Anna Brand: Inside a Very Modern Family

My parents separated five years ago. Less than two months later, they divorced, making a quick, though not-so-clean, break from their 18-year marriage. One year later, they started going on dates. Only not with new people, but with each other... and no one else. So how did my divorced parents find themselves in an exclusive relationship, again? I'd like to think I had something to do with it.

Not too long after the messy separation, I found myself sitting across from my father in front of a hot bowl of curry. It was just like any of our other weekly dinners. Only this time, things were different. He had his hands, then dry and cracked from the frigid season, buried in his peppered hair as he asked me if he should ask my mother on a date. "Do you think she'll say yes? " he questioned.

While their divorce was harsh, it wasn't irrevocable. So, being the meddler that I am, I said she would.

"Of course she would," I guaranteed.

And so they began dating. At first, my mom was hesitant. They would see each other sporadically for mundane chores, but soon, it all became much more. Dinner and movie dates turned into weekends biking on the beach. Trips to Delaware to visit my brother at college turned into week-long vacations in Aruba and Greece. And so on, and so forth, until "sleepovers at dad's" became my mom's new Friday night ritual.

The funny thing is, they -- and shockingly, I -- act as if everything is normal. As nosy and troublesome as I am, I never ask the status of their relationship. Not only because they seem truly happy, but also because I don't really want to know all the details. However, I do become... jealous, especially when conversations like this occur:

Me: Hi
Mom: Hi, Anna
Me: So, what are you doing tonight?
Mom: Having dinner with dad, I'm staying over
Me: I thought I was having dinner with dad tonight
Mom: Ask Dad
----
Me: Hi
Dad: Hi, hun
Me: So, you double-booked me, huh?

Ultimately, I am happy for them. I am happy for the innocent way in which they hold hands, kiss each other hello, and flirt at the dinner table. I love that we can have a family outing without the bitterness that exists among so many homes (married parents, or not). Will they move in together again? Will they get remarried? I don't know, and I don't ask. Because truthfully, I don't think they know the answer either (and maybe it doesn't matter).

Watching my parents begin a new relationship in front of my eyes has been the most fascinating experience I've had in my adult life. As perplexing and rare as the situation is, I appreciate their willingness to break the mold and live without the pressures of structure.

At the very least, holidays at this modern family's house are never short of entertainment.

?

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anna-brand/inside-a-very-modern-fami_b_1105874.html

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Kohl's ad?parodies Rebecca Black

KohlsOfficial / YouTube

By Rosa Golijan

Department store chain Kohl's didn't just stumble into the land of awkward parodies. Oh no?? someone in that company's advertising department woke up, browsed through YouTube, selected the most ridiculous video he or she could find, and created a commercial to parody it.

Oh yes. That means exactly what you think it means.

There is now a Rebecca Black-inspired Black Friday commercial.?And it's as?? ahem?? special as the original viral sensation, the one which racked up 167 million views before temporarily?disappearing from YouTube.

Curious? Eager to torture yourself with an ear worm? Great! Here's the parody video:

Related stories:

Want more tech news, silly puns, or amusing links? You'll get plenty of all three if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts, or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://digitallife.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/22/8952550-kohls-parodies-rebecca-black-in-black-friday-commercial

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Influential jazz drummer Paul Motian dies in NYC (AP)

NEW YORK ? Longtime jazz drummer and composer Paul Motian, who came to prominence as a member of pianist Bill Evans' trio in the late 1950s and influenced a generation of musicians with his astounding sense of time, died Tuesday at age 80.

Motian died at a Manhattan hospital because of complications of a bone marrow disorder, said friend and bandmate Joe Lovano, a tenor saxophonist who began performing with him in 1981.

"He was a hard-swinging free jazz drummer with an uncanny sense of time-phrasing and form that was beyond description," Lovano said.

Motian, who grew up in Providence, R.I., and spent time in the Navy, came to the forefront while a member of Evans' trio in the late 1950s and early 1960s, playing on landmark recordings such as "Waltz for Debby" and "Sunday at the Village Vanguard." He also had longtime partnerships with pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Charlie Hayden and guitarist Bill Frisell.

Lovano called him a "true natural and one of the most expressive musicians in jazz."

"His touch and sound, sense of dynamics were so personal and unmatched," Lovano said.

Motian's career also included stints as a bandleader, beginning with the album "Conception Vessel" in 1972, and as a composer of works Lovano characterized as "hauntingly beautiful."

"As a composer he wrote pieces of music that were vehicles for improvisation," Lovano said.

Even after Motian stopped touring, he continued to perform and record, mostly in New York and most often at the Village Vanguard jazz club, where he last performed in September, according to Lovano. His repertoire included originals, American songbook standards and traditional bebop.

