Match-fixing probe keeps Italian prosecutor busy

FILE - In this Monday, May 28, 2012 file photo Italian prosecutor Roberto Di Martino talks to the media during a press conference he held in Cremona, Northern Italy. Two years ago, a curious case landed on the desk of Italian prosecutor Roberto Di Martino in the town of Cremona. Five players on the local third-division club Cremonese fell ill after a match against Paganese. One of the sick players got into an auto accident and club management reported the mysterious circumstances to police. (AP Photo/Simone Spada, Lapresse)

FILE - In this Monday, May 28, 2012 file photo Italian prosecutor Roberto Di Martino talks to the media during a press conference he held in Cremona, Northern Italy. Two years ago, a curious case landed on the desk of Italian prosecutor Roberto Di Martino in the town of Cremona. Five players on the local third-division club Cremonese fell ill after a match against Paganese. One of the sick players got into an auto accident and club management reported the mysterious circumstances to police. (AP Photo/Simone Spada, Lapresse)

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 8, 2011 file photo Giuseppe Signori, left, arrives at the Cremona court, Italy. Signori was among those arrested in ?Operation Last Bet?, a case overseen by Italian prosecutor Roberto Di Martino in the town of Cremona. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 8, 2011 file photo prosecutor Roberto Di Martino walks at the court in Cremona, Italy. Two years ago, a curious case landed on the desk of Italian prosecutor Roberto Di Martino in the town of Cremona. Five players on the local third-division club Cremonese fell ill after a match against Paganese. One of the sick players got into an auto accident and club management reported the mysterious circumstances to police. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 9, 2012 file photo Italian soccer player Simone Farina, left, is embraced by FIFA President Sepp Blatter at the FIFA Ballon d'Or awarding ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland. In 2011, Italian defender Simone Farina turned down a fixer's offer of $261,500 to throw a game and reported it to police, setting off an investigation that led to scores of arrests. Despite being honored by FIFA, he found himself shunned by those in Italy who considered him a snitch. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

FILE - In this Monday, Jan. 9, 2012 file photo Italian soccer player Simone Farina from 2nd League Club AS Gubbio, left, stands next to FIFA President Joseph Blatter at the FIFA Ballon d'Or awarding ceremony in Zurich, Switzerland. Soccer is falling under a cloud of suspicion as never before, sullied by a multibillion-dollar web of match-fixing that is staining increasingly larger parts of the world's most popular sport. In 2011, Italian defender Simone Farina turned down a fixer's offer of $261,500 to throw a game and reported it to police, setting off an investigation that led to scores of arrests. Despite being honored by FIFA, he found himself shunned by those in Italy who considered him a snitch. (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

ROME (AP) ? Two years ago, a curious case landed on the desk of Italian prosecutor Roberto Di Martino in the town of Cremona.

Five players on the local third-division club Cremonese fell ill after a match against Paganese. One of the sick players crashed his car and club management reported the mysterious circumstances to police.

It turned out that Cremonese's goalkeeper had been bribed by match-fixers to make sure his team lost. Unable to recruit teammates to join in on the fix, he decided the next best option was to drug them. So he put tranquilizers in the team water bottles, according to police. Italian soccer officials banned him for five years.

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EDITOR'S NOTE: This story is part of a six-month, multiformat AP examination of how organized crime is corrupting soccer through match-fixing, running over four days this week.

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"It sounds like a fairy tale or a novel. It's absolute craziness, something unbelievable ? but it's all true," Di Martino said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"At the start it seemed like it was just for a few matches, then we figured out that it was pretty much a global system."

The investigation has thrust the 62-year-old Di Martino into the heart of one of the biggest match-fixing cases ever revealed: more than 210,000 tapped phone calls, more than 150 suspects under investigation, hundreds of matches analyzed in all four of Italy's professional divisions, dozens of people arrested and scores more wanted all over the world.

Among those arrested in "Operation Last Bet" were former Lazio captain and Italy national team forward Giuseppe Signori and former Atalanta captain Cristiano Doni.

Prosecutors in Naples and Bari have opened related investigations. Di Martino feels like he's hardly made a dent and is overwhelmed, especially since he has to also handle the routine daily work in his small office that has nothing to do with rigged soccer matches.

"If I were working full time on this I could find out more, but I'm the leader of an office that also handles administrative matters. I lose more time for administrative matters than for trials," he said.

Di Martino isn't alone. Prosecutors in Germany have uncovered about 340 games that they believe were fixed, but they can investigate only half of them because they don't have enough staff, a German investigator told AP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss investigations with the news media.

Even if prosecutors can catch players involved in fixing matches, hunting down the international money trail has proved far more elusive.

"These guys operate at a very global level. The police have no idea how to operate at a global level like crime does. They can do what they like, travel as they like," said Chris Eaton, the former head of security at soccer's governing body FIFA and now director of integrity at the International Centre for Sport Security, a Qatar-backed group funding research into match-fixing and ways to fight it.

When Eaton was at FIFA, the former detective and his handful of investigators opted to interview suspects and pursue cases across the world. Because he had few evidence-gathering powers and little support from national law enforcement agencies, FIFA had limited success.

Ralf Mutschke, a former Interpol manager who succeeded Eaton last year, has switched tactics, focusing more on education and prevention. National agencies investigate match-fixing, with liaison support from FIFA's 209 members associations.???

"Everyone has a role to play," Interpol Secretary-General Ronald Noble told the AP. "There has to be prosecution. There has to be prevention. ... There's got to be internal work from FIFA. There's got to be work from the legal betting agencies. It's a huge problem, a huge problem."

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In Italy, match-fixing by itself is not considered a serious crime.

"It's considered a minor type of fraud ? sports fraud ? which is penalized with sentences of a maximum of two years," Di Martino said.

Furthermore, most sentences up to two years in Italy are routinely suspended. And many accused match-fixers face investigation and disciplinary action by sports federations before criminal prosecutions proceed.

While those involved in Operation Last Bet have not yet gone to a criminal trial, Italian football federation prosecutor Stefano Palazzi has already handed out numerous bans from soccer and punished teams by dropping them in the league standings.

Doni was banned from football for 5 1/2 years for allegedly betting on fixed games and Atalanta has been docked points ? both last season and this season. Signori, allegedly a key link between money runners in eastern Europe and players who fixed matches, was banned for five years, even though he's retired.

In all, 13 clubs in Italy's top two divisions have been punished in the standings this season with point deductions.

Antonio Conte, the coach of defending Serie A champion Juventus, completed in December a four-month ban for failing to report fixing when he guided Siena two seasons ago.

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In other countries as well, match-fixers go free because there aren't laws on the books or it is not considered a serious crime.

In November, three players in Switzerland were acquitted in a match-fixing case, and the country's Football Association said the criminal code needs to be updated. The judge ruled that an online betting scam did not yield a victim.

Di Martino was drawn into the case when it was still believed to be the more serious crime of a drugging incident, thus enabling him to use investigative practices that might not have been employed for match-fixing.

"Criminal association allows phone taps, but it's not like you automatically have proof of criminal association, so it's nearly impossible to do phone taps unless you have much, much bigger reasons to," he said.

Di Martino previously worked on terrorism and organized crime cases when he was based in Brescia until 2008.

"It was a fortunate combination that led to all this, and it's unlikely to happen again," he said. "Once this trial is held, if they don't change the rules of the game, it's unlikely you'll see trials like this again."

