Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Dell debates going private, Microsoft to pay billions to help make it happen?

The rumor mill's been running at full bore for about a week now, with unnamed sources explaining that Dell wants to become a private company, perhaps because of its recent lackluster financial performance. Today, the volume of those rumors has gotten louder. Both CNBC and the Wall Street Journal report that Microsoft is looking to help buy out the PC maker, paying a grand chunk -- between $1 and $3 billion -- of the price to buy out Dell's publicly-owned shares. According to Reuters' sources, Michael Dell and friends have formed a committee to evaluate any such deals or offers, but naturally, any other details about Microsoft's (or anyone else's) involvement are few and far between. We've reached out to both Dell and Microsoft for comment, and we'll update our post here as we learn more.

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Source: Reuters

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/22/dell-microsoft-buyout-private/

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Crackle streaming video heads to LG, Samsung, and Vizio Smart TVs, Samsung Blu-ray players

Crackle video service heads LG, Samsung, and Vizio Smart TVs, Samsung Bluray players

Free video streaming service Crackle is already available on your smart phone, computer, and game console, but today the company announced its expansion to LG, Samsung, and Vizio Smart TVs. The expansion is twofold for Samsung, which is also adding the ad-supported streaming service to its line of Blu-ray players; Crackle characterizes today's news as the conclusion of a strategy to bring the streaming service to, "all leading smart TV manufacturers." Of course, that strategy is only complete in a handful of countries thus far -- today's additions apply to only the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia for LG and Samsung, while Vizio Smart TVs in the US and Canada are the only ones to get Crackle. All new iterations of the Crackle app are available via Samsung, LG, and Vizio's respective app portals.

Show full PR text

Crackle Starts The New Year On A 'Smart' Note With Expansion To Major Smart TVs And Blu-ray Devices
LG, Samsung and VIZIO Devices Now Offering Crackle


CULVER CITY, Calif., Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Crackle, the multi-platform entertainment network, today announced its application is now available on millions of LG, Samsung and VIZIO Smart TVs, as well as on Samsung Blu-ray players. With an already established and popular presence on Sony Internet TVs and Blu-ray players, Crackle is now available on all leading smart TV manufacturers, bringing on-demand streaming directly to millions of living rooms.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120817/LA59056LOGO)
Crackle hand-picks Hollywood movies, television and original series to the tastes of its digitally connected audience, focusing on genres like action, comedy, crime, horror and sci-fi. The Crackle App and online service is free to download and free to watch, and offers unlimited ad-supported viewing of all content available on Crackle.com, including TV and film hits "Rescue Me," DISTRICT 9, UNDERWORLD, SNATCH and WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY.
"The penetration of IP-connected TVs and Blu-ray players in the living room is rapidly growing and these devices are fast becoming the new standard," said Phil Lynch , Senior Vice President, Digital Networks and Games, Sony Pictures Television. "We are pleased with Crackle's performance on Sony connected devices to date-as well as viewers' overwhelmingly positive reception to the service-and are excited to begin 2013 with a major expansion into these other leading brands of connected TVs."
Providing high-quality video streaming, Crackle is available on LG Smart TVs in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia; Samsung Smart TVs and Blu-ray players in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Australia; and VIZIO Smart TVs in the U.S. and Canada.
Hundreds of films and full-length television episodes available on Crackle are delivered uncut and unedited - the way they were meant to be viewed. Content is continuously refreshed, with new titles added every month.
A sampling of Crackle's current content offerings in the U.S. include:
DISTRICT 9
UNDERWORLD
SNATCH
WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY
HARRY BROWN
JOE DIRT
THE BIG HIT
DRAGON WARS
"Rescue Me"
Thousands of episodes of the world's most loved Anime series including hit titles such as "Blood+" and "Kurozuka" as well as the Marvel Anime series "Wolverine," "X-Men" and "Ironman"
Two new original series: "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" starring Jerry Seinfeld and "From the Basement," a music series from Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich , along with over 40 other originals including: "The Ropes," "Issues," "The Bannen Way," and more.
Along with these Smart TV and Blu-ray devices, Crackle is accessible on an expanding distribution network including the recently launched app for PlayStation; Sony and other manufacturers' Android phones and tablets; the iPhone, iPad and iPod; Roku players; Xbox LIVE service; and Windows Phones, Barnes & Noble's NOOK Tablet devices and Amazon's Kindle Fire, among others. A full list of Crackle's extended availability can be found on www.crackle.com/outreach/platforms.
On the aforementioned devices, the Crackle App can be accessed in the following ways:
Through Samsung Apps at http://www.samsung.com/us/appstore
As a VIZIO Internet App(R) from the Yahoo! Connected TV store http://www.vizio.com/technology/via
Through LG SmartWorld at http://us.lgappstv.com/appspc/main/main/main.lge
Crackle, Inc.
Crackle, Inc. is a multi-platform next-generation video entertainment network that distributes digital content including original series and full-length traditional programming from Sony Pictures' vast library of television series and feature films in addition to the libraries of other studios. Crackle is one of the fastest growing entertainment destinations on the Internet, mobile and over-the-top devices, offering audiences high-quality programming in a variety of genres, including comedy, action, sci-fi, horror and music. Crackle reaches an impressive audience through its diverse online and mobile distribution network. Crackle is available in the US, Canada, UK, AU, Latin America and Brazil. Visit Crackle's site at www.crackle.com or find Crackle on Facebook at www.facebook.com/crackle.
SOURCE Crackle, Inc.

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http://www.crackle.com

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/FS-NFEjir1o/

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Orobis Transform USB cable with microUSB and Lightning connectors

The Orobis Transform USB cable is an indiegogo crowd-funding project. ?This cable has a USB male connector on one end and a transforming connector on the other that contains both an Apple Lightning connector and a microUSB connector, so this one cable can be used to charge a variety of devices. ?It looks almost exactly [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/01/22/orobis-transform-usb-cable-with-microusb-and-lightning-connectors/

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Monday, January 21, 2013

Land price increases across Karnataka

Land rates in KarnatakaOver the past seven years, the land and real estate prices have increased in tier II cities across Karnataka.?The secondary cities across Karnataka where the real estate developers and buyers are showing interest are Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum, Gulbarga, Shimoga and Davanagere.

