Shares grind higher, yen rebounds on minister's remarks

By Herbert Lash

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Global equity markets resumed this year's rally on Monday, driven higher by a flurry of merger and acquisition activity, while a recent tumble in the yen against the dollar halted after Japan's economy minister suggested the currency might have weakened enough.

Despite major American and European stock indices being up double digits - the U.S. benchmark S&P 500 index is almost 17 percent higher so far this year - investors still see better returns ahead in equities than elsewhere.

Deals such as Yahoo's $1.1 billion bid for Tumblr indicate that companies continue to search for growth through acquisitions despite record high share prices, a bullish sign for stocks. Yahoo was up 1.21 percent at $26.84.

In another deal, generic drugmaker Actavis Inc. , itself the subject of takeover speculation, said it would buy specialty pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott Plc for $5 billion in stock.

Actavis rose 2.7 percent to $128.89, while Warner Chilcott gained 3.33 percent to $19.85.

"We got a lot of merger announcements this morning. It means there's a lot of appetite for equities and that's good for the market," said Giri Cherukuri, head trader at OakBrook Investments LLC in Lisle, Illinois.

"Stocks are not too over-valued and the economy is getting better," he said. "As long as the economy continues to improve, the market should be able to maintain these levels."

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was up 16.48 points, or 0.11 percent, at 15,370.88. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was up 2.64 points, or 0.16 percent, at 1,670.11. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was up 2.01 points, or 0.06 percent, at 3,500.97.

MSCI's all-country world equity index <.miwo00000pus> rose 0.51 percent to its highest since June 2008.

Britain's benchmark FTSE 100 <.ftse> index rose to its best closing level since late 2000, while the FTSEurofirst-300 index of leading European shares <.fteu3> rose 0.31 percent to close at 1,252.09.

European shares hit five-year highs, boosted by strength in German stocks and a travel sector lifted by a surge in Ryanair after it reported better-than-expected earnings for the past year. Ryanair rose 6.87 percent to a record 6.765.

The Japanese economy minister, Akira Amari, said the yen's excessive strength had largely corrected and further weakness could damage Japan's economy.

Analysts, however, said any sharp dip in the dollar against the yen was a buying opportunity as Tokyo was committed to easier monetary policy. While the dollar fell sharply on Amari's comments and remained down on the day, it was off the session low.

The dollar was last 0.44 percent lower at 102.47 yen, having hit a low of 102.19. Last Friday, the dollar reached a high of 103.30 yen.

The euro gained 0.5 percent against the dollar to 128.72.

Gold had been on track for its longest run of losses since March 2009, weighed by speculation that the Federal Reserve might rein in its economic stimulus program.

Investors have been dumping gold, which is down about 20 percent this year, while stocks and the dollar have risen on an improving global economic outlook. Gold-backed exchange-traded funds have had massive outflows in recent months.

Spot gold hit a low of $1,338.95 an ounce on Monday, its weakest since April 16, but later rebounded, rising $25.20 to $1,383.34 an ounce.

The beginning of the end of the Fed's massive bond-buying program might come sooner than many investors think if recent gains in the U.S. labor market do not prove fleeting.

U.S. government debt prices slipped after an early rebound from last week's sell-off as the dollar weakened against the yen. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was unchanged in price to yield 1.9524 percent.

Brent crude traded near break-even, weighed by ample supplies, weaker demand for fuel and a strong dollar.

Brent crude for July was up 40 cents at $105.04 a barrel. U.S. crude rose 79 cents to $96.81.

Latest economic indicators http://link.reuters.com/vaf35t

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Equity sector returns in 2013 http://link.reuters.com/jyb29s

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(Reporting by Herbert Lash; Editing by Dan Grebler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/yen-edges-lows-asian-shares-firmer-013643236.html

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Hofstra student killed by police during break-in

MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) ? In what police are describing as a crime of opportunity, a wanted man with a criminal history dating nearly 15 years entered a front door that had been left open at a New York home near Hofstra University.

