Trilobites Everywhere!

?AMNH\D. Finnin

Just a few short steps off Central Park West you have the means of traveling back through time to explore the diversity of life in ways you may not consider. Before humans, before dinosaurs, before fish even, there was another life form that achieved dominance. Something that we would likely overlook today, but once flourished with with great success. I?m talking, of course, about trilobites, and the opportunity to step back in time through a temporary exhibit at the American Museum of History to the age of the trilobites.

Trilobites represent some of the earliest forms of complex life. They had a solid 300 million year run, which allowed them to develop into some very diverse forms. Scientists have identified over 20,000 species that swam, crawled, and burrowed in the oceans at some point between the Cambrian (542 mya) and Permian (251 mya) periods before succumbing to a final mass extinction. The fossil record shows that their numbers dwindled a few times during this time frame, but they were able to rebound to varying degrees of success.

We?ve been able to learn a great deal about these creatures because they?re arthropods and have exoskeletons, and when you combine this with a marine environment we have the optimal conditions for detailed fossils. Exhibit curator Dr. Neil Landman finds them fascinating. ?They?re exquisitely preserved,? he said.?Some have eyes on stalks some have spines. And all this information tells us how the animals lived on the ocean floor.?

The display is meant to capture the diversity and complexity of life through a different lens. Trilobites themselves seem like creatures from another planet?it?s a great reminder that life can be successful in many different ways.

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=trilobites-everywhere

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Idaho hometown of captive U.S. soldier rallies in his support

By Laura Zuckerman

HAILEY, Idaho (Reuters) - An estimated 2,000 supporters rallied on Saturday in the Idaho hometown of prisoner-of-war Bowe Bergdahl to call for the safe return of the U.S. Army sergeant believed to be held captive by Taliban militants in northwestern Pakistan.

The rally, the largest yet for the only known American prisoner of war tied to the Afghanistan war, marked the latest effort by residents of Hailey, a close-knit town of 7,000, to draw attention to Bergdahl's plight and push for his release.

Bergdahl, now 27, was serving with an Alaska-based infantry unit when he disappeared from his base in southern Afghanistan in June 2009 and was taken captive by the Taliban.

The gathering in Hailey capped a week of renewed hope for Bergdahl's release after reports that planned peace talks between the United States and the Taliban could yield a possible prisoner swap as a confidence-building measure.

U.S. officials were due to hold preliminary discussions with the Taliban on Thursday on ending the 12-year-old war but they were called off when Afghan President Hamid Karzai objected to the fanfare surrounding the militant's opening of an office in Qatar.

In Idaho, hundreds of motorcyclists from clubs tied to helping the causes of veterans and prisoners-of-war escorted Bergdahl's father, Bob, to a local park, where he and his wife Jani spoke in a rare public appearance.

Bob Bergdahl pleaded with the Taliban to provide news of his son and then addressed him directly. "Bowe, my son, if you can hear me ... You are part of the peace process. You are part of ending the Afghan war," the father said.

'HAVE FAITH'

Bob Bergdahl spoke in Pashto to the Taliban, using their language to encourage them and "those who believe" to bring good to the world. He urged his son: "Have faith. Do good work. Have the patience that can only come from God."

Jani Bergdahl told her son he was not forgotten. "I love you, my son, as I have from the moment I heard of you."

In a statement earlier this month, Bergdahl said he and his wife had received a letter from their son that gave them hope that he is well despite his circumstances.

The trees on Hailey's main street have been decorated with yellow ribbons for four years to show that the town - sandwiched between a trout stream and the Sawtooth Mountains - has not forgotten its native son.

Banners that read "Bring Bowe home" and "We stand with Bowe" hung in storefronts and supporters handed out stickers and wristbands honoring the soldier.

"When something happens to one person in our community, it happens to everyone in our community," said Debbie O'Neill, a family friend who organized the rally. "None of us will rest until Bowe's safely home."

Hailey Assistant Fire Chief Jon Wisby spent much of Saturday shepherding a procession of bikers whose riding leathers were stamped with American flag and POW-MIA insignia.

Asked how his community had responded to news of the proposed talks between the United States and the Taliban, Wisby said, "There's definitely more of a possibility of Bowe coming home now than there was in the past. And this may be our last opportunity to get him home."

(Writing by Laura Zuckerman and Sharon Bernstein; Editing by Steve Gorman and Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/idaho-hometown-captive-u-soldier-rallies-support-003129664.html

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Citrix Systems co-founder dies in Florida

BACO RATON, Fla. (AP) -- Citrix Systems co-founder Edward Iacobucci has died in South Florida. He was 59.

The VirtualWorks Group reports that Iacobucci died at home Friday morning after a 16-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

Iacobucci graduated from Georgia Tech with an engineering degree and got a job working for IBM in 1979. He left IBM in 1989 to co-found Citrix Systems, Inc., where he served chairman and chief technology officer through all of its market and product development phases. He retired in 2000.