Over the past three years the real estate prices in Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli-Dharwad, Belgaum and Gulbarga have gone up, according to the records available in the Department of Stamps and Registration in Bangalore. Bangalore city. People are now rushing for open spaces on the outskirts where the property rates are still affordable.

According to realtors, in tier II cities, a 2 BHK apartment of 1,000 sq ft is not available for anything less than Rs 30 lakh and on the outskirts the same apartment is available for Rs 25 lakh. The rental value have also become costlier by 8-9 times compared to what they were six to seven years ago.

These cities with a population of nearly 10 lakh, have shown an increase despite slow growth in the real estate business. A realtor said that the real estate business is on the upswing and they are expecting things to get better in the coming years.

A senior officer at the Stamps and Registration Department, said that the land prices rise in secondary cities due to the availability of facilities like educational institutions, hospitals, entertainment centres and shopping malls. The state government is also planning to take care of the infrastructural facilities particularly roads and sanitation.

Related Real estate News:

Real estate wants industry status

Real estate sales across India

Source: http://www.commonfloor.com/news/land-price-increases-across-karnataka-42151

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Dreamliner probe widens after excess battery voltage ruled out

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. safety investigators on Sunday ruled out excess voltage as the cause of a battery fire this month on a Boeing Co 787 Dreamliner jet operated by Japan Airlines Co (JAL) and said they were expanding the probe to look at the battery's charger and the jet's auxiliary power unit.

Last week, governments across the world grounded the Dreamliner while Boeing halted deliveries after a problem with a lithium-ion battery on a second 787 plane, flown by All Nippon Airways Co (ANA), forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing in western Japan.

A growing number of investigators and Boeing executives are working around the clock to determine what caused the two incidents which the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration says released flammable chemicals and could have sparked a fire in the plane's electrical compartment.

There are still no clear answers about the root cause of the battery failures, but the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board's statement eliminated one possible answer that had been raised by Japanese investigators.

It also underscored the complexity of investigating a battery system that includes manufacturers across the world, and may point to a design problem with the battery that could take longer to fix than swapping out a faulty batch of batteries.

"Examination of the flight recorder data from the JAL B-787 airplane indicates that the APU (auxiliary power unit) battery did not exceed its designed voltage of 32 volts," the NTSB said in a statement issued early Sunday.

On Friday, a Japanese safety official had told reporters that excessive electricity may have overheated the battery in the ANA-owned Dreamliner that was forced to make the emergency landing at Japan's Takamatsu airport last week.

"The NTSB wanted to set the record straight," said one source familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly.

U.S. investigators have already examined the lithium-ion battery that powered the APU, where the battery fire started in the JAL plane, as well as several other components removed from the airplane, including wire bundles and battery management circuit boards, the NTSB statement said.

On Tuesday, investigators will convene in Tucson, Arizona to test and examine the charger for the battery, and download non-volatile memory from the APU controller, with similar tests planned at the Phoenix facility where the APUs are built. Other components have been sent for download or examination to Boeing's Seattle facility and manufacturer facilities in Japan.

Securaplane Technologies Inc, a unit of Britain's Meggitt Plc that makes the charger, said it will fully support the U.S. investigation.

Officials with United Technologies Corp, which builds the plane's auxiliary power unit and is the main supplier of electrical systems on the 787, said they would also cooperate with the investigation.

The NTSB's decision to travel to Securaplane's facility sparked fresh questions about the safety of the lithium-ion batteries that remain at the heart of the investigation.

While the 787 is the most aggressive user of lithium-ion battery technology in commercial aviation, the industry at large is testing it, and the FAA has approved its use in several different planes, each governed by "special conditions."

"Lithium-ion batteries are significantly more susceptible to internal failures that can result in self-sustaining increases in temperature and pressure," the FAA said in 2006, when it allowed Airbus to use lithium batteries for the emerging lighting system on its A380.

Securaplane, which first began working on the charger in 2004, suffered millions of dollars of damages in November 2006 after a lithium-ion battery used in testing exploded and sparked a fire that burned an administrative building to the ground.

Boeing spokesman Marc Birtel said an investigation into the 2006 fire was later determined to have been caused by an improper test set-up, not the battery design. He declined comment on the current 787 investigations.

After the fire, a former Securaplane employee named Michael Leon sued the company, alleging that he was fired for raising security concerns about charger and discrepancies between their assembly documents and the finished chargers.

Leon's suit was later dismissed.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Sunday said it had investigated Leon's safety complaints in 2008 and 2009 but concluded his allegations focused on prototypes that were not ultimately used in the new lightweight airliner.

FAA spokeswoman Laura Brown said the reviews also found that Securaplane's production of a particular printed circuit board complied with FAA requirements.

Japan's GS Yuasa Corp makes lithium-ion batteries for the Dreamliner, while France's Thales produces the control systems for the battery. Thales has declined comment.

In its statement, the NTSB said French authorities were also participating in the investigation. No comment was immediately available from the French safety agency.

JAPANESE INVESTIGATION GEARING UP

Japan Transport Safety Board said it was aware of the NTSB report and would consider the U.S. statement in its probe.

The NTSB said the Japanese agency was participating in its investigation of the Boston incident, while NTSB officials were helping the agency with its investigation of the emergency landing in Japan. Both investigations were ongoing.

"There's nothing more I can add at this point as we still haven't started our investigation into the battery here," JTSB inspector Hideyo Kosugi told Reuters. "The NTSB's investigation started earlier. We still haven't taken X-rays or CT-scans of the battery."

Kosugi said both the battery and the surrounding systems were being stored in Tokyo's Haneda Airport until authorities decided where to conduct the Japanese investigation.

Boeing said on Friday it would continue building the carbon-composite 787, but put deliveries on hold until the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approves and implements a plan to ensure the safety of potentially flammable lithium-ion batteries.

In Washington, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said the 787, which has a list price of $207 million, would not fly until regulators were "1,000 percent sure" it was safe.

Japan is the biggest market so far for the 787, with ANA and JAL operating 24 of the 290-seat wide-bodied planes. Boeing has orders for almost 850 of the planes, which have the most complex electrical systems of any planes on the market.

It remains unclear if the investigations will cause other airlines -- and military aircraft builder -- to rethink their plans to use lithium-ion batteries, which are lighter and more powerful than conventional batteries.

