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Monday, February 4, 2013

Iran's President Wants to be Country's 1st Astronaut

Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may be headed to space one day, if a recent public statement is to be believed.

Speaking at an exhibition of Iran's space achievements in Tehran, the Islamic Republic's president said he would be the first human launched to space aboard an Iranian rocket, the Mehr news agency reported.

"I am ready to be the first human to be sent to space by Iranian scientists," Ahmadinejad said.

The comment came just a week after Iran launched a live monkey into space inside a capsule named Pishgam ("Pioneer" in Farsi), which was lofted aboard a suborbital rocket.

"Sending living things to space is the result of Iranian efforts and dedication of thousands of Iranian professional scientists," Ahmadinejad said, according to the Mehr news agency.

Iranian officials said the monkey's launch was a scientific precursor to sending humans to space, though international experts have been skeptical, worrying that the same rocket technology used in these experiments could be applied to launch ballistic missiles carrying nuclear warheads.

Ahmadinejad dismissed those concerns and said Iranian scientists should be on the lookout for international sabotage efforts on its space program, according to the Mehr news agency.

"We should admit that some [powers] do not tolerate Iranian greatness and growth. Iranians [have] incited devils' hatred by Iranian idealism, perfectionism, and being human," he said.

If Ahmadinejad does eventually go to space, he will not be the first Iranian to do so. That distinction is held by Iranian-American engineer and entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari, who paid to visit the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft in 2006. She was the first, and so far the only, female space tourist.

Follow Clara Moskowitz on Twitter?@ClaraMoskowitz?or SPACE.com?@Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook?&?Google+.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-president-wants-countrys-1st-astronaut-152253503.html

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Sunday, February 3, 2013

Berlusconi: if I win, Italians get home tax back

Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi delivers his speech at a gathering of supporters in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 3, 2013. Berlusconi is promising Italians if they vote him back into office that he will not only abolish an unpopular tax on primary residences, but he'll refund property taxes Premier Mario Monti's government made them pay in 2012. Berlusconi abolished the tax when last elected premier in 2008, but Monti, who replaced him in 2011 as Italy sunk into the Eurozone debt crisis, revived it to help fill state coffers. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, foreground, sits in front of Northern League party's leader Roberto Maroni, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Silvio Berlusconi says Benito Mussolini did much good, except for dictator's regime's anti-Jewish laws. Berlusconi also defended Mussolini for siding with Hitler, saying the late fascist leader likely reasoned that German power would expand so it would be better for Italy to ally itself with Germany. He was speaking to reporters Sunday on the sidelines of a ceremony in Milan to commemorate the Holocaust. When Germany's Nazi regime occupied Italy during World War II, thousands from the tiny Italian Jewish community were deported to death camps. In 1938, before the war's outbreak, Mussolini's regime passed anti-Jewish laws, barring them from universities and many professions, among other bans. Berlusconi called the laws Mussolini's "worst fault" but insisted that in many other things, "he did good." (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

ROME (AP) ? Media mogul Silvio Berlusconi on Sunday promised Italians that if they vote him back into office, he will abolish an unpopular tax on primary residences and refund property taxes Premier Mario Monti's government made them pay in 2012 as a key austerity measure to rescue the country from the eurozone debt crisis.

Berlusconi abolished the tax in 2008, when he was elected for a third term as premier, to fulfill a campaign promise. But the tax was immediately revived when Monti, an economist and former European Union commissioner, replaced him in 2011 as Italy sunk deeper into the debt crisis.

Berlusconi is a 76-year-old populist trying for a political comeback despite a recent criminal conviction for tax fraud and other judicial woes, including a trial in which he is charged with paying for sex with an underage teenage girl. He claims he is the innocent victim of prosecutors he contends sympathize with the left.

He told a gathering of applauding supporters in Milan that the property tax so spooked Italians that they cut back on buying consumer goods, and quit investing, aggravating the economic crisis in recession-mired Italy.

"This tax caused Italian families worry, anxiety, fear of the future," Berlusconi said, contending that tax so depressed the real estate market that 360,000 people become unemployed, including bricklayers, artisans, locksmiths and electricians.

