lilliput start: June 2013

Sunday, June 23, 2013

William B. Bradshaw: Who Forgives Whom?

There's long been a theological debate as to whether we sin against one another or sin against God. If we sin against one another, then forgiveness is a matter between the sinner and the person who is sinned against. But, if a person can only sin against God, then only God can forgive, and we humans have nothing to do with forgiving one another. Well, you can see how complicated this can get, and I'm not going there today.

Instead, let's just focus on how we humans treat one another. If someone mistreats me, how do I deal with it? Do I demand that the other person apologizes? Do I just forget it, so to say, like water running off of a duck's back? Do I stay mad for a short time--or forever? Much depends upon what the other person does.

In this day and age, we have so many standards that we are expected to follow. But we do not have a written or unwritten standard of behavior for how two people treat one another when one gets out of sorts with the other and says or does something mean-spirited or hurtful to the other one. I am not talking about major crime; I'm referring to the kinds of things that hurt our feelings and we have trouble getting over. So, what do we do?

I live in St. Louis. One day last week the news was all about seventeen people having been shot and killed the night before in the greater St. Louis area. Well, that is one way to settle things when we get our feelings hurt or get mad at one another. But it's certainly an inhumane way to settle differences! Nor does it work to just yell and shout at each other.

Earlier this week, I read that the president of a major state university had been dismissed by the governing board. As he left his office on campus for the last time, he held a news conference and verbally blasted several people who had worked under him and whom he blamed for getting him fired, ending by announcing he had placed very unfavorable performance reviews in their personnel files. That, too, is not a very practical way to settle things. You know the old saying about not burning the bridges. What he really accomplished was making the national news circuit and calling to the attention of the entire world that he had been fired. In my opinion, not a good move!

Or a person can just pretend that nothing happened and harbor deep inner feelings against the other person. But if that inner frustration is allowed to fester, I can guarantee that the inner turmoil will just eat away at that person--day after day, week after week, year after year--eventually making him or her a depressed and disgruntled mess, unable to live a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Let's get personal! If someone you have loved, cared about, or respected has said or done something that really hurts you and you are having trouble dealing with it, what do you do? I don't have all the answers to life, but based on my experience as a clergyman, here are some suggestions.

First of all, make sure that the other person really is to blame and that you are not at fault or that both of you do not share equal blame for what has happened. If you are to blame, then I advise you to apologize as quickly as possible and do whatever it takes to make up with the person you have offended. If the two of you share equal blame, then take the initiative and apologize for your share of what happened. In all probability the other person will do the same, and the two of you will mend your ways and move forward with your lives. Life is just too short to have un-reconciled differences with family and friends.

If, on the other hand, you are sure that the other person really is the one who has created the problem, then here are some things for you to think about.

Just remember that no one is perfect. We will all make mistakes. If the person who mistreated you apologizes and you think the apology is sincere, be grateful, accept the apology, and get on with life. If, however, the other person doesn't apologize or the apology is not sincere or he/she continues doing the same thing, telling the other person off or badmouthing him/her to others doesn't really accomplish very much that is constructive over the long haul. Furthermore, sometime in the future you may come to regret what you have said. Regardless of how difficult it is, in my opinion a better course of action would be to be polite to the other person, but to keep your distance, knowing that he/she is not the kind of person that merits your love, friendship, or respect.

Martin Luther King, Sr. suffered two tragedies in his life that by reason should have left him very angry and bitter: his oldest son, Martin Luther King, Jr., was shot and killed in 1968, and his wife, Alberta, was murdered in 1974 while sitting at the organ of their church. Even after these events, it is my understanding that King said, "Hate is too heavy a burden to bear." He had that right!

And if you want peace of mind and happiness in your life, you had better get it right!

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-b-bradshaw/who-forgives-whom_b_3481485.html

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A Typeface Designed To Thwart Spying Computers

If people are snooping on your textual communications and you don't like it, there are a couple of things you can do. You can try to block the prying eyes, you can stop saying things you don't want to be seen, or you can make your messages make no sense to the outside. The anti-authoritarian typeface ZXX is shooting for that last one.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

