GOP tries to zap technology gap with Democrats

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Embarrassed by how the last presidential election exposed their yesteryear technology, Republicans are turning to a younger generation of tech-savvy social media experts and software designers to improve communications with voters, predict their behavior and track opponents more vigorously.

After watching President Barack Obama win re-election with help from a technology operation unprecedented in its sophistication, GOP officials concede an urgent need for catch up.

"I think everybody realized that the party is really far behind at the moment and they're doing everything within their realistic sphere of influence to catch up," said Bret Jacobson, a partner with Red Edge, a Virginia-based digital advocacy firm that represents the Republican Governors Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Heritage Foundation.

Democrats began using related technology years ago, giving Obama a significant advantage last fall in customizing personalized fundraising and get-out-the-vote appeals to prospective supporters. With the blessing of party leaders, a new crop of Republican-backed outside groups is developing tools to do the same in 2014 and 2016.

Alex Skatell, former digital director for the GOP's gubernatorial and Senate campaign operations, leads one new group that has been quietly testing a system that would allow Republicans to share details about millions of voters ? their personal interests, group affiliations and even where they went to school.

With no primary opponent last year, Obama's re-election team used the extra time to build a large campaign operation melding a grass-roots army of 2.2 million volunteers with groundbreaking technology to target voters. They tapped about 17 million email subscribers to raise nearly $700 million online.

Data-driven analytics enabled the campaign to run daily simulations to handicap battleground states, analyze demographic trends and test alternatives for reaching voters online.

Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, in contrast, had only a few months after a lengthy primary fight to try to match Obama's tech advantage. He couldn't make up the difference. Romney's technology operation was overwhelmed by the intense flow of data and temporarily crashed on Election Day.

A 100-page report on how to rebound from the 2012 election, released last week by Republican Party Chairman Reince Priebus, includes several technology recommendations.

"The president's campaign significantly changed the makeup of the national electorate and identified, persuaded and turned out low-propensity voters by unleashing a barrage of human and technological resources previously unseen in a presidential contest," the report said. "Marrying grass-roots politics with technology and analytics, they successfully contacted, persuaded and turned out their margin of victory. There are many lessons to be learned from their efforts, particularly with respect to voter contact."

Skatell, 26, is leading one new effort by Republican allies to fill the void. His team of designers, software developers and veteran Republican strategists is now testing what he calls an "almost an eHarmony for matching volunteers with persuadable voters" that would let campaigns across the country share details in real time on voter preferences, harnessing social media like Facebook and Twitter.

Other groups are working to improve the GOP's data and digital performance.

The major Republican ally, American Crossroads, which spent a combined $175 million on the last election with its sister organization, hosted private meetings last month focused on data and technology. Drawing from technology experts in Silicon Valley, the organization helped craft a series of recommendations expected to be rolled out later this year.

"A good action plan that fixes our deficiencies and identifies new opportunities can help us regain our advantage within a cycle or two," said Crossroads spokesman Jonathan Collegio.

A prominent group of Republican aides has also formed America Rising, a company that will have a companion "super" political action committee that can raise unlimited contributions without having to disclose its donors. Its purpose is to counter Democratic opposition research groups, which generated negative coverage of Romney and GOP candidates last year.

America Rising will provide video tracking, opposition research and rapid response for campaign committees, super PACs and individual candidates' campaigns but does not plan to get involved in GOP primaries. It will be led by Matt Rhoades, who served as Romney's campaign manager, and Joe Pounder, the research director for the Republican National Committee. Running its super PAC will be Tim Miller, a former RNC aide and spokesman for former GOP presidential candidate Jon Huntsman.

Romney and several Republican candidates were monitored closely by camera-toting Democratic aides during the campaign, a gap that Miller said American Rising hopes to fill on behalf of Republicans.

Brad Woodhouse, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said his party has "a several years' lead on data and analytics infrastructure and we're not standing still."

Of the GOP effort, Woodhouse said, "We don't see them closing the gap anytime soon."

___

Peoples reported from Boston.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-moves-plug-technology-gap-democrats-204332968--politics.html

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CASIS wants to send your research project into space, give Engadget readers $100 off the application fee

We already told you about the CASIS and MassChallenge startup accelerator partnership aiming to find the next great research project to send into space, and give that project over $100,000 to help bring it to fruition. Now, Engadget wants to help make it easier for you, dear reader, to get your idea into orbit by offering the chance to trim $100 off the $199 application fee.

The process is simple: you click the source link below and fill out a short form outlining your idea and providing your contact info. Then, should CASIS like what it sees, it'll send out promo codes to ten of you to be used when submitting the full application on the MassChallenge website. Sound good? Well, hop to it folks, because CASIS is looking to deliver the promo codes by April 1st. Not that you should need much incentive to jump on the opportunity... we're talking about sending your pet project into space, after all.