A short time later, the intruder, Dalton Smith, and a 21-year-old college junior, Andrea Rebello, were both dead. The two were killed early Friday by a Nassau County police officer who fired eight shots at the masked man, hitting him seven times but also accidentally hitting Rebello once in the head, Nassau County homicide squad Lt. John Azzata said Saturday.

Smith was holding Rebello in a headlock and pointing a gun at her head before he turned his gun at the officer, Azzata said, prompting the shooting.

"He kept saying, 'I'm going to kill her,' and then he pointed the gun at the police officer," Azzata said.

A loaded 9 mm handgun with a serial number scratched off was found at the scene, police said.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Dale said he had traveled to Rebello's Tarrytown, N.Y., home to explain to Rebello's parents what happened.

"I felt obligated as a police commissioner and as a parent to inform them as soon as all the forensic results were completed," Dale said.

The veteran police officer, who was not identified, has about 12 years of experience on the Nassau County police force and previously spent several years as a New York City police officer, Dale said.

The officer is currently out on sick leave. He will be the focus of an internal police investigation once the criminal investigation is completed, which is standard police procedure in any officer-involved shooting, the commissioner said.

The shooting came just days before the school's commencement ceremonies, which are scheduled for Sunday.

A university spokeswoman said students will be handed white ribbons to wear in memory of Rebello. The shooting, which took place just steps from campus, has cast a pall over the university community as it geared up for commencement.

Earlier Saturday, police announced that Smith, 30, had been wanted on a parole violation related to a first-degree robbery conviction. A warrant was issued for Smith on April 25 for absconding from parole, police said.

Smith had what police described as "an extensive criminal history," which included arrests for robbery in the first degree in 1999, promoting prison contraband in the second degree in 2000, robbery in the first degree in 2003, assault in the second degree in 2003 and robbery in the second degree in 2003.

Rebello was in the two-story home in Uniondale, N.Y., with her twin sister Jessica, a third woman and a man when Smith, wearing a ski mask, walked into the house through an open front door, Azzata said.

The door was left open after someone had moved a car that was blocking a driveway, Azzata said.

When Smith entered, he demanded valuables and was told they were upstairs, Azzata said.

Smith, apparently unsatisfied with the valuables upstairs, asked if any of the four had a bank account and could withdraw money, Azzata said. The intruder then allowed the unidentified woman to leave and collect money from an ATM, telling her she had only eight minutes to come back with cash before he killed one of her friends, Azzata said.

The woman left for the bank and called 911, according to Azzata.

Minutes later, two police officers arrived at the home and found Rebello's twin sister Jessica running out of the front door and the male guest hiding behind a couch on the first floor, Azzata said.

One of the officers entered the home and encountered Smith holding onto Rebello in a headlock, coming down the stairs, Azzata said. Smith pulled Rebello closer and started moving backward toward a rear door of the house, pointing the gun at her head before eventually threatening the officer, Azzata said.

The Rev. Osvaldo Franklin, who gave Rebello and her twin their first communions, on Saturday night told The Associated Press their mother, Nella, couldn't even speak to him earlier in the day.

"She was so devastated," said Franklin. "She's just crying. We have to pray for Andrea, to pray for Jessica because she needs help."

Franklin said a funeral is scheduled for Wednesday at Teresa of Avila Church in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., and will be in Portuguese.

"The family's a very good family, they have very good values," he said. "They are a very good, very devoted family."

___

Associated Press writer Jake Pearson in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hofstra-student-killed-police-during-break-065118864.html

Teen Choice Awards 2012

Youth who have their first drink during puberty have higher levels of later drinking

May 18, 2013 ? Research shows that the earlier the age at which youth take their first alcoholic drink, the greater the risk of developing alcohol problems. Thus, age at first drink (AFD) is generally considered a powerful predictor of progression to alcohol-related harm. A new study shows that individuals who have their first drink during puberty subsequently have higher drinking levels than do individuals with a post-pubertal drinking onset.

Results will be published in the October 2013 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently available at Early View.

