Chris Brown Says He's 'Different' Now, Embraced By Elton John At Oscar Party

'I'm forgiven ... but, yes, I worked hard for it,' Brown says of his reconciliation with Rihanna.
By Gil Kaufman

Elton John and Chris Brown
Photo: Michael Kovac/ Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702726/chris-brown-elton-john.jhtml

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Rhymes With Runt

Onion news rack

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Quvenzhan? Wallis, Best Actress nominee for her role in Beasts of the Southern Wild, arrives at the 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Calif., Feb. 24, 2013.

Photo by Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

The satirical newspaper the Onion offered a rare apology yesterday after it joked that 9-year-old actress Quvenzhan? Wallis was ?kind of a cunt, right?? Has that word always been so patently offensive?

No. In Middle English the word could be used as a standard term for the female genitalia, in a manner that was quite matter-of-fact. The earliest instance of the word recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary is actually from the name of a 13^th-century London street, Gropecuntelane. The name appears to have been quite literal, and there was at least one other red-light district of the same name, in Oxford. One of the next recorded uses of the word comes from a circa-1400 surgery manual and uses the word much like vagina might be used today: ?In women the neck of the bladder is short, and is made fast to the cunt.? Others have noted that some people in the 13^th and 14^th centuries also had the word in their names, in a way that seems unlikely today: Some men and women at that time included Bele Wydecunthe, Robert Clevecunt, and Gunoka Cuntles. Indeed, as Geoffrey Hughes wrote in his book Swearing, there were many such colorful names, but ?the days when the dandelion could be called the pissabed, a heron could be called a shitecrow and the windhover could be called the windfucker have passed away with the exuberant phallic advertisement of the codpiece.?

The word became more offensive over the next few centuries. While Chaucer used the variant quaint in both the Miller?s Tale (?he caught her by the quaint?) and the Wife of Bath?s Tale (?you hall have quaint right enough at eve?), Shakespeare dared only to slyly allude to the word. In Hamlet, for example, when Ophelia tells Hamlet that, yes, he can lie on her lap, Hamlet puns in his response: ?Do you think I meant country matters?? In Twelfth Night, Shakespeare finds a coded way to spell out the word, when Malvolio recognizes his lady?s ?C?s, her U?s, ?n? her Ts.? (?Thus makes her great P?s,? he continues, in what amounts to an elaborate potty joke.)

If in Shakespeare?s time the word was becoming too obscene to utter in public, by the end of the 18^th century it was truly taboo. When Robert Burns? printed the old Scottish folk song ?Yon, Yon, Yon, Lassie,? in 1796, the word appeared only as ?c?t.? In his 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, Francis Grose defined ?c**t? as ?a nasty name for a nasty thing,? while elsewhere he bleeped it out entirely (?****?), or referred to it only as ?the monosyllable.? (Lest you think him just a prude, Grose noted that others went even further, rendering the word constable as thingstable; Grose called this ?a ludicrous affectation of delicacy.?) By the early 20^th century, cunt had begun to be used as an insult, and it was also around this time that language taboos shifted from religious profanity to vulgar sexual and scatological language. This perception that it's one of the most taboo words continues today: In a 2000 BBC study of the most offensive words, it ranked No. 1, ahead of motherfucker, fuck, and even nigger.

Why has cunt become so much more taboo than, say, snatch or pussy? The main reason may simply be that it?s blunt. Linguists note that, unlike those other words for the female genitalia?whose origins are all Latinate, euphemistic, or diminutive?cunt is plain and Anglo-Saxon. There is also the sound of the word. Many of the most taboo words, in addition to generally being Anglo-Saxon in origin, are monosyllables with short vowels, such as shit, piss, fuck, and cock. These are considered more offensive than words of the same meaning, like poopy, pee, screw, and willy. In fact, one of the only other words to share many of these characteristics is twat, which is also often considered highly offensive, though its origins are more uncertain.

Got a question about today?s news??Ask the Explainer.

Explainer thanks Anatoly Liberman of the University of Minnesota, Jesse Sheidlower of the Oxford English Dictionary, and Ben Zimmer of the Visual Thesaurus and Vocabulary.com

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=fc7a0f5350f1da64b1385be6c81598e2

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Video: Kerry on Syria: ?We want a peaceful resolution?

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50964838/

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Boston Acoustics MC200 Air

Boston Acoustics has joined the AirPlay speaker parade with the MC200 Air, a $299.99 (direct) system that also features the ability to stream wireless audio from DLNA-compatible devices. From the visual design to the audio performance, there's nothing wrong here, but the MC200 just doesn't do enough to stand out from the pack. The setup process isn?t as streamlined as some of the competition, and low-end lovers will want to steer clear?this system doesn't offer much of a sub-bass presence, but it also doesn't distort on deep bass, even at high volumes. The overall sound here is crisp and bright, while the user experience is, after initial setup, friendly enough. The MC200 Air isn't especially compelling, however, when compared with competing AirPlay systems.

Design
The MC200 Air measures 6 by 15.8 by 5.3 inches and is available in glossy back or white plastic finishes. Its long front panel is dominated by a metallic speaker grille, with the Boston Acoustics logo below it. On the top panel, a series of buttons, backlit in various colors, control Power, Mute, Air, and Aux (choose either to switch your sound source), and Volume?seeing this many physical controls on an AirPlay system is a rarity.

A 3.5mm Aux input and a headphone jack are located on the left side panel. Along the rear panel are a power adapter connector, Ethernet port, USB port, Setup button, and a flip-up, rubberized plastic antenna. The speaker unit is also wall-mountable using the two keyhole mounts on the back panel.

