Rudy Gay heads to Toronto in Grizzlies' makeover

FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2013, file photo, Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay (22) goes to the basket over San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, of Argentina, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Memphis, Tenn. A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press themphis Grizzlies have agreed to trade Gay to the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors gave up point guard Jose Calderon in the deal, though it appears he is headed to a third team other than the Grizzlies, the person said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced. (AP Photo/Lance Murphey, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 11, 2013, file photo, Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay (22) goes to the basket over San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, of Argentina, during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Memphis, Tenn. A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press themphis Grizzlies have agreed to trade Gay to the Toronto Raptors. The Raptors gave up point guard Jose Calderon in the deal, though it appears he is headed to a third team other than the Grizzlies, the person said. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced. (AP Photo/Lance Murphey, File)

Memphis Grizzlies' Rudy Gay, left, drives to the basket past Philadelphia 76ers' Spencer Hawes (00) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Memphis Grizzlies' Rudy Gay (22) shoots the go-ahead basket in the final minute of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Philadelphia. Memphis won 103-100. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Rudy Gay is on his way to Toronto in the latest and most dramatic move in the Memphis Grizzlies' money-motivated makeover.

The Grizzlies agreed to trade their star swingman to the Raptors on Wednesday, parting with the leading scorer on a team that has aspirations of making a run in the powerful Western Conference.

The Raptors gave up point guard Jose Calderon and forward Ed Davis in the deal that also included Grizzlies backup center Hamed Haddadi, and Memphis then shipped Calderon to Detroit for Austin Daye and Tayshaun Prince.

"Players like this don't come along that often in terms of their availability," Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo said of Gay. "This was a very unique circumstance. We feel like we took advantage of it."

Memphis general manager Chris Wallace didn't mention finances in a statement issued Wednesday night, but there is no doubt they played a big role in the decision.

"We are excited to add three players who bring with them a tremendous amount of value to our team and have achieved incredible success on the pro, college and Olympic levels," Wallace said in a statement Wednesday night. "In these players, we welcome NBA Champion and Olympic gold medalist Tayshaun Prince, as well as up-and-coming athletic forwards Ed Davis, who won an NCAA title at North Carolina, and Austin Daye."

The moves surprised many around the league, including Calderon and Prince.

"It's been my home for eight years," Calderon said in Atlanta, shortly before leaving the arena. "I've done everything possible for this team. It's tough. The fans have been with me since Day 1. It's tough."

Prince and Daye have both spent their entire careers with Detroit, and Prince was the last link to the proud championship team of 2003-04.

"Trading a player like Tayshaun Prince, who has meant so much to our organization and contributed to our championship success, is never easy," Pistons president Joe Dumars said in a statement. "We want to thank Tayshaun for his professionalism and contributions over the last 10 years. We also appreciate everything that Austin Daye has done for our team both on and off the court over the past three-plus years."

Gay, averaging 17.2 points and 5.9 rebounds, signed a five-year, $82 million maximum contract in July 2010 with Memphis. The 6-foot-8 small forward is due $16.5 million this season with $37 million more over the next two years. That's a big number for new owner Robert Pera, who took over the franchise last November and has quickly started addressing the team's salary situation.

Just over a week ago, the Grizzlies sent valuable reserve Marreese Speights and two other players to Cleveland in a move that cleared $6.4 million in salary and avoided a $4 million luxury tax hit this season. Team officials said that move put the Grizzlies in position not to have to make a move this season.

Memphis coach Lionel Hollins had been lobbying to keep his five starters together the rest of this season, but he apparently lost that fight. It's a significant move for a team that was fourth in the Western Conference and three games behind the third-place Clippers.

"Wow," Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley tweeted.

Trading away Gay also eases a luxury tax hit due next season, while concentrating the team around center Marc Gasol and All-Star forward Zach Randolph. The Grizzlies had their best playoff run in 2011 when they knocked off then-No. 1 seed San Antonio before losing to Oklahoma City in seven games in the Western semifinals ? all with Gay on the bench after needing season-ending shoulder surgery.

"Wow that was 1 crazy trade today," Oklahoma City center Kendrick Perkins tweeted. "Are you serious Rudy Gay is right there under KD, Lebron, Kobe, and Melo. (hashtag)badtrade."

They do run the risk of upsetting the chemistry on a tight-knit group, even if there were some questions of how Gay's scoring fit in with the ball-dominant frontcourt of Gasol and Randolph.

But there may be more deals like this one coming in the new NBA economy.

The collective bargaining agreement negotiated after last year's lockout makes the penalties for exceeding the salary cap far more punitive, and the system begins in earnest next season. Playing in a smaller market, the Grizzlies don't have the extra revenue from lavish television contracts like teams in Los Angeles or New York, which makes it that much more difficult to go over the cap. But even teams such as the Lakers and Bulls will likely have to be more responsible with their spending under the new deal, where repeat offenders are taxed at rates that multiply with each consecutive year they go over the cap.

The first domino fell before the season, when Oklahoma City sent James Harden to Houston instead of signing him to a big-money extension, and more are sure to follow.

All told, the Grizzlies shaved nearly $40 million over the next three years after the two trades.

They'll get a hard-nosed defender in return in Prince, the 32-year-old forward who was drafted by the Pistons in the first round in 2002. He is averaging 11.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game this season.

"Shocked obviously," Prince said after the Pistons played the Pacers. "I didn't find out, obviously, until I got here. I'm shocked, but it's a business and you never know what's going to happen."

Calderon joined the Raptors from Spain in 2005 and has been a fan favorite and trusted veteran on the team. He is averaging 11.1 points and 7.4 assists this season for the Raptors (16-29), who are desperately trying to scratch their way into the playoff picture. Toronto was in 11th place before the games were played Wednesday, 5? games behind Boston for the eight seed.

Calderon and Davis had both been starting for the Raptors, but they do have Kyle Lowry waiting in the wings at point guard and likely see Gay's scoring punch as the key to vaulting back into the discussion in a mediocre conference.

Coach Dwane Casey will have to deal with a bit of a log jam with Gay, DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross, Landry Fields and Alan Anderson as wing players with similar skill sets. But getting a player with Gay's natural scoring talent, even at the expense of parting with a valued player like Calderon, proved too enticing to pass up.

"Hopefully this team is back to the playoffs as soon as possible," Calderon said.