Jarrett said Motian was a good drummer because he "understood composition."

"A lot of drummers are good drummers because they have some understanding of rhythm," Jarrett told The New York Times. "Paul had an innate love of song."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obits/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111123/ap_en_mu/us_obit_motian

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Parents: Hacking made us think Milly was alive

British actor Hugh Grant arrives to give evidence at the the Leveson inquiry in London, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. The Leveson inquiry is Britain's media ethics probe that was set up in the wake of the scandal over phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut in July after it became clear that the tabloid had systematically broken the law. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

British actor Hugh Grant arrives to give evidence at the the Leveson inquiry in London, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. The Leveson inquiry is Britain's media ethics probe that was set up in the wake of the scandal over phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut in July after it became clear that the tabloid had systematically broken the law. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Former FIA president Max Mosley arrives at the Leveson inquiry London, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. The Leveson inquiry is Britain's media ethics probe that was set up in the wake of the scandal over phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut in July after it became clear that the tabloid had systematically broken the law. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

British actor Hugh Grant arrives to give evidence at the the Leveson inquiry in London, Monday, Nov. 21, 2011. The Leveson inquiry is Britain's media ethics probe that was set up in the wake of the scandal over phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut in July after it became clear that the tabloid had systematically broken the law. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

(AP) ? The mother of a murdered girl told a British courtroom Monday she believed her missing 13-year-old was still alive once she reached the girl's previously full voice mailbox ? only to learn later that her daughter's phone had been hacked into by a tabloid.

Sally Dowler said when she could finally leave a message on her daughter Milly's voice mail weeks after the girl disappeared in 2002, she shouted "She's picked up the voice mails! ... She's alive!"

In fact, messages on Milly's phone had been deleted by someone working for the News of the World tabloid while the Dowlers and the police were still searching for Milly, who was later found dead.

The Dowlers were the first in a string of high-profile witnesses, including celebrities such as Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller and author J.K. Rowling, testifying before a judicial inquiry set up by Prime Minister David Cameron on how they were followed, photographed, entrapped and harassed by tabloid journalists.

The Dowlers also described their shock and anger when a private walk to retrace their missing daughter's last steps was secretly photographed by the tabloid.

Sally Dowler said she and her husband Bob had no idea they were being observed as they walked near their home in May 2002, but days later saw the pictures in the News of the World.

"It just felt like such an intrusion into a really, really private grief moment," she said. The couple said they later realized that their own phone, as well as their daughter's, had been hacked.

The Dowlers took the stand together and spoke in quiet, composed voices during their 30 minutes of nationally televised testimony. They described a tense July meeting with media mogul Rupert Murdoch, owner of the now shuttered News of the World, when he apologized for the hacking.

"It was a very tense meeting," Sally Dowler said. "He was very sincere."

Cameron set up the inquiry into media ethics in the wake of a still-evolving scandal over phone hacking in Britain. Murdoch shut down the tabloid in July after evidence emerged that it had routinely eavesdropped on the voice mails of public figures, celebrities and even crime victims in its search for scoops.

More than a dozen News of the World journalists and editors have been arrested, and several senior Murdoch executives have resigned over the still-evolving scandal. Two top London police officers were forced to resign, along with Cameron's top media adviser.

The inquiry, led by judge Brian Leveson, could recommend major changes to the way the media in Britain is regulated.

The second witness was journalist and novelist Joan Smith, whose phone was hacked while she was in a relationship with a politician, Denis MacShane. Smith said she was shocked when police told her that her details had been found in the notebooks of private eye Glenn Mulcaire, who worked for the News of the World and was jailed in 2007 for phone hacking.

"I don't think I'm somebody whose private life would be of much interest to the reading public," she said. "This could happen to almost anybody. That's the astonishing thing. You don't have to be an incredibly famous actress or actor ... you just have to tangentially come into the orbit of somebody who is well known."

She said Britain's tabloid culture was out of control.

"The people involved have lost any sense that they are dealing with human beings," she said. "We're just fodder for stories."

Grant, a fierce critic of press intrusion, smiled for photographers as he arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice, where the hearings are being held. The actor is due to testify later Monday about the harassment suffered by his ex, Tinglan Hong, since she became pregnant with the pair's child.

Later in the week the inquiry will hear from "Harry Potter" author Rowling, comedian Steve Coogan, actress Miller and former Formula 1 boss Max Mosley ? whose taste for sadomasochism was revealed to the world in a widely publicized News of the World sting.

It's a courtroom lineup Britain's celebrity-obsessed tabloids would love, if only they weren't the ones in the dock.

