Obama presses Congress to resolve fiscal cliff (Reuters)

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Frazer Smith’s Rose Parade Show Live

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Jon Lovitz Comedy Club & Podcast Theatre 1000 Universal Studios Blvd, #222 Universal City, CA 91608 View Map

Tuesday, Jan 1 at 8:00 AM

Frazer Smith?s Rose Parade Show Live

At?Jon Lovitz?Comedy Club Jan 1^st, 2013

LA Radio Legend Frazer Smith and The Go Cast Network bring the 125^th?Rose Parade to the stage at Jon Lovitz Comedy Club Jan 1^st, 2013 at 8am in front of a Live Audience. Frazer Smith has been covering the Tournament of Roses Parade for three decades on KLOS, KROQ, KMET and KLSX. His Comedic Commentary on the Rose Parade has become a Holiday tradition.

For several years, Smith, along with Peter "Crabman? Crabbe, made an annual tradition of offering an alternate audio commentary to television coverage of the famous?Tournament of Roses Parade. Listeners would be told to tune in to Los Angeles television station KTLA, which was hosted byStephanie Edwards?and?Bob Eubanks. Smith would tell viewers to turn down the television volume and turn up the radio to hear the comedy parody, which included discussing news themes from the past year and applying them to the floats. Smith and Crabbe would also describe the passing bands while playing over the top taped band music.
Frazer Smith is the Premiere Host in Los Angeles at the biggest comedy clubs including The Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, The Ice House and The Improv. Once again, Frazer?s Co-Host will be Peter Crabbe, Headlining Comedian that has performed with Monty Python. The Event will be catered by the 2^nd?Floor from Huntington Beach, so Patrons can expect an Outstanding Dining experience at Frazer Smith?s Live Rose Parade Coverage of the most widely viewed parade on Earth. Home Viewers can watch it all on Ustream and?ww.gocastnetwork.com?on New Year?s Day. Come enjoy the New Year with Fine Spirts, Great Food and Lots of Laughter at

Frazer Smith?s Rose Parade Show Live

At Jon Lovitz Comedy Club Jan 1^st, 2013

Restrictions & Requirements:

• Two items minimum per person
• Seating First Come First Serve
• All Shows Have Adult Content

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Source: http://www.laughstub.com/buyTicket.cfm?showTimingID=220293&buy

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Finless Porpoises in Peril

A survey has found that fishing, pollution and other human activities along the Yangtze River in China are driving a freshwater mammal, the Yangtze finless Porpoise, to the brink of extinction

By Jane Qiu and Nature magazine

The Yangtze finless porpoise is in decline in the wild, with the latest estimate suggesting it might be critically endangered. Image: http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/7.8165.1356108785!/image/web-72578595.jpg

Fishing, pollution and other human activities along the Yangtze River in China are driving yet another species of freshwater cetacean to the brink of extinction. That is the conclusion of a six-week survey of the river?s middle and lower stretches by the Chinese Academy of Sciences? Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) in Wuhan and the conservation group WWF in China.

The final results of the survey will be announced in March. But the preliminary findings are worrying: the survey team spotted fewer than half of the Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) that were seen during a similar expedition in 2006, which found 1,225 living in the river.

?This is really bad news,? says Wang Ding, an ecologist at the IHB who is the survey's chief scientist. ?The finless porpoises are doing much worse than previously thought along the Yangtze mainstream.?

The Yangtze finless porpoise is one of the world?s few remaining freshwater cetaceans. It is found only in the Yangtze, as well as in two adjoining lakes, called Poyang and Dongting. Scientists hope that the porpoises can avoid the same fate as the Yangtze river dolphin, or baiji (Lipotes vexillifer), which was declared effectively extinct after the 2006 survey.

Endangered ecosystem
The latest survey also found that a population of about 450 porpoises in Poyang Lake has been stable for the past six years. But only 90 of the animals remained in Dongting Lake, a decline of 40% since 2006. This means that there is a total of only around 1,000 finless porpoises in the Yangtze River basin ? making them even rarer than giant pandas in the wild.?

?Losing these big, top carnivores in the Yangtze is a pretty good indication of the terrible state of the river ecosystem,? says David Dudgeon, an ecologist at the University of Hong Kong in China, who was not involved in the survey.

"Intense human impact is to blame," says Lei Gang, director of WWF China's freshwater program. "The conflict between conservation and economic development along the Yangtze is overwhelming."

