Hillary Clinton dodging political 'high wire'

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner greet President Barack Obama after the president delivered his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Treasury Secretary Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner greet President Barack Obama after the president delivered his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says she wants to step off the "high wire of American politics" after two decades and is again tamping down speculation that she might stay in government if President Barack Obama wins a second term.

Clinton told State Department employees on Thursday that she is ready for a rest and is paying no attention to the Republican presidential candidate debates. She said she wants to find out just how tired she is after working flat out as first lady, senator, aspiring presidential candidate and finally the top U.S. diplomat.

"I have made it clear that I will certainly stay on until the president nominates someone and that transition can occur" if Obama wins re-election, she told a town hall meeting. "But I think after 20 years, and it will be 20 years, of being on the high wire of American politics and all of the challenges that come with that, it would be probably a good idea to just find out how tired I am."

But, she appeared to leave the door open for a possible eventual return, adding to laughter from the crowd that "everyone always says that when they leave these jobs."

As secretary of state, Clinton is barred from partisan politics and she acknowledged that it is unusual not to be participating in this election season. But, she said she is enjoying being away from the fray and hasn't watched any of the GOP debates.

"It is a little odd for me to be totally out of an election season," she said. "But, you know, I didn't watch any of those debates."

Clinton said she expected the campaign for November's election to "suck up a lot of the attention" normally devoted to foreign policy issues but she joked that that might actually help the State Department.

"The good news is maybe we can even get more done if they are not paying attention, so just factor that in."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-01-27-US-Clinton/id-4dd5bac707bd481484fa6f2b113c276e

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Candidate removed from ballot over English rule

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) ? A judge ruled that a city council candidate in Arizona must be removed from the ballot due to lack of English proficiency.

The ruling on Wednesday came after the San Luis City Council approved a motion Jan. 13 asking for verification that Alejandrina Cabrera met the requirement of a state law that any person holding office in the state, a county or city must speak, write and read English.

San Luis Mayor Juan Carlos Escamilla filed a lawsuit in December asking the court to determine if Cabrera's English skills were sufficient to qualify her to seek the four-year council seat in the city's primary election.

Cabrera, who last year launched two unsuccessful attempts to recall Escamilla as mayor, was one of 10 candidates to file petitions to run for the council.

The Yuma Sun reported the removal of Cabrera from the ballot also stemmed from a Dec. 14 complaint made by former mayor Guillermina Fuentes that Cabrera isn't fluent in English.

Fuentes claimed she has acted as an interpreter for Cabrera.

Yuma County Superior Judge John Nelson ordered Cabrera's name stricken from the March ballot after a court hearing that ended Wednesday night.

Nelson's ruling was based on tests administered by a sociolinguistics expert, as well as her inability to respond to questions posed to her in English at Wednesday's hearing, the newspaper said.

Cabrera's lawyers, John Minore and John Garcia, said they're considering filing an appeal. They argued that state law doesn't set specific standards of fluency that candidates must meet.

Sociolinguistics expert William Eggington presented the court with results of three different tests he administered to Cabrera, who graduated from Kofa High School in Yuma. One measured her English-speaking skill, another was to determine if she reads the language, and the third was to assess her level of English comprehension.

Eggington's report said Cabrera's English skills don't meet the level of language proficiency needed to serve on the council.

Minore said the action against his client was politically motivated because of her efforts to recall Escamilla.

Cabrera began circulating petitions to recall the mayor in April after the council hiked utility rates and approved the layoffs of 12 city employees as part of spending cuts to balance the budget.

___

Information from: The Sun, http://www.yumasun.com

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-26-US-English-Proficiency-Candidate-1st-Ld-Writethru/id-a8ca3f5c9c784e788dccfc094c8be297

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11 New Multi-Planet Star Systems Discovered

If there IS intelligent life out there, I have serious doubts that they consider us being under the same umbrella as them

Actually, that's my least favorite Star Trek cliche - the benevolent, highly-evolved, omnipotent alien race that sees humans as mere children, either unworthy of their time, or in need of friendly guidance (and hectoring lectures about killing each other). I would say exactly the opposite is more likely to be true: any alien species aggressive and inventive enough to explore space is guaranteed to have endured warfare and ecological destruction in recent memory. Species that lose their aggression will stay at home smoking pot, eating takeout, and watching cartoons until they all die of boredom and/or congestive heart failure. That doesn't mean that they'll find our behavior at all intelligible; if a space-faring race was highly collectivist (either by evolution or by engineering), they might find our individuality and the violence that it often leads to incomprehensible. But I doubt they'll have managed to avoid strip mining, fossil fuels, or nuclear fission in the course of their technological development, and they'll probably engage in practices that we would find abhorrent, like compulsory euthanasia.

That doesn't necessarily mean that they'll advertise their presence to us - there are a number of good reasons to avoid doing so, which would apply even if we were a pacifistic agrarian species. But I absolutely think they would study us, because they won't even be exploring interstellar space unless they were either exceptionally curious, or exceptionally desperate. I personally find it more likely that intelligent life rarely makes it out of their home solar system in person - although I'd wager that there are a few scattered derelicts full of cryogenically frozen alien colonists drifting for centuries.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/pQHN_7wL1SY/11-new-multi-planet-star-systems-discovered

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Sony unveils new CMOS sensors for smartphones

Sony's Exmor R image sensors have been a stand-out feature for many of the past year's Sony Ericsson phone cameras. Moving forward, the electronics giant looks set to introduce even more impressive capabilities in future devices, with today's announcement of new image sensors for smartphones.

Today Sony took the wraps off new CMOS image sensors for smartphones with white pixels in addition to the usual red, green and blue detectors. The new tech is designed to improve low-light performance, something which Sony, as well as rivals like HTC, have been focusing on in their high-end smartphones over the past year. Sony also says that this new "RGBW coding" allows them to introduce HDR video capabilities in its smartphone cameras, meaning more detail is captured in very light and very dark areas in the same shot.

Samples of the new sensors are due to ship from March, meaning it'll probably be later in the year before we'll see them in products you can actually buy. Sony's new Xperia S and Xperia Ion, which are due in March and Q2 respectively, feature earlier model Exmor R sensors at 12MP.