Airbus plans to use similar batteries on its rival to the 787, the A350, which is due to make its maiden test flight in the middle of this year.

European executives said last week they would study the findings of the U.S. investigation but said their decision to move more slowly than Boeing towards electric systems, and spread the load over twice as many batteries, would reduce the risk.

Aviation Week quoted Airbus programs chief Tom Williams as saying "failure management" was key and that any escaping gases from the A350 batteries would be protected by titanium as they are expelled from the aircraft. The company has not said if it would attempt to suppress a lithium fire or focus on containing a lithium blaze, as Boeing has done.

Williams told Aviation Week that switching from lithium back to nickel cadmium would require significant engineering work with both space and weight penalties. Airbus was not immediately available to comment on the article.

Brazilian plane maker Embraer SA declined comment when asked if it planned to rethink its use of lithium-ion batteries on its military transport plane and new business jets.

The Embraer programs use a battery made in the United States, unlike the Japanese one on the 787.

Lockheed Martin Corp, maker of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, has said it does not see a problem since the lithium-ion batteries on the military plane are made by France's Saft Groupe, not Yuasa.

(Corrects month when fire took place in first paragraph)

(Additional reporting by Antoni Slodkowski, James Topham, Kentaro Sugiyama, Yoshiyuki Osada and Yuka Obayashi in Japan; Peter Henderson in Los Angeles, Tim Hepher in London and Alwyn Scott in Seattle; Editing by Daniel Magnowski, Maureen Bavdek and Marguerita Choy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dreamliner-probe-widens-excess-battery-voltage-ruled-015814524--sector.html

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Storify Pulls In Private Status Updates From ... - Business Insider

People post all sorts of status update messages to friends on Facebook, many of which they never intend to make public.

But Storify, a social media curation tool, occasionally brings them to light. According to AGBeat, it can surface all updates, no matter a person's Facebook privacy settings.* It also pulls in the person's photo, name and time stamp along with their Facebook status message.

Julie Pippert, Founder and Director of Artful Media Group, discovered the Storify workaround. She accidentally pulled a message from a friend using Storify. It upset her friend, who thought her privacy settings were set to the max.

?I felt so terrible about what happened that I started digging and checking,? Pippert told AGBeat. ?And I figured out that although anything can be copied, screen captured or otherwise shared, anyone who installs the Storify app can do it with one click, even if it is marked or otherwise set to be private.?

Storify also sort of makes private tweets accessible, although not embeddable through its service. If a Storify user wants to view and use a private tweet, the message will pop up on Twitter, but the screen will darken. The message is still readable but it's tough to pull and share.

Storify says AG's report isn't really true. It only shows messages the person would be able to see themselves on the social networks.* So because Pippert was friends with the person who had strict privacy settings, she was able to see her status update on Storify and pull it. But a total stranger wouldn't be able to find it on Storify.

Still, it's easy to see why Pippert didn't realize her friend had a private account. There was no notification on Storify telling her otherwise. Storify made it really easy to pull the message and share it with a wider audience, despite the privacy settings the friend made on Facebook itself.

Right now, there isn't a way to stop yourself from occasionally showing up in Storify searches, other than to stop sharing completely.

For more on the privacy flaw,?head over to AGBeat.

*Update: Storify has addressed the privacy concerns in a blog post. Its co-founder writes:

"To clarify, we want to reassure you that?Storify does not make anything public that hasn't been collected by a user and published in a story. Also,?Storify users do?NOT have access to content on the web that they couldn't otherwise see themselves.

"...By using our?bookmarklet or Chrome browser plugin, you can indeed collect text, photos and video from all around the web, including what is visible to you on Facebook. That media may not have been intended for a wider audience, but it's up to you if you want to publish it more widely. This is something you could do using Storify, but also by copy and pasting the text or simply taking a screenshot.?

"We believe strongly in freedom of expression and democratization of media in the Internet age. Anyone can now easily and cheaply publish to the web and reach a global audience. That also means each of us with this power must consider how we use it.

"On the other side, we?also?all must realize that everything we post that is viewable by someone else can be easily shared more widely. So you should always think about what you post -- especially on Facebook when using your real name."

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/storify-pulls-in-private-status-updates-from-facebook-too-2013-1

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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Building Muscle: Protein | Care2 Healthy Living

  • Health Guru
  • January 20, 2013
  • 5:30 am
  • 6 comments
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Need a quick tip on choosing the best foods that'll help you build muscle? Watch this! Related Link: Want Protein? Eat Your Veggies

Read more: Diet & Nutrition, Videos

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Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/building-muscle-protein.html

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Merkel's coalition loses German state vote

BERLIN (AP) ? Germany's center-left opposition won a wafer-thin victory over Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition in a major state election Sunday, dealing a setback as she seeks a third term at the helm of Europe's biggest economy later this year.

The opposition Social Democrats and Greens won a single-seat majority in the state legislature in Lower Saxony, ousting the coalition of Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union and the pro-market Free Democrats that has run the northwestern region for 10 years. The same parties form the national government.

The 58-year-old Merkel will seek another four-year term in a national parliamentary election expected in September. She and her party are riding high in national polls, but the opposition hoped the Lower Saxony vote would show she is vulnerable.

The outcome could boost what so far has been a sputtering campaign by Merkel's Social Democratic challenger, Peer Steinbrueck.

"This evening gives us real tailwind for the national election," said Katrin Goering-Eckardt, a leader of Steinbrueck's allies, the Greens. "We can and will manage to replace the (center-right) coalition."

However, the close outcome also underscores the possibility of a messy result in September, with no clear winner.

Before Sunday's election, the main question had been whether the Free Democrats, whose support has eroded badly since they joined Merkel's national government in 2009, would win the 5 percent needed to gain seats in the state legislature. Polls over recent months had suggested that they might not.

The Free Democrats won 9.9 percent of the vote, thanks to tactical voting by supporters of Merkel's conservatives. Many chose the smaller party so that the coalition's "good policies for solid budgets, safe jobs and good education could be continued," said the general secretary of Merkel's party, Hermann Groehe.

Despite the popularity of David McAllister, the state's CDU governor, that helped push down the conservatives' support to 36 percent from 42.5 percent in Lower Saxony's last election in 2008. They finished as the biggest single party but fell short of expectations.

The combination of the CDU and Free Democrats has now lost control of four states since the smaller party joined Merkel's government in 2009.