In 2002, Iacobucci co-founded DayJet Corporation, which ceased operations in 2008. But a year later, he co-founded VirtualWorks Group, headquartered in Boca Raton, to help customers organize their information. He served as president and CEO there until last month, when he stepped down for health reasons.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/citrix-systems-co-founder-dies-224918919.html

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Big explosion at Quebec fireworks factory kills 2

MONTREAL, Quebec (AP) ? A massive explosion at a fireworks warehouse killed two workers Thursday, police said, leaving a huge plume of smoke blanketing an area west of Montreal.

A series of explosions spread from the charred building after the initial blast at B.E.M. Fireworks near Valleyfield, Quebec. Images from the scene showed a building near a major highway completely destroyed.

Provincial police said two bodies were found in the wreckage but they did not identify them.

Nearly two hours after the blast, fireworks could still be heard exploding at the scene of the fire that continued to burn out of control hours after the explosion, according to witnesses.

Local fire chief Stephane Massicotte said since the warehouse was filled with pyrotechnics it was difficult to battle the blaze.

"This caused a huge amount of flames and very intense heat," Massicotte told reporters.

He said 150 firefighters were used to battle the flames, which were under control by early Thursday afternoon. Reporters on the ground also indicated that there were no fire hydrants in the vicinity.

"All of a sudden I heard, 'boom, boom, bang,'" Mario Cramerstetter said from his office, which is just over a mile (1.6 kilometers) away from the site.

"Initially I thought it was a bulldozer or a tractor but then we saw a big puff smoke. We kept on hearing popping, fireworks going off all the time."

Cramerstetter said it looked like a small building caught fire first and then spread to a larger storage unit.

"We got really, really, really scared," said Ginette Liboiron, who runs a convenience store across a highway overpass.

"I thought my store was falling to the ground. It shook like you can't imagine... We all went outside to see and saw the big, incredible smoke," she said. "It went high up in the air, then it became black, black, black."

Police ordered the surrounding community of Coteau-du-Lac evacuated. A nearby highway was also closed in both directions.

Police also said low traces of metal materials were found in the surrounding area.

Video captured by a news helicopter showed fireworks igniting inside the remnants of the smoldering building.

According to its website, B.E.M. has been designing and manufacturing pyrotechnics and fireworks for 25 years.

Robert Sauve, the mayor of Coteau-du-Lac, said the business has about 20 employees and the owner lives in the community, less than an hour's drive southwest of Montreal.

"This was a very respectable business, and it seems what happened this morning was an accident," he told reporters.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/big-explosion-quebec-fireworks-factory-kills-2-193633963.html

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Hands-Free Interactive Electronics Still Distract Drivers

New car systems allow sending or receiving electronic messages using hands-free devices, but they are still major distractions to driving. Karen Hopkin reports.

More 60-Second Science

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Are you listening to this podcast while you drive? Then texting your friends about it? Well, don?t do that. The texting, I mean. Because a new study shows that, even if you?re using a hands-free device, sending or receiving electronic messages can prove a major distraction. That?s according to research sponsored by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. [David L. Strayer et al, Measuring Cognitive Distraction in the Automobile]

More and more car makers are equipping their vehicles with gadgets that allow you to interact with electronics, from checking your GPS to updating your Facebook page. And many of these features are increasingly voice-activated, so you can keep your eyes on the road and your paws at 10 and 2. But hands-free isn?t always risk-free.

Researchers measured drivers? brain activity as they engaged in common tasks while behind the wheel, like listening to an audio book, talking on the phone or responding to a voice-activated email system. And they found that calling was a challenge, but that corresponding requires serious mental bandwidth, even without the use of fingers. Voice recognition-texting slowed drivers? reaction times and made them miss seeing things right in front of them. And that kind of miss can lead to a hit.

?Karen Hopkin

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

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=hands-free-interactive-electronics-13-06-20

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James Gandolfini: He let his characters star

NEW YORK (AP) ? James Gandolfini would have hated all this fuss.

He was an actor who shrank from attention for anything but the roles he brought to life. No false modesty. He simply did his best to remain a private citizen behind his public characters. These included, of course, Tony Soprano, the fiendish, tormented mobster who the world came to know and revere as a towering dramatic achievement.

Now, out of the blue, this flood of tributes to Gandolfini upon his untimely death? This would likely have struck him as excessive and needless, upstaging for a moment his lifetime of work.

In a too-brief career that ended Wednesday at age 51 while he was vacationing in Rome, Gandolfini can be celebrated for performances on TV, on stage and in films that reached beyond the obvious triumph of "The Sopranos" and the unsought celebrity it brought him. Before, during and after "The Sopranos," he remained defiantly a character actor, by all indications spared a leading man's ego as he tackled roles that piqued his interest, not roles meant to guarantee the spotlight.