"Most teenagers have their first alcoholic drink during puberty, however, most research on the risks of early-onset alcohol use up to now has not focused on the pubertal stage during which the first alcoholic drink is consumed," said Miriam Schneider, leader of the Research Group Developmental Neuropsychopharmacology at the Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, as well as corresponding author for the study. "Common thinking in alcohol research was that the earlier adolescents begin, the more deleterious become their drinking habits. However, a closer look at the statistics revealed a peak risk of alcohol use disorders for those beginning at 12 to 14 years of age, while even earlier beginners seemed to have a slightly lower risk. Since timing of puberty is not a simple function of chronological age, and also greatly differs between the sexes, the pubertal phase at first drink may therefore represent a stronger and better indicator for subsequent alcohol-related problems than simply the age."

"Usually this type of research has to be done retrospectively, and those studies are not very reliable," added Rainer Spanagel, head of the Institute of Psychopharmacology at the University of Heidelberg. "Prospective longitudinal studies like the one here ? are able to provide reliable conclusions on such a clinically and highly relevant research question. Alternatively, animal studies can be very informative -- and which the researchers have also provided."

"Adolescents have their first drink at very different ages," explained Schneider. "It would be unethical to make adolescents have their first drink in the course of a study, so this variable requires a longitudinal epidemiological study or experimental animal research to assess drinking behavior. Also, the determination of the pubertal stage at AFD is not trivial; even our study had to rely on estimations. Third, it takes longitudinal studies to assess drinking data in early adulthood. Fourth, both drinking behavior and pubertal development can be traced back to common factors such as psychosocial adversity. Finally, while puberty and adolescence are overlapping time periods, with puberty being a part of adolescence, the terms cannot be used interchangeably. 'Puberty' refers to the time period during which sexual maturity is achieved. 'Adolescence' refers to the gradual period of behavioral and cognitive transition from childhood to adulthood, where adult behavioral abilities are acquired, and the boundaries of this period are not precisely defined. Girls complete puberty much earlier than boys, indicating a difference in timing of neurodevelopmental processes."

Schneider and her colleagues determined pubertal age at first drink in 283 young adults (152 females, 131 males) that were part of a larger epidemiological study. In addition, the participants' drinking behavior -- number of drinking days, amount of alcohol consumed, and hazardous drinking -- was assessed at ages 19, 22, and 23 years via interviews and questionnaires. Furthermore, a rodent study concurrently examined the effects of mid-puberty or adult alcohol exposure on voluntary alcohol consumption in later life by 20 male Wistar rats.

"Both studies revealed that those individuals that initiated alcohol consumption during puberty tended to drink more and also more frequently than those starting after puberty," said Schneider.

"In other words," said Spanagel, "this study indicates that the period of puberty might serve as a risk window for AFD. Results also show a higher Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score later in life in those individuals who had their AFD in puberty. A higher AUDIT score is indicative of a high likelihood of hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption. This information is of great relevance for intervention programs. Even more interesting, neither pre-pubertal nor post-pubertal periods seem to serve as risk-time windows. Therefore, intervention programs should be directed selectively towards young people in puberty."

Both Schneider and Spanagel noted the influence of a high degree of brain development that occurs during puberty.

"Numerous neurodevelopmental alterations are taking place during puberty, such as maturational processes in cortical and limbic regions, which are characterized by both progressive and regressive changes such as myelination and synaptic pruning," said Schneider. "Typically, an overproduction of axons and synapses can be found during early puberty, followed by rapid pruning during later puberty, indicating that connections and communication between subcortical and cortical regions are in a highly transitional state during this period."

"Puberty is a phase in which the brain reward system undergoes major functional changes," said Spanagel. "For example, the endocannabinoid and dopamine systems are at their peak and these major neurobiological changes are reflected on the behavioral level; reward sensitivity is highest during puberty. Therefore, during puberty the brain is in a highly vulnerable state for any kind of reward, and drug rewards in particular. This high vulnerability might also affect reward seeking, or in this particular case, alcohol seeking and drinking behavior later in life."