He insisted the revenue lost by reimbursing homeowners the ?4 billion ($5.4 billion) they paid in property taxes could be compensated by eliminating state financing for political parties, raising taxes on non-essential goods like cigarettes and lottery tickets, and taxing Italians' financial instruments' income in Switzerland.

Cost-cutting measures to compensate the lost revenue would also include halving the number of legislators, a proposed reform that has gone nowhere including during Berlusconi's tenure in the premier's office.

The populist's center-right forces trail a center-left coalition in opinion polls before Feb. 24-25 elections. Monti, heading a centrist ticket, trails even farther back, but his forces could prove to hold the key to forming a coalition since no one ticket is expected to get enough seats in Parliament to govern alone.

Berlusconi didn't mention that his Freedom People legislators in Parliament approved nearly all of Monti's austerity measures, including the same property tax he is now vowing to eliminate at his first Cabinet meeting should he be victorious at the ballot box.

With the economy stagnant, unemployment rising and Italians growing weary of sacrifices imposed by the government, Berlusconi withdrew his party's support for Monti late last year, forcing elections to be called about two months ahead of time.

Monti sarcastically commented on Berlusconi's promise to reimburse property owners for the tax paid last year. "He's magnificent," Monti told reporters. "Berlusconi governed for so many years and maintained none, any of his promises," including one to reduce income taxes.

"What's more, he created many problems, so much so that he had to leave" office, Monti added. While Berlusconi is trying to be elected premier for the fourth time, "Italians have good memories, I believe," Monti said.

Berlusconi has been coy on whether he would be premier again should his forces should win the election. On Sunday, he added a new twist, saying he would be economy minister, joking that he would hold that post if his top aide "would let him."

Front-runner Pier Luigi Bersani has seen a slight drop in support in the polls for his center-left campaign coalition, possibly because of fallout from a widening scandal involving an Italian bank whose board included some backers from his Democratic Left Party. Running third in some polls and ahead of Monti is a comic and political agitator, Beppe Grillo.

The same polls have found that roughly a third of eligible voters saying they are either undecided or won't vote.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-03-Italy-Berlusconi/id-76220f5a1d684cb2a09d3351893aba15

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How to read plug-in hybrid specifications

As any politician (or plug-in hybrid car company) will tell you, you can always find a set of numbers to work in your favor, Ernst writes.?The key to a wise plug-in hybrid purchase is doing your homework ahead of time, then basing your decision on the facts most relevant to you.?

By Kurt Ernst,?Guest blogger / February 3, 2013

A 2012 Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle is parked at the solar-powered electric charging station at General Motors Co's assembly plant in Hamtramck, Mich.

Rebecca Cook/Reuters/File

Enlarge

We?re going to let you in on a little insider?s secret: when manufacturers are shilling their wares, they tend to favor statistics that illustrate their own version of the truth.

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The website focuses on the auto industry?s future, the evolution of cars beyond fossil fuels, and the green movement's relevance to car shoppers today. For more stories on green cars, click here.

N.Y. model transforms historic Scottdale house into B&B | TribLIVE

By JoAnne Klimovich Harrop

Published: Friday, February 1, 2013, 9:06?p.m.
Updated 7 hours ago

Having worked all over the world for her modeling career, Pat Hill has stayed in many cookie-cutter hotel rooms.

?I have traveled all my life and know the loneliness of waking up alone in a hotel room,? says Hill, a North Huntingdon native and Norwin High School graduate. ?That is no fun. There were times I was jet-lagged and just wanted something to eat, but the restaurant was closed and all that was available was a vending machine.?

As the owner of South Broadway Manor in Scottdale, Hill's passion is to ensure travelers' comfort. At least, those who visit the transformed 1904 historic house, which opened as a quaint bed and breakfast in December.

It was by chance that Hill bought the house. She says reached up to scratch her head at an antique auction, and accidentally placed the winning bid. The purchase price was $47,000 in 1986.

Since then, the house has been used primarily as a private residence, with most of Hill's immediate family and other relatives having lived in the home.

?I wasn't even looking to buy any antiques,? Hill says. ?But my sister really loved the house, so she was excited I had just bought it. I am glad I did, because it is such a beautiful house.?