___

AP Sports Writers Teresa Walker in Nashville, Tenn., Larry Lage in Detroit and freelance writer Amy Jinkner-Lloyd in Atlanta contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-30-BKN-Rudy-Gay-Trade/id-4f8f5e46b41c4933a2f736c7b7046256

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94% Barbara

All Critics (48) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (45) | Rotten (3)

[Leaves] you drained and horrified.

Sometimes, the sun shines and the wind blows fresh and the very elements that make for intense hardship also open a window on intense joy.

Hoss is mesmerizing as a woman who holds it all together to the point of losing herself.

It's one terrific film, as smart, thoughtful and emotionally involving as just about anything that's out there.

It's a quiet film built of careful details.

"Barbara" re-visits the quiet, everyday tragedies of the Iron Curtain era, when paranoia ran deep and for very good reasons.

A well-observed, compelling, and evocative character piece, haunted by the ghosts of Germany's recent past.

Feels like total immersion into the sights, stresses, and the subtle solidarity among middle-class professionals living in the workers' paradise that Petzold's parents fled.

[R]esides somewhere in an unsatisfying borderland between drama and thriller, never quite catching fire as either...

A superbly crafted low-boil drama that gets its hooks into you the old-fashioned way, through character, and highlights the difficulties and cost of living by principles.

Subtly intriguing and ambiguous, it's filled with suspicion and subterfuge.

Despite the limited scope of its predictable narrative, "Barbara" remains a compelling character study thanks to Nina Hoss's enigmatic performance in the title role.

Christian Petzold's latest thriller threatens to cross over the line from minimalism to nihilism.

Both insightful and poignant, but not mawkish...an intriguing character study set against the backdrop of a dark time in history.

The plotting, the planning and the deepening relationships don't make for kinetic action, but they are the foundation for a smart, engrossing film.

Hoss' acting is a marvel of subtlety; her body language is precisely calibrated to reveal a great deal about the character's inner feelings by the slightest changes of posture and facial expression.

...a slow building character study where looks and actions speak louder than words because of an oppressive political climate.

No quotes approved yet for Barbara. Logged in users can submit quotes.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/barbara_2012/

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BlackBerry Z10 spotted at retailers prior to BB10 event

Looks like retailers might be jumping the gun a bit on the about-to-be-announced BlackBerry Z10 smartphone ahead of the upcoming event. Twitter user @bandozer spotted one at a UK Phones4U retailer and managed to snap a pic (after the break), saying that "it looks and feels good," while our own tipster forwarded us the above image that came from another store. Looks like the only thing that'll stop the numerous leaks is when RIM finally announces the darned thing -- sometime in the next hour or two.

Gallery: BlackBerry Z10 retailer leak

[Thanks, Anonymous]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, RIM

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Source: @Bandozer (Twitter)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/30/blackberry-z10-spotted-at-uk-retailer-prior-to-bb10-event/

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Black delegates tempted by Virginia GOP?s Senate map

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Pope examines society's acceptance of unstable relationships ...

Pope Benedict XVI at an April 2012 audience. Credit: CNA.

Vatican City, Jan 28, 2013 / 03:36 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- As he spoke to the Church?s highest court, which often deals with issues related to marriage, Pope Benedict highlighted the growing acceptance of instability in relationships.

Contemporary culture ?poses serious challenges to the person and the family,? he began, underscoring that it calls into question ?the very capacity of human beings to bond themselves to another and whether a union that lasts an entire life is truly possible.?

Modern culture, Pope Benedict XVI told the members of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, promotes the idea that people can ?become themselves while remaining ?autonomous,?? leading to the ?widespread mentality? that relationships ?can be interrupted at any time.?

His speech to the Tribunal for the opening of the judicial year took place Jan. 26 in the Clementine Hall and focused on the relationship between faith and marriage.

Pope Benedict observed that the world's current crisis of faith brings with it a crisis in the understanding and experience of marriage.

Rejecting the divine proposal, he explained, leads to a profound imbalance in all human relationships, including in marriage.

It also "facilitates an erroneous understanding of freedom and self-realization" that operates under the belief one can flourish while remaining autonomous in a relationship, he said.

"Contemporary culture, marked by a strong subjectivism and an ethical and religious relativism, poses serious challenges to the person and the family," the Pope told the judges.

On the other hand, he said, accepting faith makes humans capable of giving themselves, allowing them to discover the extent of being a human person.

The Code of Canon Law ? the set of laws by which the Church is governed and which the Tribunal is charged with upholding? defines the natural reality of marriage as the "irrevocable covenant between a man and a woman," he noted.

Pope Benedict then reflected on how "a human being's choice to bind themselves with a bond lasting an entire life influences each person's basic perspective according to which they are either anchored to a merely human plane or open themselves to the light of faith in the Lord."

Divorced or abandoned spouses were also not far from the Pope?s mind as he spoke to the Tribunal.

"Being well aware that the valid marriage bond is indissoluble and refraining from becoming involved in a new union, in such cases their example of fidelity and Christian consistency takes on particular value as a witness before the world and the Church," he remarked.

The Pope asserted that "faith is important in carrying out the authentic conjugal good, which consists simply in wanting always and in every case the welfare of the other."

"With these considerations I certainly don't wish to suggest any facile relationship between a lack of faith and the invalidity of a marital union," he said.

"I wish to highlight how such a deficiency may, but not necessarily, damage the goods of marriage, since the reference to the natural order desired by God is inherent to the conjugal covenant.?

Tags: Pope Benedict, Marriage, Redefining Marriage

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Source: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-examines-societys-acceptance-of-unstable-relationships/

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Judge rejects Apple's patent award demands

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? A federal judge late Tuesday rejected Apple Inc.'s demand to increase the $1.05 billion in damages a jury ordered Samsung Electronics Inc. to pay its fiercest rival in the smartphone market.

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh also rejected demands from both companies to conduct another trial on different issues over claims that Samsung unfairly used technology controlled by Apple to build its iPads and iPhones to market knockoff products. She also upheld the validity of the Apple patents at the center of the dispute.

A jury in August found that Samsung "infringed" six Apple patents to create and market 26 smartphones and computer tablets and ordered the $1.05 billion award. The jury found several other older Samsung products didn't infringe any Apple patents.

Earlier, the judge refused to block sales of the infringing products in the United States after she said Apple failed to show consumer demand for the Samsung devices was driven by the purloined technology, including the "pinch-to-zoom" function. Apple is appealing that decision.