Filed under: Science

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/27/casis-research-space-application-promo/

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Amazon Is Making a TV Show Called Betas That's About Nerds in Silicon Valley

Not to be left out from the copycat networks making shows about Silicon Valley, Amazon Studios is producing a half-hour comedy series called Betas. It's centered around four nerds " and their quest for nerd fame as they attempt to crack the ultimate code." One of these shows has to be good, right? More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/I8jfuOiP69M/amazon-is-making-a-tv-show-called-betas-thats-about-nerds-in-silicon-valley

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Cypriot banks reopen after 12 days -- but customers can only withdraw $383 each

Yannis Behrakis / Reuters

A staff member of Laiki Bank, which is to be liquidated, tries to calm customers as the branch in Nicosia prepares to open.

By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News

Banks on the tax haven of Cyprus opened Thursday for the first time in 12 days amid the island's continuing financial crisis.

Strict limits on the amount of money that could be withdrawn have been imposed ? people will be able to withdraw 300 euros ($383) a day and no checks will be cashed ? amid fears of a run on the banks.

Account holders showed up hours before the banks were due to open to get in line.

Early indications were that there was no mass rush to withdraw cash, with just 13 people waiting outside one large Bank of Cyprus branch on the island as it opened at noon local time (6 a.m. ET). They were surrounded by a scrum of journalists.

?We need only from you cooperation, understanding and please patience,? the manager of the branch said before opening.

However a small crowd of people did press against the doors of a branch of Laiki Bank, which is being liquidated. CNBC sources estimate those with more than 100,000 euros (about $128,000) in accounts in Laiki Bank could lose 40 to 70 percent of their deposits.

During the banking shutdown, people could only withdraw 100 euros (about $127) a day from the country's two biggest banks, using ATMs.?Most who lined up for the opening Thursday were elderly people and those without ATM cards.?

Deposits above 100,000 euros with the Bank of Cyprus will be frozen and 40 percent of each account will be converted into bank stock. Accounts in both banks with balances under 100,000 euros will be fully protected.

A previous proposal to take less from all bank accounts?was vetoed by the Cypriot parliament.

The country is seeking to meet the terms of a bailout from the European Union of 10 billion euros ($12.9 billion) and, in order to raise enough funds to meet strict conditions imposed by the EU, it is preparing to take money from bank accounts.

CNBC's Michelle Caruso Cabrera reports on banks reopening in Cyprus and the limits they've imposed on depositors. The situation, she says, is calmer than expected.

Ahead of the banks? reopening, money was flown into the island and guards were seen delivering cash to banks in armored vehicles.

The banks were due to close at 6 p.m. local time (12 p.m. ET).

There was some relief on the island that the banks were finally opening again, but this was mixed with fear about what could happen.

'Slow death'
Yorgos Georgiou, who owns a dry cleaning business in Nicosia, told Reuters that "finally people's mood will be lifted and we can start to trust the system again."

But he added: "I'm worried about the poor kids working in the cashiers today, because people might vent their anger at them. You can't predict how people will react after so many days."

Kostas Nikolaou, a 60-year-old retiree, told Reuters that the uncertainty of the past two weeks had been "like a slow death."

"How can they tell you that you can't access your own money in the bank? It's our money, we are entitled to it,? he added.

The country?s president, Nicos Anastasiades, has described the bailout deal as ?painful? but essential.

However, Nobel laureate economist Christopher Pissarides said it was ?extremely unfair to the little guy.?

?For the first time in the euro zone, depositors are (being) asked to bail out failing banks," he said. "Now that used to be the case in the 1930s, especially United States (and) caused big bank runs. It has been decided since then that we shouldn?t allow that to happen again.?

As Cyprus celebrates its Independence Day, the ?government is defending the last-minute bailout deal it's negotiated with the European Union. This means shutting down the country's second biggest bank, with big savers facing ?losses. ?ITV's Emma Murphy reports.

Among other controls, the island's central bank will review all commercial transactions over 5,000 euros and scrutinize transactions over 200,000 euros on an individual basis, Reuters reported. People leaving Cyprus can take only 1,000 euros with them. An earlier draft of the decree had put the figure at 3,000.

Reuters summed up the situation facing the island:

With just 860,000 people, Cyprus has about 68 billion euros in its banks - a vastly outsized financial system that attracted deposits from foreigners as an offshore haven but foundered after investments in neighboring Greece went sour.

The European Union and International Monetary Fund concluded that Cyprus could not afford a rescue unless it imposed losses on depositors, seen as anathema in previous euro zone bailouts.?The bailout looks set to push Cyprus deeper into an economic slump, shrink the banking sector and cost thousands of jobs.

European leaders said the bailout deal averted a chaotic national bankruptcy that might have forced Cyprus out of the euro.

Many Cypriots say the deal was foisted upon them by Cyprus's partners in the 17-nation euro zone within the European Union, and some have taken to the streets to vent their frustration.

CNBC's Michelle Caruso-Cabrera and Katie Slaman, and Reuters contributed to this report.

Related:

Cypriots fear run on banks as branches prepare to reopen

Cypriots: Hope, but also fear they 'will be like slaves' to Russia

EU to Cypriots: Let us raid your savings or no bailout

This story was originally published on Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:52 AM EDT

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Idaho teacher investigated for using word ?vagina? in sex ed lesson

The state of Idaho?s professional-standards commission is investigating a science teacher in the tiny, rural town of Dietrich, because four parents have objected to his use of the word ?vagina? in a 10th-grade biology lesson on human reproduction.