__

Associated Press writer Raphael G. Satter contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-11-21-EU-Britain-Phone-Hacking/id-d900d490c56c4c34a0bb0304108f6ff2

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'al-Qaida sympathizer' accused of NYC bomb plots

Jose Pimentel is arraigned at Manhattan criminal court, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, in New York. Pimentel, an "al-Qaida sympathizer" accused of plotting to bomb police and post offices in New York City as well as U.S. troops returning home, was charged with criminal possession of explosive devices with the intent to use in a terrorist manner. (AP Photo/Jefferson Siegel, Pool)

Jose Pimentel is arraigned at Manhattan criminal court, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, in New York. Pimentel, an "al-Qaida sympathizer" accused of plotting to bomb police and post offices in New York City as well as U.S. troops returning home, was charged with criminal possession of explosive devices with the intent to use in a terrorist manner. (AP Photo/Jefferson Siegel, Pool)

Jose Pimentel, 27, right, represented by attorney Joseph Zablocki, left, is arraigned at Manhattan criminal court, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, in New York. Pimentel, an "al-Qaida sympathizer" accused of plotting to bomb police and post offices in New York City as well as U.S. troops returning home, was charged with criminal possession of explosive devices with the intent to use in a terrorist manner. (AP Photo/Jefferson Siegel, Pool)

Jose Pimentel, 27, right, represented by attorney Joseph Zablocki, left, is arraigned at Manhattan criminal, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, in New York. Pimentel was charged with criminal possesion of explosive devices with the intent to use in a terrorist manner. (AP Photo/Jefferson Siegel, Pool)

This police photo shown at a news conference in New York on Sunday, Nov. 20 2011 shows who authorities say is Jose Pimentel making a bomb. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Pimentel, of Manhattan, a 27-year-old U.S. citizen originally from the Dominican Republic, was arrested Saturday for allegedly plotting to bomb police and post offices in New York City as well as U.S. troops returning home. (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano)

A mock up of a pipe bomb is displayed during a news conference at City Hall called by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011, in New York. Bloomberg announced that 27-year-old Jose Pimentel of Manhattan, a U.S. citizen originally from the Dominican Republic, was arrested Saturday for allegedly plotting to bomb police and post offices in New York City as well as U.S. troops returning home. (AP Photo/Louis Lanzano)

NEW YORK (AP) ? An "al-Qaida sympathizer" accused of plotting to bomb police and post offices in New York City as well as U.S. troops returning home has been arrested on numerous terrorism-related charges.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced at a news conference Sunday the arrest of Jose Pimentel of Manhattan, "a 27-year-old al-Qaida sympathizer" who the mayor said was motivated by terrorist propaganda and resentment of U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said police had to move quickly to arrest Pimentel on Saturday because he was ready to carry out his plan.

"We had to act quickly yesterday because he was in fact putting this bomb together. He was drilling holes and it would have been not appropriate for us to let him walk out the door with that bomb," Kelly said.

The police commissioner said Pimentel was energized and motivated to carry out his plan by the Sept. 30 killing of al-Qaida's U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

"He decided to build the bomb August of this year, but clearly he jacked up his speed after the elimination of al-Awlaki," Kelly said.

Ten years after 9/11, New York remains a prime terrorism target. Bloomberg said at least 13 terrorist plots have targeted the city since the Sept. 11 attacks. No attack has been successful. Pakistani immigrant Faisal Shahzad is serving a life sentence for trying to detonate a car bomb in Times Square in May 2010.

Pimentel, a U.S. citizen originally from the Dominican Republic, Pimentel was "plotting to bomb police patrol cars and also postal facilities as well as targeted members of our armed services returning from abroad," Bloomberg said Sunday.

He was under surveillance by New York police for at least a year who were working with a confidential informant and was in the process of building a bomb; no injury to anyone or damage to property is alleged, Kelly said. In addition, authorities have no evidence that Pimentel was working with anyone else, the mayor said.

"He appears to be a total lone wolf," the mayor said. "He was not part of a larger conspiracy emanating from abroad."

At Pimentel's arraignment later, his lawyer Joseph Zablocki said his behavior leading up to the arrest was not that of a conspirator trying to conceal some violent scheme. Zablocki said Pimentel was public about his activities and was not trying to hide anything.

"I don't believe that this case is nearly as strong as the people believe," Zablocki said. "He (Pimentel) has this very public online profile ... This is not the way you go about committing a terrorist attack."

Pimentel, also known as Muhammad Yusuf, was denied bail and remained in police custody. The bearded, bespectacled man wore a black T-shirt and black drawstring pants and smiled at times during the proceeding.