"I'm much more comfortable doing smaller things," he declared not long ago. And in the past year, his film appearances included supporting (or smaller) roles in Kathryn Bigelow's Osama bin Laden manhunt docudrama "Zero Dark Thirty," ''Sopranos" creator David Chase's '60s period drama "Not Fade Away," and Andrew Dominick's crime flick "Killing Them Softly."

It was all part of an acting career as unlikely to which TV has given rise.

How to account for the providential choice of Gandolfini to headline a high-profile HBO drama series playing an anguished mob boss and family man? Balding and beefy, he seemed the antithesis of an actor who could sustain viewers' interest, amusing them, horrifying them and compelling them to love him in a way they had never loved a TV hero before.

Gandolfini made the character monstrous yet sympathetic, a man with a murderously chilling gaze yet a mischievous smile. Thus did Tony Soprano become part of the culture, taking Gandolfini, reluctantly, with him.

By the end of the series' run, Gandolfini was suitably grateful for the role he had embodied for six seasons. But he had lent such authenticity to Tony that the character by then weighed heavily upon him. No actor stops identifying with the character he plays, no matter how repellant or villainous. An actor is required to be complicit with the man he portrays.

And yet, Gandolfini said he struggled to like Tony.

"Let's just say, it was a lot easier to like him in the beginning, than in the last few years," he told The Associated Press a few days before the series' finale in June 2007.

It was a remarkable admission by Gandolfini as he looked ahead, brightly, to new challenges.

"I don't even think I've proven myself, yet," he said. "I have yet to begin the fight, I think."

In that rare interview, Gandolfini, famously press-shy ever since "The Sopranos" blindsided him with stardom, was as gracious as he was uncomfortable discussing himself.

There was one too many questions delving into his acting process.

"Oh, please! Who gives a crap!" he scoffed (though he didn't say "crap"). Then he quickly apologized. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to be abrupt."

Despite his formidable presence in person as on film, there was no confusing him with Tony Soprano. He was his own man, down-to-earth, accommodating ? and no-nonsense when it counted. Once glimpsed by a reporter filming a scene on the set of the Soprano family's plush New Jersey home, he bobbled a line of dialogue, whereupon he let out a growl, not at anyone else but directed unsparingly at himself before the cameras rolled again.

On the other hand, he clearly knew the difference between what was serious as an actor ? and what was deadly serious.

Marshaling his unbidden clout as a star, Gandolfini produced (though only sparingly appeared in) a pair of documentaries for HBO focused on a cause he held dear: veterans affairs.

"Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq" (2007) profiled soldiers and Marines who had cheated death in war but continued to wage personal battles back at home. Four years later, "Wartorn: 1861-2010" charted victims of post-traumatic stress disorder from the U.S. invasion of Iraq all the way back to the Civil War.

"Do I think a documentary is going to change the world?" Gandolfini said about the latter film. "No, but I think there will be individuals who will learn things from it, so that's enough."

There were no grand pronouncements that day. No lofty goals voiced. No showboating by an actor who will never be forgotten as Tony Soprano, and then some, for the work he leaves behind.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? Frazier Moore is a national television columnist for The Associated Press. He can be reached at fmoore@ap.org and at http://www.twitter.com/tvfrazier

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-06-20-Gandolfini-Appreciation/id-7e66aa37151d498282caa2e1d1d74d5f

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Heat lead Spurs 46-44 at half of Game 7

MIAMI (AP) ? LeBron James scored 15 points and Dwyane Wade added 14 points and six rebounds to help the Miami Heat take a 46-44 halftime lead over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

Shane Battier scored nine points off the bench and James shrugged off a quiet start for the Heat in a ragged first half for both teams.

Tim Duncan had 13 points, five rebounds and four steals for the Spurs, who were trying to become the first road team to win a finals Game 7 on the road since Washington in 1978. Kawhi Leonard added five points and 10 rebounds.

Chris Bosh was scoreless with just four boards and three fouls for defending champion Miami, which turned the ball over eight times.

Tony Parker had 10 points and three assists, but Manu Ginobili picked up two fouls in the first six minutes and had seven points. The Spurs shot 35 percent.

Despite their relative wealth of experience, both teams looked a little nervous and a little gassed from an epic Game 6 two nights ago.

Duncan put up 30 points and 17 rebounds in a throwback performance, but James scored 16 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter and posted his second triple-double of the finals and Ray Allen made a 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds to go that forced overtime and rescued the Heat.

The stunned Spurs had to try to find one more reservoir of energy to finish this series out, and their big fella had plenty of juice early, getting a steal at the top of the key and dribbling the length of the court for a dunk and later blocking a dunk attempt from Bosh.

Battier, who got off to a horrid shooting start in the first five games of the finals, couldn't miss in Game 7. His third 3 of the first half gave Miami a 21-16 lead early in the second quarter.

But Parker got going with a couple of free throws and a savvy back-down of Mario Chalmers on the block and Duncan converted a three-point play to tie it at 27.

James missed four of his first six shots, but converted a three-point play on an acrobatic drive to the rim and hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 33-27 lead, bringing the white-clad home crowd to their feet.