Setting up the MC200 Air requires far more effort than most popular, competing AirPlay models. The process is pretty much a one-time thing, but because many AirPlay docks have free apps that do all the legwork for you, the MC200 Air starts to feel primitive. There are three different methods you can use to set up the system for wireless play. According to the manual, the "easiest" involves pressing the Setup button on the rear panel and then pressing the WPS button on your router, then waiting. That's fine, but you shouldn't have to even walk over to your router to set up an AirPlay system. The other methods involve doing all the work that more user-friendly speaker systems take care of for you: logging onto a Boston Acoustics network setup web page, clicking on "Profile Configuration," and selecting a few different options from pull-down menus. Again, the process is not confusing, and it's a one-time thing, but it is an annoyance, for sure.

You can also use the MC200 Air as a wired Ethernet speaker?you'll still stream via your iOS device or computer's AirPlay functionality, but connecting to your router via Ethernet means a more reliable signal. That said, AirPlay has improved since its debut roughly two years ago, and the wireless streaming quality is now pretty solid. You also have the option to connect your iOS device via the USB charging cable that came with it and get a digital-quality direct signal (or just charge the device). You can connect a 3.5mm stereo cable to the headphone jack as well, but no cable is included, unfortunately.

The included remote needs to be authorized in iTunes in order to control AirPlay audio?this option is under the Preferences menu. Again, no big deal, but this is not something you have to do on most other AirPlay systems we've tested. Thankfully, the entire point of an AirPlay system is to stream from computers or iOS devices, and generally, you tend to use these systems as their own remotes. (You'd just pause playback on your iPhone itself, for instance).

If you have a DLNA device, you can also stream shared content that way?most of the set up process will occur on your specific device, and not so much on the MC200 Air itself.

Performance
The MC200 Air does not distort on tracks with deep bass at high volumes, but it seems to be employing some digital signal processing (DSP) to limit the deep bass frequencies as things get louder. This prevents distortion, but the end result is a speaker system that, at top volumes, sounds as if it lacks sub-bass response on any level. The thunderous electronic drum hits on the Knife's "Silent Shout" sound like fingernails tapping on a tabletop. Lower the volume a bit, and things start to beef up in terms of bass response. This is because the distortion threat is more or less eliminated, so there's no need for heavy DSP. Even at modest volumes, the MC200 Air doesn't sound terribly powerful in the low frequency department, but it delivers a sound that's much closer to the ideal.

On certain genres that rely less on sub-bass elements, the MC200 Air sounds crisp and powerful, with a rich delivery of the lower frequencies that would be covered by a woofer, not a sub-woofer. Arcade Fire's "Rococo" offers a nice example of a song with rich low-end content that doesn't creep too far into the sub-bass realm, and at mid-to-high volumes, the MC200 Air delivers this track cleanly and crisply, with clear vocals and a nice edge to the strumming of the guitars.

Bill Callahan's unique baritone vocals on "Drover" sound excellent on the MC200 Air, nicely combining the richness of his voice with its treble edge, while the pounding drumbeat in the background never overtakes the mix. On some systems with seriously boosted bass, both his vocals and the drums can sound too rounded and dull-edged, and the mix gets muddy.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the vocals are once again crisp and prominently featured, but the kick drum loop and the sub-bass synth hits sound a little too thin, robbed of their low frequency power, and the net result is a less compelling overall mix. In other words, this is not a system for lovers of deep bass and the genres that employ it, like most hip hop and electronic music. The MC200 Air is a far more appropriate choice for genres like folk, jazz, and some less bass-heavy rock.

Classical tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," benefit from the clearly defined, crisp high-mid and high frequency sound signature of the system. The lower register strings and percussion, however, can sound slightly lacking. It's not nearly as thin-sounding as the Jay-Z and Kanye West track, but the resonant, rounded sound you might expect to hear from a large drum hit or the bowing of large stringed instruments is dialed back a bit here. On the upside, the wooden percussive content, in the high frequencies, sounds amazingly bright and clear, and helps to add a certain sense of spatial depth.

At $300, the MC200 Air is less expensive than some other systems, like the $400 Audyssey Audio Dock Air, but the best AirPlay systems are priced much higher. Why do such expensive systems seem to deliver such inexpensive-sounding audio? AirPlay, as a feature, is not inexpensive to employ, so much of the price you pay is just to have that built-in wireless functionality, making a speaker system that would normally be priced far lower suddenly ascend.

If you can spend more, you'll find better wireless audio options, like the $500 JBL OnBeat Xtreme, a Bluetooth speaker that outperforms most of the more-affordable AirPlay options and also has a physical dock for iOS devices.

But if AirPlay's wireless functionality is the main draw for you here, you can get some far more powerful, better-sounding systems?you just have to plunk down more cash. The Klipsch Gallery G-17 Air?offers a refined, near-audiophile Airplay experience, while, if we really climb the price ladder, it's hard to say anything bad about the intense Bowers & Wilkins A7, except that it costs $800. For the price, the MC200 Air isn't a bad deal, but make no mistake: You'll be paying a premium for the freedom of wireless audio, not for stellar audio performance.

More Speaker reviews:
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Uncertainty clouds future of Calif nuke plant

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The mounting bill tied to the shuttered San Onofre nuclear power plant in California jumped to more than $400 million through December, as the company that runs it contends with costly repairs and a host of questions about its future, regulatory filings and officials said Tuesday.

The seaside plant between Los Angeles and San Diego was sidelined in January 2012 after a tiny radiation leak led to the discovery of unusual damage to hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water inside its steam generators.

Edison International, the parent of operator Southern California Edison, said replacement power cost reached $300 million through Dec. 31, while repairs and inspections hit $102 million.

The figures come as SCE pushes the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for permission to restart one of the twin reactors, Unit 2, and run it at 70 percent power for five months in hopes of ending vibration and friction blamed for tube damage.

Meanwhile, state regulators are determining if ratepayers should be hit with costs tied to the shutdown, the NRC's investigative arm is looking into information Edison provided to the agency on the generators and environmental activists are pressing to have the plant shut down permanently.