Overfishing has caused a big decline in the porpoises? food sources, says Wang, and the animals are vulnerable to unregulated fishing methods such as electro-fishing, which involves sending electrical currents into the water to stun fish before they are caught.

Pollution problem
Pollution is another major, long-term threat, says Dudgeon. The Yangtze, regarded by Chinese people as their ?mother river?, supports 40% of the country?s human population, and its riverbanks are lined with large cities, factories and power plants. According to Dudgeon, about 20 billion tons of waste are discharged into the Yangtze every year. ?This doesn?t even include diffuse pollution from agriculture or pollution caused by ships,? he says.

Like other cetacean species, the Yangtze finless porpoise uses sonar for navigation, ranging and foraging. But the high density of shipping along the Yangtze creates high levels of acoustic pollution, which interferes with the animals? sonar. ?This affects their feeding and many are also wounded or die because of ship strikes,? says Lei.

Other human activities such as dam building, land reclamation and sand dredging have contributed to large-scale habitat loss and degradation in the Yangtze River basin in recent decades, says Lei.

The Yangtze finless porpoise is currently listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. ?The new estimate may qualify them as critically endangered,? says Wang. ?If the situation does not improve significantly, they may follow the fate of baiji in 15 years.?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=fda10c35ba8cdb1a9983bccc969989e9

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For someone not running in Italy, Monti has a plan

Italian Premier Mario Monti gestures as he speaks during a news conference in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Italy's caretaker Premier Mario Monti said Sunday he won't run in February elections, but if political parties that back his anti-crisis agenda ask him to head the next government he would consider the offer. Monti ruled out heading any ticket himself, saying "I have no sympathy for 'personal' parties." At a news conference, Monti made clear he was spurning an offer from his predecessor Silvio Berlusconi to run on a center-right election ticket backed by the media mogul, citing Berlusconi's heavy criticism of his economic policies. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Italian Premier Mario Monti gestures as he speaks during a news conference in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Italy's caretaker Premier Mario Monti said Sunday he won't run in February elections, but if political parties that back his anti-crisis agenda ask him to head the next government he would consider the offer. Monti ruled out heading any ticket himself, saying "I have no sympathy for 'personal' parties." At a news conference, Monti made clear he was spurning an offer from his predecessor Silvio Berlusconi to run on a center-right election ticket backed by the media mogul, citing Berlusconi's heavy criticism of his economic policies. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi attends a TV show in Rome, Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012. Italy's caretaker Premier Mario Monti on Sunday said is spurning he won't take up Silvio Berlusconi's offer to run on a center-right election ticket backed the by media mogul, citing Berlusconi's heavy criticism of his economic policies. (AP Photo/Roberto Monaldo, Lapresse)

ROME (AP) ? For someone not running for political office, Premier Mario Monti has an awfully detailed plan for how to fix Italy's financial woes and bring the country and the rest of Europe back to economic health.

Monti issued a 25-page agenda to "Change Italy, Reform Europe" late Sunday after announcing he had ruled out campaigning for February elections, but would consider leading the next government if politicians who share his focus on reform request it.

Monti outlined the steps Italy must take to finish the reforms his 13-month technical government launched to reign in Italy's public debt, spur economic growth and bring Europe's No. 3 economy out of recession.

Some of his priorities include attracting greater foreign investment, investing in research, exploiting Italy's cultural treasures and fighting tax evasion and corruption.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-24-Italy-Politics/id-b035fddfdff144fab4a74cf37377fc54

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Johnson sets NFL season record for receiving yards

(Reuters) - Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson gave the home crowd something to cheer about when he set a National Football League record for most receiving yards in a season in a 31-18 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Saturday.

Johnson caught 11 passes from quarterback Matthew Stafford for 225 yards and a total of 1,892 yards for the season with one game remaining.

The speedy, 6ft-5in (1.96m) Johnson, serenaded by chants of "Calvin, Calvin" even while the team was falling to its seventh loss in a row, eclipsed the record of 1,848 yards set by Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in 1995 for the San Francisco 49ers.

After his 26-yard fourth-quarter reception on one of his typical catch-and-run plays across the middle moved him past Rice, the Lions receiver jogged to the sideline to hand the ball to his father as the crowd roared in appreciation.

"This is a huge accomplishment to take one of those records from the great Jerry," said the 27-year-old Johnson, taken with the second overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft out of Georgia Tech.

