopted, which, compared to having mitochondrial disease, is like expecting to score points for admitting you have to use Latisse to keep your lashes thick.

AshLee also admitted to being abused as a child. ?If you?re keeping track tonight, we?ve had child abuse and chronic disease, and though I haven?t mentioned it yet, don?t forget there?s a girl with only one arm. ?Is it The Bachelor or a very special episode of Little House on the Prairie? ?You make the call.

Time for the Rose Ceremony! ?But before we start, Sean puled Kacie B. out of the room and told her he had way too much respect for her to embarrass her by making her go through a Rose Ceremony when he knew he didn?t want to be with her. ?So instead he pulled her outside so he?d be able to embarrass her in close-up.

Among those hanging on through to next week were Tierra, Desiree, Leslie H., Drunk and Disorderly Daniella, ?Don?t Hate Me Because I?m Black? Robyn (see next week where she suggestively offers him ?chocolate?), and Jackie the Cosmetics Consultant, who I hope is ringing up sales in the mansion ?cuz she sure ain?t ringing up time on tv.

Kicked to the curb this week were Taryn the Health Club Manager from Troutdale, Oregon:? ?I didn?t open up myself. ?Maybe I?m not ready. ?I might not be sweet enough for him. ?That?s disheartening?

And Cover Girl Kristy, ?It would have been a fairy tale. ?I hope my chance for love will come some day. Uh? I?m sorry.?

And that?s the way the mitochondria malfunctioned on this week?s episode of The Bachelor. ?It?s taken me so long to write this recap, I?ve broken my own world record for holding in my pee. ?Come back next week. ?Bitches are gonna be doin? roller derby!

?

Source: http://tvfoodanddrink.com/2013/01/bachelor-sean-lowe-recap-january-21-2013/

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Sting's daughter to make her off-Broadway debut

FILE - This Sept. 7, 2012 file photo shows actress Mickey Sumner at the "Imogene" premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto. Sumner has signed up to make her off-Broadway debut in Craig Lucas's new comedy ?The Lying Lesson.? The Atlantic Theater Company said Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, that Sumner, daughter of musician Sting and Trudie Styler will star opposite Carol Kane in the comic thriller. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file)

FILE - This Sept. 7, 2012 file photo shows actress Mickey Sumner at the "Imogene" premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto. Sumner has signed up to make her off-Broadway debut in Craig Lucas's new comedy ?The Lying Lesson.? The Atlantic Theater Company said Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, that Sumner, daughter of musician Sting and Trudie Styler will star opposite Carol Kane in the comic thriller. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file)

FILE - This Sept. 7, 2012 file photo shows actress Mickey Sumner at the "Imogene" premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto. Sumner has signed up to make her off-Broadway debut in Craig Lucas's new comedy ?The Lying Lesson.? The Atlantic Theater Company said Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013, that Sumner, daughter of musician Sting and Trudie Styler will star opposite Carol Kane in the comic thriller. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, file)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Sting's daughter Mickey Sumner has signed up to make her off-Broadway debut in Craig Lucas's new comedy "The Lying Lesson."

The Atlantic Theater Company said Tuesday that Sumner, whose credits also include the new Noah Baumbach film "Frances Ha," will star opposite Carol Kane in the comic thriller.

Kane plays a woman who may or may not be legendary screen star Bette Davis and Sumner will portray a woman who tries to discover her true identity.

Previews begin Feb. 20 with an opening set for March 13. Tony Award-nominated director Pam MacKinnon will replace Anna D. Shapiro as the play's director.

Sumner, whose mother is Trudie Styler, made her New York stage debut in a Culture Project workshop of "The Seagull" and is featured in the Showtime series "The Borgias."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-22-US-Theater-Mickey-Sumner/id-afd805a172ad43ae86bb522baa3d2067

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Carlton Berry, Lone Star College Shooting Suspect, Charged With Aggravated Assault

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/carlton-berry-lone-star-college-shooting-suspect-charged-with-ag/

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asbestos cancer risk: Asbestos and Health: Frequently Asked ...