"In summary," said Schneider, "puberty is a very critical developmental period due to ongoing neurodevelopmental processes in the brain. It is exactly during puberty that substances like drugs of abuse -- alcohol, cannabis, etc. -- may induce the most destructive and also persistent effects on the still developing brain, which may in some cases even result in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia or addictive disorders. Prevention work therefore needs to increase awareness of specific risks and vulnerability related to puberty."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/UJdq6_mf21M/130518153740.htm

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Redbox Instant streaming now available on LG Smart TVs

While still in beta, Redbox Instant is slowly increasing the number of devices it supports and has now announced its launch on LG's Smart TV platform (TVs only, not Blu-ray players, for now). The hybrid disc / video on-demand / subscription streaming movie service has continued to push updates to its apps on Android and iOS since their debut, and has been posting promotions of its "disc + digital" approach. Its digital catalog is still more limited than competition like Netflix or Amazon Prime, but the disc aspect is an interesting hook, allowing users to pick up a brand new flick at the kiosk and stream catalog fare, all under one package. If you're in the beta then let us know how things are progressing in the comments, and if you're not then you can get a free month trial at the link below.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, LG

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/05/15/redbox-instant-streaming-now-available-on-lg-smart-tvs/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Small Business Marketing Revolution ? Cost Saving Idea #2 Use ...

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Source: http://www.rangrage.com/small-business-marketing-revolution-cost-saving-idea-2-use-gps-tracking/

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Tunnel collapse traps workers at U.S.-owned mine in Indonesia

May 13 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Tiger Woods $5,849,600 2. Brandt Snedeker $3,388,064 3. Kevin Streelman $2,572,989 4. Billy Horschel $2,567,891 5. Matt Kuchar $2,493,387 6. Phil Mickelson $2,220,280 7. Adam Scott (Australia) $2,207,683 8. D.A. Points $2,019,702 9. Steve Stricker $1,977,140 10. Graeme McDowell $1,910,654 11. Jason Day $1,802,797 12. Webb Simpson $1,759,015 13. Dustin Johnson $1,748,907 14. Hunter Mahan $1,682,939 15. Charles Howell III $1,561,988 16. Russell Henley $1,546,638 17. Martin Laird $1,531,950 18. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tunnel-collapse-traps-workers-indonesian-071006400.html

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Wind Dancer Bison Ranch raising healthy meat ... - Dairyland Peach

Posted on May 13, 2013 at 8:00 am

Buffalo are not as calm as their beef relatives. They need very little care, but the Sworski family takes care not to stress the animals. ?They have the potential to be unpredictable,? said Mike. Pictured are members of the Sworski family (from left): Brooke, Mike, Shelly and Cole.

?

By Jennie Zeitler, Staff Writer
jennie.zeitler@ecm-inc.com

Taking advantage of a bottomed-out bison market in about 2000, Mike Sworski was able to fulfill a longtime dream of raising bison.

Mike had grown up on a hobby farm south of St. Cloud, where his father allowed Mike and younger brother, John, to raise beef cattle.

?During grade school, we got our first steers from our grandpa,? Mike said.

He purchased a farm near Richmond shortly before marrying Shelly in 1998. His beef cattle were moved over to the new farm, but Mike still harbored the bison dream.

?I had wanted to raise bison (also correctly called buffalo) from a young age,? he said. ?My parents were leery of them getting out and causing trouble.?

Mike and Shelly chose the name ?Wind Dancer? for their farm because of its Native American connotations. The ?dancer? part was especially meaningful to them after they watched bald eagles soaring through the sky around their new farm.

After a couple of years on the farm, Mike decided it was time for the bison. Because he had been raising sheep as well, he waited a year between getting rid of the beef cattle and the sheep and buying the first bison. Sheep can carry a virus that can kill bison, but does not affect beef cattle.

Mike had visited a bison rancher near Glenwood for a tour and conversation.

?He was very helpful, sharing ?dos and don?ts,?? Mike said. ?When I went by different ranches, I?d stop and look at their setups from the road.?

?Then the bottom fell out of the bison market, and we decided to jump in,? said Mike.

The first bison were purchased in Albany at Minnesota Buffalo?s annual fall sale, four bull calves.

?Just starting out, we didn?t want to get in over our heads,? he said.

The Sworskis have seven and a half acres and rent an additional six acres from a neighbor. Their farmland is used for grazing, while they grow hay on the rented land.