100,000 Morsi backers stage show of force in Egypt

Supporters of Egypt's president Mohammed Morsi chant slogans during a rally in Nasser City in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 21, 2013. Tens of thousands of Islamists supporting Egypt's president staged a show of force ahead of massive protests later this month by the opposition, chanting "Islamic revolution" and warning of a new and bloody bout of turmoil. Adding to the combustible mix, the U.S. ambassador in Egypt gets drawn into Egypt's treacherous politics when comments interpreted as critical of the opposition spark outrage, with one activist telling the diplomat to "shut up and mind your own business."(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Supporters of Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi attend Friday noon prayer before a rally in Nasser City in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 21, 2013. Tens of thousands of Islamists supporting Egypt's president staged a show of force ahead of massive protests later this month by the opposition, chanting "Islamic revolution" and warning of a new and bloody bout of turmoil. Adding to the combustible mix, the U.S. ambassador in Egypt gets drawn into Egypt's treacherous politics when comments interpreted as critical of the opposition spark outrage, with one activist telling the diplomat to "shut up and mind your own business." (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Supporters of Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi attend a rally in Nasser City in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 21, 2013. Tens of thousands of Islamists supporting Egypt's president staged a show of force ahead of massive protests later this month by the opposition, chanting "Islamic revolution" and warning of a new and bloody bout of turmoil. Adding to the combustible mix, the U.S. ambassador in Egypt gets drawn into Egypt's treacherous politics when comments interpreted as critical of the opposition spark outrage, with one activist telling the diplomat to "shut up and mind your own business." (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Supporters of Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi chant slogans during a rally in Nasser City in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, June 21, 2013. Tens of thousands of Islamists supporting Egypt's president staged a show of force ahead of massive protests later this month by the opposition, chanting "Islamic revolution" and warning of a new and bloody bout of turmoil. Adding to the combustible mix, the U.S. ambassador in Egypt gets drawn into Egypt's treacherous politics when comments interpreted as critical of the opposition spark outrage, with one activist telling the diplomat to "shut up and mind your own business." (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

CAIRO (AP) ? More than 100,000 supporters of Egypt's Islamist president staged a show of force Friday ahead of massive protests later this month by the opposition, chanting "Islamic revolution!" and warning of a new and bloody bout of turmoil.

Adding to the combustible mix, comments by the U.S. ambassador that were interpreted as critical of the opposition's planned protests sparked outrage, with one activist telling the diplomat to "shut up and mind your own business."

Friday's mass gathering was ostensibly called by Islamists to denounce violence, but it took on the appearance of a war rally instead. Participants, many of them bearded and wearing robes or green bandanas, vowed in chants to protect President Mohammed Morsi against his opponents. Some who addressed the crowd spoke of smashing opposition protesters on June 30, the anniversary of Morsi's assumption of power.

"We want to stress that we will protect the legitimacy with our blood and souls," declared Mohammed el-Beltagy, a senior leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic group from which Morsi hails.

Most participants were bused in from elsewhere in the Egyptian capital or from far-flung provinces. They waved Egypt's red, white and black flag as well as the green banner of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and posters of the president. Many raised their fists in the air.

Brotherhood members in red helmets and carrying white plastic sticks manned makeshift checkpoints, searching bags and checking IDs as demonstrators streamed into the venue.

Friday's rally was the latest evidence of the schism that has torn Egypt apart in the more than two years since autocrat Hosni Mubarak was ousted in a popular uprising. That division has plunged the country into deadly street battles and taken on a clear religious character after Morsi took office a year ago as the nation's first freely elected leader. In the year since, Egypt has been divided into two camps, with the president and his Islamist backers in one, and secular, liberal Egyptians, moderate Muslims, women and minority Christians in the other.

The past year has also been marred by constant political unrest and a sinking economy. Morsi's opponents charge that he and his Brotherhood have been systematically amassing power, excluding liberals, secular groups and even ultraconservative Salafi Muslims. A persistent security vacuum and political turmoil have scared away foreign investors and tourists. Egypt's already battered economy has continued to slide, draining foreign currency reserves and resulting in worsening fuel shortages and electricity cuts, along with increasing unemployment.

The president's supporters charge that the opposition, having lost elections, is trying to impose its will through street protests.

"They threaten us with June 30. We promise them they will be smashed that day," warned hard-line Islamist Tareq el-Zommor, who spent more than two decades in jail for his part in the 1981 assassination of President Anwar Sadat.

"June 30 is Islamic," he said as the crowd chanted behind him.

"Our battle is an identity battle, against communism and secularism," read one banner carried by protesters. "The people want to implement Islamic Shariah law," declared another.

"I am here to support the legitimacy of an elected president who was chosen by the people through the ballot box," said Saad Ismail, a 43-year-old teacher from the Nile Delta province of Beheira.

Assem Abdel-Maged, a hard-line Islamist leader addressing the crowd, threatened that any attempt to oust Morsi would be met with an Islamic revolution. On Thursday, he told a gathering in the southern city of Minya that those conspiring against Morsi include Coptic Christian extremists, communists and remnants of Mubarak's regime.

"Our dead will be in heaven, and their dead will be in hell," he said.

The main boulevard where the rally was held, along with several side streets were packed as protesters streamed in for hours and the crowd grew to more than 100,000.

Opposition leaders were not impressed by the turnout.

"Those 100,000 are not going to scare the people. We have collected petitions of 15 million people," said Mahmoud Badr, one of the main organizers of the June 30 protests. "They brought people from the provinces that stretch from Cairo to (the southern city of) Aswan. This is their top capacity."