Samsung contends that only three of the 26 older-generation products are still offered for sale in the United Sates.

Apple has filed a new lawsuit contending that Samsung's current products are also using Apple technology. Koh scheduled trial for that matter in 2014.

In a series of four orders Tuesday night, the judge painstakingly considered each side's myriad claims that the nine-member jury wrongly considered evidence and misread complex patent law. With a few minor exceptions, the judge concluded that the jurors' got it right as far as the law goes.

"Accordingly, the trial was fairly conducted, with uniform time limits and rules of evidence applied to both sides," the judge said. "A new trial would be contrary to the interests of justice."

The judge is still considering Samsung's demands to reduce the $1.05 billion award. The jurors had filled out a verdict form listing the damages Samsung owed Apple for each of the 26 products it found to have used infringing technology. Samsung contends that many of the line-item calculations were done incorrectly and that it was due a big reduction in the award.

Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet declined to comment. A Samsung spokesperson didn't respond to emails late Tuesday.

At a hearing in December, the judge seemed inclined to rework at least a few of the jury's damages calculations, but gave no indication by what amount.

Apple and Samsung are the top two smartphone makers and are locked in a no-holds-barred, worldwide battle for supremacy of the $346 billion annual sales market, appearing in courtrooms around the globe accusing the other of stealing technology and trade infractions.

International Data Corp. on Friday released a report showing smartphone shipments soared 36 percent worldwide in the fourth quarter as the sleek devices supplanted personal computers and other gadgets on holiday shopping lists.

Samsung Electronics Co. retained its bragging rights as the smartphone leader, shipping nearly 64 million devices for a 29 percent share of the global market. Apple ranked second with nearly 48 million iPhones shipped during the fourth quarter, translating into a market share of 22 percent.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-01-29-Apple%20Samsung-Trial/id-d638e1cc4f6c464e8cb3a3d9d2d766fd

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Fraud concerns linger over new Ill. license law

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) ? As Illinois becomes the fourth and most populous state to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, there are still nagging concerns that the measure doesn't have enough safeguards to avoid the identity fraud and other pitfalls faced by the three other states with similar laws.

Backers of the proposal, who tout it as a public-safety measure, argue that required facial recognition technology is reliable enough to prevent fraud, but opponents point to hundreds of fraudulent cases in New Mexico, Washington and Utah after those states began giving illegal immigrants permission to drive. Illinois will not require applicants to be fingerprinted, for fear that would discourage immigrants from applying.

"How many people would apply for this document knowing that fingerprints will be going to (federal authorities)? Probably not all that many," said Fred Tsao, policy director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, a driving-force behind the measure.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is expected to sign the measure that grants driving privileges to illegal immigrants Sunday. Proponents say it will allow an estimated 250,000 individuals unlawfully residing in the state to apply for a three-year temporary driver's license and require them to get training and insurance.

The licenses will be like those already issued to certain foreign-born, legal visitors. Under the new law, applicants will be photographed at a driver services facility, and their photo will be entered into the state's facial recognition database ? like the rest of Illinois' licensed drivers? to verify their identity.

But the other states' driving programs for illegal immigrants have been abused. New Mexico and Washington both issue licenses, while Utah issues a permit.

An Associated Press investigation last year found a striking pattern in New Mexico, suggesting immigrants tried to game the system to obtain a license. In one instance, 48 foreign-born individuals claimed to live at a smoke shop in Albuquerque to fulfill a state residency condition. New Mexico does not have a fingerprinting requirement, though it asks applicants to show two proofs of state residency.

Authorities also busted a fraud ring last year that forged documents for illegal immigrants to use after driving from as far as Illinois and North Carolina to obtain a New Mexico license. Gov. Susana Martinez has vowed for years to repeal the decade-old measure, but the legislature has repeatedly rejected such efforts.

Washington's requirements attracted national attention when Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and then-Washington license-holder, revealed his illegal immigration status in an essay for the New York Times Magazine in 2011. Vargas chronicled how he obtained his license. State authorities conducted an investigation that revealed Vargas did not reside at the address he stated in his application, and canceled his license a month after his essay was published.

Utah issues three different driving privilege cards: one for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, another for legal visitors and a third for illegal immigrants. Utah's permit for illegal immigrants is not valid for identification. Illinois' law will follow suit.

Utah's Republican-controlled legislature amended the state's law in 2011 to require illegal immigrants to be fingerprinted, and mandates that the state notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement if an applicant's fingerprint check yields a felony on record. If the individual applying has a misdemeanor warrant outstanding, the state must notify the agency that is seeking the person's arrest.

That kind of information-sharing between state and immigration authorities worries Illinois' immigrant-rights advocates, like Tsao, who pushed for the legislation without a fingerprinting requirement. They say fingerprinting could deter potential licensees from applying for fear of being identified and deported.

Local law enforcement officials argue in favor of fingerprinting.

"We could see if they have committed a crime; it could be a crime in another state or it could be a crime in their home country," said John Kennedy, executive director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police.

The Illinois secretary of state's office has vehemently defended its facial recognition database as highly sophisticated and accurate. The program uses an algorithm to match more than a dozen facial features that are not easy to alter, such as eye sockets and sides of the mouth.

"The integrity of our driver's license system is a priority," said Henry Haupt, a spokesman for the office.

The bill's sponsor, Rep. Edward Acevedo, a Chicago Democrat, said state roads will be safer because illegal immigrants will receive training and be tested before obtaining a license. They also will be required to purchase insurance, an aspect that would save millions for currently insured drivers, Acevedo said.

Tsao's organization estimates uninsured illegal immigrant drivers cause $64 million in damage claims each year, an expense currently covered by increased premiums.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fraud-concerns-linger-over-ill-license-law-155828827.html

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University of Hawaii scientist publishes first climate change textbook for college students

Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Marcie Grabowski
mworkman@hawaii.edu
808-956-3151
University of Hawaii ? SOEST

Dr. Charles Fletcher, Associate Dean and Professor of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, released this month the first edition of "Climate Change: What the Science Tells Us" (published by J. Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ). Fletcher offers the first real textbook to present the science surrounding climate change at the right level for an undergraduate student.

"Our climate is changing NOW in rapid and dangerous ways. But by and large, we are not teaching the current generation of students about the reality of this phenomenon," stated Fletcher. "Without this knowledge, our ability to manage the impacts of a changing climate is limited."