"The scope of necessary repairs for the steam generators ... or the length of the units' outages could prove more extensive than is currently estimated," company documents said.

"The cost of such repairs or the substitute market power that must be purchased during the outage could exceed estimates and insurance coverage, or may not be recoverable through regulatory processes or otherwise," Edison added.

Regulatory filings also said SCE's insurance coverage for wildfires that could arise from its operations might not be sufficient.

In a conference call with Wall Street analysts, Edison Chairman Ted Craver said the company hoped the Unit 2 reactor could be online by summer but noted that preparations are being made if that doesn't occur.

"We are convinced it is safe to run the unit," he said.

The NRC Tuesday also released Edison's response to a thorny question on the plant's ability to run safely at full power.

Even though the restart calls for a trial run at reduced power, the NRC staff last year said that operating rules require San Onofre to ensure generator tubes don't break during "the full range of normal operating conditions," including at full power.

That appeared to raise an obstacle to the proposed restart. The NRC said it wanted the company to demonstrate that Unit 2 could meet that threshold, or explain how generator tubes would interact with each other if the plant is operating at maximum capacity.

In a response, the company argued, in essence, that 70 percent is full power for the five-month trial run.

Under its proposal, full power "is 70 percent for the proposed operating period" and meets the federal requirements, the company wrote.

The company said in a statement it will provide additional evaluations next month to demonstrate Unit 2 can run at 100 percent power, even though its restart plan, based on 70 percent power, will remain unchanged.

The NRC has not ruled on that issue.

Daniel Hirsch, a lecturer on nuclear policy at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a critic of the nuclear power industry, said the response "raises serious questions about the credibility of Edison."

If company officials are preparing an analysis to run at full power "why have they said for months they need to restrict power to 70 percent?" Hirsch asked.

The problems at San Onofre center on steam generators that were installed during a $670 million overhaul in 2009 and 2010. After the plant was shut down, tests found some generator tubes were so badly eroded that they could fail and possibly release radiation, a stunning finding inside the nearly new equipment.

The ability of San Onofre to run safely at lower power ? and whether that limit would require an amendment to its operating license ? came up in December at a hearing of the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, an arm of the NRC.

Administrative Judge Gary Arnold asked Edison attorney Steve Frantz if he was confident that the plant could operate at 99 percent power with its ailing generators.

"I do not say that," Franz responded. He argued that running at 70 percent power would fall within San Onofre's license and operating rules.

The generators, which resemble massive steel fire hydrants, control heat in the reactors and operate something like a car radiator. At San Onofre, each one stands 65 feet high, weighs 1.3 million pounds and has with 9,727 U-shaped tubes inside, each 0.75 inch in diameter. Hundreds of the tubes have been taken out of service because of damage or as a preventative step.

Craver also disclosed that Edison and the Japan-based company that built the generators, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, are squabbling over the amount of money that could be recovered under warranty.

___

Follow Michael R. Blood at http://twitter.com/MichaelRBloodAP .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-26-Nuclear%20Plant%20Problems/id-75878e4c1fcd4251aa85c0911ce87293

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HP sells webOS operating system to LG Electronics

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Hewlett-Packard Co said on Monday it will sell the webOS operating system to South Korea's LG Electronics Inc, unloading the smartphone software it acquired through a $1.2 billion acquisition of Palm in 2010.

LG will use the operating software, used in now-defunct Palm smartphones years ago, for its "smart" or Internet-connected TVs. The Asian electronics company had worked with HP on WebOS before offering to buy it outright.

Under the terms of their agreement, LG acquires the operating software's source code, associated documentation, engineering talent, various associated websites, and licenses under HP's intellectual property including patents covering fundamental operating system and user interface technology.

HP opened its webOS mobile operating system to developers and companies in 2012 after trying to figure out how to recoup its investment in Palm, one of the pioneers of the smartphone industry.

(Reporting By Alistair Barr; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hp-sells-webos-operating-system-lg-electronics-162140691--finance.html

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Idaho braces for battle over legalizing medical marijuana

SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - Idaho, a state known more for growing potatoes than marijuana, is bracing for a battle to legalize medical marijuana, as a growing number of U.S. states permit pot for both health and recreational use.

The Idaho Senate on Monday made its position clear with a 29-5 vote against allowing marijuana for even medical uses in the conservative state. The resolution, which will now go to the state House of Representatives, is only a political gesture. Marijuana is already illegal under both state and federal law.

Proponents of liberalized pot laws - spearheaded by a group called Compassionate Idaho - told senators last week they were working on a medical marijuana initiative they hope to place on the state ballot next year.

Eighteen states, plus the District of Columbia, have legalized marijuana for medical use, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In November, Washington state and Colorado went a step further and voters approved legalizing pot for recreational use.

Chuck Winder, assistant majority leader of the Republican-led Senate, told lawmakers on Monday that the anti-marijuana measure he crafted was vital to ensuring the safety of Idaho residents, especially children.

Republicans also hold a majority in the state House.

While the majority of Idaho senators on Monday expressed staunch opposition to legalization of marijuana in the state, some local officials and political leaders in the more liberal-leaning Sun Valley area have pushed to relax marijuana laws.

"It chases ghosts that haven't appeared yet in anticipation that they might," Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett of the affluent resort community of Ketchum said of the resolution. She said the measure was dismissive of those who rely on marijuana to provide relief from pain and other chronic health conditions.

(Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Steve Gorman and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/idaho-braces-battle-over-legalizing-medical-marijuana-043516458.html

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Gas price spikes don't leave lasting damage

John W. Schoen , NBC News ? ? ? 2 hrs.

The recent run-up in gasoline prices has some economists ? including Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke ? worried about the impact on consumer spending and the economy.

