[OOC] Mass Effect: Colossus Project

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Michael Frayn's Fast and Furious Backstage Sex Comedy ?Noises ...

PlayMakers Repertory Company will present Michael Frayn's uproarious backstage comedy, "Noises Off," on April 4-8, 11-15, and 18-22 in the Paul Green Theatre in the Center for Dramatic Art at UNC-Chapel Hill

PlayMakers Repertory Company will conclude its 2011-12 main-stage season with Noises Off, English playwright, screenwriter, and novelist Michael Frayn?s zany 1982 backstage comedy, performed at a breakneck pace with plenty of slapstick, including flying sardines, on April 4-8, 11-15, and 18-22 in the Paul Green Theatre in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?s Center for Dramatic Art.

?I?ve seen several productions of Noises Off through the years, including the Broadway revival (2001) and a few regional productions,? recalls PlayMakers guest director Michael Michetti. ?But I?ve never directed the play before, though it has always been on my ?wish list.??

He adds, ?I think Noises Off is an impeccably crafted play, probably the greatest farce since Feydeau. There?s a good reason the play has been so often produced ? it?s simply one of the funniest things ever written for the stage. And on top of that, it truly is a love letter to the theater.

?Michael Frayn has drafted nine characters who are all tremendously flawed yet lovable, and all immediately recognizable types from the world of the theater,? claims Michetti. ?As the conflicts arise and the circumstances make performing the play-within-the-play seemingly impossible, the old showbiz axiom ?The show must go on!? is put to the test, and somehow these tenacious characters do go on. That?s what I love about actors, and that?s what I love about this play.?

After premiering in1982 at the Lyric Theatre in London, Noises Off made its Broadway debut, directed by Michael Blakemore, on Dec. 11, 1983 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, where it played for 553 performances before closing on April 6, 1985. Nominated for four 1984 Tony Awards?, including Best Play and Best Direction of a Play, Noises Off won the 1984 Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Director of a Play and Outstanding Ensemble Work.

The 1992 motion-picture version of Noises Off, directed by Peter Bogdanovich from a screenplay by Michael Frayn and Marty Kaplan, starred Carol Burnett as Dotty Otley, Michael Caine as Lloyd Fellowes, and John Ritter as Garry Lejeune.

When Noises Off begins, says Los Angeles director Michael Michetti, ?We are watching the opening moments of a [fictional] British bedroom farce entitled Nothing On. Toward the end of her opening monologue, Dotty Otley (Susan Cella) is interrupted by Lloyd Dallas (Jeffrey Blair Cornell), the director of the play-within-the-play.

?We quickly realize that we are, in fact, watching the final dress rehearsal of Nothing On,? explains Michetti, ?and we?re soon introduced to the other members of the acting company: inarticulate Garry Lejeune (Matthew Schneck), pretty but dim Brooke Ashton (Katie Paxton), apologetic Frederick Fellows (Scott Ripley), busybody Belinda Blair (Andrea Cirie) and hearing impaired Selsdon Mowbray (Ray Dooley), as well as the overworked stage manager Tim Allgood (Brandon Garegnani) and assistant stage manager Poppy Norton-Taylor (Kelsey Didion).?

Michetti says, ?In Act One, we see some of the potential conflicts begin to arise as they continue to rehearse the play. By Act Two, they have been on the road for four weeks; and tensions amongst the company have reached the boiling point. We see the same portion of Nothing On performed that we saw in Act One, but this time the perspective is shifted (the set has been turned 180 degrees), and we?re watching the play from the vantage point of backstage.

?While the play is performed on the other side of the set (we hear the dialogue and catch glimpses of it through windows and doors),? says Michetti, ?we watch the actors dealing with a play gone awry, fighting one another, and scrambling to make their next entrances on time ? all played out silently.

?By Act Three, they?re playing their final performance after 12 weeks on the road ? the set is again turned forward; and this time we see the play fall apart before our very eyes, while the determined actors all try in vain to keep it together,? Michael Michetti says.

In addition to director Michael Michetti, the PlayMakers Repertory Company creative team for Noises Off includes PRC producing artistic director Joseph Haj, assistant director Lavina Jadhwani, production manager Michael Rolleri, scenic designer McKay Coble, costume designer David Mickelsen, lighting designer Charlie Morrison, sound designer/engineer Ryan J. Gastelum, dramaturg Mark Perry, and stage manager Sarah Smiley.

Guest director Michael Michetti

Director Michael Michetti says, ?The set is a two-story English country home from the 16th century. And of course, because it?s a farce, there?s a stairway and a whopping total of eight doors. McKay Coble, our scenic designer, has created a set that?s a loving homage to theatrical design and construction from days gone by.

?These days a set like this would probably be constructed of steel,? says Michetti, ?and surfaces like the stone would be covered in dimensional products (like vacuform) for a greater sense of realism. But because we have set this production in the late 1970s (when Michael Frayn began writing Noises Off, and the period when bedroom farces were most popular), [scenic designer McKay Coble] has chosen to have the set constructed of wood, and the surfaces all painted with traditional scenic painting techniques. This becomes even more apparent in Act Two when the set is turned around.?

Michetti adds, ?The main portion of the set is on a turntable and rotates 180 degrees so that we see the back, from the perspective of backstage. It?s at this point that we see all the scenic construction techniques most clearly?.

?The lighting for Acts One and Three look like conventional comedy lighting ? bright and warm colors, with a few traditional techniques like footlights, which are no longer in fashion as they were in the 1970s,? explains Michetti. ?In Act Two, however, we?re watching the action from backstage, so lighting designer Charlie Morrison is lighting the act to contrast between the cooler, dimmer atmosphere of the backstage world, and the bright, warm stage lighting on the other side of the set.

