Saudi-born man accused of being al-Qaida operative

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal grand jury has indicted a Saudi-born man accused of being an al Qaeda operative who conspired to attack American soldiers in Afghanistan and diplomats in Nigeria, the Justice Department said on Wednesday.

Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun, also known as "Spin Ghul," was indicted on conspiracy charges in February 2012 after extradition from Italy, but the charges were unsealed only on Wednesday, the department said.

He was born in Saudi Arabia but claims citizenship in Niger, the department said.

(Reporting by David Ingram; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-charges-man-al-qaeda-operative-plotted-against-171344214.html

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Math class is hard! (Part 2) (Unqualified Offerings)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/291737333?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Business booming for restaurants booming in downtown Rome

Isa Diestler (left) and her husband Dick Diestler from Cumming, in town as vendors for the weekend?s Gem and Mineral Show at The Forum, dine at Curlee?s Fish House & Oyster Bar. (Brittany Hannah / Rome News-Tribune)

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The way Rome manages the Third Avenue Parking Deck during large events downtown is getting criticism from many restaurateurs. Several claim that $5 parking during events at The Forum discourages customers from eating downtown. (Doug Walker / Rome News-Tribune)

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Officials and merchants are hoping three-hour parking in the Levy lot at Third Avenue and Broad Street will improve parking options for downtown businesses. (Doug Walker / Rome News-Tribune)

slideshow Downtown Rome?s culinary version of musical chairs has seen a couple of restaurants leave and others open during the past 12 months, however the net numbers are fundamentally unchanged.

A year ago there were 20 restaurants open between the Etowah River at the end of the Cotton Block and Turner McCall Boulevard. Today, there are 20 restaurants open in that same downtown district.

Gone are A.Y.F., 425 Broad St.; Cups & Mugs, 239 Broad; Pastime, 111 Broad; and the Victorian Rose Team Room, 510 Broad.

New this past year are Curlee?s Fish House & Oyster Bar, 227 Broad; Dandy Lyons, 239 Broad; Brewhouse Music & Grill, 325 Broad; and Swift & Finch Coffee at 600 Broad.

Steven McDowell, chairman of the Rome Downtown Development Authority, said it?s very important to have such a diversity of restaurants in the district.

?They are a magnet to bring visitors to downtown,? McDowell said. ?They are the ultimate economic provider for downtown ? having guests, visitors and people excited about seeing what?s downtown.?

Sylvia Lanier, owner of Promotions Plus on Broad Street, said she thinks it is wonderful to have a good mix.

?Everyone has a different idea of taste, and there are so many restaurants that you can choose from, from steaks to pizza to pasta to whatever,? Lanier said. ?Bringing these restaurants downtown has really increased the activity downtown, and it?s just fabulous that we have all this going on.?

Paula Blevins, owner of C&S Trophies on Broad Street, said that on any given day she can choose from a wide variety of menus, call in an order and go pick it up.

?In the evening after I get off work I love having a good variety to choose from, and now we have breakfast options, too,? Blevins said.

The ability to walk from her shop in the Cotton Block and have a variety of cuisines to choose from ? Mexican, Thai, seafood, traditional Southern home-cooking, pizza, subs, you name it ? is something she considers a major asset to downtown.

Being able to walk to lunch or dinner is important because any conversation about the restaurants in downtown cannot be complete without a discussion of the parking challenges. One of the latest concerns among some of the restaurateurs involves the Third Avenue Parking Deck.

Several restaurants have opted to participate with the Downtown Parking Management office plan to validate ticket stubs for their patrons. Customers park in the Third Avenue deck, enjoy their meals and get a free ticket to put in the machine as they exit the deck.

On some occasions, when The Forum or Brewhouse are expecting particularly large crowds, 450-plus, and do not choose to lease the deck for the show or event, the Parking Management office staffs the deck at the entrance and charges a flat $5-per-car fee. The regular rate is $1 an hour, with the first hour free.

Charles Curlee, owner of Curlee?s Fish House & Oyster Bar, said some patrons then expect him to reimburse that $5 fee, which Curlee said is simply not possible. The alternative then, if on-street parking is not available, is that his restaurant loses business for the night.

Anthony Barba at LaScala has expressed the same concerns. He started to complain about the problem almost a year ago.

?Our business was hurt so terribly badly, and nothing has changed,? Barba said. ?The deck has compounded the problem for me. Last April or May, one night I lost 35 reservations from people who called and said they can?t come; there?s nowhere to park.?