"He's amazing," Rice said in a phone interview during the ESPN telecast. "Just watching him go out there and do his thing on the football field, he's a true talent and that's why they call him 'Megatron'.

"You never want your record broken, but if anyone is going to do it, I prefer it's Megatron."

EXCEPTIONAL THREAT

Rice said Johnson's combination of size, strength and speed made him an exceptional threat on the gridiron.

"I just sit back and I'm just like a fan," said Rice, whose NFL records include most career touchdowns (208).

"He can run every route, from the slant route, to running by you with that 4.35 (seconds over 40 yards) speed. Then he can out-jump you, where he can just get up in the air and just levitate his body and make those incredible catches. This guy has all the tools."

Lions coach Jim Schwartz said surpassing Rice was a great achievement.

"To break a record by a guy who is maybe the greatest player ever to play in the National Football League says a lot about what he accomplished," Schwartz said, adding: "His best is yet to come."

Johnson also set an NFL record by gaining more than 100 yards receiving for an eighth straight game.

It was Johnson's 11th game this season with at least 100 yards receiving, matching the NFL mark achieved in 1995 by Michael Irvin of the Dallas Cowboys.

After the game, Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan sought out Johnson on the field. "I congratulated him," Ryan said. "I'm a fan."

(Reporting by Larry Fine of New York; Editing by John O'Brien)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/detroits-johnson-sets-nfl-season-record-receiving-yards-051443976--nfl.html

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Indian park guards protecting wildlife awarded their own protection

Public release date: 21-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Andrea Heydlauff
aheydlauff@panthera.org
646-786-0402
Panthera

New York, NY A major victory for wildlife protection forces was made last week with the launch of a new government-operated insurance program to cover all forest guards employed in the Indian state of Karnataka, which holds the largest number of wild tigers in India, and serves as a stronghold for this highly endangered species.

Around the world, park guards are the keepers of the forests, protectors of wildlife, and serve as the front line of defence against poachers. Tigers, elephants, rhinos and other wildlife are being heavily targeted by poachers for the illegal wildlife market which is a booming 19 billion dollar a year insidious industry. Poachers are highly organized and heavily out-fitted, more so than the park guards, who are often poorly paid, ill-equipped, and yet risk their lives to protect the world's wildlife.

Recognizing the critical role government forest staff play in conserving tigers and other species, Sanjay Gubbi, the Tiger Program Coordinator for the big cat conservation group Panthera, spearheaded this program (the first of its kind to be offered even to temporary staff) to provide the much-needed insurance protection for nearly 2,500 wildlife park guards, anti-poaching patrol members, and other frontline enforcement staff working in extremely high-risk conditions throughout Karnataka's five tiger reserves and 38 protected areas.

"Karnataka's forest staff are on the front lines defending tigers and other wildlife from poaching, habitat loss, and overhunting of their prey. Their presence on the ground, patrolling these areas and mitigating key threats, is essential in protecting wildlife, and yet they often risk their lives doing so" Gubbi stated. "The adoption of this new insurance policy demonstrates the value that the Karnataka State Government places on the well-being of its forest staff and their commitment to wildlife conservation, and this program serves as a model for other states and countries around the globe."

The new policy was presented by Gubbi, who worked with the State Government for several months to implement this insurance scheme, and it was formally approved during the Karnataka State Wildlife Board Meeting on Saturday, December 15th. The meeting was overseen by Chief Minister, Jagadish Shettar, and attended by instrumental supporters of the initiative, including Karnataka's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Dipak Sarmah, Forest Minister C. P. Yogeshwar, and former Indian cricket team captain, Anil Kumble.

Insurance is a critical security component and incentive for wildlife enforcement staff, and up until now there has been a significant dearth of such state-funded protection for fulltime and temporary workers. Without insurance initiatives, forest staff face illness, and a range of injuries from their jobs, some as serious as losing limbs, and even losing their lives. Worse yet, the families of guards who have perished, up until now, have been left without any form of government-funded social security.

Panthera's CEO, Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, stated, "Today, the Indian subcontinent is home to the world's highest densities of tigers. If we are to see the species rebound from its current state of fewer than 3,200 individuals, the philosophy is simple: properly protect and equip the foot soldiers fighting to conserve the last viable tiger populations." He continued, "We applaud Karnataka's government for bolstering its wildlife protection forces and establishing a sound insurance model to be replicated across the tiger's range."

