Woman accused of Arizona lover's murder attended his memorial

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A woman on trial for capital murder in Arizona testified on Tuesday that she attended her lover's memorial service days after she killed him, writing in a remembrance book that he was "beautiful inside and out."

Jodi Arias, 32, could face the death penalty if convicted of murdering 30-year-old Travis Alexander, whose body was found in the shower of his Phoenix valley home in June 2008. He was shot in the face, stabbed 27 times and had his throat slit.

Arias, in frequently explicit testimony about her relationship with Alexander, has admitted to killing him but said it was in self defense after he attacked her when she dropped his camera while taking pictures of him in the shower. The prosecution has said she killed him in a jealous rage.

In a combative third day of cross examination, prosecutor Juan Martinez confronted Arias with positive comments she wrote about Alexander at a memorial service days after the killing, in which she described him as "beautiful on the inside and out."

"You also write, ?You always told me that I have never stopped believing in you, and I know that you always believed in me,' right?" Martinez asked of the remarks which were seemingly at odds with Arias' assertions that Alexander was abusive.

"Yes I did," Arias replied.

"Even though, according to you, he would get this mean look on his face and come charging after you down the hallway, you still believed in him, right?" Arias agreed that she did, after he rephrased the question.

Seeking to point out further inconsistencies in her testimony, Martinez questioned Arias about a text message she had sent Alexander less than two months before she killed him, in which she called him "a rock, a light and an inspiration," and noted that she "loved him dearly."

"You've been telling us that in addition to being mean, he physically abused you ... and that he would raise his voice to you. ... Yet once you are free of him, and after the fog has lifted, you are thanking him and telling him what an inspiration he is," Martinez said.

Arias and Alexander met in the fall of 2006 and dated for several months. They split up the following summer, although their sexual relationship continued until his death.

Martinez also sought on Tuesday to paint Arias as having a history of jealousy and a readiness to confront lovers and perceived romantic rivals when she felt slighted.

The court heard how she accessed the email account of a previous boyfriend of whom she had become suspicious. After discovering letters to him from another woman, Arias showed them to him before moving out of their shared accommodation.

Martinez then questioned Arias about an incident in a subsequent relationship in which she drove to meet with a woman she apparently perceived as a rival, after finding a photograph of the woman with her then boyfriend.

"When you feel something is not right ... you are going to confront that person?" Martinez asked, to which Arias replied: "Not necessarily."

The trial is set to continue on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Richard Chang)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/woman-accused-arizona-lovers-murder-attended-memorial-005622484.html

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Green Blog: An Emblem for Puerto Rico?s Climate Fight

More on amphibians as a bellwether:

Advocates for action on climate change in Puerto Rico have a mascot: the coqu?, a tiny tree frog.

Named for its high-pitched calls, a familiar evening serenade, the coqu? is the generic name for some 14 species of frog, some only half an inch long, that long inhabited the island archipelago.? Three of the species have gone extinct since the 1970s because of a warming climate and habitat loss in the densely populated territory; scientists fear that the remaining 14 will also disappear unless the authorities take quick action to preserve more land and to slow rising temperatures.

Yet, as Rachel Nuwer reported here on Wednesday, the principal threat to frogs like the coqu?s is the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, an organism that causes fatal skin infections in the frogs and that becomes more prevalent as temperatures rise.

?Climate change is making things better for the fungus and worse for amphibians,? said Rafael Joglar, a professor of biology at the University of Puerto Rico and an expert on coquis and other amphibians. ?The fungus infects the skin of the frogs and will eventually kill them.?

Loss of the coqu?s would be unsettling for Puerto Rico, where the frogs? image can be found on everything from T-shirts to key rings to rock engravings. Because the frogs feed on mosquitoes, the decline of the tiny amphibians will mean that humans will be more exposed to mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and dengue fever, Dr. Joglar said.

On Thursday, scientists led by El Puente, a community action group in Brooklyn, will issue a report calling on the federal government and the governor of Puerto Rico to combat climate change and to quadruple the amount of land shielded from development on the island to around 32 percent.

In a statement accompanying the report, Archbishop Roberto Gonz?lez Nieves of the Archdiocese of San Juan echoes the plea for action on global warming and fossil fuel emissions. ?Congress must limit greenhouse emissions before climate change forever silences the evening symphony of the coqu?,? he writes.

More broadly, global action would help to slow the rise in sea levels. Along Puerto Rico?s coastlines, tides are expected to continue rising 1.4 millimeters a year, which is contributing to coastal retreat of as much as one meter a year, according to the report, which is being issued in tandem with a meeting in San Juan of Latino leaders addressing climate change.

Other species like sea turtles, shorebirds, and coral reefs are also threatened by rising temperatures, higher seas, and more frequent and severe storms, the study observes.

The report notes that in 2010 and 2011, the island experienced about 100 days when temperatures rose to 90 degrees Fahrenheit or more, equaling the number of 90-degree days recorded for the entire half-century between 1900 and 1949. Puerto Rico?s overall temperature has risen by about one degree in the last 30 years, and while that may not sound like much, ?it?s causing real problems for the frogs, Dr. Joglar said. ?It?s critical for the coqu?.?

Beyond more aggressive national action to reduce national dependence on fossil fuels and to preserve habitat; the report calls for creating a network of ecological corridors that would connect Puerto Rico?s current patchwork of isolated reserves and steps to eradicate invasive species, including the frog-killing fungus and some nonnative frogs and toads.

Without concerted action, Dr. Joglar warns, the island could lose a class of creatures that are viewed as barometers of environmental health. ?Amphibians in general are bio-indicators,? he said. ?What we are really worried about is what?s going to happen next.?

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/28/an-emblem-for-puerto-ricos-climate-fight/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Sony Ericsson Windows Phone prototype hits eBay, reminds us sliders existed

eBay is as close as it comes to a genuine Aladdin's cave, and we've seen plenty of ancient rarities, prototypes, sci-fi weaponry, and the odd killer robot go under its gavel. One of the latest artifacts of interest comes from eBay's Netherlands site, which is hosting an auction for a Windows Phone prototype slider known to her friends as Julie (or Jolie, depending on where you look in the listing) from the now defunct Sony Ericsson partnership. The phone that never was from the company that is no longer is allegedly one of only seven units made, and is touted as having an 8-megapixel shooter and 16 gigs of storage. Some digging through the XDA Developers' forum suggests the handset's old Windows Phone 7 ROM is basically non-functional, so don't expect to plug in your SIM and stroll out the door with a useable device. If that doesn't put you off, however, there's no exorbitant entry price, and bids remain sensible, for now. Head to the listing below for more pictures and to get in on the action, but bear in mind the only shipping options are for Europe. Nothing a PM with an outrageous offer won't rectify, surely.

Update: The seller has been in contact to let us know that international shipping is now available, and while the WP7 ROM running on the handset is by no means a final build, there are no issues with voice calling, the camera or Bluetooth.

Filed under: Cellphones, Alt, Sony

Comments

Via: Windows Phone Central

Source: eBay (Netherlands)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/28/sony-ericsson-windows-phone-prototype-ebay/

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New Zealand Accelerator Lightning Lab Launches Its First Intake Of Nine Startups

Wellington-based Lightning Lab, which bills itself as "the southern-most digital accelerator program on the globe," just announced its first intake of nine startups from across New Zealand and Australia, who will work with over 100 mentors.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/GPuj0zDitCU/

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The NHL drafts the wrong players due to birthday bias

Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dottie Barnes
barnesdo@gvsu.edu
616-331-2221
Grand Valley State University

ALLENDALE, Mich. A hockey player's birthday strongly biases how professional teams assess his talent, according to a new study by Grand Valley State University researchers. The findings were published in the online journal PLOS ONE at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057753.