Parking Manager Becky Smyth said that at this point her office is not planning to change the procedures at the deck.

People leasing The Forum for large events are also encouraged to lease the deck for $400. In that case, all of the gates are opened, and it?s free parking ? not only for people attending the event at The Forum, or elsewhere, but for anyone who wants to go to one of the downtown restaurants or shop in businesses downtown.

Smyth said she learned several years ago that if people use the normal ticketing machines and 400 people try to leave at the same time after an event, the traffic could back up in the deck for an hour or more.

?First-time users couldn?t figure it out, and then you?ve got credit card processing; ? even though you?ve got three machines to pay to get out it still takes 30 seconds to a minute to operate it,? Smyth said. ?If you pay as you go in, then we can leave all the gates up and nobody has to be there at the exits.?

Smyth also indicated a significant number of people who come into downtown for major events and pack the deck probably take advantage of the many downtown restaurants as well.

?We haven?t found anything any better than what we are currently doing,? Smyth said.

Curlee wishes that something better could be found.

?I can go back and show days where they have charged $5 parking and we have up to a 25-percent decrease in sales,? he said. ?It typically has been the most inopportune times, Friday and Saturday business. Restaurants depend on those two particular days to carry the week because of the nature of sales.?

Curlee also expressed some concern about the decision to charge $5 parking for the Sammy Kershaw appearance at the Brewhouse Music & Grill.

The success of downtown restaurants is important to the city?s coffers up front each year. City Clerk Joe Smith said business license fees paid by the restaurants alone amount to between $9,000 and $10,000 in a typical year.

This year, the alcohol pouring licenses issued to the Broad Street restaurants brought in more than $81,500 for the city.

The Broad Street restaurants also provide jobs for approximately 300 full- or part-time employees.

Some merchants and city officials were somewhat surprised by a market report done by the Small Business Development Center that showed Rome might actually be underserved by restaurants. David Doss, for one, was seeking a copy of that report recently to help him bring a restaurant to an outparcel on the planned Courtyard by Marriott site on West Third Street.

Jamwich, a specialty sandwich shop, is expected to open at 510 Broad St. next month.

DDA Executive Director Ann Arnold said the market would make the decision as to how many restaurants downtown can bear.

?We?ve been successful so far with what we have, and we would certainly welcome the opportunity to see if we can add something else to the mix,? Arnold said.

Source: http://romenews-tribune.com/bookmark/21997862

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Live from Expand: 3D Printing Goes Mainstream (video)

Is 2013 the year that 3D printing goes mainstream? The technology is already decades-old, having been used to great effect in the world of industrial prototyping, but as more and more companies enter the fray, the world of consumer-facing printing seems less and less of a pipe dream. Is the world ready for a 3D printer on every desk? Join us as we speak to Hod Lipson, Professor of Engineering, Cornell University; Max Lobovsky, Co-Founder, FormLabs; and Avi Reichental, President & CEO, 3D Systems.

March 16, 2013 1:00 PM EDT

For a full list of Expand sessions, be sure to check out our event hub.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/nzqe4i30un0/

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Palin urges GOP to broaden message

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) ? Returning to the national stage, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin says the Republican Party must broaden its message in order to grow.

She says the GOP must "leave no American behind." And she adds that it's "imperative to reach out and share that conservative message."

Palin addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference on Saturday. The party's 2008 vice presidential nominee thrilled the audience with pointed criticism of President Barack Obama.

She likened the president to Ponzi-scheme felon Bernie Madoff and later offered Obama a direct message: "Step away from the teleprompter and do your job."

Palin maintained a low-profile during last year's election. She's expected to play a limited role in the future of the party but shared several pointed recommendations Saturday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/palin-urges-gop-broaden-message-171835157--election.html

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President's Podium | The Wildlife Society News

By Winifred B. Kessler

Since joining The Wildlife Society (TWS) as a graduate student in 1973, I have appreciated it as a major shaping force in my own career and the wildlife profession overall. A meeting I attended inWashington D.C. last month brought this vividly to mind.The meeting was a gathering of the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council (WHHCC), established under the authority of the Federal Advisory Committee Act to provide advice to the Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture on matters concerning wildlife conservation and the hunting heritage.

The WHHCC includes 18 members selected to represent a wide spectrum of interested communities. All are senior-level representatives of their organizations and/or have the ability to represent their designated constituency. There are six additional ex officio members from federal government and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

In my first face-to-face meeting, I was very impressed with the Council?s level of engagement on key issues of national significance, and also that both the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture took time in their crammed schedules to meet with us.