Above all, highly organized and well-armed gangs of poachers targeting and trafficking animals for their meat, skins and body parts serve as the number one threat to tigers, their prey and to the wildlife enforcement patrols themselves. Serving as a biodiversity hotspot, the threat of poaching is particularly real within Karnataka State. Nestled in southwest India's Western Ghats region, Karnataka is home to one of the world's largest remaining wild tiger populations and substantial populations of the leopard, Asian elephant, and other endangered species. Today, Karnataka's estimated population of 300 wild tigers primarily live within the region's five tiger reserves, including the Bandipur, Dandeli-Anshi, Biligirirangaswamy Temple, Bhadra, and Nagarahole Reserves.

Expected to be fully established within these reserves in the coming year, the State's insurance policy is currently being implemented on a pilot basis within Bandipur Tiger Reserve, where Panthera's Gubbi has played a pivotal role in convincing the reserve Director, Kumar Pushkar, to provide insurance for the 471 wildlife enforcement staff. Pushkar, a dynamic officer, took up the suggestion immediately and implemented the policy. In collaboration with the Nature Conservation Foundation, Gubbi and other field scientists are implementing Panthera's Tigers Forever program to reduce habitat fragmentation of India's tiger reserves, connect Karnataka's remaining tiger populations to ensure the species' genetic diversity, mitigate threats facing tigers and implement public awareness campaigns to galvanize local support for the future of this iconic species.

###

About Panthera

Panthera, founded in 2006, is devoted exclusively to the conservation of wild cats and their ecosystems. Utilizing the expertise of the world's premier cat biologists, Panthera develops and implements global conservation strategies for the largest, most imperilled cats tigers, lions, jaguars, and snow leopards. Representing the most comprehensive effort of its kind, Panthera works in partnership with local and international NGOs, scientific institutions, local communities and governments around the globe. Visit: www.panthera.org

About Tigers Forever

Launched in 2006 after decades of continuing tiger declines, Tigers Forever is changing the face of tiger conservation. Tigers Forever makes a unique commitment to increase tiger numbers at key sites by at least 50% over a 10-year period by relentlessly attacking the most critical threats to tigers poaching of tigers and their prey. Utilizing rigorous science to maintain constant vigilance on conservation efforts and on the tiger itself, this transformative program is the only one of its kind to guarantee success the recovery of the wild tiger. Visit Tigers Forever.

---

[ | 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: 21-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Andrea Heydlauff
aheydlauff@panthera.org
646-786-0402
Panthera

New York, NY A major victory for wildlife protection forces was made last week with the launch of a new government-operated insurance program to cover all forest guards employed in the Indian state of Karnataka, which holds the largest number of wild tigers in India, and serves as a stronghold for this highly endangered species.

Around the world, park guards are the keepers of the forests, protectors of wildlife, and serve as the front line of defence against poachers. Tigers, elephants, rhinos and other wildlife are being heavily targeted by poachers for the illegal wildlife market which is a booming 19 billion dollar a year insidious industry. Poachers are highly organized and heavily out-fitted, more so than the park guards, who are often poorly paid, ill-equipped, and yet risk their lives to protect the world's wildlife.

Recognizing the critical role government forest staff play in conserving tigers and other species, Sanjay Gubbi, the Tiger Program Coordinator for the big cat conservation group Panthera, spearheaded this program (the first of its kind to be offered even to temporary staff) to provide the much-needed insurance protection for nearly 2,500 wildlife park guards, anti-poaching patrol members, and other frontline enforcement staff working in extremely high-risk conditions throughout Karnataka's five tiger reserves and 38 protected areas.

"Karnataka's forest staff are on the front lines defending tigers and other wildlife from poaching, habitat loss, and overhunting of their prey. Their presence on the ground, patrolling these areas and mitigating key threats, is essential in protecting wildlife, and yet they often risk their lives doing so" Gubbi stated. "The adoption of this new insurance policy demonstrates the value that the Karnataka State Government places on the well-being of its forest staff and their commitment to wildlife conservation, and this program serves as a model for other states and countries around the globe."

