Business News This Week: Agriculture Sector in India in 2012

Agriculture has been sensitive issue in India particularly about the subsidies to the farmers. The year 2012 was good a year for agriculture in India, as India produced a record 25.77 million tones of food grains during 2011-12. Here are some the statics:

• Experts believe strategies for rejuvenating agriculture sector to achieve 4% per annum rate of growth have started producing results: average annual growth rate achieved in the agriculture and allied sector during 11th Plan has improved to 3.3% as against 2.5% and 2.4% in the Ninth and Tenth Plan periods, respectively.
• The 11th Five Year Plan period has seen an increase in total food grain production of 173.38 million tonnes over the 10th Five Year Plan period. This despite two years of drought in various parts of the country in 2009-10 and 2010-11.?
• Gross Capital Formation (GCF) in agriculture and allied sectors as a proportion of the GDP in the sector stagnated around 14% during 2004-05 to 2006-07. It has jumped to 20.1% in 2010-11 at constant 2004-05 prices.?
• Plan outlay of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation increased from Rs.15,000 crore in 10th Five Year Plan to Rs.66, 577 crores in the 11th Five Year Plan and is likely to be further increased to Rs.1,34,746 crores during 12th Five Year Plan.?
• The flow of agriculture credit in 2011-12 reached Rs.4,68,000 crore from a level of Rs.86, 981 crore in 2003-04. The target for agriculture credit for 2012-13 has been raised to Rs. 5,75,000 crore?
• To make cheap agriculture credit available to farmers for short term crop loan, incentive of additional interest subvention has been increased to 3% for farmers who repay their loan on schedule, thus making the effective rate of interest to 4% per annum only.?
• In order to make available fertilizer at affordable prices to farmers, two Biofertilizers, one Organic Manure, two Fortified fertilizers, Urea briquette and Zinc Oxide suspension have been incorporated in Fertilizer Control Order (FCO).?
• National Seeds Corporation has introduced 44 newer varieties in the production to improve the product basket.

Source: http://www.businessnewsthisweek.com/2013/01/agriculture-sector-in-india-in-2012.html

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People Versus Their Writing | Clarissa's Blog

I just spoke to somebody on Skype whom I only knew through blogging and I have to say: you can never really have a good?understanding?of a person based only on reading their texts. Even if you read tons of their texts. People are not their writing. They are a lot more.

This is why if you meet somebody at an online dating site, the best thing to do is not to drag it out trying to ?get to know each other? but just to schedule a real date immediately.

P.S. It was great meeting you, dear Z.

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By bloggerclarissa ? Posted in Uncategorized

Source: http://clarissasblog.com/2013/01/30/people-versus-their-writing/

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Pusha T Crowns Big Daddy Kane In Old-School Rakim Rivalry

Wrath of Caine mixtape was inspired by '80s hip-hop match-up, MC tells MTV News.
By Rob Markman

Pusha T
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1701036/pusha-t-wrath-of-caine-mixtape.jhtml

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1 dead in Arizona office shooting, suspect on loose

PHOENIX (AP) ? Police are hunting for an "armed and dangerous" 70-year-old man suspected in a Phoenix office complex shooting that left one person dead and two wounded.

Arthur Douglas Harmon allegedly opened fire at the end of a mediation session Wednesday morning at a three-story office complex in north-central Phoenix, police said.

One man ? identified by police as 48-year-old Steve Singer ? died hours after the shooting. They said a 43-year-old man was listed in critical condition and a 32-year-old woman suffered non-life threatening injuries.

"We believe the two men were the targets. It was not a random shooting," said Sgt. Tommy Thompson, a Phoenix police spokesman.

Thompson said the gunman arrived at the office building about 10:30 a.m. and got into a dispute with someone, a conflict that escalated to the point where the suspect drew a gun and shot three people.

Police believe Harmon acted alone and fled the scene in a car. Police said he had at least one gun and was considered "armed and dangerous."

Harmon also allegedly shot at someone who tried to follow him after the shooting in an attempt to get his license plate number, according to authorities.

Police didn't immediately release the names of the wounded. But a Phoenix law firm, Osborn Maledon, said one of its lawyers, Mark Hummels, was among the wounded. The firm said Hummels "was representing a client in a mediation" when he was shot.

According to court documents, Harmon was scheduled to go to a law office in the same building where the shooting took place for a settlement conference in a lawsuit he filed last April against Scottsdale-based Fusion Contact Centers LLC, where Singer was the CEO.

The company had hired him to refurbish office cubicles at two call centers in California, but a contract dispute arose.

Fusion said Harmon was paid nearly $30,000 under the $47,000 contract. But the company asked him to repay much of the money when it discovered that the cubicles could not be refurbished, according to the documents.

Harmon argued Fusion hung him out to dry by telling him to remove and store 206 "worthless" work stations after the mix-up was discovered. Harmon said Fusion then told him that the company decided to use a competitor.

Harmon's lawsuit had sought payment for the remainder of the contract, $20,000 in damages and reimbursement for storage fees and legal costs.

Hummels was representing Fusion in the lawsuit.

Pro tempore Judge Ira Schwartz, who scheduled the meeting, didn't immediately return an email seeking comment. A message left Wednesday at the home of Singer also wasn't returned.

As police searched for the shooter, SWAT teams and two armored vehicles surrounded a home about 7 miles north of the shooting scene. Police served a search warrant to enter the house, which county property records show was sold by Harmon to his son last year for $26,000.

For a time, officers used a megaphone to ask Harmon to surrender, believing he might be inside the home.

Lois Ellen, who has lived across the street from the Harmon home for about eight years, said she was startled to see all the police cars in the neighborhood.

She said she never met Arthur Harmon but had seen him walking a dog before.

Ellen said he wasn't very neighborly and the people in the Harmon home "keep to themselves."

The gunfire at the office complex prompted terrified workers to lock the doors to their offices and hide far from the windows. SWAT officers searched the building.

"Everyone was just scared, honestly, just scared," said Navika Sood, assistant director of nursing at First at Home Health Services who along with her co-workers locked the entrances to their office.

Sood said police evacuated the office about 30 minutes after she first heard the popping noises.

