BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) ? Authorities say a security guard at Tom Cruise's Beverly Hills, Calif., mansion used a stun gun on a trespasser who turned out to be an intoxicated neighbor who may have mistakenly entered the property.
Police say 41-year-old Jason Sullivan was shot with a Taser at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the home on Calle Vista Drive. He was then treated at a hospital and arrested on suspicion of trespassing.
Police say neither Cruise nor his family were at the home when a guard saw a man climbing a fence to get onto the grounds.
A guard shocked the man and held him for police.
It wasn't immediately known if Sullivan has an attorney.
It may not have been a hurricane, but an earthquake and tsunami warning worried state agencies along the West Coast. NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.
By NBC News staff and news wires
Updated at 6:23 p.m. ET:?Hawaii state officials on Sunday canceled a tsunami advisory prompted by a powerful earthquake off the Canadian coast that sent thousands of people fleeing to higher ground. No major damage was reported.
The advisory was canceled shortly before 4 a.m. local time after the anticipated waves rolled in lower than expected, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. ??
Kevin Richards, earthquake and tsunami manager for Hawaii State Civil Defense, said water, gas and power lines were not damaged by the smaller-than-expected waves. ? ?
Eugene Tanner / AP
Visitors and Oahu residents watch the water level in the Ala Wai Harbor in Hawaii for the arrival of a tsunami on Saturday.
"Everything is normal,'' Richards said. "We're in good shape with this one.''
Gov. Neil Abercrombie said the Aloha State was lucky to avoid more severe surges.
"We're very, very grateful that we can go home tonight counting our blessings," Abercrombie said.
The tsunami began shortly after 10:30 p.m. Hawaii time (4:30 a.m. ET), according to the ?Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, as motorists clogged roadways in a mass exodus from low-lying areas.?
"The tsunami arrived about when we expected it should," senior geophysicist Gerard Fryer told reporters at a news conference, saying: "I was expecting it to be a little bigger."?
?Officials earlier warned locals to treat the threat as very serious.
"This is?obviously?a very, very dangerous situation," Honolulu Mayor Peter?Carlisle?told?Hawaii News Now?earlier as officials were urging residents to move away from the coastline immediately.?
Fryer said the largest wave in the first 45 minutes of the tsunami was measured in Maui at more than 5 feet -- about 2 feet higher than normal sea levels.? ?
Tsunami warning sirens in the islands were activated on short notice due to initial confusion among scientists about the quake's undersea epicenter and the extent of the tsunami threat posted by the temblor.
Carlisle earlier announced that all police and emergency personnel were being pulled out from potential flood zones shortly before the first wave, leaving anyone defying evacuation orders to fend for themselves. He urged motorists who remained caught in harm's way due to gridlocked roads to abandon their vehicles and proceed on foot.?
"If you are stuck in traffic, you might consider getting out of your car and consider walking to higher ground. You will have to assess your own situation, depending on where you are right now. Right now it is critical," he said.
Scientists convicted for not predicting quake
Abercrombie issued an emergency proclamation for the state.
Canada quake The warnings followed an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 that hit Canada's Pacific coastal province of British Columbia late on Saturday. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centered 123 miles south-southwest of Prince Rupert at a depth of 6.2 miles.?
Carsten Ginsburg, who lives in the small community of Bella Coola southeast of Prince Rupert, said the quake lasted about 40 seconds.
"It shook everything. The electricity went out, the power lines were swinging all over the place and stuff was falling off the shelves," he said, Canadian Press?reported.
No major damage was reported.
The Earthquakes Canada agency said the quake was followed by dozens of aftershocks, including?a 6.4 magnitude tremor that struck Sunday afternoon.?
Click here for US news headlines
On Oahu, Hawaii's most populous island, tsunami warning sirens blared across Honolulu, the state capital, prompting an immediate crush of traffic, with many motorists stopping at service stations to top up with gasoline. At movie theaters, films were halted in mid-screening as announcements were made urging patrons to return to their homes.?
The last time Oahu had a tsunami warning was after the devastating Japanese earthquake of March 2011.?
NBC News' Wilson Rothman, who was staying on the island of?Kauai, said that while there?had been no?noticeable?rise in water levels,?local officials and?hotel staff had taken precautions.?
Click here for World news headlines
"Non-essential hotel functions were shut down fast, and restaurants across the island closed early," he said. ?"Our hotel asked all guests to evacuate 'vertically' to the 4th, 5th or 6th floor, and asked guests on those floors to 'make new friends'."
On Honolulu's famed Waikiki Beach, residents of high-rise buildings were told to move to the third floor or higher for safety.?
Stephany Sofos, a resident of Diamond Head near Waikiki, said most people had either evacuated or relocated to a higher floor.?
"I moved my car up the hill, packed up my computer and have my animals all packed and with me," Sofos said, saying that she had not yet seen any obvious receding of the surf, a telltale sign that a tsunami wave is imminent.?
External link: Tsunami messages issued in the past 7 days
"I'm pretty confident because we have a lot of reefs out there and that will prevent any major damage. Maybe it's a false confidence, but I'm not really worried," she said, adding, "It is nerve-wracking."?
Meanwhile, the National Weather Service canceled tsunami advisories for Canada and Oregon.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The floor of the New York Stock Exchange is empty of traders, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in New York. All major U.S. stock and options exchanges will remain closed Monday with Hurricane Sandy nearing landfall on the East Coast. Trading has rarely stopped for weather. A blizzard led to a late start and an early close on Jan. 8, 1996, according to the exchange's parent company, NYSE Euronext. The NYSE shut down on Sept. 27, 1985 for Hurricane Gloria. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
The floor of the New York Stock Exchange is empty of traders, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012, in New York. All major U.S. stock and options exchanges will remain closed Monday with Hurricane Sandy nearing landfall on the East Coast. Trading has rarely stopped for weather. A blizzard led to a late start and an early close on Jan. 8, 1996, according to the exchange's parent company, NYSE Euronext. The NYSE shut down on Sept. 27, 1985 for Hurricane Gloria. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Sand bags protect the front of the New York Stock Exchange, Monday, Oct. 29, 2012. Hurricane Sandy continued on its path Monday, forcing the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain. There had been plans to allow electronic trading to go forward on the New York Stock Exchange but with a storm surge expected to cover parts of lower Manhattan in water, officials decided late Sunday that it was too risky to ask any personnel to staff the exchanges. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
NEW YORK (AP) ? U.S. stock markets are closed as Hurricane Sandy nears landfall on the East Coast and are likely to remain closed Tuesday.
The last time the New York Stock Exchange had an unplanned closing was after the terrorist attacks of September 2001.
Duncan Niederauer, the chief executive of the exchange's parent company, NYSE Euronext, told CNBC Monday morning that it was "hard to imagine" that the exchange would open on Tuesday.
Much of the East Coast was at a standstill Monday as the storm approached. New York City's mass transit system was closed down and areas around the Financial District in lower Manhattan were part of a mandatory evacuation zone. The storm surge from Sandy, which is due to make landfall later Monday, is expected to push waters into portions of lower Manhattan.
A spokesman for the exchange said an official announcement would be made later Monday about whether the closures would extend into Tuesday. If that happens, it would be it would be the first time since 1888 that weather caused a two-day shutdown of the exchange. The cause then was a blizzard that left drifts as high as 40 feet in the streets of New York City.