?Because of the decision to set the play in the late 1970s, our costume designer David Mickelsen has a great opportunity to poke fun at the fashions of that period,? says Michetti., ?and I think the costumes are good for a few laughs on their own. Surprisingly, lots of these clothes are back in style now, so David has been able to find many of them new and off the rack. But expect to see platform shoes and flared trousers and topstitching and a number of other kitschy fads of the period?.

?Staging a farce is always complicated because of the challenges of the physical activity (lots of climbing stairs and slamming doors) and the need for a frenetic pace and clockwork timing,? claims director Michael Michetti. ?But the challenges of Noises Off are increased because of the layers of reality ? the ?on stage? farce of Nothing On, and the unintentional, off stage farce of Noises Off. Those contrasts require differentiation between characters as well as subtle shifts in the playing style, all of which pose additional challenges for the actors. Which, I might add, they?re handling remarkably.?

He adds, ?I warned my cast early on that I don?t do ?pity laughs? ? those laughs that members of the production team often do in the rehearsal room whether or not the moment is truly funny, intended to buoy the actors. But the great joy of this play and this brilliant cast is that they do make me laugh ? I have found myself frequently laughing myself silly in the rehearsal room. So I hope you?ll come prepared to leave your troubles behind and have a great, lighthearted night at the theater.?

PlayMakers Repertory Company presents NOISES OFF at 7:30 p.m. April 4-6 Previews, 7:30 p.m. April Opening Night Gala, 2 p.m. April 8, 7:30 p.m. April 10-13, 2 and 7:30 p.m. April 14, 2 p.m. April 15, 7:30 p.m. April 17-21, and 2 p.m. April 22 in the Paul Green Theatre in the Center for Dramatic Art, 120 Country Club Rd., Chapel Hill, NC 27514, on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus.

TICKETS: $10-$35, except $45 evening show and gala reception on April 7th.

BOX OFFICE: 919-962-PLAY (7529), prcboxoffice@unc.edu, or http://playmakersrep.org/tickets.

GROUP RATES (15+ tickets): 919-843-2311, miwashin@email.unc.edu, or http://playmakersrep.org/tickets/groupsales.

SHOW: http://www.playmakersrep.org/noisesoff.

STUDY GUIDE (compiled by the Utah Shakespeare Festival):? http://www.bard.org/education/studyguides/Noises/noises.html.

PRESENTER: http://www.playmakersrep.org/.

BLOG (PlayMakers Page to Stage): http://playmakersrep.blogspot.com/.

VENUE: http://www.playmakersrep.org/aboutus/paulgreen.

DIRECTIONS: http://www.playmakersrep.org/visitorinfo.

PARKING: http://playmakersrep.org/visitorinfo/currentparking.

NOTE 1: There will be FREE post-performance discussions with representatives of the show?s creative team, including designers, production staff, and/or actors on Wednesday, April 11th, and Sunday, April 15th.

NOTE 2: There will be a 10:30 a.m. $8.50-per-person student matinee on Thursday, April 12th; but it is SOLD OUT. For details, click http://www.playmakersrep.org/outreach/matinees.

NOTE 3: There will be an open-captioned performances at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 14th (click http://playmakersrep.org/outreach/allaccess/opencaption for details).

NOTE 4: Arts Access, Inc. of Raleigh (http://www.artsaccessinc.org/) will audio describe the 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 17th, show, which will also be sign-language interpreted (click http://www.playmakersrep.org/outreach/allaccess for more information about these All Access Performances).

NOTE 5: The N.C. Psychoanalytic Foundation (http://www.ncpsychoanalysis.org/), the Lucy Daniels Foundation (http://www.ldf.org/home/), and the North Carolina Psychoanalytic Society (http://www.ncpsasoc.org/) will sponsor ?Mindplay: A 50-minute Hour,? a FREE psychoanalytic discussion led by Roni Cohen, PhD, after the 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 21st, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 22nd, performances.

OTHER LINKS:

The Play: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noises_Off (Wikipedia) and http://www.ibdb.com/show.php?ID=6602 (Internet Broadway Database).

The Script: http://books.google.com/ (Google Books).

The Film: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105017/ (Internet Movie Database).

The Playwright/Screenwriter: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Frayn (Wikipedia), http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=7726 (Internet Broadway Database), and http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0292450/ (Internet Movie Database).

The Director: http://www.playmakersrep.org/performances/embed_artist.aspx?id=8149fef0-9b74-4df8-997f-099ab2862aa1 (PlayMakers Repertory Company).

EDITOR?S NOTE:

Robert W. McDowell is editor and publisher of Triangle Theater Review, a FREE weekly e-mail theatrical newsletter that provides more comprehensive, in-depth coverage of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill theater than all of the other news media combined. This preview is reprinted with permission from Triangle Theater Review.

To start your FREE subscription to this newsletter, e-mail RobertM748@aol.com and type SUBSCRIBE TTR in the Subject: line.

To read all of Robert W. McDowell?s Triangle Theater Review previews and reviews online at Triangle Arts & Entertainment, click http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/author/robert-w-mcdowell/.

Tagged as: Michael Frayn, Michael Michetti, Noises Off, Paul Green Theatre, Playmakers, PlayMakers Rep, PlayMakers Repertory Company, PRC

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Conquering Colorectal Cancer: Prevention, Early Detection Key to ...

When Julio R. Becerra, 56, was diagnosed with colon polyps following a routine colonoscopy in 2009, he was asked to follow up with another test in two years. Following his doctor?s advice last year, a tumor was detected and removed by Joaquin Estrada, MD, colorectal surgeon at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Julio shares his story to encourage others to undergo their recommended screenings. www.advocatehealth.com

This entry was posted on Friday, March 30th, 2012 at 6:06 pm and is filed under Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

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Turntable

Have you ever wanted to DJ a party, but lacked the skills to master the wheels of steel? Turntable, a streaming music service, lets you become a virtual Grandmaster Flash by spinning your favorite records (albeit without the scratching, cross-fading, and other DJ skills) in listening rooms filled with open-eared music fans who judge your taste. Turntable is an unusual streaming music service for sure, but it's also one that you should check out if you fancy a social music experience that's different from Editors' Choice award winners Songza (Free, 4 stars) and Spotify (Free, 4.5 stars).