Vanessa Brogan, who works in sales support at an insurance business in the three-story complex, said she heard a loud bang that she thought at first was from somebody working in or near the building.

She said others at the business thought they heard multiple loud noises. She said people locked themselves in offices until authorities evacuated the complex that houses insurance, medical and law offices.

Becky Neher, who works for a title company in the building, said the two gunshots she heard sounded like two pieces of metal banging against each other.

Watching from her second-story office, she saw people leaving the building.

"Someone yelled, 'We have a shooter,'" she said. She saw two victims lying on the ground outside the back side of the building. She said health care workers who have offices in the complex came out to help.

Don Jaksa, a software consultant who works in the building, said he was listening to the radio when he suddenly heard "two pops." He said he didn't think they were gunshots.

"My co-worker goes to the range all the time," he said. "He identified it as gunfire."

The shooting took place on the same day that hearings on legislation to address gun violence were convened in Washington, with former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords testifying for stricter gun controls.

A gunman shot Giffords in the head during a shooting rampage in Tucson in January 2011.

_____

Associated Press writers Paul Davenport, Felicia Fonseca, Terry Tang and Walter Berry contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-1-dead-ariz-shooting-suspect-loose-234833738.html

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East Africa: British Army Accused of Arming Poachers

In yesterday's Star, we told you about the lords of poaching in Samburu. This is the second part of the investigation by Star writer KIBIWOTT KOROSS.

POACHERS in Samburu and Isiolo are often dressed in military attire allegedly sourced from the British Army training in the area.

Most of the poachers who are killed or arrested don military uniform which are sourced from the British Army at the Archers' Post military training ground, according to multiple sources. About 10,000 British soldiers visit Kenya every year for training.

Elephants, conservationists say, seem to recognise the green KWS jungle gear and often take anybody in such attire as a friend.

"Poachers wear military gear and elephants think they are KWS officers," said Daniel Leteiyo, a manager at Westgate conservancy in Samburu.

Elephants are amongst the world's most intelligent species. Scientists say the elephant's brain is similar to that of humans in terms of structure and complexity.

Those interviewed said the uniforms are bought from the soldiers or from their handlers who steal from them.

The source said when the officers from the British Army are broke, they sell their uniforms and ammunition at throwaway prices.

"They are sold very cheap. A full military gear can be exchanged for a crate of beer," said the source who is privy to the deals.

This was corroborated by Archers Post OCS George Naibei who said his officers have confiscated a number of military uniforms suspected to be from the British Army.

"There are many people with military uniform here and most of them are poachers and bandits," said Naibei. "From arrests made, the owners say they get them from the British Army."

The poachers also pass as scouts or rangers since the park is vast and unfenced.

Leteiyo says focus has been on cash flow at the gates thereby overshadowing security at the parks.

Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201301301373.html

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Video: Prince Charles and Camilla take Tube ride

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50644931/

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UK children's magazine promotes adult video games

LONDON (Reuters) - A British magazine distributed by a joint venture of Conde Nast and Hearst Corporation and aimed at primary school children has been featuring images of adult-rated video games.

The most recent issue of Cool Kidz, which is published by privately-owned LCD Publishing, contained images of five games that carried age ratings of 18 years, under the European gaming industry's PEGI rating scheme.

Screenshots appeared as double-page spreads, for use as posters, and were reproduced in spot-the-difference and other puzzles. Earlier issues also had images from 18- and 16-rated games.

Children's campaigners said the images reflected a growing problem of young children being exposed to violent video games, thereby increasing the chance they start playing them earlier.

It also highlighted what some critics describe as an apparent gap in regulation of children's magazines since LCD does not appear to have broken any law or industry rule.

LCD Publishing, which is based in Exeter, southwest England, said it took its responsibilities to young readers seriously.

"We censor the images we use to ensure that there is no blood or apparent body damage," owner Allen Trump said in an emailed statement.

He said the images used were suitable for children 12 or older, although he added the magazine was targeted at children up to 12 years.

The pictures printed depicted life-like computer generated images of men carrying weapons including assault rifles, Bowie knives, an axe, an anti-tank weapon and pistols.

The images showed explosions but not the visceral, bloody combat or scenes of a sexual nature for which the games are frequently criticized by parents' groups and women's rights advocates.

Cool Kidz is distributed by Comag, which is controlled by privately-owned U.S. magazine publishers Conde Nast, owners of Vogue magazine, and the Hearst Corporation, owner of Cosmopolitan magazine.

All three groups declined repeated requests for comment.

London-based Comag is one of the largest magazine distributors in the UK with annual turnover of around 230 million pounds ($360 million), according to its most recent accounts.

FREE PROMOTION

Trump said LCD downloaded the game images from the Internet although he was also occasionally approached by public relations firms seeking coverage of their clients' games.

Games publishers regularly post images on their websites, for use by online and print publishers, thus helping create awareness of their game.

Games firms contacted by Reuters said they were unaware Cool Kidz, which has been published for seven years, had been using their images.

The adult games Cool Kidz featured included Hitman: Absolution, Call of Duty Black Ops II, Assassins Creed III, Farcry 3 and Dishonored.

Representatives for Japan's Square Enix, publisher of the Hitman series, privately-owned Bethesda Softworks, publisher of Dishonored, and Ubisoft Entertainment, publisher of Assassins Creed III and Farcry 3, said they opposed the use but declined to say whether they would take any legal action against LCD.

Call of Duty publisher Activision declined to comment.

Alison Sherratt, senior vice-president of teachers union ATL, said publishers and government needed to do more to limit children's' exposure to games.

"It puts peer pressure on children .. If they see these images, it gives them the idea it's ok, it's all right to play these games," she added.

A spokeswoman for the Advertising Standards Authority said games companies could not advertise 18 rated games in children's magazines and a spokesman for the Video Standards Council (VSC), the UK affiliate of PEGI, said its rules also prohibited this.

However, since the images were not paid-for advertising, or supplied to Cool Kidz by the games publishers, these rules do not apply.

The Press Complaints Commission can adjudicate on complaints against magazines but only in respect of its members. LCD is not one.