Pimentel is accused of having an explosive device Saturday when he was arrested that he planned to use against others and property to terrorize the public. The charges accuse him of conspiracy going back at least to October 2010, and include first-degree criminal possession of a weapon as a crime of terrorism, and soliciting support for a terrorist act.

Bloomberg said at the news conference that Pimentel represents the type of threat FBI Director Robert Mueller has warned about as U.S. forces erode the ability of terrorists to carry out large scale attacks.

"This is just another example of New York City because we are an iconic city ... this is a city that people would want to take away our freedoms gravitate to and focus on," Bloomberg said.

Kelly said a confidential informant had numerous conversations with Pimentel on Sept. 7 in which he expressed interest in building small bombs and targeting banks, government and police buildings.

Pimentel also posted on his website trueislam1.com and on blogs his support of al-Qaida and belief in jihad, and promoted an online magazine article that described in detail how to make a bomb, Kelly said.

Among his Internet postings, the commissioner said, was an article that states: "People have to understand that America and its allies are all legitimate targets in warfare."

The New York Police Department's Intelligence Division was involved in the arrest. Kelly said Pimentel spent most of his years in Manhattan and lived about five years in Schenectady. He said police in the Albany area tipped New York City police off to Pimentel's activities.

Asked why federal authorities were not involved in the case, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said there was communication with them but his office felt that given the timeline "it was appropriate to proceed under state charges."

About 1,000 of the city's roughly 35,000 officers are assigned each day to counterterrorism operations. The NYPD also sends officers overseas to report on how other cities deal with terrorism. Through federal grants and city funding, the NYPD has spent millions of dollars on technology to outfit the department with the latest tools ? from portable radiation detectors to the network of hundreds of cameras that can track suspicious activity.

___

Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz and Colleen Long contributed to this report from New York. AP writer Samantha Gross contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-11-21-NYC%20Bomb%20Plot/id-f92fd60dbf6d43ceaf1336da73d19f1b

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USC holds off No. 4 Oregon 38-35

Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley, left, throws on the run as tailback Curtis McNeal, right, blocks Oregon defender Dewitt Stuckey during the first half of their NCAA college football game in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011.(AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley, left, throws on the run as tailback Curtis McNeal, right, blocks Oregon defender Dewitt Stuckey during the first half of their NCAA college football game in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011.(AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Southern Cal quarterback Matt Barkley (7) is well protected as he prepares to unleash a pass during the second half of their NCAA college football game against Oregon in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. Barkley passed for 323 yards and four touchdowns as they beat Oregon 38-35.(AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Oregon running back LaMichael James finds room to run during the first half of their NCAA college football game against Southern California in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

Southern California wide receiver Marqise Lee, left, evades Oregon defender Troy Hill during the first half of their NCAA college football game in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011.(AP Photo/Don Ryan)

(AP) ? Matt Barkley was confident that No. 18 USC was headed for an upset all along, even when fourth-ranked Oregon mounted a comeback.

"We expected to shock everybody except ourselves," he said after throwing for 323 yards and four touchdowns in a 38-35 victory over the Ducks on Saturday night.

The loss snapped a 21-game winning streak for Oregon (9-2, 7-1 Pac-12) at Autzen Stadium, which was the longest in the nation. It also stopped a 19-game winning streak in conference games.

But even more significantly, the loss derailed Oregon's hope for a second-straight berth in the BCS championship game. The Ducks were poised to move up in the BCS standings after No. 2 Oklahoma State lost to Iowa State 37-31on Friday night.

"I think this was a defining game for us," Barkley said. "We set ourselves apart on both sides of the ball."

Trailing 24-7 in the third quarter, Oregon launched a comeback and narrowed the margin to just three points on LaMichael James' 1-yard touchdown run with 7:05 left in the fourth quarter.

Barkley led his team to the Oregon 15, but Marc Tyler fumbled and the ball was recovered by the Ducks with 2:54 to go. Oregon marched down the field but Alejandro Maldondado's 37-yard field goal attempt, which was brought 5 yards closer because of a USC penalty, went wide left.

Afterward, Ducks' fans stood stunned while the Trojans (9-2, 6-2) celebrated on the field. Once in the locker room, the team was so boisterous that they at times drowned out coach Lane Kiffin speaking to reporters in an adjoining room.

The victory was huge for USC, which cannot play in the postseason because of NCAA sanctions.

"We needed this," Barkley said.

Robert Woods, who was held out of some practices this week with ankle and shoulder injuries, caught seven passes for 53 yards and two scores. Freshman Marqise Lee caught eight passes for 187 yards and a score.