Source: Sony

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/zn3760h9tSQ/story01.htm

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Obama speech echoes in town with failed factory (AP)

MOBERLY, Mo. ? After 19 years running state unemployment offices across northern Missouri, Steve Moore can rattle off the names of shuttered factories in this old railroad town with ease.

There's Matcor Automotive, a parts manufacturer that at its peak employed 300 workers but closed in June 2010 in response to declining production by General Motors. Textbook publisher Scholastic Inc. is closing its Moberly packaging center, costing the town another 100 jobs.

Then there's the biggest blow of all: the failed promises of Mamtek U.S. Inc., a Chinese-owned artificial sweetener factory backed by $7.6 million in state tax incentives and $39 million of local bonds that went belly up in 2011 when the company's bond payments dried up. More than 600 promised jobs went up in smoke, with the deal now facing scrutiny by Missouri lawmakers and a pair of investigations by the state's attorney general and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

"There was a lot of anticipation, and then a lot of disappointment," Moore said. "Let's be honest. Everybody had hoped that something was going to come out of it."

As President Barack Obama again pledged to repair the American economy in his annual State of the Union address Tuesday night, some Moberly residents chalked up his pronouncements as just more rosy rhetoric by a politician ? not unlike the July 2010 day when Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and former Gov. Bob Holden came to the town of nearly 14,000 and hailed the Mamtek project's potential.

Others blamed an intractable Congress for not working more closely with the president to lift the country's economy. Still more held out hope that manufacturing companies lured by the region's low cost-of-living and central location would once again seek out Moberly, a 136-year-old railroad hub that became known as the Magic City in the late 19th century for its seemingly overnight emergence on once-empty prairie.

"We got a promise that he didn't keep," said business owner Diane Harlan. "He promised our economy was going to be better, and it's not. In this small community, we were under the false hope that everything was going to be OK, and it's not."

Harlan spent seven years as executive director of Main Street Moberly, which represents downtown business owners, before opening the Darn It Yarn store seven months ago after the business group cut her full-time job to 20 hours a week. She voted for John McCain in 2008 but hasn't yet made up her mind about the 2012 election.

While vacant storefronts dot downtown Moberly, Harlan said her business has succeeded beyond expectations, allowing her to drop that part-time job starting next week. A handful of similar small businesses have sprouted nearby, from a sewing shop to a secondhand furniture store.

"People are finally figuring out, we can't depend on our leader to get us out of something that we've created," she said. "We've got to go back to the grassroots. More self-sufficiency, doing things on our own, teaching our children, instead of depending on a man sitting in a white castle to take care of us and make things right."

David Gaines, a vice president with the Moberly Area Economic Development Commission, is among the local officials who helped court Mamtek in a deal given the code name "Project Sugar" before it was publicly disclosed. Count him among those looking for more leadership from those in the audience at Tuesday night's speech.

"It's not so much what he says but what they do," Gaines said, referring to Congress. "They need to quit talking and do something.

"That's what is holding consumer confidence down, is the inability of Congress on both sides of the aisle to do what the people elected them to do," he added.

After the speech, Gaines said he was heartened to hear the president urge lawmakers to work together, not against one another.

"I do like the fact that he said it's time to stop the divisiveness between the two parties," Gaines said. "If they set the right tone, everyone will follow along. If they don't, the nation will just drift."

Political affiliation aside, Moberly residents interviewed Tuesday tended to agree that improving the economy and creating more local jobs are the most important issues facing their community and the country. Look no further than a commuter parking lot along U.S. 63 packed with cars while their owners work 35 miles south in the college town of Columbia. Moberly, in turn, attracts workers from dozens of surrounding rural towns.

"Folks are regularly commuting 40 or 50 or 60 miles to go to work every day," Gaines said. "When we share that with the folks we talk to in Atlanta and Chicago and LA, they are quite amazed that people are willing to commute that far for a good job. But they have to."

Elsewhere in Moberly, Obama's speech was met with disinterest, if not outright scorn. At Nelly's Someplace Else restaurant, dozens of Republicans filed past a pair of televisions showing the president's address as the monthly meeting of the Randolph Area Pachyderms Club. Few stopped to listen, though some jeered as they walked past.

___

Follow Alan Scher Zagier at http://twitter.com/azagier

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_us/us_state_of_the_union_reaction

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Farmer Groupies and Chicken Coddlers

Thus the paradox of the modern DIY movement. Farmers have gone from 20 percent to 2 percent of the American workforce since World War II, and 80 percent of Americans now live in cities. Modern Americans may yearn for simplicity and self-sufficiency, but they?re much less familiar with the gritty realities of rural life than even 45 years ago, when more city dwellers knew or were related to farmers. The result is that today?s back-to-the-landers, whether suburban chicken fanciers, serious urban foragers, or just obsessive locavores, have much farther to go before they can even get back to the land. Along the way, they?re learning lessons like: Test the soil for poisonous heavy metals before you farm for food in Detroit. Place your beehives far away from the maraschino cherry factory. And most of all, it seems: Make sure you?re ready before you slaughter your first rabbit.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=f70558f330268605d8c651c8eaa8a5c7

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New Target Discovered for Pain Relief

News | Health

A neuropathic pain expert says, however, that in the past 30 years virtually no new drug targets have made it into the clinic as effective pain-relief drugs

By Katharine Sanderson and Nature magazine ?| January 22, 2012?|

Image: National Cancer Institute

An uncharted trawl through thousands of small molecules involved in the body's metabolism may have uncovered a potential route to treating pain caused by nerve damage.

Neuropathic pain is a widespread and distressing condition, and is notoriously difficult to treat. So Gary Siuzdak, a chemist and molecular biologist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., and his team decided to take an unusual route to finding a therapy. Their results are published today in?Nature Chemical Biology.

They took rats with surgically damaged paws, who were consequently suffering from neuropathic pain, and instead of analyzing changes in gene expression and proteins in the animals, focused on metabolites?the biochemical intermediates and end-products of bodily processes such as respiration and the synthesis and breakdown of molecules. The science that looks at the body's metabolite composition is known as metabolomics. Using mass spectrometry, which can detect many different chemicals simultaneously, the researchers were able to identify the metabolites present in these animals 21 days after surgery.