Duncan just wouldn't let the Spurs fade. The 37-year-old had a three-point play, four free throws and another layup that tied the game at 40 and Ginobili's two free throws gave the Spurs the lead again at 42-40.

James' putback tied it again and Wade hit a mid-range jumper just before the first-half buzzer to give the Heat the halftime lead.

For a series that has swung back and forth so wildly ? from game to game and quarter to quarter ? it had to go the distance. The two teams traded victories through the first six games, with blowouts in Games 2-5 sandwiched between classics in Game 1 and Game 6.

This was just the sixth Game 7 in an NBA Finals in the last 35 years, and the gravity of of the situation certainly hit home with the players.

"All of our legacies are tied to this moment, this game," Allen said. "It's something our kids will be able to talk about that they were a part of. Forever will remember these moments, so we want to not live and have any regrets."

Luminaries including Bill Russell, Cal Ripken Jr., Jack Nicklaus and the hip-hop star Drake were in attendance for this highly anticipated matchup that had so much on the line for both teams.

For James and the Heat, it was a chance to cement themselves atop the NBA universe. A second straight title would thrust the Heat into the same sentence of some of the great franchises who have gone back-to-back, and complete James' takeover of the league in general, something Duncan predicted in 2007.

After the Spurs swept James' Cleveland Cavaliers six years ago, Duncan found the emerging young superstar for a quiet moment amid all the celebration. Duncan told James that this league would one day be his, and James has been proving him right over the last three years.

But a loss on Thursday night on his home floor would have dropped James to 1-3 in NBA Finals appearances and led many of the Heat's legion of critics to pronounce this super team a failure. Such were the expectations when James, Wade and Bosh united three summers ago, starting the pursuit of "not one, not two, not three" titles. They lost to Dallas in their first season together, dropping Game 6 on their home floor, but rebounded to blow by the Oklahoma City Thunder last season for James' first championship.

This season was supposed to be more of a second coronation ceremony for the defending champs rather than a competition, but it's been more difficult than anyone ever imagined. The Pacers pushed the Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference finals, and these proud Spurs had them on the ropes here in Game 6 when James and Allen swooped in to save the day.

The Spurs held a five-point lead and were 21 seconds away from their fifth championship when James hit a 3-pointer and Allen knocked another one down with 5.2 seconds left to force overtime.

The stunned Spurs, who aren't used to letting leads slip away in the closing moments, were outlasted in overtime and spent the next day and a half trying to come to grips with the opportunity they lost.

"That was a devastating loss," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before the game. "To say anything less would be disingenuous."

The Spurs held a team dinner after that game, leaning on each other to get through it and answer the bell for Game 7.

A victory would mean a remarkable 14 years between Duncan's first title in 1999 and his fifth. It would also validate the Spurs' decision to stick with their core of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili for a decade plus, even when they had gone six years between finals appearances.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/heat-lead-spurs-46-44-half-game-7-022432788.html

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Countdown To The Eisners ? Best Archival Collection/Project ...

By Cameron Hatheway

Every morning my breakfast routine starts with the comic strips. Opinions, local news, and sports will follow in whatever order I see fit, but without question the comics always come first. For a lot of people, myself included, the comic strips were what first got me interested in comic books. Some of the comics that came out decades ago still appear in the paper today, whether they are dailies or Sundays only, with still a tremendous fan following. One of the things we take for granted nowadays is being able to purchase a collection of the restored older comics, be it Prince Valiant or Tarzan, but back in the 40s and 50s readers of all ages weren?t afforded such luxuries. Today I?ll be focusing on the Best Archival Collection/Project?Strips category. If you need a reminder of what?s been nominated, you can find the entire list right here, and see what I chose last time right here.

Keep in mind I cannot vote for who wins (nor can you, probably), as per the rules. However, that?s not keeping me from being vocal regardless!

Who is not eligible to vote?

• Comics press or reviewers (unless they are nominees)
• Non-creative publisher staff members (PR, marketing, assistants, etc.)
• Fans

Before I get back to stapling a bunch of Garfield Minus Garfield strips together so I can be eligible for next year, let the games begin!

Best Archival Collection/Project?Strips

Alex Raymond?s Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim, vol. 2, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)

Review copy unavailable.

Mister Twee Deedle: Raggedy Ann?s Sprightly Cousin, by Johnny Gruelle, edited by Rick Marschall (Fantagraphics)

Collecting Twee Deedle strips as well as the earlier comics and illustrations of Johnny Gruelle, this book is filled with wonderful adventures that were enjoyed by all ages back in the day when newspaper strips reigned supreme. Feeling a little like Little Nemo at times, Gruelle was a master storyteller as youngsters Dickie and Dolly learned about nature with the wood sprite Twee Deedle. Also his bird?s-eye view pieces were obviously influential to the Where?s Wally? artist Martin Handford.

