Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/295672136?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Sunday, March 31, 2013
Russia Urges Restraint On North Korea's Threats
January 1951
Six months after invading North Korean forces started the Korean War, North Korean leader and founder Kim Il Sung says in a speech that U.S. and South Korean forces were the actual invaders and had prompted his army to retaliate. Kim vows to annihilate the North's enemies. <em>Caption: In this March 7, 2013 photo released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and distributed March 8, 2013 by the Korea News Service, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, uses binoculars to look at the South's territory from an observation post at the military unit on Jangjae islet, located in the southernmost part of the southwestern sector of North Korea's border with South Korea. (AP Photo/KCNA via KNS) </em>
January 1952
Kim Il Sung likens U.S. forces to Nazis and says that the war is turning into a mass grave for U.S. forces. <em>Caption: In this March 7, 2013 photo released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and distributed March 8, 2013 by the Korea News Service, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, walks with military personnel as he arrives for a military unit on Mu Islet, located in the southernmost part of the southwestern sector of North Korea's border with South Korea. (AP Photo/KCNA via KNS)</em>
May 1972
Kim Il Sung tells Harrison Salisbury and John Lee of The New York Times that because of perceived U.S. hostility, "we are always making preparations for war. We do not conceal this matter." <em>Caption: North Koreans attend a rally in support of a statement given on Tuesday by a spokesman for the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army vowing to cancel the 1953 cease-fire that ended the Korean War as well as boasting of the North's ownership of "lighter and smaller nukes" and its ability to execute "surgical strikes" meant to unify the divided Korean Peninsula, at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, on Thursday, March 7, 2013. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)</em>
March 1993
North Korea declares a "semi-state of war" to protest joint U.S.-South Korean war games that it says threaten its security. Amid a standoff with Washington over its nuclear program, it also threatens to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. <em>Caption: In this Dec. 12, 2012 file photo released by Korean Central News Agency, North Korea's Unha-3 rocket lifts off from the Sohae launch pad in Tongchang-ri, North Korea. (AP Photo/KCNA, File)</em>
1994
In an appearance of what will become a well-worn phrase, a North Korean negotiator threatens to turn Seoul into "a sea of fire." Fearing war, South Koreans clear store shelves of instant noodles, water, gas and other necessities. <em>Caption: Female North Korean traffic police officers gather in front of bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to pay their respects in Pyongyang, North Korea on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)</em>
September 1996
North Korea threatens "hundredfold and thousandfold retaliation" against South Korean troops who had captured or killed armed North Korean agents who had used a submarine to sneak into the South. <em>Caption: North Korean soldiers gather along a Pyongyang street during heavy snowfall on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)</em>
September 1996
North Korea threatens "hundredfold and thousandfold retaliation" against South Korean troops who had captured or killed armed North Korean agents who had used a submarine to sneak into the South. <em>Caption: A North Korean soldier smokes a cigarette as snow falls in Pyongyang on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)</em>
January 2002
After President George W. Bush labels North Korea part of an "axis of evil" with Iraq and Iran, Pyongyang calls the remark "little short of a declaration of war." North Korea's Foreign Ministry warns it "will never tolerate the U.S. reckless attempt to stifle the (North) by force of arms but mercilessly wipe out the aggressors." <em>Caption: A North Korean portrait photographer instructs North Korean soldiers to pose for a picture under a mosaic of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il at an exhibition in Pyongyang on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2013 where Kimjongilia flowers, named after Kim Jong Il, were on display. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)</em>
January 2010
North Korea's powerful National Defense Commission warns that the country will initiate a "retaliatory holy war" against South Korea over Seoul's alleged contingency plan to deal with potential unrest in the North. <em>Caption: A North Korean man stands next to a tractor and wagon on the edge of a snow covered field near the village of Ryongsan-ri, south of Pyongyang, North Korea on Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)</em>
May 2010
After a Seoul-led international investigation blames a North Korean torpedo for the sinking of a South Korea warship that killed 46 sailors, Pyongyang issues a denial and warns of a "prompt physical strike." In November 2010, the North attacked a front-line island, killing four South Koreans. <em>Caption: North Koreans cross a railroad bridge over a riverbed south of Mount Myohyang, and north of the capital city of Pyongyang, North Korea, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)</em>