The Office of Fair Trade and the Professional Publishers Association, trade group for magazine publishers, said they were unaware of any bodies that had regulatory powers over the content of children's magazines. ($1 = 0.6367 British pounds)

(Reporting by Tom Bergin; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-childrens-magazine-promotes-adult-video-games-110025923--sector.html

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Kennedy Center plans 1st expansion since opening

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is planning its first major expansion since it opened in 1971 as a "living memorial" to President John F. Kennedy, with new features including pavilions to house rehearsal halls and classrooms, a memorial garden and a floating stage on the Potomac River.

The plans unveiled Tuesday call for a $100 million addition that would create a more lively outdoor space for gatherings and performances, with a pedestrian bridge connecting the center to the river. Architect Steven Holl drafted the initial concept and was hired from among several contenders to design the expansion.

New marble pavilions ? made from the same Italian Carrara marble as the original building's walls ? would rise from a new garden situated beside the center, and the pavilions would be connected underground. Most of the new facility, totaling about 60,000 square feet of usable space, would be buried below the surface to help preserve the silhouette of the center's primary building.

Officials plan to raise private funds to build the project. To kick off the capital campaign, Kennedy Center Chairman David Rubenstein is giving $50 million to fund half the cost. The center aims to raise an additional $75 million to complete construction and establish a programming fund. Officials hope to open the new space in 2018.

Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser said the new pavilions would have windows to allow visitors to look in on rehearsals of opera, theater or dance.

"We're giving a great improvement in public access to the Kennedy Center, to our art making," Kaiser said. "It's going to allow us to engage our audience in new and different ways."

The new space for rehearsals and education programs also is desperately needed as the center has grown since 1971, Kaiser said. The center now includes a national arts education program and houses the Washington National Opera as a permanent affiliate.

In an interview, Holl said he is honored to work on a memorial to a president he saw inaugurated in 1961 and respected so much.

"The Kennedy Center is a living memorial. It's active, open to the public for performance, the arts, which he really believed in," Holl said.

Preliminary plans call for a memorial garden to honor Kennedy. It could include 46 Gingko trees to note the number of years Kennedy lived, 35 lavender rows for the 35th president, and a video wall for projections of performances from inside the Kennedy Center.

"The idea really is that the landscape is activated," a fusion of architecture and landscape features, Holl said.

It could include a reflecting pool the exact length of the PT-109 boat that Lt. John Kennedy commanded during World War II. Holl envisions a deck along the pool made from the same mahogany wood as the boat. It could also include inscriptions of Kennedy's words.

The biggest challenge in the design concept could be winning approval for a performance stage that would float on the Potomac River, Holl said. Still, he said he has successfully negotiated with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a past project that fell inside a flood plain.

"I'm ready for the fight," he said.

Open-air performances were once held on a floating river stage nearby at the Lincoln Memorial in the 1930s.

The new expansion plans come more than 10 years after the Kennedy Center announced a major project to build two new buildings and a plaza over a nearby freeway to connect the center with the National Mall. The $650 million project was essentially canceled in 2005 after budget constraints forced Congress to eliminate $400 million in federal funding for the project.

Kaiser envisioned a museum of the performing arts as part of that project. Now, he said, the center can plan future exhibition galleries in its main building as education programs and rehearsals move to the new facilities.

Rubenstein, a billionaire businessman and a former vice chairman of New York City's Lincoln Center, said the Kennedy Center has been limited by its building over the years. So he wanted to plan a realistic project that could be privately funded without relying on Congress. As the federal budget tightens, Rubenstein said more Americans should consider supporting nonprofit federal entities like the center.

Rubenstein's gift is the largest in the center's history. Combined with previous gifts, he has donated $75 million, making him the center's largest donor.

Adding a garden and outdoor pavilions will make the center more inviting, Rubenstein said.

"Rarely do people say in Washington, 'I'm going to go over and spend a couple hours at the Kennedy Center,'" Rubenstein said, noting it's often an evening destination for shows. But that will change, he said. "What we wanted to do was to remind people that this is a living memorial to a president."

___

Kennedy Center: http://www.kennedy-center.org

___

Follow Brett Zongker at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kennedy-center-plans-1st-expansion-since-opening-164326333.html

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Party in Five: Football Game-Day Party - Devour Recipe & Food ...

We here at Cooking Channel love a good party. But throwing a memorable event requires more than just gathering some food and drink. We show you how with just five main ?ingredients? (including recipes, big-impact decorating ideas and easy DIY elements) you can throw a party that feels like it has a cohesive theme ? minimal work required.

There?s nothing like getting a group together for a game-watching party ? the entertainment?s a no-brainer, the food is hassle-free and the guests arrive ready to have a good time. This year, I hosted a big-game party for a group of fellow fans, and after a bit of planning, the day came together in a way that was both stylish and sporty. The food centered around a build-your-own-chili bar with details in our home-team colors, and in addition to the game playing on a big screen, I set out some fun activities and more than enough beer.

To throw your own football game-day party, you?ll need five essential ingredients:
? printable bingo cards (download the template here)
? homemade chili and lots of toppings (get recipes below)
? paper flag banners in team colors
? roasted peanuts in newspaper cones
? AstroTurf coasters

Click here to see the party in action and get tips on hosting your own football game-day party.

Spotlight On: The Menu
Game day calls for some hearty grub ? and there?s no heartier dish than chili. I decided to create a build-your-own-chili bar and asked a few friends to bring their signature chili recipes for some friendly competition. We offered three options ? white bean and chicken chili, Texas chili and a classic game-day chili?? and an array of toppings like red onion, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, chives and hot sauce. A chalkboard menu displays all the chili choices (in a sporty locker-room way), and I served cornbread straight from the oven in a cast-iron skillet. To set up your own buffet, serve chili in enamel or stoneware pots that can go straight from stovetop to table, and place toppings in small glass bowls. Hang paper flag garlands above the table for added festivity and a burst of team colors.