At national level, the alliance has developed a poor image, with the Free Democrats taking much of the blame for frequent government infighting. Merkel and her party, meanwhile, have been bolstered by a relatively robust economy, low unemployment and the chancellor's hard-nosed handling of Europe's debt crisis.

Sunday's vote may calm intense recent speculation over whether the Free Democrats will force out their embattled leader, Vice Chancellor Philipp Roesler, whose home state is Lower Saxony.

Roesler proclaimed Sunday "a great day" for his party.

Merkel also has profited so far from stumbles by Steinbrueck, a former finance minister who drew criticism in recent weeks for saying that the chancellor earns too little ? adding to the controversy over his own high earnings from speeches.

His party improved a little on its feeble performance five years ago in Lower Saxony, polling 32.6 percent. Its allies, the Greens, made bigger gains, to 13.7 percent. That gave them 49 and 20 seats, respectively, in the state legislature in Hannover; the CDU took 54 and the Free Democrats 14.

Opposition leaders argued that their overall gains and the losses for the center-right showed that a change to a center-left government is possible in Berlin, despite unpromising recent polls.

Steinbrueck conceded that his recent troubles hadn't helped, though.

"I am well aware that there was no tailwind from Berlin, and I am also aware that I bear a certain share of responsibility for that," he told supporters. He said he felt "a certain amount of relief" at the result.

Two parties that have drained support from the center-left over recent years, the Left Party and the Pirate Party, failed to get enough votes Sunday to enter Lower Saxony's legislature.

A change of government in Lower Saxony will give opposition parties a majority in Parliament's upper house, which represents Germany's 16 states.

Though that has limited practical effect, it would enable the Social Democrats and Greens to showcase their plans for Germany by sending policy initiatives to the lower house ? controlled by Merkel's coalition ? on issues such as their call for a mandatory national minimum wage.

However, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to build up momentum and prevent Merkel keeping power ? possibly by finding a new coalition partner.

With eight months left before the national vote, "so much can change that I'd just say we should be careful about projecting such results onto the national level," Lothar Probst, a political scientist at the University of Bremen, told Phoenix television.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/merkels-coalition-loses-german-state-vote-230149932.html

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A Detailed Legal Analysis of Bilbo's Contract in The Hobbit ...

contract

In one of the more comical scenes in The Hobbit, the dwarves present Bilbo with an employment contract. Like Neatorama employment contacts, Bilbo's alarmingly waives the dwarves of liability for?lacerations, eviscerations and incinerations incurred during employment. Bilbo nonetheless signs it.

Did he get a good deal? Attorney James Daily studied the contract and thinks that it was well-crafted--at least from the dwarves' point of view. For example, Thorin has substantial leeway to alter the terms:

These two clauses also pose something of a contradiction. ?On the one hand we see the first of many liability waivers:

[Thorin has]?a right to alter the course of the journey at his so choosing, without prior notification and/or liability for accident or injury incurred.? But on the other hand we see this explicit obligation of care: ?[the Adventure] shall proceed in a timely manner and with all due care and consideration.

Ordinarily ?due care and consideration? signifies taking on liability for negligence, so this conflicts with the earlier liability waiver. Perhaps the two can be reconciled by the phrase ?as seen fit by said Thorin Oakenshield and companions.? Thorin and Co. could always claim that the amount of care and consideration they saw fit was extremely minimal, though that runs the risk of making the clause meaningless, which courts usually don?t like to do. ??As a general proposition, whenever possible, the law favors reconciliation of clauses within a contract which appear contradictory.? City of Columbia v. Paul N. Howard Co.,?707 F.2d 338, 340 (8th Cir. 1983). Taken together with the numerous other waivers and disclaimers, I think a court would probably conclude that Thorin & Co. were not taking on any particular duty of care. ?A writing is interpreted as a whole.? ?Restatement (Second) of Contracts ? 202(2).

Waivers or disclaimers of liability are an important part of many contracts. These can include waivers of a product warranty (seen all the time in software license agreements) and waivers for liability due to negligence (often required before doing something dangerous like skydiving). But there are limits to liability waivers. While a party to a contract can ordinarily waive liability for negligence (although not in every jurisdiction), one cannot waive liability for gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct. ?So the numerous (and sweeping!) waivers and disclaimers may not be as effective as they appear at first glance.

You can read the rest of his analysis at the link. You may already be familiar with Daily's comedy. He's a contributor to Law and the Multiverse, a blog which examines the legal ramifications of actions taken by superheroes.

Link -via Glenn Reynolds?| Image: Warner Bros.

Source: http://www.neatorama.com/2013/01/18/A-Detailed-Legal-Analysis-of-Bilbos-Contract-in-The-Hobbit/

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

Algeria: 7 hostages, 11 militants dead after raid

AIN AMENAS, Algeria (AP) ? Algeria's special forces stormed a natural gas complex in the middle of the Sahara desert in a final assault Saturday, killing 11 militants, but not before they in turn killed seven hostages, the state news agency reported.

The report, quoting a security source, didn't specify if any hostages or militants remained alive or give the nationalities of the dead.

Algerian authorities estimated that around 30 militants occupied the Ain Amenas site Wednesday and with 18 already reported dead, it appears the hostage crisis involving hundreds of plant workers is finally over.

There was no official count of how many hostages were still being held by the final group of militants holed up in the gas refinery on Saturday, but the militants themselves had reported they were still holding three Belgian, two Americans, a Japanese and a Briton.

The plant is jointly run by BP, Norway's Statoil and Algeria's state-owned oil company.

An international outcry mounted over the Algerians' handling of the crisis. Experts noted that this is how they have always dealt with terrorists, refusing to negotiate.

The standoff has put the spotlight on militancy plaguing the region and al-Qaida-linked groups roaming remote areas from Mali to Libya, threatening vital infrastructure and energy interests.

The militants attacked the plant Wednesday morning, creeping across the border from Libya, 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the natural gas plant, and 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 the crouching workers. A Briton and an Algerian, probably a security guard, were killed.

Frustrated, the militants 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, though the circumstances of the cutoff remain unclear.