Surprise finding

The team analyzed samples of the injured rats? blood plasma, of tissue near the injured paw, and of tissue from different areas of the spinal column, and compared the metabolites present with that of the same site in healthy rats. One particular area differed markedly between the two cases: the dorsal horn in the spinal column.

"It took me by surprise,? says Siuzdak, who had expected to see most differences in metabolite composition near the site of injury.

The researchers then looked more closely at the metabolites and recognized that the ones that were changing the most were associated with the metabolic pathway that synthesizes and breaks down the phospholipid sphingomyelin, a component of cell membranes, and its ceramide precursors.

?It was a huge flare to us that this was something we should home in on,? says team member Gary Patti, a chemist at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri.

Using cultures of spinal cord cells the researchers then tried to work out which of the altered metabolites might be responsible for pain. One molecule,?the previously unidentified metabolite?N,N-dimethylsphingosine (DMS), stood out for the amount of pain signallng it triggered in the cells.

Untargeted screening

To test experimentally whether this molecule was involved in neuropathic pain, the team then injected small amounts of DMS into healthy rats, and sure enough, those rats showed signs of pain.

The team hopes that DMS might prove to be important in the biochemistry of pain, and perhaps offer a target for drug manufacturers. But neuropathic pain expert Andrew Rice at Imperial College London says that in the past 30 years he has seen many targets identified, but virtually none of them has made it into the clinic as an effective pain-relief drug.

Rice lauds the attention shown to neuropathic pain but is concerned that the current animal model for pain is limited: it only corresponds to pain resulting from trauma, and not to the many other sources of neuropathic pain, which include diabetes, HIV infection and stroke. ?I?d like to see if this is more than a peripheral nerve damage model,? he says.

Siuzdak says his untargeted screening technique could prove useful in identifying drug targets for many other conditions. The more conventional way of using metabolomics is with targeted searches, where the molecule of interest is identified first, before seeing where it might be present. ?[Our approach] is more challenging than targeted analyses,? he says. ?You have to be open to any possibility of what pathways are affected.?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=729f452618f12f216eee34a1eb594370

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RIM's Thorsten Heins formally introduced: liveblogging the media call

If you missed it, RIM attempted to interrupt the Giants vs. 49ers matchup last night by dropping a wee bit of news: it's co-CEOs are gone, and taking the solo CEO badge is former COO Thorsten Heins. The new head honcho will be formally introduced in a media call slated to begin at 8:00AM ET on January 23rd, 2012, and we'll be liveblogging every moment of it for those who can't tune in. We've already learned a fair amount about the gentleman's plans courtesy of an introductory video, but we'll be listening in for any hints as to future QNX plans, PlayBook ambitions or BlackBerry wizardry. Join us after the break for the play-by-play!

January 23, 2012 8:00 AM EST

Continue reading RIM's Thorsten Heins formally introduced: liveblogging the media call

RIM's Thorsten Heins formally introduced: liveblogging the media call originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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China Finance Online Announces the Election of a New ...

By PR Newswire

Article Rating:

January 20, 2012 04:30 PM EST

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BEIJING, Jan. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- China Finance Online Co. Limited (Nasdaq: JRJC) ("CFO" or the "Company"), a leading Chinese online financial information and listed company data provider, announces that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has approved the increase of the Board's size and the election of Mr. Neo Chee Beng ("Mr. Neo") as an independent director and a member of each of the Board's audit committee and compensation committee, effective immediately.

With the appointment of Mr. Neo, the Board now has a total of six (6) directors, including four (4) independent directors.

Mr. Neo, 51, is an executive director and the Chief Compliance Officer of Persistent Asset Management Pte Ltd ("Persistent Asset Management"), an exempt fund manager registered with the monetary authority of Singapore. Mr. Neo has been an independent director of LottVision Ltd, a company listed in the Singapore Stock Exchange, and also serves on its audit committee.? Mr. Neo was a former Vice President of investments at Vertex Management II Pte Ltd ("Vertex Management II"), an affiliate of Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd, where he headed its Beijing office from year 2000 to early 2005. ?Mr. Neo was the finance manager of the Singapore Stock Exchange-listed Jardine Cycle & Carriage Ltd, where he assisted the general manager of finance. Mr. Neo had years of auditing experience with international audit firms including Moores Rowland and Ernest & Young. He received his education in Singapore from Hwa Chong Junior College and received professional accountancy training. He is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, United Kingdom and a member of Singapore Institute of Directors.

Mr. Zhao Zhiwei, the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said, "We are delighted to welcome Mr. Neo as our new independent director. We hope that Mr. Neo's extensive financial experience and his experience with public companies will help the Company enhance its internal controls and strengthen its market position."

About China Finance Online Co. Limited

China Finance Online Co. Limited is the technology-driven, user-focused market leader in China in providing vertically integrated financial services and products including news, data, analytics and brokerage-related services through web portals, desktop solutions and mobile handsets. Through its web portals, http://www.jrj.com and http://www.stockstar.com, the Company provides individual users with subscription-based service packages that integrate financial and listed-company data, information and analytics from multiple sources with features and functions such as data and information search, retrieval, delivery, storage and analysis. These features and functions are delivered through proprietary software available by download, through the internet or through mobile handsets. Through its subsidiary, Genius, the Company provides financial information database and analytics to institutional customers including domestic securities and investment firms. Through its subsidiary, Daily Growth, the Company provides securities brokerage services for stocks listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

For further information please contact:
Julie Zhu
Investor Relations
China Finance Online Co. Limited
Tel: (+86-10) 5832-5288
Email: ir@jrj.com

SOURCE China Finance Online Co., Ltd.

Source: http://sox.ulitzer.com/node/2136298

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Giffords will resign from Congress (Politico)

A little more than a year after a would-be assassin fired a bullet into her brain from close range, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will resign her House seat this week, bringing a brief but promising political career to a close ? at least for now.

But in a video message released Sunday afternoon, the 41-year-old Democrat said she?ll be back, although it?s not clear if that means a return to Capitol Hill.

Continue Reading

?I have more work to do on my recovery so to do what is best for Arizona, I will step down this week,? she said. ?I?m getting better every day. My spirit is high. I will return, and we will work together for Arizona and this great country.?