Since watching sports also requires snacks in front of the tube, set out tortilla chips and homemade guacamole on the coffee table, along with roasted peanuts (still in the shell) in newspaper cones. First top the coffee table with a large square of kraft paper for a casual, masculine look that also makes clean-up a snap. Since many fans wouldn?t dare cheer their team on without a beer in hand, fill glass beer growlers with your favorite ale and let guests fill and refill their mugs as needed. (Bonus: You?re free to??watch the game relatively uninterrupted!)

Find out how to set up your chili bar, print game-day bingo cards and get more decorating ideas here.

Camille Styles is the founder and editor of lifestyle blog camillestyles.com, where she shares creative entertaining ideas for parties and everyday life. She also owns Camille Styles Events, a design and planning firm that transforms ordinary events into extraordinary experiences.

Tags: Camille Styles Chili Cookoff chili recipes Football Party Game Day Recipes Party in Five Super Bowl Super Bowl Party Super Bowl Recipes

Source: http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/2013/01/29/party-in-five-football-game-day-party/

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Taking the stairs, raking leaves may have same health benefits as a trip to the gym

Jan. 28, 2013 ? New research at Oregon State University suggests the health benefits of small amounts of activity -- even as small as one- and two-minute increments that add up to 30 minutes per day -- can be just as beneficial as longer bouts of physical exercise achieved by a trip to the gym.

The nationally representative study of more than 6,000 American adults shows that an active lifestyle approach, as opposed to structured exercise, may be just as beneficial in improving health outcomes, including preventing metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

"Our results suggest that engaging in an active lifestyle approach, compared to a structured exercise approach, may be just as beneficial in improving various health outcomes," said Paul Loprinzi, lead author of the study. "We encourage people to seek out opportunities to be active when the choice is available. For example, rather than sitting while talking on the phone, use this opportunity to get in some activity by pacing around while talking."

Perhaps just as importantly, the researchers found that 43 percent of those who participated in the "short bouts" of exercise met physical activity guidelines of 30 minutes day. In comparison, less than 10 percent of those in the longer exercise bouts met those federal guidelines for exercise.

Loprinzi, who is an assistant professor at Bellarmine University, conducted the research as a doctoral student working in the lab of Brad Cardinal at Oregon State University. Cardinal, a professor of exercise and sport science, is co-author of the study, which is in the current issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion.

"You hear that less than 10 percent of Americans exercise and it gives the perception that people are lazy," Cardinal said. "Our research shows that more than 40 percent of adults achieved the exercise guidelines, by making movement a way of life."

Cardinal, who has studied the "lifestyle exercise" model for more than 20 years, said one of the most common barriers people cite to getting enough exercise is lack of time. He said the results of this study are promising, and show that simply building movement into everyday activities can have meaningful health benefits.

"This is a more natural way to exercise, just to walk more and move around a bit more," Cardinal said. "We are designed by nature as beings who are supposed to move. People get it in their minds, if I don't get that 30 minutes, I might as well not exercise at all. Our results really challenge that perception and give people meaningful, realistic options for meeting the physical activity guidelines."

For example, Cardinal said instead of driving half a mile, try biking or walking the same distance; instead of using a riding lawn mower, use a push lawn mower. Instead of sitting through TV commercials, try doing some sit-ups, push-ups, or jumping jacks during the commercial breaks; and instead of sitting and being a spectator at a child's sporting event, try walking around during the halftime break.

The researchers said the participants in this study wore accelerometers, which is an objective tool to measure physical activity. Those who participated in the short bouts of activity could be moving as few as one or two minutes at a time. The people in the "short bouts" group had positive results in areas such as blood pressure, cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, and waist circumference.

For instance, the study showed those in the shorter exercise group who met physical activity guidelines had an 89 percent chance of not having metabolic syndrome, compared to 87 percent for those meeting guidelines using the structured exercise approach.

Loprinzi said the one area where small bursts of activity did not seem to equal the benefits of longer, sustained exercise was in Body Mass Index, or BMI. However, the researchers cautioned that these findings do not necessarily mean that short bouts of activity do not help with weight loss, especially since they did find a benefit on weight circumference.

"There are inherent limitations in BMI as a surrogate measure of fat and health in general," Cardinal said. "People can still be 'fit' and 'fat.'"

The researchers emphasized that for health benefits, people should seek out opportunities to be physically active.

"In our society, you will always be presented with things that entice you to sit or be less active because of technology, like using a leaf blower instead of a rake," Cardinal said. "Making physical activity a way of life is more cost-effective than an expensive gym membership. You may be more likely to stick with it, and over the long term, you'll be healthier, more mobile and just feel better all around."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Oregon State University.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Paul D. Loprinzi, Bradley J. Cardinal. Association Between Biologic Outcomes and Objectively Measured Physical Activity Accumulated in ?10-Minute Bouts and . American Journal of Health Promotion, 2013; 27 (3): 143 DOI: 10.4278/ajhp.110916-QUAN-348

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/zjCO-5T8sq4/130129100118.htm

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Exclusive: Researchers warn of widespread networking gear bugs

BOSTON (Reuters) - Bugs in widely used networking technology expose tens of millions of personal computers, printers and storage drives to attack by hackers over the regular Internet, researchers with a security software maker said.

The problem lies in computer routers and other networking equipment that use a commonly employed standard known as Universal Plug and Play or UPnP. UPnP makes it easy for networks to identify and communicate with equipment, reducing the amount of work it takes to set up networks.

Security software maker Rapid7 said in a white paper to be released Tuesday that it discovered between 40 million and 50 million devices that were vulnerable to attack due to three separate sets of problems that the firm's researchers have identified with the UPnP standard.

The long list of devices includes products from manufacturers including Belkin, D-Link, Cisco Systems Inc's Linksys division and Netgear.

Representatives for Belkin, D-Link, Linksys and Netgear could not be reached for comment on Monday evening.

Chris Wysopal, chief technology officer of security software firm Veracode, said he believed that publication of Rapid7's findings would draw widespread attention to the still emerging area of UPnP security, prompting other security researchers to search for more bugs in UPnP.

"This definitely falls into the scary category," said Wysopal, who reviewed Rapid7's findings ahead of their publication. "There is going to be a lot more research on this. And the follow-on research could be a lot scarier."