November 2011
A day after South Korea conducts large-scale military drills near the island hit by the North in 2010, the North's Korean People's Army threatens to turn Seoul's presidential palace into a "sea of fire." <em>Caption: In this Feb. 16, 2013 image made from video, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, waves as he attends a statue unveiling ceremony at Mangyongdae Revolutionary School in Pyongyang, North Korea on the anniversary of late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's birthday. (AP Photo/KRT via AP Video)</em>
April 2012
North Korea holds a massive rally denouncing conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak as a "rat." It says he should be struck with a "retaliatory bolt of lightning" because of his confrontational approach toward Pyongyang. <em>Caption: Rows of North Korean children stand and salute at a sports arena in Pyongyang for a national meeting of the Children's Union on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Jon Chol Jin)</em>
June 2012
North Korea's military warns that troops have aimed artillery at seven South Korean media groups to express outrage over criticism in Seoul of ongoing children's festivals in Pyongyang. It threatens a "merciless sacred war." <em>Caption: South Korean army soldiers patrol along the barbed-wire fence near the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Paju, north of Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)</em>
October 2012
An unidentified spokesman at the powerful National Defense Commission warns that the U.S. mainland is within range of its missiles and says Washington's recent agreement to let Seoul possess missiles capable of hitting all of North Korea shows the allies are plotting to invade the North. <em>Caption: North Korean soldiers and others gather in front of bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to pay their respects in Pyongyang, North Korea on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)</em>
North Korean soldiers lay flowers at the base of bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to pay their respects in Pyongyang, North Korea on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013. North Koreans turned out to commemorate what would have been the 71th birthday of Kim Jong Il who died on Dec. 17, 2011. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/30/russia-north-korea-restraint-threats_n_2983660.html
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Saturday, March 30, 2013
Crowdsourcing the WUWT Paleoclimate Reference Page ? Continued
Photobucket.com ? Click the pic to view at source
Image Credit: Photobucket.com ? GISP2 ? Moberg ? Keigwin ? HadCRUT3
By WUWT regular ?Just The Facts?
During the first crowdsourcing thread for the under construction WUWT Paleoclimate Reference Page, we had a number solid recommendations and WUWT moderator D.B. Stealey dropped a virtual mountain of links into comments here and here. The result is that the original WUWT Paleoclimate Reference Page has more than doubled in size and continues to grow as more comments from the prior crowdsourcing thread are added. Given the large number of additions and the fact that we now have a number of near-duplicate graphs, it seemed prudent to continue this crowdsourcing exercise to gain further input on the validity and value of each and all of the graphs.
There?will likely be at least one more crowdsourcing thread for the?WUWT Paleoclimate Reference Page, in order to assess a number of the currently disputed, questionable and falsified graphs, including Briffa et al., 1998, Jones et al., 1998, Mann et al., 1998, Pollack et al., 1998, Jones et al., 1998, Mann et al., 1999, Mann et al., 2000, Briffa et al., 2001, Esper et al., 2002 and Jones and Mann 2004, AR4 section 6.6.1.1 2007 and Marcott et al. 2013. Note that two (1, 2) of the graphs currently on the Paleoclimate page have a Disputed label, as per this comment and Alley?s own graph, the x axis label should read Years Before Present (1950 AD) not (2000 AD)
However, disputes aside, a gigantic thank you to D.B. Stealey, and all of those who have contributed to the WUWT Paleoclimate Reference Page. The following are some of the new additions to the WUWT Paleoclimate Reference Page:
472 Years
Tony B ? Climate Etc. ? Click the pic to view at source
1,205 Years 800 ? 2005
BioCab.org ? Click the pic to view at source
2,000 Years
PLUSAF.com ? Click the pic to view at source
2,500 Years
Photobucket.com ? Click the pic to view at source
3,000 Years
Photobucket.com ? Click the pic to view at source
4,000 Years
GreenWorldTrust.org.uk ? Click the pic to view at source
10,000 Years GISP2 Ice Core
BP.Blogspot.com ? Click the pic to view at source
10,000 Years Vostok Ice Core
BP.Blogspot.com ? Click the pic to view at source
10,000 Years
WUWT ? Easterbrook Figure 5 ? Click the pic to view at source
10,000 Years Vostok Ice Core
McLean.ch ? Click the pic to view at source
10,000 Years GISP Hadley
Photobucket.com ? Click the pic to view at source
10,000 Years GISP Hadley
Photobucket.com ? Click the pic to view at source
10,000 Years GISP Hadley
WUWT ? GISP ? Hadley ? Click the pic to view at source
10,000 Years GISP
J. Esper et al. ? Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) ? Click the pic to view at source