A longtime Giffords political adviser told POLITICO that her husband, former Navy Capt. Mark Kelly; her chief of staff, Pia Carusone; and aide Ron Barber, who was wounded in the rampage, will not be candidates for her seat this year.

Giffords?s decision sets up a special election for Arizona?s closely contested Tucson-based district, which she narrowly won a third term to represent in November 2010 ? just two months before a gunman?s bullets shattered the calm of a Jan. 8, 2011, ?Congress on Your Corner? constituent-service event, killing six people, including Judge John Roll, Giffords aide Gabe Zimmerman and 9-year-old Christina Green.

Her resignation ends, at least temporarily, the political chapter of a tale of tragedy and human perseverance that gripped the nation for more than a year. From political insiders to the completely apolitical, Americans watched with a mix of horror and awe as they learned details of the devastating rampage, the heroic acts of the bystanders who subdued the gunman and the life-saving efforts of intern Daniel Hernandez, who cradled Giffords until emergency medical professionals could rush her to the hospital.

After doctors performed brain surgery to keep her alive, a national audience tuned in to see Barack Obama deliver what many still believe is the finest and most unifying speech of his presidency at a University of Arizona memorial service for those who were killed. ?Gabby opened her eyes,? Obama announced. It was unclear at that moment, as it is to this day, the extent to which Giffords will recover.

On Sunday, the president said in a statement, ?Gabby?s cheerful presence will be missed in Washington. But she will remain an inspiration to all whose lives she touched ? myself included. And I?m confident that we haven?t seen the last of this extraordinary American.?

There have been milestones, too. The first reports that she could speak appeared in February last year as Giffords began her long recovery at a hospital in Houston. In April, news media captured images of her ascending the stairs to an airplane so she could travel to the planned launch of a space shuttle mission commanded by her husband. In August, she went to the House floor to cast her only vote since the shooting ? in support of a debt-limit increase. And in recent weeks, even as those close to her said she hadn?t made a decision about whether to run for another term, Giffords showed renewed speech proficiency.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0112_71787_html/44265273/SIG=11m1ftgbq/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71787.html

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Action-Oriented Analytics Can Help Manage Risk | Big Fat Finance ...

Risk has always been an integral part of business, but as I?ve noted, companies deal with risk with varying degrees of effectiveness. A complex, ongoing process, operational risk management identifies risks to support successful operations of an organization, estimates the monetary and other measurable impacts if a risk event occurs, establishes methods for mitigating the severity of impacts should they occur, continuously measures the probability of a risk occurring within a relevant period of time, periodically reports on the risk environment to appropriate decision-makers and alerts executives and managers when risk thresholds are crossed. These important activities should make operational risk management of greater interest to executives in today?s volatile business environment.

Operational risk management also is a key reason for an emerging trend toward action-oriented IT systems. The easier availability of broad sets of corporate data and third-party data, along with the ability to process it quickly and explore implications in real time, makes it practical to expand the scope of risk management and improve the effectiveness of responses when risk events occur. Operational risk now can be managed more comprehensively ? and the potential consequences mean it should be.

However, many companies handle risk haphazardly, leaving it to functional or business units. One reason for this is that ?risk? means different things to different parts of the business. Another is that companies have had a hard time defining operational risks in a way that is measurable and therefore manageable. Often, the data needed to measure and monitor operational risks comes from disparate sources. For example, senior executives should be made aware if health and safety issues have become more probable because required maintenance or other actions have been skipped. Rather than relying solely on document-based attestations by, say, plant managers, higher-ups could also be alerted if maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) data suggests procedures have been skipped or if accounting data shows a large enough positive variance in maintenance expense accounts. Another reason for slipshod risk management is that relatively few companies use advanced analytics, as our research shows. Rather than relying solely on sales-to-date data as the means of assessing the probability of missing future sales targets, for instance, they could employ predictive analytics (used by just one in eight companies) in a variety of ways to generate alerts as soon as actual results diverge too far from expected in many areas, whether sales of complementary products, cumulative rainfall or social media mentions.

Until now it?s been very difficult to assemble and use enough data to quantify risk. Because of this, operational risk management has been confined to a handful of industries (notably financial services, which is literally a business of numbers), a few kinds of projects (for instance, in engineering and construction, aerospace or defense) or the most easily measured general corporate risks (tracking revenues, expenses and cash flow). To be sure, some individual businesses and some functional areas are better than others at managing operational risk quantitatively. For example, companies that decide to make their supply chains leaner are more exposed to risk of disruption. The scope of the costs associated with leaner supply chains became clear this past year because of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the floods in Thailand. Corporations that had implemented comprehensive supply chain analytics were in a better position to react to these events because they had a more detailed understanding of their implications than those that had to wait days or weeks to quantify and analyze their positions.

Now that data is increasingly available and big data technologies as well as in-memory processing capabilities are accessible, corporations can apply a range of analytics and reports to limit the probability of preventing risk events from occurring or mitigating their impacts if they do occur. However, even though the technology foundation for more comprehensive risk management exists, it?s unclear how quickly companies will adopt it. The history of business computing is full of examples of business process changes lagging the introduction of technology that make them possible. For instance, in our ERP Innovation benchmark we found that two decades after modern ERP systems were introduced, only half of companies were using imaging ? which increases the availability of source documents such as invoices ? and only half used streamlined end-to-end processes such as procure-to-pay.

One of the first technology applications where executives should put operational risk management to work is scorecards. Corporations use balanced scorecards because all business decisions involve some sort of trade-off, such as market share vs. profitability. Moreover, all business decisions involve some form of risk and often more than just the risk of not achieving a business objective. Weighing and balancing trade-offs recognizes the reality that managers and executives must make these decisions intelligently in ways that are consistent with their organization?s overall objectives and risk appetite. Indeed, I believe that scorecards that don?t explicitly include risk are not truly balanced.