Percy Crosby?s Skippy, vol. 1, edited by Jared Gardner and Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)

Review copy unavailable.

Pogo, vol. 2: Bona Fide Balderdash, by Walt Kelly, edited by Carolyn Kelly and Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)

The second volume (of 12) of the dailies and Sunday strips following everyone?s favorite possum of the Okefenokee Swamp, Pogo. This collection is edited by Walt Kelly?s daughter Carolyn, and you can really feel the attention to detail in making sure the comics are crisp and colorful. Bona Fide Balderdash is a bona fide hit with Pogo fans.

Roy Crane?s Captain Easy: The Complete Sunday Newspaper Strips, vol. 3, edited by Rick Norwood (Fantagraphics)

Lickety Whop! Filled with adventures at sea, exploring for treasure, and battling pirates, Captain Easy was one of the most action-packed Sunday strips of its time. In this third volume the action continues as Easy and Wash travel the globe getting themselves into some pretty precarious situations. The coloring is divine, and this collection does Crane?s storytelling justice.

Who I think should win:

Roy Crane?s Captain Easy: The Complete Sunday Newspaper Strips, vol. 3, edited by Rick Norwood (Fantagraphics)

Before Indiana Jones, before Captain Action, there was Captain Easy. Yes, that name wouldn?t go over so well in today?s society, but after seeing how manly he is you wouldn?t think twice to make fun. This collection in particular takes our adventurer and his friends all over the world, and I could only imagine how painful it was back then waiting for the next Sunday to come. The coloring is fantastic, and looks like it was fresh from the original printer.

Crane?s illustrations really brought life and energy to the Sunday strips, and future collections are in great hands over at Fantagraphics.

?

Who I think could win:
Pogo, vol. 2: Bona Fide Balderdash, by Walt Kelly, edited by Carolyn Kelly and Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)

Starring some of the most popular anthropomorphic characters in comics, it?s no wonder that Walt Kelly?s Pogo has inspired generations of storytellers since its initial launch in the 1950s. In this second volume, you can really see where Kelly gets into his routine as the characters become livelier, and the stories sometimes blissfully wackier.

This collection in particular includes the famous Pogo running for president storyline (?I Go Pogo?). The meticulously-restored strips do this collection great justice.

?

Who I think should have been nominated:
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson (Andrews McMeel Publishing)

A boy and his tiger. They go on adventures, travel to other planets, and form the best club ever known to man; G.R.O.S.S. (Get Rid Of Slimy girlS).

?

Who do you think should win / been nominated?

Cameron Hatheway is the host of Cammy?s Comic Corner and Arts & Entertainment Editor of the Sonoma State STAR. You can sell him a swink on Twitter @CamComicCorner.

Source: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/06/20/countdown-to-the-eisners-best-archival-collectionproject-strips/

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Our Dim-Witted President (Powerlineblog)

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

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U.S. talks with Taliban likely to take place within 'next few days': U.S. official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. talks with the Taliban are likely to be held within the "next few days" in Qatar, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday, after delays caused by tensions over the naming of a new Taliban office in the capital, Doha.

A senior U.S. official told Reuters on Tuesday the talks would take place on Thursday.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Wednesday his government would not join the peace talks with the Taliban, angered by a banner on the front of the new offices referring to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the name the Taliban used during their rule.

Later, a statement from Karzai's office said the banner had been taken down.

(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-talks-taliban-likely-place-within-next-few-203557003.html

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Think odd employee might benefit from mental exam? Talk to your ...

Let?s face it: Some employees are a bit strange. They may do a good job, but their personal quirks may make other employees feel uncomfortable. Sometimes, their behavior may even be an indication of serious mental health problems.

But before you rush to demand the employee get counseling or see a doctor, remember that the ADA prohibits such requests unless there is a clear business necessity for the exam.

The better approach is to keep your focus on the employee?s work and leave out personality problems. At a minimum, run the problem by your attorney before talking to the employee about any kind of evaluation.

Recent case: Rena got rave reviews for her work at an AT&T call center. But several supervisors became concerned when Rena seemed to think that she was being followed and that cameras installed in the facility were there to spy on her. Plus, she acted in a way that several supervisors described as ?paranoid.?

One supervisor claimed her behavior made co-workers ?afraid for their own safety? and suggested having a discussion with Rena about seeing a doctor.

Rena then arrived at work and found her card no longer opened the door. She was instead escorted to a meeting, where she heard examples of her behavior that some deemed bizarre. Then she was informed that she had been scheduled for a physical exam. She was given paid time off until the appointment.

Rena went to the appointment, but refused to cooperate. She wouldn?t hand over her health insurance information or answer any questions about her health or mental condition. Instead, she left and returned to work.

She was never disciplined for refusing to undergo the examination.

Rena sued anyway, alleging, among other claims, that she had been regarded as disabled when she was not.