There had been plans to allow electronic trading to go forward Monday on the New York Stock Exchange, but with all mass transit shut down in and out of Manhattan, the risks were determined to be too great.
"My bias is always to keep the markets open, but this was a pretty easy decision," Niederauer said on CNBC. "What I underestimated ... was how much people would have to staff up if we were operating electronically."
The Nasdaq and the CME Group in Chicago will also close. CME Group's Nymex headquarters and New York trading floor are located in the mandatory evacuation zone in Manhattan. Its New York trading floor will be closed, but electronic markets were functioning. Crude oil fell 32 cents to $85.96 in electronic trading.
European stock markets were mostly lower. Britain's FTSE fell 0.3 percent and France's CAC-40 fell 0.9 percent. Insurers such as Munich Re, Aviva PLC and Zurich Insurance fared worse than other stocks as investors worried about the potential cost of the storm's damage.
"The economic impact cannot be underestimated," said Elsa Lignos, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets.
The uncertainty generated by the storm comes at the start of a big week in the United States. This is the last full week before next Tuesday's presidential election and culminates Friday with the release of monthly jobs data, which many analysts think could have an impact on the vote.
"A significant swing in either direction is likely to be heavily reported in the media, potentially swinging the undecided voter," said James Hughes, chief market analyst at Alpari, of the jobs figures.
Some companies are postponing quarterly earnings reports scheduled for release early this week. So far, that includes Pfizer Inc. and Thomson Reuters. Burger King reported on schedule, and said its third-quarter net income fell 83 percent as revenue was hurt by the stronger dollar. Adjusted results topped expectations, however.
Even though investors couldn't do much about it, the U.S. government did report a strong increase in consumer spending last month.
The Commerce Department reported that consumer spending increased 0.8 percent in September. That followed a 0.5 percent gain in August and was the best showing since February. Personal income rose 0.4 percent, an improvement from a slight 0.1 percent gain in August and the best gain since March. It's a closely watched indicator as consumer spending drives about 70 percent of the nation's economic activity.
U.S. stock index futures fell slightly in thin trading. By the time trading ended at its regular time of 9:15 a.m., Dow Jones industrial average futures fell 61 points to 12,993 and S&P 500 futures fell five points to 1,402. Nasdaq futures fell 15 to 2,643.
___
AP Business Writer Pan Pylas contributed to this story from London.
HONOLULU (Reuters) - A tsunami warning prompted by a powerful earthquake off the Canadian coast sent at least 100,000 people fleeing from shore to higher ground in Hawaii late on Saturday, but an evacuation order was cancelled after a series of weaker-than-expected waves rolled through the islands.
The warning was downgraded to an advisory - a lower-level alert - shortly after 1 a.m. Sunday (11a.m. British Time), though state civil defence authorities said beaches and harbours would remain closed for the time being, and residents were urged to stay away from the water.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, serious flooding or damage, but officials warned that abrupt changes in sea level and strong currents could still pose a hazard to swimmers and boaters.
"The threat may continue for several hours," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in its alert.
While scientists had warned early on that waves as tall 6 feet (1.8 metres) could occur in places, tsunami wave activity was reported to have peaked at just 2.5 feet (0.8 metres) at the island of Maui shortly after 10:30 p.m.
"The tsunami arrived about when we expected it should," Senior Geophysicist Gerard Fryer told reporters at a news conference, saying: "I was expecting it to be a little bigger."
Tsunami warning sirens began blaring across the islands at about 8 p.m. as state officials ordered a coastal evacuation, prompting a mass exodus that clogged roadways as motorists fled low-lying areas.
As the forecast arrival time of the tsunami neared, Honolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle announced that all police and emergency personnel were being pulled out from potential flood zones, leaving anyone defying evacuation orders to fend for themselves. He also urged motorists who remained caught in harm's way due to gridlocked roads to abandon their vehicles and proceed on foot.
"If you are stuck in traffic, you might consider getting out of your car and consider walking to higher ground. You will have to assess your own situation, depending on where you are right now. Right now it is critical," he said.
CANADIAN ORIGINS
Vindell Hsu, a geophysicist at the tsunami warning centre, said the evacuation affected an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 people who live in Hawaii's coastal zones.
Shelly Kunishige, a spokeswoman for Hawaii State Civil Defense, said evacuation orders were lifted once the tsunami warning was downgraded. But a thorough assessment of flooding or damage could not be made until after daybreak, she said.
The warnings followed a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was centred 123 miles (198 km) south-southwest of Prince Rupert at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 km).
The Earthquakes Canada agency said the temblor was followed by numerous aftershocks as large as magnitude 4.6 and that a small tsunami had been recorded by a deep-ocean pressure sensor.
On Oahu, Hawaii's most populous island, tsunami warning sirens could be heard blaring out across Honolulu, the state capital, prompting an immediate crush of traffic, with many motorists stopping at service stations to top up with gasoline. At movie theatres, films were halted in mid-screening as announcements were made urging patrons to return to their homes.
The last time Oahu had a tsunami warning was after the devastating Japanese earthquake of March 2011.
On Honolulu's famed Waikiki Beach, residents of high-rise buildings were told to move to the third floor or higher for safety.
"I moved my car up the hill, packed up my computer and have my animals all packed and with me," said Staphany Sofos, a resident of the Diamond Head community near Waikiki as she waited word for an all-clear that came several hours later.
Fryer said the tsunami had caught scientists by surprise.
"We thought that the earthquake was on land and when we learned that it was deeper undersea and we gathered more information, we had no choice but to issue a warning," he said.
As residents scrambled to reach higher ground on Oahu, at least four major road accidents were reported by the state Emergency Medical Services. More accidents were reported on the outer islands. But Kunishige said no major injuries were reported.
A tsunami advisory was also posted for coastal areas of northern California and Oregon, where a maximum rise in the sea level was estimated at 6 inches (15 cm), the National Weather Service said. The agency said no significant flooding was expected.
(Reporting by Jorene Barut and Suzanne Roig in Honolulu; Writing by Steve Gorman and Tim Gaynor; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Eric Beech)
Amazon has just released its earnings for the third quarter of the year and it looks like it's slightly off analysts' expectations. The company reported $13.18 billion in revenue (a growth of 27 percent) and an operating loss of $28 million, with net income standing at a loss of $274 million. As Amazon notes, though, a chunk of that, some $169 million, comes from losses resulting from its investment in LivingSocial -- it says the figure is "primarily attributable to its impairment charge of certain assets, including goodwill." Expectedly, the company still isn't offering any specific numbers for device sales, noting only that the Kindle Fire HD is the number one selling product across Amazon worldwide, and that the next two bestselling products worldwide are the Kindle Paperwhite and the $69 Kindle. As for its outlook for the next quarter, the company is expecting net sales of between $20.25 billion and $22.75 billion, and operating income of anywhere from a loss of $490 million to a profit of $310 million. You can find the company's full breakdown of all the numbers at the link below.
Taiwan?s night markets have been featured in the San Jose Mercury News of California, in an article that distinguished them from street bazaars in other Asian countries.
?Sure, there are similar street scenes across the continent, from Cambodia to China. In Taiwan, however, night markets are a cherished cultural phenomenon that embraces past traditions while remaining contemporary with quick-stepping, fashionable dressed young people who flood them,? the reporter John Bourdeau wrote in a recent article.