In addition to saying ?vagina,? McDaniel stands accused of describing the biological processes that lead to a human orgasm, discussing birth control, and telling unseemly jokes to his sophomore charges, reports the Times-News of nearby Twin Falls, Idaho.

The group of unnamed parents has also complained that there was an in-class video clip detailing genital herpes infection.

Still another complaint levied by the concerned parents is that McDaniel showed the documentary ?An Inconvenient Truth? in class. The parents say showing professional politician Al Gore?s agitprop on climate change amounts to endorsing a political candidate on school property.

A final claim by the irate parents ? and arguably the most serious one ? is that the science teacher revealed confidential student files with some unspecified person who is not a parent. No further information on this allegation appears to be available.

The teacher, Tim McDaniel, received a letter from the Idaho State Department of Education to McDaniel itemizing the allegations against him.

McDaniel, who says he has taught science classes in Dietrich for 18 years without criticism, is fighting the charges.

?I don?t include anything that the textbook doesn?t mention,? McDaniel claimed, according to the Times-News. He added that he allows students to opt out of sex ed coursework if they want.

As for featuring ?An Inconvenient Truth? in his classroom, McDaniel said he assigned a response paper afterwards.

?I?m not looking for one answer,? he told the Times-News. ?I just want them to be able to explain what they believe.?

Dietrich Superintendent Neil Hollingshead said he doubts McDaniel will lose his job.

?It is highly unlikely it would end with his dismissal,? Hollingshead told the newspaper. ?Maybe a letter of reprimand from the school board.?

McDaniel said he has no intention of signing a letter of reprimand.

?I?ve done nothing wrong,? the science teacher told the Times-News.

In the meantime, a Facebook petition called ?SAVE THE SCIENCE TEACHER!!? has come into existence since this kerfuffle began. Almost 300 people have expressed solidarity with McDaniel thus far.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/idaho-science-teacher-uses-word-084615247.html

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Search warrants in Newtown school massacre might reveal more on motive

Lucas Jackson / Reuters file

Nancy Lanza's home in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 18.

By Gil AegerterStaff Writer, NBC News

Search warrant documents in the Sandy Hook massacre are expected to be released early Thursday and could shed more light on gunman Adam Lanza?s state of mind and motive in carrying out the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.

The records were sealed in the immediate aftermath of Lanza?s Dec. 14 shooting rampage through the Newtown, Conn., elementary school, and Connecticut Superior Court Judge John F. Blawie extended the order for 90 days on Dec. 27 (here in .pdf). It covered the applications, affidavits and returns for five search warrants for the home in Sandy Hook where Lanza lived with his mother, Nancy, and for the black 2010 four-door Honda Civic sedan that he parked in front of Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Rhonda Stearley-Hebert, communications manager for the Connecticut Judicial Branch, said Wednesday that the documents would be available Thursday morning. A statement from prosecutors working on the case also was expected to be made public.

On Wednesday afternoon, Blawie granted a motion from the state's attorney to redact some information in the records, including a witness name, a credit card number and telephone numbers. The sealing orders will be lifted at midnight Wednesday, and the documents were to be released by email at 9:01 a.m. Thursday.

---

Authorities say Lanza shot his 52-year-old mother to death at the home they shared on the morning of Dec. 14, then drove about five miles to the school, where he killed 20 first-graders and six teachers and staff members before fatally shooting himself. Two other teachers were wounded. The death toll is second only to the 32 killed in the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre among U.S. school shootings.

Lanza, 20, used a Bushmaster .223-caliber XM15-E2S rifle with a 30-round magazine to shoot the victims at the school, authorities have said. In addition to the Bushmaster, authorities found a Glock 10mm semiautomatic pistol and a Sig-Sauer 9mm semiautomatic pistol in the school ? one of which Lanza used to kill himself. In the Civic parked outside, police found an Izhmash Canta-12 12-gauge shotgun, which looks similar to a Kalashnikov rifle; it was not used at the school.

All those weapons were legally owned by Nancy Lanza, authorities have said. There have been reports that several more guns were found in her home, though NBC News has not confirmed that.

Authorities have kept tight control over information in the case, including any evidence that might give clues to Adam Lanza?s motivation.

Alaine Griffin and Josh Kovner from the Hartford Courant teamed up with PBS's "Frontline" for a special report on Adam Lanza, the Sandy Hook shooter. After finding news articles in his bedroom, they believe Lanza could have been inspired by the deadly Norway attacks, and they also note that his mom Nancy wanted him to be more independent.

There have been reports that he was obsessed with mass killers, including Norway?s Anders Breivik, who killed 77 people in a shooting and bomb attack in 2011. A law enforcement official told NBC News last month that Lanza had collected material on previous mass shootings, although the source said there was no indication that it played a role in the school massacre. Some reports also have suggested that investigators believe violent video games might have helped propel Lanza to violence, though authorities have not confirmed that. Like many young adults, Lanza was known to play a variety of video games, some violent and some not.