Rapid7 has privately alerted electronics makers about the problem through the CERT Coordination Center, a group at the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute that helps researchers report vulnerabilities to affected companies.

"This is the most pervasive bug I've ever seen," said HD Moore, chief technology officer for Rapid7. He discussed the research with Reuters late on Monday.

Moore, who created a widely used platform known as Metasploit that allows security experts to simulate network attacks, said that he expected CERT to release a public warning about the flaw on Tuesday. A spokesman for the CERT Coordination Center declined to comment.

A source with a networking equipment maker confirmed they had been alerted that CERT would issue an advisory on Tuesday and that companies were preparing to respond.

TAKING CONTROL

The flaws could allow hackers to access confidential files, steal passwords, take full control over PCs as well as remotely access devices such as webcams, printers and security systems, according to Rapid7.

Moore said that there were bugs in most of the devices he tested and that device manufacturers will need to release software updates to remedy the problems.

He said that is unlikely to happen quickly.

In the meantime, he advised computer users to quickly use a free tool released by Rapid7 to identify vulnerable gear, then disable the UPnP functionality in that equipment.

Moore said hackers have not widely exploited the UPnP vulnerabilities to launch attacks, but both Moore and Wysopal expected they may start to do so after the findings are publicized.

Still, Moore said he decided to disclose the flaws in a bid to pressure equipment makers to fix the bugs and generally pay more attention to security.

People who own devices with UPnP enabled may not be aware of it because new routers, printers, media servers, Web cameras, storage drives and "smart" or Web-connected TVs are often shipped with that functionality turned on by default.

"You can't stay silent about something like this," he said. "These devices seem to have had the same level of core security for decades. Nobody seems to really care about them."

Veracode's Wysopal said that some hackers have likely already exploited the flaws to launch attacks, but in relatively small numbers, choosing victims one at a time.

"If they are going after executives and government officials, then they will probably look for their home networks and exploit this vulnerability," he said.

Rapid7 is advising businesses and consumers alike to disable UPnP in devices that they suspect may be vulnerable to attack. The firm has released a tool to help identify those devices on its website http://www.rapid7.com.

(Editing by Edmund Klamann and Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-researchers-warn-widespread-networking-gear-bugs-053410358--sector.html

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Mom Mart: Product Review: Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin ...

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Product Review: Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin {Giveaway}

There is very little in my world that smells worse than dirty diapers. I am not a fan. In fact I don?t know many people, if any, who enjoy this smell. It is just one of the unpleasantries that parents have to deal with. Like spit up and sleepless nights, dirty diapers are a rite of passage into parenthood. But that doesn?t mean that you have to hold your nose and suffer in silence.
Munchkin, a brand my family has been using since the birth of our first child in 2009, has come out with a new diaper pail to combat the stink of dirty diapers.? The good people at Munchkin have teamed up with Arm & Hammer to create a diaper pail that seals away odor after each and every use. It is really easy to use and really easy to refill? Did I mention that it really does a great job of eradicating the stench of dirty diapers from my home?

The Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin What we love about this Diaper Pail:

• It keeps the smell of dirty diapers from stinking up the house. With the twisting technology ? each dirty diaper inserted is sealed away as soon as the lid closes, sealing away the smell. There is an Arm & Hammer cartridge located on the lid that releases a small amount of baking soda each time the lid is closed. It also serves as an absorbent for odor. This means that every time you insert a dirty diaper you are NOT releasing the smell of soiled diapers into the room. AWESOME!
• It is easy for ME to use and it is NOT easy for my toddler to dump toys into. With our last diaper pail my tots thought it was really funny to toss pacifiers, keys, and toys in with the dirty diapers. Let me just say mom was NOT amused. The Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin requires the user to push the handle and then pull up, a task my children have not conquered yet!
• The Arm & Hammer cartridge is easy to refill. This is great for two reasons, 1 being that ease of use is important to me and 2 being that I don?t have to purchase a ton of extra cartridges for my diaper pail to remain odorless.
• This is easy to use one handed.
• The Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail refill bags hold about 25 dirty diapers and is really easy to change out. This is pretty accurate. I only had to refill my diaper pail once a week and the process of removing the bag of dirty diapers and placing a refill in the pail was super easy!

I really like the ease of use and the lack of smells the Munchkin Diaper Pail provides. It is a gender neutral clean looking diaper pail and is compact enough to blend into any nursery.
Something to be aware of with the Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin is the fact that the diapers have to be pushed through the opening. This is not the most pleasant experience when dealing with a heavily soiled and somewhat leaky diaper. Another thing to be aware of is the fact that this diaper pail requires special diaper pail refill bags. This was an adjustment for me since our old diaper pail took standard trash bags, but one that was worth it for us. You can check out the?Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin HERE. Munchkin is?offering one lucky reader of Mom Mart the chance to win an?Arm & Hammer Diaper Pail by Munchkin of their own (ARV $42.99)! This giveaway is open to U.S only. One winner will be chosen using Random.org via Rafflecopter. The winner will be sent an e-mail and will have 48 hours to respond. If I do not hear back from the winner within 48 hours, another winner will be chosen.

Source: http://mommart.blogspot.com/2013/01/product-review-arm-hammer-diaper-pail.html

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Can New Year's Resolutions Lead You To Bankruptcy?

by Eugene S. Melchionne, Connecticut Bankruptcy Lawyer

It?s now near?the end of January. ?Have you broken any of your New Year?s Resolutions yet? ?Besides resolving to lose weight, exercising more, or eating right, managing money is one of the most common resolutions for the new year. ?Yet many fail. ?But oyu don;t have to and it is never too late. ?Here are some secrets to success.

1. ?What are you worth?

• Know where you are first. ? Before?promising?to do anything, figure out where you stand now. ?You can make changes if you don?t know what to change. ?So let?s start with a list. ?Write down everything you own, now go back and put values on everything. ?Not the value of what you paid for the items, but?rather?what you could get for them if you?had a tag sale. ?Then repeat the same for your debts. ?Not you money expenses, but real money that you owe. ?Write down the balances on those debts. ?You know how to do the math. ?Total it all up.
• Know where you came from. ? To make sure you understand the trends, go back and repeat the exercise as if it was five years ago and again as if it was ten years ago. ?See any trends?