The feature also quoted Lula Han, identified as an expert on Taiwanese culture, as saying that ?eating is literally a religious culture? in Taiwan because night markets initially sprang up around Buddhist temples.
?After you give food to the god in the temple, you give food to yourself. So the food stalls originated with the temples,? Han was quoted as saying.
There are as many as 100 major night markets across Taiwan, with about 20 regular ones in Taipei, the article said.
Contact: Charles E. Blue dfdmedia@aps.org 301-209-3091 American Institute of Physics
Highlights and media registration San Diego, California, Nov. 18-20, 2012
The 65th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD) will include more than 2,000 compelling presentations from across the physical sciences, engineering, and medicine.
The meeting will take place Nov. 18 - 20, 2012, at the San Diego Convention Center near the historic Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, Calif. Reporters are invited to attend the conference free of charge. Registration instructions and other information may be found at the end of this news release.
Preliminary Meeting Highlights
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18
The Silent Flight of the Owl: Many species of owl rely on specialized plumage to reduce their noise levels and enable hunting in acoustic stealth. One particular feather arrangement is believed to mitigate the type of air turbulence that is the predominant source of noise.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177007
Acoustic Lens to Boost Power: Acoustic waves are routinely used in ultrasonic imaging or hyperthermia surgery. To give these waves a boost, researchers have constructed an acoustic lens that focuses the waves' energy into so-called "sound bullets."
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177560
Surface Deformation and the 'Cheerios Effect': Small objects floating on the surface of a liquid tend to attract each other through capillary interactions, in a phenomenon dubbed the "Cheerios Effect." A series of experiments studied this phenomenon to gain new insights into self-assembly.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177627
How the Venus Flytrap Actively Snaps: Although they lack muscles, plants have evolved a remarkable range of mechanisms to create rapid motion. The carnivorous Venus Flytrap, whose leaves snap together in a fraction of second to capture insects, has long been an object of study. Researchers provide new insights into their snapping mechanism.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177924
Super-hydrophobic Coating for Aircraft Anti-Icing: Deicing an aircraft is necessary for safe flight operation. This can be done mechanically or with the use of deicing fluids, which need to be reapplied before every flight. A third option, applying a super-hydrophobic (water repellent) coating as anti-icing for an aircraft, is presented.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177678
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Measuring and Analyzing a Bird's Flight: To tackle the long-standing problem of precisely measuring shape and profiling of free-flying birds, researchers developed a technique to determine the shape of naturally textured surfaces.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178264
The Soccer Knuckleball: A soccer ball kicked with a very low spin can exhibit a zigzag trajectory. These trajectories, called knuckleballs, are being studied to determine their cause.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177995
Mosquito Flight Failure in Heavy Fog: Mosquitoes thrive during rainfall and high humidity, and can successfully fly through rainfall. But, just like modern aircraft, too much fog and a mosquito is grounded.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178572
Suction Cups Aid in Tagging Marine Mammals: Securely and humanely tagging marine animals is important for research into their habits and habitats. New research indicates that suction cups can provide sufficient force to safely adhere tags to dolphins.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178233
Penguin Huddle: To protect themselves from the elements, penguins huddle together, shifting their positions so the most exposed and least exposed eventually change location. A new model shows just how effective this strategy is at keeping penguins warm.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178234
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Mixing Water and Biofuels: Gasoline is now commonly combined with ethanol in an effort to reduce dependence on oil. But while alcohol blends easily with water, petroleum does not. New research explores how this combined liquid would behave during a spill.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178765
Dust Settling in Protoplanetary Disks: New clues to planet formation: Planets start out as microscopic grains within protoplanetary disks of gas and dust in orbit around newly formed protostars. Researchers investigate what conditions trigger gravitational instability, causing dust and gas to clump together to form planetesimals, the building blocks of planets.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/179282
Using Simple Flows to Tie Knots in Flexible Fibers: Flexible fibers, such as DNA, have sometimes been found to contain knots. While such fibers are not -- strictly speaking -- closed knots, they exhibit similar characteristics. The formation of these "open knots" and the effects they have on material properties will be discussed.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178859
###
MORE MEETING INFORMATION
The 65th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics will take place from November 18-20, 2012, in San Diego, Calif. It will bring together researchers from across the globe to address some of the most important questions in modern astronomy, engineering, alternative energy, biology, and medicine. All meeting information, including directions to the Convention Center, is at: http://apsdfd2012.ucsd.edu/
USEFUL LINKS
Main Meeting Web Site: http://apsdfd2012.ucsd.edu/
Directions and Maps: http://apsdfd2012.ucsd.edu/?page=Venue_and_Maps
PRESS REGISTRATION
Credentialed full-time journalists and professional freelance journalists working on assignment for major publications or media outlets are invited to attend the conference free of charge. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, please contact Charles Blue (cblue@aip.org, 301-209-3091).
SUPPORT DESK FOR REPORTERS
A media-support desk will be available. Press announcements and other news will be available in the Virtual Press Room (see below).
VIRTUAL PRESS ROOM
The APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Virtual Press Room will be launched in mid-November and will feature news releases, graphics, videos, and other information to aid in covering the meeting on site and remotely. See: http://www.aps.org/units/dfd/pressroom/index.cfm
GALLERY OF FLUID MOTION
Every year, the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics hosts posters and videos that show evocative images and graphics from either computational or experimental studies of flow phenomena. The outstanding entries are selected for their artistic content, originality, and ability to convey information. They will be honored during the meeting, placed on display at the 2013 APS March Meeting, and appear in the annual Gallery of Fluid Motion article in the American Institute of Physics' journal, Physics of Fluids.
Selected entries from the Gallery of Fluid Motion will be hosted as part of the Fluid Dynamics Virtual Press Room. In mid-November, when the Virtual Press Room is launched, another announcement will be sent out.
This release was prepared by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) on behalf of the American Physical Society's (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD).
ABOUT THE APS DIVISION OF FLUID DYNAMICS
The Division of Fluid Dynamics of the American Physical Society (APS) exists for the advancement and diffusion of knowledge of the Physics of Fluids with special emphasis on the dynamical theories of the liquid, plastic and gaseous states of matter under all conditions of temperature and pressure. See: http://www.aps.org/units/dfd/
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Charles E. Blue dfdmedia@aps.org 301-209-3091 American Institute of Physics
Highlights and media registration San Diego, California, Nov. 18-20, 2012
The 65th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society's (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD) will include more than 2,000 compelling presentations from across the physical sciences, engineering, and medicine.
The meeting will take place Nov. 18 - 20, 2012, at the San Diego Convention Center near the historic Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, Calif. Reporters are invited to attend the conference free of charge. Registration instructions and other information may be found at the end of this news release.
Preliminary Meeting Highlights
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18
The Silent Flight of the Owl: Many species of owl rely on specialized plumage to reduce their noise levels and enable hunting in acoustic stealth. One particular feather arrangement is believed to mitigate the type of air turbulence that is the predominant source of noise.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177007
Acoustic Lens to Boost Power: Acoustic waves are routinely used in ultrasonic imaging or hyperthermia surgery. To give these waves a boost, researchers have constructed an acoustic lens that focuses the waves' energy into so-called "sound bullets."