The research, led by Robert Deaner, associate professor of psychology at Grand Valley State, shows that, on average, National Hockey League (NHL) draftees born between July and December are much more likely than those born in the first three months of the year to have successful careers. In particular, 34 percent of draftees were born in the last six months of the year, but these individuals played 42 percent of the games and scored 44 percent of the points accumulated by those in the study. By contrast, those born in the first three months of the year constituted 36 percent of draftees but only played 28 percent of the games and only scored 25 percent of the points.

The study focused on Canadian players because in Canadian youth ice hockey there is a January 1 cut-off date. This means players born later in the year would have been consistently younger than their age group peers.

"There's no doubt that drafting professional athletes is an inexact science," said Deaner. "Plenty of sure-fire first-round picks fizzle while some late-round picks unexpectedly become stars. But our results show that, at least since 1980, NHL teams have been consistently fooled by players' birthdays or something associated with them. They greatly underestimate the promise of players born in the second half of the year, the ones who have always been relatively younger than their peers. For any given draft slot, relatively younger players are about twice as likely to be successful. So if teams really wanted to win, they should have drafted more of the relatively younger players."

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE

Previous studies have demonstrated relative age effects (RAEs), which occur when those who are relatively older for their age group are more likely to succeed. For example, in elite Canadian youth ice hockey, roughly 40 percent of players are born in the first three months of the year while only 15 percent are born in the last three months. Although RAEs are well established in many sports and educational settings, their underlying causes remain unclear. The new study provides the most direct evidence yet that selection bias is a crucial cause of RAEs. Selection bias means that evaluators, such as teachers and coaches, grant fewer opportunities to relatively younger individuals than is warranted by their talent.

"There are many possible causes of RAEs," said Deaner. "For instance, a youth coach may mainly select relatively older players because those players' greater size means they are actually more likely to help the team. Researchers believe, however, that selection bias is also a big cause of RAEs, but there has never been a direct test of selection bias. We could make this test because we had a good measure of perceived talent, the order or slot in which each player was drafted. And we had good measures of realized talent, how long they were able to stay in the NHL and how many points they scored there. Because relatively younger players consistently performed better than would be expected based on their draft slots, we've shown selection bias."

The researchers admit that they don't fully understand the selection bias they discovered. "We don't know yet why the evaluations of NHL teams are biased, but there are several ways it could work. Because being many months older than one's peers can be a big advantage as a child or early teen, the relatively older players might be more likely to be on the most elite junior teams when they are 17 or 18, and scouts might be swayed by that," said Deaner. "Another possibility, suggested by educational studies, is an 'underdog' effect. This would involve relatively younger individuals developing better work habits so that they improve more in adulthood."

The authors believe their pro hockey results have implications for education. Deaner noted: "We have to be careful about assuming too much because a teacher deciding which children should be tracked into advanced classes is a much different situation than hockey teams assessing which adults are likely to develop into NHL stars. But, for many reasons, one would think that NHL teams should be less biased than educators. First, NHL teams are evaluating adults not children, meaning that relative age differences are proportionally smaller. Second, NHL teams are aware of RAEs, but educators may not be. Third, NHL teams have vast resources to evaluate individuals while educators do not. Fourth, NHL teams pay a steep price for poor evaluation whereas educators may not. So overall, in many situations, evaluations of ability may be greatly colored by an individual's relative age. This may even happen when the teachers and coaches know about RAEs."

###

Co-authors of the study were Aaron Lowen of Grand Valley State University and Steven Cobley of the University of Sydney.

For more information, contact Robert Deaner at robert.deaner@gmail.com.

Robert Deaner joined the Psychology Department at Grand Valley State University in 2006. He earned a doctorate in biological anthropology and anatomy at Duke University and conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Neurobiology at Duke. His research focuses on applying evolutionary theory to human behavior and investigating sex differences in performance and motivation.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Dottie Barnes
barnesdo@gvsu.edu
616-331-2221
Grand Valley State University

ALLENDALE, Mich. A hockey player's birthday strongly biases how professional teams assess his talent, according to a new study by Grand Valley State University researchers. The findings were published in the online journal PLOS ONE at http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057753.

The research, led by Robert Deaner, associate professor of psychology at Grand Valley State, shows that, on average, National Hockey League (NHL) draftees born between July and December are much more likely than those born in the first three months of the year to have successful careers. In particular, 34 percent of draftees were born in the last six months of the year, but these individuals played 42 percent of the games and scored 44 percent of the points accumulated by those in the study. By contrast, those born in the first three months of the year constituted 36 percent of draftees but only played 28 percent of the games and only scored 25 percent of the points.

The study focused on Canadian players because in Canadian youth ice hockey there is a January 1 cut-off date. This means players born later in the year would have been consistently younger than their age group peers.

"There's no doubt that drafting professional athletes is an inexact science," said Deaner. "Plenty of sure-fire first-round picks fizzle while some late-round picks unexpectedly become stars. But our results show that, at least since 1980, NHL teams have been consistently fooled by players' birthdays or something associated with them. They greatly underestimate the promise of players born in the second half of the year, the ones who have always been relatively younger than their peers. For any given draft slot, relatively younger players are about twice as likely to be successful. So if teams really wanted to win, they should have drafted more of the relatively younger players."

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE

Previous studies have demonstrated relative age effects (RAEs), which occur when those who are relatively older for their age group are more likely to succeed. For example, in elite Canadian youth ice hockey, roughly 40 percent of players are born in the first three months of the year while only 15 percent are born in the last three months. Although RAEs are well established in many sports and educational settings, their underlying causes remain unclear. The new study provides the most direct evidence yet that selection bias is a crucial cause of RAEs. Selection bias means that evaluators, such as teachers and coaches, grant fewer opportunities to relatively younger individuals than is warranted by their talent.

"There are many possible causes of RAEs," said Deaner. "For instance, a youth coach may mainly select relatively older players because those players' greater size means they are actually more likely to help the team. Researchers believe, however, that selection bias is also a big cause of RAEs, but there has never been a direct test of selection bias. We could make this test because we had a good measure of perceived talent, the order or slot in which each player was drafted. And we had good measures of realized talent, how long they were able to stay in the NHL and how many points they scored there. Because relatively younger players consistently performed better than would be expected based on their draft slots, we've shown selection bias."

The researchers admit that they don't fully understand the selection bias they discovered. "We don't know yet why the evaluations of NHL teams are biased, but there are several ways it could work. Because being many months older than one's peers can be a big advantage as a child or early teen, the relatively older players might be more likely to be on the most elite junior teams when they are 17 or 18, and scouts might be swayed by that," said Deaner. "Another possibility, suggested by educational studies, is an 'underdog' effect. This would involve relatively younger individuals developing better work habits so that they improve more in adulthood."