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Source: http://www.thedialog.ca/asbestos-and-health-frequently-asked-questions-atsdr-37/

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Cincinnati Start-Up ChoreMonster Makes Chores Fun And They Even Made A Beastie For Us

ChoreMonster launched an update to their app a few days ago which includes: a parents section, a redesign of the kids section, a new Monster Carnival and yes...even a new character named TeeCee exclusively for all the TechCrunch readers out there. We never asked for this, but I have to say... "Damn it feels good to be a Monster."

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/N42xVasYfhA/

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PFT: Bill Belichick isn't going anywhere

Getty Images

When 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh decided to bench quarterback Alex Smith after he recovered from a concussion and to elevate Colin Kaepernick to the starting job, many proclaimed that anything less than a Super Bowl berth would be evidence that Harbaugh made the wrong decision.

Under that standard, Harbaugh knocked it out of the park.

It was a decision made both for the present and the future.? Indeed, the future of the position was secured when Harbaugh and G.M. Trent Baalke made Kaepernick a second-round pick during the lockout, before Harbaugh was even able to meet with his veteran players.

The fact that Harbaugh is such a good coach delayed Kaepernick?s debut, because Harbaugh lifted Smith to new heights as a quarterback.? The first pick in the 2005 draft, who amazingly was still with the team seven seasons later, played better than ever, leading the 49ers to a 13-3 record, a thrilling win over the Saints, and very nearly to the Super Bowl.

Harbaugh flipped the switch knowing that he would be exposed to short-term criticism if the 49ers didn?t at least match what they had done a year ago.? But Harbaugh never wavered.

?After the [Bears] game, Jim and I sat down [in his office] and I asked him, ?What?s your gut??? owner Jed York told Mike Silver of Yahoo! Sports after Sunday?s win.? ?He said, ?Kaep. You OK [with that]??? I said, ?It?s your team.? You?ve got to go after it.? Whatever you think works.? I can defend either decision, and I understand either decision.?

?I trust Jim.? You either trust your coach or you don?t.? Obviously time will tell.? I think it proved to be a good move.? You see the evidence.? He?s playing well.? Jim made a gutsy, gutsy call.? And I don?t know that there?s any other coach in the league that would have made that call.?

There?s at least one ? John Harbaugh would have done it.

Others may have, too.? Because the head coach and his staff have the unique perspective of knowing how a quarterback performs in practice, how he works in the meeting room, how much time he spends watching film, and whether he?s just spinning his wheels or whether he?s learning and growing.? That?s the biggest point I made when defending the move:? Jim Harbaugh knows his guys, and he realizes which quarterback is more likely to succeed, now and in the future.

Of course, Harbaugh didn?t feel so strongly about Kaepernick in March to refrain from ?evaluating? Peyton Manning.? And every 49ers fan should now be happy that the ?evaluation? didn?t become an acquisition.

Kaepernick is only 25, more than a decade younger than Manning.? And Kaepernick is four months younger than Joe Montana was when he led the team to the first of four Super Bowl wins.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/21/bill-belichick-isnt-going-anywhere/related/

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Bloody siege over, de-miners scour plant for traps

ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) ? Algerian de-mining teams were scouring a gas refinery on Sunday that was the scene of a bloody four-day standoff, searching for explosive traps left by the Islamist militants who took dozens of foreigners hostage. The siege left at least 23 captives dead, and the American government warned that there were credible threats of more kidnapping attempts on Westerners.

Algerian special forces stormed the natural gas complex in the Sahara desert on Saturday to end the standoff, and the government said all 32 militants were killed.

The chief government spokesman, Mohamed Said, said Sunday the final toll of hostages killed would be known within hours, but that he "strongly feared it would rise."

He said the militants came from six countries and were armed to cause maximum destruction.

"They had decided to succeed in the operation as planned, to blow up the gas complex and kill all the hostages," Said said.

With few details emerging from the remote site in eastern Algeria, it was unclear whether anyone was rescued in the final operation, but the number of hostages killed on Saturday ? seven ? was how many the militants had said that morning they still had. The government described the toll as provisional and some foreigners remained unaccounted for.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Sunday three Britons were killed and another three are believed dead, as is a British resident.