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177560
Surface Deformation and the 'Cheerios Effect': Small objects floating on the surface of a liquid tend to attract each other through capillary interactions, in a phenomenon dubbed the "Cheerios Effect." A series of experiments studied this phenomenon to gain new insights into self-assembly.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177627
How the Venus Flytrap Actively Snaps: Although they lack muscles, plants have evolved a remarkable range of mechanisms to create rapid motion. The carnivorous Venus Flytrap, whose leaves snap together in a fraction of second to capture insects, has long been an object of study. Researchers provide new insights into their snapping mechanism.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177924
Super-hydrophobic Coating for Aircraft Anti-Icing: Deicing an aircraft is necessary for safe flight operation. This can be done mechanically or with the use of deicing fluids, which need to be reapplied before every flight. A third option, applying a super-hydrophobic (water repellent) coating as anti-icing for an aircraft, is presented.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177678
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Measuring and Analyzing a Bird's Flight: To tackle the long-standing problem of precisely measuring shape and profiling of free-flying birds, researchers developed a technique to determine the shape of naturally textured surfaces.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178264
The Soccer Knuckleball: A soccer ball kicked with a very low spin can exhibit a zigzag trajectory. These trajectories, called knuckleballs, are being studied to determine their cause.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/177995
Mosquito Flight Failure in Heavy Fog: Mosquitoes thrive during rainfall and high humidity, and can successfully fly through rainfall. But, just like modern aircraft, too much fog and a mosquito is grounded.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178572
Suction Cups Aid in Tagging Marine Mammals: Securely and humanely tagging marine animals is important for research into their habits and habitats. New research indicates that suction cups can provide sufficient force to safely adhere tags to dolphins.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178233
Penguin Huddle: To protect themselves from the elements, penguins huddle together, shifting their positions so the most exposed and least exposed eventually change location. A new model shows just how effective this strategy is at keeping penguins warm.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178234
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Mixing Water and Biofuels: Gasoline is now commonly combined with ethanol in an effort to reduce dependence on oil. But while alcohol blends easily with water, petroleum does not. New research explores how this combined liquid would behave during a spill.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178765
Dust Settling in Protoplanetary Disks: New clues to planet formation: Planets start out as microscopic grains within protoplanetary disks of gas and dust in orbit around newly formed protostars. Researchers investigate what conditions trigger gravitational instability, causing dust and gas to clump together to form planetesimals, the building blocks of planets.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/179282
Using Simple Flows to Tie Knots in Flexible Fibers: Flexible fibers, such as DNA, have sometimes been found to contain knots. While such fibers are not -- strictly speaking -- closed knots, they exhibit similar characteristics. The formation of these "open knots" and the effects they have on material properties will be discussed.
http://meeting.aps.org/Meeting/DFD12/Event/178859
###
MORE MEETING INFORMATION
The 65th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics will take place from November 18-20, 2012, in San Diego, Calif. It will bring together researchers from across the globe to address some of the most important questions in modern astronomy, engineering, alternative energy, biology, and medicine. All meeting information, including directions to the Convention Center, is at: http://apsdfd2012.ucsd.edu/
USEFUL LINKS
Main Meeting Web Site: http://apsdfd2012.ucsd.edu/
Directions and Maps: http://apsdfd2012.ucsd.edu/?page=Venue_and_Maps
PRESS REGISTRATION
Credentialed full-time journalists and professional freelance journalists working on assignment for major publications or media outlets are invited to attend the conference free of charge. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, please contact Charles Blue (cblue@aip.org, 301-209-3091).
SUPPORT DESK FOR REPORTERS
A media-support desk will be available. Press announcements and other news will be available in the Virtual Press Room (see below).
VIRTUAL PRESS ROOM
The APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Virtual Press Room will be launched in mid-November and will feature news releases, graphics, videos, and other information to aid in covering the meeting on site and remotely. See: http://www.aps.org/units/dfd/pressroom/index.cfm
GALLERY OF FLUID MOTION
Every year, the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics hosts posters and videos that show evocative images and graphics from either computational or experimental studies of flow phenomena. The outstanding entries are selected for their artistic content, originality, and ability to convey information. They will be honored during the meeting, placed on display at the 2013 APS March Meeting, and appear in the annual Gallery of Fluid Motion article in the American Institute of Physics' journal, Physics of Fluids.
Selected entries from the Gallery of Fluid Motion will be hosted as part of the Fluid Dynamics Virtual Press Room. In mid-November, when the Virtual Press Room is launched, another announcement will be sent out.
This release was prepared by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) on behalf of the American Physical Society's (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics (DFD).
ABOUT THE APS DIVISION OF FLUID DYNAMICS
The Division of Fluid Dynamics of the American Physical Society (APS) exists for the advancement and diffusion of knowledge of the Physics of Fluids with special emphasis on the dynamical theories of the liquid, plastic and gaseous states of matter under all conditions of temperature and pressure. See: http://www.aps.org/units/dfd/
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Mark Twain once said that ?the only two certainties in life are death and taxes? and unfortunately stamp duty is one of those taxes.
Stamp duty is a tax levied upon the sale of shares and property to cover the cost of the legal documents of such transactions. It is levied by the respective state governments and various rate cuts depend upon which state you reside.
Stamp duty often leaves home buyers feeling confused. ?Some of the more common questions we frequently get asked are:
Why do I have to pay stamp duty?
Can I borrow money for stamp duty?
How much stamp duty do I have to pay?
Luckily there is a handy tool that you can use to your advantage and lessen the confusion around stamp duty payments.
A stamp duty calculator allows you to calculate how much you will have to pay. It calculates transfer duty, mortgage duty, mortgage registration and transfer fees for properties with an existing dwelling. Different rates of duty and fees may apply for vacant land and you should contact the OSR in your state or territory for the correct rates.
Calculating how much you have to pay may not sound like fun but it is a vital part of the home buying process and there are positives such as figuring out whether you are eligible for the Federal Government First Home Owner Scheme (FHOS) or stamp duty concessions.
The Aussie stamp duty calculator only provides an indication of the stamp duty you might be charged, but an Aussie?Mortgage Broker will make sure you know exactly which additional costs you need to look out for.
If you are a first home buyer you may be able to get a break from stamp duty. Find out more from the revenue office in your state or territory:
Researchers report widespread Internet use by caregivers of children with shuntsPublic release date: 23-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jo Ann Eliason jaeliason@thejns.org 434-982-1209 Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group
Charlottesville, VA (October 23, 2012). When faced with disease, patients and caregivers now readily turn to the Internet for information and emotional support. This is particularly true in the case of caregivers of children with hydrocephalus. Researchers at Children's of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that adults caring for children with hydrocephalus reported greater regular use of the Internet than the general population (91.7 percent compared with 74 percent). The majority of these caregivers (81.9 percent) also use the Internet to obtain information about the disease, although they are somewhat skeptical about the overall veracity of information gained from the Web and are interested in well-respected hydrocephalus-related websites (such as that of the Hydrocephalus Association) and physician-suggested sites. When it comes to social media, these caregivers prefer Facebook, YouTube, and blogs over Twitter and Myspace for both personal and hydrocephalus-related use. Full details on this study and its findings can be found in the article "Technology preferences among caregivers of children with hydrocephalus. Clinical article," by neurosurgeon Robert Naftel and colleagues, published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.