After a months-long petition drive, opposition organizers announced on Thursday that they had collected up to 15 million signatures supporting Morsi's ouster and an early presidential election.

Meanwhile, U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson, who has repeatedly been accused by the opposition of bias in favor of Morsi, caused outrage this week when she said she was "deeply skeptical" the protests will be fruitful and defended U.S. relations with Morsi and his Brotherhood as necessary because the group is part of the democratically elected Egyptian government.

"Some say that street action will produce better results than elections. To be honest, my government and I are deeply skeptical," she said at a seminar Tuesday organized by a Cairo research center. "Egypt needs stability to get its economic house in order, and more violence on the streets will do little more than add new names to the lists of martyrs."

Her unusually frank comments were widely interpreted as referring to the June 30 demonstrations.

Leading opposition activist Shady el-Ghazali Harb said Patterson showed "blatant bias" in favor of Morsi and the Brotherhood and her remarks had earned the U.S. administration "the enmity of the Egyptian people."

"The Muslim Brotherhood is ready to offer Egypt on a golden platter to the United States in exchange for Washington's support. It is no surprise that she would say that," he said.

Another prominent opposition activist, George Ishaq, counseled Patterson in a television interview to "shut up and mind your own business." Christian business tycoon Naguib Sawiris posted a message on his Twitter account addressed to the ambassador saying, "Bless us with your silence."

The United States has had its own frustrations with the mainly liberal and secular opposition, which has been beset by divisions. During a visit by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Egypt in March, he pressed the main opposition grouping, the National Salvation Front, to reverse its decision to boycott parliamentary elections expected later this year or early in 2014.

Washington, Egypt's longtime economic and military backer, has maintained relatively warm ties with Morsi. The Obama administration has praised him for mediating a truce late last year between Israel and Hamas, the Islamic militant rulers of the Gaza Strip, and for maintaining Egypt's peace treaty with Israel.

"This is the government that you and your fellow citizens elected. Even if you voted for others, I don't think the elected nature of this government is seriously in doubt," Patterson said. "Throughout Egypt's post-revolution series of elections, the United States took the position that we would work with whoever won elections that met international standards, and this is what we have done."

Meanwhile, privately owned TV network ONTV aired footage of what it said was Patterson's convoy of black SUVs in a visit to Khairat el-Shater, a powerful figure in the Muslim Brotherhood who is widely suspected to exercise vast influence over Morsi.

The visit drew criticism from the opposition. The U.S. Embassy declined comment.

"Is this democracy that she visits a man who holds no post in the Egyptian state," Harb said.

Morad Ali, spokesman for the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party, confirmed the meeting but said he was not authorized to disclose details.

"It was not a secret meeting. The ambassador meets with all political parties and this is the deputy leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. Why is this considered interference in Egypt's domestic affairs?" he said.

___

Associated Press reporter Tony G. Gabriel contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-21-Egypt/id-ee5fd0dfc7874c959a632d96cb2af88f

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Ex-Enron CEO gets 10 years cut from sentence

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling is escorted from the federal courthouse Friday, June 21, 2013, in Houston after being re-sentenced for his role in the energy giants' collapse. Skilling was resentenced to 14 years as part of a court-ordered reduction and a separate agreement with prosecutors. The decision brought a protracted legal conclusion to one of the most notorious U.S. financial scandals. Skilling has been in prison since 2006, when he was sentenced to more than 24 years by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake. But an appeals court vacated his prison term in 2009, ruling that a sentencing guideline was improperly applied. That meant a reduction of as much as nine years. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling arrives at the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse for a resentencing hearing Friday, June 21, 2013, in Houston. His original sentence of 24 years is expected to be reduced to between 14 and 17.5 years. His resentencing is part of a court-ordered reduction of his prison term and a separate agreement with prosecutors that will allow for the distribution of around $41 million in restitution to victims of Enron's collapse. (AP Photo /Houston Chronicle, Melissa Phillip )

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling leaves the federal courthouse Friday, June 21, 2013, in Houston after being resentenced for his role in the energy giants' collapse. Skilling was resentenced to 14 years as part of a court-ordered reduction and a separate agreement with prosecutors. The decision brought a protracted legal conclusion to one of the most notorious U.S. financial scandals. Skilling has been in prison since 2006, when he was sentenced to more than 24 years by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake. But an appeals court vacated his prison term in 2009, ruling that a sentencing guideline was improperly applied. That meant a reduction of as much as nine years. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)

Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, right, partially shown behind a wall, arrives at the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse for a resentencing hearing Friday, June 21, 2013, in Houston. His original sentence of 24 years is expected to be reduced to between 14 and 17.5 years. His resentencing is part of a court-ordered reduction of his prison term and a separate agreement with prosecutors that will allow for the distribution of around $41 million in restitution to victims of Enron's collapse. (AP Photo /Houston Chronicle, Melissa Phillip )

HOUSTON (AP) ? Ex-Enron Corp. CEO Jeffrey Skilling ? seen by many as exemplifying the worst in corporate fraud and greed in America ? could be released from prison in about four years after a federal judge on Friday shaved off a decade from his original sentence of more than 24 years.