The court agreed that Rena had been treated as if she had a mental health condition when her supervisors scheduled the appointment. However, she lost the case anyway because she was never disciplined for refusing to participate in the exam. (Lee v. AT&T Mobility, No. 5:11-CV-294, ED NC, 2013)

Final note: Remember that the ADA makes it illegal to require an employee to undergo a medical test that may reveal a disability unless there is a sound business reason for doing so. That means you can?t ask for a medical exam unless there?s a job-related reason that is consistent with a business necessity.

While some behavior (like threats of physical harm) may warrant suspension and a medical exam, other behavior can and should be ignored.

What saved AT&T in this case was that it never took action against Rena once she made it clear she wasn?t going to participate in a physical or mental evaluation. Had she been fired for refusing, the company would have had a hard time defending itself. It?s difficult to imagine that Rena?s slightly paranoid outlook was really dangerous to her co-workers.

The bottom line: If you think an employee could benefit from counseling or a medical exam, discuss the matter with your attorney before taking action.

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Google Fights Spying Gag Order, But Key Details Would Lack Even If Successful

As it promised it would, Google is fighting the government's gag order on releasing how many users are monitored by the National Security Agency. Unlike Facebook and Microsoft, Google and Twitter publicly rejected a government deal to disclose the total number of spying warrants for user data, which would include (but not detail) the number of requests coming from the controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA).

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/NB1QikwiqAA/

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Let's toast Leonardo DiCaprio, over and over ...

Movies

Kurt Schlosser NBC News

5 hours ago

May we propose a toast? To Leonardo DiCaprio! A man who, it seems, is happy to raise a glass in any movie he appears in.

We're a nursing a bit of a hangover here after spending a little time looking through the actor's film titles and adding "drinking" to his name in our Internet search. The party started after the new trailer for "The Wolf of Wall Street" dropped and featured DiCaprio's character raising a glass of wine from the back of his yacht:

Paramount Pictures

We thought, "Hey, didn't "The Great Gatsby" feature the actor raising a glass at a big party, with fireworks blasting in the background?" Of course it did:

Warner Bros./ YouTube

And with the tuxedo, that all seemed so reminiscent of Jack from "Titanic," raising his glass of champagne at the big kids' table in "Titanic."

So, if we've managed to trigger your curiosity, perhaps now we have your attention: Witness Calvin Candie and his interesting drink (with straw) in "Django Unchained":

Weinstein Company

DiCaprio's Amsterdam Vallon went up high while looking Daniel Day Lewis' Bill the Butcher in the eye in "Gangs of New York."

In "Revolutionary Road," DiCaprio and Kate Winslet had some catching up (and drinking) to do, sharing a bottle of wine at the kitchen table.

Martin Scorsese, who directs DiCaprio in "The Wolf of Wall Street," among several other films, was also behind the camera for "The Departed," and put DiCaprio behind a drink here.

Maybe the mind bending required to understand "Inception" was aided by more wine.

So, you get it. DiCaprio has been in a lot of movies in which alcohol has come into play. The guy has also been on his fair share of magazine covers -- it's not like the booze is as easily worked in there. Oh ... in your face:

Esquire

Well, what about when he's just relaxing in his free time? Maybe a soda and some popcorn at the Lakers game? Ice cold beer here:

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images file

Commercials? He must be selling watches or cars or something, the way big stars do overseas. Nope. Pass the Beam:

DiCaprio is 38 years old. He's been making movies since he was a little kid. It's not like he was knocking back drinks back in the "Gilbert Grape" days. Nevermind.

Bottoms up, Leo!

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/entertainment/cheers-lets-toast-leonardo-dicaprio-again-again-again-6C10339660

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McConnell Warns He'll Use Nuclear Option for Everything (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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Throwing the bum out: When should scandal-hit politicians stage a come back?

Public release date: 17-Jun-2013
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Contact: Ben Norman
Sciencenewsroom@wiley.com
44-012-437-70375
Wiley

As Anthony Weiner enters the New York mayoral race two years after scandal forced him from office, a new study in Social Science Quarterly explores the lingering effect of scandals and asks how long a politician need wait before hitting the come-back trail.

Using research into 'brand crisis' this study is the first systematic test of the idea that scandals can linger in voters' minds and damage a politician's reelection campaign. The authors find evidence that this lingering effect ensures politicians do not return to their pre-scandal predicted margins of victory until four to six years after the event.

Voter turnout was also found to increase following a scandal, but rather than an increase in votes for the incumbent, this was linked to the voters' desire to 'kick the bum out.'

However, if a politician succeeds in surviving a reelection bid despite a scandal, they can expect to recover two-thirds of their support within one cycle, moving them out of the 'danger zone' into which their scandal pushed them.

"Even though scandals are one of the few ways incumbents become vulnerable at the ballot box, challengers must strike while the iron is hot," said Dr Rodrigo Praino. "Scandal-ridden incumbents do lose votes in the election immediately after the scandal, but those who manage to stay in office regain the ground that they have lost in only two election cycles. Coupled with the fact that the elections right after the scandal tend to present slightly higher levels of voter turnout, challengers have a very short, but clear, window of opportunity to convince voters to 'throw the bum out'."