Darron Thomas threw for 265 yards and a score for Oregon, while Kenjon Barner ran for 123 yards and two touchdowns. The Ducks, ranked fifth in the nation with nearly 292 rushing yards per game, were held to 209 yards by USC's defense.

"We lost a game," said James, who rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown. "Life goes on."

Against the Trojans, Oregon was playing catch up from the start.

The Trojans scored first on Barkley's 59-yard touchdown pass to Lee in the first quarter, then added Barkley's 12-yard scoring pass to Woods early in the second to go up 14-0.

The Ducks didn't' look like themselves until an efficient scoring drive midway through the second quarter. Thomas hit freshman Colt Lyerla with a 35-yard pass before hitting fellow frosh De'Anthony Thomas with a 29-yarder for the touchdown. The seven-play drive covered 88 yards in just 2:15.

But USC answered with Barkley's 4-yard touchdown pass to Woods. The TD, Barkley's 73rd, moved him past Carson Palmer for second on Southern California's career touchdown list. Matt Leinart had 99 for the Trojans.

The Ducks had a chance to narrow it before the half, but De'Anthony Thomas was out of bounds when he pulled down a Darron Thomas pass to the end zone. On the next play, James fumbled and the ball was recovered by USC.

James, who dislocated his elbow earlier in the season and missed two games, was hit in the arm on the play, and was holding the elbow as he was helped up by trainers.

The Trojans opened the second half with Andre Heidari's 26-yard field goal to make it 24-7, but Oregon again showed a flash of its usual speedy offense with a quick drive capped by Barner's 10-yard touchdown run.

The Ducks, known for their second half adjustments, couldn't slow USC's momentum and the Trojans scored on the subsequent series with Marc Tyler's 3-yard run. Barkley added a 5-yard scoring pass to Randall Telfer to make it 38-14.

De'Anthony Thomas narrowed it again for the Ducks with a 96-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and the Autzen Stadium crowd got back into the game with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

Barner had an 8-yard touchdown run to close the Ducks to within 38-27 with 12:44 left in the game. The Trojans ate a lot of time up with their next series, but Barkley was intercepted by John Boyett, putting the Ducks in business on their own 40. Oregon scored on James' 1-yard run, and the 2-point conversion pass was ruled good after review to make it 38-35.

"I never felt comfortable," Kiffin said. "You can't get comfortable. They're just so explosive."

It was USC's first victory in the state of Oregon since 2005.

USC has one final game, next week against Los Angeles rival UCLA. The league's southern representative in the inaugural Pac-12 championship is still up for grabs between Arizona State, Utah and UCLA.

The Ducks still need only to win at home next week against Oregon State to clinch the Pac-12 North Division.

After the game, coach Chip Kelly was asked if perhaps Oregon's guard was down against the Trojans after a decisive victory over then-No. 3 Stanford last week.

"I didn't feel like it was a hangover. The credit goes to that other team. That's a good football team," said Kelly, who after the game went to the Trojans locker room to congratulate USC assistant Monte Kiffin, Lane's father.

The loss was Chip Kelly's first at Autzen as Oregon's head coach.

There were cheers before the game started when NBA stars LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and several others showed up on the sidelines. James and Anthony even tossed around a football.

The players have been working out at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., just outside of Portland.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-11-20-FBC-T25-USC-Oregon/id-3c2539dd45c946fbb3ce5745061a6313

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More police departments look to tune public out

Scanner hobbyist Rick Hansen holds his scanner/Ham radio device at his home Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, in Silver Spring, Md. In an effort to restrict access to their internal communications police departments around the nation are moving to encrypt them. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Scanner hobbyist Rick Hansen holds his scanner/Ham radio device at his home Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, in Silver Spring, Md. In an effort to restrict access to their internal communications police departments around the nation are moving to encrypt them. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Scanner hobbyist Rick Hansen holds his scanner/Ham radio device at his home Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, in Silver Spring, Md. In an effort to restrict access to their internal communications police departments around the nation are moving to encrypt them. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Scanner hobbyist Rick Hansen holds his scanner/Ham radio device at his home Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, in Silver Spring, Md. In an effort to restrict access to their internal communications police departments around the nation are moving to encrypt them. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Scanner hobbyist Rick Hansen holds his scanner/Ham radio device at his home Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011, in Silver Spring, Md. In an effort to restrict access to their internal communications police departments around the nation are moving to encrypt them. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Police departments around the country are working to shield their radio communications from the public as cheap, user-friendly technology has made it easy for anyone to use handheld devices to keep tabs on officers responding to crimes.