Skilling's resentencing during a packed courtroom hearing brought one of the country's most notorious financial scandals ? the collapse of the once-mighty energy giant ? to a conclusion that upset some former Enron workers.

Ex-Enron worker Diana Peters, the only victim who spoke at the resentencing hearing, said afterward in a phone interview that Skilling should have to serve his entire original sentence.

"Jeffrey Skilling has never taken any responsibility for his actions," said the 63-year-old Peters, who lives in Huntsville, north of Houston. "He has no remorse for the end result of what happened."

Even before Friday's resentencing, which was part of a court-ordered reduction and a separate agreement with prosecutors, Skilling had already been set to have his sentence of about 8? years shortened after an appeals court vacated his original sentence by U.S. District Judge Sim Lake.

The appeals court ruled that a sentencing guideline was improperly applied. However, Skilling's resentencing was delayed for years as he unsuccessfully sought to overturn his convictions, including appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Justice Department said in order to resolve a case that's gone on for more than 10 years, it agreed to an additional reduction of about 20 months as part of a deal to stop Skilling from filing any more appeals. Federal prosecutors say it will allow for $41.8 million of Skilling's assets to be distributed as restitution to victims of Enron's 2001 collapse.

Skilling, 59, who has been in prison since 2006, declined to make a statement during Friday's hearing.

His attorney, Daniel Petrocelli, said he disagrees with claims that his client, who "still maintains his innocence," never expressed remorse for what happened at Enron. He said Skilling wasn't aware of the illegal activities of others but "took complete responsibility for all the actions" at the company.

Petrocelli said the reduction, combined with time off for good behavior and other factors, means Skilling is likely to be released by 2017.

During the hearing, prosecutor Patrick Stokes criticized Skilling for continuing "to cast himself as a victim" and said Skilling "is anything but a victim."

"Mr. Skilling was not only at the pinnacle of Enron, he was at the pinnacle of the fraud schemes," Stokes said.

Once the money from Skilling's assets is added, about $560 million in restitution will have been collected for victims of the Enron scandal, Stokes said.

Former Enron employee George Maddox said he still blames Skilling for his losing $1.3 million in retirement savings when Enron collapsed. Maddox worked for 30 years as a plant manager with the company.

"Long sentences are for no one but poor people," said Maddox, 79, who lives in the East Texas town of Van and is now supporting his 16-year-old grandson and himself mainly on Social Security income.

Even with the reduced sentence, Skilling's prison term is still the longest of those involved in the Enron scandal. He was the highest-ranking executive to be punished. Enron founder Kenneth Lay's similar convictions were vacated after he died of heart disease less than two months after his trial.

Philip Hilder, a Houston attorney who represented several ex-Enron executives who cooperated with prosecutors, called Skilling's new sentence "a fair resolution" to his case.

But Andrew Stoltmann, a Chicago-based attorney who represented 10 people who lost money in Enron's collapse, called the new sentence "a slap in the face" to ex-Enron workers and investors.

Skilling was convicted in 2006 on 19 counts of conspiracy, securities fraud, insider trading and lying to auditors for his role in the downfall of Houston-based Enron. The company, once the seventh-largest in the U.S., went bankrupt under the weight of years of illicit business deals and accounting tricks.

The U.S. Supreme Court said in 2010 that one of Skilling's convictions was flawed when it sharply curtailed the use of the "honest services" fraud law ? a short addendum to the federal mail and wire fraud statute that makes it illegal to scheme to deprive investors of "the intangible right to honest services."

The high court ruled prosecutors can use the law only in cases where evidence shows the defendant accepted bribes or kickbacks, and because Skilling's misconduct entailed no such things, he did not conspire to commit honest services fraud.

The Supreme Court told a lower court to decide whether he deserved a new trial; the lower court said no.

Enron's collapse put more than 5,000 people out of work, wiped out more than $2 billion in employee pensions and rendered worthless $60 billion in Enron stock. Its aftershocks were felt across Houston and the U.S. energy industry.

___

Follow Juan A. Lozano at http://www.twitter.com/juanlozano70 .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-06-21-Enron-Skilling/id-e8fb0fc4fae8486b987d3587e9ec5f8f

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The Non-Complexities of Pretty Racist Chef Paula Deen (talking-points-memo)

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Vine for Android adds Facebook sharing, searches for hashtags and users

Twitter isn't about to let Video on Instagram go completely unanswered -- it just posted an update to Vine for Android that could offer a few reasons to stay with the earlier service. Short-form movie makers on Android now have more of the features we've seen on iOS, including Facebook sharing as well as searches for hashtags and users. The release also smooths out the rough experience that has characterized the Android experience since launch, boosting both capture speeds and the final video quality. The app may still fall short of the newer Instagram release in a few areas, but those who prefer Vine's approach can grab its refresh at Google Play.