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For prosecutors, there are several ways to prove match-fixing ? the best being confessions by players and fixers alike in the same case. That happened in Croatia in 2010, when local police, tipped off by prosecutors in Bochum, Germany, put a wiretap on fixer Vinko Saka's phone and started reeling in the co-conspirators. Fifteen players, coaches and officials went on trial for match-fixing there, and the police wiretaps were so extensive that several of them pleaded guilty. Saka himself got a plea deal from prosecutors that also required him to testify about match-fixing in Italy.

The Bochum case, which led to investigations in other European countries, was built on wiretaps requested on convicted match-fixer Ante Sapina when he was released from prison following a German refereeing scandal that broke in 2005.

Turkish police also used extensive wiretaps in their case in 2012 charging 93 people, including senior soccer officials, with match-fixing.

Prosecutors can also build evidence from money transfers.

Sometimes players report to police that they have been approached by fixers, and the subsequent investigation uncovers match-fixing.

In 2011, Serie B player Simone Farina was offered 200,000 euros ($260,000) to influence the outcome of an Italian Cup match between Cesena and his club, Gubbio. Farina refused and reported the incident to the police. He was widely applauded, and FIFA made him an ambassador in its fight against fixing, but the whistleblower had trouble finding a club and retired before moving to England's Aston Villa in a coaching role.

"My vision is that one day, the decision I made will not be treated as the exception, but rather the rule," Farina said in a recent speech.

The confessions of convicted Singaporean fixer Wilson Perumal also provided valuable source material after his arrest in Finland.

On-field behavior ? blatant referee or player mistakes ? can really only be used as corroborating evidence, because there can be legitimate reasons for poor performance.

However, there might be grounds to investigate if all the scoring in one game is due to questionable calls by a referee, or if online betting monitors notice unusual in-game spikes in wagering, or if the game's unexpected result keeps a team from being demoted to a lower league.

The most successful match-fixing is opaque ? a win by a team that is expected to win, a loss by a team expected to lose, an unusual outcome in an exhibition or "friendly" match that doesn't count in the standings.

Sophisticated match-fixers now use scores of smaller bets on a fixed game instead of one large wager, and they often wait until the last minute to lock in the odds before betting companies can notice shifts.

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Widespread soccer scandals are not new in Italy. Court cases are still going on from a 2006 match-fixing inquiry dubbed "Calciopoli," which involved clubs putting pressure on referees and led to 28-time Italian champion Juventus' relegation to the less-prestigious Serie B, as well as penalties for a handful of other clubs.

The last major betting scandal in Italy was in 1980, when there were also numerous arrests and bans for club officials and top players, including Paolo Rossi, who returned to lead Italy to the 1982 World Cup title.

Di Martino is convinced that match-fixing continues in Italy, despite his investigation.

"I'm sure it still goes on," he said. "I strongly doubt it has stopped. ... I hope this inquiry makes an impact, and just for that I'm trying to keep it going."

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AP Sports Writer John Leicester in Paris and Assistant Europe Editor Sheila Norman-Culp in London contributed to this report. Dunbar reported from Geneva.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-12-Dirty%20Game-The%20Investigator/id-57d81533ca914e5e9e43a42382adb2ca

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Biological connections in microelectronics

Feb. 12, 2013 ? Miniaturization of electronic components is reaching a physical limit. While the solution of three dimensional assembly has the advantage of reducing bulk, the manufacture of electrical connections in these new products remains a technological challenge. Biologists and physicists from the CEA, CNRS, Universit? Joseph Fourier and Inra in Grenoble have developed a system of self-assembled connections using actin filaments for 3D microelectronic structures. Once the actin filaments become conductors, they join the various components of a system together.

The results are published in the February 10, 2013 issue of Nature Materials.

Computers and smartphone performance improves each year due to the increased density of the microelectronic components they contain. This densification is the result of increasingly advanced miniaturization. It is in the process of reaching a technical limit due to the size of certain components that is close to that of some atoms. The microelectronics industry is thus confronting a physical barrier for increasing the integration density of components that only a technological breakthrough can overcome.

One solution may be the integration of microelectronics in three dimensions. Current microelectronic circuits are flat. Stacking components on top of one another is a solution for further densification, improving performance and reducing electric consumption. This poses a new challenge: how to connect the components together once they are stacked. Although manufacture and stacking are based on mature technologies, creating vertical connections to link them together and running a current remains complex. While current 3D microelectronic technologies for these high density connections are effective, alternative methods are worth evaluating.

Biologists and physicists from the CEA, CNRS, UJF and Inra in Grenoble had the idea of using the extraordinary self-assembly properties of certain biological components so these connections can construct themselves. In human cells, many regular, complex structures are continually assembling and disassembling. This is the case of the filament networks that constitute the cell skeleton (cytoskeleton). Such filaments are primarily composed of actin. They interact to form braids, bundles, layers and columns whose architecture and mechanical properties regulate and control cell shape. The formation of these superstructures follows mechanical and geometrical laws that are studied and understood by a team from the Laboratory of Vegetable Cellular Physiology[1] (CEA/CNRS/UJF/INRA).

These researchers have developed a technique for controlling self-assembly of actin filaments in 3D between two glass plates. Using technologies of the Microelectronics Technologies Laboratory (CNRS/UJF/LTM) and CEA-Leti, the plates were placed 30 microns apart and microstructured with a laser beam. The researchers then injected between the two surfaces a solution containing actin monomers that polymerized due to the microstructure geometry. Actin columns in controlled shapes and sizes thus self-assembled from the two surfaces and joined to establish connections. In the same fashion, the researchers succeeded in making columns grow from a surface and entering in deep cylinders based on the shape of the other, like a male/female connection. Using the expertise of CEA-Leti researchers, these connections were made metallic with gold nanoparticles to run an electric current between the two surfaces.

These results demonstrate that the self-assembly process of actin filaments may have unanticipated industrial applications. They illustrate how fundamental research into basic cell processes may be an extremely rich source of inspiration for engineering processes, even in very far removed fields.

[1] The Laboratoire de Physiologie Cellulaire V?g?tale is part of the Institut de Recherches en Technologies et Sciences pour le Vivant (Life Science and Technology Research Institute).

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA), via AlphaGalileo.

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. R?mi Galland, Patrick Leduc, Christophe Gu?rin, David Peyrade, Laurent Blanchoin, Manuel Th?ry. Fabrication of three-dimensional electrical connections by means of directed actin self-organization. Nature Materials, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nmat3569

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/electricity/~3/JOO6Rsg_uO8/130212100432.htm

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Cantor: children of illegal immigrants should get U.S. citizenship

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top U.S. Republican lawmaker said on Sunday he would support granting citizenship to children who are in the country illegally in a sign that conservatives who oppose immigration amnesty will be playing defense as Congress takes on immigration reform in the coming months.

Representative Eric Cantor, the No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives, said Congress could make quick progress on immigration if lawmakers agreed to give citizenship to children - an idea he opposed when it came up for a vote in 2010 as the DREAM Act.

"The best place to begin, I think, is with the children. Let's go ahead and get that under our belt, put a win on the board," Cantor said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Cantor is leading an effort to improve his party's image as many Republicans worry they will be consigned to irrelevancy in coming years if they do not reach out to the fast-growing Latino electorate, which strongly supports immigration reform.

President Barack Obama has made immigration reform a top priority of his second term in office and a bipartisan group of senators is working to draft legislation that would tackle the issue in a comprehensive manner, rather than the piecemeal approach that Cantor suggested.