It?s a perennial concern. When gas prices spike, as they have done in the past few weeks, the extra money you pay at the pump forces you to cut spending on other things. That takes a bite out of overall consumer spending, which fuels roughly 70 percent of the U.S. economy. Slower spending means slower growth.

But the longer-term impact is not as great as some forecasters would have you believe. Here?s why:

Why is Chairman Bernanke soworried?

He?s concerned mostly because the economy isn?t growing as fast as it should be this far into an economic recovery. For reasons that most economists believe are temporary, the U.S. gross domestic product ground to a screeching halt in the last three months of last year. Bernanke and his Fed policy colleagues have been doing everything they can to get the economy moving ahead. But unemployment remains stubbornly high and near-zero interest rates don?t seem to be working.

In his Congressional testimony Tuesday on the state of the economy, Bernanke worried out loud that one reason for the slow growth is that higher gasoline prices ?are hitting family budgets.?

So how hard do budgets get hit by higher gas prices?

In the short term, gas price spikes can have an bigger impact than they should, largely because gasoline is one of the few commodity prices consumers track so closely. (Quick: how much does a loaf of bread cost at your local grocery store?)

An opinion poll conducted last week by the National Association of Convenience Stores found that 44 percent of consumers said that gas prices have a "great impact" in how they feel about the economy, up from the 38 percent who felt that way in January.

See? Bernanke?s right.

In the short-run, yes, a gas price spike can slow the economy ? a little. But over the long run, the impact is not all that great. To see why, we?re going to have to do a little math.

American drivers burn through about 350 million gallons of gasoline a day this time of year, at a cost of a little over $400 billion a year. Pump prices bottomed in December (as they usually do every year) at $3.32 a gallon and then shot up by 53 cents to an average of $3.85 a gallon nationwide, according to the latest Department of Energy figures. (We're using the data for all formulas, all grades.) This year, that seasonal rise has come earlier, and quicker, than usual.

If that increase held through the rest of the year, the hit to spending would be about a half percent of GDP. With an economy that?s only growing about 2 percent a year, that?s a fairly big number.

But that math doesn?t account of the savings consumers enjoy when gas prices fall. For the past three years, prices have bounced in a range between about $2.75 and $4.00 a gallon. The three-year average has been $3.43 a gallon. If you use that price as a starting point, the recent increase ? even if sustained for a full year ? would only knock about two-tenths of a percent from GDP.

Those numbers don?t look right. I?m paying a lot more than that at the pump, and it?s taking a big bite out of my paycheck.

Again, these are averages. For some people, the impact is much more severe. California drivers are paying $4.20 a gallon on average. If you live 30 miles from the nearest grocery store, you?re going to feel the impact of every extra penny a lot more than someone who commutes to work by subway.

Lower-income households feel the impact much more than those further up the income ladder. On average, roughly 5.5 percent of American household budgets go to pay for gasoline. But gasoline bills eat up a bigger portion of the weekly budget for those in the bottom quintile that for those at the top.

But gas prices hurt more than other price increases because I can?t cut back on driving.I have to get to work. What am I supposed to do?

You?re right. For most Americans, especially outside of major cities, gas price spikes are extremely painful because it?s very difficult to cut back in the short run. But over time, drivers can ? and do ? respond.

The long-term rise in gasoline prices over the past decade ? and the pain of sudden spikes ? is one of the biggest reasons that the consumption of gasoline has been falling since August 2007. Americans have been burning through about four percent less gasoline every year since then - even as the number of cars and trucks on the road continues to increase. Thanks to improvements in engine technology, higher-mileage government mandates and strong consumer demand for fuel-efficient cars and trucks, that trend is expected to continue.

Demand for those higher-mileage vehicles has, in turn, spurred a surge in consumer spending on new cars, a category has been an important source of strength for the U.S. recovery. That improvement in the overall mileage of the U.S. fleet has, in turn, helped offset the impact of gas price spikes.

Since bottoming in the first quarter of 2010, new car sales have zoomed ahead ? up nearly 60 percent to $103 billion in the final three months of 2012. About two-thirds of that money went to domestic car makers. Light truck sales have jumped 40 percent, to more than $140 billion for the latest quarter.

The boom in sales is coming partly because drivers deferred buying during the recession. But they?re also snapping up new models with better gas mileage that will continue to reduce consumption ? and blunt the economic impact of future gas price spikes.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/gas-price-spikes-dont-leave-lasting-economic-damage-1C8564099

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Facebook urged to remove fake Newtown pages

Gerry Shih , Reuters ? ? ? 3 hrs.

Three Connecticut lawmakers on Monday urged Facebook to remove fraudulent and abusive tribute pages related to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

In the months since 20-year-old Adam Lanza killed 26 students and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut, the world's No. 1 social network has been host to an outpouring of genuine online tributes ? as well as a hotbed of fraud. In December, a New York City woman was arrested for allegedly posing as the relative of a shooting victim on Facebook and swindling donors.

U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, as well as Rep. Elizabeth Esty, wrote to Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg in a joint letter, pressed the company to stamp out pages that "violate the privacy of families as they grieve, or seek financial gain through soliciting donations under false pretenses, or generating Facebook 'likes' for marketing purposes."

Facebook, in a statement, said it had devised a new process with dedicated staff to respond to user complaints related to Sandy Hook, in the wake of the December shooting.

"For the past few months, our rapid response team has acted swiftly to remove inappropriate materials flagged by the foundation and the families," Facebook said. "We will continue to be vigilant."