Diggin' Through the Crates
Turntable features themed listening rooms (think "80s Rock"), which are locations in which other users create the soundtrack that provides the backdrop to your work day, commute, or chillax time. You can passively partake of the audio or become a DJ yourself, which is where the fun lies. After logging in with your Facebook or Twitter account (the only method by which you can sign up), you can either enter a previously created room or create your own (and set it as a public venue open to all, or a private, unlisted place).

Each listening room features a DJ area where up to five users play the disc jockey role. DJs and listeners are represented by cartoony South Park-like avatars. You can change the default avatar to one of a handful of others by visiting Settings, and unlock more by purchasing them with DJ points?more on that later. Unique, custom avatars are reserved for users who have verified accounts. Still, I wondered if Turntable is limiting its scope by potentially turning off listeners who don't dig the cartoon visuals.

Droppin' the Needle
If you want to DJ, there must be an open spot available in the turntable area (a yellow bubble that says "Play Music" appears over it), and you must have songs in your queue. You will move to the stage if you click the yellow bubble. The DJs each play a song in order from left to right, and when it's your turn to spin, the first song in your queue will play (there's a handy song search engine feature built into each room). If there isn't an open DJ spot in a room, you have to wait for one to one up. In rooms, the DJs spun a track or two and then left, opening up new DJ slots quickly. But one time, I waited over an hour to DJ. Needless to say, it was quite frustrating. Turntable needs a time limit for the length of time someone can spin.

Each avatar stands behind a DJ table bobbing his or her head while they spin a song on a "turntable," which in this case is their method of accessing the Turntable service. For example, if a user is interacting with Turntable on a PC, the avatar DJs on a laptop with a Windows logo on its lid?a nice personalized touch. You can see each DJ's username, DJ Points, number of fans, and the option to become a fan when you mouse over the avatar.

Turntable features clear audio that streamed smoothly over my wireless connection. You can adjust the music volume or outright mute the tunes when you mouse over the speakers that flank the turntable area. The service, like Songza, lacks lyrics and the ability to listen to full albums on demand. It also lacks true DJ features like scratching, mixing, and crossfading.

Between the speakers, on the front of the DJ table, is a marquee that displays the currently playing song's name, artist, and time. Mousing over that displayed music purchasing options. For example, clicking the iTunes icon while Aerosmith and RUN-DMC's "Walk This Way" opened that song's iTunes Music Store purchase page.

Unfortunately, if there aren't enough DJs in a room, you're only able to hear a short track preview. The people in attendance, however, hear the full track, which is lame. You can, however, invite others to become DJs to flesh out the ranks.

Head-bobbing avatars represent listeners who can vote on songs as they play. Too many "Lame" votes result in a skipped song. "Awesome" votes reward you with DJ points, which you can use for simple bragging rights or purchasing new avatars.

How Turntable Stacks Up
Turntable is easily the most social streaming music station available today?even more so than Songza, our Editors' Choice among free streaming music services. Turntable doesn't possess Songza's unique Music Concierge feature that serves up music based on time of day and mood, but its crowd-sourced music rooms are one to tune into from time to time?if the cartoon graphics don't irk.

More Music Players and Services Reviews:
??? Turntable
??? Spotify
??? Sony Music Unlimited
??? Songza
??? Apple iTunes 10.6
?? more

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Irene Zutell: An Open Letter to John Quinones

Dear John Quinones:

While What Would You Do? can be somewhat entertaining, here's my big fear: I'm in a bank. Armed robbers storm in. They demand everyone drop to the floor. They say mean things to a fat hostage. They call the red-headed bank manager a 'ginger.' They refuse to steal money from a teller who they assume is gay. Then they make nasty racial slurs to another teller while sticking a gun to his head. There's a blind hostage and the gunmen pretend to rob him.

One of the gunmen remarks loudly that he is only here because his teenage daughter is in desperate need of Botox. That's when I hear the crying. I peer out the window and see that this teenager is tied to a parking meter -- a water bowl by her feet. An infant is stuck in the getaway car -- unattended -- and the windows are rolled up!

While the rest of the hostages -- the fat, the red headed, the blind -- are on the floor crying and shaking with fear, I drop to the floor but am totally relaxed. I know exactly what's going on. I can practically see you, John Quinones, watching the action play out on the monitors next door. You will walk in any minute and ask us all why we didn't do anything.

I don't want to be on television, my face blurred because I was a coward. I can't believe no one else knows what's going on. Don't they watch What Would You Do? Finally not having plans on a Friday night has some benefits. I will be the sole hero.

I slowly stand up. The red-haired hostage looks up at me like I am out of my mind. "You're going to get us all killed," she whispers. I wink back and give a big, reassuring smile.

"You have beautiful hair," I mouth.

Then I clear my throat, toss my hair, suck in my stomach and yell that they have no right to make fun of our weight, our hair color, our sexuality, our race. I tell them that the girl outside will grow up with self-esteem issues. I ask for the keys to their car so I can save the suffocating baby.

Even though they are wearing ski masks, I can practically see their shocked expressions. I know these guys are trained actors, but obviously they are in desperate need of some improv classes. They don't know how to react to me.

Sure, it's one thing to speak up in a bar when someone's sprinkling date rape drug in a stranger's cocktail. But an armed robbery? They thought we'd all be cowards. They look at each other. One of them -- the one with the daughter who needs Botox -- aims his gun at me. I smile. I watch the door for you, John Quinones. You'll walk in, give me a hug and praise me for my bravery. I will act shocked, I had no idea!