This text places strong emphasis on the peer-reviewed scientific literature in reporting the impacts of climate change on the ocean, terrestrial ecosystems, the water cycle, human communities, hazardous weather patterns, and potential future Earth systems. The text offers detailed discussion of greenhouse gases, oceanic and atmospheric processes, paleoclimate, the human fingerprints of climate change, global climate models, sea level rise, climate impacts on economic sectors, and dangerous weather patterns associated with climate change.

For over 30 years Dr. Fletcher has studied and published research on the impacts of coastal hazards on human communities, the geologic history of sea level change in the Atlantic and Pacific, and the geologic proxies that characterize Earth's climate over the past half-million years. His familiarity with the natural record of climate coupled with a focus on the fundamental data and observations that constitute the science of global warming, results in a comprehensive and detailed treatment of the problem of climate change.

Fletcher's polished writing style makes this an entertaining read while the pedagogical support and organization help students better identify and understand key concepts, ideas and terms. Each chapter is organized with learning objectives, student exercises, videos, and scientific citations to promote further learning, and creative thinking problems to underpin classroom discussion.

"Earth's climate has always changed. Modern climate change does not, however, fit geologic history," noted Fletcher. "In the past half century, the rate and extent of climate change has been extraordinary. Despite extensive searching, no known natural processes can account for the present climate trend of extremely rapid warming of the temperature of the lower atmosphere. Furthermore, industrial exhaust, deforestation, and large- scale agribusiness are known producers of heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere. It is only logical to hypothesize that there is a strong likelihood that these human activities are causing the extraordinary warming. Vigorous testing of this hypothesis demonstrates that modern climate change is a consequence of human-caused global warming; in fact, among scientists, this has been known for decades."

More than other books, Climate Change exposes the general public, decision makers, and students to the processes of peer-reviewed scientific publishing, and connects published science papers to current events. This shows that even the boldest statements of climate scientists are backed up by the scientific system of skeptical peer review. Skeptical peer review is the process scientists use to filter strongly developed research from weak research. The process of peer review invokes critical thinking by competitive, judgmental scientists to gauge the appropriateness of research results to be published for widespread reading.

In the classroom, this text can stand alone as the backbone of a semester-long class, or it can accompany any curriculum that touches on Earth processes where the instructor wants students to delve deeper into climate change. Its content will augment many classes, including geomorphology, climatology, historical and physical geology, meteorology, earth science, oceanography and marine science, environmental science, planning, civil engineering, environmental law, American studies, political science, sociology, and many others.

Today's scientists know that if strong action to counteract climate change is not successfully achieved, within one generation the world will be a place characterized by intense heat waves, widespread disease, drought, food shortages, and deadly super storms. The early signs of these disasters are already evident. "Climate Change: What the Science Tells Us" brings this reality into the college classroom.

###

Climate Change: What the Science Tells Us, by Dr. Charles Fletcher, is available in paperback and Wiley E-Text formats at http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-EHEP002419.html

---

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?

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

Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Marcie Grabowski
mworkman@hawaii.edu
808-956-3151
University of Hawaii ? SOEST

Dr. Charles Fletcher, Associate Dean and Professor of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Hawaii at Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, released this month the first edition of "Climate Change: What the Science Tells Us" (published by J. Wiley and Sons, Hoboken, NJ). Fletcher offers the first real textbook to present the science surrounding climate change at the right level for an undergraduate student.

"Our climate is changing NOW in rapid and dangerous ways. But by and large, we are not teaching the current generation of students about the reality of this phenomenon," stated Fletcher. "Without this knowledge, our ability to manage the impacts of a changing climate is limited."

This text places strong emphasis on the peer-reviewed scientific literature in reporting the impacts of climate change on the ocean, terrestrial ecosystems, the water cycle, human communities, hazardous weather patterns, and potential future Earth systems. The text offers detailed discussion of greenhouse gases, oceanic and atmospheric processes, paleoclimate, the human fingerprints of climate change, global climate models, sea level rise, climate impacts on economic sectors, and dangerous weather patterns associated with climate change.

For over 30 years Dr. Fletcher has studied and published research on the impacts of coastal hazards on human communities, the geologic history of sea level change in the Atlantic and Pacific, and the geologic proxies that characterize Earth's climate over the past half-million years. His familiarity with the natural record of climate coupled with a focus on the fundamental data and observations that constitute the science of global warming, results in a comprehensive and detailed treatment of the problem of climate change.

Fletcher's polished writing style makes this an entertaining read while the pedagogical support and organization help students better identify and understand key concepts, ideas and terms. Each chapter is organized with learning objectives, student exercises, videos, and scientific citations to promote further learning, and creative thinking problems to underpin classroom discussion.

"Earth's climate has always changed. Modern climate change does not, however, fit geologic history," noted Fletcher. "In the past half century, the rate and extent of climate change has been extraordinary. Despite extensive searching, no known natural processes can account for the present climate trend of extremely rapid warming of the temperature of the lower atmosphere. Furthermore, industrial exhaust, deforestation, and large- scale agribusiness are known producers of heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere. It is only logical to hypothesize that there is a strong likelihood that these human activities are causing the extraordinary warming. Vigorous testing of this hypothesis demonstrates that modern climate change is a consequence of human-caused global warming; in fact, among scientists, this has been known for decades."

More than other books, Climate Change exposes the general public, decision makers, and students to the processes of peer-reviewed scientific publishing, and connects published science papers to current events. This shows that even the boldest statements of climate scientists are backed up by the scientific system of skeptical peer review. Skeptical peer review is the process scientists use to filter strongly developed research from weak research. The process of peer review invokes critical thinking by competitive, judgmental scientists to gauge the appropriateness of research results to be published for widespread reading.

In the classroom, this text can stand alone as the backbone of a semester-long class, or it can accompany any curriculum that touches on Earth processes where the instructor wants students to delve deeper into climate change. Its content will augment many classes, including geomorphology, climatology, historical and physical geology, meteorology, earth science, oceanography and marine science, environmental science, planning, civil engineering, environmental law, American studies, political science, sociology, and many others.

Today's scientists know that if strong action to counteract climate change is not successfully achieved, within one generation the world will be a place characterized by intense heat waves, widespread disease, drought, food shortages, and deadly super storms. The early signs of these disasters are already evident. "Climate Change: What the Science Tells Us" brings this reality into the college classroom.