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/lawmakers-urge-facebook-remove-fraudulent-sandy-hook-tributes-1C8544611

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Placing blame for the adverse consequences of sequestration where it belongs ? a modest proposal (Powerlineblog)

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02/26/2013 - CSM Baseball vs. City College of San Francisco

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Insurgents launch 4 attacks in Afghanistan

An Afghan intelligence officer, center, tries to turn on a vehicle used by an insurgent, who was killed by security forces, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

An Afghan intelligence officer, center, tries to turn on a vehicle used by an insurgent, who was killed by security forces, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

EDS NOTE : GRAPHIC CONTENT - A security officer with the Afghan intelligence department, right, collects an insurgent's belongings, who was shot to death near an Afghan intelligence office in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Explosive materials are seen in the back of a vehicle used by an insurgent at the site where he was shot to death in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - A security officer with the Afghan intelligence department, right, photographs an insurgent's body, after he was shot to death near an Afghan intelligence office in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - An insurgent's body lies at the site where he was shot to death near an Afghan intelligence office in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul.

The deadliest attack was a suicide car bombing at a state intelligence site just after sunrise in the eastern city of Jalalabad. In that attack, a car approached the gate of a compound used by the National Directorate of Security and exploded, killing two guards and wounding three others, said regional government spokesman Ahmad Zia Abdulzai. The building was damaged in the attack, he added.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Shortly before the Jalalabad attack, an assailant detonated a van packed with explosives at a highway police checkpoint in Logar province, also in the east. That explosion wounded three police officers but no one was killed, said Deputy Police Chief Rais Khan Abdul Rahimzai.

In Kabul, meanwhile, police shot and killed a would-be suicide bomber who was trying to attack an intelligence agency office downtown, according to the city's deputy police chief, Gen. Mohammad Daud Amin. Intelligence agents spotted the bomber before he could detonate the explosives in his vehicle and shot him, Amin said.

The explosives in the vehicle were later defused, he added.

Later in the morning, a man wearing a suicide vest blew himself up outside the police headquarters for Baraki Barak district in Logar province. The man was stopped by police as he tried to force his way into the building, but still managed to detonate his vest, said Din Mohammad Darwesh, the provincial government spokesman.

One policeman was wounded in the Baraki Barak attack, Darwesh said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-24-Afghanistan/id-7b337460147d4f5ab8321ac4ed99da10

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Reprogramming cells to fight diabetes

Feb. 22, 2013 ? For years researchers have been searching for a way to treat diabetics by reactivating their insulin-producing beta cells, with limited success. The "reprogramming" of related alpha cells into beta cells may one day offer a novel and complementary approach for treating type 2 diabetes. Treating human and mouse cells with compounds that modify cell nuclear material called chromatin induced the expression of beta cell genes in alpha cells, according to a new study that appears online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

"This would be a win-win situation for diabetics -- they would have more insulin-producing beta cells and there would be fewer glucagon-producing alpha cells," says lead author Klaus H. Kaestner, Ph.D., professor of Genetics and member of the Institute of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. Type 2 diabetics not only lack insulin, but they also produce too much glucagon.

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are caused by insufficient numbers of insulin-producing beta cells. In theory, transplantation of healthy beta cells -- for type 1 diabetics in combination with immunosuppression to control autoimmunity -- should halt the disease, yet researchers have not yet been able to generate these cells in the lab at high efficiency, whether from embryonic stem cells or by reprogramming mature cell types.

Alpha cells are another type of endocrine cell in the pancreas. They are responsible for synthesizing and secreting the peptide hormone glucagon, which elevates glucose levels in the blood.

"We treated human islet cells with a chemical that inhibits a protein that puts methyl chemical groups on histones, which -- among many other effects -- leads to removal of some histone modifications that affect gene expression," says Kaestner. "We then found a high frequency of alpha cells that expressed beta-cell markers, and even produced some insulin, after drug treatment.

Histones are protein complexes around which DNA strands are wrapped in a cell's nucleus.

The team discovered that many genes in alpha cells are marked by both activating- and repressing-histone modifications. This included many genes important in beta-cell function. In one state, when a certain gene is turned off, the gene can be readily activated by removing a modification that represses the histone.

"To some extent human alpha cells appear to be in a 'plastic' epigenetic state," explains Kaestner. "We reasoned we might use that to reprogram alpha cells towards the beta-cell phenotype to produce these much-needed insulin-producing cells."

Co-authors are Nuria C. Bramswig, Logan Everett, Jonathan Schug, Chengyang Liu, Yanping Luo, and Ali Naji, all from Penn, and Markus Grompe, Craig Dorrell, and Philip R. Streeter from the Oregon Health & Science University. The Oregon group developed a panel of human endocrine cell type-specific antibodies for cell sorting.

The research was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U01 DK070430, U42 RR006042, U01DK089529, R01DK088383, U01DK089569) and by the Beckman Research Center/NIDDK/Integrated Islet Distribution Program (10028044).

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

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. Nuria C. Bramswig, Logan J. Everett, Jonathan Schug, Craig Dorrell, Chengyang Liu, Yanping Luo, Philip R. Streeter, Ali Naji, Markus Grompe, Klaus H. Kaestner. Epigenomic plasticity enables human pancreatic ? to ? cell reprogramming. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2013; DOI: 10.1172/JCI66514

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/YsxoP3tN1kI/130223111356.htm

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German Finance Minister defends France from budget criticism

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble has defended France against criticism from the European Central Bank (ECB) over its budget deficit, saying he believes that France will stick to its commitments.

The European Commission has forecast that France's deficit will be 3.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year - well short of its 3 percent target under European rules - and ECB board member Joerg Asmussen told Reuters on Friday that Paris faces a test of its credibility, urging it to take "concrete and measurable" steps to reduce the deficit.

"France is not saying it will flout the rules," Schaeuble told the Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper on Saturday. "The French government said that, according to the latest growth estimates, it may not be able to meet deficit goals.

"Now we need to discuss with the European Commission what this means for the stability and growth pact. I trust firmly that France will not only stick to European rules, but will do everything to generate growth in a difficult economic period through structural reforms."