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Via: Vine (Twitter)

Source: Google Play

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/21/vine-for-android-adds-facebook-sharing/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Friday, June 21, 2013

Our Dim-Witted President (Powerlineblog)

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Senate immigration bill boosted by border deal

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Immigration legislation offering the prize of U.S. citizenship to millions is gaining ground in the Senate following agreement between Republicans and Democrats on dramatic steps aimed at securing the border with Mexico.

The costly deal to double Border Patrol agents and fencing along the Southwest border won support from four undecided Republican senators Thursday for an immigration bill that's a top priority for President Barack Obama. More Republicans appeared likely to come on board, putting the legislation within reach of the strong bipartisan vote that its authors say is needed to ensure serious consideration by the GOP-controlled House.

Republican Sen. John McCain says the deal should satisfy those Republicans concerned that the border security provisions in the bill were too weak.

The Senate continues work on the bill Friday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-immigration-bill-boosted-border-deal-073020424.html

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Chemical that makes naked mole rats cancer-proof discovered

June 19, 2013 ? Two researchers at the University of Rochester have discovered the chemical that makes naked mole rats cancer-proof.

The findings could eventually lead to new cancer treatments in people, said study authors Andrei Seluanov and Vera Gorbunova. Their research paper will be published this week in the journal Nature.

Naked mole rats are small, hairless, subterranean rodents that have never been known to get cancer, despite having a 30-year lifespan. The research group led by Seluanov and Gorbunova discovered that these rodents are protected from cancer because their tissues are very rich with high molecular weight hyaluronan (HMW-HA).

The biologists' focus on HMW-HA began after they noticed that a gooey substance in the naked mole rat culture was clogging the vacuum pumps and tubing. They also observed that, unlike the naked mole rat culture, other media containing cells from humans, mice, and guinea pigs were not viscous.

"We needed to understand what the goo was," said Seluanov.

Gorbunova and Seluanov identified the substance as HMW-HA, which caused them to test its possible role in naked mole rat's cancer resistance.

Seluanov and Gorbunova then showed that when HMW-HA was removed, the cells became susceptible to tumors, confirming that the chemical did play a role in making naked mole rats cancer-proof. The Rochester team also identified the gene, named HAS2, responsible for making HMW-HA in the naked mole rat. Surprisingly, the naked mole rat gene was different from HAS2 in all other animals. In addition the naked mole rats were very slow at recycling HMW-HA, which contributed to the accumulation of the chemical in the animals' tissues.

The next step will be to test the effectiveness of HMW-HA in mice. If that test goes well, Seluanov and Gorbunova hope to try the chemical on human cells. "There's indirect evidence that HMW-HA would work in people," said Seluanov. "It's used in anti-wrinkle injections and to relieve pain from arthritis in knee joints, without any adverse effects. Our hope is that it can also induce an anti-cancer response."

"A lot of cancer research focuses on animals that are prone to cancer," said Gorbunova. "We think it's possible to learn strategies for preventing tumors by studying animals that are cancer-proof."

Previous research by Seluanov and Gorbunova showed that the p16 gene in naked mole rats stopped the proliferation of cells when too many of them crowd together. In their latest work, the two biologists identified HMW-HA as the chemical that activates the anti-cancer response of the p16 gene.

The research was supported by grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Ellison Medical Foundation.

Hyaluronan (HA), which makes tissues supple and aids in the healing process, is found in high concentrations in the skin of naked mole rats. The biologists speculate that the rodents developed higher levels of HA in their skin to accommodate life in underground tunnels.

Future research from the Gorbunova and Seluanov labs will focus on determining whether the HMW-HA from naked mole rats may have clinical value for either treating or preventing cancer in humans.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/FIw5xovQ4GI/130619132444.htm

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Changing ocean temperatures, circulation patterns affecting young Atlantic cod food supply

Public release date: 20-Jun-2013
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Contact: Shelley Dawicki
shelley.dawicki@noaa.gov
508-495-2378
NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Changing ocean water temperatures and circulation patterns have profoundly affected key Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf zooplankton species in recent decades, and may be influencing the recovery of Atlantic cod and other fish stocks in the region.
NOAA researcher Kevin Friedland and colleagues looked at the distribution and abundance of important zooplankton species, sea surface water temperatures, and cod abundance. They found that zooplankton species critical for the survival of Atlantic cod larvae have declined in abundance in the same areas where Atlantic cod stocks have struggled to rebuild after an extended period of overfishing.

"Temperature is a governing factor in the growth, reproduction and distribution of marine organisms. Shifting temperature distributions, whether triggered by natural or human factors, can cause the redistribution of plankton communities on regional and basin-wide scales," said Friedland, lead author on the study and a scientist at NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC).