Three hundred caretakers of children with hydrocephalus filled out a questionnaire covering computer and Internet usage; hydrocephalus and shunts; social networking, blogs, and YouTube; hydrocephalus support groups; and personal information. The researchers focused on caretakers' use of the Internet and social media as well as the technological hardware involved in accessing them.
The researchers found that most caregivers in the study group (91.7 percent) use the Internet: 62.8 percent of caregivers reported using it 7 days per week and 83 percent at least 4 days per week. The Internet was mostly accessed on computers at home (rather than those at work) followed by using smart phones. Most caretakers who reported Internet use (95.1 percent) accessed some form of social media. Facebook and YouTube were the most commonly used; blogs, Twitter, and Myspace were accessed less frequently.
With respect to personal use of the Internet and related technologies, the researchers found socioeconomic disparities associated with race, income, and education. More whites than African-Americans used computers, smart phones, and the Internet; similarly, greater usage was found among persons with higher household yearly incomes and higher levels of educational achievement. The researchers found no significant differences in computer, smart phone, and Internet use when they looked at caregiver's age or geographic location (rural or urban); usage also did not differ according to the number of adults in the household.
Social media personal use, on the other hand, did not vary significantly when race, income, geographic location, or age of the caregiver was examined. Significant differences were identified when caregivers were separated according to their educational achievement. Almost all caregivers whose formal education stopped at high school graduation or earlier (99.1 percent) regularly visited social media sites. Fewer caregivers with higher education (92.1 percent) visited social media sites.
When hydrocephalus-related Internet and social media use were examined, the researchers found that the majority of caregivers who did use the Internet (81.9 percent) reported that they searched for hydrocephalus-related information online. A lower percentage of these caregivers (59.5 percent) used social media for hydrocephalus-related purposes. Most Internet-savvy caregivers found the Internet at least somewhat helpful in providing information on hydrocephalus. Despite this, the majority of caregivers (57.8 percent) expressed some skepticism about information learned online, and most (89.8 percent) expressed interest in obtaining guidance from neurosurgeons about what websites were most valuable to learn about hydrocephalus, shunt failure, and additional potential therapies.
In general, patterns of Internet and social media use paralleled personal use with respect to socioeconomic and racial disparities. Despite this, the researchers found that use of smart phones is expanding, knocking down socioeconomic and racial barriers, and granting greater access to Internet information and social media sites.
The authors were surprised by the extent of hydrocephalus-related use of the Internet by caregivers and by their healthy skepticism concerning information provided in this manner. When asked, Dr. Robert Naftel, the first author, stated that the researchers "were also surprised by the fact that social media was reversing the socioeconomic disparity found in regular Internet use for hydrocephalus" and by the "low number of participants who used the Internet and social media for online support groups," although a review of other healthcare studies showed that the number of caregivers in the present study who used the Internet and social media for emotional support was actually a bit higher than in other groups.
When asked what spurred the investigation, Dr. Robert Naftel stated, "we began noticing that parents were coming to the table with more information than ever before, and their source was the Internet. We were worried that they could be receiving misinformation and placing too much trust in false information. Therefore, to better understand our patients and their parents, we sought to find out what the current state of Internet and social media use was. We also believed that it was important for parents to have social support. With social media, people are able to form social groups and support one another. Oftentimes, parents will not ask their physician about how to find social support. Now, we can provide them with information about where to find these online support groups."
In response to the finding that caregivers are very interested in obtaining guidance on the best websites, Dr. Naftel, now at the University of Pittsburgh, explained that the Birmingham group "is currently in the process of compiling a list of recommended sites. What is important is not only having great information, but also providing a platform that is pleasing from an audiovisual standpoint and is easily navigated. The same point can be made for YouTube videos. We recently performed another study that is currently being written about the quality, reliability, and comprehensiveness of YouTube videos on hydrocephalus. There is great disparity with these videos. Additionally, there is now a Birmingham Hydrocephalus Support Group on Facebook. It seems to be an ideal platform for caregivers to interconnect and plan events. Caregivers desire guidance in finding the best information on the Internet. Neurosurgeons have an opportunity to help direct them to trustworthy information that will help them in caring for their child and provide them with the social support for which many yearn."
Valuable information on hydrocephalus has long been provided on the Internet. The authors point out that as early as 2001, hydrocephalus was considered the best-covered neurosurgery-related topic on the Web. As Internet use continues to expand, the authors encourage neurosurgeons and hospitals to provide patients and caregivers with recommendations for websites that offer credible information on hydrocephalus. They also suggest that social media be utilized to a greater extent to provide patient education and caregiver support.
###
Naftel RP, Safiano NA, Falola MI, Shannon CN, Wellons JC III, Johnston JM Jr: Technology preferences among caregivers of children with hydrocephalus. Clinical article. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, published online, ahead of print, October 23, 2012; DOI: 10.3171/2012.9.PEDS12208.
Disclosure: The authors report no potential conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in this paper.
For additional information, please contact:
Ms. Jo Ann M. Eliason, MA, ELS
Communications Manager
Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group
One Morton Drive, Suite 200
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Email: jaeliason@thejns.org
Telephone 434-982-1209
Fax 434-924-2702
The Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics is a monthly peer-reviewed journal focused on diseases and disorders of the central nervous system and spine in children. This journal contains a variety of articles, including descriptions of preclinical and clinical research as well as case reports and technical notes. The Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics is one of four monthly journals published by the JNS Publishing Group, the scholarly journal division of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, an association dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to promote the highest quality of patient care. The Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics appears in print and on the Internet.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Researchers report widespread Internet use by caregivers of children with shuntsPublic release date: 23-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jo Ann Eliason jaeliason@thejns.org 434-982-1209 Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group
Charlottesville, VA (October 23, 2012). When faced with disease, patients and caregivers now readily turn to the Internet for information and emotional support. This is particularly true in the case of caregivers of children with hydrocephalus. Researchers at Children's of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that adults caring for children with hydrocephalus reported greater regular use of the Internet than the general population (91.7 percent compared with 74 percent). The majority of these caregivers (81.9 percent) also use the Internet to obtain information about the disease, although they are somewhat skeptical about the overall veracity of information gained from the Web and are interested in well-respected hydrocephalus-related websites (such as that of the Hydrocephalus Association) and physician-suggested sites. When it comes to social media, these caregivers prefer Facebook, YouTube, and blogs over Twitter and Myspace for both personal and hydrocephalus-related use. Full details on this study and its findings can be found in the article "Technology preferences among caregivers of children with hydrocephalus. Clinical article," by neurosurgeon Robert Naftel and colleagues, published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.
Three hundred caretakers of children with hydrocephalus filled out a questionnaire covering computer and Internet usage; hydrocephalus and shunts; social networking, blogs, and YouTube; hydrocephalus support groups; and personal information. The researchers focused on caretakers' use of the Internet and social media as well as the technological hardware involved in accessing them.
The researchers found that most caregivers in the study group (91.7 percent) use the Internet: 62.8 percent of caregivers reported using it 7 days per week and 83 percent at least 4 days per week. The Internet was mostly accessed on computers at home (rather than those at work) followed by using smart phones. Most caretakers who reported Internet use (95.1 percent) accessed some form of social media. Facebook and YouTube were the most commonly used; blogs, Twitter, and Myspace were accessed less frequently.