I think of what I will say to you. "It's just who I am. I can't just lie on the floor while people are being verbally abused. It's unacceptable. I'm just one of those people who sees an injustice and has to take action!"

I mentally make up the list of friends I will invite to my What Would You Do viewing party. Should I mention my television appearance on Facebook? Twitter? Or is that bragging? I wonder if my town will host a little parade for me. This is my time to be in the spotlight. I just wish I had worn some makeup.

John Quinones, you are taking a long time. I understand the need for that emotional wallop. But usually by now you are storming in with your camera crew. This is really cruel of you because while I am calm, the other hostages obviously watch too much CSI Miami not enough What Would You Do? They are sobbing uncontrollably. The red-haired hostage gives me the finger.

"Ginger idiot," I hiss.

Okay, John Quinones, it's time for your entrance. Where are you?

One of the gunmen pulls the trigger. Wow! They are really going for dramatic effect. I know it is a blank, so I am not nervous. Although this is taking it a little too far -- even for you. Yes, things can get ugly sometimes -- like when the bridezilla belittled the sales help and a bunch of customers turned on her. But you stepped in before punches flew. Why aren't you here now?

BANG!

What? I know ratings are important, but this is ridiculous!

John Quinones, where are you? I was supposed to be a hero.

Now I'm just ... well, everything is blurry.

But John Quinones, don't worry about me. Take the teenager off the leash and break open the window for the baby.

?

Follow Irene Zutell on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@irenezutell

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I am looking for advice on opening a legitimate home based business?

Posted by 7Moneys on March 31, 2012

Question by mactrucker1: I am looking for advice on opening a legitimate home based business?
I am looking to open a home based business and dont know how to get it started. does anyone have any advice or suggestions. Also any good ideas for a business.

Best answer:

Answer by evilqueenkimmie
I don?t know what kind of things you?re interested in, but I?d love to share the details about my business with you. I?m a designer with Latasia Jewelry, it is a fantastic, small, (but growing!) family owned company that has been around for over 15 years. The jewelry is beautiful, the people are great and the commissions are super! With Latasia, you are your own boss?You work your own hours, and the sky is the limit on how much you can earn. I can even help you get started for free!

My contact info and website address are available on my profile. Please feel free to contact me and I?ll be happy to help in any way I can!
Good luck!

What do you think? Answer below!

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Who?s Responsible for Meeting the Cyber Threat?

Recently an old colleague, Dr Andrew Rogoyski, came to lecture to our MSc students on how government deals with cyber security. Dr Rogoyski has studied the interactions between government and industry and his talk led to a key question for which there was a surprising range of views. The question? When and how should government get involved in cyber security?

The UK has the most Internet-centric economy in the G20 group of industrialised nations according to research by the Boston Consulting Group released in March 2012. It estimates that the UK?s internet economy was worth ?121bn in 2010, more than ?2,000 per person. Couple this with the knowledge that approximately 20 threats per second are discovered on the Internet, and it?s not surprising that UK government lists cyber security as a ?Tier 1 Threat?, alongside terrorism. However, recognising the threat is slightly different from actually doing something about it.

Governments now recognise that there is a strong economic advantage in having a secure digital infrastructure. In order to attract businesses to your economy increasingly you need to demonstrate that your country is a safe place to conduct Internet-based business. Booz-Allen reports on this aspect of a countries with its cyber hub index.

Interestingly the UK and the US are seen as the safest places for Internet based business. This has resulted in several large corporations quietly reversing the recent trend to relocate business to the developing world to reduce costs. Ensuring security has become as important, if not more important, a business driver for governments as cost. When a country loses its AAA credit score for a ratings agency, it makes headlines. I predict it will not be long before similar importance is attached to measures such as the Booz Allen cyber hub index.

But in order to ensure a safe environment, where does government responsibility end and business responsibility begin? In November 2011, the UK government hosted the first intra-governmental conference on the cyber threat, at which time they issued a revised cyber-security strategy. As well as discussing the usual topics of the threat from cybercrime, espionage and warfare, the conference saw the debate begin at governmental level as to where responsibility lies for protecting key assets on the Internet. When the national interest is threatened, responsibility for protection lies primarily with the state, but many governments are powerless in the case of the cyber threat, for a variety of reasons.

A significant difficulty in protecting critical national assets is that the Internet is primarily run by private companies or non-governmental organisations. That?s true even in the case of? critical national infrastructure such as utilities, which are vulnerable to attack via the Internet. Most of the infrastructure and services that underpin national digital infrastructures are run by private companies such as HP, Fujitsu, IBM, Verizon, BT and others. Even the key technologies employed to sit on top of the infrastructure are developed by private companies ranging from Google, to Microsoft, to Apple plus a raft of much smaller start-ups, some of whom you will never have heard. The level of investment produced by these companies dwarfs those made by governments.

For example, the UK?s National Cyber Security Programme is making available a total of GBP650 million (USD1.01 billion) over four years. This money is intended to be part of a programme whereby government works with businesses, as well as protecting governmental assets. But this money is lost when you think, for example, of cyber security company Symantec spending USD862 million in 2011 alone on research and development. Similarly, Microsoft spent USD8.7 billion in 2010 and Google USD3.7 billion. The disparity between individual government spend, and that they are used to procuring systems over many years rather than at the speed at which Internet technologies change, means that governments find it very difficult to engage with private businesses.

So what have governments done in response to this situation? Well, they have acted in remarkably different ways.

For example, you might imagine the all-out attack on Estonia in 2007 would have led to an aggressive response. Instead it led to the formation of the Co-operative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCD COE). The purpose of CCD COE is to understand the cyber threat as it develops and thence to prevent those attacks. This is an approach which has received the full backing of NATO. Meanwhile, the EU has created the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) to act as a hub for the exchange of information, best practices and knowledge in the field of information security.