The change in thermal habitats has had biological consequences on multiple levels in the food chain, according to the study in press in the journal Progress in Oceanography (available online).

"The geographic and depth distributions of fish and shellfish populations can also change based on their preferred thermal habitats. Future changes in thermal conditions are expected to lead to further shifts in the distributional ranges of species by, in many cases, the loss and gain of local populations," said Friedland.

Friedland and his colleagues found that ocean water temperatures of the Northeast Continental Shelf have increased in recent decades, but these changes have not been uniform over the entire ecosystem. Warm water habitats (16 to 27 C, 60 to 80 F) have increased and cool water habitats (5 to 15 C, 41 to 59 F), historically the core habitats in the ecosystem, have declined; however, the coldest habitats in the ecosystem (1-4 C, 34-39 F) have either stayed the same or increased slightly during the study period 1982-2011. This discontinuity is attributed to changes in circulation in the northern Gulf of Maine associated with the Labrador Current.

Atlantic cod off the Northeast U.S. are managed as two stock units, the more northerly in the Gulf of Maine and the more southerly on and around Georges Bank. There are upward of ten known spawning populations within these two stocks, and the very young fish that they produce are found in specific larval development areas. Two zooplankton species that serve as food for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae are Pseudocalanus spp, and Centropages typicus. The former is associated with winter-spawning cod, and the latter with spring-spawning cod.

The researchers developed indices of zooplankton and cod abundance in six index areas, relating larval feeding and development areas to associated areas where adults reside. They found that Pseudocalanus spp has declined in abundance on parts of Georges Bank and in the eastern Gulf of Maine, areas where cod have been less abundant in recent years. Centropages typicus declined in abundance in the eastern Gulf of Maine as well. The areas where these zooplankton species have declined are spatially discrete and are related to the change in core thermal habitat of the ecosystem.

The abundance of zooplankton species is measured by the NEFSC's Ecosystem Monitoring Program (EcoMon), which conducts shelf-wide bimonthly surveys of the ecosystem. Data and observations from the NEFSC's spring bottom trawl surveys were also analyzed.

Although the researchers concentrated on Atlantic cod recruitment success and population trends, many of the zooplankton species examined are important as prey for early life stages of other fish species and marine mammals. These zooplankton species are important within the Northeast Shelf ecosystem, and can serve as model organisms to test the effect of thermal habitat on changes within the food web.

An Ecosystem Advisory issued by the NEFSC on April 25, 2013 provides additional information related to the Northeast Shelf ecosystem, notably a description of the extreme warming that occurred on the Shelf during 2012 and the associated shifts in thermal habitat.

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Changing ocean temperatures, circulation patterns affecting young Atlantic cod food supply Public release date: 20-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Shelley Dawicki
shelley.dawicki@noaa.gov
508-495-2378
NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center

Changing ocean water temperatures and circulation patterns have profoundly affected key Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf zooplankton species in recent decades, and may be influencing the recovery of Atlantic cod and other fish stocks in the region.
NOAA researcher Kevin Friedland and colleagues looked at the distribution and abundance of important zooplankton species, sea surface water temperatures, and cod abundance. They found that zooplankton species critical for the survival of Atlantic cod larvae have declined in abundance in the same areas where Atlantic cod stocks have struggled to rebuild after an extended period of overfishing.

"Temperature is a governing factor in the growth, reproduction and distribution of marine organisms. Shifting temperature distributions, whether triggered by natural or human factors, can cause the redistribution of plankton communities on regional and basin-wide scales," said Friedland, lead author on the study and a scientist at NOAA's Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC).

The change in thermal habitats has had biological consequences on multiple levels in the food chain, according to the study in press in the journal Progress in Oceanography (available online).

"The geographic and depth distributions of fish and shellfish populations can also change based on their preferred thermal habitats. Future changes in thermal conditions are expected to lead to further shifts in the distributional ranges of species by, in many cases, the loss and gain of local populations," said Friedland.

Friedland and his colleagues found that ocean water temperatures of the Northeast Continental Shelf have increased in recent decades, but these changes have not been uniform over the entire ecosystem. Warm water habitats (16 to 27 C, 60 to 80 F) have increased and cool water habitats (5 to 15 C, 41 to 59 F), historically the core habitats in the ecosystem, have declined; however, the coldest habitats in the ecosystem (1-4 C, 34-39 F) have either stayed the same or increased slightly during the study period 1982-2011. This discontinuity is attributed to changes in circulation in the northern Gulf of Maine associated with the Labrador Current.

Atlantic cod off the Northeast U.S. are managed as two stock units, the more northerly in the Gulf of Maine and the more southerly on and around Georges Bank. There are upward of ten known spawning populations within these two stocks, and the very young fish that they produce are found in specific larval development areas. Two zooplankton species that serve as food for Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) larvae are Pseudocalanus spp, and Centropages typicus. The former is associated with winter-spawning cod, and the latter with spring-spawning cod.