The authors believe their pro hockey results have implications for education. Deaner noted: "We have to be careful about assuming too much because a teacher deciding which children should be tracked into advanced classes is a much different situation than hockey teams assessing which adults are likely to develop into NHL stars. But, for many reasons, one would think that NHL teams should be less biased than educators. First, NHL teams are evaluating adults not children, meaning that relative age differences are proportionally smaller. Second, NHL teams are aware of RAEs, but educators may not be. Third, NHL teams have vast resources to evaluate individuals while educators do not. Fourth, NHL teams pay a steep price for poor evaluation whereas educators may not. So overall, in many situations, evaluations of ability may be greatly colored by an individual's relative age. This may even happen when the teachers and coaches know about RAEs."

###

Co-authors of the study were Aaron Lowen of Grand Valley State University and Steven Cobley of the University of Sydney.

For more information, contact Robert Deaner at robert.deaner@gmail.com.

Robert Deaner joined the Psychology Department at Grand Valley State University in 2006. He earned a doctorate in biological anthropology and anatomy at Duke University and conducted postdoctoral research in the Department of Neurobiology at Duke. His research focuses on applying evolutionary theory to human behavior and investigating sex differences in performance and motivation.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/gvsu-tnd022513.php

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Newly spotted comet to buzz Mars in 2014

Lisa Grossman, physical sciences reporter

A Martian sunset, as seen by NASA's Spirit rover in 2005. (Image: Mars Exploration Rover Mission, Texas A&M, Cornell, JPL, NASA)

There's a new comet in town, and it is making a beeline for Mars. If projections of its orbit are correct, the icy visitor will buzz the Red Planet in October 2014.

Dubbed C/2013 A1, the comet was discovered on 3 January by prolific comet hunter Robert McNaught at Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. Colleagues at the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona found images of the comet in their catalogue that date back to 8 December 2012, giving additional information about its movements.

These observations allowed astronomers to trace the comet's likely path around the sun. The calculated trajectory has C/2013 A1 crossing Mars's orbit on 19 October 2014, according to Australian blogger Ian Musgrave.

That doesn't necessarily mean a collision will occur. The best estimates right now have the comet passing a safe distance of 900,000 kilometres from the Martian surface. Asteroid 2012 DA14 got much closer to Earth last week, skimming by at a distance of 34,400 kilometres. But with so little data in hand, the calculations are not precise. It's possible the comet will miss Mars by as much as 36 million kilometres - or it could smack right into the planet. "An impact can't be ruled out at this stage," Musgrave wrote.

From Earth, we should be able to see the comet and Mars sitting side by side through small telescopes. And from Mars, the comet could be as spectacular as the expected "supercomet" ISON, which will come into view this year and could outshine the full moon.

Assuming the comet's orbit brings it close enough - but not too close - to Mars, the object should be visible either by rovers on the surface or the armada of Mars-orbiting satellites, which have a history of snapping spectacular shots of the Red Planet and its neighbourhood.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/28fdd7fc/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cshortsharpscience0C20A130C0A20Cnewly0Espotted0Ecomet0Eto0Ebuzz0Ema0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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For pet owners who just can't say - Mother Nature Network

This bulldog was preserved by Anthony Eddy Wildlife Studio.

?

?

But some pet owners simply cannot bear to say goodbye, opting instead to preserve dogs, cats ? even lizards and rabbits ? through a process that involves freeze-drying animals in lifelike poses. If you?re curious about how this works, there?s a reality show called ?American Stuffers? on the Discovery Channel that explores pet preservation in graphic detail. While this time-consuming and expensive option isn?t for everyone, some consider it the only way to honor their pets.

?

?Some animals are just so special to you,? said a South Carolina pet owner named Haylee, who wanted to have her cat preserved. ?He?s been with me for 11 years. That?s a long time, so I said this is the least I can do for him.? (Haylee did not want to share her last name.)

?

Standing inside a South Carolina animal shelter one Halloween, Haylee instantly fell for the fluffy white feline with orange patches, naming him LA in honor of a potentially life-changing move that never came to be. For the next decade, he served as a constant companion, helping Haylee cope with broken relationships, moves and the occasional job change. When an injury to his paw worsened to the point that LA?s leg required amputation, Haylee prepared for the worst. Instead, LA bounced back the minute he got home.

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?He ran around the house, still playing and wanting to jump up on things,? she said. ?He was healthy and I was so happy for him.?

?

But that joy was short-lived. LA died of lung cancer a few months later, leaving Haylee wracked with guilt. She considered cremation and even selected an urn from a local company called Good Shepherd. While scanning the company?s website, Haylee saw information about pet preservation and realized it was a way to keep LA in her heart and her home.?(That's LA above, before he succumbed to lung cancer.)

?

?I love him, I love him, I love him,? she said. ?I just want him back home.?

?

In a nondescript building on Main Street in Slater, Mo., Lessie Calvert spends much of her day speaking to grieving pet owners who call from as far away as Israel or Japan. As manager of Anthony Eddy Wildlife Studio, she has seen the 30-year-old business grow to accommodate a steady stream of pet owners.

?

Calvert begins by walking pet owners through the slow, painstaking preservation process. Freeze-drying removes moisture, much like a food dehydrator. Before pets enter the drying machines, Eddy?s team performs the grisly task of removing organs and as much fat as possible. Calvert said it takes about nine hours to prepare a 10-pound cat for the drying machine.

?

?You can?t just pose [pets] and put them in the machine; the fat content will ruin it,? she said. ?It?s a lengthy procedure.?

?

That applies to the drying process as well. The larger the pet, the longer it takes. Freeze-drying a Chihuahua takes about five months, while a 50-pound dog can take 10 months to a year. LA passed away last April, and Haylee expects a yearlong wait for her furry companion. At one point, curiosity got the best of her and she requested a photo update from Good Shepherd.

?

?I?ll never forget that day,? she said. ?I was terrified to open that email to see the picture.?

?

As soon as Haylee saw LA, she shut down her laptop.

?

?It was just too much,? she said. ?But I just needed to see him. ? I wanted to make to make sure that it was [LA] because I?m spending all this money on him. I wanted to make sure that was my cat.?

?

Haylee is paying more than $1,200 to have LA preserved at Good Shepherd, which charges $995 for pets that weigh 10 pounds or less and $70 for each additional pound. While LA will be posed in a sleeping position, owners pay more for poses such as a raised head, which costs $340. At Anthony Eddy?s Missouri wildlife studio, preserving pets 10 pounds or less costs $850, and the rate increases by $40 for each additional pound. For example, the preservation of a 177-pound Alaskan?Malamute cost its owner $7,530. Calvert said the company also has handled celebrity pets and a few show cats.

?

?So many people are hurting so bad, and when I lost my dog, I was heartbroken,? she said. ?We?re providing a service to people. It took me five years to look at a dog without crying.?

?

As days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, Haylee found it easier to look at that picture of her favorite cat without getting upset. Friends and family who don?t have pets simply cannot understand her decision to preserve LA, but Haylee considers it a small way to repay her friend.

?

? Morieka V. Johnson

?

Join the conversation with Morieka on Twitter @SoulPup or visit her website, Soulpup.com for more pet info.

?

Related pet stories on MNN:

?

Photo credits: Haylee's cat LA, before he succumbed to lung cancer; Anthony Eddy Wildlife Studio preserved the gray tabby in a sleeping position, while the white cat has its head raised.

Source: http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/for-pet-owners-who-just-cant-say-goodbye-theres-always-pet-taxidermy

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Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd. Fourth Quarter 2012 #Earnings ...