++12,000 Years
JoNova.com ? Click the pic to view at source
20,000 Years
NOAA NCDC ? Click the pic to view at source
100,000 Years GISP2
Imageshack.com ? Click the pic to view at source
110,000 Years GISP2
University of New Hampshire ? Click the pic to view at source
118,000 Years
JoNova.com ? Click the pic to view at source
140,000 Years Antarctic/Vostok
BP.Blogspot.com ? Click the pic to view at source
140,000 Years
C3Headlines.Typepad.com ? Click the pic to view at source
140,000 Years
Wikipedia ? Click the pic to view at source
400,000 Years Antarctica/Vostok
APPINSYS.com ? Click the pic to view at source
420,000 Years
Arizona University ? Click the pic to view at source
423,000 Years Antarctic/Vostok
BP.Blogspot.com ? Click the pic to view at source
450,000 Years
EssayWeb.net ? Click the pic to view at source
450,000 Years
GlobalWarmingArt.com ? Click the pic to view at source
740,000 Years
The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) ? U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) ? Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) ? Click the pic to view at source
800,000 Years
Robert Bateman ? Click the pic to view at source
65,000,000 Years
ImageShack.us ? Click the pic to view at source
545,000,000 Years
570,000,000 Years
ImageShack.us ? Click the pic to view at source
4,500,000,000 Years
Biology Cabinet ? BioCab.com ? Click the pic to view at source
(Please note that WUWT cannot vouch for the accuracy of the data/graphics within this article, nor influence the format or form of any of the graphics, as they are all linked from third party sources and WUWT is simply an aggregator. You can view each graphic at its source by simply clicking on it.)
Please post your thoughts, recommendations, graphs, links, research, suggested graph titles, etc., for the <a href=?http://wattsupwiththat.com/reference-pages/global-weather-climate/paleoclimate/?>WUWT Paleoclimate Reference Page</a> in comments. Thanks JTF
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Source: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/03/30/crowdsourcing-the-wuwt-paleoclimate-reference-page-continued/
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How Ryan Gosling Became A Stunt Bike Badass For 'Pines'
'Place Beyond the Pines' stunt coordinator explains to MTV News how the star transformed into a daredevil.
By Kevin P. Sullivan
Ryan Gosling in "The Place Beyond the Pines"
Photo: Atsushi Nishijima/ Focus Features
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704551/ryan-gosling-place-beyond-the-pines-stunts.jhtml
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Republicans Blast Don Young, Demand an Apology
Don Young Alaska Congressman Don Young's use of racial slurs in reference to Latinos prompted a strong backlash from his fellow Republican Party members today as both House and Senate leaders demanded an apology from Young.
Young used the derogatory term "wetbacks" to refer to Latino workers on his father's ranch in an interview Thursday. His comments came only a few weeks after the Republican National Committee released a party "autopsy" report on the presidential election that outlined revitalization strategies, which included prioritizing Hispanic voter outreach.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas was the first to condemn the congressman's words:
"Migrant workers come to America looking for opportunity and a way to provide a better life for their families. They do not come to this country to hear ethnic slurs and derogatory language from elected officials. The comments used by Rep. Young do nothing to elevate our party, political discourse or the millions who come here looking for economic opportunity," Cornyn said in a statement.
House Speaker John Boehner followed quickly with a statement of his own:
"Congressman Young's remarks were offensive and beneath the dignity of the office he holds. I don't care why he said it - there's no excuse and it warrants an immediate apology."
Representative Joaquin Castro tweeted the following:
"@ castro4congress: Congressman Young, your words are disgusting. fb.me/F07xSx8T" @ repdonyoung
- Joaquin Castro(@JoaquinCastrotx) March 29, 2013
Sen. John McCain also responded online:
Don Young's comments were offensive and have no place in our Party or in our nation's discourse. He should apologize immediately
- John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) March 29, 2013
RNC Chair, Reince Priebus released this statement:
"The words used by Representative Young emphatically do not represent the beliefs of the Republican Party. As I have continued to say, everyone in this country deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Our party represents freedom and opportunity for every American and a beacon of hope to those seeking liberty throughout the world. Offensive language and ethnic slurs have no place in our public discourse."
Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi called for an apology from the congressman.
Congressman Young should fully apologize for deeply offensive comments that were not appropriate in his youth or now.
- Nancy Pelosi (@NancyPelosi) March 29, 2013
Alaskan Senator, Lisa Murkowski reassured constituents that she did not condone Young's comments on her Facebook page:
"I want to tell Alaskans that I've heard the reports of Don Young's interview. Regardless of the time or the context, that term is inappropriate and offensive."