The researchers developed indices of zooplankton and cod abundance in six index areas, relating larval feeding and development areas to associated areas where adults reside. They found that Pseudocalanus spp has declined in abundance on parts of Georges Bank and in the eastern Gulf of Maine, areas where cod have been less abundant in recent years. Centropages typicus declined in abundance in the eastern Gulf of Maine as well. The areas where these zooplankton species have declined are spatially discrete and are related to the change in core thermal habitat of the ecosystem.

The abundance of zooplankton species is measured by the NEFSC's Ecosystem Monitoring Program (EcoMon), which conducts shelf-wide bimonthly surveys of the ecosystem. Data and observations from the NEFSC's spring bottom trawl surveys were also analyzed.

Although the researchers concentrated on Atlantic cod recruitment success and population trends, many of the zooplankton species examined are important as prey for early life stages of other fish species and marine mammals. These zooplankton species are important within the Northeast Shelf ecosystem, and can serve as model organisms to test the effect of thermal habitat on changes within the food web.

An Ecosystem Advisory issued by the NEFSC on April 25, 2013 provides additional information related to the Northeast Shelf ecosystem, notably a description of the extreme warming that occurred on the Shelf during 2012 and the associated shifts in thermal habitat.

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/nnfs-cot062013.php
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Federal nullification efforts mounting in states

FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2009, file photo Gary Marbut, right, works with Brad Stemple, left, on a shooting range in Missoula, Mont. After Montana passed a 2009 law crafted by Marbut declaring that federal firearms regulations don?t apply to guns made and kept in that state, eight other states enacted similar laws. Marbut, a gun activist, said he drafted the measure as a foundation for a legal challenge to the federal power to regulate interstate commerce under the U.S. Constitution. (AP Photo/Matt Gouras)

FILE - In this April 5, 2013, file photo Kansas state Reps. Steve Brunk, left, a Wichita Republican, and Arlen Siegfreid, right, an Olathe Republican, confer during a Statehouse debate in Topeka, Kan., prior to passage of the Second Amendment Protection Act. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback signed the bill later and became the first to sign a measure threatening felony charges against federal agents who enforce certain firearms laws on guns made and owned in his state. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

FILE - In this March 11, 2013, file photo Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon speaks in St. Joseph, Mo. Missouri?s Republican-led Legislature has passed legislation that if signed into law by Democratic Gov. Nixon that would make it a crime to enforce federal gun laws and regulations _ past, present, or future _ that ?infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms.? The legislation is is an example of a states' rights movement that has been spreading across the nation in which states are adopting laws that purport to nullify federal laws _ setting up intentional legal conflicts, directing local police not to enforce federal laws and, in some rare cases, even threatening criminal charges for federal agents who dare to do their jobs. (AP Photo/St. Joseph News-Press, Jessica Stewart, File)

Jim and Arlena Sowash stand in their gun shop near Stover, Mo., Thursday, June 20, 2013. The pair signed a letter to Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon urging him to sign a bill nullifying federal gun laws. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) ? Imagine the scenario: A federal agent attempts to arrest someone for illegally selling a machine gun. Instead, the federal agent is arrested ? charged in a state court with the crime of enforcing federal gun laws.

Farfetched? Not as much as you might think.

The scenario would become conceivable if legislation passed by Missouri's Republican-led Legislature is signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.

The Missouri legislation is perhaps the most extreme example of a states' rights movement that has been spreading across the nation. States are increasingly adopting laws that purport to nullify federal laws ? setting up intentional legal conflicts, directing local police not to enforce federal laws and, in rare cases, even threatening criminal charges for federal agents who dare to do their jobs.

An Associated Press analysis found that about four-fifths of the states now have enacted local laws that directly reject or ignore federal laws on marijuana use, gun control, health insurance requirements and identification standards for driver's licenses. The recent trend began in Democratic leaning California with a 1996 medical marijuana law and has proliferated lately in Republican strongholds like Kansas, where Gov. Sam Brownback this spring became the first to sign a measure threatening felony charges against federal agents who enforce certain firearms laws in his state.

Some states, such as Montana and Arizona, have said "no" to the feds again and again ? passing states' rights measures on all four subjects examined by the AP ? despite questions about whether their "no" carries any legal significance.

"It seems that there has been an uptick in nullification efforts from both the left and the right," said Adam Winkler, a professor at the University of California at Los Angeles who specializes in constitutional law.

Yet "the law is clear ? the supremacy clause (of the U.S. Constitution) says specifically that the federal laws are supreme over contrary state laws, even if the state doesn't like those laws," Winkler added.

The fact that U.S. courts have repeatedly upheld federal laws over conflicting state ones hasn't stopped some states from flouting those federal laws ? sometimes successfully.