The practice of encryption has grown more common from Florida to New York and west to California, with law enforcement officials saying they want to keep criminals from using officers' internal chatter to evade them. But journalists and neighborhood watchdogs say open communications ensure that the public receives information that can be vital to their safety as quickly as possible.

D.C. police moved to join the trend this fall after what Chief Cathy Lanier said were several incidents involving criminals and smartphones. Carjackers operating on Capitol Hill were believed to have been listening to emergency communications because they were only captured once police stopped broadcasting over the radio, she said. And drug dealers at a laundromat fled the building after a sergeant used open airwaves to direct other units there ? suggesting, she said, that they too were listening in.

"Whereas listeners used to be tied to stationary scanners, new technology has allowed people ? and especially criminals ? to listen to police communications on a smartphone from anywhere," Lanier testified at a D.C. Council committee hearing this month. "When a potential criminal can evade capture and learn, 'There's an app for that,' it's time to change our practices."

The transition has put police departments at odds with the news media, who say their newsgathering is impeded when they can't use scanners to monitor developing crimes and disasters. Journalists and scanner hobbyists argue that police departments already have the capability to communicate securely and should be able to adjust to the times without reverting to full encryption. And they say alert scanner listeners have even helped police solve crimes.

"If the police need to share sensitive information among themselves, they know how to do it," Phil Metlin, news director of WTTG-TV, in Washington, said at the council hearing. "Special encrypted channels have been around for a long time; so have cellphones."

It's impossible to quantify the scope of the problem or to determine if the threat from scanners is as legitimate as police maintain ? or merely a speculative fear. It's certainly not a new concern ? after all, hobbyists have for years used scanners to track the activities of their local police department from their kitchen table.

David Schoenberger, a stay-at-home dad from Fredericksburg, Va., and scanner hobbyist, said he understands Lanier's concerns ? to a point.

"I think they do need to encrypt the sensitive talk groups, like the vice and narcotics, but I disagree strongly with encrypting the routine dispatch and patrol talk groups. I don't think that's right," he said. "I think the public has a right to monitor them and find out what's going on around them. They pay the salaries and everything."

There's no doubt that it's increasingly easy to listen in on police radios.

One iPhone app, Scanner 911, offers on its website the chance to "listen in while police, fire and EMS crews work day & night." Apple's iTunes' store advertises several similar apps. One promises to keep users abreast of crime in their communities.

Though iPhones don't directly pick up police signals, users can listen to nearly real-time audio from police dispatch channels through streaming services, said Matthew Blaze, director of the Distributed Systems Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania and a researcher of security and privacy in computing and communications systems.

The shift to encryption has occurred as departments replace old-fashioned analog radios with digital equipment that sends the voice signal over the air as a stream of bits and then reconstructs it into high-quality audio. Encrypted communication is generally only heard by listeners with an encryption key. Others might hear silence or garbled talk, depending on the receiver's technology.

The cost of encryption varies.

The Nassau County, N.Y., police department is in the final stages of a roughly $50 million emergency communications upgrade that includes encryption and interoperability with other law enforcement agencies in the region, said Inspector Edmund Horace. Once the old system is taken down, Horace said, "You would not be able to discern what's being said on the air unless you had the proper equipment."

The Orange County, Fla., sheriff's office expects to be encrypted within months. Several police departments in the county are already encrypted, and more will follow suit to keep officers safe, said Bryan Rintoul, director of emergency communications for the sheriff's office.

In California, the Santa Monica police has been fully encrypted for the past two years and, before that, used a digital radio system that could be monitored with expensive equipment, said spokesman Sgt. Richard Lewis.

Still, full encryption is cumbersome, difficult to manage and relatively rare, especially among big-city police departments who'd naturally have a harder time keeping track of who has access to the encryption key, Blaze said.

The more individuals or neighboring police agencies with access, the greater the risk that the secrecy of the system could be compromised and the harder it becomes to ensure that everyone who needs access has it, Blaze said.

Relatively few local police departments are actually encrypted, Blaze said, though some cities have modern radio systems for dispatch that are difficult to monitor on inexpensive equipment. The systems can, however, be intercepted with higher-end scanners.

"I would not be surprised if a lot of departments that do it would switch back to non-encryption. The practical difficulties of trying to maintain an encrypted system at scale start to become apparent," he said.

Some departments have studied full encryption but decided against it, including police in Greenwich, Conn.

"Because we've always retained the ability to encrypt traffic on a case-by-case basis when we need to, in a community like Greenwich, I think the transparency we achieve by allowing people to listen to our radio communications certainly outweighs any security concern we have," said Capt. Mark Kordick.

And some departments have tried to compromise. The Jacksonville, Fla., sheriff's office leased radios to the media, allowing them to listen to encrypted patrol channels. That practice ended last summer out of concern about maintaining the confidentiality of radio transmissions, said spokeswoman Lauri-Ellen Smith.