In 2002, two female buffalo were brought home from Osakis.

In 2003, an electrical storm took out power to the electric fence and a neighbor and his wife helped the Sworskis bring the buffalo back in. ?They were young enough ? we got them back in easily,? Mike said.

Bison require very little care. ?They get grass, hay and plenty of fresh water and are wormed once a year,? he said.

Bison at Wind Dancer are not given hormones, antibiotics or vaccinations.

One of the biggest challenges is moving the bison.

?They have the potential to be unpredictable,? said Mike. ?We are careful the animals don?t get stressed, so we don?t get hurt.?

?You have to remember that they are wild animals,? Shelly said. ?We don?t name them; they are not pets.?

About two bison per year are sold, with the Sworskis keeping about one-third to one-half of a bison. The rest is sold to friends and family members.

?We tried to keep 10 ? 11 at a time, but it was too much,? Mike said. ?We keep five or six most of the time; no more than eight.?

Most of their new animals are purchased as younger females at fall sales or from Minnesota Buffalo Association members directly off the farm.

The current breeder bull is one of the original four bulls. ?He?s getting to be that age where it?s time to get a younger bull,? said Mike.

Shelly likes the lean meat the bison provide. ?I don?t have to drain or rinse hamburger, but have to watch not to burn it.?

?It can be cooked at a lower heat in less cooking time,? Mike added. ?It?s the health benefits that are most important. Bison meat is nutrient dense because of the proportion of protein, fat, minerals? and fatty acids to number of calories. Bison meat has high levels of Omega 3 fats.?

?My advice for farmers is to start out with young animals ? calves and yearlings,? said Mike. ?It makes a huge difference.?

For more information, call (320) 453-2961.

?

Source: http://dairylandpeach.com/2013/05/wind-dancer-bison-ranch-raising-healthy-meat/

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James Holmes pleads not guilty by reason of insanity

James Holmes sits with defense attorney Tamara Brady during his arraignment. (AP)

CENTENNIAL, Colo.?An overwhelming number of victims have objected to James Holmes pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, but the judge in the Aurora, Colo., shooting case told the courtroom today that Holmes? attorneys proved they can pursue that defense.

?The court finds that good cause has been shown [to enter the plea],? Judge Carlos A. Samour said, adding that Holmes? attorneys had made a good-faith effort to talk to mental health experts and further explore the defendant?s mental state in recent weeks. Samour will rule by May 31 whether he accepts Holmes? insanity plea.

Holmes faces the death penalty in the killing of 12 people in last summer?s shooting spree at a suburban Denver movie theater. Last Tuesday, Holmes? lawyers notified the court they planned to switch the plea from not guilty to not guilty by reason of insanity.

Of the victims and family members of victims interviewed by the Arapahoe County district attorney?s office, 19 told prosecutors they did not think Holmes should be able to plead insanity. Six did not object and three said they had no position, prosecuting attorney Jacob Edson told the judge.

Pleas are the judge?s discretion?and Edson, while arguing against it, acknowledged as much. "It's up to the court," he said.

But victims? opinions are especially important in Colorado, where the state?s Victims Rights Act requires that prosecutors take victims? opinions into consideration when making monumental trial decisions, such as pursuing the death penalty.

Also complicating the switch to insanity is a Colorado statute that says a plea must be made at an arraignment, which was March 12, when the previous judge in the case entered a not-guilty plea on Holmes? behalf. But Samour noted that the Colorado Supreme Court has liberally allowed defendants to alter their pleas in an effort to afford them fairness.

Defense attorney Daniel King told Samour that, since the arraignment, his team has made substantial progress in speaking with mental illness experts and poring over documents that may shed more light on Holmes' frame of mind the night of the shootings.

"The reason we're now ready is we have a diagnosis that is complete. I think it's remarkable we've made the progress we have," King said, adding that his team has needed to dig through nearly 40,000 pages of discovery and evidence.

If his request is approved, Holmes will have to undergo lengthy psychological tests to back up his claim. Although his conversations with his university psychiatrist and a notebook he sent her shortly before the attacks have been ruled privileged information, an insanity plea may remove that confidentiality and allow the state to administer tests that would delve deeper into Holmes' illness. Defense attorneys have objected to this.