Wednesday, February 27, 2013 @ 8:00 am ET

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A telephone replay of the conference call will be available through Mar 06, 2013

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Powers to offer Iran sanctions relief at nuclear talks

ALMATY (Reuters) - Major powers will offer Iran some sanctions relief during talks in Almaty, Kazakhstan, this week if Tehran agrees to curb its nuclear program, a U.S. official said on Monday.

But the Islamic Republic could face more economic pain if it fails to address international concerns about its atomic activities, the official said ahead of the February 26-27 meeting in the central Asian state, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"There will be continued sanctions enforcement ... there are other areas where pressure can be put," the official said, on the eve of the first round of negotiations between Iran and six world powers in eight months.

A spokesman for European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who leads the talks with Iran on behalf of the powers, said Tehran should understand that there was an "urgent need to make concrete and tangible progress" in Kazakhstan.

Both Russia and the United States stressed there was not an unlimited amount of time to resolve a dispute that has raised fears of a new war in the Middle East.

"The window for a diplomatic solution simply cannot by definition remain open forever. But it is open today. It is open now," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in London.

"There is still time but there is only time if Iran makes the decision to come to the table and negotiate in good faith," he added in a news conference in London. "We are prepared to negotiate in good faith, in mutual respect, in an effort to avoid whatever terrible consequences could follow failure."

It was not clear what he meant by "terrible consequences." Top U.S. officials have repeatedly said the United States will not take any options off the table, code for the possibility of a military strike. They also fear Iran's getting a nuclear weapon could set off an arms race across the Middle East.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said there was "no more time to waste", Interfax news agency quoted him as saying in Almaty.

The immediate priority for the powers - the United States, Russia, China, Germany, Britain and France - is to convince Iran to halt its higher-grade enrichment, which is a relatively short technical step away from potential atom bomb material.

Iran, which has taken steps over the last year to expand its uranium enrichment activities in defiance of international demands to scale it back, wants a relaxation of increasingly harsh sanctions hurting its lifeline oil exports.

Western officials say the Almaty meeting is unlikely to produce any major breakthrough, in part because Iran's presidential election in June may make it difficult for it to make significant concessions before then for domestic reasons.

But they say they hope that Iran will take their proposals seriously and engage in negotiations to try to find a diplomatic settlement.

"No one is expecting to walk out of here with a deal but ... confidence building measures are important," one senior Western official said.

The stakes are high: Israel, assumed to be the Middle East's only nuclear-armed arsenal, has strongly hinted at possible military action to prevent its old foe from obtaining such arms. Iran has threatened to retaliate if attacked.

GOLD SANCTIONS RELIEF?

The U.S. official said the powers' updated offer to Iran - a modified version of one rejected by Iran in the unsuccessful talks last year - would take into account its recent nuclear advances, but also take "some steps in the sanctions arena".

This would be aimed at addressing some of Iran's concerns, the official said, while making clear it would not meet Tehran's demand of an easing of all punitive steps against it.

"We think ... there will be some additional sanctions relief" in the powers' revised proposal," the official said, without giving details.

Western diplomats have told Reuters the six countries will offer to ease sanctions on trade in gold and precious metals if Iran closes its Fordow underground uranium enrichment plant.

Iran has indicated, however, that this will not be enough.

Tehran denies Western allegations it is seeking to develop the capability to make nuclear bombs, saying its program is entirely peaceful. It wants the powers to recognize what it sees as its right to refine uranium for peaceful purposes.

The U.S. official said the powers hoped that the Almaty meeting would lead to follow-up talks soon.

"We are ready to step up the pace of our meetings and our discussions," the official said, adding the United States would also be prepared to hold bilateral talks with Tehran if it was serious about it.

Ashton's spokesman, Michael Mann, said the updated offer to Iran was "balanced and a fair basis" for constructive talks.

(Additional reporting by Yeganeh Torbati and Dimitry Solovyov and by Arshad Mohammed and Mohammed Abbas in London; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/major-powers-offer-iran-sanctions-relief-nuclear-talks-125535303.html

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Young Vito Acquitted Of Slim Dunkin Murder

Rapper convicted of aggravated assault and gun charge, sentenced to 25 years in prison.
By Gil Kaufman

Slim Dunkin
Photo:

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1702624/young-vito-slim-dunkin-murder.jhtml

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New maps depict potential worldwide coral bleaching by 2056

Feb. 25, 2013 ? In a study published February 24 in Nature Climate Change researchers used the latest emissions scenarios and climate models to show how varying levels of carbon emissions are likely to result in more frequent and severe coral bleaching events.

Large-scale 'mass' bleaching events on coral reefs are caused by higher-than-normal sea temperatures. High temperatures make light toxic to the algae that reside within the corals. The algae, called 'zooxanthellae', provide food and give corals their bright colors. When the algae are expelled or retained but in low densities, the corals can starve and eventually die. Bleaching events caused a reported 16 percent loss of the world's coral reefs in 1998 according to the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

If carbon emissions stay on the current path most of the world's coral reefs (74 percent) are projected to experience coral bleaching conditions annually by 2045, results of the study show. The study used climate model ensembles from the upcoming Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Around a quarter of coral reefs are likely to experience bleaching events annually five or more years earlier than the median year, and these reefs in northwestern Australia, Papau New Guinea, and some equatorial Pacific islands like Tokelau, may require urgent attention, researchers warn.

"Coral reefs in parts of the western Indian Ocean, French Polynesia and the southern Great Barrier Reef, have been identified as temporary refugia from rising sea surface temperatures," said Ruben van Hooidonk, Ph.D., from the Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) at the University of Miami and NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory. "These locations are not projected to experience bleaching events annually until five or more years later than the median year of 2040, with one reef location in the Austral Islands of French Polynesia protected from the onset of annual coral bleaching conditions until 2056."

The findings emphasize that without significant reductions in emissions most coral reefs are at risk, according to the study. A reduction of carbon emissions would delay annual bleaching events more than two decades in nearly a quarter (23 percent) of the world's reef areas, the research shows.

"Our projections indicate that nearly all coral reef locations would experience annual bleaching later than 2040 under scenarios with lower greenhouse gas emissions." said Jeffrey Maynard, Ph.D., from the Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement (CRIOBE) in Moorea, French Polynesia. "For 394 reef locations (of 1707 used in the study) this amounts to at least two more decades in which some reefs might conceivably be able to improve their capacity to adapt to the projected changes."

"More so than any result to date, this highlights and quantifies the potential benefits for reefs of reducing emissions in terms of reduced exposure to stressful reef temperatures."

"This study represents the most up-to-date understanding of spatial variability in the effects of rising temperatures on coral reefs on a global scale," said researcher Serge Planes, Ph.D., also from the French research institute CRIOBE in French Polynesia.

The researchers involved in the study all concur that projections that combine the threats posed to reefs by increases in sea temperature and ocean acidification will further resolve where temporary refugia may exist.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. R. van Hooidonk, J. A. Maynard, S. Planes. Temporary refugia for coral reefs in a warming world. Nature Climate Change, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1829

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/qPqev71g7Fs/130225122045.htm

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Sony shipping NEX-3N and Alpha A58 to the US in April

Sony may have teased American photographers by launching the NEX-3N and Alpha A58 in Europe, but it's not cruel: both interchangeable lens cameras are coming to the US this April. The NEX-3N will cost a relatively frugal $500 when bundled with the camera's signature motorized, 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens. Venturing into DSLR territory with the Alpha A58 will cost an only somewhat dearer $600 when paired with a refreshed 18-55mm, f/3.5-5.6 kit lens that's quieter and less error-prone than its ancestor.