In D.C., Lanier says the department is stepping up efforts to advise the public of developing crimes through Facebook, Twitter and an email alert system. Officers will use an unencrypted channel starting next month to alert the public to traffic delays, said spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump. But the chief has refused to give radios to media organizations, which continue to assail the encryption.

"What about the truly terrifying crimes?" Metlin, the news director, asked at the hearing. "What if, God forbid, there is another act of terrorism here? It is our jobs to inform the public in times of emergency."

Rick Hansen says he's been listening to police communications since he was an adolescent and says efforts to shut them make government less transparent. The Silver Spring, Md., man says sensitive information could be kept off the airwaves on a selective basis.

"Yes, it's a concern ? and it's something that can be addressed through proper procedures and processes as opposed to turning out the lights on everybody," he said

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2011-11-20-Encrypted%20Police%20Communications/id-9ffc0552e2284b1eac493a778ddcf062

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Woody Allen & Mia Farrow?s Son Ronan Farrow Chosen As Rhodes Scholar

Recipient's immune system governs stem cell regeneration

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 20-Nov-2011
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Contact: Beth Dunham
bethdunh@usc.edu
213-740-4279
University of Southern California

Controlling a stem cell transplant recipients immune response may be major key to successful bone regeneration

A new study in Nature Medicine describes how different types of immune system T-cells alternately discourage and encourage stem cells to regrow bone and tissue, bringing into sharp focus the importance of the transplant recipient's immune system in stem cell regeneration.

The study, conducted at the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, examined how mice with genetic bone defects responded to infusions of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, or BMMSC.

Under normal conditions, the mice's T-cells produced an inflammatory response and triggered the creation of cellular proteins interferon (INF)-gamma and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. These attacked and killed the stem cells, preventing the production of new bone.

"Normally, T-cells protect us from infection," said Professor Songtao Shi, corresponding author for the study, "but they can block healthy regeneration from happening."

However, when the mice were given infusions of regulatory T-cells, or Treg, the levels of the interfering INF-gamma and TNF-alpha decreased, increasing the rate of bone growth and defect repair. Furthermore, administering the anti-inflammatory drug aspirin at the site of the bone defect also increased the rate at which the BMMSCs were able to regrow bone.

Postdoctoral Research Associate and lead author Yi Liu said the findings illustrate the previously unrecognized role of T-cells in tissue regeneration. They also highlight the need for scientists exploring the possibilities of stem cell regeneration to shift their focus to the immune system, she added.

"Based on what we've found, this should be the direction of more research in the future," Liu said.

###

Yi Liu, Lei Wang, Takashi Kikuiri, Kentaro Akiyama, Chider Chen, Xingtian Xu, Ruili Yang, WanJun Chen, Songlin Wang, and Songtao Shi. (in press) Mesenchymal stem cellbased tissue regeneration is governed by recipient T lymphocytes via IFN-? and TNF-?. Nature Medicine doi: 10.1038/nm.2542


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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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 20-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Beth Dunham
bethdunh@usc.edu
213-740-4279
University of Southern California

Controlling a stem cell transplant recipients immune response may be major key to successful bone regeneration

A new study in Nature Medicine describes how different types of immune system T-cells alternately discourage and encourage stem cells to regrow bone and tissue, bringing into sharp focus the importance of the transplant recipient's immune system in stem cell regeneration.

The study, conducted at the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, examined how mice with genetic bone defects responded to infusions of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, or BMMSC.

Under normal conditions, the mice's T-cells produced an inflammatory response and triggered the creation of cellular proteins interferon (INF)-gamma and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. These attacked and killed the stem cells, preventing the production of new bone.

"Normally, T-cells protect us from infection," said Professor Songtao Shi, corresponding author for the study, "but they can block healthy regeneration from happening."

However, when the mice were given infusions of regulatory T-cells, or Treg, the levels of the interfering INF-gamma and TNF-alpha decreased, increasing the rate of bone growth and defect repair. Furthermore, administering the anti-inflammatory drug aspirin at the site of the bone defect also increased the rate at which the BMMSCs were able to regrow bone.

Postdoctoral Research Associate and lead author Yi Liu said the findings illustrate the previously unrecognized role of T-cells in tissue regeneration. They also highlight the need for scientists exploring the possibilities of stem cell regeneration to shift their focus to the immune system, she added.

"Based on what we've found, this should be the direction of more research in the future," Liu said.