Since Holmes' first hearing in July, attorneys on both sides have repeatedly peppered courtroom argument with their perceptions of his mental state. Two statements from attorneys boil down just how far apart they are:

"Because he wanted to kill all of them, he knew what he was doing," prosecutor Karen Pearson said during Holmes? arraignment.

"Mr. Holmes suffers from a serious mental illness," his defense wrote in a court filing on April 29.

Here?s a look at some milestone events that led up to today?s plea:

? During the March 12 arraignment, William Sylvester, the first judge in the case, entered a not-guilty plea on the defendant?s behalf, as allowed by law. The court expected Holmes to plead not guilty by reason of insanity at the arraignment, but King told Sylvester defense lawyers were trapped in what he called a legal Catch-22: Because they didn?t know whether the prosecution would seek the death penalty, they couldn?t enter an appropriate plea?guilty, not guilty, insane or otherwise. (Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler said in court on April 1 he would seek the death penalty, putting in motion today?s plea.)

? The day before the arraignment, Sylvester, who has since stepped down from the case because his schedule won?t permit a lengthy capital case, advised Holmes what an insanity plea legally entails. In a court notice, Sylvester wrote that the test for insanity applies to a ?person who is so diseased or defective in mind at the time of the commission of the act as to be incapable of distinguishing right from wrong.? But a legally insane person is not someone with ?moral obliquity, mental depravity, or passion growing out of anger, revenge, hatred, or other motives and kindred evil conditions.?

That?s the key difference, prosecutors allege: While fully sane, Holmes meticulously concocted a ?detailed and complex? plan to slaughter patrons at the Aurora movie theater.

? In the week leading up to the arraignment, Holmes? attorneys publicly announced through a court filing that he offered to plead guilty and avoid trial. But the prosecution not only turned down the request, it chastised Holmes? lawyers, dubbing the proposal a ?calculated attempt? to ?deliberately prejudice the public, witnesses, and victims? against the prosecution?s case.

?[The guilty offer] was not only improper, but grossly improper,? the prosecution said, adding that a guilty plea only proved ?that the defendant knows that he is guilty, the defense attorneys know that he is guilty, and that both of them know that he was not criminally insane.?

A courtroom sketch shows Dr. Lynne Fenton and shooting suspect James Holmes. (Bill Robles)

? In hearings during the late summer and fall, the defense tried to establish that Holmes? relationship with his university psychiatrist, Dr. Lynne Fenton, continued until the July 20 shootings, and possibly afterward. This apparently was an attempt to prove he was still under mental health care?and, thus, his conversations with her are confidential.

Meanwhile, the prosecution asked several law enforcement witnesses during testimony to detail the weapons arsenal Holmes amassed. The array of ammunition and body armor?in addition to the booby-trapping of his apartment?illustrates a sane and well-crafted plot, the prosecution has implied.

Holmes, 25, was a Ph.D. student in neuroscience at the University of Colorado before the shootings during a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," the latest Batman movie. He faces 166 counts of murder, attempted murder and other charges. The trial is scheduled for February 2014.

But victim Marcus Weaver said there shouldn't even be a trial. Because Holmes already offered a guilty plea, Weaver told Yahoo News at the April 1 hearing that he'd rather not see a months-long trial and that Holmes should own up to his mistakes.

"It's anguishing. It's frustrating as a victim," Weaver said. "You're talking a whole calendar year before you get to a trial."

He added, ?You have an obligation, if you?re guilty, to plead guilty."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/james-holmes-insanity-plea-expected-today-074731811.html

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Butterfly watch: multi-generational migrations

Migrating animals are always impressive to watch. The ability to cover huge areas of land in massive groups can be a beneficial strategy for many animals; whether birds, mammals or shoals of fish. Yet even more impressive than migrations by groups of individuals are those that take place over several generations. In the case of the Painted Lady butterfly a 9000-mile round trip, from the tropics of Africa to the Arctic circle, takes place over six generations. Each butterfly is following the migration path, not of its parents, but of its great-great-great-great-grandparents.