Republican Senator John McCain, who is involved in that effort, said his group aims to provide a path to citizenship for all of those who are in the United States illegally, not just children, as long as border security is tightened.

"There are 11 million people living in the shadows. I believe that they deserve to come out of the shadows," McCain said on "Fox News Sunday."

That could be a tough sell for many of Cantor's Republicans in the House, who say it would amount to amnesty for those who willingly broke the law.

"We want to make sure we're compassionate and sensitive to their plight - these kids know no other place as home. On the other hand, we are a country of laws," Cantor said.

Cantor declined to say whether he would support a pathway to citizenship for adults as well. He could be forced to take a stand one way or the other if McCain and his colleagues manage to pass their legislation out of the Senate.

Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, said Cantor's support for citizenship for children was a positive sign. But he said his colleagues in the Senate would be pushing for more.

"I've met these young people, and they will tell you, yes, I want a future, but what about my mom and dad?" Durbin said on "Meet the Press." "We're not stopping with the DREAM act, we're beginning with the DREAM act and pushing forward."

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan, additional reporting by Xavier Briand; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cantor-children-illegal-immigrants-u-citizenship-171338467.html

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Afghan war hero receives Medal of Honor

"Bridesmaids" director Paul Feig has spoken out regarding film critic Rex Reed's scathing comments aimed at Melissa McCarthy's weight. Feig, who directed the Oscar-nominated actress in the 2011 hit comedy, took to Twitter on Friday to slam Reed's venomous comments -- which included dubbing McCarthy "obnoxious," "tractor-sized" and a "female hippo."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-award-medal-honor-afghanistan-war-hero-clinton-184314825--politics.html

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France hunting fraudsters in horsemeat scandal

PARIS (AP) ? Europe's horsemeat scandal is spreading and threatening cross-border tensions, as France says Romanian butchers and Dutch and Cypriot traders were part of a supply chain that resulted in horsemeat disguised as beef being sold in frozen lasagna around the continent.

No one has reported health risks from the mislabeled meat, but it has unsettled consumers across Europe.

Accusations are flying. In France, the foreign minister called it "disgusting," and consumer safety authorities increased inspections of the country's meat business, from slaughterhouses to supermarkets. Romania's president is scrambling to salvage his country's reputation. A Swedish manufacturer is suing a French supplier central to the affair.

The motivation for passing off horsemeat as beef appeared to be financial, and authorities are concentrating on pursuing anyone guilty of fraud in the affair, said France's junior minister for consumer goods, Benoit French Benoit Hamon.

The complex supply chain for the suspicious meat crossed Europe's map.

An initial investigation by French safety authorities determined that French company Poujol bought frozen meat from a Cypriot trader, Hamon's office said in a statement Sunday. That trader had received it from a Dutch food trader, and that Dutch company had received the meat from two Romanian slaughterhouses.

The statement didn't name the Romanian, Cypriot or Dutch companies.

Poujol then supplied a Luxembourg factory, Hamon's statement said. The Luxembourg factory is owned by French group Comigel. The lasagna was ultimately sold under the Sweden-based Findus brand.

French supermarkets announced Sunday that they've recalled a raft of pre-prepared meals, including lasagna, moussaka and cannelloni suspected of containing undeclared horsemeat. The French ministers for agriculture, the food industry and consumer protection are holding an emergency meeting Monday with meat producers.

While horsemeat is largely taboo in Britain and some other countries, in France it is sold in specialty butcher shops and prized by some connoisseurs. But French authorities are worried about producers misleading the public. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius called Sunday night on BFM television for "tough punishments" for what he described as "abominable" fraud.

An affair that started earlier this year with worries about horsemeat in burgers in Ireland and Britain has spread into a Europe-wide scandal.

The EU commissioner for agriculture is meeting Monday with Romania's foreign minister about the latest horsemeat worries. Romanian President Traian Basescu said Sunday that his country could face potential export restrictions and lose credibility "for many years" if the Romanian butchers turn out to be the root of the problem.

"I hope that this won't happen," Basescu said in televised statements. Romania's agricultural ministry has begun an investigation.

In the Netherlands, Esther Filon, spokeswoman for the Dutch Foods and Wares Authority, said Sunday that the Dutch haven't started investigating but they are ready to if necessary.

"We're a ways away from being able to confirm or deny whether a Dutch company is involved," she said. "It would presumably be a question of fraud, rather than food safety. Horse meat can be sold legally in the Netherlands, as long as it is labeled as such."

Findus Sweden plans to sue France's Comigel for breach of contract and fraud, Findus Nordic CEO Jari Latvanen said Sunday. He said the company's deal with Comigel stipulates the beef in the lasagna should come from Germany, France or Austria, but that has not been the case.

"Customers must be able to trust the contents declaration," he said. "We will take strong action to make sure those who are liable in this affair are punished. Our reputation has been damaged, and we do everything to re-establish confidence."

Officials with Comigel did not immediately respond to phone calls or emails.

French media says Poujol subsidiary Spanghero bought the original meat in question. Spanghero says in a statement on its website that it bought what was labeled beef products from Romania, and threatened to take action against the supplier.

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Alison Mutler in Bucharest, Romania, Toby Sterling in Amsterdam, and Malin Rising in Stockholm contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-02-10-Europe-Horsemeat/id-7b2ec925ec5447d2b1f7a2eaebfc443a

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Canada ahead of US in allowing women in combat

TORONTO (AP) ? On May 17, 2006, in a firefight with Afghan Taliban insurgents, Canadian forces lost an artillery officer hit by shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade. She was Capt. Nichola Goddard, the first Canadian woman to be killed in action since her country's 1989 decision to admit women soldiers into combat.

For a nation already divided about participating in the American-led Afghanistan war, Goddard's death was a particular shock, and two more Canadian women have since died in combat. But Canada remains in the small group of countries ? including Israel, France, Norway, Australia, New Zealand and now the U.S. ? that have opened their fighting ranks to female soldiers.

Canada's change didn't come easily. "There was definitely heated discussion among my peers whether we should be there" in combat, said Lt. Col. Jennie Carignan, who enlisted in 1986.

But the country's Charter of Rights and Freedoms made it inevitable, and the armed forces began a series of trials. However, the initial result was not encouraging for champions of full equality. The trials indicated that almost half the male rank and file viewed their female counterparts as "women first, tradespersons second, and soldiers never." It was feared unit cohesion, esprit de corps and morale would suffer. ?

Final word came in a 1989 ruling by Canada's Human Rights Commission ordering women to be admitted to all combat roles except aboard submarines. The submarine ban fell three years later.

Chief Warrant Officer A.P. Stapleford, who had enlisted in the Canadian infantry in 1975, said some initially questioned whether women were up to the task physically and whether the men would feel obliged to protect them.

"It was a shock at first and we overreacted at first, but we learned to adapt and work with them. They were going to be there anyway so we just got over it and it wasn't an issue to integrate them into units." Nowadays, he said, soldiers take the presence of female combatants in stride.

The military says 2.4 percent of personnel in combat units are women ? 145 officers and 209 enlisted soldiers . Overall, 9,348 women serve in the Canadian Armed Forces, 14 per cent of all personnel.

Officers today speak of having adapted swiftly to women in combat, and officers and enlisted soldiers, male and female, whom The Associated Press sought out for interviews, insist they have no problem with the change.

But some in the civilian sector disagree with the principle.