Other governments have adopted a more militaristic approach. In May 2010, the United States Cyber Command, part of the US Strategic Command, became operational. Cyber Command is not just there for the operations and defence of specified Department of Defense information networks but also to carry out ?full spectrum military cyberspace operations?. Similarly, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced in May 2011 that the country would set up a cyber-defence task force to defend Israel?s vital infrastructure from cyber-attacks.

Regardless of style of approach one common theme has emerged: the key to effective defence against the rapidly evolving threat is shared intelligence. The studies conducted by Dr Rogoyski showed that what business wants most from government is Information Sharing and Awareness Raising. And, intelligence is one thing that governments do have.

They are now looking for ways of sharing sensitive information, that they might otherwise be unhappy to share as it might reveal the source of the information, with those who are directly affected by it. In the US in 2011, the Department of Defense launched a new pilot programme, the Defense Industrial Base Cyber-Pilot, in which it shares classified threat intelligence with around 20 defence contractors or their commercial internet service providers. Although the initial scope of Defense Industrial Cyber-Pilot was to help protect government network, it doesn?t take a great leap of imagination to see how this can become a two way process, especially in areas such as power, transportation and energy. The success of this scheme resulted in it being extended in September 2011 to include more private organisation. It has, however, highlighted in the public consciousness that the military are involved in protecting the Internet, and the debate continues as to whether it should be the Department for Homeland Security of the DoD that has such a responsibility. Either way, the positive aspect is that it is happening.

In the UK, the private sector is not necessarily waiting for government direction. For example, a financial services virtual task force has been formed by several large banks. This task force co-operates with the Metropolitan Police and exchanges information on threats and attacks as rapidly as possible. This has proved to be a very effective approach and has led to a number of successful prosecutions. Another information exchange is being set up by Intellect and ADS, UK hi-tech trade associations.

The emergence in 2011 of the infamous Stuxnet virus has highlighted how vulnerable critical national infrastructure is, and this has given a jolt to all those thinking about Internet security from a governmental perspective. Even if it were just a commercial issue, cyber security (and certainly the perception of it) can dramatically affect a nation?s fortune in the modern world. The fact that someone can potentially turn off the water, lights and stop the trains makes people think quite differently about what is a ?stable? country, and will certainly influence anyone trying to decide whether to base their business in a country.

However, it is clear that unlike many historical threats to national wellbeing, this threat can only be checked by the closest collaboration possible between government and business. Business must be focussed on ensuring that this happens, and government must be more willing to share what it knows than it has been previously.

With news only this week that the Duqu virus (evil son of Stuxnet) has been found in the wild in a new variant, we can see that the threats are becoming more advanced and more persistent, and perhaps most worry of all, more targeted. Governments and business have a relatively small window in time to put in place the necessary mechanisms to share information such that it can be acted upon quickly enough to prevent damage. For those countries that don?t do this, they will rapidly realise that whilst in the past people ?voted with their feet?, these days people ?vote with their mouse? and it takes a lot less time lose trust in the Internet age than ever it did before.

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Free Pets to Good Home ? Blog Archive ? Discus Fish Tank Strategies

[unable to retrieve full-text content]The discus fish tank should really be offered awareness and care. This can be in which the discus fish would thrive. There are numerous factors which have to become enhanced in order to ensure that the tank will probably be ...

Source: http://siscer.net/articles/pets/discus-fish-tank-strategies/

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April leap or May slog, Romney on pace to GOP nod

MILWAUKEE (AP) ? April looks good for Mitt Romney, with its string of Midwestern and Eastern primaries seemingly tailor-made for the Republican presidential front-runner.

In May, the GOP campaign turns again to the South, where the former Massachusetts governor has struggled. But at this point only a total collapse will deny him the nomination.

Romney has amassed more Republican National Convention delegates than all his competitors combined and is nearly halfway to the 1,144 needed to win. And he can put a dagger in the ambitions of any remaining rivals in June, with states like California and New Jersey, where he's positioned well with money and key endorsements.

In the meantime, he's poised to dominate the next month, with money, organization and geographic advantages.

"April will be much more favorable to Romney," said Dick Hug, a Maryland Republican fundraiser who supports Romney.

What lies ahead in Romney path to the nomination:

___

WISCONSIN TILTING ROMNEY'S WAY

Romney looks strong in Wisconsin, the big prize in Tuesday's three-state mini-sweepstakes.

The pressure is on Santorum in the former Pennsylvania senator's last chance to make the argument that he can win in the all-important industrial heartland.

Romney has had his number. He edged Santorum in Michigan and Ohio and won big in Illinois.

The formula has been simple: Swamp Santorum with TV ads and get big help from a pro-Romney group. Romney and that group, Restore Our Future, were spending about $3 million on television advertising in Wisconsin, a roughly 4-to-1 edge over Santorum and his allies.

It seems to be working. Romney has overtaken him, according to a Marquette University Law School poll published Monday.

Santorum has campaigned aggressively in conservative rural Wisconsin in the past week.

Romney arrives in the state on Friday, but he has already been sponsoring phone calls attacking Santorum's labor record, a hot topic where GOP activists are rallying to Gov. Scott Walker's recall election for signing anti-union legislation.

And Restore Our Future has been on television attacking Santorum since last week.

"Romney hasn't been here, but other groups are spending heavily for him," said Mary Buestin, a Republican national committeewoman from Wisconsin.

___

MARYLAND and DC FAVOR ROMNEY

Maryland and Washington, D.C., are a lock for Romney, despite his calling himself a Beltway outsider.

Romney has campaigned in Maryland. Santorum hasn't.

Then there's Restore Our Future again, spending nearly $900,000 on television ads for him there.

And Santorum failed to file to appear on the District of Columbia ballot.

Romney could really start to pull away Tuesday. Most of the delegates at stake in all three states are winner-take-all, not the proportional contests that dominated the first three months of voting.