"Now of course people will ask questions about the Algerian response to these events, but I would just say that the responsibility for these deaths lies squarely with the terrorists who launched a vicious and cowardly attack," Cameron said.

The siege at Ain Amenas transfixed the world after radical Islamists linked to al-Qaida stormed the complex on Wednesday, which contained hundreds of plant workers from all over the world, then held them hostage surrounded by the Algerian military and its attack helicopters for four tense days that were punctuated with gun battles and dramatic tales of escape.

Algeria's response to the crisis was typical of its history in confronting terrorists, favoring military action over negotiation, which caused an international outcry from countries worried about their citizens. Algerian military forces twice assaulted the two areas where the hostages were being held with minimal apparent mediation ? first on Thursday, then on Saturday.

"To avoid a bloody turn of events in response to the extreme danger of the situation, the army's special forces launched an intervention with efficiency and professionalism to neutralize the terrorist groups that were first trying to flee with the hostages and then blow up the gas facilities," Algeria's Interior Ministry said in a statement about the standoff.

De-mining teams began going through the complex late Saturday and Sunday, searching for explosive traps left behind by the militants, the state news service said, citing security officials that it did not name. Sonatrach, the Algerian state oil company running the Ain Amenas site along with BP and Norway's Statoil, said the entire refinery had been mined.

The State Department issued a travel warning Saturday night for Americans in or traveling to Algeria, citing credible threats of the kidnapping of Western nationals. The department also authorized the departure from Algeria of staff members' families if they choose to leave.

Immediately after the assault, French President Francois Hollande gave his backing to Algeria's tough tactics, saying they were "the most adapted response to the crisis."

"There could be no negotiations" with terrorists, the French media quoted him as saying in the central French city of Tulle.

Hollande said the hostages were "shamefully murdered" by their captors, and he linked the event to France's military operation against al-Qaida-backed rebels in neighboring Mali. "If there was any need to justify our action against terrorism, we would have here, again, an additional argument," he said.

In the final assault, the remaining band of militants killed seven hostages before 11 of them were in turn cut down by the special forces, Algeria's state news agency said. The military launched its Saturday assault to prevent a fire started by the extremists from engulfing the complex and blowing it up, the report added.

A total of 685 Algerian and 107 foreigner workers were freed over the course of the four-day standoff, the Interior Ministry statement said, adding that the group of militants that attacked the remote Saharan natural gas complex consisted of 32 men of various nationalities, including three Algerians and explosives experts.

The military also said it confiscated heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, missiles and grenades attached to suicide belts.

Algeria has fought its own Islamist rebellion since the 1990s, elements of which later declared allegiance to al-Qaida and then set up new groups in the poorly patrolled wastes of the Sahara along the borders of Niger, Mali, Algeria and Libya, where they flourished.

The standoff has put the spotlight on al-Qaida-linked groups that roam these remote areas, threatening vital infrastructure and energy interests. The militants initially said their operation was intended to stop a French attack on Islamist militants in neighboring Mali ? though they later said it was two months in the planning, long before the French intervention.

The militants, who came from a Mali-based al-Qaida splinter group run by an Algerian, attacked the plant Wednesday morning. Armed with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers in four-wheel drive vehicles, they fell on a pair of buses taking foreign workers to the airport. The buses' military escort drove off the attackers in a blaze of gunfire that sent bullets zinging over the heads of crouching workers. A Briton and an Algerian ? probably a security guard ? were killed.

The militants then turned to the vast gas complex, divided between the workers' living quarters and the refinery itself, and seized hostages, the Algerian government said. The gas flowing to the site was cut off.

The accounts of hostages who escaped the standoff showed they faced dangers from both the kidnappers and the military. The militants focused on the foreign workers from the outset, largely leaving alone the hundreds of Algerian workers who were briefly held hostage before being released or escaping.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bloody-siege-over-miners-scour-plant-traps-084522524--finance.html

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