Connecticut State Police spokesman Lt. Paul Vance told NBC?S TODAY in February that investigators ?are a long way? from determining Lanza?s motive. Vance said investigators hope to have their report on the shooting completed by early June.

Access to information has become an issue with state lawmakers working on bipartisan gun-control legislation stemming from the massacre.

Lawmakers complained last week after the New York Daily News reported that a state police commander had disclosed evidence about the case at a law enforcement seminar in New Orleans. State House Republican Rep. Larry Cafero said lawmakers should be getting more information for their deliberations, and in response, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the Office of the Chief State?s Attorney had agreed to release more information this week.

Mark Dupuis, spokesman for the state Division of Criminal Justice, said Wednesday that the release would include the search warrant documents and a statement from prosecutors.

Adam Joseph, communications director for the state Senate Democrats, told NBC News on Wednesday morning that lawmakers still did not have a final agreement on the legislation and were waiting to see the search warrants before scheduling a vote, which could come as early as next week.

NBC News producer Tom Winter contributed to this report.

Brendan Smialowski / AFP - Getty Images

A nation mourns after the second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history left 20 children and six staff members dead at Sandy Hook Elementary.

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Amazon Drops 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD Price, Launches in Japan and Europe

The 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD is cheaper! And finally available in Europe and Japan!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/TMqVXML_9rI/

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Anemia drug does not improve health of anemic heart failure patients, study shows

Mar. 10, 2013 ? Researchers from Cleveland Clinic and Sweden-based Sahlgrenska University Hospital have found that a commonly used drug to treat anemia in heart failure patients -darbepoetin alfa -- does not improve patients' health, nor does it reduce their risk of death from heart failure.

Results of the international study were presented at the American College of Cardiology's annual meeting in San Francisco on March 10 and published simultaneously online by the New England Journal of Medicine.

Initiated in 2006, the RED-HF (Reduction of Events With Darbepoetin Alfa in Heart Failure) trial involved 2,278 anemic heart failure patients at 453 sites in 33 countries. Patients were randomly given either darbepoetin alfa or placebo. In the darbepoetin alfa group, 50.7 percent of the patients experienced death from any cause or hospitalization for worsening heart failure. In the placebo group, 49.5 percent of the patients experienced similar clinical outcomes. The trial was funded by Amgen, the maker of darbepoetin alfa (trade name: Aranesp).

"This landmark study provides answers to caregivers who treat patients with heart failure complicated by anemia," said James Young, M.D., cardiologist and Chair of the Cleveland Clinic Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute, and co-investigator of the RED-HF trial. "Our findings do not support the use of darbepoetin alfa to treat anemic heart failure patients."

Anemia, the lack of red blood cells, is a common and serious problem in people who suffer from heart failure. It can lead to worse quality of life, higher rates of hospitalization and death. Treatment options have focused on correcting anemia with the use of intravenous iron or drugs that stimulate red blood cells.

"The benefits of erythropoietin-stimulating agents (ESAs) such as darbepoetin alfa to treat patients with heart failure and anemia have been questioned due to contradictory research findings," said Karl Swedberg, M.D., Ph.D., a senior professor at the Sweden-based Department of Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and co-investigator of the RED-HF trial. "Our study results show that the use of darbepoetin alfa to stimulate the production of red blood cells is an ineffective treatment for patients with heart failure and anemia."

According to the study, researchers found that darbepoetin alfa treatment led to an early and sustained increase in hemoglobin compared with placebo. However, darbepoetin alfa treatment did not reduce the risk of death from any cause or hospitalization from heart failure. Findings suggest that hemoglobin is a marker of poor prognosis in heart failure, rather than a therapeutic target. There were no new safety findings identified in the study. However, researchers observed an increased risk of thrombosis in the darbepoetin alfa group.

Researchers note that further research is needed to identify treatment options for this patient population.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Cleveland Clinic, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Karl Swedberg, James B. Young, Inder S. Anand, Sunfa Cheng, Akshay S. Desai, Rafael Diaz, Aldo P. Maggioni, John J.V. McMurray, Christopher O'Connor, Marc A. Pfeffer, Scott D. Solomon, Yan Sun, Michal Tendera, Dirk J. van Veldhuisen. Treatment of Anemia with Darbepoetin Alfa in Systolic Heart Failure. New England Journal of Medicine, 2013; : 130310164504007 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1214865

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/most_popular/~3/O5UNS2lx9C8/130311091539.htm

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Interview with Ghanaian Writer, Ayesha Harruna Attah | Geosi Reads

Credit: Ayesha Harruna Attah

Brief Biography:

Born in Accra, Ghana, Ayesha Harruna Attah wrote and published her first novel,?Harmattan Rain, with a fellowship from Per Ankh Publishers and TrustAfrica.?Harmattan Rain, was shortlisted for the?2010 Commonwealth Writers? Prize, Africa Region. Ayesha was educated at Mount Holyoke College and Columbia University and received an MFA in creative writing from NYU in 2011. She is working on her second novel.