With respect to personal use of the Internet and related technologies, the researchers found socioeconomic disparities associated with race, income, and education. More whites than African-Americans used computers, smart phones, and the Internet; similarly, greater usage was found among persons with higher household yearly incomes and higher levels of educational achievement. The researchers found no significant differences in computer, smart phone, and Internet use when they looked at caregiver's age or geographic location (rural or urban); usage also did not differ according to the number of adults in the household.
Social media personal use, on the other hand, did not vary significantly when race, income, geographic location, or age of the caregiver was examined. Significant differences were identified when caregivers were separated according to their educational achievement. Almost all caregivers whose formal education stopped at high school graduation or earlier (99.1 percent) regularly visited social media sites. Fewer caregivers with higher education (92.1 percent) visited social media sites.
When hydrocephalus-related Internet and social media use were examined, the researchers found that the majority of caregivers who did use the Internet (81.9 percent) reported that they searched for hydrocephalus-related information online. A lower percentage of these caregivers (59.5 percent) used social media for hydrocephalus-related purposes. Most Internet-savvy caregivers found the Internet at least somewhat helpful in providing information on hydrocephalus. Despite this, the majority of caregivers (57.8 percent) expressed some skepticism about information learned online, and most (89.8 percent) expressed interest in obtaining guidance from neurosurgeons about what websites were most valuable to learn about hydrocephalus, shunt failure, and additional potential therapies.
In general, patterns of Internet and social media use paralleled personal use with respect to socioeconomic and racial disparities. Despite this, the researchers found that use of smart phones is expanding, knocking down socioeconomic and racial barriers, and granting greater access to Internet information and social media sites.
The authors were surprised by the extent of hydrocephalus-related use of the Internet by caregivers and by their healthy skepticism concerning information provided in this manner. When asked, Dr. Robert Naftel, the first author, stated that the researchers "were also surprised by the fact that social media was reversing the socioeconomic disparity found in regular Internet use for hydrocephalus" and by the "low number of participants who used the Internet and social media for online support groups," although a review of other healthcare studies showed that the number of caregivers in the present study who used the Internet and social media for emotional support was actually a bit higher than in other groups.
When asked what spurred the investigation, Dr. Robert Naftel stated, "we began noticing that parents were coming to the table with more information than ever before, and their source was the Internet. We were worried that they could be receiving misinformation and placing too much trust in false information. Therefore, to better understand our patients and their parents, we sought to find out what the current state of Internet and social media use was. We also believed that it was important for parents to have social support. With social media, people are able to form social groups and support one another. Oftentimes, parents will not ask their physician about how to find social support. Now, we can provide them with information about where to find these online support groups."
In response to the finding that caregivers are very interested in obtaining guidance on the best websites, Dr. Naftel, now at the University of Pittsburgh, explained that the Birmingham group "is currently in the process of compiling a list of recommended sites. What is important is not only having great information, but also providing a platform that is pleasing from an audiovisual standpoint and is easily navigated. The same point can be made for YouTube videos. We recently performed another study that is currently being written about the quality, reliability, and comprehensiveness of YouTube videos on hydrocephalus. There is great disparity with these videos. Additionally, there is now a Birmingham Hydrocephalus Support Group on Facebook. It seems to be an ideal platform for caregivers to interconnect and plan events. Caregivers desire guidance in finding the best information on the Internet. Neurosurgeons have an opportunity to help direct them to trustworthy information that will help them in caring for their child and provide them with the social support for which many yearn."
Valuable information on hydrocephalus has long been provided on the Internet. The authors point out that as early as 2001, hydrocephalus was considered the best-covered neurosurgery-related topic on the Web. As Internet use continues to expand, the authors encourage neurosurgeons and hospitals to provide patients and caregivers with recommendations for websites that offer credible information on hydrocephalus. They also suggest that social media be utilized to a greater extent to provide patient education and caregiver support.
###
Naftel RP, Safiano NA, Falola MI, Shannon CN, Wellons JC III, Johnston JM Jr: Technology preferences among caregivers of children with hydrocephalus. Clinical article. Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, published online, ahead of print, October 23, 2012; DOI: 10.3171/2012.9.PEDS12208.
Disclosure: The authors report no potential conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in this paper.
For additional information, please contact:
Ms. Jo Ann M. Eliason, MA, ELS
Communications Manager
Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group
One Morton Drive, Suite 200
Charlottesville, VA 22903
Email: jaeliason@thejns.org
Telephone 434-982-1209
Fax 434-924-2702
The Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics is a monthly peer-reviewed journal focused on diseases and disorders of the central nervous system and spine in children. This journal contains a variety of articles, including descriptions of preclinical and clinical research as well as case reports and technical notes. The Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics is one of four monthly journals published by the JNS Publishing Group, the scholarly journal division of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, an association dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to promote the highest quality of patient care. The Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics appears in print and on the Internet.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
In the frame of the 9th African Film Festival of Cordoba, Essuman?s film script has been granted The Director?s Eye, a film fund provided by foundation Lettera 27. On the other hand, on the 19th of October the festival winners will be revealed.
Hawa Essuman
Cordoba, October 18th, 2012. The lettera27 foundation in collaboration with the African Film Festival of Cordoba-FCAT, has granted on Thursday the 18th of October, a 25,000 euro fund to a project titled Djin (The wind of destiny) from filmmaker Hawa Essuman. The Kenyan director, originally from Ghana, has already received an award this year in the International Film Festival of Durban (DIFF) for her script Logs of War. This same work has also been selected to screen in the International Documentary Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA).
The winning project has been agreed upon as the best of the seven feature length narrative scripts regarding Africa participating in the 4th Forum for African Coproduction, Africa Produces. The Fund, known as The Director?s Eye, is confirmed as being allocated to the realization of Djin, a film narrating the history of a Kenyan coastal village reigned over by mythology and tradition as it experiences the arrival of modernity.
The jury which has commissioned this selection is formed by the Nigerian filmmaker Newton I. Aduaka and South African producer Steven Markowitz, who have noted ?the high quality of the participating projects, with which we corroborate a bright future for African cinema?. Furthermore, the members of the jury have also given special mention, one without economic endowment, to the third feature length script from Kenyan filmmaker Mira Tanna-H?ndel, titled Salme?s Freedom.
The director of the festival, Mane Cisneros, has highlighted that the Directors Eye fund ?is not only an economic endowment, but also a means by which the director will have access to support and advice at all times from both the lettera27 foundation as well as the festival. Together, these organizations will accompany Hawa Essuman from start to finish.
In addition to the economic endowment of 25,000 euros, the project will have support through the duration of the production process by means of advice, search and dissemination of sponsors, the initiation of crowd funding campaigns and social networking. Following its production; the film Djin, a result of this international coproduction, will be projected at the African Film Festival of Cordoba-FCAT as an international launch platform.
In this way, the FCAT Cordoba which is celebrated from the 13th -20th of October is configured not only as a space for the presentation and projection of films, but also as a point of interaction and dialogue between filmmakers, Spanish audiences, international producers, distributors, and fund managers with the objective or promoting coproduction.
The Forum of African Coproduction, Africa produces, which forms a part of the FCAT program?s Espacio Profesional celebrates this year its fourth edition. The objective of this space is to facilitate connections between African filmmakers and European producers interested in working together.