Both A- and E-mount cameras will also be getting a similar raft of accessories for the US unveiling. An RM-VPR1 remote commander comes in April for $65, while a compact HVL-F20M flash is due in May for $150. A-series photographers will have no shortage of lenses to choose from -- they'll get cracks at both a stand-alone version of the 18-55mm lens and a new 50mm f/1.4 prime in May for respective prices of $220 and $1,500, while a 70-400mm f/4-5.6 telephoto zoom is coming in July for an eye-watering $2,200.

Filed under: Cameras, Sony

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Source: Sony (NEX), (Alpha)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/_3vyS7DBeQQ/

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Marac settles loan insurance rebates | Stuff.co.nz

Heartland Bank subsidiary Marac Finance has settled with the Commerce Commission after deciding to refund 1000 customers more than half a million dollars.

The finance company has paid out $567,000 to customers who had repaid loans early but had not been refunded premiums for their loan insurance.

The commission's view was that Marac had breached the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act, which requires lenders to refund an appropriate portion of a premium if a loan is repaid early.

The commission said Marac was likely to have misled customers by telling them that their insurance would be rebated, potentially also breaching the Fair Trading Act.

The government watchdog's general manager of competition, Kate Morrison, said the settlement was "a timely and cost-effective way of achieving the right result".

"We are pleased that Marac has agreed to do the right thing by its customers and make these payments," she said.

The refunds apply to affected customers who repaid their loans early between 2006 and 2010.

The commission said Marac had immediately changed its practices when the matter was brought to its attention in late-2010.

Morrison warned that borrowers relied on the information lenders provided, and often had no way of knowing if the balance owing was correct.

"Borrowers should be aware that if a loan is being repaid early, insurance may be rebated, and they can ask the lender if there are any rebates due to them," she said.

Marac Finance merged with CBS Canterbury and Southern Cross Building Society in January 2011 to form Heartland, which became the country's newest registered bank last year.

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8348347/Marac-settles-loan-insurance-rebates

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Despite Venezuela homecoming, Chavez still out of sight

CARACAS (Reuters) - From a billboard bearing his face, to a giant inflatable doll and posters hawked on the street below, there is no shortage of images of Hugo Chavez at the Caracas military hospital where he has been since returning from Cuba.

Yet there has been no sight of the 58-year-old Venezuelan president since he came home - during the night and without photos or fanfare - a week ago.

His surprise return to Caracas raised supporters' hopes of a recovery after December surgery in Havana that was his fourth operation in 18 months. But other than the government saying Chavez's breathing problem has worsened, there have been no new details about the patient on the well-guarded ninth floor.

"We don't even know if he's really here," said Marlene Vegas, 51, a housewife who lives near the military hospital. "We have only seen cars with dark windows going in and out."

When Chavez first got back from Cuba, a crowd of supporters gathered outside to dance and sing "He's back! He's back!", until hospital staff came out and asked them to keep quiet.

Now just a few curious onlookers and journalists loiter in front of the complex in the poor downtown San Juan neighborhood, watched by stern-faced uniformed and plainclothes security men.

A source inside said staircases to the ninth floor had been barred, and that the only doctors treating Chavez were Cubans.

Given the number of patients and staff at the facility, which covers more than half an acre and employs 4,000 people, it will be harder for authorities to maintain the same secrecy around his treatment that Chavez enjoyed in tightly-run Cuba.

For the moment, though, their efforts appear to be working.

Nursing staff and others at the military hospital, where Chavez underwent chemotherapy in 2011, told Reuters they knew nothing about his current medical condition.

Apart from a few photos of Chavez in a Havana hospital bed that were released by the government, Chavez has not been seen nor heard from in public since his December 11 operation. He won re-election in October but was unable to swear in at the start of his new term last month.

Some in the opposition say those pictures prove they were right all along, that the president is no longer fit to govern and that a new election should be organized within 30 days.

"THEY SAY HE'S A CLONE!"

"Nothing is worse than being governed by uncertainty," said Antonio Ledezma, the opposition mayor of Caracas. The Cuban hospital photos, he added, did nothing to dispel any concerns.

If Chavez died or had to step down, a new election would likely pit his preferred successor, Vice President Nicolas Maduro, against opposition leader and state governor Henrique Capriles, who lost to Chavez in the October election.

The government, which rejects criticism of being secretive about Chavez's condition, accuses the opposition of seeking to spread doubt and destabilize the country.

"We show the photo and they tell us it's Photoshopped and they don't believe it," Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said of some opposition leaders. "If we show a video they will say it's old, and now Chavez is back, they say he's a clone!"

As conspiracy theories and speculation swirl, many Venezuelans are turning to social media in the hope of discovering any news.

At the weekend, authorities said they would investigate attempts to "destabilize and confuse" people - after Twitter messages circulated about a supposed fight at the presidential palace between the guards of two top Socialist Party figures.

Defense Minister Diego Molero addressed the tweets directly: he denied there was a rift, saying Maduro and his ministers were working "in perfect harmony" with the military, and that the armed forces were "more united than ever, waiting for the total recovery of our Commander Chavez."

The possibility of such a recovery looks increasingly remote. Last week, Chavez's friend and leftist ally, Bolivian President Evo Morales, said he had been unable to see the Venezuelan leader during a visit to Caracas because he was receiving treatment.

Given Chavez's clearly delicate condition, opposition supporters scoffed days later when Maduro said he and other government officials had held a series of meetings with the president on Friday that lasted more than five hours.

The government says the former soldier has difficulty speaking because he is breathing through a tracheal tube, but that he gives orders by writing them down.

"We left full of his energy and force ... the immense wisdom he has to focus on themes, on problems," Maduro said in a midnight speech on state TV from the military hospital.

"We want to continue giving our deep gratitude for the support of the Venezuelan people, which has allowed us to get through these days in peace."

(Additional reporting by Deisy Buitrago; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne, Kieran Murray and David Brunnstrom)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/despite-venezuela-homecoming-chavez-still-sight-155204036.html

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Spiderman's webbing would be strong enough to stop a moving train, say physics students

Feb. 25, 2013 ? In Spiderman 2, the superhero uses his webbing to bring a runaway train to a standstill moments before it plummets over the end of the track. But could a material with the strength and toughness of spiders' web really stop four crowded subway cars?

According to University of Leicester physics students, the answer is yes.

A group of three fourth year MPhys students calculated the material properties of webbing needed in these conditions -- and found that the strength of the web would be proportional to that of real spiders.

Their paper, Doing whatever a spider can, was published in the latest volume of the University of Leicester's Journal of Physics Special Topics.

The journal is published every year, and features original short papers written by students in the final year of their four-year Master of Physics degree.

The students are encouraged to be imaginative with their topics, and the aim is for them to learn about aspects of publishing and peer review.

Students James Forster, Mark Bryan and Alex Stone first calculated the force needed to stop the four R160 New York City subway cars.

To do this, they used the momentum of the train at full speed, the time it takes the train to come to rest after the webs are attached, and the driving force of the powered R160 subway car.

The students found the force Spiderman's webs exert on the train to be 300,000 newtons.

They were then able to calculate the strength and toughness of the webs.

They found that the Young's modulus -- or stiffness -- of the web would be 3.12 gigapascals. This is very reasonable for spider's silk, which ranges from 1.5 gigapascals to 12 gigapascals in the orb-weaver spiders.