2. What is your net?

• The next step to figure out what you earn. ?What is the total amount coming in the door every month from all sources of?income. ?If your pay is not?regular, figures out what you make in a season or a year and divide by 12 to get an average.If you get paid every week, multiply by 4.33; if you get paid every other week, multiply by 26 and divide by 12. ?Do it for both your gross income and then for your net take-home pay.
• Now figure out your regular monthly expenses. ?What is the light bill, the food, the mortgage or rent, the car payment, and so on. ?Keep inmind that like income, not all expenses occur every month. ?In that case, add up the average year?s expense and divide by 12.
• Yup, you know what to do next. ?Do the math. ?Add it all up and subtract the expenses from the income. ?Is it a negative number?

3. ?Now do some dreaming.

• For the moment, forget about today. ?Think about where you want to be five years from now. ?For the first time maybe in a long time (or maybe ever), think about what YOU want. ?nOt what you think you must do or have to do or what others want you to do. ?Where do you want to live? ?What do you want to be doing? ?What your wishes and desires? ?Got that vision in your head? ?Good.
• Now come back to earth. ?Now, let?s look at what is going to happen over the next five years. ?What is already scheduled in your life that will likely happen in the next five years? ?Are you graduating from school or child graduating or entering school? ?Are you getting married or expecting a child? ?Retiring? ?What are the bumps in?the road coming down the pike?

4. ?Keeping the dream alive.

• Now comes the hard part. ?How do you get from where you know where you are now to where you want to be? ?Before you get too depressed, some things to consider.
• It?s never too late. ?It sounds crazy, but it is true: ?Tomorrow IS the FIRST day of the REST of your life.
• Don?t afraid to jettison stuff. ?After all, some stuff is just stuff. ?If that car payment or mortgage is killing your budget and you can get a substitute, jettison?the car or house. ?It is not who you are. ?YOU are who YOU are and no one else is.
• Cut your expenses so that they are less than you make. ?And then pay off what you can as quickly as you can without making new bills.

Don?t assume you know the answer. ?Sometimes, the best advice is to get advice from an outsider. ?This is someone who sees your life objectively without the baggage of your emotions. ?As a team, you can make a plan to manage your debt. ?And if that debt cannot be managed and it exceeds your assets and it exceeds your income and there seems to be no way to get to your dream, then bankruptcy is designed to let you?have a ?do over? and get a new start. ?And after all, that is what New Year?s is all about. ?The start of a new year and a new life.

Tagged as: bankruptcy, Financial Planning, New Year's Resolutions, Personal Finance

Source: http://www.bankruptcylawnetwork.com/can-new-years-resolutions-lead-you-to-bankruptcy/

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The Great Profecy on the planet Koroth...

5,000 years ago on another planet ruled by monsters and animals of all kinds, even ones from earth a profecy was born.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

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Clegg slams EU vote, polls show boost for PM

LONDON (Reuters) - Nick Clegg, leader of the junior party in the ruling coalition, denounced David Cameron's pledge to hold a referendum on quitting the European Union, as polls on Sunday indicated the prime minister's move may gain him votes.

"It is not in the national interest when we have this fragile recovery," said Clegg, whose Lib Dems strongly favour closer EU ties, in contrast to many members of Cameron's Conservative party. "I don't think it helps at all."

He dismissed as "implausible" Cameron's plan to take back powers from Brussels before a referendum on a new treaty by 2017 that would let voters take Britain out. EU leaders have shown little wish to grant Cameron concessions and Clegg said EU talks would distract ministers from efforts to revive the economy.

Cameron, he told the BBC, would damage economic growth if he spent "years flying around from one European capital to the next, fiddling around with the terms of Britain's membership".

The Lib Dems are languishing in the polls and are unlikely to leave the coalition before an election in 2015, but the EU issue has added to strains. Cameron, who says he wants Britain to stay in the EU, last week promised a referendum if he is re-elected. It is less clear what may happen if treaties remain unchanged.

The first opinion polls published since he made his pledge of an "in-out" vote, however, showed that the prime minister may be succeeding in reversing a drift from the Conservatives to a party which campaigns for Britain to leave the European Union.

A Survation poll in the Mail on Sunday, which showed Labour unchanged and in the lead on 38 percent, put the Conservatives on 31 percent, up two points, while the UK Independence Party was down by the same margin, on 14 percent. UKIP's surge from just 3 percent in the 2010 election has raised the prospect of a split on the right that could condemn Cameron to defeat.

Another poll, by ComRes in the Independent on Sunday, showed an even more marked "Brussels bounce" for the prime minister, with the Conservatives gaining five points from last month to 33 percent and UKIP losing four points to be on 10 percent. Again, ComRes put Labour in the lead, down a point on 39 percent.

Cameron's European move worries the United States and EU allies, which want Britain to stay in the bloc. Many business leaders say it creates dangerous uncertainty.

Many Conservatives, whose party toppled previous premiers over European policy, welcomed a referendum after 2015. However, without improvement in an economy which shrank by 0.3 percent in the last quarter, Cameron's re-election is far from certain.

(Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clegg-slams-eu-vote-polls-show-boost-pm-141145590--business.html

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Well: Keeping Blood Pressure in Check

Since the start of the 21st century, Americans have made great progress in controlling high blood pressure, though it remains a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, congestive heart failure and kidney disease.

Now 48 percent of the more than 76 million adults with hypertension have it under control, up from 29 percent in 2000.

But that means more than half, including many receiving treatment, have blood pressure that remains too high to be healthy. (A normal blood pressure is lower than 120 over 80.) With a plethora of drugs available to normalize blood pressure, why are so many people still at increased risk of disease, disability and premature death? Hypertension experts offer a few common, and correctable, reasons:

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Jane Brody speaks about hypertension.

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? About 20 percent of affected adults don?t know they have high blood pressure, perhaps because they never or rarely see a doctor who checks their pressure.

? Of the 80 percent who are aware of their condition, some don?t appreciate how serious it can be and fail to get treated, even when their doctors say they should.

? Some who have been treated develop bothersome side effects, causing them to abandon therapy or to use it haphazardly.