___

Paul Schemm reported from Rabat, Morocco.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/algeria-7-hostages-11-militants-dead-raid-134755508--finance.html

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Bolshoi director needs more surgery after attack

In this video grab provided by RenTV via APTN, artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet Sergei Filin gestures in a hospital in Moscow, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 where he is being treated. Filin, a 42-year-old former Bolshoi star, said a man threw the acid into his face late Thursday near the gate of his apartment building in central Moscow. Colleagues said Friday the could be in reprisal for his selection of dancers in starring roles at the famed Russian company. (AP Photo/RenTV) TV OUT

In this video grab provided by RenTV via APTN, artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet Sergei Filin gestures in a hospital in Moscow, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 where he is being treated. Filin, a 42-year-old former Bolshoi star, said a man threw the acid into his face late Thursday near the gate of his apartment building in central Moscow. Colleagues said Friday the could be in reprisal for his selection of dancers in starring roles at the famed Russian company. (AP Photo/RenTV) TV OUT

In this video grab provided by RenTV via APTN, artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet Sergei Filin gestures in a hospital in Moscow, Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 where he is being treated. Filin, a 42-year-old former Bolshoi star, said a man threw the acid into his face late Thursday near the gate of his apartment building in central Moscow. Colleagues said Friday the could be in reprisal for his selection of dancers in starring roles at the famed Russian company. (AP Photo/RenTV) TV OUT

(AP) ? Russian officials say the artistic director of the Bolshoi ballet will need at least one more operation after an attacker threw acid in his face and that it's not yet clear if the sight in his right eye can be saved.

No arrests have been made in the Thursday night attack on Sergei Filin, which his colleagues say may have been retaliation for his selection of certain dancers for prized roles.

Filin underwent surgery on Friday.

Alexei Levchenko, a spokesman for Russia's deputy prime minister, was quoted by the state news agency ITAR-Tass as saying Filin was in stable condition after the operation but that "the prospects for restoring his sight will be clearer in five to seven days."

Filin might have another operation next week, Levchenko said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-19-Russia-Bolshoi/id-290783cc50b0489680a09e81b49610e0

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South Africa: SAA hopeful of resolution to strike action

??South Africa: SAA hopeful of resolution to strike action

Compiled by the Government Communication and Information System
Date: 18 Jan 2013
Title: SAA hopeful of resolution to strike action
--------------------

Pretoria - Claims by the National Transport Movement (NTM) that flights at South African Airways (SAA) have been delayed or cancelled are untrue, said the national carrier, adding that it remains hopeful of a resolution to the strike action.

This as the NTM embarked on industrial action on Friday.

The movement wants SAA to recognise it. However, the airline said it was not refusing to grant the union recognition saying that the decision not to grant recognition to the union is based on the fact that the union has not dispensed all the requirements to be able to enjoy recognition.

"NTM relies on a claim that its membership is more than 1 300. Their membership is inclusive of employee categories that are not provided for in the bargaining forum constitution. They have included managers and contract employees in their head count. They have not met the requisite threshold of 30% or 1 220 non-managerial permanent employees," said SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali.

Earlier on Friday, Tlali said a handful of individuals had gathered at the parking area, outside SAA's head office and were from time to time addressed by their leaders. They were picketing outside SAA offices in Kempton Park.

SAA said it has communicated to all staff across the board, providing rationale behind its decision in relation to the NTM issue.

As of Monday [14 January], said Tlali UASA which represents workers in the diamond, motor, manufacturing, and transport, mining and engineering industries had 1266 members whilst SATAWU was at 1600.These numbers are for members that fall within the bargaining forum.

On Friday, the airline re-emphasised that claims of flights being delayed or cancelled were misleading.

"SAA has activated contingency plans that are intended to avoid disruptions to the airline's operations and avoid causing inconvenience to customers as a result of the strike. The salient details of the contingency plans cannot be shared as doing so could negatively affect their effectiveness.

"We remain hopeful that all parties will soon find a resolution to this dispute sooner rather later," explained Tlali.

In December, SAA met with NTM at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) to conclude the verification process that would allow the union to be recognised by the airline. - SAnews.gov.za

Reported by: South African Government News Service

Published on: 2013-01-18

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Friday, January 18, 2013

jontusingh: Computer system and Tech Stocks Shifting Forward ...

Computer system and Tech Stocks Shifting Forward


Another working day, I had been listening to some commentary on CNBC fiscal information speaking about the future outlook and forward-looking projections from Cisco Methods. Generally speaking, the tech sector and also the analysts from Wall Avenue shelling out within the computer system and technology market used CiscoGlen H Franklin / Kayla L AndersonMethods as their bellwether. Even so, it seems to me moving ahead that Cisco may well not be very good the right baseline. Let me reveal.

Were you aware that if Apple desktops had been amongst the 30 Dow shares in 2009 which the Dow Jones industrial typical can be 2500 details bigger than it is ideal now these days in May perhaps of 2012? It is correct. And when we took Apple desktops given that the new bellwether for your pc and technologies sector it could have outperformed every one of the some others (merged) and actually taken absent quite a bit of their industry discuss, and profit potential too.Bernice S Watson / James M OrtizHence, I might not recommend exchanging Cisco Devices for Apple since the new baseline, but I'd advise having Cisco's performance and long term projections that has a grain of salt.

Upcoming, I'd wish to describe that the individual engineering sector is significantly diverse compared to the IT sector. Oracle, SAP, IBM, Cisco, and other people together with all those firms focusing on govt and navy contracts for cyber safety are within a fully unique realm. The smart cellphone, tablets, and personal tech markets are international, and unbelievably wide in character. Something I had normally mentioned, and I detected this in technological innovation information - is the fact that technological innovation has practically turn out to be synonymous with Apple. That kind of leaves absolutely everyone else out in the unique class.
Alyssa A McCown / Judith T Jones
Am I saying that Cisco is irrelevant? No, needless to say not, nevertheless getting their statements and meeting calls being an estimation and prospective development in the full tech sector is mindless in any respect. A lot of the federal government spending has got to do with selections built in Washington DC, lobbyists, and congressmen with pet tasks to modernize the federal govt with additional pcs opening just how on the potential eRepublic - governing administration to be a giant laptop or computer and website - hmm, that may be all right?

Firms and corporate costs on IT does have some bearing to the exclusive tech current market, Paul J Bird / Dolores S Stewartalthough not a great deal, as it is just one venue for companies like Apple. These Cisco meeting calls are often enlightening and very helpful, nevertheless they tend not to appear to be as important for projecting the long run in technological innovation stocks because they the moment had been. In fact, I really hope you will be sure to contemplate this all and imagine on it. If you'd like to focus on tech shares, go on and shoot me an e-mail.