Also ReadSource: http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-blast-don-young-demand-apology-192021851--abc-news-politics.html
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Friday, March 29, 2013
UK-Odd Summary
Restaurant meals for kids fail nutrition test - U.S. consumer group
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The menus offered to children by most U.S. restaurant chains have too many calories, too much salt or fat, and often not a hint of vegetables or fruit, according to a study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The group, which has agitated for everything from healthier popcorn at the movies to calorie labelling in supermarkets, found that among almost 3,500 combinations surveyed, kids' meals failed to meet nutritional standards 97 percent of the time.
Pennsylvania stadium aims to please fans with urinal video games
(Reuters) - Play doesn't need to stop for sports fans taking a bathroom break at a Pennsylvania minor-league baseball stadium that has installed video games in men's room urinals. The "hands-free" video game is played by directing oneself right or left in the urinals at the Lehigh Valley IronPigs' Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The game is aimed at increasing prostate health awareness.
Going, going, gone - dodo bone up for sale in London
LONDON (Reuters) - A rare four-inch fragment of a dodo bone will go on sale in Britain in April, around 300 years after the flightless bird and icon of obsolescence was hunted to extinction. Auctioneers Christie's said on Wednesday it was hoping to raise as much as 15,000 pounds ($22,600) for the piece of a bird's femur.
New York cop who toured with band charged with disability fraud
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A New York police officer was charged on Tuesday with mail fraud for allegedly claiming disability benefits for two years while at the same time performing and touring with his heavy metal band, "Cousin Sleaze," according to court documents. Christopher Inserra, an officer with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, was the lead singer with the Brooklyn band, whose "Sick Maniacs" album features such songs as "Infection" and "Walk of Shame," according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.
Battle rages over bones of England's Richard III
LONDON (Reuters) - King Richard III is at the centre of a new fight over the location of his final resting place, just weeks after the remains of the last English king to die in battle were found underneath a council car park. Archaeologists announced one of the most remarkable finds in recent English history last month when they confirmed the discovery of the body of Richard, who was slain at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, during excavations in Leicester.
"Shameful" sexist Ford car ads spark outrage in India
MUMBAI (Reuters) - A series of car ads, including one showing women bound and gagged in the trunk of a Ford driven by former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, has prompted Internet outrage in India and prompted an apology from Ford India. The ads came just days after India approved a tougher new law to punish sex crimes, following the fatal gang rape of a student in December. That attack sparked unprecedented protests over the treatment of women in the country.
"Panda-monium" as giant pandas arrive in Canada from China
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada got a taste of international panda diplomacy on Monday with the arrival of two "Very Important Pandas" at the start of a 10-year loan to two Canadian zoos. Speaking as the two giant pandas arrived in Toronto from China, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Junsai - who gave the animals the VIP designation - noted that when he started his posting in Canada two years ago, he was greeted only by the Canadian director of protocol.
Punxsutawney Phil charged with fraud for early spring forecast
CLEVELAND (Reuters) - With a snow storm expected to batter the Plains, Midwest and East Coast this weekend, a spring-deprived Ohio prosecutor is taking out his frustration with the long winter on a famous prognosticating groundhog. "I decided it was about time we indicted Punxsutawney Phil afor fraud," said Mike Gmoser, prosecutor in Ohio's Butler County, in an interview Friday.
Harvard stripped of quiz tournament titles
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts (Reuters) - Harvard University will be stripped of four national quiz championship titles after organizers found a competitor from the Ivy League school inappropriately accessed information about questions used in the tournament. The National Academic Quiz Tournaments said that a security review found that Harvard competitor Andy Watkins accessed pages on its administrative Website just before the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Intercollegiate Championship Tournaments or "Quiz Bowls".
100,000 Portuguese sign petition to keep ex-PM Socrates off TV
LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese state television channel RTP's plan to give former premier Jose Socrates a weekly commentary spot has sparked outrage, with 100,000 people signing a petition citing his "bad management" that led the country to take a bailout in 2011. "We, citizens and tax-payers, declare that we reject the presence of former Prime Minister Jose Socrates on any programme at RTP, television paid for by public funds of taxpayers suffering from the bad management of this gentleman," the Internet petition said.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-odd-summary-102513320.html
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
New album, NBC's "The Voice" make for awesome times for Blake Shelton
By Vernell Hackett
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - Country music singer Blake Shelton has never been one to shy away from his feelings, so when it came to recording his new album he sought out songs that reflected his current state of mind.