Geosi Reads: You come from a family of writers. How much of impact did that have on your becoming a writer?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: At first I tried to run away. My goody-two-shoes way of rebelling was choosing a different career from my parents so I studied science in school. I completely ignored the fact that I was always entering writing competitions, or that I kept tons of diaries filled with angst and bad poetry. Eventually I came full circle and luckily when I did I had my parents? support. Sometimes you can?t fight what?s in your blood.

Geosi Reads: Angst and bad poetry! What comes to mind when you look at your old diaries?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: I cringe a lot, thinking I should burn them, prevent anyone from blackmailing me? But there are one or two good pieces that end up saving the whole bad lot.

Geosi Reads: Your debut novel, ?Harmattan Rain? was published by Per Ankh in 2008. Take us through the writing process?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: Per Ankh is a publishing cooperative run by a worldwide group of friends. They also operate a nine-month long writers? workshop, Per Sesh, for young African writers. I was accepted to Per Sesh, and that?s where I wrote my first novel. Ayi Kwei Armah, the author of several novels including The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born and coordinator of Per Ankh, led our workshops. The process involved research, writing, workshops, editing, more writing, more research, more editing. The workshop was set up so we had no reason to procrastinate: our food, shelter, and well-being were completely taken care of.

Geosi Reads: The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born is undoubtedly one of my favorite books. Have you read the Beautyful Ones?? If yes, what are your impressions?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: I love that book! What?s interesting about it is that in many ways it could be describing life in Ghana right now, which probably doesn?t speak well about our progress since independence.

Geosi Reads: In my review of Harmattan Rain, I wrote that the first chapter ??hooked me in?. How much of attention was given to the first chapter alone?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: Thank you! A lot of attention has to be given even to the first sentence.? Some writers can?t proceed if they don?t have the first sentence right, but I?m not that kind of writer, and the opening chapter wasn?t even the first chapter I wrote: it kind of developed half way through writing Harmattan Rain. I knew I wanted a strong opening, one that would show Lizzie-Achiaa?s ambition, independence, and wild spirit?the same one that lives in her daughter and granddaughter. Once the whole book was written, I went back to the opening chapter several times to make sure it captured the entire novel?s mood.

Geosi Reads: In Harmattan Rain, you do not only tell the story of three generations of women but you also weave into the storyline the political history of Ghana. How much of research went into the book?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: I did a ton of research. I read Dr. Kwame Nkrumah?s biography, his seven-year plan for Ghana, accounts of various missionaries in Ghana, but my biggest lifesaver was a compilation of 50 years of articles from the Daily Graphic. That book was such a gem, because not only did its articles recreate the zeitgeist of those years, but it also contained adverts of commodities like shoe polish, details that added wonderful local color and richness to the novel.

Geosi Reads: How much of your real life experiences go into your books?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: I try to create new worlds when I?m writing, but real life invariably seeps in. There are also times when real life experiences are just too good and juicy to pass on or to even make up. Ultimately I guess it?s a combination of imagining and stealing from real life.

?Geosi Reads: You wrote your debut novel through the Per Sesh Writers Workshop based in Popenguine, Senegal. Can you tell us about the place and what went into the workshop?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: Popenguine is a lovely village in Senegal, by the Atlantic Ocean. It was especially great for me, because I thrive by the ocean! The workshop structure involved critiquing our peers? work, discussing the craft of writing by reading literature from all over the world, and then learning about the publishing process?from how to layout books to the business side of publishing.

Geosi Reads: I understand that one of your mentors at the workshop was Ghanaian most celebrated writer, Ayi Kwei Armah. How was it like studying under him?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: He was tough, but supportive, like one would expect from any mentor. He was brilliant at editing both on a sentence and story level. He?s also very funny. I remember being shy about writing a sex scene so I?d emulated the style of Ghanaian movies of yesteryear: a couple goes into a bedroom, they cover themselves with a sheet and the rest is left to the viewer?s imagination. He laughed and said I couldn?t do that to my readers. Part of the reason people come to books is to escape or to learn, so I had to give as much detail as I could.

Geosi Reads: You had me laughing out loud! Very, very, true about the style of Ghanaian movies of many years ago. Would you ever mind venturing into areas like play or screenwriting?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: I have been toying with screenwriting and would love to see my writing on the big screen!

Geosi Reads: You hold a master?s degree in Journalism. How much of your journalistic background do you bring to your literary works?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: I think the way I write and the way I approach my stories borrow from my journalism background. I love to do research and interview people. Also, when I?m writing fiction it?s almost as if I?m sent to my imagined world to report back.

Geosi Reads: Are you optimistic about the future of Ghanaian literature?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: I am. There?s a growing list of serious writers such as Mohammed Naseehu-Ali, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, Nii Ayi-Kwei Parkes, to name but a few and I know these numbers will keep growing. What I?d like to see is writers breaking into other genres of fiction, and I know it?s only a matter of time.

Geosi Reads: What have you been working on in recent times?

Ayesha Harruna Attah: I?ve been at work on my second novel. I?m also editing a number of short stories that have been on the back burner for a while.

END!

See my review of Ayesha Harruna Attah?s Harmattan Rain.