Annie C Andrade / Erma D Mills

Source: http://d.hatena.ne.jp/TestPrep/20130116/1358319362

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Source: http://jontusingh2.blogspot.com/2013/01/computer-system-and-tech-stocks.html

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Flu Season Hits Charlotte North Carolina Hard - Retirement Homes

All across the USA flu season has grown to the worst level in a decade. North Carolina is a prime example of the rise of ?influenza this year, reports The Charlotte Observer. 17 people have died in the state.

Elderly are Hit the Hardest

Most cases have been influenza Type A H3N2, which often affects the elderly the hardest, according to Dr. Zack Moore, medical epidemiologist with Carolina?s health division. ?As we would expect with an H3N2-predominant season, there have been a lot of long-term care outbreaks and reports of severe illnesses and deaths in the elderly,? he told The Charlotte Observer.

Post-vaccination Period ? Two Weeks

The recommendation is to get a flu shot. Flu season will peak in late January or early February, enough time to use the two week post-vaccination period needed for antibodies to kick in and fight off the flu.

People 65 years and older are highly-recommended to receive the flu shot. There is no shortage of flu vaccine in the Charlotte area or the state. A physician from Carolinas Medical Center?s Arboretum Urgent Care said the injectable vaccine cannot cause flu. At worst it can create achiness in the arm. The influenza vaccine isn?t perfect, but it?s the best tool to prevent the flu.

Other Recommendations

  • Wash your hands often with soap and hot water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
  • Sneeze or cough into your elbow. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with your hands
  • Stay home if you?re sick. Stay away from your other family members at home to try to decrease their risk of getting flu

Doctors in Charlotte are cautiously optimistic that the flu might have hit a peak during the last week of December, but continue to issue a public health warning.

Medical?practitioners attend to the flu in Assisted Living and Continuing Care residences.

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  • Welcome to Emeritus at Villa de Anza!! A place to call home - many do. Emeritus at Villa de Anza offers a home like setting and cheerful smiles ...

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  • Church Street Station offers new homes in Hanover Park. This Cook County community features a scenic pond, gazebo and courtyards with benches. Conveniently ...

  • A commuter's dream, Shelburne Crossing is located in beautiful suburban Winfield, within walking distance of the Metra. The community is surrounded by ...

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Source: http://www.retirementhomes.com/library/flu-season-hits-charlotte-north-carolina-hard/

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

hironrahman: Building Stronger Blended Families ... - itafopopa&#39 ...

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Source: http://mamalala618.blogspot.com/2013/01/hironrahman-building-stronger-blended.html

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Understanding personality for decision-making, longevity, and mental health

Jan. 17, 2013 ? Extraversion does not just explain differences between how people act at social events. How extraverted you are may influence how the brain makes choices -- specifically whether you choose an immediate or delayed reward, according to a new study. The work is part of a growing body of research on the vital role of understanding personality in society.

"Understanding how people differ from each other and how that affects various outcomes is something that we all do on an intuitive basis, but personality psychology attempts to bring scientific rigor to this process," says Colin DeYoung of the University of Minnesota, who worked on the new study. "Personality affects academic and job performance, social and political attitudes, the quality and stability of social relationships, physical health and mortality, and risk for mental disorder."

DeYoung is one of several researchers presenting new work in a special session January 17 about personality psychology at a conference in New Orleans. "DeYoung's research in biology and neuroscience aids in the development of theories of personality that provide explanations for persistent patterns of behavior and experience," says David Funder of the University of California, Riverside, who is the new president of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP). "The researchers presenting at this session represent just what personality psychology can achieve and its relevance for important social issues -- from how personality affects health to guidance for the new DSM-5."

Personality to understand neural differences

In the new study, DeYoung and colleagues scanned people in an fMRI and asked them to choose between smaller immediate rewards or larger delayed rewards, for example $15 today versus $25 in three weeks. They then correlated their choices and associated brain activity to various personality traits.

They found that extraversion predicts neural activity in a region of the brain called the medial orbitofrontal cortex, which is involved in evaluating rewards. In the task, this region responded more strongly to the possibility of immediate rewards than to the possibility of delayed rewards. "This is a brain region where we have previously shown that extraversion predicts the size of the region, so our new study provides some converging evidence for the importance of sensitivity to reward as the basis of extraversion," DeYoung says.

More broadly, DeYoung works on understanding "what makes people tick, by explaining the most important personality traits, what psychological processes those traits represent, and how those processes are generated by the brain," he says. "The brain is an incredibly complicated system, and I think it's impressive that neuroscience is making such great progress in understanding it. Linking brain function to personality is another step in understanding how the brain makes us who we are."

Personality to improve health

Researchers are also finding that personality influences health over time. In particular, new lifespan models that measure both personality and health early and late in life, and multiple times in between, are documenting that health is the result not only of genetics and environmental factors but also of changeable personality characteristics.

"Personality develops in childhood and is probably most malleable in childhood," says Sarah Hampson of the Oregon Research Institute. Childhood is when habits first become established, so understanding how differences in personality affect health could point toward positive behaviors that would help children later in life.

For example in a new study, soon to be published in Health Psychology, Hampson and colleagues found that children lower in conscientiousness -- traits including being irresponsible and careless -- had worse health 40 years later, including greater obesity and higher cholesterol. The study builds on past work showing that more conscientious children live longer.

The data come from more than 2,000 elementary school children in Hawaii who received personality assessments in the 1960s. Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Aging, researchers were able to complete medical and psychological examinations for 60% of the original group, who, as adults, agreed to further studies starting in 1998. They found that the children rated by their teachers as less conscientious had worse health status as adults, particularly for their cardiovascular and metabolic systems.

The work could point the way to childhood interventions, Hampson says. "Parents and schools shape personality, and this is our opportunity to support the development of conscientiousness -- planfulness, ability to delay gratification, self-control." She adds: "Society depends on such pro-social, self-regulated behavior."

Personality to evaluate mental health care

In the mental health community, researchers have known for some time that personality can greatly influence how patients respond to particular treatments. But until recently, the guidebook for treating mental illnesses -- the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) -- has not fully incorporated such personality data.