While supportive of women serving in the military, columnist Margaret Wente of The Globe and Mail, a Toronto daily, wrote following the U.S. decision of Jan. 24: "The sheer physical demands of war (to say nothing of group cohesion, and all the rest) mean that fighting capability and performance are simply not compatible with gender equality."

Gwen Landolt of REAL Women Canada, a socially conservative advocacy group, said: "It was a politically correct decision. The problem is women are just not equal physically, they can't perform in combat to the same degree as men can..."

Landolt supports women serving as noncombatants and was the first female lawyer to serve in the legal department of the Canadian Forces. She said REAL Women waged a lonely battle to head off the 1989 decision.

"If the tribunal hadn't come down in 1989 and smacked them so hard, maybe the military would be more objective," she said in an interview.

"Feminism was at its height in Canada in 1989 and (feminist organizations) would hit back fast and furiously when we raised objections."

Both she and Wente also cite issues of pregnancy, motherhood and sex, as well as male instincts of protectiveness of women.

Carignan, the veteran from 1986, said the first 10 years of integration were difficult, but after a review of anti-harassment policies and a revamp of the military's code of ethics in the 1990s, things improved significantly.

"When I first entered into the forces I heard, 'women aren't strong enough,' so I just hit the gym harder," said Carignan. "Then later I heard, 'I've never had a woman as a troop commander' but OK, so now let's move on. And we did move on, never looking back."

In 2003, she became the first woman to hold deputy command of a combat unit, and was Task Force Kandahar's senior combat engineer in 2009.

Capt. Ashley Collette, during her 10-month deployment in Afghanistan, led a 50-strong all-male infantry unit providing security to villagers. She had close calls with roadside bombs, and two of her soldiers were injured. Now 28, she received the Medal of Military Valour, Canada's third-highest military honor, for her leadership in the Panjwaii district near Kandahar ? the district where Nichola Goddard died.

"Afghanistan was challenging, no doubt," she said. "The heat and desert conditions are intense, taking casualties is intense.

"But it's no more intense for me than it is for a male soldier; we're both in it for the same reasons, to do the same job, and that's the way my fellow soldiers saw it too. My leadership was never questioned."

A male corporal, Kyle Schmidinger, said his unit couldn't have asked for a better commander than Collette.

"She did what any leader would do. She fought for us and she took care of us. There was never any doubt she couldn't do the job as well as a male commander," Schmidinger said.

The soldiers said having women on hand also proved helpful in dealing with Afghanistan's strict code of gender segregation because they could conduct searches of women and talk to the wives of Afghan chiefs.

Carignan said while it took time and some struggle for women to get where they are today, "now, the men who initially were opposed are defending female combatants because they know in the end, it's all just about how you do your job."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canada-ahead-us-allowing-women-combat-054613428.html

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APNewsBreak: Flaws found in US missile shield

Sailors man the rails aboard the guided -missile destroyer USS Barry as the ship depart the Norfolk Naval Station Thursday morning, Feb. 7, 2013 for a 6-month deployment. The USS Barry has deployed to Europe to protect U.S. allies from ballistic missiles. (AP Photo/TheVirginian-Pilot,Bill Tiernan) MAGS OUT

Sailors man the rails aboard the guided -missile destroyer USS Barry as the ship depart the Norfolk Naval Station Thursday morning, Feb. 7, 2013 for a 6-month deployment. The USS Barry has deployed to Europe to protect U.S. allies from ballistic missiles. (AP Photo/TheVirginian-Pilot,Bill Tiernan) MAGS OUT

Sailors man the rails aboard the guided -missile destroyer USS Barry as the ship departs the Norfolk Naval Station Thursday morning, Feb. 7, 2013 for a 6-month deployment. The USS Barry has deployed to Europe to protect U.S. allies from ballistic missiles. (AP Photo/TheVirginian-Pilot,Bill Tiernan) MAGS OUT

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Secret Defense Department studies cast doubt on whether a multibillion-dollar missile defense system planned for Europe will ever be able to protect the U.S. from Iranian missiles as intended, congressional investigators say.

Military officials say they believe the problems can be overcome and are moving forward with plans. But proposed fixes could be difficult. One possibility has already been ruled out as technically unfeasible. Another, relocating missile interceptors planned for Poland and possibly Romania to ships on the North Sea, could be diplomatically explosive.

The studies are the latest to highlight serious problems for a plan that has been criticized on several fronts. Republicans claim it was hastily drawn up in an attempt to appease Russia, which had opposed an earlier system. But Russia is also critical of the plan, which it believes is really intended to counter its missiles. A series of governmental and scientific reports has cast doubt on whether it would ever work as planned.

At a time that the military faces giant budget cuts, the studies could prompt Congress to reconsider whether it is worthwhile to spend billions for a system that may not fulfill its original goals.

The classified studies were summarized in a briefing for lawmakers by the Government Accountability Office, Congress' nonpartisan investigative and auditing arm, which is preparing a report. The GAO briefing, which was not classified, was obtained by The Associated Press.

Military officials declined repeated requests to discuss the studies on the record, noting they were classified. Even speaking on condition of anonymity, they declined to say whether the GAO had accurately reported its conclusions. But the GAO briefing had been reviewed by several Defense Department officials and the revisions they requested were incorporated. There was no indication they had objected to how the studies had been described.

The officials who spoke to the AP emphasized that the interceptor intended to protect the United States is in the early stages of development and its capabilities are not known. They said that the U.S. is already protected by other missile defense systems. Even if European-based interceptors are unable to directly defend the United States, they say they would protect not only European allies and U.S. troops stationed on the continent, but also U.S. radars there that are necessary for all U.S. missile defense plans.

Missile defense has been a contentious issue since President George W. Bush sought to base long-range interceptors in central Europe to stop missiles from Iran. Some Democrats criticized the plans, saying they were rushed and based on unproven technology. Russia believed the program was aimed at countering its missiles and undermining its nuclear deterrent.

While it might seem logical for the U.S. to want to have a defense against Russian missiles, it's not so simple. A new missile defense system aimed at Russia could undermine the balance between the nuclear powers, prompting Moscow to add to its arsenal and build up its own defenses. It would undermine prospects for further cuts in nuclear weapons ? a priority for President Barack Obama ? and could also hurt U.S.-Russian cooperation on other issues of international importance.

Obama reworked the plans soon after taking office in 2009, arguing that the threat from long-range Iranian missiles was years off. His plans called for slower interceptors that could address Iran's medium-range missiles. The interceptors would be upgraded gradually over four phases, culminating early next decade with those intended to protect both Europe and the United States.

The plans have gained momentum in Europe with the signing of basing agreements in Poland, Romania and Turkey, as well as backing by NATO. But Russia, while initially welcoming the plan, now strongly opposes it, especially the interceptors in the final stage. Russia fears those interceptors could catch its intercontinental missiles launched at the U.S.

It is that fourth stage that is now at issue. The GAO investigators said that the classified reports by the Missile Defense Agency concluded that Romania was a poor location for an interceptor to protect the U.S. It said the Polish site would work only if the U.S. developed capabilities to launch interceptors while an Iranian missile was in its short initial phase of powered flight.

But the administration is not pursuing that capability because it does not believe it is feasible, according to one senior defense official.

The military has considered deploying interceptors on ships, but the Navy has safety concerns that have not yet been resolved. The suggestion of attempting intercepts from ships on the North Sea would likely aggravate tensions with Russia. That could put it right in the path that some Russian ICBMs would use, further reinforcing Russia's belief that it, not Iran, is the target of the system.