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Put a Spring in your Step! | Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia

jenni 12 March 2013

Put the spring back into your step this season by taking a break from the usual routine and refreshing the mind. Spring cleaning is not only meant for the material things in life but is also linked to rejuvenating the body and soul, which are far more important and must be looked after. After all you can always replace material objects, but you unfortunately can?t purchase a new you!

Head to the seaside on a train from London to Bournemouth and breathe the fresh sea air. Thereare miles and miles of golden sand, plenty of opportunity to pick a spot.Hire a beach hut for the day, or book yourself a surfing lesson. There are a wide range of water sports available so choose whatever you fancy. Maybe strolling from one pier to another would make a refreshing walk and you can stop at any of the tantalising restaurants or lively bars along the way.

Alternatively take a journey from London to Bristol and explore the maritime theme. Those wanting to immerse themselves in Bristol?s maritime heritage will not be disappointed. Before you know it you could find yourself on board the world?s first great ocean liner, Brunel?s SS Great Britain, in Bristol?s historic Harbour side. The boat is truly interactive and you could find yourself scrambling into the cramped bunks in Steerage and taking a whiff of the smells, some less pleasant than others! These are just a sample of Bristol?s many attractions. Whatever your interests, Bristol truly has it all. For those looking to do a spot of shopping, why not head to the newly pedestrianised streets of Broadmead, Bristol?s famous shopping destination. After some well-deserved retail therapy, you could recharge in one of the many places to eat and drink.

If you prefer to stay closer to home there?s a lot to see and do in the nearby town of Guildford and trains from London to Guildford take just over half an hour and cost as little as ?12. Visit Guildford Castle and enjoy the 360 degree panoramic view of Guildford and the beautiful surrounding countryside. ?Stroll through the wealth of gardens and admire the historic buildings.Guildford is the gateway to some of the most stunning scenery and natural beauty. There are a whole host of fine bars and restaurants to keep you entertained during the evening.

There?s no better way to start the season than to take a break and clear the mind, body and soul, ready to enjoy the sunshine months to their full potential.

Source: http://blog.travelandleisureasia.com/destination/2013/03/12/put-a-spring-in-your-step/

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Reeder (for Mac)

Voracious Web readers understand the value of RSS feeds, which allow users to subscribe to their favorite online publications, tag stories, favorite articles, and generally manage their links in a tidy fashion. If you're an RSS devotee who owns an OS X desktop or laptop (there's no Windows version, unfortunately), you would do well to download the $4.99 Reeder from the Mac App Store, despite its quirks.

Turning the Page
Reeder piggybacks on Google Reader, prompting you to log with your Google username and password?or create a new set of credentials from scratch?when you launch the app. Reeder then asks permission to serve as your default RSS reader, which I highly suggest. Reeder has a cleaner, more elegant, OS X-like interface that's very easy to understand. It's customizable, too. You can change everything from Reeder's color to font to column layout. That alone is worth the price of admission

Reeder, by default, is segmented into three panes: the RSS feed column (which displays the source and number of unread articles), title and excerpts column (listed in order by publication date), and the main content area (where text, photos, and video appear). You can set Reeder to display starred items, unread items, or both?I appreciate the flexibility offered here. It also lets you subscribe to and manage feeds from within the app without ever touching Google Reader itself, which is a nice touch. Even better, Reeder syncs with Google Reader so articles marked as read in one will be marked as read in another. Google Currents still doesn't walk arm in arm with Google Reader in a similar fashion?a shame.

Easy Reader
Pages are formatted in a very clean fashion with lots of eye-friendly white space. That said, some images were oddly aligned, but there's a remedy for that. Tapping an article title opens the actual webpage within the app, which comes in handy when you want to read a page in its true format (or you come across a site that only displays RSS excerpts).

Reeder includes a highly useful search tool that lets users search a name, word, or phrase within a particular RSS feed, or across all subscriptions. As a RSS power user, I found it very useful when looking for specific items. Once you find a particular article, you can share and/or save the link to Twitter, Pinterest, Delicious, Instapaper, Pocket, Safari Reading List, Evernote, Mars Edit, App.net, Zootool, Readbility, and Quote.fm.

Reeder supports touchpad gestures, which let you quickly execute actions with just a finger swipe. Swiping from up to down, for example, opens the selected story. I prefer to point and click my way through stories, but having multiple options at my disposal is not a bad thing. On that note, Reeder supports multiple accounts, but in a highly quirky fashion: You need to hold down the "ALT" key as Reeder loads in order to sign in with a different Google account.

If you'd like to take Reeder on the road, an iPhone version is available for $2.99. We liked it so much that we deemed it one of PCMag.com's 100 Best iPhone apps.

Happily Ever After
Google Reader fans who desire more flexibility than what the RSS reader offers should drop $5 on Reeder. It's lightweight, highly customizable, and makes navigating feeds a snap. It's made for the hardcore Web reader, but anyone who reads online will find it a useful app, despite a few niggles.