Life, he says, is "pretty awesome."
"It's all where I am in my life right now. I'm very content with my life. I'll be happy if it stays like this for a long time," Shelton, 36, told Reuters of his new album "Based on a True Story..."
After some 10 years in country music, Shelton's popularity has surged in his two years as a judge on NBC's "The Voice" singing contest, which is seen by about 13 million U.S. viewers a week.
The new album's first single, "Sure Be Cool If You Did," released in January, has already topped the U.S. country chart. "Based on a True Story...," released to coincide with the return of "The Voice" this week, is expected to debut near the top of next week's album chart.
"I didn't want to do any sad songs, damn it, but this is a country album so you have to do a couple," said Shelton.
"I had those years where I made those kinds of records and something will happen one of these days and it will be a part of my music again. But right now everything is pretty awesome," he added.
Shelton, 36, is the latest country star to break into the mainstream. His 2011 album "Red River Blue," reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, buoyed in part by the singer's laid-back, fun-loving role on the TV show.
On the new album, Shelton, who forms a country music power couple with singer-wife Miranda Lambert, sings about tried-and-true country themes, including good ol' boys, picking up girls, being in love, losing the love of his life and bad jobs.
"The album is the story of my life from start to finish and I thought 'That's what we should call it because it is based on a true story,'" Shelton said.
The singer, who won the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year in 2012, said he wants people to get to know his personality through his music and "The Voice."
"I guess if doing what I did got me that award, I better keep being that guy," said Shelton, whose biggest hits include 2009's "Hillbilly Bone" and 2004's "Some Beach."
Shelton has emerged as the face of the country music industry on "The Voice," in which he and three other judges compete with each other to mentor rising singers and help them win a record deal.
"I've always felt a responsibility to make sure that every step along the way is a good one for our industry," he said. "I'm proud to be that person on 'The Voice' that represents country music."
Shelton will be back in the country music spotlight on April 7 as host for the third consecutive year of the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas.
(Reporting by Vernell Hackett, editing by Eric Kelsey, Jill Serjeant and Jackie Frank)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/album-nbcs-voice-awesome-times-blake-shelton-163427960--finance.html
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Exclusive: Afghanistan says ready to work for peace without Pakistan help
Mar 26 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $3,787,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 3. Matt Kuchar $2,154,500 4. Steve Stricker $1,820,000 5. Phil Mickelson $1,650,260 6. Hunter Mahan $1,553,965 7. John Merrick $1,343,514 8. Dustin Johnson $1,330,507 9. Russell Henley $1,313,280 10. Kevin Streelman $1,310,343 11. Keegan Bradley $1,274,593 12. Charles Howell III $1,256,373 13. Michael Thompson $1,254,669 14. Brian Gay $1,171,721 15. Justin Rose $1,155,550 16. Jason Day $1,115,565 17. Chris Kirk $1,097,053 18. ...
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-afghanistan-says-ready-peace-without-pakistan-help-110327661.html
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Video: Bonobos: E-Fashioned and Tailored For Shipping
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/video/cnbc/51334572/
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Threshing mills make life less of a grind for West African women
Women farmers in West Africa are replacing manual pestle and mortars with grinding machines that save time and grueling labor.
A grinding machine halves the time and labor needed to thresh grain into flour for these women in Niger.
Courtesy of ICRISAT
EnlargeThe majority of women in developing countries rely on agriculture, and it is widely acknowledged that gender should be a major consideration in agricultural development for the rural poor.
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When we think of how to improve the situation for women farmers, we often focus on farming issues such as land rights, training, and access to better seeds and markets. But for many women, post-harvest chores entail a heavy work burden that needs to be relieved to improve their lives. Doing so could also improve their communities? resilience to drier climates.
The pestle and mortar are still the main tools used to grind staple cereals such as millet and sorghum in most sub-Saharan countries. But manually grinding grains is painful and time-consuming for rural women with relentless daily workloads in West Africa.
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and its partners have been working with women to try progressive technologies to ease their work burden. As part of the HOPE Project, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, women farmers like Z?nabou Halilou from Niger are replacing manual pestle and mortars with grinding machines that save time and labor.
"Before the mill was installed in our village, we manually processed all our grain,? says Halilou. ?Threshing, husking, and milling used to take about 16 hours of my daily time. Thanks to the mill I save nearly eight hours a day. This has made a big difference.