___

APRIL LULL

Voting takes a three-week break after Tuesday. Romney will be raising money but also working behind the scenes to bring nervous conservatives into his tent.

This week he trumpeted praise from tea party icon Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and endorsements from Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and American Conservative Union President Al Cardenas.

Santorum sought to stoke doubts about Romney as a conservative by appearing outside the Supreme Court as it heard arguments about President Barack Obama's health care law.

"This is the most important issue in this election," Santorum said, referring to the 2010 law, which Romney's critics compare to one he signed in Massachusetts. "There's one candidate who's uniquely disqualified to make the case."

That would be Romney, of course.

___

BIG EAST TOURNEY

The rest of April doesn't look much better for Santorum than Tuesday's contests.

On April 24, Connecticut and Rhode Island should be scarcely different than the string of four New England states the former New England governor has already bagged.

The same for New York, where polls have shown Romney dominating, and for Delaware, where Restore Our Future is the only group advertising.

Restore Our Future is advertising in all five April 24 primary states, including Pennsylvania.

Romney shows no signs of ceding Santorum's home state. Polls show Santorum leading, but Romney has amassed support from key GOP leaders and fundraisers.

Santorum's Senate tenure and grass-roots following give him an edge, Pennsylvania GOP strategist Leslie Gromis Baker said. But Romney is poised to outperform expectations.

"Santorum may win it, but it may not be as convincing," said Baker, an adviser to former Gov. Tom Ridge and former President George W. Bush.

___

MAY: SOUTH RISES AGAIN

Santorum hopes to continue to drain delegates away from Romney in North Carolina and West Virginia on May 8.

Drawing support from evangelical conservatives, he has won four of eight Southern states while Romney has won only Florida and Virginia.

Indiana's Midwestern flavor and urban pockets give Romney hope on May 8. But the race looks southward again, favoring Santorum, with May 22 primaries in Arkansas and Kentucky.

Santorum's Christian following gives him the edge in Texas, but Romney can compete. On Wednesday, he added the support of former President George H.W. Bush to a long list of local and congressional GOP leaders.

Texas' huge delegate cache will be split according to the vote, and add to Romney's overall lead, even if he loses, Maryland's Hug said.

"You've got big ones in May like Texas, where, even if he doesn't win, he'll get his share of votes," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/april-leap-may-slog-romney-pace-gop-nod-072022028.html

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Body of missing Arkansas boy found

By msnbc.com staff and news services

Arkansas State Police via AP

Emergency crews?Wednesday found?the body of 4-year-old Caleb Linn in the South Fork of the Spring River in northern?Arkansas'?Ozark foothills, law enforcement officials said.

The boy disappeared?Saturday morning in the Camp Kia Kima Boy Scout Camp?area in Hardy.

Tuesday, the focus turned to the Spring River when the child's shirt was found in the water near
an area where he had last been seen, NBC station KARK reported.

---

On Wednesday, crews set up a net on the river and?used cadaver dogs, said Fulton County Sheriff's dispatcher Arles Lenderman.

Officials believe that the boy accidentally fell into the river, which was swollen after recent storms.

Jeannie Nuss / AP file

Searchers walk toward the river at Kia Kima Boy Scout camp near Hardy, Ark., before 4-year-old Caleb Linn's body was found.

Caleb lived in Springdale, Ark., about 150 miles from the site, with his parents and three siblings. His parents were staying at the camp during?the search.

Roughly 1,000 people had been involved in Caleb's?search.

On Tuesday, Linn's great grandmother, Carolyn Truex, said she and her family had been holding tightly to the hope the missing boy?took a wrong path. Or that he fell into the fast-moving stream but managed to pull himself out and survive alone.

Authorities narrowed their focus to the water late Tuesday and called off the ground search for Caleb, who?had tagged along with his aunt and several other children to help clear storm debris from a bridge at the 900-acre Camp Kia Kima Boy, which his aunt was looking after while the regular caretaker was away.

When five of the children left to go back to the cabin area around lunchtime, Caleb asked if he could follow. His aunt told him he could, but that he had to stick to the road, Fulton County Sheriff Buck Foley said. The last she saw of him before she turned around to resume her work, he said, was Caleb standing at the end of the bridge.

This article includes reporting by NBC station KARK, Reuters?and The?Associated?Press.?

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

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Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/28/10905693-body-of-4-year-old-caleb-linn-found-he-disappeared-saturday-found-in-arkansas

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'Not winning' war on hackers: FBI cyber chief

1 hr.

Suzanne Choney

Nobody's giving up, but there's not a lot of reason to cheer, either: ?"We're not winning" when it comes to the war on hackers attacking corporate networks, the FBI's outgoing cyber chief said in an interview.?

"We've been playing defense for a long time ...You can only build a fence so high, and what we've found is that the offense outpaces the defense, and the offense is better than the defense,'' Shawn Henry said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

His remarks follow those made by FBI director Robert Mueller earlier this month. At a security conference, Mueller said he expects cyber threats to pass terrorism as the nation's top threat.

Henry, who will be leaving the bureau after more than 20 years and will work for a cybersecurity firm, told the Journal that more and more, FBI agents are finding data stolen from companies that didn't have any idea their computer networks had been accessed.

"We have found their data in the middle of other investigations,'' he said in the interview. "They are shocked and, in many cases, they've been breached for many months, in some cases years, which means that an adversary had full visibility into everything occurring on that network, potentially.''

A bill introduced into the House Tuesday would let companies and the federal government more easily share information about cybersecurity threats.?

H.R. 4263, from Republican congresswomen Mary Bono Mack and Marsha Blackburn, "increases penalties for hacking into servers and removes roadblocks that prevent government security experts from discussing threats with their counterparts at Internet service providers and other companies," according to Reuters. The bill is similar to one introduced earlier this month in the Senate by Republican senator John McCain.?