More RSS Tools Reviews:
??? Reeder (for Mac)
??? Podcastomatic
??? Twitter
??? Jaiku
??? Yappd (beta)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/ACxgJ0vPm60/0,2817,2416432,00.asp

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Beatles' secretary, "Good Ol' Freda," breaks silence in film

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - For Freda Kelly, secretary to the Beatles and head of the band's fan club, work sometimes involved trailing the Fab Four to the barber shop, sweeping their locks from the floor and mailing strands of hair to adoring female fans.

Kelly, one of the Beatles' longest-serving employees, worked for the British band for more than a decade but had never shared her stories publicly until now.

She breaks her silence in a new documentary, "Good Ol' Freda," which had its world premiere on Saturday on the second day of the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin.

"It's such a classic Cinderella story: Girl picks the job of a lifetime," director Ryan White told Reuters.

The tale is sure to delight fans of the Beatles, but White seeks to tell a story that transcends that audience, a story about an amazing decade in an otherwise ordinary life.

The film features four Beatles songs, which required the permission of many people, including the two surviving Beatles. It also includes never-before-seen photos of the band.

The documentary's title comes from the Beatles' 1963 Christmas recording, in which George Harrison thanks their secretary in Liverpool, and they all yell, "Good Ol' Freda!"

A mutual friend and a family connection to the 1960s' Liverpool music scene brought Kelly to the attention of White, who took the opportunity to tell her story.

The Los Angeles filmmaker, 31, who co-directed and produced the 2010 soccer documentary "Pelada," grew up knowing Kelly as a family friend who was a secretary. In fact, she is still a secretary, for a Liverpool law firm.

"I didn't know that she had a crazy back story," White said, adding he only discovered it when a friend put them in touch two years ago.

Kelly, now in her late 60s, says in the film that she wanted to record her stories for her 2-year-old grandson - stories that in many cases she never got around to telling her family.

Kelly, described by White as shy and humble, insists in the documentary that no one would be interested in hearing her story.

'I WAS A FAN MYSELF'

The loyal secretary, who was 17 when she started working for the band, has no intention of dishing dirt about her former famous employers, so White focused instead on her compelling personal narrative and interactions with the Beatles.

Kelly arranged bookings, cut paychecks and stayed up all night responding to fan mail. At the height of Beatlemania, the band received 2,000 to 3,000 letters a day, she said.

The Beatles - Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr - became the most famous pop band in history. They entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2001 as the world's best-selling group, with more than 1 billion records sold.

"The amount of personal attention and true affection that she served the Beatles' fans with - teenage girls, mostly - will probably go unmatched throughout music history," White said.

Kelly was briefly fired by Lennon after she arrived late before a show because she had been having drinks with an opening band. The secretary convinced Lennon to get down on his knee and beg her to stay.

"Freda was like part of the family," Starr says in the film as the closing credits roll.

Kelly closed down the Beatles' fan club offices after the band broke up in 1970, taking with her boxes of autographs, photos and memorabilia. She did not sell them, instead giving them away to fans over the years, White said.

Kelly, who attended Saturday's premiere and answered questions from audience members, says in the film that she did anything she could for club members.

"I was one of them," Kelly says. "I was a fan myself."

(Editing by Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/beatles-secretary-good-ol-freda-breaks-silence-film-022317589.html

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Tips For Choosing An Auto-responder- GVO Autoresponder

Anybody who possesses an internet site can acquire a globe of benefit from an autoresponder. If you have an internet site, you most likely have hundreds of visitors on an everyday basis. Via using an autoresponder, you could take their e-mails addresses and call them anytime you want. Although an autoresponder is a wonderful thing-- you need to be very mindful when you choose the one for your site. GVO Pure Leverage

When you select your autoresponder, you want to buy from a firm that has a history of being secure and trustworthy, GVO Pure Leverage have a 13 years of encounter with it. There have actually been several firms in the past that have went out of business, taking consumer rosters and leaving those with their autoresponders putting up,. This can be very devastating to a business, and you ought to prevent it at all prices. You must always pick a company that you can count on, and never pass price. Thankfully GVO Pure Leverage are certainly right here to stay.

Things To Know When Utilizing GVO Pure Leverage Autoresponder

To aid boost the flow of web traffic to your site, nothing defeats a GVO Pure Leverage autoresponder. This program can easily save you a lot of time by addressing most of your emails immediately. They could manage client assistance questions, item connected questions, or offer details about your business and customer services. If you have an on-line company-- GVO Pure Leverage's autoresponder service is something you should absolutely buy. Autoresponders can easily likewise be made use of to track your promos and exactly how effective they are. At presents, autoresponders are one of the very best devices that you can easily obtain for your online company. They are utilized by several of the largest and most well-liked online companies, and permanently factor. They streamline your life along with your company-- and provide you more time to commit to various other points. Sorts of Autoresponders For Internet Marketing

There are numerous autoresponders available on the net, although they are broken down in to three major key ins-- from another location hosted, regionally thrown, and pc held. For several Internet online marketers, regionally and desktop computer thrown are much liked over remotely thrown. Although distant thrown are good, regionally and desktop computer threw autoresponders will enable you complete control-- as you are running the program by yourself website. Pure leverage and GVO Pure Leverage has their very own web servers in home so you never ever need to fret about your emails reaching your majors and your business calls. If you have a domain, you can make use of as many autoresponders as you like, all of which will match your domain name. When you make use of a from another location thrown program, you won't have the ability to utilize your domain name with the autoresponder. Instead, you'll obtain an address from the supplier that resembles their hyperlink. This can be excellent for some, although numerous favor to have their own domain names specified in the autoresponder. If you use your own domain along with your GVO Pure Leverageautoresponder, you can generally keep it secret that you are utilizing an autoresponder. When you send out e-mails utilizing your autoresponder, it will present your website email, making it really hard to recognize an autoresponder. This can be a terrific means to use your autoresponder, especially if you don't desire your consumers to know that you are utilizing one.