The GAO investigators also took the administration to task for not conducting studies earlier that could have revealed the problems. Reports by the GAO and scientific bodies advising the government have raised other concerns about the missile shield, citing production glitches, cost overruns, problems with radars and sensors that cannot distinguish between warheads and other objects. One report by the National Academy of Sciences recommended canceling the fourth phase of the system and deploying the interceptors to the East Coast.

The GAO study was requested by Rep. Michael Turner, R-Ohio, who until recently led a panel that oversees missile defense. He said he is concerned that the interceptor in development might be useless in protecting the United States.

"This report really confirms what I have said all along: that this was a hurried proposal by the president," he said.

___

Online:

Missile Defense Agency: http://www.mda.mil/system/system.html

___

Follow Desmond Butler on Twitter: http://twitter.com/desmondbutler

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-09-US-US-Europe-Missile-Defense/id-97041e54db58481b92561f92e3ee0419

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In letter, Sue Paterno defends late husband

This Feb. 6, 2013 photo released by ABC shows Sue Paterno, widow of legendary football coach Joe Paterno, right, with Katie Couric for an exclusive interview for the "Katie" show in New York. Paterno is fighting back against the accusations against her husband that followed the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Her campaign started with a letter sent Friday to former Penn State players. She wrote that the family's exhaustive response to former FBI director Louis Freeh's report for the university on the Sandusky child sex abuse case will officially be released to the public at 9 a.m. Sunday on paterno.com. The interview with Couric will air on Monday, Feb. 11. (AP Photo/Disney-ABC, Lou Rocco)

This Feb. 6, 2013 photo released by ABC shows Sue Paterno, widow of legendary football coach Joe Paterno, right, with Katie Couric for an exclusive interview for the "Katie" show in New York. Paterno is fighting back against the accusations against her husband that followed the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Her campaign started with a letter sent Friday to former Penn State players. She wrote that the family's exhaustive response to former FBI director Louis Freeh's report for the university on the Sandusky child sex abuse case will officially be released to the public at 9 a.m. Sunday on paterno.com. The interview with Couric will air on Monday, Feb. 11. (AP Photo/Disney-ABC, Lou Rocco)

This Feb. 6, 2013 photo released by ABC shows Sue Paterno, widow of legendary football coach Joe Paterno, right, with Katie Couric for an exclusive interview for the "Katie" show in New York. Paterno is fighting back against the accusations against her husband that followed the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Her campaign started with a letter sent Friday to former Penn State players. She wrote that the family's exhaustive response to former FBI director Louis Freeh's report for the university on the Sandusky child sex abuse case will officially be released to the public at 9 a.m. Sunday on paterno.com. The interview with Couric will air on Monday, Feb. 11. (AP Photo/Disney-ABC, Lou Rocco)

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? Breaking more than a year of silence, Sue Paterno is defending her late husband as a "moral, disciplined" man who never twisted the truth to avoid bad publicity.

The wife of the former Penn State coach is fighting back against the accusations against Joe Paterno that followed the Jerry Sandusky scandal. Her campaign started with a letter sent Friday to former Penn State players.

She wrote that the family's exhaustive response to former FBI director Louis Freeh's report for the university on the Sandusky child sex abuse case will officially be released to the public at 9 a.m. Sunday on paterno.com.

Freeh in July accused Joe Paterno and three university officials of covering up allegations against Sandusky, a retired defensive coordinator. Less than two weeks later, the NCAA levied unprecedented sanctions on the program that Joe Paterno built into one of the most well-known in college football.

"When the Freeh report was released last July, I was as shocked as anyone by the findings and by Mr. Freeh's extraordinary attack on Joe's character and integrity. I did not recognize the man Mr. Freeh described," Sue Paterno wrote. "I am here to tell you as definitively and forcefully as I know how that Mr. Freeh could not have been more wrong in his assessment of Joe."

The family directed its attorney, Washington lawyer Wick Sollers, to assemble experts to review Freeh's findings and Joe Paterno's actions, Sue Paterno wrote.

She did not offer details on findings in the letter, "except to say that they unreservedly and forcefully confirm my beliefs about Joe's conduct.

"In addition, they present a passionate and persuasive critique of the Freeh report as a total disservice to the victims of Sandusky and the cause of preventing child sex offenses," Sue Paterno wrote.

Sue Paterno said neither Freeh's report, nor the NCAA's actions, should "close the book" on the scandal.

"This cannot happen," she wrote. "The Freeh report failed and if it is not challenged and corrected, nothing worthwhile will have come from these tragic events."

In a statement released through a spokesman, Penn State called Sue Paterno "an important and valued member of the Penn State community.

"We have and continue to appreciate all of her work on behalf of the university," the school said. "She has touched many lives and continues to be an inspiration to many Penn Staters."

The Associated Press left messages Friday for representatives for Freeh.

Sandusky's arrest in November 2011, triggered the sweeping scandal, including the firing of Paterno and the departure under pressure of Graham Spanier as president days later. Prosecutors filed perjury and failure to report charges against former athletic director Tim Curley and retired vice president Gary Schultz.

Sandusky, 69, was sentenced last fall to at least 30 years in prison in after being convicted in June on 45 criminal counts. Prosecutors said allegations occurred on and off campus.

"The crimes committed by Jerry Sandusky are heartbreaking," Sue Paterno, who has five children and 17 grandchildren, wrote. "It is incomprehensible to me that anyone could intentionally harm a child. I think of the victims daily and I pray that God will heal their wounds and comfort their souls."

Freeh released his findings the following month. His team conducted 430 interviews and analyzed over 3.5 million emails and documents, his report said.

"Taking into account the available witness statements and evidence, it is more reasonable to conclude that, in order to avoid the consequences of bad publicity, the most powerful leaders at Penn State University ? Messrs. Spanier, Schultz, Paterno and Curley ? repeatedly concealed critical facts relating to Sandusky's child abuse" from authorities, trustees and the university community, Freeh wrote in releasing the report.

Less than two weeks later, Penn State hastily took down the bronze statue of Paterno outside Beaver Stadium. The next day, the NCAA said Freeh's report presented "an unprecedented failure of institutional integrity leading to a culture in which a football program was held in higher esteem."

Penn State was given a four-year bowl ban, strict scholarship cuts and a $60 million fine. The NCAA also vacated 111 victories under Paterno, meaning he no longer held the record of most wins by a major college coach.

Since then Spanier, Curley and Schultz have also been charged with obstruction and conspiracy, among other charges. They have vehemently denied the allegations. So has the Paterno family, though they have promised a more detailed response when its own investigation was complete.

Paterno's legacy wasn't his statue or his 409 wins, but family and players, his widow said. Less than an hour after the letter was released, a copy was circulating on social media and websites, including one belonging to Seattle Seahawks fullback and former Nittany Lion Michael Robinson.

"The great fathers, husbands and citizens you have become fulfill the dreams Joe had," she wrote to the former players. "All that we want ? and what I believe we owe the victims, Joe Paterno and everyone who cares about Penn State ? is the full record of what happened."

Paterno died in January 2012 at age 85, about two months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. The way university leadership handled his ouster ? over a late-night telephone call ? and its handling of the Freeh report and NCAA sanctions remains a sensitive topic for factions of dissatisfied alumni, former players, staff and community members.