About lettera27 and FCAT Espacio Profesional
lettera27 is a non-profit foundation, supported by Moleskine. Its mission is to support the right to literacy, education, and information while promoting access to knowledge throughout the world but especially in developing countries. FCAT Espacio Profesional is dedicated to promoting cooperation between film professionals from Africa, Spain and the rest of the world. FCAT Espacio Profesional 2012 has two main components: The 4th Africa Produces Co-production Forum, and a series of conferences and round tables which will tackle key matters such as the financing, production, distribution and exhibition of African film works.
Winner project: Djin, by Hawa Essuman (Ghana, Kenya)
Every 30 years, in a village on the coast of Kenya where mythology and tradition prevail despite modernity?s attempts to penetrate, a wind blows, carrying with it a spirit: the Djin. This spirit selects people, urging them to fulfil their aspirations, at the same time eliminating doubts and ambivalences. Hawa Essuman, born in 1980, is a Kenyan artist originally from Ghana. As an actress, producer, writer and director with a background in theatre, Essuman has experience both in documentary films and television productions as a Director.
Special mention: Salme?s freedom, by Mira Tanna-H?ndel (Kenya)
Zanzibar in the nineteenth century. Salme is the impulsive youngest daughter of the Sultan who tires of living in the palace. After meeting a German trader, Salme and her new partner decide to run away. Mira Tanna-H?ndel was born in Kenya to Indian parents and currently lives in Berlin. She has written and directed Feature films, documentaries and short films for BBC, Channel 4, ARD, etc. Salme?s Freedom is her third feature film script.
Other works in competition for the Director?s Eye film fund:
Sweet Justice, by Ekwa Msangi-Omari (Tanzania, U.S., Kenya)
Saran returns to Kenya to bury her husband, who was killed in post-election street violence. Soon she discovers that the death of her husband wasn?t accidental, rather a murderous cover up by a network of child traffickers her husband had been investigating. Ekwa Msangi-Omari is a Tanzanian-American filmmaker who was raised in Kenya and is now based in Brooklyn, New York. She has worked with professional initiatives like Tribecca All Access, The African Film Festival in New York and Completion Films. She has written and directed several short films, pilots and TV series.
Kiloshe, by Victoria Thomas (Sierra Leone)
Returning home to Nigeria for his sister?s wedding from Edinburgh, night club bouncer and aspiring music producer Ade inadvertently overstates his career achievements to impress his childhood friend Femi, who in turn sees an opportunity to become a reality show mogul.
Victoria Thomas is an award winning comedy filmmaker from Sierra Leone. Now living in Edinburgh, Thomas is known for the founding of www.dmand.it; an audience mapping software for filmmakers. An alumni of the Berlinale talent Campus 2009, she was nominated in the BAFTA New Talent Awards in 2011 and is a visiting lecturer on the BA Creative Entrepreneurship at the Glasgow School of Art.
La bat?rde, by Uda Benyamina/ Malik Rumeau (Morocco, Syria, France)
La bat?rde tells the complicated life of Dounia, a teenager entering womanhood in the ghetto, of which she has become the queen; until she meets Lucas.
Uda Benyamina she was born in Morocco and lives in Paris. She attended several acting schools including ERAC (?cole R?gionale d?Acteurs de Cannes), the Academy of Minsk in Belarus and the prestigious Actor?s Studio in New York. She has made several short films shown on French television.
La Bande ? Salomon, by Kivu Ruhorahoza (Rwanda)
Solomon, the son of an African dictator, lives like a rock star in Paris. At the end of one of his binges, he suffers an assault and his father forces him to get a bodyguard and a sorcerer to counter the bad luck. Kivu Ruhorahoza is an emerging young Rwandan filmmaker. The international success of his first feature film, Grey Matter (selected in FCAT C?rdoba 2012) has ensured the backing for his second feature, Jomo.
About the African Film Festival of Cordoba
The African Film Festival of Cordoba-FCAT is running from the 13th ? 20th of October. It is a cinematic journey through the vast African continent with nearly 100 films from 28 nations, as well as activities for film professionals, photo exhibitions, music and dance workshops. Tomorrow the 19th, the festival?s palmares will be revealed.
After 8 years in the Spanish municipality of Tarifa, the festival has relocated to Cordova, also in the South of Spain. It has established itself as an annual point of reference for African cinema in Europe. Furthermore, this is the only Spanish event with competitive sections dedicated to African productions, and is one of the most important in the world.
Do you have a story or an article to publish? Please email us to submit@in2eastafrica.net.
In this Sept. 20, 2012, file photo, Republican candidate George Allen, right, and Democratic candidate Tim Kaine shake hands during a Senatorial debate for the Virginia U.S. Senate seat in McLean, Va. With Election Day just four weeks off, congressional candidates in both parties are avoiding answering questions that could alienate critical voter groups like women and seniors. Allen, for instance, won?t tell you how he feels about a law requiring Virginia women seeking abortions to have abdominal ultrasounds. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File)
In this Sept. 20, 2012, file photo, Republican candidate George Allen, right, and Democratic candidate Tim Kaine shake hands during a Senatorial debate for the Virginia U.S. Senate seat in McLean, Va. With Election Day just four weeks off, congressional candidates in both parties are avoiding answering questions that could alienate critical voter groups like women and seniors. Allen, for instance, won?t tell you how he feels about a law requiring Virginia women seeking abortions to have abdominal ultrasounds. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Curious what Virginia Republican Senate candidate George Allen thinks about his own party's law that forces women seeking abortions to have ultrasounds? Too bad. He refused to say during a recent debate.
How about whether Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Richard Carmona would support Majority Leader Harry Reid next year? Carmona's not talking about that. Former Maine Gov. Angus King has nothing for you on whether he'd side with Republicans or Democrats if his independent Senate bid works out. And Paul Ryan's proposed changes to Medicare? Not relevant, said Republican House candidate Chris Collins of New York; not going to answer, said Republican Senate candidate Josh Mandel of Ohio.
"I'm someone who looks forward and not backward," says Collins, who's trying to unseat Democrat Kathy Hochul in New York's most-watched House race. "And the Ryan budget is in the past."
Thanks for the questions, but these and other candidates are just flat-out refusing to reveal where they stand on sensitive matters of public policy. Their likely calculus: No answer is better than one that alienates critical voter groups ? like women or seniors.
It's more than the kind of artful dodging that has a long tradition in political campaigns. It's the fear of committing candor that's both damaging and hard to take back in the age of fast and lasting social media.
Think Todd Akin, the Missouri Republican Senate candidate challenging Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill who was all but abandoned by his own party over his comments about "legitimate rape." Or Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's secretly recorded remark that 47 percent of Americans view themselves as victims entitled to government largesse. Or President Barack Obama's comment that if you're successful, "you didn't build that," a statement chanted relentlessly by Republicans at their party's national convention.
All have apologized for or tried to explain their comments. But in an election year of tiny margins that have refused to budge, every core voter group matters. And time is running out to rebound from mistakes.
So on prickly issues, some candidates aren't even bothering to spin.
Take Allen, who is happy to opine on a number of policy areas where he disagrees with his opponent, Democrat Tim Kaine, in one of the country's most competitive Senate races. Allen speaks freely on taxes, spending and Kaine's support for Obama.