The Painted Lady butterfly, Vanessa cardui. Picture taken in Ename, Belgium by Tim Bekaert (July 12, 2005).

Until fairly recently, it wasn?t known exactly how these butterflies migrated. They appeared in the UK around spring-time and then promptly vanished in the autumn. In order to track them a project was set up in 2009, involving systematic surveys, observation through citizen science projects, and the use of?high altitude insect-monitoring radars.

What they found was that when the Painted Lady migrated back down south, the butterflies travel at incredibly high altitudes, up to 500m up. By using favourable winds, they can reach speeds of up to 30mph, which for a butterfly is fairly zooming along. They?d never been seen previously because people weren?t monitoring butterflies at such high altitudes. Butterflies such as Red Admirals were seen and recorded travelling southwards, but the Painted Ladies were so high up they were able to vanish unnoticed.

Painted Ladies aren?t the only butterflies that carry out these multi-generational migrations. The most famous migrating butterflies are probably the Monarch butterflies in America, which takes four generations to migrate from Canada and Mexico. Once again, these butterflies aren?t using memories, or even passed on knowledge of the migration routes to find their way. Each generation must work it out alone with the help of genetics and instinct.

Monarch butterflies resting on a tree mid-migration. Image by Brocken Inaglory, credit link below.

I find these multi-generational migrations truly fascinating; the idea that these tiny little creatures, with brains approximately the size of a pin-head, are capible of following migratory patterns laid down many generations ago. It?s like a butterfly generation-spaceship, with each individual seeing only a small fraction of the distance and scenery of the full journey.

?

Brocken Inaglory images

Reference: Stefanescu, C., P?ramo, F., ?kesson, S., Alarc?n, M., ?vila, A., Brereton, T., Carnicer, J., Cassar, L. F., Fox, R., Heli?l?, J., Hill, J. K., Hirneisen, N., Kjell?n, N., K?hn, E., Kuussaari, M., Leskinen, M., Liechti, F., Musche, M., Regan, E. C., Reynolds, D. R., Roy, D. B., Ryrholm, N., Schmaljohann, H., Settele, J., Thomas, C. D., van Swaay, C. and Chapman, J. W. (2013), Multi-generational long-distance migration of insects: studying the painted lady butterfly in the Western Palaearctic. Ecography, 36:?474?486. doi:?10.1111/j.1600-0587.2012.07738.x

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=4ee16c3dfec2ad39fcd96a9147511b0d

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Songza (for iPad)

Songza, our Editors' Choice pick among free streaming music sites, brings its playlist-based service to Apple's tablet. The free, ad-supported iPad?app presents music as themed playlists that you can discover by searching for artists, rifling through genres, or using the extremely cool Music Concierge, which serves up tunes based on your mood, time of day, and popular genres. The app offers a simple and unique way to discover artists you may not have known existed, but it lacks a vital feature found in the browser-based Songza: playlist creation and editing. Songza's iPad app is a solid offering that brings an interesting feature set to the table, but it can't displace Slacker for iPad?as our Editors' Choice streaming music service on Apple's slate.

The Songza Experience
You begin by either signing into Songza using your Facebook credentials or by creating/signing in with dedicated Songza credentials. This brings you to the Songza Music Concierge, which prompts you to select music based on your mood time and time of day. Songza displayed the time of day (Monday afternoon), and I selected the "Quitting Your Job" playlist because it was represented by a person ready to smash a copier with a sledgehammer?it made me chuckle. Songza then asked me to pick a genre from "Fight-the-power Funk," "Rebellious Rock," "Office Space Rap," and "Riotous Punk." After selecting "Fight-the-power Funk," I then chose "The Big Payback" playlist, which served up The Isley Brothers' "Fight the Power (Part 1 & 2)," James Brown's "The Payback," and other appropriate funky protest songs. I was very pleased with the mix that bounced to my ears.

Tracks within playlists have the expected album art, artist, song, and album titles, but Songza also displays the playlist creator's username and the number of songs within the collection ("The Grunge Era" contains 71 songs). You can also share playlists using Facebook, Tweet, and email. Unfortunately, Songza lacks song lyrics and an option that would let users stream complete albums (it's all about the playlists). Songza also lets listeners skip a handful of songs per hour?typical for a free streaming music services?but it lacks a premium plan that would remove the visual ads and skip limitations.