"I think Sue hit it directly on the head with everything," Robinson said in a phone interview. "Personally, I've been feeling this way for the past year. The Joe the media was portraying was so different from the Joe I know."

Trustee Anthony Lubrano, who joined the board last year after drawing support from disgruntled alumni, has been among more vocal critics who say that school leaders rushed to judgment on Paterno. Critics have also said Freeh's report downplayed failures of Pennsylvania's child-protective services.

"I knew Joe Paterno as well as one human being can know another. Joe was exactly the moral, disciplined and demanding man you knew him to be," Sue Paterno wrote. "Never ? not once ? did I see him compromise his principles or twist the truth to avoid bad publicity or protect his reputation."

The Paterno family has remained supportive of the football program and Paterno's successor, Bill O'Brien. Sue Paterno has been active in organizing Special Olympics, which was again held on campus last summer; and son and former assistant coach Jay Paterno has done speaking engagements with students and attends sporting events.

On Monday, a recorded interview Sue Paterno did with Katie Couric for her "Katie" show will air nationwide. A preview was posted on the show's website this week.

"It is still hard to accept," Sue Paterno told Couric when asked about hearing the Sandusky news. "But when I read the first charge, I actually got physically ill.

"I've had so many sleepless nights."

In the preview, Sue Paterno elaborated.

"These are children," she said. "Our lives have been about children. We have five children. We have 17 grandchildren. Our lives are about children, making them better, not hurting them."

The family's response comes a month after Gov. Tom Corbett filed a federal antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA to overturn the sanctions. The NCAA this week asked a judge to throw out the suit.

____

Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP

___

Online:

Sue Paterno letter: http://realmikerob.com/pdf/sues-letter-2-8-13.pdf

Monday's show preview: http://www.katiecouric.com/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-08-FBC-Penn-State-Sue-Paterno/id-2f068a231fe3433f81baf0cf0979c234

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Explosive Power of Combustion Makes Floppy Little Silicone Robot Jump [Video]

A simple chemical reaction is used to power a robot's lofty leaps. Applications could be search-and-rescue operations

By Katharine Sanderson and Nature magazine

Image: Shepherd, R. F. et al. Angew. Chem. Int. Edn Engl.

From Nature magazine

Kaboom! Controlled explosions in the legs of this silicone 'soft robot' make it leap higher than 30 times its own height.

Researchers led by George Whitesides, a chemist at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, have engineered a three-legged silicone device that is powered by combustion ? previously used only in hard systems such as diesel engines.

The soft robot has in each of its legs a channel with a soft valve at the end. Methane and oxygen gases are fed into this channel in a ratio of one part methane to two parts oxygen. The computer that controls how much gas is let in also controls a high-voltage cable connected to electrodes in each leg.?

When the computer sparks the electrodes, the methane and oxygen explode, turning into carbon dioxide and water ? and releasing a lot of energy. The downward force from the explosion makes the robot jump ? higher than 30 centimetres so far, although the researchers say the range has been limited by the height of the testing chamber. The soft valve is crucial, says Robert Shepherd, a study co-author and engineer at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. It closes in response to high pressure, thus making the pressure even higher, and then it opens after the explosion to let the exhaust gases out.

?

Soft robots are lighter and simpler than hard systems, and they are relatively inexpensive to produce ? but they have previously been limited to compressed-air power, owing to the high heat generated in combustion reactions. ?The key discovery is that this material can work at these high temperatures,? says Shepherd. The robot has withstood more than 30 consecutive explosive jumps so far. The results were published this week in Angewandte Chemie.

The researchers hope that a developed version of their device could be used for search-and-rescue operations, leaping and cartwheeling its way over any obstacles that might block its path.

This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on February 8, 2013.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=8b16a447ce6f7925ddc412f2f333370a

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Republicans on sequester: "The president is out of excuses" (Washington Bureau)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/283641463?client_source=feed&format=rss

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AP sources: Coach K return to US team possible

NEW YORK (AP) ? Mike Krzyzewski said London was going to be the last time.

Well, maybe not.

There's still a chance Krzyzewski will return for a third stint as U.S. Olympic men's basketball coach, two people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

Krzyzewski said he was through with the job after leading the Americans to a second straight gold medal in London.

Yet the Americans haven't hired another coach, even after USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said in London his plan was to have a successor in place around the new year.

Perhaps he won't need to.

The 65-year-old Krzyzewski has long been committed to USA Basketball, having been on the staff of 12 U.S. teams since 1979. He said last year he thought this was "the last time," though he said he would remain close to Colangelo and the program even if he no longer wanted to coach.

USA Basketball said there is no timetable for a new hire, though ESPN.com reported Wednesday that the deadline had now been pushed back to after the college season to allow Krzyzewski more time to decide.

One of the people told The Associated Press that though Krzyzewski gave no indication in London he would return, there were since "rumblings" that he was open to it. Another said the delay was creating speculation that Coach K would be back.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because Krzyzewski is focused on Duke's season.

Colangelo hired Krzyzewski in 2005 after the Americans managed only a bronze medal in 2004 in Athens, after an embarrassing sixth-place finish in the 2002 world basketball championship. After settling for another bronze in the 2006 worlds in Japan, the Americans have not lost again.

The Americans had used only NBA coaches since professionals were allowed to be used starting with the 1992 Barcelona Games, but the Hall of Fame Duke coach proved a perfect fit when Colangelo went back to the college route.

The players who won gold in 2008 committed to return shortly after the Beijing Games, and Colangelo secured Krzyzewski's commitment after they shared a bottle of wine and a pizza in the spring of 2009.

Colangelo has not spoken to anyone else about the job. Michigan State's Tom Izzo is considered the top candidate if the Americans stick with a college coach, with Boston's Doc Rivers, Philadelphia's Doug Collins and San Antonio's Gregg Popovich the leading choices if they return to the pro ranks.

The Americans have time, since they automatically qualified for the 2014 World Cup of Basketball by winning the Olympic title. Should they win that, they would be entered into the field for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-sources-coach-k-return-us-team-possible-011449092--oly.html

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Internet goes nuts over dad's $200 'Facebook Deactivation' offer to ...

Paul Baier

By Helen A.S. Popkin

The ?Facebook Deactivation Agreement? wasn?t the first pact Paul Baier made with 14-year-old daughter. Past accords involved pushups (if he did five, she?d do two) and candy (both would go 3 to 4 days without eating any). But when Baier conceded to pay his only child $200 if she stayed off Facebook until the end of the school year ? and posted a photo of the official contract they?d both signed on his blog ? it became?his first parenting decision to go viral on the Internet.

?Shocked? is how Baier says he feels about all the attention from both online commenters and news outlets talking about the contract he tells TODAY was his daughter?s idea.

As for his daughter, ?she is absolutely baffled why the adults are so interested in the story,? Baier told TODAY. What?s more, when local reporters wanted to call upon the Boston family, Baier says he was surprised when the teen told him she had no interest in being on TV.

?She just didn?t understand what the hubbub was about, and adults can?t understand that there?s a teenager in America who can live without Facebook,? says Baier. ?Once again, teens and parents are learning what different assumptions they have about each other.?

Plenty of assumptions are being made about this contract, with more than a few commenters on both Baier?s personal blog and on news stories accusing the father of either forcing the high school freshman into the agreement, or bribing her into responsible behavior. ?Why not try something called ?parenting??? reads one of the angrier comments on Baier?s blog, Practical Sustainability, which is usually dedicated to topics he deals with as the vice president of an energy firm in Salem, Mass. ?It's more difficult than bribery but will?[be] more beneficial to your daughter in the long run. Otherwise, she sounds like a spoiled brat and that's your fault.?