Democrats, too, have proposed legislation that would put more of the onus on companies to prove to the federal government that their networks are secure.

Henry said that despite hacker attacks on high-profile companies like Lockheed Martin and Citigroup, companies large and small still are not taking security seriously enough.

"I don't see how we ever come out of this without changes in technology or changes in behavior, because with the status quo, it's an unsustainable model. Unsustainable in that you never get ahead, never become secure, never have a reasonable expectation of privacy or security."

Meanwhile,?National Security Agency director General Keith Alexander "revealed that the attack against online security company RSA last year originated from China," according to The Verge, which said Alexander told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday "that China is responsible for 'a great deal' of theft of military-related intellectual property from the US."

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

Source: http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/not-winning-war-hackers-fbi-cyber-chief-581557

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The Benefits of LASIK Eye Surgery

?

Laser eye vision correction, also known as LASIK laser surgery, is an option some people choose to help correct their vision so that they no longer are as dependent on contacts or glasses to help them see. Depending on the condition of your eye, most people can dramatically improve their vision to be a perfect 20/20, or near perfect.

LASIK eye surgery is used to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. The general shape of the eye is corrected using a cold laser beam. By reshaping the eye, the way light is let into the eye changes, and the patient?s vision improves. Treatment is fast, and it is extremely precise. However, some people are still concerned with the idea of a laser being used on such a sensitive and important part of their body.

The following are some of the benefits of having laser eye surgery.

? Each patient undergoes a personal consultation prior to the surgery.

Eyes are not created equally, and therefore, surgery centers always require a consultation to ensure the most accuracy during the procedure.

The surgery is then customized to meet the needs of each patient.

?

? It is FDA approved.

For anyone considering LASIK, be sure the center chosen to perform the surgery uses an FDA approved laser. These lasers track even the slightest movement of the eye ensuring the highest level of safety and most success with the surgery.

?

? The procedure gives you your life back in only minutes.

96% of all laser eye surgery patients are able to perform daily functions after recovering from the surgery.

These functions are performed without contacts or lenses, allowing patients to do simple tasks again such as driving a car, watching a movie or viewing a sporting event.

?

? It saves money in the long run.

While the surgery can be expensive, even with most vision insurance plans, the long term costs outweigh the upfront surgery fee. Hardware, such as contacts and glasses, are no longer needed. These are annual expenses that can frequently sneak up on patients and cause them some financial difficulty when it comes time to renew or upgrade their prescription.

?

? More career opportunities become available.

Once you have LASIK eye surgery, those careers, such as pilots and military, that may have not once been possible with impaired vision, now become possible.

The procedure takes only minutes, but the results are long lasting. The effect it can have on your life is profound.?

Source: http://health.ezinemark.com/the-benefits-of-lasik-eye-surgery-7d351ad0072d.html

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Lawyer: Afghan suspect had depression after Iraq

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawyer-afghan-suspect-had-depression-iraq-222831115.html

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Pope wraps Cuba visit with Mass, Fidel meeting

HAVANA (AP) ? Pope Benedict XVI demanded greater freedom for the Catholic Church in Cuba during Mass before hundreds of thousands of people Wednesday in the shrine of the island's communist revolution, denouncing "fanaticism" that tries to impose its truth on others.

Benedict's unusually politicized homily was a not-so-subtle jab at Cuba's leadership before a vast crowd in Revolution Plaza. But he also used plain language to urge an end to Cuba's isolation, a reference to the 50-year U.S. economic embargo and the inability of 11 American presidents and brothers Fidel and Raul Castro to forge peace.

"Cuba and the world need change, but this will occur only if each one is in a position to seek the truth and chooses the way of love, sowing reconciliation and fraternity," he said.

With the country's leadership listening from front-row seats, Benedict issued his strongest denunciation of religious intolerance yet in Cuba, referring to the Biblical account of how people persecuted by the Babylonian king "preferred to face death by fire rather than betray their conscience and their faith."

He said people find freedom when they seek the truth that Christianity offers.

"On the other hand there are those who wrongly interpret this search for the truth, leading them to irrationality and fanaticism; they close themselves up in 'their truth' and try to impose it on others," he said from the altar in the shadow of the image of Cuba's revolution hero Ernesto "Che" Guevara.

While he did not mention the government by name, the comments were an unmistakable criticism of the Cuban reality, said the Rev. Joseph Fessio, a former student of Benedict. As his U.S. publisher, Fessio knows well the pope's message and how he transmits it, particularly the watchwords of his pontificate: truth and freedom.

"Does anyone in Cuba not know how the words themselves condemn the reality there?" Fessio said in an email.

Shortly after the Mass, Benedict met for about half an hour with Fidel Castro, a Jesuit-educated altar boy-turned-revolutionary leader whose 1998 hosting of Pope John Paul II marked a turning point in the church's relations with Cuba.

How much the pope's message resonated with ordinary Cubans in the plaza or those listening on state-television is unclear. Many in the crowd had trouble hearing him over the loudspeakers, and others said it was hard to understand the dense Biblical message delivered by the pope in a soft voice.

"I don't understand this Mass at all. I don't have an education in these things and I know nothing about religion," said Mario Mendez, a 19-year-old communications student. "On top of that, I can't hear anything."

Benedict didn't cite the government by name, but later in his homily urged Cuban authorities to let the church more freely preach its message and educate its young in the faith in schools and universities ? something that has been forbidden since the Castros came to power a half-century ago.

"It must be said with joy that in Cuba steps have been taken to enable the church to carry out her essential mission of expressing her faith openly and publicly," he said. "Nonetheless this must continue forward" for the good of Cuban society.

Cubans waving flags and banners large and small filled Revolution Plaza for the morning Mass, shielding themselves from the blistering sun with umbrellas as Benedict passed by in his white popemobile. President Raul Castro and leading Cabinet officials wore white, formal guayabera shirts, and Raul later climbed the steps to the altar and shook Benedict's hand.