The toughness of the silk was calculated as almost 500 megajoules per cubic metre. This is in line with web from a Darwin's Bark Spider -- an orb-weaver with the strongest known webbing of any spider.

They conclude that the "friendly neighbourhood" superhero's webbing is indeed a proportional equivalent of that of a real spider -- and, consequently, it would be feasible for him to stop a moving train.

Alex Stone, 21, from Kingston upon Thames, said: "It is often quoted that spider-webs are stronger than steel, so we thought it would be interesting to see whether this held true for Spiderman's scaled up version. Considering the subject matter we were surprised to find out that the webbing was portrayed accurately."

James Forster, 22, from Wisbech, said: "While our work may not seem to be very serious it has helped teach us about applying physics to varying situations as well as the peer review process through which scientific journals operate. This makes it an invaluable experience to anyone who wants to go into research later in life."

Course leader Dr Mervyn Roy, a lecturer at the University's Department of Physics and Astronomy, said: "A lot of the papers published in the Journal are on subjects that are amusing, topical, or a bit off-the-wall. Our fourth years are nothing if not creative!

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Leicester, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. M. Bryan, J. Forster and A. Stone. Doing whatever a spider can. Journal of Physics Special Topics, 2013 [link]

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/Pu8A4wmIYkA/130225092040.htm

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South Korea Swears in First Woman President (Voice Of America)

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Samsung's HomeSync Android Box Brings a Whopping 1TB of Storage to Your TV

Set top boxes aren't exactly mobile tech, but Samsung has unveiled its new one at this year's Mobile World Congress. The HomeSync aims to work with your mobile devices and serve has a hefty little Android-powered box for all your media. A 1TB box. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/CZ2B9soWwww/samsungs-homesync-brings-1tb-of-android-to-your-tv

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French actor Depardieu gets Russian home address

French actor Gerard Depardieu arrives for the opening ceremony of the Illusion movie theater after its restoration in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. President Vladimir Putin granted Depardieu Russian citizenship last month and on Saturday he is set to get registered as a resident of the city of Saransk. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

French actor Gerard Depardieu arrives for the opening ceremony of the Illusion movie theater after its restoration in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. President Vladimir Putin granted Depardieu Russian citizenship last month and on Saturday he is set to get registered as a resident of the city of Saransk. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

French actor Gerard Depardieu speaks at the opening ceremony of the Illusion movie theater after its restoration in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. President Vladimir Putin granted Depardieu Russian citizenship last month and on Saturday he is set to get registered as a resident of the city of Saransk. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

French actor Gerard Depardieu speaks at the opening ceremony of the Illusion movie theater after its restoration in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. President Vladimir Putin granted Depardieu Russian citizenship last month and on Saturday he is set to get registered as a resident of the city of Saransk. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

French actor Gerard Depardieu speaks at the opening ceremony of the Illusion movie theater after its restoration in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. President Vladimir Putin granted Depardieu Russian citizenship last month and on Saturday he is set to get registered as a resident of the city of Saransk. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

French actor Gerard Depardieu arrives for the opening ceremony of the Illusion movie theater after its restoration in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Feb. 22, 2013. President Vladimir Putin granted Depardieu Russian citizenship last month and on Saturday he is set to get registered as a resident of the city of Saransk. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

MOSCOW (AP) ? French actor Gerard Depardieu got a new permanent address in Russia ? 1 Democracy Street ? on Saturday, adding a final touch to his quest to get Russian citizenship.

After receiving his Russian passport from President Vladimir Putin last month, Depardieu had it stamped with the new address in Saransk, a city of 300,000 about 640 kilometers (400 miles) east of Moscow.

The actor has been at the center of a heated debate over tax exiles as France's Socialist government proposes a hefty tax on the rich, but he has denied that he accepted the passport to escape the taxman.

Saransk is the provincial capital of the Mordovia region, home to a sprawling web of Soviet-era prison camps, where one of the members of the Pussy Riot band is serving her two-year sentence for an irreverent "punk prayer" against Putin.

He said at the ceremony that he appreciated the symbolism of his new address.

"I want to be an ambassador of democracy to the world," he said, according to Russia Today television, which quoted him as saying that "Russia is a country with a great democracy."

Saransk has otherwise mostly retained Soviet-era street names. Democracy Street is surrounded by Proletariat, Communist, Soviet and Bolshevik streets.

Depardieu, who has starred in films such as "Green Card" and "Cyrano de Bergerac," enjoys broad popularity in Russia and received an enthusiastic welcome in the city. Showing off his knowledge of local history, Depardieu likened himself to Yemelyan Pugachev, the chief of a peasant rebellion in the 18th century.

"Yemelyan Pugachev was a peasant tsar who came to Kazan and to Saransk," Depardieu said, according to Russia Today. "I am like Pugachev: I am a peasant, and I want to be tsar of Saransk."

Depardieu was registered at an apartment belonging to the relatives of his Russian friend, the head of the Gosfilmofond state film archive, Nikola Bordachev. It is not clear if Depardieu will actually live in the apartment, and he has no requirement to spend any particular amount of time there ? though he promised to visit the city often.

Depardieu's decision to accept citizenship has earned sarcastic comments from Putin's critics, who say the actor is a tool of Kremlin spin.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-02-23-Russia-Depardieu/id-ec36830fc3d1424e86379ba0d26defc2

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Diane Lampert Dead: Songwriter Dies At Age 88

Rick Huxley

Bass player Rick Huxley, one of the founding members of the Dave Clark Five, died on Feb. 11, 2013, at the age of 72. Though the band broke up in 1970, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.

John Kerr

John Kerr, the stage and film actor whose credits include the movie "South Pacific," the thriller "The Pit and the Pendulum" and a Tony Award-winning turn in "Tea and Sympathy," died on Feb. 9, 2013, at the age of 81. He passed away due to heart failure at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, Calif.

Donald Byrd

Jazz musician Donald Byrd, a leading hard-bop trumpeter of the 1950s who collaborated on dozens of albums with top artists of his time and later enjoyed commercial success with hit jazz-funk fusion records such as "Black Byrd," died on Feb. 4, 2013. He was 80. No details have been released regarding his death.

Mark Balelo

Mark Balelo, an auction house owner featured on the A&E reality TV show "Storage Wars," was found dead on Feb. 11, 2013. He was 40. His death has been declared a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/13/mark-balelo-suicide_n_2674485.html">suicide</a>.

Mary O'Connor

O'Connor, Hugh Hefner's longtime secretary who appeared on the reality series "Girls Next Door," died on Jan. 27, 2013.

Robin Sachs

The British actor died on Feb. 1, 2013, just four days shy of his 62nd birthday. He is best known for playing villainous character Ethan Rayne on the hit series "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," but boasts a full resume and will also be remembered for his roles on "Babylon 5" and "Star Trek: Voyager."

Robert F. Chew

The actor, best known for his role as drug kingpin Proposition Joe on the critically acclaimed HBO series ?The Wire,? died January 17th, 2013, of apparent heart failure in his sleep at his home in Northeast Baltimore. He was 52.

Freddy E

Seattle rapper Freddy E (real name Freddy E. Buhl) died on January 5, 2013, of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The 22-year-old is believed to have live tweeted the moments leading up to his apparent suicide.