Such accusations have little in common with how this whole deal came about, Baier says. ?It?s simpler than that,? he says. His daughter was frustrated she couldn?t find babysitting jobs and couldn?t earn much through chores, so she made a proposal to her pop. If she stayed off Facebook until the end of the school year, would he pay her $200? ?I told her to go away, ?there?s no way you can live without out Facebook.??

Baier's daughter is an honor student. She gets her work done and Facebook really isn?t a problem for her, he says. Nonetheless, ?it?s definitely distracting. Everybody at her school is?connected?to everyone,? he adds. ?Sometimes they talk about school work, but 90 percent of the time, it?s meaningless or distracting.?

After he refused her initial offer, she came back two days later, and asked again. So Baier quizzed her. ?Aren't?you going to be out of the loop?? he asked. ?Dad, I see my friends every day at school,??she countered.

So it was agreed. Baier told her, ?if we do this, we?re going to have a contract.? Which they did, complete with safeguards. She handed over her password so that he could change it, making it all the harder for his daughter to breach their business arrangement.

?Some blogs and stories say I?m forcing her off it,? says Baier. ?I see it as see it as encouraging someone to use Facebook in moderation. And she goes five months without Facebook, that?s a real value to me and I?m happy to support that.?

TODAY Moms contributer Amy McCready, who is the Founder of?Positive Parenting Solutions?and author of ?If I Have to Tell You One More Time,? agrees. ?I am not in favor of bribing kids to get good behavior,? she told TODAY. ?But I don?t think this is about that at all.?

?I think this a great example of a daughter?s entrepreneurship, ingenuity and a great lessons learned in business,? McCready says. ?She had trouble finding employment. From my perspective, she came up with an idea her customer found appealing and she presented a proposal. I?m sure there was some negotiation back and forth and he accepted it.?

McCready, who is a staunch proponent of monitoring kids'?activities?on social networks, adds that if a child does have problems with distraction and the Internet, it's important to put guidelines and rules in place, and not resort to bribery.?

With this particular father and daughter however, it's not about bribery, says McCready. ?Not only was it a great way to bring a father and daughter closer together,? she says, the teen ?learned about contracts, how you get payment up front and payment at the end of the contract for performance. It?s very much a win-win for both of them, and maybe even a lesson she can take with her to college.?

As for Dad, he sees the sudden attention as a good thing. ?Hopefully it inspires parents and kids,? he told TODAY. ?A hiatus from Facebook is healthy.??

Helen A.S. Popkin goes blah blah blah about the Internet. Tell her to get a real job on?Twitter ?and/or Facebook.

?More Digital Life:

?

Source: http://digitallife.today.com/_news/2013/02/07/16887575-internet-goes-nuts-over-dads-200-facebook-deactivation-offer-to-daughter

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Hunter Walk Leaves Google After 9 Years To Start VC Firm With Satya Patel Called Homebrew

Earlier today, CNNMoney broke the news that well-known Googler/YouTuber Hunter Walk and former Googler Satya Patel would be starting a new VC firm called Homebrew. What wasn’t known was whether Walk would be leaving Google to pursue Homebrew full time, but he has confirmed that to be the case. The last time we spoke with Walk, he was passionately explaining all of the things he gets to work on with the YouTube For Good team. It consisted of people with all types of skill-sets, including forward-thinkers and leaders like Walk, who would help non-profits and organizations spread their messages and raise awareness for their programs using YouTube. In a blog post, which is the email that Walk sent to his colleagues at Google, he thanked those who brought him into the company and gave a glimpse into the Google culture that you hear from those who have “re-entered the mainstream” after leaving the Mountain View company: After nine years, two months it’s time for me to figure out how to make lunch for myself. Yup, I’m leaving Google and it’s my year-old daughter’s fault. You see, when I look at her I think about the values my wife and I want to instill. Among the most important is the belief that you should pursue all your dreams, think big, lean into your fears and keep building. The best way for me to teach this is by example, so I need to step away from Google’s comfort. No next adventure to announce yet – this is about feeling there’s more for me to do, but also knowing I need some space to figure it out. Google has changed my life. The chance to work with so many smart and creative people – thank you for letting me learn from you. There’s no university in the world which could have supplied equal education. Because of my time at Google I truly look at the world in a different way, one of problems waiting to be solved rather than insurmountable obstacles or indelible truths. I’m especially appreciative of Joan Braddi, Susan Wojcicki, Chad Hurley and Salar Kamangar – leaders who took me into their teams and, when it was time, encouraged me to find new challenges. Selfless, intelligent and loyal to Google. While being inside of Google is special, passing through the membrane back into the outside world is also a unique time,

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/VwiyRPJw4vo/

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India Vacations Spent In Style

Tour Operator India | Kerala Tour Packages | LTC Kerala Tour

You can visit the famous Deer Park, Kodanandu view point, St. Stephenss church and a lot more. It is not just restricted to places the city is also open for adventure lovers. You can enjoy adventure sports like Trekking, Angling, hang-gliding. If you want you and your beloved can have a new experience of enjoying honeymoon with these adventure sports.Ooty also has some of the natural products which you can take for your family and friends. India, a vast country with an amazingly diverse landscape and culture is one of the most preferred tourist destinations by people around the world. India welcomes thousands of tourist every year. With their rich culture and history the cities in are a must visit. Northern India is home to a vibrant culture and landscape. Delhi, the capital of India is a mix of the old and new.

Every nook and corner of Delhi has a story to tell, thanks to the rich history of Delhi. Jaipur, famous as the Pink City, is the capital of Rajasthan. Jaipur is famous for its elegant palaces and forts. Agra is famous across the globe for Taj Mahal, the symbol of love. Agra was the capital of India during the Moguls. These three beautiful cities form the golden triangle tours of Indian. Delhi is the starting destination of this fascinating journey. Lotus Temple, Birla Temple, Akshardham Temple, Red Fort, India Gate, Qutub Minar, Rajghat and Humayuns Tomb are major tourist attractions in the city. On Delhi tours, tourists have a wonderful opportunity to observe the mind-boggling blend of ancient charm and modernity. After a visit to Delhi, the next destination of this journey is the Agra.

Agra is situated on banks of Yamuna River in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is globally famous with magnificent while marble love monument, the Taj Mahal one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Agra Fort, Itmad-Ud-Daullah (also known as the Baby Taj or the Little Taj Mahal or the Draft of the Taj Mahal), Sikandra Akbars Tomb, Chini Ka Rauza, Rambagh, Dayal Bagh, etc are major attractions you will love explore on your trip to Agra as part of golden triangle tours in India. The small remind of Agra paints the image of Taj Mahal in our mind. The structure still retains its appeal and is still unmatched world over. Besides the location of Agra on the much talked about Golden Triangle route of India the next thing which makes Agra tours a perfect vacation site for visitors from the India and abroad who like to enjoy their Agra tours is Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal is not alone tourist delight in the wealthy treasure of Agra for tourists. It is a significant location from where other tourist place can be visited with great lan. When tourism in Agra is considered, needless to say the magnum opus of love and romance Taj Mahal comes at the first place. The monument which invites tourists from all over the world for The Agra has the glory of housing the one of the Seven Wonders of the World Taj Mahal. This monument of love is hard to describe in words and make Agra tours a must visit for the bag packers looking for vacations. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan made this monument to commemorate the sentiment of his beloved queen Mumtaj Mahal. It took 20 years of incessant hard work to construct this structure while a large number of artisans worked day and night.

