UK PM Cameron urged to delay gay marriage vote

LONDON (Reuters) - Members of British Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative party urged him on Sunday to delay a parliamentary vote this week on gay marriage, warning the issue could weaken the party and harm his chances of re-election.

Cameron has pledged his personal support for a gay marriage bill but many in his party and among his legislators oppose it on moral grounds and say the government has no mandate to push it through parliament.

As the bill is supported by Britain's two other main parties, opposition Labor and Conservative coalition partners the Liberal Democrats, it is in no danger of being defeated.

But a letter signed by 25 past and present chairmen of local Conservative associations was handed in to Cameron's Downing Street residence on Sunday afternoon by six of the signatories.

"We feel very strongly that the decision to bring this bill before parliament has been made without adequate debate or consultation with either the membership of the Conservative Party or with the country at large," the letter said.

It added: "Resignations from the party are beginning to multiply and we fear that, if enacted, this bill will lead to significant damage to the Conservative Party in the run-up to the 2015 election."

One Conservative association leader, Geoffrey Vero, said Cameron should have taken the issue more slowly.

"I think a number of Conservative supporters and voters will sit on their hands on the issue and that may well seriously affect David's opportunity to get re-elected in 2015," he told Sky TV.

"We think that is a dangerous risk to take with your core supporters."

PUBLIC OPINION

The proposals, due to come into effect in England and Wales in 2014, will also allow civil partners to convert their partnership to a marriage and enable married people to change their legal gender without having to end their union.

Usual rules requiring loyalty to the party line have been lifted for Tuesday's so-called "free" vote and political analysts say as many as half of the 303 Conservative MPs might vote against the bill or abstain.

The issue has sparked heated debate in Britain, particularly among faith groups, but 55 percent of British people support same-sex marriage, according to a YouGov poll in December.

YouGov President Peter Kellner said he did not believe gay marriage would figure prominently in the next election.

"It's not a big issue for the public but it could hit the reputation of the Conservative Party," he told BBC radio. "Cameron is signaling the modernity of the Conservatives but the public will see a divided party."

Gay marriage supporters say that while the existing civil partnerships for same-sex couples give the same legal rights as marriage, the distinction implies that they are inferior.

Cameron himself said two months ago: "I'm a massive supporter of marriage and I don't want gay people to be excluded from a great institution."

But the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches are both strongly opposed and the bill will not force them to conduct gay marriages.

Other religious groups, such as Quakers and liberal Jewish groups, could choose to marry gays, but under the proposals no individual minister would be compelled to wed a same-sex couple.

After the expected approval in the Commons on Tuesday, the bill will move to parliament's upper house, the House of Lords, which is expected to vote on it in May before the bill returns to the Commons for a second vote.

(Reporting by Stephen Addison; editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-pm-cameron-urged-delay-gay-marriage-vote-121850539.html

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Distro Issue 76: Will a duo of phones and a new OS bring BlackBerry back to life?

After delays and a software preview, RIM BlackBerry finally pulled the wraps off of it's new hardware and operating system that we'd been looking for the end of January to bring. In this week's edition of our e-publication, we take a look at all of the wares that the Canadian company unveiled in order to determine if it's enough to reinvent the outfit. We also rundown the history of the unit formally known as Research in Motion to paint a complete picture of the road leading up to this week's proceedings. Of course, there's more than just BlackBerry stuffs to peruse. Hands-On visits NAMM 2013, Weekly Stat tallies up earnings season and we get cozy with the Pebble Smartwatch. There's plenty of time for a bit of weekend reading, so head to your favorite repository to snag the goods.

Distro Issue 76 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store
Distro in the Windows Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile

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Source: iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/01/distro-issue-76-blackberry-10-z10/

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How to Maintain Long Distance Relationship ? Four Keys to Survive ...

A relationship inside itself is not simple to keep, how more when it happens to be a extended distance form of relationship? Should you are inside a lengthy distance relationship with the loved 1, make sure we submit which much effort inside purchase to result in the relationship function. To help we survive a extended distance relationship plus keep the connection which we have with the loved 1, read the following tricks now:

Communication is the Key

The easiest way to keep the extended distance relationship is through continual correspondence with a loved 1. With all of the ideal innovation inside development today, interacting with the loved 1 is today thus simple. Aside from extended distance telephone calls plus texting, you are able to today video talk with a loved 1 from the Internet at anytime all throughout your day. So if you need a relationship to function, make sure we set apart a few of the amount of time in interacting with a partner.