Hill spent years and $1 million restoring the house, including removing coal soot from brick and mortar, replacing the slate roof and using antique stained glass in the windows. The mansion's rehab has been kept as close to the original as possible, maintaining its architectural integrity while updating safety standards.

?We want people to feel welcome the minute they step inside the house,? says Rick Bruckner, co-innkeeper and co-chef with his wife, June. ?We like to say we offer Old World charm with today's amenities. There are so many places in this house where I keep looking because you don't see detail like that many other places.?

Rooms range from $125 to $145 per night, which includes a gourmet breakfast, such as French toast strata and asparagus, mushroom & Canadian bacon frittata.

Hill is only the second owner of the house. J.B. Brennen, a coke-and-coal industrialist, built the house for his growing family.

?It has been a labor of love for me,? says Hill, whose boyfriend suggested she make the place a bed and breakfast. ?I want to create a family atmosphere for everyone who stays there. I want them to feel at home. I want them to know there is food around if they want something to eat or someone to talk to.?

Hill relies on the Bruckners to take care of the place, because she lives in New York where she works as a perfect size 8 fit model. Designers use individuals such as Hill as prototypes for their collections.

But she often visits the manor.

?Pat is so down-to-earth,? June Bruckner says. ?She is so nice. She really cares about us and the people who will be staying at South Broadway Manor. We have some really fun things to offer. It's a pretty amazing house.?

June Bruckner's background includes executive chef of a vegetarian restaurant, The Walnut Street Lodge in Sharpsville. She is an expert in preparing vegan, macrobiotic and gluten-free dishes. She's been a personal chef for many years. Rick Bruckner's experience includes culinary program director of a post-secondary culinary school. They have a 10-year-old son, Tristan.

Both are graduates of the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh. That is how Hill found them.

Hill says she feels like she has known the Bruckners for years.

?I didn't want just a chef who would stand in the kitchen,? Hill says. ?I wanted someone with personality and wonderful business sense, and I also wanted someone who is good with public relations. And then I met Rick and June. ... And they were all that and so much more. I love the aura they both bring to the home.?

The main floor includes a parlor, living room and dining room that seats 15 comfortably. Guests will see everything from original lead-crystal glass in the door to crystal chandeliers, including one where every piece is unique. The parlor features a 1650 painting of Bacchus, the god of wine and celebration.

One of the bedrooms, the Copper Room, is on the main floor. It features embossed copper ceilings and a queen-size bed. Adjoining the room is a hand-painted English trellis half bath.

Upstairs, the Victorian Room comfortably sleeps four. Take a bubble bath in the original elongated claw-foot tub with chrome and mother-of-pearl fixtures and pedestal sink.

The Federal Room, a three-room master suite, features a display of Union Civil War and French & Indian War patterned uniforms, circa 1902. A ?Blood and Fire? flag, motto of the Salvation Army, a 58-caliber Springfield cap-and-ball rifle model circa 1860, as well as canteens, a bugle and other memorabilia are on display. It also has a mahogany fireplace and solid oak doors.

The Crystal Rose Room includes Louis XVI-style French paintings. It is named after the original crystal chandelier and crystal bath fixtures.

Jim Anderson, who lives in Philadelphia and flies in for business at Crown Cork & Seal in Connellsville, is a frequent guest.

?The bed and breakfast is quite charming,? he says. ?Rick, the executive chef and innkeeper, is cordial and goes out of his way to ensure the guests are satisfied. The food is excellent, and it is an absolute delight to stay here.?

?We want to set ourselves apart and give guests an incredible dining experience to go with an incredible lodging experience,? Rich Bruckner says. ?We know you can stay at any number of local hotels, but we want to make this your place to stay. We want them to feel like they are a guest in our home. We want to give them an experience they can remember the rest of their lives.?

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. She can be reached at jharrop@tribweb.com or 412-320-7889.