###

Climate Change: What the Science Tells Us, by Dr. Charles Fletcher, is available in paperback and Wiley E-Text formats at http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-EHEP002419.html

---

[ | 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/uoh-uoh012813.php

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Obama's Parting Gift to Hillary (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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Video: Ahead of Yahoo's Earnings

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AP source: Rick Adelman back coaching Timberwolves

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ? Coach Rick Adelman has returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves after spending three weeks with his ailing wife. He rejoins a club that lost nine of 11 games in his absence.

In some ways, Adelman may need the Wolves as much as they need him.

Adelman's return to practice on Monday was confirmed by a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press. The coach hoped to be on the sideline against the Clippers on Wednesday night if all continued to progress with Mary Kay Adelman, who was being treated for an undisclosed illness. The person requested anonymity because Adelman had yet to publicly address the situation.

The Wolves have suffered long-term injuries to Kevin Love, Brandon Roy, Chase Budinger, Josh Howard and Malcolm Lee and recently Nikola Pekovic and Alexey Shved went down with injuries that have kept them out for more than a week now.

Ricky Rubio is still working his way back from a torn ACL in his left knee last March, and with no healthy stars and no head coach, the Wolves have crumbled in January.

A team that started the season with expectations of making the playoffs for the first time since 2004 is 17-24, good for 12th place in the demanding Western Conference. They have lost four straight games, including a back-to-back on the road last weekend at Washington and Charlotte, where the Bobcats snapped a 16-game home losing streak.

Adelman has been in constant contact with his coaching staff throughout his absence, speaking Porter daily and talking with president of basketball operations David Kahn about any possible roster moves that can be made. He returned to the team for a brief meeting on Jan. 16, both to apprise his players of his personal situation and try to give them a pep talk to get through a grueling stretch.

Whatever difficulties the Wolves have slogged through on the court have no doubt paled in comparison to Adelman's trials off of it.

Those who know Adelman well speak with fondness about his love for Mary Kay, and the rare smiles that are seen on the curmudgeonly coach's face usually come before games Mary Kay attends, when he looks for her in the stands and gives her a wave before pregame introductions.

The intensely private Adelman has made an effort to keep Mary Kay's situation out of the public eye. Two of their sons also work for the team, with R.J. in the front office and David on the coaching staff. Both have remained at work while their father has been away.

___

Follow Jon Krawczynski on Twitter: http://twitter.com/APKrawczynski

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-28-Timberwolves-Adelman%20Returns/id-52ceb67d57874a65ab5d0ed1cf3a4320

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A MotherHood Experience: Family Literacy Day

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Family Literacy Day

Today is Family Literacy day! A day to celebrate a love of reading with your family! There are many ways to celebrate today like sitting down for a good story with the kids, playing board games which involve reading like trivia games or going to the local library and signing up the kids for their first library cards!

In celebration of Family Literacy Day little guy's Kindergarten class is having a "Get Cozy and Read Day" at school! Kids are invited to wear their best PJ's, bring along their favourite teddy bear and pick out a good book to enjoy with friends and grade six reading buddies on Monday!

What a great way to promote a love of reading to younger kids by making it fun and celebrating reading through Family Literacy Day!

Little guy was excited to bring home the note sent home from the teacher about this special day. He decided he wants to bring the book "Little Puppy Saves The Day" by Muriel Pepin - part of the little animal adventure series. Simple to read with a pleasant story and a lesson to learn, I always enjoy sharing these stories with the kids.

We hope you have a fun and educational Family Literacy Day, whether you read at home or on the go, make sure you have a book in hand!

Remember to show your love for books every day by spending 15 minutes reading with your little ones. It can help improve their literary skills and its a great way to spend some quality time together.

Happy Reading!


Disclosure: Posted by AME in celebration of Family Literacy Day. Reading is important especially for kids, grab a book and enjoy the day. NOT a sponsored post. Opinions and comments on this blog are those of the author.

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Source: http://www.amotherhoodexperience.com/2013/01/family-literacy-day.html

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The Early History Of The Ear Piercing Gun | BME: Tattoo, Piercing ...

This morning I was reading old patents (yes, this is what I do for entertainment) and came across an interesting one from way back the last time piercing was ?berpopular over 130 years ago ? filed May 10 and patented July 13, 1880 by Edward Seyfarth in Illinois (US Patent #240,073). As you can see, the design is not that much different from the piercing guns used by disease spreading hacks ^H^H^H^H nostril mutilating morons ^H^H^H^H I mean beauty salon ?piercers? even to this day. The patent application reads in part,

?Be it known that I, Edward Seyfarth, of Lanark, in the county of Carroll and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ear-Piercers ? The object of this invention is to furnish ear-piercers so constructed that the puncture can be made in exactly the desired spot and so quickly as to be painless ? The invention consists in constructing an ear-piercer of a pair of bars hinged to each other at one end and provided at their other ends with sockets to receive blocks to be pressed against the ear, the tube having a cap upon its outer end, the needle having a disk and a notch, the spiral spring, and the catch for holding the needle when drawn out, so that the ear may be pierced while being compressed.?

?In using the piercer the blocks (D) are placed upon the opposite sides of the lobe of the ear in such a position that the hole through the blocks (D) will be directly over the spot where it is desired to puncture the ear. The arms (A and B) are then pressed together to numb the part of the ear between the blocks (D). The catch (K) is then drawn back to release the needle (G), which is forced forward to make the puncture by the elasticity of the spring (H), thus making the puncture without causing pain. The needle (G) is then drawn back, the instrument is removed from the ear, and a wire or thread passed through the puncture in the usual way.?

I?ve often heard the urban myth that the ear piercing gun is directly based on or evolved from the tool that places tags in animal ears ? it wouldn?t surprise me if I?ve even written that at times. Even the extremely qualified and knowledgeable Elayne Angel says this in her recent book on the subject ?The Piercing Bible? (which reminds me, check out her excellent piercing blog at that link), writing ?these gadgets were originally invented for tagging cattle and other animals, and later adapted for use on humans?. But it seems this is a misleading statement, arguably false ? at best the two tools co-evolved. More likely when we?re talking about piercing tools of the ?gun? type that?s most common, one should more accurately argue the evolutionary process is actually the other way around, with a number of patents for animal tagging tools going to far as to explicitly refer back to this very ear-piercing gun patent by Edward Seyfarth! On the whole though I think it?s more realistic to say that the vast majority of animal tagging tools come from the same design family as modified pliers like riveting tools and leather punches, without that much overlap with the design of piercing guns (with a number of notable exceptions). But I?m beginning to digress.