Surprise Every Other

Surprising the loved 1 each occasionally can bring spice inside the relationship, that is helpful inside creating a relationship to function whether or not you?re far from every additional. You are able to either send her presents or love letters plus cards whether or not there are no significant times, or, create a surprise see to him/her should you may. Surprising a loved 1 whether or not there are no specialized times might create him/her feel thus unique plus loved.

Do Not Forget The Special Dates

Remembering the anniversaries plus birthdays is another method to keep the relationship going whether or not you?re far from every different. So whether or not you may be busy at the job or inside school, usually make sure we greet a loved 1 about her birthday plus naturally, about the anniversaries. One of the reasons why extended distance couples might usually breakup is considering they frequently overlook the unique moments inside their loved one?s existence.

Maintain Emotional Attachment

Even should you are not alongside the loved 1, it?s nonetheless significant to keep an psychological connection. Be expressive with a feelings whenever chatting to the loved 1 over the telephone or by the Internet. Additionally, try to be intimate each time we speak to every alternative thus because to keep the fire burning inside a relationship.

Aside within the tricks said above, the 2 most crucial elements to keep in your mind whenever you?re inside a extended distance relationship are to be individual plus to stay faithful to the partner. With time, you?ll soon be seeing every different again plus relish the joy inside being inside every other?s arms. I hope all these tricks for you to keep extended distance relationship might enable we to survive a lengthy distance setup with a loved 1 plus maintain the feelings which we have for every alternative.

Source: http://vdm-promotions.com/how-to-maintain-long-distance-relationship-four-keys-to-survive-being-far-from-your-loved-one/

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Government urged to act on flooding

1 February 2013 Last updated at 04:05 ET

The government needs to take urgent action to reduce the impact of flooding, MPs have said.

Ministers had been "too slow" in pushing through changes to improve protection, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee said.

But it welcomed government plans for more competition in the water sector, in its report on the draft Water Bill.

The government said the proposed legislation would build resilience into the UK's water infrastructure.

However, Labour said the plans were "ideologically driven" and would bring higher bills and environmental damage.

Consumer protection

The draft Water Bill, published last summer, would "strengthen the water sector's ability to respond to the challenges of a growing population and less certain water supplies", according to the government.

It would also allow business and other non-household customers to switch their water and sewerage suppliers.

But Conservative MP Anne McIntosh, the committee's chairwoman, said: "The government has been too slow to implement changes that would protect homes and businesses from the shattering effects of flooding.

"New laws will increase competition in the retail water market and while we welcome those changes, government must get on with implementing changes that would reduce flooding - many of which were recommended nearly five years ago."

Continue reading the main story

Analysis

Last year's weird combination of drought and floods in the UK has prompted warnings that we may face more of both as carbon emissions continue to heat the climate.

The MPs say that means the country needs to be more resilient, whether it is wet or dry.

We need a better vision of how water should be stored and moved around at times of drought and better rules to stop farmers sucking up too much water and leaving rivers empty.

And we need better flood defences and smarter ways of building.

The MPs say this latter issue has been neglected - developers are still being allowed to build with hard surfaces in a way that creates surface flooding. They say we need better rules so developers are obliged to build in a way that allows water to soak into the ground.

At least it's not quite so bad as a few decades ago when we used to pay farmers to drain bogs, then pay again to repair towns downstream that were flooded by water flushing off the former bogs.

Ms McIntosh said successive governments had lacked "the mettle" to tackle the problem.

While the committee applauded plans to reform the water sector, it was concerned the bill left too much of the important detail to be decided by the industry's regulator, Ofwat - or to be introduced through secondary legislation, which receives less parliamentary scrutiny.

The committee recommended that encouraging sustainable development should be a primary duty of the regulator, and that the government should speed up reform of the way water was abstracted from rivers.

It also suggested encouraging greater use of meters to help lower customers' bills, and called for better protection for consumers.

Ms McIntosh said: "The lack of detail in the legislation leads to uncertainty for investors, which could result in higher financing costs for water companies and higher water bills for customers.

"We want the government to put enough meat into this legislation that investors and water companies can have the confidence to invest.