One reason for using scorecards as the jumping-off point for capturing and applying risk metrics is that this tool can be adopted and adapted at whatever pace a corporation prefers. Since few companies include risk metrics in management assessments today, there are few best practices at hand. Lacking a well-established set of metrics for a variety of operational functions, early adopters of operational risk metrics may well want to proceed with caution (as one would expect from people concerned with risk). Corporations that have already started with big-data initiatives and have deployed in-memory analytics systems have made most of the investment necessary to support an operational risk management initiative. They can follow the steps I outlined in the first paragraph above, from identifying the most relevant risks through reporting them. This is not a trivial task, but with the right tools it need not be overwhelmingly time-consuming. When done across a company it can keep senior executives alert to the severity of risks and their potential impacts and help them manage the organization more safely on an ongoing basis.

Source: http://bigfatfinanceblog.com/2012/01/20/action-oriented-analytics-can-help-manage-risk/

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James' passion, great range remembered (omg!)

NEW YORK (AP) ? On her last album "The Dreamer," released just three months before her death, Etta James sings a mix of covers, from the R&B classic "Misty Blue" to the Ray Charles song "In the Evening." But perhaps the most curious tune included on the disc may be the Guns N' Roses staple "Welcome to the Jungle."

That a 73-year-old icon of R&B would tackle the frenetic rock song ? albeit in a pace more fitting her blues roots ? might seem odd. But the song may be the best representation of James as both a singer and a person ? rambunctious in spirit, with the ability to sing whatever was thrown at her, whether it was jazz, blues, pining R&B or a song from one of the rowdiest bands in rock.

"She was able to dig so deep in kind of such a raw and unguarded place when she sang, and that's the power of gospel and blues and rhythm and blues. She brought that to all those beautiful standards and rocks songs that she did. All the number of vast albums she recorded, she covered such a wide variety of material that brought such unique phrasing and emotional depth," said Bonnie Raitt, a close friend, in an interview on Friday afternoon after James' death.

"I think that's what appealed to people, aside from the fact that her personality on and off the stage was so huge and irrepressible. She was ribald and raunchy and dignified, classy and strong and vulnerable all at the same time, which is what us as women really relate to."

James, whose signature song was the sweeping, jazz-tinged torch song "At Last," died in Riverside, Calif., from complications of leukemia. Her death came after she struggled with dementia and other health problems, health issues that kept her from performing for the last two or so years of her life.

It was a life full of struggles. Her mother was immersed in a criminal life and left her to be raised by friends, she never knew her true father (though she believed it was billiards great Minnesota Fats), and she had her own troubles, which included a decades-long addiction to drugs, turbulent relationships, brushes with the law, and other tribulations.

One might think all of those problems would have weighted down James' spirit, and her voice, layering it with sadness, or despair. While she certainly could channel depression, anger, and sorrow in song, her voice was defined by its fiery passion: Far from beaten down, James embodied the fight of a woman who managed to claw her way back from the brink, again and again.

It's an attitude that influenced her look as well. Despite the conservative era, she dyed her hair platinum blonde, sending out the signal that she was far from demure, and owning a brassy, sassy attitude. She relished her role as saucy singer, a persona that she celebrated in her private life as well.

"In terms of 1950s rhythm and blues stars, she had kind of a gutsy attitude and she went out there and did what she did, and she was kind of bold ... and it had a huge influence," said David Ritz, the co-author of her autobiography "Rage to Survive: The Etta James Story." ''I think her gutsiness and her lack of fear and just her courage (made her special). ... I believe that made her important and memorable."

Beyonce, who played James in the movie "Cadillac Records" about Chess Records, also spoke about her influence on other singers.

"I feel like Etta James, first of all, was the first black woman I saw with platinum, blonde hair. She wore her leopard and she wore her sexy silhouette and she didn't care. She was strong and confident and always Etta James," said Beyonce in a 2008 interview.

James could often be irascible. Ritz remembers when he was working with her on her autobiography, touring with her around the country, that one time he approached her with his tape recorder and she barked: "If see that tape recorder again I'm going to cram it up your (expletive)."

But at other times, she'd be effusive and warm and anxious to talk.

"Once she did talk, she was always candid and unguarded. She was a free spirit," Ritz said.

While Ritz put her in the category of other greats like Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye, she never enjoyed their mainstream success. Though "At Last" has become an enduring classic, there were times when James had to scrounge for work, and while she won Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, she did not have the riches, the multitude of platinum records or the hits that some of her peers enjoyed.

"She at least enjoyed a great resurgence like John Lee Hooker did and B.B. King, (and) has had some great decades of appreciation from new generations around the world," said Raitt. "There's no one like her. No one will ever replace Etta."

And Ritz said the lack of commercial success does nothing to diminish her greatness, or her legacy.

"Marvin certain knew it and Ray knew it ... the people who know that she was in that category," he said. "Whatever the marketplace did or didn't do or whether her lack of career management didn't do, it has nothing to do with her talent."

And on Friday, the Queen of Soul was among those who paid tribute to James greatness, calling her "one of the great soul singers of our generation. An American original!

"I loved 'Pushover,' 'At Last' and almost any and everything she recorded! When Etta SUNG, you heard it!"

___

AP Entertainment Writer Chris Talbott and AP Writer Mesfin Fekadu contributed to this report.

___

Nekesa Mumbi Moody is the AP's music editor. Follow her at http://www.twitter.com/nekesamumbi

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_james_passion_great_range_remembered000651407/44249689/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/james-passion-great-range-remembered-000651407.html

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APNewsBreak: Feds shut down file-sharing website (AP)

McLEAN, Va. ? Federal prosecutors in Virginia have shut down one of the world's largest file-sharing sites, Megaupload.com, and charged its founder and others with violating piracy laws.

The indictment accuses the company of costing copyright holders more than $500 million in lost revenue from pirated films and other content. The indictment was unsealed Thursday, one day after websites shut down in protest of two congressional proposals intended to thwart the online piracy of copyrighted movies and TV programs.

Megaupload.com has claimed it is diligent in responding to complaints about pirated material.

The indictment says at one point, Megaupload was the 13th most popular website in the world.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120119/ap_on_hi_te/us_internet_piracy_indictment

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Boa Constrictors Listen to Loosen

60-Second Science | More Science

Boa constrictors kept tightening their grip on dead rats with faked heartbeats for 20 minutes, but let go when the pulse stopped. Christopher Intagliata reports

January 18, 2012?|

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True to their name, boa constrictors squeeze the life out of their prey. But how does a boa know it's snuffed out a rat? The snake listens for a heartbeat. When it stops, that's the cue to let go, according to a study in the journal Biology Letters. [Scott M. Boback et al., "Snake modulates constriction in response to prey?s heartbeat"]

Researchers outfitted rat cadavers with artificial beating hearts. They used dead rats to control for other signs of passing, like muscle spasms. Then they warmed up the rats, set the hearts pumping, and dangled them in front of hungry boas.