?I can now spend more time on food processing and have just started a poultry farm. I also have more time for my children. Instead of meals served very late or not at all, they now eat every night before going to bed,? she explains.
The time needed to prepare and process grain is a key criterion for smallholder farmers in choosing their crop. Saving several hours a day in millet preparation encourages farmers to grow this drought-tolerant crop. So introducing this post-harvest technology helps farmers become more resilient to drier climates.?
Under the CODEWA project funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, ICRISAT explored crop diversification strategies to help farmers in the Sahel region boost their resilience to drought. This includes encouraging them to grow highly drought-resistant traditional crops, such as fonio, the smallest millet and a major staple cereal crop in dryland regions of West Africa.
Very nutritious and fast growing ? it just needs six to eight weeks from sowing to harvest ? the grain is used to prepare porridge, couscous, bread, and beverages. But its tiny size (2,000 grains per gram) means women commonly spent hours threshing the grain.
Over the past decades, farmers have adopted other cereal crops that are easier to process, such as maize. But maize yields suffer in dry weather, leaving drought-affected farmers at risk of losing their harvest when water is scarce.
The dissemination of an award-winning fonio threshing machine that can prepare 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of grain in six minutes instead of two hours of hand pounding has been a driver to reintroduce the cultivation of this hardy cereal.
The World Bank, through its West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program Project, has recently funded the distribution and assessment of fonio-husking machines in Senegal. This is good news as fonio is often the only crop farmers succeed in harvesting in very dry climates.
Technologies that free women from manual threshing are also appreciated for other reasons. Halilou proudly shows off her hands.
?Threshing and husking used to make my hands very rough,? she says. ?Now that I use the mill, they are much smoother, and I am not ashamed to greet people with my hands.?
? This article originally appeared at AlertNet, a humanitarian news site operated by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
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As interest in kosher food surges, chefs take it gourmet
The market for kosher products is surging ? driven by growing interest among non-Jews ? and with it interest in making kosher cooking more upscale.?
Chef Yochanan Lambiase, who in 2004 established the world's first kosher culinary institute, explains what to look for in a fish at a shop in Jerusalem's Mahane Yehuda market.
Christa Case Bryant / The Christian Science Monitor
EnlargeThe press of humanity at Jerusalem?s Machane Yehuda market just might cause the uninitiated visitor to do a face-plant in a heap of eggplants.
Skip to next paragraph Christa Case BryantJerusalem bureau chief
Christa Case Bryant is The Christian Science Monitor's Jerusalem bureau chief, providing coverage on Israel and the Palestinian territories as well as regional issues.
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On the eve of Passover, which begins in Israel with tonight?s traditional seder meal, the?shuk?is jammed with everyone from hippie tourists to religious Jews with black hats and tight side curls. Amid the shouts of vendors and the swish of plastic bags, the ultra-Orthodox and ultra-modern jockey for everything from live fish to fresh garlic stalks to rich Israeli cheese and artisan breads. Nearly everything (except the bread) is labeled ?Kosher for Passover.?
?It?s the new and old noodling together. I love the feel of the past and the progression of the future,? says Yochanan Lambiase, a fifth-generation chef who fairly glides through the aisles of Machane Yehuda as he explores the magnificent palette with a small group of journalists. ?That?s very much Israeli society.??
While most of the shoppers here are Jewish, it?s no longer just Jews who are buying food grown and packaged in accordance with Jewish law, especially in North America.
Vegetarians, vegans, Hindus, Seventh-Day Adventists, and even Muslims have been increasingly choosing kosher products, driving a 64 percent growth in the US kosher market from 2003 to 2008, when it was estimated to be worth $12.5 billion. Since then the increase has been more gradual, but kosher foods remain one of the most steadily growing sectors of the expanding ethnic food market in North America, according to a March 2012 Agri-Trade Service report.?
?I feel the kosher food industry has reached a pinnacle, and now we have to move it into the 21st?century,? says chef Lambiase, who established the world?s first kosher culinary institute in the world here in Jerusalem in 2004 and is co-launching a new tour of the Mahane Yehuda market with?guide Cliff Churgin.
Mr. Lambiase sees himself as a pioneer of sorts. He was raised in a secular British home, and his kosher career was sparked by a love of cooking rather than of Jewish law, which forbids the consumption of pork and shellfish; requires that meat and dairy dishes be kept separate; and has strict rules governing the slaughter of animals.