I have the privilege of serving on the WHHCC because TWS put my name forward during the most recent call for nominees. My role is not to represent TWS alone, but also the broad constituency of ?wildlife and habitat conservation/management organizations.? It?s my first opportunity to weigh in at such a high level on matters that are critical to the future of America?s wildlife, habitats, and hunting heritage ? a real high point in my natural resources career.

Looking back, however, I see that experiences and opportunities enabled by my TWS involvement have been prominent throughout my career. These include serving on TWS committees and working groups, helping to draft the Society?s strategic plan, organizing conferences and workshops, hands-on leadership development gained as a Council member, immersion in the scientific peer-preview process, weighing in on policy decisions, and on and on.

As a federal employee with the U.S. Forest Service, I often felt at a loss when filling out my individual development plan (IDP), a yearly requirement. While the concept of professional development is extremely important, the list of suggested short courses and training sessions seemed lame. Time management? Team-building 101? Leadership skills? I did not regard such training as a promising pathway to professional advancement. Rather, one advances through personal engagement in challenging, real-world experiences that develop higher-order skills and abilities.

It?s impossible to say how much of my professional development and career advancement came from being an active member of TWS. I know the following to be true, however: Without my TWS involvement I may have held the same jobs, but I certainly would not have had the same career.

I share this perspective to encourage those entering the wildlife profession, or those TWS members whose engagement has been limited, to think of TWS as the most significant opportunity you may ever have for unleashing your own potential and advancing your career. No matter what your job is, the experiences afforded by TWS?s diverse committees, working groups, subunits, publications programs, conferences, mentoring and communications networks, government affairs activities, and leadership positions offer unparalleled opportunities for personal and professional development.

I suspect you?re thinking that your employer views TWS involvement as something apart, and possibly detracting from, your ?real job.? It?s true that many employers do not recognize the skills, contacts, knowledge, and experiences offered by TWS involvement as priceless opportunities from a professional development standpoint. How can wildlifers help turn this around?

Here is where the IDP comes in, or whatever your agency, organization, or company calls its training and development form. Midway through my Forest Service career I began filling out the IDP?s ?Development Objectives? line with such items as ?Stay at the leading edge of science and policy issues in the wildlife field.? And for the next line, ?Proposed Training,? I would enter ?Attend The Wildlife Society Annual Conference? or ?Serve as an Associate Editor for the Wildlife Society Bulletin.? I was always careful to elaborate on these experiences in my year-end evaluation, showcasing the benefits provided to me and my agency.

Later on, as a senior manager, I encouraged my employees to build meaningful development experiences into their IDPs, and increasingly these took the form of engagement with professional societies such as TWS. A signed IDP is like a contract, so in effect it allowed employees to plan attendance at key conferences and workshops rather than scrambling at the last minute for travel approval.

Perhaps your situation is different, and you find it difficult to sell the professional development benefits to your employer. But because those benefits are substantial and real, it is well worth pursuing them on your personal time as an investment in yourself. I continue to invest uncounted hours and weekends in voluntary work for TWS and other conservation-focused organizations, and feel the richer for it.

Back to the WHHCC meeting in Washington D.C. last month. The second observation I wanted to share is about how out-front TWS is on the leading national issues affecting wildlife, and how well-regarded our efforts are in the conservation arena. The meeting agenda included a strong emphasis on wildlife health, including such issues as lead toxicity and management, chronic wasting disease, white-nosed syndrome, and the transmission of diseases between wildlife and livestock.

The meeting materials provided to all Council members included the special issue of The Wildlife Professional (Spring 2012) focusing on wildlife diseases. The TWS Technical Review titled Sources and Implications of Lead Ammunition and Fishing Tackle on Natural Resources was repeatedly referred to during experts? presentations and discussions on the lead issue. And Council members? binders included Jim Miller?s recent article in The Wildlife Professional (Winter 2012) addressing wildlife disease threats and other serious problems associated with the intensive deer-breeding industry.

A particularly proud moment came during the update on wild horse and burro management on public lands. This has been one of the most intractable issues for the federal land management agencies, and a great source of concern and frustration for all who care about the health, wildlife, and habitats of western rangelands. A significant new development is the formation of the National Horse and Burro Rangeland Management Coalition, a partnership of wildlife conservation, hunting, agriculture, and natural-resource organizations seeking to identify proactive and comprehensive solutions for horse and burro management. (For more information visit wildhorserange.org).