The snakes attacked. And as long as that rat heart kept thumping, the boas kept tightening their coils and applying bursts of pressure, sometimes for more than 20 minutes. But as soon as scientists killed the heartbeat, the boas loosened up.

Even captive-born boas who'd never hunted live prey paid attention to the pulse?suggesting the behavior is innate. And for good reason. The authors say constriction takes a lot of energy. And it can be dangerous, say, if an enemy strikes while the snake's coiled around its quarry. But by following the telltale heart, boas can keep the pressure on just long enough. Before a relaxing meal.

?Christopher Intagliata

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=bb5b3bc0192b21acdee6be5be5235737

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Romney says he pays about 15 percent in income tax (AP)

FLORENCE, S.C. ? After weeks of stalling, Mitt Romney did an about-face on Tuesday and said he will release his tax returns in April and that they will show he pays close to 15 percent of his income in taxes.

Romney, a multimillionaire, has been under pressure from his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination and others to release the information. He'd previously said he wouldn't release it. He suggested Tuesday that he would make public only one year's worth of information, for 2011.

Speaking to reporters after a campaign stop in South Carolina, Romney said most of his income comes from investments, not regular wages and salary. The tax rate on investment income is 15 percent, much lower than the 35 percent rate applied to wages for those in the highest tax bracket.

"What's the effective rate I've been paying? It's probably closer to the 15 percent rate than anything," Romney said. "Because my last 10 years, I've ... my income comes overwhelmingly from investments made in the past, rather than ordinary income or rather than earned annual. I got a little bit of income from my book, but I gave that all away. And then I get speaker's fees from time to time, but not very much."

Romney has resisted calls to release his tax returns, insisting that he and his wife, Ann, have complied with federal law that requires them to disclose information about their financial holdings.

But in a debate Monday night, Texas Gov. Rick Perry insisted that Romney release his returns, saying that the party needs to fully scrutinize its nominee now instead of later. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he will release his tax information this week.

"I know that if I'm the nominee, people will want to see the most recent year, and see what happened in the most recent year," Romney said, suggesting he'd release the couple's 2011 tax information. "We'll wait until the tax returns for the most recent year are completed, then release them."

Romney's wealth ? he is worth between $190 and $250 million ? puts him among the wealthiest Americans. But if most of his income is from investments, it could help him to significantly lower his federal tax bill compared to people who make money in other ways.

The top federal tax rate for investment income ? qualified dividends and long-term capital gains ? is 15 percent. By comparison, the top tax rate for wages is 35 percent, on taxable income above $388,350. Wages are also subject to Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes.

At 15 percent, Romney's federal income tax rate would still be higher than the tax rate paid by most Americans.

On average, households making between $50,000 and $75,000 will pay a federal income tax rate of 5.7 percent this year, according to projections by the Tax Policy Center a Washington think tank.

However, when payroll and other taxes are included, that same household would pay an average federal tax rate of 16.6 percent.

Overall, the average American household will pay 9.3 percent in federal income taxes ? and 19.7 percent in all federal taxes.

In the 2008 presidential race, Republican John McCain released two years of his tax returns and then-Sen. Barack Obama released six years of tax information.

___

Ohlemacher reported from Washington.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120117/ap_on_el_pr/us_romney

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Study: Many women can skip frequent bone scans

[unable to retrieve full-text content]ATLANTA (AP) ? New research could mean millions of older women can skip frequent screening tests for osteoporosis: If an initial bone scan shows no big problems, many can safely wait 15 years to have another one, the study suggests.

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-01-18-US-MED-Osteoporosis-Screening/id-016d7b332f224350a601f86a22f150c9

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Pakistan PM Gilani wins key backing in Parliament

Pakistan's Parliament passed a key resolution Monday that backed Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani as he faces pressure from the Army and the Supreme Court.

Pakistan?s Parliament passed a key resolution Monday night calling for the country?s other state institutions ? the Army and Supreme Court ? to remain within their constitutional limits.

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The resolution is a welcome boost for beleaguered Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani who earlier in the day was charged by the Supreme Court with contempt for failing to reopen old corruption cases against his ally President Asif Ali Zardari. If found guilty, Mr. Gilani faces dismissal and the possibility of jail time.

Gilani described Monday?s vote as ?a welcome day for democracy,? adding that it endorses Parliament?s supremacy.

Pakistan's military traditionally enjoys wide latitude in shaping the country's national security policies and has stepped in numerous times?? often with the Supreme Court's blessing???to overthrow civilian governments that challenged its authority. The Gilani government has been trying to circumscribe the military's role particularly after the embarrassing discovery of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in a military garrison town last year.?Last week, Pakistan?s Army issued a statement criticizing the Prime Minister and promising ?grievous consequences,? raising fears of another military coup.

Today's backing in Parliament suggests Pakistan's political leadership prefers Gilani and his government to stay in office until elections expected later this year. This support from Parliament, as well as recent warm statements by Gilani toward the military, have tamped down the concerns about a coup ??for now.

Zaffar Abbas, editor of leading-English daily Dawn, says the resolution will strengthen Gilani's hand, despite a last-ditch walk-out by some opposition parties.

?The majority want the system to continue. If a consensus had been reached they would have liked it, but still the house has passed it,? he says.

However, the future of the government still remains uncertain as it faces down two major cases in court.?

The first concerns a political amnesty known as the National Reconciliation Ordinance which was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2009. When the Court overturned the amnesty, it expected Gilani to help reopen old corruption cases against President Zardari.

Zardari argued, however, that as head of state he enjoys immunity from prosecution, and Gilani did not pursue it. That may change as court pressure on Gilani mounts.?

According to Supreme Court advocate Feisal Naqvi, the ruling Pakistan People?s Party (PPP) may end up sending a letter to Swiss authorities to help reopen the old cases against President Zardari before the next date of hearing on Thursday, in order to avoid Gilani?s dismissal.?