In other tourists spots of the town are Agra Fort constructed by Emperor Akbar the great. The maze of enclosed backyards with private chambers talks volumes about the golden past of Mughal Empire. The red stone structure of Sikandra is also a place for the Tomb of Emperor Akbar the Great. The deserted capital of Emperor Akbar Fatehpur Sikri is another tourist place to be travelled while you are on Agra Tours. While travelling to Fatehpur Sikri, never forget visiting the Tomb of Itma-du-daullah constructed by the queen Nur Jahan. The visitors can furthermore proceed for shpping in the town to by some handicrafts and some other local items. Jaipur Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan and lovingly known as the Pink City of India. It is the largest city in the state with several tourist attractions.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/India-Vacations-Spent-In-Style/4423046

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Internet Marketing For House Cleaning Services | San Diego Social ...

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Internet Marketing For House Cleaning Services

Do you own a house cleaning website or offer house cleaning services? Are you looking for an Internet marketing strategy for your house cleaning business? I'll share some of my tactics, which have come with experience in marketing websites, both old and new!

I am not going to discuss building links to your website, because we know all that. Instead, I'll focus on what is more important.

As you are go to market your house cleaning service, which is going to keep things neat and clean for those you serve, your website needs to reflect this both to the user and search engines. Here's how!

First, organize your content into separate sections on separate pages. DO NOT add up all information on the main page as it will look bulky. Your target audience is not on your website to read essays, so keep everything organized, short and in small blocks of text, preferably.

Second, you can add new pages to your website for this purpose. For example the main page of your website should have information about your company (and services) , and another page could be titled "Why Choose Us?" or "Why Our Services?" or "Why + Brand Name." Here is an example of what you should be doing:

1. Home page ?(i.e., information about the business and services ? summarize your website)

2. Service page(s) ? Include descriptions of what you offer in short paragraphs (3-4 sentences max per paragraph, use lists and bullets whenever possible, and 1-3 pictures to show people what you do, etc.).

3. Pricing/Rates page ? provide detailed information about your rates on this page.

4. Why Us? page ? Why should the customer opt for your services, or what makes your service better than others? Why do they need cleaning in the first place? Outline the benefits, costs/damages/loss if they don't, etc.)

5. FAQ page ? Provide answers to your customers' most frequently asked questions related to your services.

6. Request a quote page ? This page might have a contact form for prospective customers to fill in, or a telephone number to call you.

7. "Cleaning Tips" blog/articles ? Here's where you could write short articles about different aspects of your cleaning service business. Take customer questions, and turn your answers into blog articles. People searching for answers to their cleaning needs might discover your site on a search engine because you wrote about it. No write ? no find (you)!? So, write!

8. Testimonials Page ? Who loves you? Ask your customers for testimonials. Offer them a 10% discount in return for one. Offer a few customers the opportunity for you to perform specific cleaning services you provide (for free, no charge) in exchange for a rich, glowing testimonial/interview with tons of feedback. Use these testimonials to sell future prospects (and old customers) to buy/repurchase your services.

It's also a good strategy to keep the contact form present on the sidebar on all pages, similarly a subscribe to newsletter form should also be present.

So, your website should have at least the above mentioned pages. From my experience in internet marketing, the foundation of any business has to be strong and well-built. Otherwise, there is no point in marketing something that is not worth the effort, time and money to promote.

You can always hire an?SEO Expert?who will make sure that your website implements specific on-page ranking factors the way they are supposed to be implemented. I believe in step-by-step marketing, and covering all "marketing bases."

So you have added necessary pages and kept everything where it is supposed to go. Now here are some tweaks you need to do to make things sparkle.

Use images on your website, it has to be pictorial (i.e., images) and not only text. Customers will be eager to see how you present yourself, like the logo you market with will have a definite impact and the first impression matters the most. If you look good, you have created at least 50% trust in your customers mind. Remember you are marketing something that is supposed to?clean?(something)? If your website, logo or any other aspect of your website is dirty, grimy, filthy then why bother? By that I mean your website/service, of course.

1. Use a well-designed logo. They're not that expensive to have created anymore. Think creative, think out of the box. Study other logos you like, and have the designer include those in your design.

2. Add images of your staff on your website. Say, "Cheese, everyone!"

3. Add images of the equipment you use. Show people you have the equipment to take care of their needs.

4. Add images of the rates/offers/bonus/incentives on the main page. You don't have to give all your pricing away, but entice people to read further, or give you a call. "Call For A FREE QUOTE!"

5. Optionally, you can add images of your staff at work with the consent of your customers. This will present a sign of trust to anybody who is visiting your website.

6. Add staff introduction videos where you ask staff to talk about themselves, how they love helping customers, what they do for customers, and the services you provide. Give a tour of your business, and/or interview those who will be performing the service.

7. Similarly, you can add videos of the staff at work. This will present your customers with the message, "What you see is what you get ?" At least it will create a sign of trust.

?From a marketing perspective, the very first thing that will benefit your website is choosing a great domain name. It has to have the keyword "cleaning" or similar in it. Search engines give a lot of preference to the domain name and age, use it to your advantage.

1. Keyword related domain name. This means, choosing a domain name with keywords in the name. Such as,?BestHouseCleaningServicesInSanDiego.com. Sure, it's long, but the search engines will love it, and your potential client will too.

2. Because your website is service-oriented, testimonials and reviews matter the most. Customers will not just hire you because your great ability to write great content about your services. Uh, no. Instead, they will definitely search for feedback of your services on your site or on other websites. Create a presence on several major review websites. You can read more about?Online Reputation Management?in this article at my website.

3. Gather as many testimonials from customers as you can, and add them to your website as a scrolling list on the sidebar, another presentation, as well as marketing.

4. If your business does not cover a large area, or is not inner city operated, then you need to go for local business SEO. Create a presence on?Google Places, and add maps and directions to your company on your website. Submit your website to local business directories online. You can read?6 SEO Tips For Local Businesses?here, as I have covered several tactics for local business SEO.

5. Leverage the power of social media to your advantage; social media is the backbone of your business. Why? Because people talk. Yes, they talk and post about their experiences and join pages/communities that they interact with in daily lives. So, create official presence on major social media platforms, join related communities and groups and share what you have to offer. You can use social media as customer support service and it will play a vital role in maintaining your websites reputation. You will keep your customers updated via social media, like updated pricing plans, promotions and discount coupons.

6. SEO, be it local or global is not the only solution as there are other routes to take when the local competition is very hard to beat. The solution is paid search results or PPC, which is entirely dependent on your budget. SEO can be cheap, but PPC on the other hand is usually a bit expensive. For example, if your website is organically ranking on the first page of the search results but is way down the page then PPC can help you show up on the top.

So, basically the top section of this article, which I referred to being neat and clean, is on-page SEO and the latter sections are off-page marketing (SEO+SEM+SMM). There are numerous factors that simply cannot be explained in one article, but I have pointed you towards the right direction, the services you need, and where you need to target your business online. Hire an?Online Marketing Expert?to do all of this tedious work for you! You can also learn more about Internet Marketing by taking a few of my?affordable marketing courses,?which are delivered to you online, and at your own pace. They're easy to learn, and very user-friendly to implement.

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