"The influence of personality psychology has increased as it offers tools and methods that are relevant to solving problems in psychiatric classification, such as ways of developing models of differences among people that are based on data as opposed to clinical speculation," says Robert Krueger of the University of Minnesota, who helped update the soon-to-be-published DSM-5.

"DSM-5 contains a model of personality traits that derives from work in personality psychology and recognizes that specific peoples' personalities can't easily be placed in categorical boxes," he explains. Using this model, a therapist can better tailor treatments for depression, for example, by distinguishing between a patient who is generally agreeable versus one who it typically at odds with other people. "The first person is likely to form a good working relationship with the therapist, whereas the second person is likely to be more challenging and require more effort by taking personality features into account alongside 'particular conditions,'" Krueger says.

The DSM-5 thus shows how personality psychology can be directly applied to mental health issues, Krueger says. "Indeed, DSM-5 may prove to be a watershed moment in the history of psychiatric classification because, more so than ever in the past, its construction was influenced by the methods and findings of personality psychology," Funder says.

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House Republican retreat gives GOP a chance at a fresh start

There is much to discuss at this year's winter retreat for House Republicans in Williamsburg, Va., and members are encouraged to speak freely in their quest for party unity after a lame duck session that was plagued by a series of grueling legislative battles.

Republican lawmakers are spending the three days before the inauguration of a president they fought hard to defeat at a charming golf resort about three hours south of the nation's capital, holding a private strategy and motivational summit. The meeting offers these tired soldiers emotional and physical respite after a finish to the last congressional session that dragged into the New Year's holiday as lawmakers raced to find a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff.

That battle is behind them, but memories still linger over how President Barack Obama succeeded in raising taxes, an exercise Republicans vowed never to take part in. Many of them played along anyway to avoid an even more severe tax increase, but the result left part of the caucus fractured after conservatives urged their colleagues to hold their ground.

In revenge, a handful of rogue conservatives attempted a coup of House Speaker John Boehner. Their efforts fell flat and the public act of defiance did not bode well for unity.

Then, faced with immense public pressure to provide federal relief (aka billions of taxpayer dollars) to regions hit hardest by Superstorm Sandy, members battled among themselves over whether to offer the money without first matching the emergency spending with cuts elsewhere. Those calling for a clean bill without the offsets triumphed, leaving the hardline conservatives 0 for 2.

But the fiscal cliff and arguments over Sandy were merely a preview of things to come. Looming ominously in the future are a series of fresh fights with Democrats, and it will take a united Republican front to hold them off. Looking ahead, the president has vowed to aggressively pursue gun control and immigration reform, emotional issues on which even Democrats don't universally agree. Congress also will soon be asked to approve an increase in the debt ceiling so the federal government can meet its spending obligations.

In a race for message control, it's not a fair fight in the least. The president will have the benefit of a streamlined message machine and a bully pulpit; the House has hundreds of separate members, each angling for their own TV time. While the Republicans need not agree on every detail, they do need to know where the party is headed and how the differing coalitions within the caucus plan to tackle the battles ahead. This week's conference will be a good first step.

Aided by motivational speakers and seasoned advisers, there may be moments?safely guarded in a private resort swarming with armed security?of healing, and perhaps even reconciliation. The healing could be preceded by internal fights, but hopefully for Republicans, they will be the constructive kind where you hug it out afterward. The retreat will give Boehner the opportunity he needs to take the temperature of his caucus, and give his members the time they need to make themselves heard.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/house-republican-retreat-gives-gop-chance-fresh-start-095033323--election.html

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Desert drama: Islamists take hostages in Algeria

In this undated image released Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013, by BP petroleum company, showing the Amenas natural gas field in the eastern central region of Algeria, where Islamist militants raided and took hostages Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. Islamist militants from Mali attacked the Amenas natural gas field partly operated by BP in Algeria early on Wednesday, killing a security guard and kidnapping at least eight people, including English, Norwegian and Japanese nationals, an Algerian security official and local media reported. Algerian forces, later caught up with and surrounded the kidnappers and negotiations for the release of the hostages are ongoing, officials said.(AP Photo/BP)

In this undated image released Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013, by BP petroleum company, showing the Amenas natural gas field in the eastern central region of Algeria, where Islamist militants raided and took hostages Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. Islamist militants from Mali attacked the Amenas natural gas field partly operated by BP in Algeria early on Wednesday, killing a security guard and kidnapping at least eight people, including English, Norwegian and Japanese nationals, an Algerian security official and local media reported. Algerian forces, later caught up with and surrounded the kidnappers and negotiations for the release of the hostages are ongoing, officials said.(AP Photo/BP)

In this undated image released Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013, by BP petroleum company, showing the Amenas natural gas field in the eastern central region of Algeria, where Islamist militants raided and took hostages Wednesday Jan. 16, 2013. Islamist militants from Mali attacked a natural gas field partly operated by BP in southern Algeria early on Wednesday, killing a security guard and kidnapping at least eight people, including English, Norwegian and Japanese nationals, an Algerian security official and local media reported. Algerian forces, later caught up with and surrounded the kidnappers and negotiations for the release of the hostages are ongoing, officials said.(AP Photo/BP)

Map locates Ain Amenas, Algeria where American hostages were taken

Norwegian Prime minister Jens Stoltenberg, right, and Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide, attend a press conference in Oslo regarding the attack on Statoil's plant in Algeria, where 13 Norwegians are among 17 workers who were taken as hostages, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. Militants said they attacked and occupied the field partly operated by the British energy company BP because of Algeria's support of France's operation against al-Qaida-linked Malian rebels groups to the southeast. (AP Photo/NTB Scanpix, Berit Roald) NORWAY OUT

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta pauses during a news conference in Rome, Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013. Panetta confirmed on Wednesday that American citizens are among the hostages taken by an Al Qaeda-linked group that seized a gas field in Algeria, calling the action a "terrorist attack," (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

(AP) ? In a desert standoff deep in the Sahara, the Algerian army ringed a natural gas complex where Islamist militants hunkered down with dozens of hostages Wednesday night after a rare attack that appeared to be the first violent shock wave from the French intervention in Mali.

A militant group that claimed responsibility said 41 foreigners, including seven Americans, were being held after the assault on one of oil-rich Algeria's energy facilities, 800 miles from the capital of Algiers and 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) from the coast. Two foreigners were killed.