Mr. Abbas, on the other hand, says the judiciary is more likely to get the prime minister?s legal team to respond to the contempt charges rather than dismissing the prime minister.

The second case relates to a secret memorandum sent by unknown persons to the United States, seeking American help in curtailing Pakistan?s Army. Zardari denies any role in the scandal, which cost former Ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani his job. Mansoor Ijaz, a US businessmen who says he co-authored the memo and brought it to light, is due to give evidence to the court on Jan. 25.?

A further interesting aspect to Monday?s vote was a failure by Pakistan?s main opposition party, the PML-N, to side with the government despite a recent record of standing up to the Army. The resolution still passed with a majority of parliament including some members of other opposition parties.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali, leader of the opposition in parliament, attempted to table amendments to the resolution requiring the government to endorse all orders of the Supreme Court and refrain from making hostile statements toward the Army in public. When those amendments failed, he led a walk-out, saying: ?There is no threat to democracy. This incompetent government is trying to support itself through this hollow resolution.?

According to senior Pakistani journalist Amir Mateen, the statements represent a mellowing of the party?s anti-Army stance which it has held since elections in 2008 and may be the result of an attempt to make political hay in what politicians and pundits alike expect to be an election year.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/OjnLRWrKIYo/Pakistan-PM-Gilani-wins-key-backing-in-Parliament

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Nasdaq rises 1 percent (Reuters)

NEW YORK (Reuters) ? The Nasdaq advanced more than 1 percent while the Dow and S&P 500 added to gains on Wednesday as optimism about potential help from the International Monetary Fund for Europe.

Technology shares led the rise on the S&P 500, with the S&P technology index (.GPST) up 1.5 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) was up 79.58 points, or 0.64 percent, at 12,561.65. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) was up 10.66 points, or 0.82 percent, at 1,304.33. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) was up 32.55 points, or 1.19 percent, at 2,760.63.

(Reporting By Caroline Valetkevitch; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120118/bs_nm/us_markets_stocks

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Big night for big names at Golden Globes

LOS ANGELES?? Big Hollywood names claimed trophies at Sunday night's Golden Globe awards, with legends Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen and George Clooney picking up honors.

Streep, who plays former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady," won the award for best actress in a motion picture drama.

Clooney won the best actor award for his role in "The Descendants," and the film itself later won for best motion picture drama. In the film, Clooney plays a Hawaiian land baron who struggles with family issues as his cheating wife lies in a coma.

Scorsese won the Golden Globe for best director for "Hugo," his love letter to the early days of film.

Allen won the best screenplay award for "Midnight in Paris," but did not attend the show to pick up the trophy in person.

Before the big hitters started their treks to the podium, the honors were fairly evenly split between a number of different actors, movies and TV shows.

Michelle Williams won for actress in a musical or comedy as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn," 52 years after Monroe won the same prize for 1959's "Some Like It Hot."

Williams offered thanks for giving her the same award Monroe once won and joked that her young daughter put up with bedtime stories for six months spoken in Monroe's voice.

"I consider myself a mother first and an actress second, so the person I most want to thank is my daughter, my little girl, whose bravery and exuberance is the example I take with me in my work and my life," Williams said.

Great quotes from the Golden Globes

The supporting-acting Globes went to Christopher Plummer as an elderly widower who comes out as gay in the father-son drama "Beginners" and Octavia Spencer as a brassy housekeeper joining other black maids to share stories about life with their white employers in the 1960s Deep South tale "The Help."

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"With regard to domestics in this country, now and then, I think Dr. King said it best: 'All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance.' And I thank you for recognizing that with our film," Spencer said.

"The Adventures of Tintin" won for best animated feature film, with director Steven Spielberg accepting the award.

"The Artist," an almost-silent black and white film, won the award for best movie musical or comedy, and another for Ludovic Bource's original score. Jean Dujardin also won a Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy or musical for the film.

Madonna claimed her second Golden Globe for her original song, "Masterpiece," from her film "W.E.," about the love affair of Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII.

"A Separation," from Iran, won the award for best foreign-language film. Writer-director Asghar Farhadi uses a divorcing couple's domestic troubles with a young child and an aging parent as the means to examine gender, religious and class distinctions in contemporary Iran.

Fashion blog: Hits and misses on the?style front

Television awards were spread between new favorites and old standbys.

Fan favorite "Downton Abbey," PBS' look at the lives of servants and the wealthy family in a British manor house during World War I, claimed the award for best TV series, miniseries or TV movie.

Peter Dinklage won the best supporting actor award in a TV series, miniseries or movie for his role as Tyrion Lannister in HBO's "Game of Thrones." He said that his new daughter was with her first babysitter Sunday night "so I'm a little nervous." Dinklage also mentioned Martin Henderson, a dwarf in England who was picked up and tossed by a drunken stranger last fall. Henderson is now partially paralyzed.

"Modern Family" won the award for best TV comedy or musical, while "Homeland" won for best TV drama.

Claire Danes won the Globe for best actress in a TV drama for her "Homeland" role. She mentioned in her speech that she had won the same award at age 15 for her role in "My So-Called Life," and wanted to be sure to thank her parents since she had forgotten to thank them the first time around.

Recapping hits, misses from Globes

Laura Dern claimed the award for best actress in a television comedy or musical, for her role in HBO's "Enlightened."

Kate Winslet took home the honor for best actress in a TV series, miniseries or movie for her role in the remake of "Mildred Pierce."

Slideshow: Golden Globes red carpet (on this page)

The award for best actor in a TV drama went to Kelsey Grammer for "Boss."

Baby No.5 on the way for Kelsey Grammer

Matt LeBlanc won the award for best actor in a comedy for "Episodes."

Idris Elba won for best actor in a TV series, miniseries or TV movie for "Luther."

Jessica Lange won the award for best supporting actress in a TV series, miniseries or movie for her role in "American Horror Story."

Ricky Gervais, who has ruffled feathers at past shows with sharp wisecracks aimed at Hollywood's elite and the Globes show itself, returned as host for the third-straight year.

While Gervais' comedy seemed toned-down from 2011, he started with some slams at the ceremony itself. Gervais joked that the Globes "are just like the Oscars, but without all that esteem. The Globes are to the Oscars what Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton. A bit louder, a bit trashier, a bit drunker and more easily bought. Allegedly. Nothing's been proved."