Turning to Italy, which holds its most closely watched election in years on Sunday, Schaeuble said that the country had made important improvements under technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti, and that it is in Italy and Europe's interests to continue this course.

On Cyprus, which holds a run-off election on Sunday to elect a president and faces a financial meltdown unless it can clinch a bailout deal, Schaeuble said that he refused to be put under time pressure.

"Whoever applies for a bailout must meet the criteria," he said. "One of the conditions is that a country is of systemic relevance ... arguments that the markets have long established the systemic relevance of Cyprus are not the complete picture."

Schaeuble added that there are still doubts over whether Cyprus has adopted all European measures against money laundering and this needed to be clarified.

(Reporting by Alexandra Hudson; Editing by David Goodman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/german-finance-minister-defends-france-budget-criticism-095658669--business.html

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Keeping Up With the Future: Risk Management for Rapid Technology Adoption

Everyone knows that protecting an organization's technology footprint has always been a delicate balancing act. Nowadays, literally everything about a given organization's technology portfolio is in a near-constant state of change; technologies change, usage changes and the threat landscape changes.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/28d8d6c8/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C773690Bhtml/story01.htm

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A European Union-United States Free Trade Agreement

The United States and the European Union are the two largest economies in the world with the largest global trading relationship, worth $636.8 billion in 2011. President Barack Obama?s State of the Union address called for further increasing the economic relationship by negotiating a comprehensive transatlantic trade and investment partnership with the EU. A U.S.-EU Free Trade Agreement would further reduce barriers to trade and investment and provide an opportunity to develop international rules on a range of global challenges such as access to energy and climate change.

On February 27,?Global Economy and Development at Brookings will host a discussion on the challenges and benefits to a U.S.-EU Free Trade Agreement. Panelists will include Simon Smits, vice minister for Foreign Economic Relations in the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Andr?s Simonyi, managing director of the Center for Transatlantic Relations at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Koen Berden, senior partner at ECORYS, will provide brief comments on the benefits of an EU-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. Brookings Fellow Joshua Meltzer will moderate the discussion.

After the program, panelists will take audience questions.

Source: http://webfeeds.brookings.edu/~r/BrookingsRSS/topfeeds/UpcomingEvents/~3/TDqKastNaB8/27-eu-us-free-trade

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California's Affordable Health Care Act Explained

The year 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the Santa Barbara Women?s Political Committee (SBWPC). This feminist organization has had a strong impact on the social and political environment of Santa Barbara County since it?s founding in 1988. Many of its earliest board members campaigned successfully for office, while others have served on boards and commissions and staff to elected officials. These women have had long-term effects on governance and public policy, locally and?nationally.

Perhaps, the most long lasting impact the SBWPC has had is through the women leaders it has nurtured. On March 8, the SBWPC President?s Circle will hold its annual luncheon with guest Janice Rocco, Deputy Commissioner of Health Policy with the California Department of Insurance. Rocco is an example of the many women who have emerged from the SBWPC to carry forth its feminist?values.

Courtesy

Janice Rocco, Deputy Commissioner of Health Policy with the California Department of?Insurance

A graduate of UCSB, Rocco worked for Planned Parenthood, served on state and national boards of the National Organization for Women, as chief of staff for State Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson, as senior consultant to the California Legislative Women?s Caucus, and as chief of staff for Asemblymember Dave Jones. In college she served as SBWPC?s vice president of the board, earning their ?rising star??award.

In her current position with the State Insurance Commission, Rocco oversees the implementation of the federal Affordable Health Care Act for California. In a recent interview, Rocco answered the following questions and shared her insight as to what Californians can expect from the Affordable Health Care Act by?2014.

Describe your role and specific duties in implementing the Affordable Health Care Act. The Department of Insurance (CDI) regulates health insurers in California. As Deputy Insurance Commissioner, I have oversight responsibilities for the Preferred Provider Networks (PPOs), while the Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) are regulated by the Department of Managed Health Care. CDI is responsible for implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), enforcing the new law and providing assistance to consumers who are having trouble with their insurance carriers with coverage or claims issues or have questions about their rights. Anyone who needs help from CDI can contact us at 1-800-927-HELP or?www.insurance.ca.gov.

What are the criticisms or objections to the Act that you have heard? The complaint I hear the most is that many people don?t yet know what is in the Affordable Care Act and how it will impact the health insurance coverage that is available to?them.

If people don?t know about the Act, what is the state doing to educate them and market the program? The federal government has just made significant changes to its website (www.healthcare.gov) where information is available about the ACA. CDI has an area of its website (www.insurance.ca.gov) devoted to health insurance reform and our staff speak at community meetings and distribute brochures that describe the major provisions of the?ACA.

Later this year, the Health Benefit Exchange will undergo a major marketing effort including outreach through community organizations and paid media. We can also expect the health insurers to do a lot of marketing about the ACA and the new benefits in their products that are required in?2014.

When must the Act be implemented by? California has been implementing various provisions of the Act since its passage in 2010. A few of the protections already in place include prohibiting the denial of coverage to children with pre-existing medical conditions, covering preventative care services without co-pays or deductibles, allowing children to stay on their parents? insurance until age 26, and requiring that at least 80 cents of every premium dollar go to pay for health care, rather than insurer administration and?profits.

The most significant provisions go into effect on January 1, 2014 and include prohibiting the denial of coverage to adults with pre-existing conditions, a requirement to cover a comprehensive set of benefits termed ?essential health benefits,? a mandate that large employers provide health insurance coverage to those who work at least 30 hours per week, the expansion of eligibility for the Medi-Cal program and tax credits for both small business that provide coverage and for individuals and families with incomes up to $94,200 (for a family of four) who buy their insurance through the Health Benefit?Exchange.