The group claiming responsibility said the attack was in revenge for Algeria's support of France's military operation against al-Qaida-linked rebels in neighboring Mali. The U.S. defense secretary called it a "terrorist act."

The militants appeared to have no escape, with troops surrounding the complex and army helicopters clattering overhead.

The group ? called Katibat Moulathamine or the Masked Brigade ? phoned a Mauritanian news outlet to say one of its affiliates had carried out the operation at the Ain Amenas gas field, and that France should end its intervention in Mali to ensure the safety of the hostages.

BP, the Norwegian company Statoil and the Algerian state oil company Sonatrach, operate the gas field. A Japanese company, JGC Corp, provides services for the facility as well.

In Rome, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta declared that the U.S. "will take all necessary and proper steps" to deal with the attack in Algeria. He would not detail what such steps might be but condemned the action as "terrorist attack" and likened it to al-Qaida activities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and in the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

Algeria's top security official, Interior Minister Daho Ould Kabila, said that "security forces have surrounded the area and cornered the terrorists, who are in one wing of the complex's living quarters."

He said one Briton and one Algerian were killed in the attack, while a Norwegian and two other Britons were among the six wounded.

"We reject all negotiations with the group, which is holding some 20 hostages from several nationalities," Kabila said on national television, raising the specter of a possible armed assault to try to free the hostages.

The head of a catering company working on the base told the French Journal de Dimanche that helicopters were flying over the complex and the army waited outside. There were even reports of clashes between the two sides and a member of the militant group told the Mauritanian news outlet the Islamists had already repelled one assault by Algerian soldiers late Wednesday night.

It was not immediately possible to account for the discrepancies in the number of reported hostages. Their identities also were not clear, but Ireland announced that they included a 36-year-old married Irish man. Japan, Britain and the U.S. said their citizens were taken. A Norwegian woman said her husband called her saying that he had been taken hostage.

Hundreds of Algerians work at the plant and were also captured in the attack, but the Algerian state news agency reported they were gradually released unharmed Wednesday.

The Algerian minister said it seemed the militants were hoping to negotiate their departure from the area ? a notion he rejected. He also dismissed theories that the militants had come from Libya, a mere 60 miles (100 kilometers) away, or from Mali, more than 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) away.

Kabila said the roughly 20 well armed gunmen were from Algeria itself, operating under orders from Moktar Belmoktar, al-Qaida's strongman in the Sahara.

In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland confirmed that "U.S. citizens were among the hostages."

The caller to the Nouakchott Information Agency, which often carries announcements from extremist groups, said the kidnapping was carried out by "Those Who Signed in Blood," a group created to attack countries participating in the offensive against Islamist groups in Mali.

The Masked Brigade was formed by Belmoktar, a one-eyed Algerian who recently declared he was leaving the terror network's Algerian branch, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, to create his own group. He said at the time he would still maintain ties with the central organization based in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The name of his group could be a reference to the nomadic Tuareg inhabitants of the Sahara, known for masking their faces with blue veils.

A close associate of Belmoktar blamed the West for France's recent air and ground intervention against Islamist fighters in Mali.

"It's the United Nations that gave the green light to this intervention and all Western countries are now going to pay a price. We are now globalizing our conflict," Oumar Ould Hamaha told The Associated Press by telephone Wednesday night from an undisclosed location.

French President Francois Hollande launched the surprise operation in Mali, a former French colony in West Africa, on Friday, hoping to stop the al-Qaida-linked and other Islamist extremists whom he believes pose a danger to the world.

Further kidnappings could well be on the horizon, warned Sajjan Gohel, the international security director for the Asia-Pacific Foundation.

"The chances are that this may not be a one-off event, that there could be other attempts in Africa ? especially north and western Africa ? to directly target foreign interests," he said. "It's unclear as to what fate these individuals may meet, whether these terrorists are going to want a ransom or whether they'll utilize this for propaganda purposes."

Wednesday's attack in Algeria began with an ambush on a bus carrying employees from the massive gas plant to the nearby airport but the attackers were driven off, according to the Algerian government, which said three vehicles of heavily armed men were involved.

"After their failed attempt, the terrorist group headed to the complex's living quarters and took a number of workers with foreign nationalities hostage," the government said in a statement.

Attacks on oil-rich Algeria's hydrocarbon facilities are very rare, despite decades of fighting an Islamist insurgency, mostly in northern Algeria.

In the last several years, however, al-Qaida's influence in the poorly patrolled desert of southern Algeria and northern Mali and Niger has grown and the group operates smuggling and kidnapping networks throughout the area. Militant groups that seized control of a vast section of northern Mali last year already hold seven French hostages as well as four Algerian diplomats.

Prime Minister David Cameron's office said "several British nationals" were involved, while Japanese news agencies, citing unnamed government officials, said there are three Japanese hostages.

Late Wednesday, Statoil said five employees ?four Norwegians and a Canadian ? were safe at an Algerian military camp and two of them had suffered minor injuries. It said 12 employees were unaccounted for.

The Norwegian newspaper Bergens Tidende said a 55-year-old Norwegian working on the site called his wife to say he had been abducted.

Algeria had long warned against any military intervention against the rebels in northern Mali, fearing the violence could spill over its own long and porous border. Though its position softened slightly after Hollande visited Algiers in December, Algerian authorities remain skeptical about the operation and worried about its consequences on the region.

Algeria, Africa's biggest country, has been an ally of the U.S. and France in fighting terrorism for years. But its relationship with France has been fraught with lingering resentment over colonialism and the bloody war for independence that left Algeria a free country 50 years ago.

Algeria's strong security forces have struggled for years against Islamist extremists, and have in recent years managed to nearly snuff out violence by al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb around its home base in northern Algeria. In the meantime, AQIM moved its focus southward.

AQIM has made tens of millions of dollars off kidnapping in the region, abducting Algerian businessmen or politicians, and sometimes foreigners, for ransom.

_____

Paul Schemm reported from Rabat, Morocco. Associated Press writers Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Rukmini Callimachi in Bamako, Mali, Bradley Klapper in Washington, Jill Lawless in London, Elaine Ganely in Paris, Jan Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-16-Algeria-Kidnapping/id-d70c75fb3f7a46a88a41994139342a8d

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