Video: Ricky Gervais: Controversy ?irrelevant to me?

The Golden Globe Awards are given out by the roughly 90 HFPA members at a gala dinner and ceremony in Beverly Hills that is annually among the key events during Hollywood's awards season because of the media exposure it brings.

Honors bestowed on TV shows often lure audiences that can turn a little-seen program into a hit, and films and stars that are declared Golden Globe winners often go on to compete for Oscars, the world's top movie prizes given out later this year.

Offended? Gervais doesn't care

But veteran Hollywood awards watcher Tom O'Neil of website Goldderby.com notes that in recent years, as more awards shows have aired on TV and Oscar organizers have made changes to their nomination process, the HFPA's influence has waned.

"Six of the last seven years they haven't picked the same best movie. 'Slumdog Millionaire' is the only one," said O'Neil.

? 2012 msnbc.com

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/46007126/ns/today-entertainment/

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Russell Simmons: Occupy the Dream: The Mathematics of Racism (Huffington post)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

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Obama's Government Agency Shuffle -- Just Three Years Too Late (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | Suddenly, reorganizing government seems to be a good idea for President Barack Obama as he enters what could be the last year of his presidency. On Friday, Obama asked Congress for authority to consolidate six federal agencies to save money and promote efficiencies.

Associated Press reported the president wants to consolidate six federal agencies that have overlapping responsibilities and includes eliminating the current Commerce Department. Obama's proposal would ask Congress to guarantee a vote on his plan within 90 days if it reduced the size of government and saved money. These aren't original ideas -- Ronald Reagan proposed them 30 years ago.

It is good to know Obama has discovered as he is about to enter the fourth year of his presidency that the federal government might be too big and could use some paring. There are probably dozens of departments and agencies that could be eliminated or consolidated, but it's rare to see a request to do so, especially if it means cutting sacrosanct federal jobs.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he would give the proposal a thorough review. I hope he does. Any idea that saves taxpayers money and makes the enormous federal government more efficient is worth examining in depth. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, was less optimistic and said through a spokesman that Obama's streamlining efforts might not actually help business.

The president also elevated the administrator of the Small Business Administration to cabinet-level status on Friday, Associated Press reported. I'm sure that was meant to show his "strong" commitment to small business, but if his proposal is enacted, that job would disappear completely -- a strange tactic for sure.

Regardless of the ultimate outcome, Obama has finally decided to do something about the size of government. This idea sounds like something that incoming White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew would champion, so it's quite possible we are already witnessing the influence of a new sheriff in the West Wing.

Consolidating government and saving money are two worthy goals. But they're not going to happen with a divided Congress amidst an election year. Good try though.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20120114/pl_ac/10833827_obamas_government_agency_shuffle__just_three_years_too_late

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China's Wen presses Saudi Arabia for oil, gas access (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pressed Saudi Arabia to open its huge oil and gas resources to expanded investment from Chinese companies, media reports said Sunday after Wen began a trip to Middle Eastern energy powers.

In talks with Saudi Crown Prince Nayef in Riyadh on Saturday, Wen also said his government wants "reputable" Chinese companies to invest in Saudi Arabia's ports, railways and infrastructure, the Chinese Xinhua news agency reported.

The Saudi kingdom is already China's biggest source of imported oil, and securing energy security was high on Wen's agenda in Riyadh, perhaps reflecting worry about how nuclear tensions and sanctions that could unsettle imports from Iran.

"China and Saudi Arabia are both in important stages of development, and there are broad prospects for enhancing cooperation," Wen told Prince Nayef, who is a senior member of the Saudi government, according to Xinhua.

"Both sides must strive together to expand trade and cooperation, upstream and downstream, in crude oil and natural gas," said Wen, referring to access to extracting oil and gas and then processing the them.

"The Chinese government encourages strong and reputable Chinese firms to participate more in constructing Saudi railways, ports, power, telecommunications and other important infrastructure," added Wen.

Crown Prince Nayef is King Abdullah's half brother and became heir to the throne in October. The Xinhua report paraphrased the prince as saying that Saudi Arabia is willing to expand cooperation in energy and infrastructure.

China is already Saudi Arabia's biggest customer and the kingdom is keen to diversify its economic ties. But the Chinese report made no mention of specific energy or infrastructure deals with Saudi Arabia, the world's top crude exporter.

Saudi Arabia's state oil giant, Saudi Aramco (SDABO.UL), had said it would sign a final deal this weekend to build a 400,000 barrel-per-day oil refinery in Yanbu with China's Sinopec Group.

The Xinhua report did not directly mention any discussion of Iran, whose oil exports to China have come under pressure from new U.S. financial sanctions. The Obama administration wants Beijing to go along with the U.S. sanctions by cutting what it pays for Iranian oil, if not the volume it buys.

Western powers say Iran has been accumulating the means to make atomic weapons. Tehran says its nuclear aims are peaceful.

China already cut oil imports from Iran in January and February in a commercial dispute over contract terms, and has been looking for alternative supplies.

Wen said it was important for China and Saudi Arabia to keep deepening cooperation "in the face of changeable and complicated regional and international trends," reported Xinhua.

In the first 11 months of 2011, top supplier Saudi Arabia shipped 45.5 million tons of crude to China, a rise of 12.9 percent over the same period in 2010, according to Chinese customs data. Angola and Iran were China's second and third biggest suppliers.

Wen is also scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley, Editing by Jonathan Thatcher)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120115/bs_nm/us_saudi_arabia_china

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Retrobit RetroDuo portable and RetroPort hands-on

Inspired, perhaps, by the fruits of Ben Heck's dual-console handheld dreams, Retrobit has retrofit their Retroduo NES / SNES hybrid game console to fit in your hand. The Retroduo Portable, a handheld SNES console shown for the first time at CES 2012, hopes to one-up Hyperkin's SupaBoy by adding support for classic NES games. We dropped by their booth to get a closer look.

Gallery: Retrobit RetroDuo portable hands-on

Continue reading Retrobit RetroDuo portable and RetroPort hands-on

Retrobit RetroDuo portable and RetroPort hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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