But he quickly became drawn in by the religious aspects. ?Kosher isn?t anything to do with physical health, it has to do with spiritual health,? says Lambiase, who follows the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a Hasidic branch of Judaism.?Today, he sees other newly observant Jews as playing a role in bringing kosher food to the gastronomic attention of the world.
?I think there?s been a huge revival in Jewish religiosity over the past 10 years and ? Jewish people normally know what good food is and they?re not going to take [their non-Jewish friends] out for gefilte fish.??
He heads back to his culinary institute, journalists in tow. We are more adept with our pens than with chef's knives, but he and fellow kosher chef Zev Beck are patient.
Despite the cilantro flying, tomatoes squirting on chef Beck?s jeans, and a stray garlic bulb rolling under the stainless-steel tables, after a couple of hours the rich aroma of fresh bread,?shakshoukas?(poached eggs in a spicy tomato base), and broiled eggplants garnished with homemade tahina wafts through the school.
If Lambiase and Mr. Beck can teach even journalists to be kosher cooks, their prospects for expanding the global ranks of kosher chefs look promising.
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Monday, March 25, 2013
Senators Abandon 'Discriminatory' DOMA Before Supreme Court Arguments
Three Democratic senators have reversed their stance on the Defense of Marriage Act in the past three days before the Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the law that limits marriage to one man and one woman.
Sens. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., John "Jay" Rockefeller, D-W.V., and Mark Warner, D-Va., said today and Sunday that they no longer support a federal law banning gay marriage. The Supreme Court plans to hear oral arguments in a case challenging that law Wednesday, after it considers a law banning same-sex marriage in California Tuesday.
McCaskill made the announcement on her Tumblr blog Sunday.
"I have come to the conclusion that our government should not limit the right to marry based on who you love. While churches should never be required to conduct marriages outside of their religious beliefs, neither should the government tell people who they have a right to marry," McCaskill wrote. "Good people disagree with me. On the other hand, my children have a hard time understanding why this is even controversial. I think history will agree with my children."
McCaskill refused to take a hard stance on the issue in response to President Obama's coming out in favor of gay marriage in May, according to the Springfield, Mo.-based News Leader. The paper reported that she supported civil unions but had expressed opposition to same-sex marriage.
She was in good company. Only two Democrats in competitive Senate races publicly supported the president after his announcement.
Rockefeller was not facing re-election in 2012, but he would be next year if he were running again. The senator from West Virginia said in January that he plans to retire at the end of his term, leaving him just shy of three decades in office.
His statement today largely echoed McCaskill's.
"Like so many of my generation, my views on allowing gay couples to marry have been challenged in recent years by a new, more open generation. Churches and ministers should never have to perform marriages that violate their religious beliefs, but the government shouldn't discriminate against people who want to marry just because of their gender," Rockefeller said in a statement emailed to ABC News today.
"Younger people in West Virginia and even my own children have grown up in a much more equal society and they rightly push us to question old assumptions - to think deeply about what it means for all Americans to be created equal. This has been a process for me, but at this point I think it's clear that DOMA is discriminatory. I'm against discrimination in all its forms, and I think we can move forward in our progress toward true equality by repealing DOMA."
Rockefeller voted for DOMA when it passed under President Clinton in 1996. But in 2004, he voted against an amendment to the Constitution banning same-sex marriage, saying both his state and federal government already had laws limiting marriage to one man and one woman.
"I have heard from many West Virginians who are worried about morality in America," Rockefeller wrote after that vote. "They want to be sure that marriage is protected for themselves and for their children. I myself am not comfortable with same-sex marriage, and I want to assure every West Virginian that our definition of marriage - and our right to define marriage as we believe it - is not in jeopardy."
Sen. Warner announced his change of heart in a statement on his Facebook page.
"I support marriage equality because it is the fair and right thing to do," he reportedly wrote. "Like many Virginians and Americans, my views on gay marriage have evolved, and this is the inevitable extension of my efforts to promote equality and opportunity for everyone.
"I believe we should continue working to expand equal rights and opportunities for all Americans."
The three Senate Democrats join a long list of Republicans who have changed their minds about DOMA, many of whom now embrace the concept of gay marriage.
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, announced that he supports gay marriage, which followed his son's saying that he is gay. Several other politicians have referenced personal encounters with gay and lesbian family members as leading them to rethink their stances on the issue.
More than 80 upper-level Republicans also signed their support for same-sex marriage in an amicus brief for the Supreme Court last month.