"We want to see provisions in the legislation that protect consumers and we do not accept the government's arguments that those protections would undermine investors' confidence in the water industry."

But water minister Richard Benyon said: "As unpredictable rainfall and population growth puts an increased pressure on our water supplies we need a water industry that is fit for the 21st century.

"This bill will ensure our water supplies remain affordable, resilient and sustainable for the future."

For Labour, shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh said it was "astonishing" the government had "not put in place the advanced computing system to predict severe weather".

She added: "Instead they are pursuing an ideologically driven shake-up of the water industry that could mean higher bills, and serious environmental damage."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21280726#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Mattel 4Q results miss Wall Street's expectations

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) ? Barbie maker Mattel Inc.'s fourth-quarter net income fell 17 percent, weighed down by a litigation charge.

Its performance missed Wall Street's expectations for the critical holiday period, and its shares fell almost 2 percent in premarket trading. It also raised its dividend.

The world's largest toy maker earned $306.5 million, or 87 cents per share, for the three months ended Dec. 31. That compares with $370.6 million, or $1.07 per share, a year ago.

Removing the litigation charge, earnings were $1.12 per share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected $1.15 per share.

Revenue for the El Segundo, Calif.-based company rose 5 percent to $2.26 billion from $2.15 billion. Wall Street forecast $2.3 billion.

The November through December holiday period is key for toy makers because it can make up to 40 percent of their revenue during the time. Toy sellers have been under pressure as more kids clamor for electronic gadgets like tablets. In addition, toy sellers like Wal-Mart and others have been cautious ordering inventory.

Worldwide gross sales for the Mattel girls and boys brands climbed 5 percent in the quarter. The figure jumped 55 percent for its other girls brands, mostly because of its Monster High products. At American Girl, worldwide gross sales increased 13 percent. The figure rose 6 percent for Fisher Price.

Results were not as good for Barbie, which reported a 4 percent decline in worldwide gross sales. The Wheels segment, which includes Hot Wheels, Matchbox and the Tyco R/Co brands, posted a 1 percent dip primarily due to Matchbox.

The company's entertainment business, which includes Radica and Games, dropped 13 percent mostly because of weaker sales of Cars 2 products.

Its shares dropped 68 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $36.95 in premarket trading.

Its full-year net income edged up 1 percent to $776.5 million, or $2.22 per share, from $768.5 million, or $2.18 per share, in the prior year. Annual revenue increased 2 percent to $6.42 billion from $6.27 billion.

Mattel also announced Friday that its board declared a first-quarter dividend of 36 cents per share. This is up 16 percent from the prior-year period. The dividend will be paid on March 8 to shareholders of record on Feb. 22.

Mattel's financial report follows a dismal revenue preannouncement by Hasbro last week.

Mattel's smaller rival, which makes board games like Scrabble and toys including Furby, said its fourth-quarter revenue failed to meet expectations because of weaker-than-expected demand over the holidays. It plans to cut about 10 percent of its workforce and consolidate facilities to reduce expenses. Hasbro Inc. reports its final results for the quarter on Thursday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mattel-4q-results-miss-wall-streets-expectations-112020815--finance.html

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Scientists use Amazon Cloud to view molecular machinery in remarkable detail

Jan. 31, 2013 ? In this week's Nature Methods, Salk researchers share a how-to secret for biologists: code for Amazon Cloud that significantly reduces the time necessary to process data-intensive microscopic images.

The method promises to speed research into the underlying causes of disease by making single-molecule microscopy of practical use for more laboratories.

"This is an extremely cost-effective way for labs to process super-resolution images," says Hu Cang, Salk assistant professor in the Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center and coauthor of the paper. "Depending on the size of the data set, it can save over a week's worth of time."

The latest frontier in basic biomedical research is to better understand the "molecular machines" called proteins and enzymes. Determining how they interact is key to discovering cures for diseases. Simply put, finding new therapies is akin to troubleshooting a broken mechanical assembly line-if you know all the steps in the manufacturing process, it's much easier to identify the step where something went wrong. In the case of human cells, some of the parts of the assembly line can be as small as single molecules.

Unfortunately, in the past conventional light microscopes could not clearly show objects as small as single molecules. The available alternatives, such as electron microscopy, could not be effectively used with living cells.