But, struggling to win women voters, Allen froze when asked during a debate this month about his own party's abortion law. Signed in March by Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell, the law requires abdominal ultrasounds for women seeking abortions in Virginia. Victims of rape or incest who reported the attacks are exempt. State lawmakers initially had sought to mandate a vaginally invasive form of an ultrasound.
Instead of providing his position, Allen changed the subject to contraception.
Strategists in both parties say there is some political usefulness in stonewalling. The idea is for a candidate to be nimble and keep his options open. But campaign veterans say avoiding a stance on an issue that is on voter's minds also risks making a candidate look unsure of themselves or nakedly political.
"Some issues matter a little, some matter a lot, and some don't matter at all," said Steve McMahon, a Democratic strategist. "A good candidate recognizes the distinction between issues that have an impact on their election and those that will not. And generally speaking, if it's important and relevant to voters, most successful candidates will answer the question."
The strategic non-answer is a bipartisan practice.
Three Democratic Senate candidates running in tight races in Republican-leaning states have waffled on whether they would back Reid, the Senate majority leader.
King, the former Maine governor, is the ultimate non-answerer, vexing Republicans and Democrats vying for control of the Senate by running as an independent. He won't say which party he'd generally vote with if he wins.
House candidates have also gotten into the act. Several Republican contenders, leery of being tagged as open to cutting Medicare, have tried to avoid the topic of the budget outline passed by House Republicans this year.
Avoiding an answer has not worked as well for Republican Senate candidate Josh Mandel, running against Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio. Brown has made his backing of the auto bailout, which affected 800,000 people in his state, a focus of his campaign. Mandel, though he talks often about wanting more auto jobs, has repeatedly refused to say whether he would have supported the bailout.
That finally changed Monday. Mandel, after months of parrying months of questions on the auto bailout, came out firmly against it.
"I'm not a bailout senator," Mandel said of Brown. "He's the bailout senator."
Brown, who has pounded Mandel's indecision for months, said his decision to finally oppose the bailout "just boggles my mind."
PARIS (Reuters) - The European Union's Nobel peace prize comes just as a realization is dawning that Europe's single currency - the EU's most ambitious project - has survived three years of incessant financial turmoil and is not going to break up.
But having narrowly avoided an acrimonious divorce and the loss of some of its errant children, the euro zone risks a future as an unequal, loveless marriage with frequent rows and the prospect of separate bedrooms.
Two things have become clearer in the last few weeks that were widely disputed before: contrary to prevailing opinion earlier this year, the euro is here to stay and could very probably keep all 17 members and add more in future.
But the euro zone has not yet found a way out of the doldrums of economic stagnation, unemployment and social dislocation that are widening the gap between northern and southern Europe and fuelling Eurosceptical populist movements in many countries.
Three events have changed the outlook for the euro area:
- The European Central Bank put a floor under the euro zone by agreeing last month to buy unlimited quantities of bonds of any troubled member state that accepts the conditions of a bailout program. ECB President Mario Draghi made clear the bank will use all its tools to defeat anyone betting on a break-up of the monetary union.
- The euro zone's permanent rescue fund came into effect last week after months of wrangling and legal challenges, providing a 500 billion euro backstop for countries that risk losing access to capital markets.
- And German Chancellor Angela Merkel signaled by visiting Athens that the EU's most powerful economy wants Greece to stay in the euro area, drawing a line under months of debate in Berlin, notably in her own coalition, about ejecting the Greeks.
Coincidentally, a flood of scenarios for the explosion and break-up of the euro that spewed out of the banks and political risk consultancies of London and New York for months has suddenly dried up.
In currency markets, short bets against the euro have subsided. Bond yields have fallen and bank shares have recovered. Spanish banks are having to borrow less from the ECB as some regain access to the money markets.
GREXIT RECEDES
In another micro-indicator of a changed climate, economists at U.S. bank Citigroup have revised their view that Greece will almost certainly leave the euro, saying key euro zone players seem to have decided a Greek exit would do more harm than good.
The U.S. bank lowered the probability of a "Grexit" to 60 percent from 90 percent, although it still believes Greece is more likely than not to leave the euro within 12-18 months, arguing that European governments are unlikely to agree to waive part of the country's huge debt to make it sustainable.
Don't write off a write-off, though, especially if it can be delayed until after next year's German general election. It may then seem a more rational, albeit unpopular, option than a disorderly Greek default and exit, with all the disastrous economic and social consequences for Greece and Europe.
One voice last week jarred with the easing of European existential anxiety: the International Monetary Fund said the EU's policy response remained "critically incomplete, exposing the euro area to a downward spiral of capital flight, breakup fears and economic decline".
In its role as an uncomfortable truth-teller, the IMF is trying to jolt the euro zone, especially Germany, into moving ahead faster with a banking union and closer fiscal integration, and altering the policy mix between austerity and growth.
In a candid acknowledgement, the IMF admitted it had underestimated the damage to growth wrought by budget cutting and urged Europe to ease up on austerity, drawing an indignant rebuff from Germany's finance minister.
RAVAGES
The shift in perceptions about the euro zone is more noticeable in the financial markets than on the streets, where the impact of the sovereign debt crisis will continue to cause ravages for years to come.
Public spending cuts and recession are tearing at the fabric of societies from Athens to Madrid, casting many middle class families and retirees into poverty and more unemployed and young people into precarity.
The crisis has changed the balance of power in Europe, giving Germany and its north European allies a preponderant say in euro zone decision-making commensurate with their credit rating, while making southern states weaker and more dependent.
A two-speed Europe, in which everyone was heading in the same direction at different paces, may now be turning into a two-tier Europe, with the euro zone becoming a tighter inner core with its own budget and stricter rules, while Britain, Sweden and some others form a looser outer circle.
Germany, determined to limit its taxpayers' liabilities for other euro states, has rejected issuing common euro zone bonds or providing a joint bank deposit guarantee.
The German, Dutch and Finnish finance ministers are trying to rule out any retroactive use of euro zone rescue funds.
Yet Berlin supports the emerging idea of creating a separate euro zone budget to cope with asymmetric economic shocks, and its backing for a single banking supervisor will surely open the door to some greater mutualization of risk in the longer term.
As the euro area becomes a more integrated federal bloc, EU members outside the single currency face awkward choices.
Those such as Poland, Hungary and Latvia that aspire to join the monetary union as soon as possible are trying to hug the euro zone as tightly as possible, demanding seats and votes in a new banking supervisory authority that take decisions on banks operating on their soil.
Poland tried unsuccessfully last week to lever its way into the inner sanctum of euro zone finance ministers by offering to join a group of EU states launching a financial transaction tax in return for a seat at the Eurogroup table.
It was told only euro members could attend the Eurogroup.
Britain, which has no intention of joining either the euro or the banking union, is demanding a veto right to protect its large financial sector from decisions taken by the others, while aiming to use closer euro zone integration as an opportunity to negotiate a loosening of its own European ties.
Sweden, with a pro-euro political establishment that lost a referendum on joining the currency in 2003, seems more uneasy and conflicted about the euro zone moving ahead without it.
All of this means Europe faces a tense period of reshaping that will severely test its Nobel-recognized powers of building peace and prosperity on a fractious continent.
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Public release date: 25-Oct-2012
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