Speaking of ear piercing guns that look more like animal tagging tools, there?s Francis X. Xavbet?s ?ear piercing pliers? filed December 3rd, 1880 (US Patent #250,121 issued November 29, 1881), a simple clamp-like device. Xavbet?s design, unlike Seyfarth?s which only creates the hole, uses sharpened jewelry to accomplish the process in a single step as the tool places the ring. His patent reads in part,

?The object I have in view is to produce simple and convenient means for piercing ears, in which the ear-ring itself can be used as the piercing-point, and will be released by the instrument when the hole is formed, so as to remain in the ear till healed.?

?The ear-ring (F) ? has a sharp-pointed wire (g). It is grasped by the clamp (A), in the position shown in Fig. 1, the plate (E) is then pushed toward the socket (D), and the lobe of the ear is introduced between such plate and the point of the ear-ring. The pliers are then forced together and the ear pierced, when the chain (B) draws back the dog (B) and the clamp is released. The instrument can now be removed from the ear and leave the ear-ring in position. The sharp point of the ear-ring can then be cut off; but this is not necessary, if the ear-ring is provided with a closed keeper, such as is used on safety pins.?

?When it is desired to place in the ears earrings not provided with sharpened points the removable cutting-points (h), Fig. 6, are used. These can be detached from the wires of the ear-rings after the holes are formed.?

I want to mention one other piercing tool that I dug up, filed just after the Seyfarth design by James McAlpine, on May 20, 1880 with the patent issued November 30th (US Patent #234,881). It deserves mention because it?s by far the simplest ? not much more than a holder to help shove a short needle through the lobe with your thumb ? he even suggests piercing both ears at once, as the tool is designed to be one-handed. The patent reads,

?The invention consists, mainly, in certain peculiarities of construction ? [a] means of which the instrument is adapted for use with one hand, in consequence of which it is possible, by applying an instrument to each ear and operating them simultaneously, to pierce both ears at the same time.?

?The operation is substantially as follows: The jaws having been opened, the set-screw being loose, the bearing-faces may be adjusted to the lobe of the ear, and then be held in the proper position simply by tightening the set-screw. By means of the stop projection and pin the jaws are prevented from being brought together too closely. An instrument being thus attached to each ear, as indicated in Fig. 7, and the piercers being inserted in the tubes, the operator, by means of his thumb and finger, simply presses the piercer toward the button, in consequence of which the lobe is pierced. The hands being used simultaneously, both ears are pierced at once.?

?Some of the advantages are as follows: The use of two instruments at once for simultaneous action is desirable, because, first, a saving of time is effected, and, second, the pain and difficulty resulting from two distinct operations are avoided.?

The above designs are some of the earliest piercing tools of their respective families that I have been able to find to date ? although I?m still searching and I strongly believe there are earlier ones in the patent archives that are still to be dug up. I don?t know for certain whether the first one is the earliest patent on a ?true piercing gun? and whether Mr. Seyfarth can be credited as the concept?s overall inventor (I doubt it), but it?s certainly very early and you can still see its influence in ear piercing guns in use around the world.

As you may have noticed from these three Victorian patents, at this point there wasn?t a standardized design for the initial jewelry such as the ubiquitous butterfly-back that is still common today. However, browsing other early patents you start to see hints of this line of thinking, and definite precursors of designs that are still in use. From left to right below are US patents 216,954 (filed May 1, 1879 by Lois Heckman), 269,383 (May 8, 1882 by John Caldwell), and 320,991 (May 1, 1885 by Charles Westcott) ? what is it with piercing inspiration and the month of May by the way?

All three of these designs use some variation on the backing lightly clamping into place on the bar, the first two being aesthetically closest to modern salon-style jewelry. The third one caught my eye though, because although it is functionally similar to the first two, visually it is identical to the barbell jewelry popularized in the body piercing world by Jim Ward in the 1970s?

When I have more time I will do additional patent research on this subject, both on the early history of body modification, and on some of the more recent patents, which have the advantage of being far more hilarious. For example, I was just reading a silly patent on a line of tongue piercing jewelry that contains a receptacle to release ?a substance such as a chemical, breath freshener, pleasant flavor, or medication into the mouth of a wearer? (US Patents 6,675,613 and 8,006,516). The concept works just as you?d expect ? a hollow bar to hold the substance, which is then released through holes in the beads. Anyone who has ever brushed plaque off of a tongue barbell can imagine just how disgusting this jewelry has the potential of becoming!!!

Source: http://news.bme.com/2013/01/26/the-early-history-of-the-ear-piercing-gun/

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PFT: Jets could trade Cromartie instead of Revis

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From the moment the NFL pulled the sheet off the Saints bounty case, the NFL accused Saints coach Sean Payton of telling his staff to ?get your ducks in a row? when the league first investigated the situation in early 2010.

Here?s how we explained it on March 7, quoting from the NFL?s initial report:? ?When NFL Security went to interview Saints employees, coach Sean Payton instructed his staff to ?get your ducks in a row.?? The report doesn?t elaborate on the meaning of Payton?s remark; he quite possibly was telling the assistant coaches to get their stories (or, as the case may be, their categorical denials) straight.?

But the NFL elaborated on?get your ducks in a row? two weeks later, explaining in the statement announcing Payton?s suspension that he ?encourage[d] the false denials by instructing assistants to ?make sure our ducks are in a row.??

On Friday?s PFT Live, I asked Payton whether he said ?get your ducks in a row,? and if so what he meant by that.

?It was really a comment that I had made in preparation for what I knew was going to be an investigation,? Payton said.? ?I had been contacted, our front office had been, . . . and I wanted to make sure, more importantly than anything else that anyone that was going to be investigated or questioned had their facts straight and the specifics of it.?

Asked specifically whether he was suggesting that the coaches should lie, Payton said, ?I think more than anything else it just meant be prepared and, listen, I?ve read and seen a lot of the reports about what that was insinuating and I think, you know, we?re stretching it or really looking for something there.? It really wasn?t what I was insinuating at all.?

To be clear, the NFL never insinuated that.? The NFL flat-out said it, assuming that Payton meant he wanted his assistants to lie based on the perception that they did lie.? But given that Commissioner Paul Tagliabue found that defensive end Anthony Hargrove ? who was suspended eight games by Roger Goodell for allegedly lying at the behest of former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and Saints linebackers coach Joe Vitt ? may not have been lying based on the specific questions he was asked, then the presumption that getting ?our ducks in a row? was an instruction to tell lies may have been erroneous.