The Net is one of the most effective means to conduct business and market your products. GVO Pure Leverage Autoresponders can easily assist you save a lot of time, although when you use them in the wrong means, they will at some point acquire you an adverse picture. If you know you are utilizing it the upside-down and continuously do so, you will eventually shed a lot of business and your business will experience a large amount. On the other hand, if you always believe in terms of courtesy to your consumers, your GVO Pure Leverage autoresponder could assist you obtain a lot of company and set up relationships with customers who will always spread the word concerning your firm.

Source: http://thebestwebsitehostingreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/tips-for-choosing-auto-responder-gvo.html

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Rovio adds TV channel to its games, launches Angry Birds Toons on March 17th

If Rovio wants to rival Disney, it's going to need to broaden its distribution network, right? It turns out that the company is going the opposite way, bundling a video channel inside its apps to showcase its first TV show; Angry Birds Toons -- a 52-episode series chronicling the never-ending fight against those egg-thieving pigs. In addition to phones and tablets, the show will be available on Xfinity and Samsung Smart TVs, with Roku and TV stations outside of the US to follow in short order. Of course, we're not too sure Disney's worried -- after all, it's spent $4.05 billion to get the real Mark Hamill, not Red Bird in a blonde wig.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Software, HD

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/h1JK0dZ7XsY/

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The Bachelor Preview: Who Should Win the Final Rose (and What is the Letter)?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/the-bachelor-preview-who-should-win-the-final-rose-and-what-is-t/

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Berlusconi lawyers seek to delay sex-for-hire case

MILAN (AP) ? Silvio Berlusconi's judicial woes weighed on Italy's political future on Monday as prosecutors in Naples requested an accelerated trial of the former premier on corruption charges, and Milan judges in his sex-for-hire trial ordered a medical visit to certify his ailments.

The judicial jockeying comes at a politically sensitive time for Italy, as it seeks to form a stable government following inconclusive national elections Feb. 24-25.

Democratic Party leader Pier Bersani, whose forces finished first in the lower house vote, has ruled out an alliance with Berlusconi's center-right coalition, which finished second. But Bersani's options are limited as comic-turned-political leader Beppe Grillo, whose movement finished third, refuses to align with any major party. Talks will begin March 20, after Parliament convenes Friday and votes in leaders of both houses.

Berlusconi has been seeking to have the two trials postponed due to an eye condition for which he has been hospitalized since Friday. Judges in Berlusconi's tax fraud appeal continued with Saturday's hearing after court-appointed doctors said his ailments were not severe enough to keep him from court.

Another court on Monday ordered a new medical visit to verify the severity of his ailments after Berlusconi's lawyers submitted three medical certificates, citing the eye inflammation and a heart problem to support a new delay request.

Prosecutor Ilda Boccassini had been scheduled to wrap up her closing arguments in the trial in which Berlusconi, 76, is charged with having paid for sex with an underage Moroccan teen and using his influence to cover it up.

Giovanni Orsina, a professor of political science professor at Rome's LUISS university, said the intensifying judicial attention on Berlusconi at such a delicate movement has negative consequences on the political process "whatever you think of whose fault it is."

The situation makes it even more difficult for Bersani to consider any sort of political agreement with the center-right, while further polarizing Berlusconi supporters who see him as a persecuted figure, Orsina said.

Berlusconi has long complained that he is the target of a judicial campaign, citing many trials mostly in Milan and mostly related to his business dealings.

He was convicted in October of tax fraud related to the purchase of the rights to air Hollywood movies on his television networks. Prosecutors in the appeals trial are seeking to uphold the four-year sentence, which includes a five-year ban on public office.

A verdict is due in coming weeks in both the appeal case and the sensational sex-for-hire trial.

Angelino Alfano, the head of Berlusconi's People of Freedom Party, said the pressure to conclude the cases is "an attempt to eliminate Silvio Berlusconi by judicial means, having failed by electoral or democratic measures."

Berlusconi also faces fresh accusations in Naples that he paid a senator ?3 million ($3.9 million) to defect to his party, significantly weakening the previous government of Romano Prodi. Prosecutors are seeking an accelerated trial that skips the preliminary hearing stage because they believe they have overwhelming evidence.

In yet another case, Berlusconi was convicted last week of breach of confidentiality for the illegal publication of wiretapped conversations by a newspaper he owns.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/berlusconi-lawyers-seek-delay-sex-hire-case-132737708.html

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