The diversity of the member organizations, including some ?powerhouses? of conservation influence, may be just what is needed to make headway on this most difficult issue. Why am I so proud? Terra Renz, TWS?s Deupty Director for Government Affairs, is a leader in this effort, providing vision and considerable ?horsepower? to get the coalition going. This is one more example of TWS at the leading edge, bringing science to bear on even the most political issues.

Source: http://news.wildlife.org/the-wildlifer/the-wildlifer-2013-march/presidents-podium-5/

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How Reddit's Ask Me Anything became mainstream media

By Rob Walker

Rachel Maddow?s debatable performance in a recent Ask Me Anything turn on Reddit?many users thought she evaded the harder topics?raises an interesting question: Given that AMA is now such an established form, how could someone so media-savvy leave herself open to that particular critique?

But wait a minute?that actually raises a bigger question: How did AMAs become such an established form in the first place?

As Reddit itself recently noted, more than 4,000 AMAs on the site have attracted 100 comments or more?and they?ve been with a variety of famous figures from entertainment, business, sports and politics up to and including the president of the United States.

A famously user-driven site that bills itself as ?the front page of the Internet,? Reddit has updated and extended the freewheeling ethos of the earlier Internet?s bulletin boards and chat rooms: Its users submit links, discuss a dizzying array of subjects, and rate each others? contributions on the theory that the best material floats to the top.

It also offers broad discussion threads devoted to an individual answering questions from all comers, and while this is not a recent novelty?Know Your Meme says that AOL had an Ask Me Anything forum back in the 1990s, for instance?the Reddit version has evolved into a far more mainstream feature of the contemporary mediascape.

Reddit General Manager Erik Martin filled me in on some key points in the history of how that happened. When Reddit, founded in 2005, first introduced ?subreddits? (sections, basically), one was dubbed ?Ask Reddit.? Later, the ?I Am A? subreddit emerged, but was more about a particular type of person?a transsexual, a survivalist, a resident of Oslo, etc.?offering to answer questions.

Martin suggested that, in an indirect way, Caterina Fake, co-founder of Flickr and other tech companies, could be considered the first famous person to answer the Reddit crowd?s questions: Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, preparing to interview her at a conference five years ago, gathered material by soliciting Reddit users, passing the most popular queries on to Fake.

A more formal version of that process took shape a year or so later, and was the result of a concerted effort on Reddit?s part to get famous folks to agree to be Asked Anything.
?We used to have to basically book people,? Martin said of that time. To make the process feel more familiar to those they?d booked?who for the most part were more used to interviews than to chat rooms and the like?Reddit often gathered questions from its users and arranged to send a video crew to record these celebrity types answering the top submissions.

The first big-name participant: Adam Savage, of Mythbusters, in April 2009. Other early participants included Christopher Hitchens, Mike Rowe (of Dirty Jobs) and Dennis Kucinich.

Before long the site was able to persuade ?ask-ees? to interact directly with users online. By late 2009, the big names didn?t need to be invited, they came to Reddit?or to Reddit.com?and launched Ask Me Anything events without bothering to go through the site?s managers.

Martin pointed to Steve Vai, the guitarist, as a pioneer: ?That?s the first one I remember that was really random,? he said, meaning that Vai?s AMA simply popped up without advance notice. (Instead of announcing himself, Vai adopted the more old-school ?I am a?? approach; users deduced his identity.)

The site pursued President Obama for years, and it was a measure of the form?s acceptance that the White House finally decided to do it; in the throes of the 2012 campaign, I Am Barack Obama, President of the United States ? AMA appeared.?

These days, Martin said, at least half the famous-name AMAs come about as the result of a celebrity him/herself (well, their PR crews) approaching the site.

And while the ?Ask Me? forums migrated to their own areas on Reddit, that process is coming full circle, with AMAs so popular in some circles that well-known figures in particular communities (fantasy fiction, college football, etc.) launch their sessions in those threads to up the odds of participation.

The Maddow incident suggests that even now some go better than others. But Martin said it?s hard to offer hard and fast rules about what will or won?t work. Snoop Dogg seemed to answer every query?but often in sentence fragments. Newark, N.J., mayor Cory Booker answered selectively?but in considered detail. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in lieu of typing responses, preferred to use a stylus, iPad and camera.

?On the one hand, there are no rules,? Martin concluded. ?But our main advice is: ?Only do this is if you want to, if it will be fun. This shouldn?t feel like a chore.??

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/how-reddit-s-ask-me-anything-became-part-of-the-mainstream-media-circuit--130755591.html

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