The new policy was presented by Gubbi, who worked with the State Government for several months to implement this insurance scheme, and it was formally approved during the Karnataka State Wildlife Board Meeting on Saturday, December 15th. The meeting was overseen by Chief Minister, Jagadish Shettar, and attended by instrumental supporters of the initiative, including Karnataka's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Dipak Sarmah, Forest Minister C. P. Yogeshwar, and former Indian cricket team captain, Anil Kumble.

Insurance is a critical security component and incentive for wildlife enforcement staff, and up until now there has been a significant dearth of such state-funded protection for fulltime and temporary workers. Without insurance initiatives, forest staff face illness, and a range of injuries from their jobs, some as serious as losing limbs, and even losing their lives. Worse yet, the families of guards who have perished, up until now, have been left without any form of government-funded social security.

Panthera's CEO, Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, stated, "Today, the Indian subcontinent is home to the world's highest densities of tigers. If we are to see the species rebound from its current state of fewer than 3,200 individuals, the philosophy is simple: properly protect and equip the foot soldiers fighting to conserve the last viable tiger populations." He continued, "We applaud Karnataka's government for bolstering its wildlife protection forces and establishing a sound insurance model to be replicated across the tiger's range."

Above all, highly organized and well-armed gangs of poachers targeting and trafficking animals for their meat, skins and body parts serve as the number one threat to tigers, their prey and to the wildlife enforcement patrols themselves. Serving as a biodiversity hotspot, the threat of poaching is particularly real within Karnataka State. Nestled in southwest India's Western Ghats region, Karnataka is home to one of the world's largest remaining wild tiger populations and substantial populations of the leopard, Asian elephant, and other endangered species. Today, Karnataka's estimated population of 300 wild tigers primarily live within the region's five tiger reserves, including the Bandipur, Dandeli-Anshi, Biligirirangaswamy Temple, Bhadra, and Nagarahole Reserves.

Expected to be fully established within these reserves in the coming year, the State's insurance policy is currently being implemented on a pilot basis within Bandipur Tiger Reserve, where Panthera's Gubbi has played a pivotal role in convincing the reserve Director, Kumar Pushkar, to provide insurance for the 471 wildlife enforcement staff. Pushkar, a dynamic officer, took up the suggestion immediately and implemented the policy. In collaboration with the Nature Conservation Foundation, Gubbi and other field scientists are implementing Panthera's Tigers Forever program to reduce habitat fragmentation of India's tiger reserves, connect Karnataka's remaining tiger populations to ensure the species' genetic diversity, mitigate threats facing tigers and implement public awareness campaigns to galvanize local support for the future of this iconic species.

###

About Panthera

Panthera, founded in 2006, is devoted exclusively to the conservation of wild cats and their ecosystems. Utilizing the expertise of the world's premier cat biologists, Panthera develops and implements global conservation strategies for the largest, most imperilled cats tigers, lions, jaguars, and snow leopards. Representing the most comprehensive effort of its kind, Panthera works in partnership with local and international NGOs, scientific institutions, local communities and governments around the globe. Visit: www.panthera.org

About Tigers Forever

Launched in 2006 after decades of continuing tiger declines, Tigers Forever is changing the face of tiger conservation. Tigers Forever makes a unique commitment to increase tiger numbers at key sites by at least 50% over a 10-year period by relentlessly attacking the most critical threats to tigers poaching of tigers and their prey. Utilizing rigorous science to maintain constant vigilance on conservation efforts and on the tiger itself, this transformative program is the only one of its kind to guarantee success the recovery of the wild tiger. Visit Tigers Forever.

---

[ | 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/2012-12/p-ipg122112.php

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Rockmelt social browser comes to iPhone, Android version still in development

When we heard Rockmelt was going to announce some news about its social browser becoming available to lots more people, we assumed that meant the Android version was finally ready. Not quite: turns out the company was just referring to iPhone users. Indeed, the startup just announced an iPhone version of its news aggregator, which should go nicely with the iPad app that launched back in October. Like the iPad version, it presents articles as endlessly scrollable tiles, not unlike the way your Facebook timeline is laid out. Similar to Facebook, too, you can use so-called emoticodes to like things or indicate other profound human responses, such as "hmm" or "WTF?" Other than that, there's not much to it: swipe left to close out of a story; swipe right to save it as a bookmark. It's available for free in the App Store now; no ETA on that Android version, but we're told the company is actively toiling away on it.

Gallery: Rockmelt for iPhone

Filed under: Software, Mobile

Comments

Source: App Store

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/20/rockmelt-for-iphone/

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