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Source: http://triblive.com/aande/moreaande/3308613-74/manor-hill-broadway

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Friday, February 1, 2013

Smackelibang skinny swede minimalist wallet review

The idea of minimalism it not new, but its popularity has grown in recent years into an entire life philosophy for some.? One personal item that seems to find its way into many discussions on minimalism is the ubiquitous wallet.? Slim or “skinny” wallets are all the rage these days, with frustrated gents attempting to [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/01/31/smackelibang-skinny-swede-minimalist-wallet-review/

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Some plants are altruistic, too, new study suggests

Feb. 1, 2013 ? We've all heard examples of animal altruism: Dogs caring for orphaned kittens, chimps sharing food or dolphins nudging injured mates to the surface. Now, a study led by the University of Colorado Boulder suggests some plants are altruistic too.

The researchers looked at corn, in which each fertilized seed contained two "siblings" -- an embryo and a corresponding bit of tissue known as endosperm that feeds the embryo as the seed grows, said CU-Boulder Professor Pamela Diggle. They compared the growth and behavior of the embryos and endosperm in seeds sharing the same mother and father with the growth and behavior of embryos and endosperm that had genetically different parents.

"The results indicated embryos with the same mother and father as the endosperm in their seed weighed significantly more than embryos with the same mother but a different father," said Diggle, a faculty member in CU-Boulder's ecology and evolutionary biology department. "We found that endosperm that does not share the same father as the embryo does not hand over as much food -- it appears to be acting less cooperatively."

A paper on the subject was published during the week of Jan. 21 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Co-authors on the study included Chi-Chih Wu, a CU-Boulder doctoral student in the ecology and evolutionary biology department and Professor William "Ned" Friedman, a professor at Harvard University who helped conduct research on the project while a faculty member at CU-Boulder.

Diggle said it is fairly clear from previous research that plants can preferentially withhold nutrients from inferior offspring when resources are limited. "Our study is the first to specifically test the idea of cooperation among siblings in plants."

"One of the most fundamental laws of nature is that if you are going to be an altruist, give it up to your closest relatives," said Friedman. "Altruism only evolves if the benefactor is a close relative of the beneficiary. When the endosperm gives all of its food to the embryo and then dies, it doesn't get more altruistic than that."

In corn reproduction, male flowers at the top of the plants distribute pollen grains two at a time through individual tubes to tiny cobs on the stalks covered by strands known as silks in a process known as double fertilization. When the two pollen grains come in contact with an individual silk, they produce a seed containing an embryo and endosperm. Each embryo results in just a single kernel of corn, said Diggle.

The team took advantage of an extremely rare phenomenon in plants called "hetero-fertilization," in which two different fathers sire individual corn kernels, said Diggle, currently a visiting professor at Harvard. The manipulation of corn plant genes that has been going on for millennia -- resulting in the production of multicolored "Indian corn" cobs of various colors like red, purple, blue and yellow -- helped the researchers in assessing the parentage of the kernels, she said.

Wu, who cultivated the corn and harvested more than 100 ears over a three-year period, removed, mapped and weighed every individual kernel out of each cob from the harvests. While the majority of kernels had an endosperm and embryo of the same color -- an indication they shared the same mother and father -- some had different colors for each, such as a purple outer kernel with yellow embryo.

Wu was searching for such rare kernels -- far less than one in 100 -- that had two different fathers as a way to assess cooperation between the embryo and endosperm. "It was very challenging and time-consuming research," said Friedman. "It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, or in this case, a kernel in a silo."

Endosperm -- in the form of corn, rice, wheat and other crops -- is critical to humans, providing about 70 percent of calories we consume annually worldwide. "The tissue in the seeds of flowering plants is what feeds the world," said Friedman, who also directs the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard. "If flowering plants weren't here, humans wouldn't be here."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Colorado at Boulder.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

K. Baruch, N. Ron-Harel, H. Gal, A. Deczkowska, E. Shifrut, W. Ndifon, N. Mirlas-Neisberg, M. Cardon, I. Vaknin, L. Cahalon, T. Berkutzki, M. P. Mattson, F. Gomez-Pinilla, N. Friedman, M. Schwartz. CNS-specific immunity at the choroid plexus shifts toward destructive Th2 inflammation in brain aging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211270110

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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/rtVW7CsHjnc/130201132334.htm

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Video: Caskets for Obese People

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50657906/

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