? Many others do little to change lifestyle factors, like obesity, lack of exercise and a high-salt diet, that can make hypertension harder to control.

Dr. Samuel J. Mann, a hypertension specialist and professor of clinical medicine at Weill-Cornell Medical College, adds another factor that may be the most important. Of the 71 percent of people with hypertension who are currently being treated, too many are taking the wrong drugs or the wrong dosages of the right ones.

Dr. Mann, author of ?Hypertension and You: Old Drugs, New Drugs, and the Right Drugs for Your High Blood Pressure,? says that doctors should take into account the underlying causes of each patient?s blood pressure problem and the side effects that may prompt patients to abandon therapy. He has found that when treatment is tailored to the individual, nearly all cases of high blood pressure can be brought and kept under control with available drugs.

Plus, he said in an interview, it can be done with minimal, if any, side effects and at a reasonable cost.

?For most people, no new drugs need to be developed,? Dr. Mann said. ?What we need, in terms of medication, is already out there. We just need to use it better.?

But many doctors who are generalists do not understand the ?intricacies and nuances? of the dozens of available medications to determine which is appropriate to a certain patient.

?Prescribing the same medication to patient after patient just does not cut it,? Dr. Mann wrote in his book.

The trick to prescribing the best treatment for each patient is to first determine which of three mechanisms, or combination of mechanisms, is responsible for a patient?s hypertension, he said.

? Salt-sensitive hypertension, more common in older people and African-Americans, responds well to diuretics and calcium channel blockers.

? Hypertension driven by the kidney hormone renin responds best to ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers, as well as direct renin inhibitors and beta-blockers.

? Neurogenic hypertension is a product of the sympathetic nervous system and is best treated with beta-blockers, alpha-blockers and drugs like clonidine.

According to Dr. Mann, neurogenic hypertension results from repressed emotions. He has found that many patients with it suffered trauma early in life or abuse. They seem calm and content on the surface but continually suppress their distress, he said.

One of Dr. Mann?s patients had had high blood pressure since her late 20s that remained well-controlled by the three drugs her family doctor prescribed. Then in her 40s, periodic checks showed it was often too high. When taking more of the prescribed medication did not result in lasting control, she sought Dr. Mann?s help.

After a thorough work-up, he said she had a textbook case of neurogenic hypertension, was taking too much medication and needed different drugs. Her condition soon became far better managed, with side effects she could easily tolerate, and she no longer feared she would die young of a heart attack or stroke.

But most patients should not have to consult a specialist. They can be well-treated by an internist or family physician who approaches the condition systematically, Dr. Mann said. Patients should be started on low doses of one or more drugs, including a diuretic; the dosage or number of drugs can be slowly increased as needed to achieve a normal pressure.

Specialists, he said, are most useful for treating the 10 percent to 15 percent of patients with so-called resistant hypertension that remains uncontrolled despite treatment with three drugs, including a diuretic, and for those whose treatment is effective but causing distressing side effects.

Hypertension sometimes fails to respond to routine care, he noted, because it results from an underlying medical problem that needs to be addressed.

?Some patients are on a lot of blood pressure drugs ? four or five ? who probably don?t need so many, and if they do, the question is why,? Dr. Mann said.

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How to Measure Your Blood Pressure

Mistaken readings, which can occur in doctors? offices as well as at home, can result in misdiagnosis of hypertension and improper treatment. Dr. Samuel J. Mann, of Weill Cornell Medical College, suggests these guidelines to reduce the risk of errors:

? Use an automatic monitor rather than a manual one, and check the accuracy of your home monitor at the doctor?s office.

? Use a monitor with an arm cuff, not a wrist or finger cuff, and use a large cuff if you have a large arm.

? Sit quietly for a few minutes, without talking, after putting on the cuff and before checking your pressure.

? Check your pressure in one arm only, and take three readings (not more) one or two minutes apart.

? Measure your blood pressure no more than twice a week unless you have severe hypertension or are changing medications.

? Check your pressure at random, ordinary times of the day, not just when you think it is high.

Source: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/keeping-blood-pressure-in-check/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Dr. Lawrence Yun on Real Estate: Speed Up Foreclosures? | Seattle ...

At the Washington Realtors? legislative hill day this year we had an opportunity to hear from the National Association of Realtors? chief economist, Dr. Lawrence Yun. ?Dr. Yun spoke about the improving real estate market in Washington state and his optimistic outlook for our state?s housing prices to continue rising at a rate faster than the nation as a whole.

At the same time, he was concerned with the persistence of high levels of ?shadow inventory? in Washington, even while those levels have been shrinking significantly across the nation as a whole. ?Dr. Yun surmised that the legal system in Washington was one that provided more obstructions to the foreclosure process, and that was creating a huge backlog of foreclosures that should have already been back on the market. ?The striking lack of inventory in our current market is holding back a large crop of eager buyers and stifling home sales in general.

The essence of Dr. Yun?s point was that we should speed up foreclosures. ?On its face, that?s not an argument you?re likely to hear from real estate professionals. ?Our organizations are constantly working for property owners? protections and rights, and fighting fraudulent or predatory practices that force homeowners out of their homes.

This issue, however, is more complex than simply pitting banks against homeowners. ?When we really examine the broken foreclosure process in our state, and nationally, we have to make clear distinctions between the protections that distressed homeowners already have in place, and the unacceptable extensions of the actual foreclosure timelines taking place in the market.

There are an increasing number of homeowners who have realized that, even though their home is underwater and they have no intention of keeping it long-term, they can live in the home without making a payments for years on end. ?As long as the lender is inhibited from closing the actual foreclosure sale, the number of people living in homes for two and even three years, rent free, continues to build. ?The homes are a drag on the community, as these long-term foreclosures deflate nearby housing prices, instead of being resold and fixed up by the new homeowners. ?The homeowners can?t just abandon the property, because it is still legally in their name (see Zombie Titles).

The effort to shorten the timelines on these foreclosures would make no changes to the protections already built into the process for the truly distressed homeowner. ?There are already a number of steps for that person to repay their debt, work out an adjusted payment schedule, or find another means to save their home. ? These people usually have at least a year from the time they stop making payments until the foreclosure sale goes through, and those protections can and will continue to exist for them.