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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: 17-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Ben Norman
Sciencenewsroom@wiley.com
44-012-437-70375
Wiley

As Anthony Weiner enters the New York mayoral race two years after scandal forced him from office, a new study in Social Science Quarterly explores the lingering effect of scandals and asks how long a politician need wait before hitting the come-back trail.

Using research into 'brand crisis' this study is the first systematic test of the idea that scandals can linger in voters' minds and damage a politician's reelection campaign. The authors find evidence that this lingering effect ensures politicians do not return to their pre-scandal predicted margins of victory until four to six years after the event.

Voter turnout was also found to increase following a scandal, but rather than an increase in votes for the incumbent, this was linked to the voters' desire to 'kick the bum out.'

However, if a politician succeeds in surviving a reelection bid despite a scandal, they can expect to recover two-thirds of their support within one cycle, moving them out of the 'danger zone' into which their scandal pushed them.

"Even though scandals are one of the few ways incumbents become vulnerable at the ballot box, challengers must strike while the iron is hot," said Dr Rodrigo Praino. "Scandal-ridden incumbents do lose votes in the election immediately after the scandal, but those who manage to stay in office regain the ground that they have lost in only two election cycles. Coupled with the fact that the elections right after the scandal tend to present slightly higher levels of voter turnout, challengers have a very short, but clear, window of opportunity to convince voters to 'throw the bum out'."

###

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/w-ttb061713.php

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How to Move Your International Business Job Search Forward

The job search process can be taxing.? Therefore, it is important for every international business professional to know how to keep the job hunt moving forward.

1. This can never be said enough ? No matter what job you are applying for in international business, your resume MUST be professional.? Avoid common resume mistakes by proofreading for grammar, spelling, and basic common sense mistakes.? A quick proof read can save your resume from the trash can so don?t neglect this important step.
2. One mistake many international business job seekers make is that they focus their resume, correspondence, and interview answers on themselves principally rather than skewing the focus on the job being sought and the company to which they are applying.? Focusing on the job and ensuring your answers discuss the primary concerns of the job for which you are applying and not just your past job titles.
3. You aren?t going to find a job if you don?t try.? During your job search you need to be diligent. You need to set aside specific time to work on your job search, respond timely to emails and voice mails, and network.? Being diligent in building relationships and applying for job can help you be on your way to your next international business job.
4. When asked in an international business interview or writing your cover letter and resume, it is important to focus on outcomes, leadership, and specific metrics that are applicable to the job for which you are applying and not be so set on just listing job descriptions with job titles.
5. Whether you are networking or interviewing in international business, it is important to focus attention on others and from yourself.? Ask questions about a job or company during an interview to help you understand what they are looking for in an employee when networking, ask questions about the other persons career, and their needs.? You can then better understand their questions of you during your international business interview.

If you are trying to figure out the best way to get your international business job search moving forward, using some of these suggestions can help you ensure you are moving your job search in the right direction. Once you have tried these techniques, you will find that your job search is recharged and moving you forward toward your next international business job.

Tagged as: international business job search tips, job search strategies in international business, tips for international business job seekers

Source: http://internationalbusinesstraining.org/how-to-move-your-international-business-job-search-forward/

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China pressured U.S. university to ask me to leave, dissident says

By Jonathan Allen

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Chen Guangcheng, the Chinese dissident who fled his home country to become a visiting scholar at New York University, accused the school on Sunday of asking him to leave because of "unrelenting pressure" from China.

NYU denied the claim, saying that it had said last year before the blind dissident arrived that his fellowship would last up to a year and end sometime this summer.

Chen sparked a diplomatic crisis between the United States and China after he fled house arrest last year and sought refuge at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. NYU helped Chen come to the United States after he expressed fears for his family's safety if they were to remain in China.

In a statement, Chen thanked NYU for its hospitality and "good support," but accused it of giving in to the Communist Party of China.

"In fact, as early as last August and September, the Chinese Communists had already begun to apply great, unrelenting pressure on New York University, so much so that after we had been in the United States just three to four months, NYU was already starting to discuss our departure with us," he wrote.

Chen, who has been blind from childhood and taught himself law, was a campaigner for farmers and disabled citizens. He exposed forced abortions in China before he was placed under house arrest in Shandon province.

He has continued to be critical of China's human rights record since his arrival in New York in May 2012 with his wife and two children.

Jerome Cohen, an NYU law professor and friend of Chen who helped broker his departure from China, told Reuters that "we should all base accusations on facts, not speculation and conspiracy theories unsupported by facts", when asked for a response to Chen's remarks.

TV INTERVIEW

Chen said he believed the Chinese government wanted "to make me so busy trying to earn a living that I don't have time for human rights advocacy, but this is not going to happen."