Please describe the Health Exchanges and what they will do. The Health Benefit Exchange, which has named itself Covered California, will be a marketplace where individuals and small businesses can shop for health insurance and where many will be eligible for tax credits to pay for some of their monthly premium?costs.

If you or your family are uninsured, or just looking for better coverage, you will be able to compare your options, all in one place, and sign up for any of them with one application. It will be easy to compare one product to another and to get clear information about what benefits are covered by each product and what your out-of-pocket costs will be when you use your coverage. People can start the enrollment process as early as October 1 for coverage that begins January 1,?2014.

Is there a mandate for employers to offer coverage? Large employers (those with more than 50 employees) must either provide coverage to their full time employees or provide coverage through self-insurance arrangements. The fine for a large employer that does not offer coverage will be $2,000 per full-time employee beyond the company?s first 30 workers. Small employers are not required to provide?coverage.

What are the challenges facing small businesses? Currently, many small employers have a tough time finding and affording coverage that meets the needs of their employees. Starting in 2014, some small businesses will be eligible for tax credits of up to 50 percent if they purchase health insurance for their employees in the?Exchange.

Small businesses are going to want to look at their options and they may want the assistance of a health agent/broker, but the Exchange will make it easier than ever before. Small employers will be able to choose the level of coverage they want to offer. That said, some employers will evaluate whether they want to purchase coverage for their employees, or whether their employers might prefer to buy coverage on their own in the Exchange where individuals and families can get significant tax credits to pay for their premiums and reduce their out-of-pocket?costs.

Are individuals eligible to enroll for coverage? Even those who have been denied coverage in the past due to pre-existing medical conditions will be eligible for all the new health insurance products that will be for sale in 2014. One of the most important provisions in the ACA that will help millions of Americans afford coverage are the premium subsidies that will be available to many families that buy in the Exchange. (For more information on subsidies go to:?www.coveredca.com.)

Do you think insurance premiums will increase in cost? Historically, some policies sold in the individual market have had narrow benefit packages and high deductibles. Starting in 2014 all products sold to individuals, families and small employers will need to cover ?essential health benefits? and deductibles for small employer plans will be capped at $2,000. This will increase the cost of some policies, but subsidies will be available in the Exchange for many families and small employers that will bring down the?cost.

How will women specifically benefit under the ACA? In California we moved forward with some of the reforms that provide better coverage for women before 2014. In 2010, we passed a law that prevents health insurers from gender discrimination in pricing. Last year we passed a law that requires health insurance policies to cover maternity. We had also passed a law that required contraceptive coverage more than a decade ago, but thanks to the ACA, women can now get their contraception without any co-pays or deductibles. Contraception is just one of the women?s preventative health care services available without co-pays or deductibles. Others include annual exams, mammograms, cervical cancer screening, screening for gestational diabetes and HPV testing. This makes these services available to many women who were not able to afford the out-of-pocket costs in the?past.

411

On Friday, March 8, the SBWPC will host Janice Rocco at the Montecito Country Club. The event will begin at 11:30 a.m. For more information or to reserve a seat, call (805) 564-6876 or visit?www.sbwpc.org.

Source: http://www.independent.com/news/2013/feb/22/californias-affordable-health-care-act-explained/

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Canadians' Debt-Fueled Powder Keg

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - Feb. 22, 2013) - Consumer debt in Canada has reached an all time-high. According to the latest calculation from Statistics Canada, families now owe about $1.65 for every dollar of after-tax income; about the same level reached in the United States before the financial crisis. Canada's housing market is also showing increasing signs of weakness, with housing starts plummeting nearly 19 per cent in January.

David Smith, President of Personal Bankruptcy Canada, a nationwide network of independent trustee practices that help people deal with debt, warns Canadians to stop borrowing now.

"The appeal of rock-bottom interest rates has led many to over borrow. Now debt trouble is about to sneak up on them," says Smith.

For now, total consumer insolvencies appear to be decreasing and delinquency rates remain low across all major debt categories. But Smith argues that these are signs that Canadians are "kicking the can down the road".

"Many Canadians have entered a danger zone. The reality is that any sort of financial hiccup at this point may make it impossible for them to meet their debt repayment obligations," says Smith.

Those pushing their financial limits are advised to speak with a bankruptcy trustee to help understand the options available to honestly deal with their debt realities.

"Trustees are the only debt professionals that can offer a full range of debt relief services. We can help consolidate and restructure debt, but more importantly, we work to inform our clients. Financial literacy is the key to changing damaging spending behaviours," adds Smith.

About Personal Bankruptcy Canada

Personal Bankruptcy Canada is a free website that provides consumers with general debt and bankruptcy resources, including access to highly qualified bankruptcy trustees across the Canadian provinces and valuable education information on bankruptcy and debt management.

Personal Bankruptcy Canada member trustees from across the country are available for local media interviews regarding bankruptcy, debt and financial literacy. To schedule an interview please contact Angela Joyce.

Source: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=1760423&sourceType=3

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The Sports Den's Daily NBA Picks - 2/21

The Sports Den had a decent night going 3-2 with it's picks. here are our picks for the two game on the NBA schedule tonight, and last nights results. Lines are from Sportsbook.

?????????????????????????? Thursday Feb. 21, 2013

???????????????? Game??????????????????????????????????? Pick

???? ?????Heat?@ Bulls????????????????????????????????Bulls????+3.5
????????? Spurs?@ Clippers???????????????????????? Spurs???+3.5

?????????????????????????? Wednesday Feb. 20 Results??

???????????????? Game?????????????????????????????????? Pick???????????????????????? W/L/T

?????????Grizzlies 90 - Raptors 82???????????????Grizzlies???+1??????????????? W
???????? Pistons 105 - Bobcats 99????????????? Pistons???? -3???????????????? W
???????? Lakers 113 - Celtics 99???????????????? Lakers?????-7?????????????????W
???????? Rockets? 124 - Thunder 119?????????Thunder???? -3.5????????????? L
???????? T'wolves 94 - 76ers 89????????????????? 76ers??????+3.5?????????????? L?