"Viva Cuba! Viva el Papa!" the announcers shouted.

"The pope is something big for Cubans," said Carlos Herrera, a tourism worker who came to the plaza with his wife. "I come to hear his words, wise words for the Cuban people. That helps us. It gives us peace, it gives us unity. We do not want war."

But others said they were told to attend by their employers in a country where mass shows of support for Fidel have long been a mainstay of his half-century revolution. The plaza holds 600,000 people and appeared nearly full, though many Cubans drifted off after registering their presence with teachers and employers.

"We came with our class group and we are leaving because I can't handle any more," said a student who only gave his first name, Roberto, for fear he could get in trouble. "I came to do what my teacher said. I checked in, and I'm leaving."

In the days leading up to the pope's visit, some Cubans had said they resented that the government was now telling them to attend the Mass, despite preaching atheism until the early 1990s and remaining skeptical about the church's role in society.

Ahead of the Mass, dissident blogs and Twitter accounts carried allegations that members of the Ladies in White opposition group had been prevented from attending, and that some opposition leaders were detained, reports that were reiterated by Amnesty International.

Later, an Associated Press journalist saw a man in the crowd being briskly led away by people in civilian clothing after he shouted "Pope, don't leave until communism falls!" It was not clear who he was or where he was taken. The incident was similar to another during the pope's Mass in Santiago Monday, when a man shouted anti-government slogans before being hustled away.

Elizardo Sanchez, who monitors human rights on the island and acts as a de facto spokesman for the opposition, said he could not confirm any detentions because his mobile phone hadn't worked since shortly after the pope arrived on Monday. It was an experience shared by many other islanders and foreign journalists who could not make calls on jammed lines.

John Paul's shadow has loomed large over the trip, especially his remarks upon arrival at Havana's airport in 1998 saying Cuba should "open itself up to the world, and may the world open itself up to Cuba."

Benedict took that famous exhortation for openness one step further Wednesday by saying "Cuba and the world need change."

A huge poster of Cuba's patron saint, the Virgin of Charity of Cobre, covered the facade of one of the buildings facing the plaza near Che. The icon has been the spiritual focus of Benedict's three-day trip, timed to coincide with the 400th anniversary of the appearance of the diminutive statue.

Benedict visited the statue in a sanctuary near the eastern city of Santiago on Tuesday morning and prayed to her for greater freedom and renewal for all Cubans ? another gentle nudge to the government to continue opening itself up to greater reforms.

A top official in Havana quickly responded: "In Cuba, there will not be political reform," said Marino Murillo, Cuba's economic czar.

During a nearly hour-long meeting Tuesday with Raul Castro ? twice the normal length of papal audiences with heads of state ? Benedict asked that the government declare a holiday for Good Friday, when Catholics commemorate the death of Christ.

The request, like so much of this trip, was a follow-up of sorts to Cuba's decision to declare Christmas a national holiday in honor of John Paul's 1998 visit. Cubans hadn't had Christmas off for nearly 30 years.

The government didn't give an immediate response.

The date is not a holiday in the United States or much of Europe, including Italy or devoutly Catholic Poland, but is in many Latin American countries.

___

Associated Press writers Peter Orsi, Vivian Sequera, Anne-Marie Garcia and Laura Wides-Munoz contributed to this report.

___

Follow AP reporters covering the pope: www.twitter.com/(hashtag)!/AP/pope-visit.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-wraps-cuba-visit-mass-fidel-meeting-062346361.html

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Conservative justices question insurance mandate - Spokesman ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]WASHINGTON ? Conservative justices today sharply questioned whether the government can force Americans to carry health insurance, wondering in arguments over President Barack Obama's health care overhaul if ...

Source: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/27/conservative-justices-question-insurance-mandate/

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Australia asylum-seekers fall, bucking global trend

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/australia-asylum-seekers-fall-bucking-global-trend-063251431.html

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Your Family Garden Can Suit Your Daily Life :: Multiverso ...

When you have your garden, you already know how important it truly is to have one at home and how it works with your lifestyle. Over the summer months you will spend lots of time outside in your garden and so it is important that is designed to suit the way you live your life. Creating a garden could possibly increase the worth of a home and it is something quite desirable for many home owners. There are many things you can do to upgrade your garden and we?ll take a look at what they are.

Your life-style and situation will determine what type of garden you really would like to have. If you have small children, it may be that you want an individual safe play area where you can place swings and slides to keep the kids entertained while you relax elsewhere in the garden.

If you wish to move ahead and redesign your garden, you want to contemplate how it will be done. This is determined by the time and spending budget that you have determined for this project. In the event you require some substantial work and you need it to be perfect, you may want to hire a landscape gardener. If you will require major efforts, you may want to seek the opinion of others to see if it is worthwhile. By seeking out assistance, you can get price quotes and ideas that could be original and fresh.

If you talk to experts, they can counsel you on the right options, like filling a pond so that your children won?t fall in and drown. If you should view your garden as more of a place where you are going to entertain friends and family, then you may want to take into consideration where patios will be laid and what other areas will be required such as where you might want a barbeque. It?s a good idea to understand what areas of your garden get the most sun and this can influence exactly where you will want different aspects of the garden. Introducing shade to your outdoor patio can provide shelter from sudden changes in the weather.

You can decide that you want a garden with numerous varieties of plants so you want to have areas sectioned off for different types. In other words, if you are a keen gardener and like to spend plenty of time actually tending to your garden, the design should be made to suit your aims. This may need some research to determine what parts of the garden are best suited for what you want to grow whilst leaving other areas available for you to relax. A reconstruction of your garden can be well worth the effort and with careful planning can be made to suit your lifestyle.

Source: http://dominbenito.com/2012/03/27/your-family-garden-can-suit-your-daily-life/

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