Ned Wertimer

Ned Wertimer (here seen on the left), who appeared on 11 seasons of "The Jeffersons" as Ralph The Doorman, died January 2, 2013, at the age of 89. Wertimer died following health complications at the Sherman Village Health Care Center in California.

Pauline Phillips

Pauline Phillips, who as Dear Abby dispensed snappy, sometimes saucy advice to millions of newspaper readers around the world, died Jan. 16, 2013, in Minneapolis after a long battle with Alzheimer's. She was 94.

David R. Ellis

Ellis, the director of "Snakes on a Plane," died in South Africa on January 7, 2013. He was 60.

Jenni Rivera

In this March 8, 2012 file photo, Mexican-American singer and reality TV star Jenni Rivera poses during an interview in Los Angeles. Las Vegas-based Starwood Management, the company that owns the luxury jet that crashed and killed Rivera on Dec. 9, is under investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the agency seized two of its planes earlier this year as part of the ongoing probe. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

Charles Durning

The revered actor, who played everyone from a Nazi colonel to the pope to Dustin Hoffman's would-be suitor in "Tootsie," died of natural causes in New York on December 24, 2012, at the age of 89.

Nora Ephron

Director, author, journalist, playwright, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nora-ephron/" target="_hplink">HuffPost blogger</a>, and three-time Academy Award nominated screenwriter, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/nora-ephron-dead-dies-age-71_n_1627757.html" target="_hplink">Nora Ephron passed away</a> on June 26 after a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/nora-ephron-leukemia-cancer-illness-death_n_1629152.html" target="_hplink">secret multi-year battle with acute myeloid leukemia</a>. With genre defining films like "Sleepless In Seattle", "You've Got Mail", and "When Harry Met Sally", Ephron, 71, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/26/nora-ephron-influence-movies_n_1628700.html?utm_hp_ref=entertainment" target="_hplink">left an indelible mark on the film industry.</a>

Herbert Lom

Herbert Lom, best known as Inspector Clouseau's long-suffering boss in the "Pink Panther" movies, died peacefully in his sleep at home in London on Sept. 27, 2012. He was 95.

Michael Clarke Duncan

"The Green Mile" actor Michael Clarke Duncan died at the age of 54 on Sept. 3, 2012 in a Los Angeles hospital after nearly two months of treatment following a July 13, 2012 heart attack.

Jerry Nelson

"Sesame Street" puppeteer Jerry Nelson, shown here with "Sesame Street" character Count von Count in New York in June 2012, died at age 78 on Aug. 23, 2012, in Massachusetts after battling emphysema.

Conrad Bain

The actor best known for his long run as father Philip Drummond on the hit series "Diff'rent Strokes," died on January 14, 2013, of natural causes in his hometown of Livermore, California. He was 89.

Phyllis Diller

Actress/comedienne Phyllis Diller, who was best know for her stand-up act, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/20/phyllis-diller-dead_n_1812818.html">died at the age of 95</a> on Aug. 20. 2012 in Los Angeles.

Tony Scott

Director Tony Scott, whose projects include "The Hunger," "Top Gun," "Enemy of the State," died after jumping off a bridge in Los Angeles on Aug. 19, 2012.

Scott McKenzie

"San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" singer Scott McKenzie, seen here in the center with "The Mamas And The Papas" 1967, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/20/scott-mckenzie-dead-dies-san-francisco-73_n_1809989.html">died on Aug. 18. 2012</a>, after battling Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disease that affects the nervous system.

William Windom

A 1980 file photo provided by CBS shows actor William Windom, who won an Emmy Award for his turn in the TV comedy series "My World And Welcome To It," died Aug. 16, 2012, of congestive heart failure at his home in Woodacre, north of San Francisco. He was 88.

Jack Klugman

The "Odd Couple" star died at peacefully in his California home at the age of 90, on Christmas Eve, 2012. In the 1980s, Klugman lost his voice to throat cancer and trained himself to speak again.

Ron Palillo

This June 8, 2008 file photo shows actor Ron Palillo at the TV Land Awards in Santa Monica, Calif. Palillo, best known as the nerdy high schooler Arnold Horshack on "Welcome Back, Kotter," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/14/ron-palillo-dead-dies-welcome-back-kotter-heart-attack_n_1776155.html">died Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012</a>, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., of an apparent heart attack. He was 63.

Lupe Ontiveros

This Oct. 7, 2008 file photo shows actress Lupe Ontiveros at Padres Contra El Cancer's 8th annual "El Sueno de Esperanza" benefit gala in Los Angeles. Ontiveros, the popular Texan actress known for her portrayal of Yolanda Saldivar in "Selena," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/27/lupe-ontiveros-dead-star-_n_1709783.html">died Thursday, July 26, 2012</a>, of cancer at the Presbyterian Hospital in the City of Whittier, Calif., according to friend and comedian Rick Najera. She was 69.

Sherman Hemsley

In this Aug. 11, 1986 file photo, actor Sherman Hemsley poses for a photo in Los Angeles. The manager for Hemsley says the late star of the television sitcom ?"The Jeffersons"? refused treatment for lung cancer in the weeks before he died of what a coroner says were complications from the disease on July 24, 2012. (AP photo/Nick Ut, File)

Frank Pierson

In this Feb. 14, 2004 file photo, Academy President Frank Pierson arrives at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Scientific and Technical Achievements Awards dinner in Pasadena Calif. Pierson's family announced that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/23/frank-pierson-dead-dog-day-afternoon-dies_n_1696126.html">he died of natural causes on Monday, July 23, 2012</a> in Los Angeles after a short illness. He was 87.

Jon Lord

Deep Purple's Jon Lord, seen here in 2004, died at age 71 on Monday, July 16, 2012, after battling pancreatic cancer.

Whitney Houston

With perhaps one of the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/21/whitney-houston-celebrate-jordin-sparks-sparkle_n_1532870.html" target="_hplink">greatest voices</a> of her generation, Houston was a multi-Grammy winning singer and actress left an indelible mark on both the pop and R&B genres. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/15/whitney-houston-xanax_n_1279947.html" target="_hplink">Houston's well documented struggles with drug addiction</a> are thought to have contributed to her unexpected and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/11/whitney-houston-dead-sing_n_1270889.html" target="_hplink">untimely demise</a> at age 48 on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/05/whitney-houston-death-report-last-day_n_1405206.html" target="_hplink">February 11</a>.

Kitty Wells

This May 1986 file photo shows country music singer Kitty Wells in Nashville, Tenn. Wells, the first female superstar of country music, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/kitty-wells-dead-queen-of-country-dies_n_1677532.html">died at the age of 92 on Monday, July 16, 2012.</a> The singer?s family says Wells died at her home Monday after complications from a stroke. Her recording of "It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" in 1952 was the first No. 1 hit by a woman soloist on the country music charts. Other hits included "Making Believe" and a version of "I Can't Stop Loving You." (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, file)

Donna Summer

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/donna-summer-queen-of-disco_n_1526799.html" target="_hplink">The Queen of Disco</a> lost her <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/17/donna-summer-dead-queen-of-disco-dies_n_1524410.html" target="_hplink"> battle with cancer</a> on May 17. Summer, 63, earned that title with dance hits like "Last Dance", "MacArthur Park", and "Hot Stuff".