About 20 states now have medical marijuana laws allowing people to use pot to treat chronic pain and other ailments ? despite a federal law that still criminalizes marijuana distribution and possession. Ceding ground to the states, President Barack Obama's administration has made it known to federal prosecutors that it wasn't worth their time to target those people.

Federal authorities have repeatedly delayed implementation of the 2005 Real ID Act, an anti-terrorism law that set stringent requirements for photo identification cards to be used to board commercial flights or enter federal buildings. The law has been stymied, in part, because about half the state legislatures have opposed its implementation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

About 20 states have enacted measures challenging Obama's 2010 health care laws, many of which specifically reject the provision mandating that most people have health insurance or face tax penalties beginning in 2014.

After Montana passed a 2009 law declaring that federal firearms regulations don't apply to guns made and kept in that state, eight other states have enacted similar laws. Gun activist Gary Marbut said he crafted the Montana measure as a foundation for a legal challenge to the federal power to regulate interstate commerce under the U.S. Constitution. His lawsuit was dismissed by a trial judge but is now pending before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

"The states created this federal monster, and so it's time for the states to get their monster on a leash," said Marbut, president of the Montana Shooting Sports Association.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that local police could not be compelled to carry out provisions of a federal gun control law. But some states are now attempting to take that a step further by asserting that certain federal laws can't even be enforced by federal authorities.

A new Kansas law makes it a felony for a federal agent to attempt to enforce laws on guns made and owned in Kansas. A similar Wyoming law, passed in 2010, made it a misdemeanor. The Missouri bill also would declare it a misdemeanor crime but would apply more broadly to all federal gun laws and regulations ? past, present, or future ? that "infringe on the people's right to keep and bear arms."

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter in late April to the Kansas governor warning that the federal government is willing to go to court over the new law.

"Kansas may not prevent federal employees and officials from carrying out their official responsibilities," Holder wrote.

Federal authorities in the western district of Missouri led the nation in prosecutions for federal weapons offenses through the first seven months of the 2013 fiscal year, with Kansas close behind, according to a data clearinghouse at Syracuse University.

Felons illegally possessing firearms is the most common charge nationally. But the Missouri measure sets it sights on nullifying federal firearms registrations and, among other things, a 1934 law that imposes a tax on transferring machine guns or silencers. Last year, the federal government prosecuted 83 people nationally for unlawful possession of machine guns.

So what would happen if a local prosecutor actually charges a federal agent for doing his or her job?

"They're going to have problems if they do it ? there's no doubt about it," said Michael Boldin, executive director of the Tenth Amendment Center, a Los Angeles-based entity that promotes states' rights. "There's no federal court in the country that's going to say that a state can pull this off."

Yet states may never need to prosecute federal agents in order to make their point.

If enough states resist, "it's going to be very difficult for the federal government to force their laws down our throats," Boldin said.

Missouri's governor has not said whether he will sign or veto the bill nullifying federal gun laws. Meanwhile, thousands of people have sent online messages to the governor's office about the legislation.

Signing the measure "will show other states how to resist the tyranny of federal bureaucrats who want to rob you of your right to self-defense," said one message, signed by Jim and Arlena Sowash, who own a gun shop in rural Stover, Mo.

Others urged a veto.

"Outlandish bills like this ? completely flouting our federal system ? make Missouri the laughingstock of the nation," said a message written by Ann Havelka, of the Kansas City suburb of Gladstone.

___

Follow David A. Lieb at: http://www.twitter.com/DavidALieb

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-21-Ignoring%20Federal%20Laws/id-d51bbab89e8745e6be39e6cf1fb804bd

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Lenovo Miix is a watered-down ThinkPad Tablet 2, starts at $500 (hands-on)

Comb through Lenovo's current product lineup, and you'll find a little something for everyone. A Windows 8 tablet for businesses? Check. How 'bout a consumer model? Yep, that too. But hey, you can never have too many, right? After releasing the IdeaTab Lynx tablet, Lenovo is now launching the Miix, a 10-inch model that's also meant to be used with a keyboard. All told, it's sort of like a watered-down ThinkPad Tablet 2, insofar as it has the same rubbery, soft-touch finish and some very similar specs. Chiefly, it has a dual-core Intel Atom processor along with a 10.1-inch, 1,366 x 768 display, 64GB of on-board storage, an optional keyboard case and a battery rated for 10 hours of runtime. The two even weigh about the same: 1.27 pounds for the Miix, and 1.25 pounds for the WiFi-only TP Tablet.

What's missing, of course, are all the goodies that make the ThinkPad more of a premium device -- you know, NFC, mobile broadband and an active digitizer for pen input. Also, whereas the TP Tablet 2 sports dual cameras, the Miix has just a front-facing webcam, and the resolution's been downgraded from two megapixels to 1.3. Expect it to hit shelves in Q3, with a starting price of $500 (that keyboard will cost $49 extra). For now, check out our hands-on photos below.

Gallery: Lenovo Miix hands-on