A toolbar housing several categories resides to the left of the main content area. It features Popular (both trending and all-time hot songs), My PlayLists (recently played playlists and favorites), Explore (which lets you search for songs by genre, mood, culture, and more), Search, and Settings. There's also a section that displays "Similar Playlists," song collections that are similar to what you're playing. Songza's recommendations are excellent; it displayed "Origins of Swag" and "Classic Samples, Damn Good Songs" while I listened to The Big Payback playlist.

New Features
Songza features an improved artist search that displays all the curated playlists featuring the performer. Even better, when you fire up one of those playlists, the first song that's played will be from the artist you searched for, so you don't have to wait to hear your favorite musician perform.

The more intriguing feature is Songza?s HQ Audio feature, which is powered by Audyssey. The audio-enhancing software is designed to improve headphone sound quality without increasing the streaming bitrate (and, by extension, your data plan usage). Here's how it works: you plug a pair of headphones into your iPad and Audyssey will prompt you to select an associated audio profile (the software supports over 200 headphone models). Songza then installs an audio profile?an audio profile that improves the listening experience a bit. The streaming tunes that were delivered to my Skullcandy Hesh headphones sounded a bit fuller with Audyssey activated than when I used unsupported cans. If you own a pair of headphones that aren't currently supported by Audyssey, click the "Can't find your headphones?" link to fill out a request form. Audyssey may support the model in the future.

A Major Gripe
The Songza iPad app, despite carrying over many of the browser-based version's capabilities, has one glaring flaw: It doesn't let users create or edit playlists. That's one of the Web version's more attractive features?especially if you make a playlist editable by the entire Songza community, which results in intriguing mixes?so it's a disappointment not to see it here as well. Songza states that playlist creation and editing is a feature that will be a Web-exclusive feature for the foreseeable future.

Singing the Songza
Songza may lack the ability to create and edit playlists, but it's still an excellent streaming music app. Music discovery is effortless, and there are many entertaining playlists, too. Slacker for iPad remains the Editors' Choice pick as it's a more comprehensive streaming audio service that carries lifestyle content and live ESPN. But if you're looking to sample interesting mixes, give this app a spin.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/2PcHNUPmOz8/0,2817,2407527,00.asp

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G-7 to discuss ways to 'nurture recovery'

LONDON (AP) ? What more the world's top central banks can do to shore up the global economic recovery is expected to feature large at a meeting of finance ministers and central bankers from the seven leading industrial economies.

In a statement Friday ahead of the Group of Seven meeting at a country house around 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of London, British finance minister George Osborne says the main task over the coming two days is how to nurture the recovery.

He says participants will consider what "more monetary activism can do to support the recovery."

Currencies are likely to feature, as the dollar has breached the 100 yen mark for the first time in over four years.

The G-7 consists of the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Britain.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/g-7-discuss-ways-nurture-recovery-085916346.html

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U.S. appeals court strikes down mandate on union rights

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The National Labor Relations Board violated the law when it required U.S. businesses to put notices in their workplaces and on their websites informing employees of their right to unionize, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.

A unanimous three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit struck down the rule, finding that federal law prohibits the labor board from punishing a business for speech, or lack of it, as long as the business does not issue threats.

Freedom of speech "necessarily protects ... the right of employers (and unions) not to speak," Judge Raymond Randolph wrote for the appeals court.

In mandating the notices in 2011, a majority of the labor board appointed by President Barack Obama said that employees cannot fully exercise their rights unless they know what their rights are.

Business trade associations sued within days, arguing that the "11-by-17" posters violated corporate speech rights.

The ruling for the trade associations, including the National Association of Manufacturers, is the second major defeat at the appeals court for the labor board this year.

In January, the court invalidated Obama's appointments to the board during a period of congressional inactivity. The Obama administration has since asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the ruling.

(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-appeals-court-strikes-down-mandate-union-rights-145052941.html

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