As we wrote after Tagliabue scuttled the player suspensions in December, ?In fairness to Payton, ?making sure our ducks are in a row? doesn?t necessarily mean ?making sure our lies are in a row.?? Lawyers routinely prepare witnesses before hearings and trials not with the goal of suborning perjury but of ensuring that an inadvertent misstatement of fact doesn?t provide the opposition with an unintended ?gotcha? moment.?

Though Payton is now back and the process has concluded, the fact remains that the NFL?s presumed smoking gun in the case supporting Payton?s full-season suspension may not have been.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/27/jets-could-trade-cromartie-instead-of-revis/related

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Getting Around Green: Consider A Motorcycle - Green Living Ideas

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Our vehicles emit a lot of pollutants that are damaging for the environment, and the extent of pollution depends upon the type of vehicle.Cars are our everyday vehicles, but when it comes to a combination of fun and efficiency a motorcycle is the way to go! If you think you can handle a bike then you should go for it and if you just want to be a little greener here are some benefits of this vehicle:

Green advantages of motorcycles

1.?They emit less carbon dioxide

Motorcycles consume less fuel than cars, which means their production of carbon dioxide is also less. As the importance given to fuel efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions increases with time, motorcycles provide a greener option. They also take less space on the road, reducing the congestion and overall automobile emissions.

2. Leaner manufacturing and lower embodied energy

Motorcycles require fewer infrastructures to be manufactured compared to cars. The embodied energy of a motorcycle, just from its much smaller mass, is much lower than a car, all else being equal. In addition, if you consider the contribution of building separate lanes for motorcycles and cars, there?s a huge difference in production of greenhouse gases. If separate lanes are constructed for motorcycles as we have roads for cars, they would emit four times less greenhouse gases to maintain and build.

3.?Consume less rare earths

Rare earths are being consumed at a fast pace, and the demand is increasing from different industries, including automotive. The average Prius is carrying around about 10 pounds of lanthanum as part of the battery. A motorcycle uses little to none in manufacturing because battery powered bikes are not widely produced and gas powered bikes are so efficient.

4.?Manufacturers are using catalytic converters

Motorcycle manufacturers have realized the role they have to play for attaining a greener environment and are putting catalytic converters in the vehicle, which does a great job at reducing the pollution emitted. They prevent harmful elements from the motorcycle?s exhaust from being released into the air, and converts nitrogen oxide into nitrogen and oxygen before the release.Although these converters does not operate at 100% reduction they are pretty close and factor that into the already low-emission engines of motorcycles and you have a very green ride.

5.?They?ve smaller engines

The engine of any vehicle is its more prized asset, and as motorcycles have a smaller engine than other vehicles, it uses less energy and fuel. Engine parts on motorcycles are designed to be incredibly efficient because there is no space for wasted parts. From the carburetor to the o-ring a motorcycle engine can be viewed as the pinnacle of individual transportation efficiency.

6. They are awesome!?

A main reason why people own motorcycles is because they are awesome! Not only are they incredibly fun, but its hard not to look cool on a motorcycle too! The future of motorcycles could become even more green thanks to solar technology on bikes! Right now you can get a super fun and efficient bike but imagine having a solar powered personal transportation vehicle, the future is bright!

Apart from all the environmental benefits of considering a motorcycle, there are other advantages as well. They are more affordable in terms of traveling while spending less on fuel. Even existing car owners can take advantage of a motorcycle, keeping their cars for when they need more space, but using the bike for getting around, which will lead to increased savings and fun.

Photo from damonabnormal on Flickr Creative Commons

Source: http://greenlivingideas.com/2013/01/25/getting-around-green-consider-a-motorcycle/

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TripIt Travel Organizer Free (for Android)

Booking a flight is as easy as clicking your mouse or tapping your screen, but doing so still generates an irritating amount of confirmation numbers, reservation numbers, and so on. TripIt Travel Organizer Free (free) aims to cut through the clutter with a dead-simple app for storing all your necessary travel information right on your phone. I previously reviewed the Tripit for iOS, and it was fine, but on Android it truly shines.

In order to get your travel information, users forward confirmation emails to a special TripIt email address. This works not only with flight information, but hotel, restaurant, rental car, and other reservations as well. You can also provide TripIt with your email account's username and password and the system with "automagically" hoover your upcoming trip information and push it to the app. Paranoid users may not want to grant a service that much access, but using an application-specific password with Gmail works just fine.

Users can also manually enter flight information into the app, or on the website, but the dead-simple importing process is great and, really, half the product.

Where The Magic Happens
Once it has your travel information, TripIt organizes the details of your trips and places them on your phone for offline access. At the very top of the homescreen, the app displays "what's next" in your travel plan as well as when and where that happens. Tapping this will pull up more information about the next step in your journey, such as flight departure time and gate information. TripIt also ties into Google Maps on Android, providing maps of the surrounding areas in addition to the app's own maps of airport terminals.

TripIt also sports some collaboration options, allowing you and other travelers to edit a single itinerary. You can also send their itinerary to other people (like the poor rube picking them up from the airport) with a tap, saving you the trouble of sorting out which information to send whom.

Appearance Is Everything
When I reviewed TripIt Travel Organizer for iOS and was disappointed that the app was so drab and uninspired. On the Samsung Galaxy SIII, the Android version takes full advantage of the phone's large, bright screen and delivers a clean interface that surpasses the iOS version's cramped design. Some of the controls assigned to the menu button and onscreen buttons are a little unintuitive, but that kind of unpredictability seems to be part and parcel of the Android experience.

On the Nexus 7?tablet, TripIt really comes into its own?especially when viewed in landscape mode. You don't lose your place as bright, spacious panels slide from right to left at a touch. When it displays navigation information, big Google-powered Maps fill the screen. It's a solid design, and my only complaint is that the app doesn't support left and right swiping instead forcing users to use the device's back-button.

TripIt offers four tiers of interaction for users. Users uninterested in spending any money can use TripIt's core functionality for free with an ad-supported version of the app. TripIt also offers an ad-free version for $3.99. There's also a corporate-level, where companies can use TripIt to manage travel information for an entire business. Business travelers can also take advantage of TripIt's close integration with SmartExpense, to quickly and easily produce and expense report.