In 1873, German physicist Ernst Abbe worked out the mathematics to improve resolution in light microscopes. But Abbe's calculations also established the optical version of the sound barrier: the diffraction limit, an unavoidable spreading of light. Think of how light fans out from a flashlight.

According to the Abbe limit, it is impossible to see the difference between any two objects if they are smaller than half the wavelength of the imaging light. Since the shortest wavelength we can see is around 400 nanometers (nm), that means anything 200 nm or below appears as a blurry spot. The challenge for biologists is that the molecules they want to see are often only a few tens of nanometers in size.

"You have no idea how many single molecules are distributed within that blurry spot, so essential features and ideas remain obscure to you," says Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, a Salk non-resident fellow and coauthor on the paper.

In the early 2000s, several techniques were developed to break through the Abbe Limit, launching the new field of super-resolution microscopy. Among them was a method developed by Lippincott-Schwartz and her colleagues called Photoactivated Localization Microscopy, or PALM.

PALM, and its sister techniques, work because mathematics can see what the eye cannot: within the blurry spot, there are concentrations of photons that form bright peaks, which represent single molecules. The downside to these approaches is that it can take several hours to several days to crunch all the numbers required just to produce one usable image.

"It's like taking a movie, then you go through some very complex math, so what you see is the end result of processing, which is extremely slow because there's so many parameters," Cang says. "When I first saw PALM, I was shocked by how good it was. I wanted to use it right away, but when I actually tried to use it, I found its usefulness was limited by computing speed."

Even using statistical shortcuts, processing these images was still so intense that a supercomputer was required to reduce the time to a practical level. "Calculating an area of 50 pixels can take nearly a full day on a state-of-the-art desktop computer," says Lippincott-Schwartz. "But what you'll have achieved is the difference between a guess and a definitive answer."

In their Nature Methods paper, the researchers offer other scientists the tools they need to use an easier alternative-the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon Elastic EC2), a service that provides access to supercomputing via the Internet, allowing massive computing tasks to be distributed over banks of computers.

To make PALM more practical for use in biomedical research, the team wrote a computer script that allows any biologist to upload and process PALM images using Amazon Cloud.

As a demonstration, Cang, Lippincott-Schwartz and post-doctoral researcher Ying Hu reconstructed the images of podosomes, which are molecular machines that appear to encourage cancer cells to spread. In one instance, they dropped the time needed to process an image from a whole day to 72 minutes. They also imaged tubulin, a protein essential for building various structures within cells. In that case, they were able to drop the time from nine days to under three and a half hours.

Their new paper provides a how-to tutorial for using the code to process PALM images through Amazon Cloud, helping the other labs achieve similar increases in speed.

Other researchers on the study were: Xiaolin Nan, of Oregon Health and Science University School of Medicine, and Sengupta Prabuddha, of The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Salk Institute, via Newswise.

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. Ying S Hu, Xiaolin Nan, Prabuddha Sengupta, Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, Hu Cang. Accelerating 3B single-molecule super-resolution microscopy with cloud computing. Nature Methods, 2013; 10 (2): 96 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.2335

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/computers_math/information_technology/~3/thyjvu7Tnig/130201100257.htm

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Jerry Adler: My Davos Twitter Feeds

Greetings from the land of Davos!
Please, friends, hold the cheers and bravos.
I'm just another humble Tweeter
Having drinks with Derek Jeter
Couldn't ask for someone sweeter.
Except of course Melinda Gates.
Some Arab prince, maybe Kuwait's,
Is holding forth on interest rates.
To Susan Rice and Richard Levin
John McCain and Charlize Theron.
Over breakfast (stale baguette)
Thomas Friedman gave his set
Talk about the Internet,
Alarming growth in mortgage debt,
And then we all commenced brainstorming
On how to handle global warming,
Egypt's failing revolution,
Children sold for prostitution,
How to meet the Third World's hopes.
Then we went to hit the slopes.

And I don't want to boast or brag
About my Davos party swag
Or the karaoke chorus
I sang with my friend, George Soros,
To all of you that didn't rate
An invite, hey, it's not too late!
You can share the glam and glitter
I'm posting pictures here on Twitter.
And like my fellow Davos smarties
Available for dinner parties.

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?

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jerry-adler/my-davos-twitter-feeds_b_2569529.html?utm_hp_ref=comedy

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