For those homeowners who have already been through the normal foreclosure process and are one, two, or even three years behind on payments, the process needs to be expedited. ?These folks have accepted that the home will be foreclosed upon, and the only question is when. ?It will be better for the neighborhood and, frankly, better for these former?homeowners?to move on with their lives and begin to rebuild their credit. ?This artificial backlog of foreclosure inventory has an eager market of buyers ready to move in, and our communities could benefit from a healthy gain in home sales as we continue to recover.

So, should we speed up foreclosures? ?If the current legal protections are preserved, but the unnecessary multi-year extensions can be avoided, then the answer is ?Yes.? ?Sometimes, facing up to reality and moving forward is the only way to begin correcting the difficult times we?ve been through.

? SeattleHome.com: ? Sam DeBord, Managing Broker, Realtor
Coldwell Banker Seattle: Coldwell Banker Danforth & Associates
Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Google + | Sam (at) SeattleHome.com

Source: http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlewaterfronthomes/2013/01/27/dr-lawrence-yun-on-real-estate-speed-up-foreclosures/

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Centrohelids: creatures of the sun

Sun worship is not unique to human societies. Evolutionary processes too seem to enjoy encountering sun-like shapes, from sea urchins to porcupine spines to radiolarians. Maybe not ?enjoy?, perhaps, but a few of the encounters appear to have stuck around. Centrohelids were a member of the now-defunct Heliozoa? or ?Sun-animalcules?. The radial arrangement of fine rods (axopods) sticking out of the cell should suggest why. Heliozoa once included everything that looked sun-like, but, as often happens in the world of taxonomy, molecular sequencing put an end to that assemblage. While its constituents fell in various remote ends of the eukaryotic tree, its [arguably] flagship group remained intact, as centrohelid heliozoans ? or, to be politically correct now, centrohelids.

The entire cell is arranged radially around a central organising unit, the centroplast, from which the cytoskeletal framework of the axopod emerges. The cytoplasm is organised more or less concentrically ? immediately around the centroplast is an ?exclusion zone? devoid of organelles, followed by a sphere of Golgi bodies, ?curiously oriented with their maturing end (where stuff comes out of) inward rather than outward. Around the Golgi layer is the endoplasmic reticulum as well as the nucleus tucked in between the axopods. The remarkable thing here is that a ?typical? cell is oriented with the nucleus near the centre, followed by the endoplasmic reticulum and then golgi bodies, maturing side facing outwards ? since generally you?re trying to get secreted products to or near the surface. While seemingly perfectly shaped for this exact arrangement, the centrohelid cell is essentially inside-out, with the finished products delivered to the centre of the cell. But it makes sense ? at the centre, the secretion products hitch on to the axopod microtubules, and ride them outwards, to the edge of the cell body proper and beyond.

For the morbidly curious, most of these structures can be seen in the electron micrograph below from Bardele 1975?Cell Tiss Res, sectioned through the centre of the cell:

All this is surrounded by the ectoplasm, in this case a bubbly vacuolated layer where prey gets digested and savoured. And the cell body proper itself is usually covered by a myriad of spicules and plates, which can be seen in pictures here. This layer of surface decoration serves as a valuable feature for identifying species, to a certain extent. Of course, it may well be that what appear to be ?species? to our bloated macroscopic eyes may be genetically equivalent to entire families or phyla in the animal kingdom.

The axopods themselves carry kinetosomes, or little sticky-stabby organelles that act in catching prey. The long, fine axopods extend quite far beyond the cell, and wait until a hapless flagellate comes swimming by. Once triggered, the kinetosomes stick to and stun the victim, and other axopods are recruited to help hold it down. Typically, as one images, these flagellates are small, but it?s not uncommon to see centrohelids with prey larger than themselves. In some species, the individuals even join forces (ie, fuse) with their neighbours to catch large beasts! (Sakaguchi et al. 2002 Eur J Protistol) The victim is then delivered towards the cell body proper, where pseudopods extend and engulf the food for a gradual digestion ritual. ?The waste is delivered outwards by the same axopods, which essentially make the cell functionally bigger without having to sustain all the material in-between that clogs up valuable gas exchange surface.

Centrohelids do move about, and in plenty of different ways: many float, some seem to use their axopods to glide along the surface, some attach to the surface with one end and slide like amoebae, some others apparently roll around like balls (Zlatogursky pers. comm.). They reproduce by cell division, like most things, but the complete life cycle remains unknown. To my knowledge, no flagellate stages have been found, but that does not mean they don?t exist. To this day we keep on discovering new life cycle stages, even of well-known organisms, and quite often the two stages were long thought to be completely unrelated things. (a notorious case of this is in fungal taxonomy, of moulds, where the sexual and asexual fruiting bodies still carry separate genus and species names, primarily to deter taxonomically-challenged undergrads from pursuing mycology any further). I had the fortune to come across one in the midst of division, which you can see below:

Not much is known about how centrohelids live (let alone their potential molecular peculiarities), and the entire centrohelid research community at the moment constitutes two or three people. The field is so tiny that it was struck badly by an unfortunate unexpected death of their recent expert, Kiril Mikrjukov. With his passing, centrohelid research essentially stopped, and much valuable insight was lost. I know of at least one person currently trying to revive the centrohelids (to our eyes; they?re doing quite fine without being noticed by us, of course), but that?s it. I?m bringing this up to point out how tiny some areas of research are, and how easily they can be devastated by the loss (or stalled by the retirement) of one or two people. And since the old apprenticeship model where a student follows their advisor?s footsteps is largely gone (in large part due to the horrid job market, rather than being replaced by something better), it?s painful to think about the wealth of knowledge and insight that gets lost without ever seeing the light of publication. Many tantalising observations never make it to publication, sometimes due to experimental difficulties, but usually due to the limits of how much one individual can really do (not much, in science?), oh, and, of course, lack of funding. This is just one example, but the world of protistology is full of fascinating organisms left obscure and untended by human curiosity.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=933a66823fb2e2fd85ec9c7ff87f63cb

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