###

Yi Liu, Lei Wang, Takashi Kikuiri, Kentaro Akiyama, Chider Chen, Xingtian Xu, Ruili Yang, WanJun Chen, Songlin Wang, and Songtao Shi. (in press) Mesenchymal stem cellbased tissue regeneration is governed by recipient T lymphocytes via IFN-? and TNF-?. Nature Medicine doi: 10.1038/nm.2542


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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.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/uosc-ris111711.php

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NASA's TRMM satellite sees deadly tornadic thunderstorms in Southeastern US

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 18-Nov-2011
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Contact: Rob Gutro
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
443-858-1779
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Tornadoes are expected to accompany severe storms in the springtime in the U.S., but this time of year they also usually happen. When a line of severe thunderstorms associated with a cold front swept through the U.S. southeast on Nov. 16, TRMM collected rainfall data on the dangerous storms from space.

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite flew over the southeastern United States on November 16, 2011 at 2310 UTC (6:10 p.m. EST) when tornadoes were occurring with a line of thunderstorms that stretched from western Florida north through North Carolina. At least six deaths were caused by one of these tornadoes that destroyed three homes near Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Typically in the fall, the transition from warm air to cooler air occurs as Canadian cold air moves down into the U.S. The combination of a strong cold front with warm, moist air in its path enables the creation of strong to severe storms at this time of year.

TRMM data was used to create a rainfall analysis of the line of severe thunderstorms associated with the cold front. The analysis showed that the area of moderate to very heavy rainfall (falling at more than 2 inches or 50 mm per hour) with this frontal system was only located in a narrow line. In addition to heavy rain and some tornadoes, the strong cold front brought winds gusting over 30 mph, and a temperature drop of as much as 20 degrees as the front passed.

TRMM rainfall imagery is created at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. To create the images, rain rates in the center swaths are taken from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), a unique space-borne precipitation radar, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS) to form a complete picture of the rainfall in a storm or storm system like this one.

Data captured at the same time with TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR) were used to create a three dimensional look at the line of severe storms. That 3-D image shows the vertical structure or height of the thunderstorms. The higher the cloud tops go, the stronger the storm. Strong updrafts had pushed precipitation within some of these storms to heights of 9.3 miles (15 kilometers).

According to USA Today tornadoes were reported in four states from that line of thunderstorms. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and South Carolina all had reported tornadoes, and dozens of buildings and homes were damaged. The line of severe weather also took down trees and power lines leaving many without electricity.

###

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall.



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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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 18-Nov-2011
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Rob Gutro
Robert.j.gutro@nasa.gov
443-858-1779
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

Tornadoes are expected to accompany severe storms in the springtime in the U.S., but this time of year they also usually happen. When a line of severe thunderstorms associated with a cold front swept through the U.S. southeast on Nov. 16, TRMM collected rainfall data on the dangerous storms from space.

NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite flew over the southeastern United States on November 16, 2011 at 2310 UTC (6:10 p.m. EST) when tornadoes were occurring with a line of thunderstorms that stretched from western Florida north through North Carolina. At least six deaths were caused by one of these tornadoes that destroyed three homes near Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Typically in the fall, the transition from warm air to cooler air occurs as Canadian cold air moves down into the U.S. The combination of a strong cold front with warm, moist air in its path enables the creation of strong to severe storms at this time of year.

TRMM data was used to create a rainfall analysis of the line of severe thunderstorms associated with the cold front. The analysis showed that the area of moderate to very heavy rainfall (falling at more than 2 inches or 50 mm per hour) with this frontal system was only located in a narrow line. In addition to heavy rain and some tornadoes, the strong cold front brought winds gusting over 30 mph, and a temperature drop of as much as 20 degrees as the front passed.

TRMM rainfall imagery is created at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. To create the images, rain rates in the center swaths are taken from the TRMM Precipitation Radar (PR), a unique space-borne precipitation radar, while rain rates in the outer swath are from the TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI). The rain rates are overlaid on infrared (IR) data from the TRMM Visible Infrared Scanner (VIRS) to form a complete picture of the rainfall in a storm or storm system like this one.

Data captured at the same time with TRMM's Precipitation Radar (PR) were used to create a three dimensional look at the line of severe storms. That 3-D image shows the vertical structure or height of the thunderstorms. The higher the cloud tops go, the stronger the storm. Strong updrafts had pushed precipitation within some of these storms to heights of 9.3 miles (15 kilometers).

According to USA Today tornadoes were reported in four states from that line of thunderstorms. Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and South Carolina all had reported tornadoes, and dozens of buildings and homes were damaged. The line of severe weather also took down trees and power lines leaving many without electricity.

###

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission is a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) designed to monitor and study tropical rainfall.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-11/nsfc-nts111811.php

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