???????? Last Night: 3-2???

???????? Season: 238-236-12??

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheSportsDenSportsBlogitsAllAboutSports/~3/yYx7UH42_sA/the-sports-dens-daily-nba-picks-221.html

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All eyes on Venezuelan hospital, no sign of Chavez

A banner bearing a photo of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is displayed on a building of the Carlos Arvelo Military Hospital in Caracas, where the ailing leader is expected to continue his treatment, in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Feb. 18, 2013. Chavez returned to Venezuela early Monday after more than two months of medical treatment in Cuba following cancer surgery, and was being treated at the Caracas' military hospital, his government said. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

A banner bearing a photo of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is displayed on a building of the Carlos Arvelo Military Hospital in Caracas, where the ailing leader is expected to continue his treatment, in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, Feb. 18, 2013. Chavez returned to Venezuela early Monday after more than two months of medical treatment in Cuba following cancer surgery, and was being treated at the Caracas' military hospital, his government said. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

A supporter of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez holds up a poster of Chavez behind people waiting in line to enter a military hospital in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. Chavez is allegedly receiving treatment at this hospital, but the people in line are there for routine hospital visits unrelated to the president. Chavez's sudden return to Venezuela after more than two months of cancer treatments in Cuba has fanned speculation that the president could be preparing to relinquish power and make way for a successor and a new election. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A woman peers through a bus window that is covered in the Spanish words: "Chavez is alive" near the military hospital where President Hugo Chavez is allegedly receiving treatment in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013. Chavez's sudden return to Venezuela after more than two months of cancer treatments in Cuba has fanned speculation that the president could be preparing to relinquish power and make way for a successor and a new election. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

People drink beverages at a food stand where a poster hangs of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez near the Military Hospital in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. The government has not released a single photo of Chavez since his return from Cuba on Monday, and that has some Venezuelans doubting whether he's in the military hospital. Others insist he is there, just out of sight while undergoing treatment. Chavez, who has been undergoing cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011, has said he has had tumors removed from his pelvic region and has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A man hangs a banner showing a picture of Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez outside the Military Hospital, where Chavez is allegedly receiving treatment, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. The banner reads in Spanish "Chavez is not a man, he is a people who advances. We will live and triumph." No one has yet publicly described a visit with Chavez at the hospital, and Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Wednesday that he had met only with relatives and doctors but was unable to see Chavez himself when he visited the hospital. Speaking at the United Nations, Morales said that Chavez "is in a very difficult spot with his health." (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? At Caracas' military hospital, the only outward signs that President Hugo Chavez is a patient inside are the motorcades that come and go and the soldiers standing guard, some of them wearing red berets.

A poster with a large photo of Chavez smiling sits atop the Dr. Carlos Arvelo Military Hospital, but it has been there since long before the socialist leader was admitted upon his return from his latest cancer treatment in Cuba.

Some of the president's supporters shout "Viva Chavez!" and "He's back!" as they drive past the hospital, which this week has become the new center of attention in Chavez's 21-month-long cancer struggle.

The government hasn't released a single photo of Chavez since his arrival in Caracas was announced Monday, and that has some Venezuelans doubting whether he's in the hospital. Others insist he is there, just out of sight while undergoing treatment.

"There, where you see that balcony, the president is there," said Juan Carlos Hernandez, a street vendor who pointed to the ninth floor, where Chavez is said to be staying.

Hernandez, who sells snacks from a stand with a parasol, said he used to work as a military police officer and provided security at the hospital from 2004 to 2006. He said the ninth floor has a special wing with various rooms where important people are typically taken for treatment, including generals and other military officers.

The special wing of the hospital has its own private elevator, Hernandez said. "The patients are more protected because not everybody passes by."

Caravans of SUVs escorted by troops on motorcycles have arrived and left in recent days, carrying officials including Vice President Nicolas Maduro and National Assembly President Diosdado Cabello, who are among the few who say they have seen Chavez at the hospital.

Among the luxury vehicles bringing visitors was a metallic green Bentley, and those stopping by the hospital have reportedly included the president's relatives.

The government hasn't given details of any visits with Chavez at the hospital, and Bolivian President Evo Morales said Wednesday that he had met only with relatives and doctors but was unable to see Chavez himself when he visited the hospital. Speaking at the United Nations, Morales said Chavez "is in a very difficult spot with his health."

The Venezuelan leader has been undergoing cancer treatment in Cuba on and off since June 2011. He has said he has had tumors removed from his pelvic region and has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

Throughout the treatments, Chavez has not revealed the type of cancer or the location where tumors have been removed.

He hasn't spoken publicly since before his latest surgery in Cuba, on Dec. 11. The government has recently said that Chavez is undergoing more treatment for his illness but has not specified the sort of treatment.

Hospital employees declined to comment about Chavez, saying only that the floor where the president is being treated is under tight security.

Despite the extra security contingent, the hospital continues to provide medical care to hundreds of other patients every day, including both military personnel and civilians.

When Chavez's return to Caracas was announced Monday, his supporters gathered outside the hospital to celebrate while holding photos of him. But as the days have passed, their numbers have dwindled. Journalists and television cameras at the entrance have become one of the only signs of anything unusual going on.

Juan Bonaire, who works at a bakery across the street, said that apart from the stepped-up security, the area around the hospital looks much the same as always.

Outside the hospital, people put up a banner Thursday with a photo of the president and the slogan: "Chavez is not a man. He is a nation that advances. We will live and triumph."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-21-LT-Venezuela-Chavez/id-7938c5dd9c934c99bbaa66327fe17c34

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