The Pro Problem
TripIt also offers a Pro membership for $48.99 per year, which can be purchased from inside the app or through TripIt's website. With a Pro membership, users can receive flight status information in real-time; track frequent-flier points and other travel-related rewards systems; and alternate flight suggestions should you need them. Pro users can also have travel updates pushed to a list of individuals automatically, so the rube who picks you up from the airport will be informed that your flight is delayed while you're still in the air.

The Pro membership is clearly the thrust of TripIt's business, as both versions of the app retain all the Pro-only icons. Most of these are clearly marked, and clicking on them will pull up an ad to upgrade your account. However, there are many Pro-only options and constantly being prodded toward signing up for an expensive membership can be extremely irritating.

It's important to recognize that while TripIt brings a lot to the table, there's a lot of things it won't do. For instance, it doesn't store scannable boarding passes, though you can check-in for your flight if you are a Pro user. It also won't make travel arrangements for you. If you?re organizing a new trip manually, you'll need to have already made your plans. Even the alternate flights option for Pro users will only provide you with times, flight numbers, and a phone number to rebook yourself.

TripIt does, however, add some features through its partnership with other app developers.

At its core, TripIt is basically a digital wallet with some nice extras. The Pro membership is certainly not worth it unless you are a frequent traveler, given the price and the tools it provides. That's not to undercut the app or the service, because simply having that peace of mind and ease of access can certainly take the edge off traveling. If you need a dead-simple way to organize your travel plans, TripIt delivers.

More Android App Reviews:
??? TripIt Travel Organizer Free (for Android)
??? Minecraft-Pocket Edition (for Android)
??? Temple Run 2 (for Android)
??? Office Suite Pro 6.5 (for Android)
??? Small Call (for Android)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/3IomedBwk5c/0,2817,2414725,00.asp

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Inventor Of The World Wide Web Calls For More Online Innovation ...

Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the hyperlinked World Wide Web, isn?t entirely happy with what he has helped create ? and has thrown down the gauntlet to web developers to come up with more disruptive forms of online communication that can break down cultural not just geographical barriers.

Talking about the web as it is today, rather than the ?collaborative tool? he originally designed, he said:??World peace has not miraculously occurred. People still mainly talk to their neighbours, people still mainly talk to the people who have the same religion, and the same culture, so for all its breaking down geographical boundaries in principle it hasn?t really broken down cultural boundaries.?Can we develop systems on the web which will actually help solve that sort of ?challenge??

Berners-Lee was speaking in an interview at the World Economic Forum today,?entitled ?what?s wrong with social networking?? but he joked the title had been cooked up merely to draw in the crowds.

?As a universal platform the web wasn?t supposed to dictate what you did with it,? he told his audience in Davos. ?The world wide web is a platform and humanity does what it can with it??There?s lots of people who think we could do more. What do we really want to get out of this web thing? What do we really want to get out of human communication??

While it began as a collaborative tool, the web subsequently took off as a publishing medium ? or it did to a ?certain extent?, said Berners-Lee, pointing to the fact that publishing online remains a relatively elite activity and therefore, again, does not live up to his original collaborative vision for a truly global web.

?We?ve got wikis, we?ve got blogs, but still most people? aren?t publishing on the web. And actually when you go to most places you?re not in a position where you can take place in the conversation very much. Sometimes you can comment but actually the comment tends to be at a second level,? he said.

Asked about the erosion of online openness threatened by walled garden social networks, Berners-Lee said the networks both help humanity by providing the data that enables computers to help people but also highlighted how there is ?a lot of frustration, from a lot of people? that they can?t connect up the personal data they have entered into different services in all the ways they might like to.

?Each of these social network systems is a silo so there is a frustration that I?ve told it all my data but I don?t have access to that,? he said.

Despite yearning for more openness and fewer shackles stifling the free flow of online data, Berners-Lee was careful to say he was not calling for an online data free-for-all. There do need to be ?reasonable boundaries?, he accepted ? whether it?s sensitive personal or government or military data. ?The web isn?t about just sharing everything, destroying privacy? [but] if I want to share something with you it shouldn?t be the technology that gets in the way.?

Turning to the economic argument, Berners-Lee conceded there is a problem with current online business models ? especially when it comes to finding ways to pay musicians. The web should be ?about spreading culture, music and getting payment back to musicians?, he said. ? We?ve got to find new ways of doing that.?

Specifically he called for new protocols to be developed to support online payments. ?We need to find a whole lot of new business models ? I think we should develop new payment protocols so that when you?re using a web browser it?s a lot easier to pay for things.?

He also argued for the economic value in opening up data that is unnecessarily locked away, pointing to a U.K. initiative to open up government data so that the citizens who have paid for the data to be created in the first place can have the benefit of using it ? and use it to create new businesses. ?You?re making a great common good, that?s making the world run more efficiently,? he argued.

Likewise, he argued that the benefit to humanity of opening up scientific data ? to ?scientists everywhere? ? would be ?huge?.??It?s a?question of unlocking this potential that we really already have ? it?s getting huge benefit for very little cost,? he said.

Berners-Lee was also asked about Internet activist?Aaron Swartz, who was arrested for downloading academic journals and subsequently committed suicide ? and argued that Swartz?s tragedy is an example of what can happen when ?legislation gets too strong?.

?He was an incredibly ethical person. He thought a huge amount about what was right and how the world should be? but because [the FBI] saw that what he was doing was accessing a computer system there seems to be a deep suspicion of that,? he said.

?He used his programming to try to make a point, in a way as a protest. But they ended up using a very unfair law which had been changed from its original form which said that if you break into a computer system in any way then you are guilty of a felony? ?People are thinking now about that law, and there already proposals to change it.?

?To be a hacker ? when I use the term ? is somebody who is creative and does wonderful things,? Berners-Lee added. ?We need more coders, we need more people who understand how to put data online.?

A graduate of Oxford University, England, in 1989, Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, an internet-based hypermedia initiative for global information sharing while at CERN, the European Particle Physics Laboratory. He wrote the first web client and server in 1990. His specifications of URIs, HTTP and HTML were refined as Web technology spread. He is the 3COM Founders Professor of Engineering in the School of Engineering with a joint appointment in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science...

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Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/25/inventor-of-the-world-wide-web-calls-for-more-online-innovation-to-break-down-cultural-barriers-and-build-new-business-models/

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