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Hunt for bogus war heroes uncovers thousands of hoaxers
By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor
During the past decade, some 4,000 men have been exposed while posing as combat warriors to fool women, scam federal benefits and reap undeserved praise. But the latest fake veteran to be uncloaked and convicted will carry an unofficial military rank to prison: ?Captain Obvious.?
Danny Crane, 32, earned that colorful moniker from the man ? an actual wounded veteran ? who used his two basement computers and a loose, national network of fellow amateur sleuths to unravel Crane?s lies and ultimately hand him to federal prosecutors. Crane, who lived in the Tampa area, was sentenced March 14 to one year and one day in federal prison.
?His uniform was all wrong. The discharge papers he posted online were wrong. His mannerisms were wrong. The only thing he had right were his tattoos. He was Captain Obvious,? said retired Army Staff Sgt. Fred Campbell, one of 10 veterans who operate a nonprofit, virtual detective agency called Guardian of Valor.
?For four months, I was eating, sleeping and crapping Danny Russell Crane. My wife was getting sick of hearing about it,? said Campbell, who lives in Tennessee and has paralysis on one side, sustained as a result of his military service. ?Most of these guys do it for the hero worship. They see the accolades veterans get. So they just wake up one morning and say, ?Hey, I was a member of the Black Sheep Squadron!??
Crane, who served less than three months in the Army ? never in combat ? conned the Department of Veterans Affairs out of $7,000 by claiming he was half blind, had once been shot in the back, suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and had 24 metal plates inserted in his face. In public, he routinely wore two Purple Hearts, a Distinguished Flying Cross and an Air Medal ? none of them earned. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Kaiser said Crane concocted the persona of ?the most decorated man in Florida.?
Pinellas Country Sheriff's Offic
Danny Crane conned the Department of Veterans Affairs out of $7,000 by claiming he was half blind, had once been shot in the back, suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and had 24 metal plates inserted in his face.
?But in our world, the Danny Crane case is not unusual,? said Mary Schantag, a Marine widow who lives in Missouri and operates the Fake Warriors Project.?Since launching that veteran-vetting venture on a shoe-string budget in 1998, Schantag said her nonprofit group ? along with partners at similar sites ? has revealed more than 4,000 hoaxers who falsely claimed military service or battlefield glory. It?s unclear how many of those 4,000 frauds later were prosecuted. A VA spokesman said such cases are not tracked by the agency.
?We had 22 phonies in 1998. I can get 22 in 48 hours right now,? Schantag said. ?It?s all day, every day.?
Yet she complained that federal and state agencies often choose not to pursue charges against the bogus veterans, saying: ?The lack of prosecution and substantial penalties drives us all crazy.?
'Out of sync'
The Supreme Court last June?struck down the federal Stolen Valor Act, which prohibited people from falsely claiming they had been awarded a military honor. A majority of justices ruled that invented battlefield brags should be protected by the First Amendment right of free speech.?The behavior becomes criminal fraud, however, if the mock vets obtain money or gifts from charities or from the government by using their ruse.
Like Campbell, Schantag is intimate enough with military protocol to be able to quickly spot imposters who may post their boasts on social sites like Facebook or who show up to speak at veterans? ceremonies. For example, Crane simultaneously wore a Class A Uniform and Ray Ban sunglasses, which Schantag called ?out of sync.?
Courtesy of Mary Schantag
Before his passing last year, Chuck Schantag, a Marine corporal wounded in Vietnam, spent more than a decade working with his wife to expose fake veterans.
And like Campbell, she uses Internet background searches and files Freedom of Information Requests with government agencies to corroborate a suspicious veteran?s claimed history. She also taps her personal connections with Navy SEALS, Army Special Forces, even military chaplains to double check her detective work.
?We make sure everything is square before we put these guys out there as frauds,? Campbell said. ?We make sure they are 100 percent full of crap before we say anything negative toward them. We don?t do it to say, ?Ha, Ha, I just took this guy down.? We do it for the 18- and 19-year-olds who have lost every limb on their body but still go on.?
Last year, Schantag?s husband, Chuck, a Vietnam veteran wounded in 1968, passed away. Ferreting out military scammers had become one of his life?s passions. He was trying to sniff out an apparent new fraudster when he died. That case remains under scrutiny.
?He wanted history to be right,? said his widow. ?He was a Marine through-and-through. For every lying Marine we found out there, that guy was messing up his Corps.?
Related:
Obama urged to step in to fix VA backlog
Booted and banned: Former US troops battle to come home
New military medal for drone pilots under fire
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