Ernest Borgnine

Perhaps best remembered for his<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/08/ernest-borgnine-movies-films_n_1657787.html" target="_hplink"> Oscar-winning performance in the film "Marty",</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/09/ernest-borgnine-dead-remembered_n_1658937.html" target="_hplink">Borgnine</a> continued to act until his death, voicing a character on "SpongeBob SquarePants" and earning an Emmy Nomination on the TV series "ER." He was 95 when he passed away on July 8 due to renal failure.

Andy Griffith

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/03/andy-griffith-dead_n_1645969.html" target="_hplink">Andy Griffith,</a> the star of beloved television programs "The Andy Griffith Show" and "Matlock", <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/05/andy-griffith-cause-of-death-heart-attack_n_1652599.html" target="_hplink">died of a heart attack</a> on Tuesday, July 3. He was 86.

Helen Gurley Brown

In this Sept. 20, 1982 file photo, Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley Brown poses during an interview at her office in New York. Brown, longtime editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, died on Aug. 13, 2012 at a hospital in New York after a brief hospitalization. She was 90. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File)

Don Grady

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/28/don-grady-my-three-sons-obituary_n_1633047.html" target="_hplink">The multi talented musician, composer, and actor</a> who memorably starred on the television series "My Three Sons" lost his battle with cancer on June 27. An original Mouseketeer, Grady was 68 he passed away.

Yvette Wilson

Comedienne most famous for her hilarious roles on TV shows "Moesha" and "The Parkers", Wilson <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/15/yvette-wilson-star-of-moe_n_1600037.html" target="_hplink">lost her battle with cervical cancer</a> on June 14. She was 48.

Ann Rutherford

This Nov. 5, 1971 file photo shows actress Ann Rutherford in New York. Rutherford, who played Scarlett O'Hara's sister Carreen in the 1939 movie classic "Gone With the Wind," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/12/ann-rutherford-dead-gone-_n_1589753.html">died at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Monday, June 11, 2012</a>. She was 94. (AP Photo/HF)

Robin Gibb

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/barry-gibb-tribute-video-robin-gibb-bee-gees_n_1539954.html" target="_hplink">Co-founder of The Bee Gees</a>, Gibb was 62 when he <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/20/robin-gibb-dead-bee-gees_n_1531648.html" target="_hplink">lost</a> his battle with colon cancer on May 20.

Bob Welch

From AP: Bob Welch, a former member of Fleetwood Mac who went on to write songs and record several hits during a solo career,<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/07/bob-welch-dead-fleetwood-mac-gunshot_n_1579166.html"> died June 7, 2012</a>, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. He was 65.

Chuck Brown

In this Feb. 13, 2011 file photo, Chuck Brown arrives at the 53rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Brown, who styled a unique brand of funk music as a singer, guitarist and songwriter known as the "godfather of go-go," <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/16/chuck-brown-dead-godfather_n_1522375.html">died Wednesday, May 16, 2012</a> after suffering from pneumonia. He was 75.

Mitchell Guist

Mitchell Guist, who appeared in segments of the "Swamp People" with his brother, Glenn, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/14/mitchell-guist-dead-swamp-people_n_1515423.html">died after collapsing Monday, May 14, 2012</a> while working on a houseboat he was building on Belle River.

Adam Yauch

Best known as one of the founding members of the<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/23/mca-ad-rock-adam-horovitz-beastie-boys-interview_n_1539705.html" target="_hplink"> trailblazing hip-hop group the Beastie Boys</a>, Yauch, also known by his stage name MCA, was also a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/adam-yauch-films_n_1478993.html" target="_hplink">film director</a> and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/adam-yauch-dead-tibet_n_1478359.html" target="_hplink">human rights activist</a>. At age 47, Yauch unfortunately lost his almost three year battle with cancer on May 4.

George Lindsey

George Lindsey, seen here in character as Goober Pyle on "The Andy Griffith Show" in 1982,<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/06/george-lindsey-dead-andy-griffith-show-goober-pyle-dies-83_n_1490083.html"> died early Sunday, May 6, 2012.</a> He was 83.

Levon Helm

In this May 15, 2010 photo, Levon Helm performs on the mandolin during a Ramble performance at Helm's barn in Woodstock, N.Y. Helm, who was in the final stages of his battle with cancer,<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/19/levon-helm-dead-the-band-cancer-battle_n_1434772.html"> died Thursday, April 19, 2012 in New York.</a> He was 71. He was a key member of The Band and lent his distinctive Southern voice to classics like "The Weight" and "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down."

Dick Clark

Radio personality, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/18/dick-clark-quotes_n_1435713.html" target="_hplink">TV host</a>, and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nelson-davis/dick-clarks-business-less_b_1466150.html" target="_hplink">beloved producer</a>, Dick Clark died of a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/18/dick-clark-heart-attack-death_n_1435551.html" target="_hplink">massive heart</a> attack on April 18. The host of classic programs such as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120418/us-dick-clark-highlights/" target="_hplink">American Bandstand</a> and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/19/dick-clarks-new-years-eve_n_1437040.html" target="_hplink">Dick Clark's Rocking New Years Eve was 82.</a>

Davy Jones

Lead singer of hit 60's band <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/29/davy-jones-dead-monkees-moments-video_n_1310837.html" target="_hplink">The Monkees</a>, Jones' <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/01/monkees-davy-jones-obituary_n_1312799.html" target="_hplink">heartthrob status</a> was cemented with hits like "Day Dream Believer" and "I Wanna Be Free". He died at age 66 on February 29 after <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/05/davy-jones-autopsy-report_n_1406273.html" target="_hplink">suffering a heart attack</a>.

Don Cornelius

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/don-cornelius-dead-soul-train_n_1246642.html" target="_hplink">Cornelius</a>, creator and host of the long-running, groundbreaking<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/01/don-cornelius-dead-celeb-tweets_n_1247021.html" target="_hplink"> TV dance show "Soul Train,"</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/24/don-cornelius-autopsy-depression_n_1450184.html" target="_hplink">committed suicide </a> on Feb. 1. He was 75.

Ian Abercrombie

In this Sept. 17, 2005 file photo, actor Ian Abercrombie is shown during the British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences third annual Emmy Nominees Tea Party in Los Angeles. Abercrombie, a veteran British stage and screen actor whose TV roles included Elaine?s boss Mr. Pitt on "Seinfeld" and Professor Crumbs on ?Wizards of Waverly Place,?<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/28/ian-abercrombie-tv-moments_n_1239120.html"> died Thursday, Jan. 22, 2012</a> at a Los Angeles hospital from complications of kidney failure. He was 77.

Etta James

The "At Last" crooner <a href="http://http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/20/etta-james-dead-legendary_n_1219083.html" target="_hplink">passed away</a> on January 20 due to complications from leukemia. James, also known as <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/22/etta-james-singers-passio_n_1222010.html" target="_hplink">The Matriarch of R&B</a>, was 73.

Andy Williams

This Feb. 23, 1978 file photo shows performer and host Andy Williams at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Williams, who had a string of gold albums and hosted several variety shows and specials like "The Andy Williams Show," died Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, at his home in Branson, Missouri, following a yearlong battle with bladder cancer, his Los Angeles-based publicist, Paul Shefrin, said Wednesday. He was 84. (AP Photo/Lennox McLendon, file)

Ravi Shankar

In this Feb. 7, 2012 file photo, Indian musician Ravi Shankar performs during a concert in Bangalore, India. Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over an eight-decade career, has died. He was 92. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/24/diane-lampert-dead-dies_n_2753140.html

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