NYU pointed to a PBS television interview in May 2012 with Cohen, who had said Chen would be at NYU for a year at most while he adjusted to a new country.

Chen could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

John Beckman, an NYU spokesman, described Chen's claims as "both false and contradicted by the well-established facts."

"Mr. Chen's fellowship at NYU and its conclusion have had nothing to do with the Chinese government. All fellowships come to an end," Beckman said in a statement.

NYU said Chen had received offers from two other academic institutions. Fordham University Law School in New York said on Friday it was in talks with Chen.

The second offer is from the Witherspoon Institute, based in Princeton, New Jersey, Bob Fu, the president of Texas-based Christian advocacy group ChinaAid told Reuters. Chen has not yet made a decision, said Fu, whose group has campaigned for Chen.

The Witherspoon Institute is a think-tank that opposes same-sex marriage and abortion.

Beckman said NYU had started talking with the Chens about changes in living arrangements months ago. The school has provided them services that include housing, food, insurance and healthcare, English lessons and family support, he said.

NYU has been building a campus in Shanghai, and received final approval from China's education ministry to begin construction and student recruitment last autumn.

(This version of the story corrects to say Chen blind from childhood, not birth in paragraph 6)

(Additional reporting by Ian Simpson in New York and Sui-Lee Wee in Beijing; Editing by Eric Walsh and Clarence Fernandez)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-pressured-nyu-him-leave-dissident-says-014313332.html

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Infections increase risk of mood disorders

Public release date: 17-Jun-2013
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Contact: Michael Eriksen Benr?s
benros@ncrr.dk
45-26-25-52-39
Aarhus University

New research shows that every third person who is diagnosed for the first time with a mood disorder has been admitted to hospital with an infection prior to the diagnosis

New research shows that every third person who is diagnosed for the first time with a mood disorder has been admitted to hospital with an infection prior to the diagnosis. The study is the largest of its kind to date to show a clear correlation between infection levels and the risk of developing mood disorders.

Anyone can suffer from an infection, for example in their stomach, urinary tract or skin. It would now appear that their distress does not necessarily end once the infection has been treated. A new PhD project shows that many people subsequently suffer from a mood disorder:

"Our study shows that the risk of developing a mood disorder increases by 62% for patients who have been admitted to hospital with an infection. In other words, it looks as though the immune system is somehow involved in the development of mood disorders," says Michael Eriksen Benrs, MD and PhD from Aarhus University and Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen.

He is behind the study together with researchers from Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen as well as The Johns Hopkins University in the USA.

Three million Danes included

The study is a register study, which has involved following more than 3 million Danes. Between 1977 and 2010, more than 91,000 of these people had hospital contact in connection with a mood disorder. It transpired that 32% of the patients had previously been admitted with an infectious disease, while 5% had been admitted with an autoimmune disease.

According to Michael Eriksen Benrs, the increased risk of mood disorders can be explained by the fact that infections affect the brain:

"Normally, the brain is protected by the so-called blood-brain barrier (BBB), but in the case of infections and inflammation, new research has shown that the brain can be affected on account of a more permeable BBB."

"We can see that the brain is affected, whichever type of infection or autoimmune disease it is. Therefore, it is naturally important that more research is conducted into the mechanisms which lie behind the connection between the immune system and mood disorders," says Michael Eriksen Benrs. He hopes that knowing more about this connection will help to prevent mood disorders and improve future treatment.

Facts

• 3.56 million Danes born between 1945 and 1996 were followed via the Danish patient registers.
• Of these, 91,637 had hospital contact in connection with a mood disorder.
• The study has been financed by the Stanley Medical Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health in the USA.
• The findings have just been published in the prestigious international journal JAMA Psychiatry.

###

Further information

Michael Eriksen Benrs, MD and PhD
Aarhus University and the
University of Copenhagen
Tel.: +45 2625 5239
benros@ncrr.dk

---

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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: 17-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michael Eriksen Benr?s
benros@ncrr.dk
45-26-25-52-39
Aarhus University

New research shows that every third person who is diagnosed for the first time with a mood disorder has been admitted to hospital with an infection prior to the diagnosis

New research shows that every third person who is diagnosed for the first time with a mood disorder has been admitted to hospital with an infection prior to the diagnosis. The study is the largest of its kind to date to show a clear correlation between infection levels and the risk of developing mood disorders.

Anyone can suffer from an infection, for example in their stomach, urinary tract or skin. It would now appear that their distress does not necessarily end once the infection has been treated. A new PhD project shows that many people subsequently suffer from a mood disorder:

"Our study shows that the risk of developing a mood disorder increases by 62% for patients who have been admitted to hospital with an infection. In other words, it looks as though the immune system is somehow involved in the development of mood disorders," says Michael Eriksen Benrs, MD and PhD from Aarhus University and Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen.

He is behind the study together with researchers from Aarhus University and the University of Copenhagen as well as The Johns Hopkins University in the USA.

Three million Danes included

The study is a register study, which has involved following more than 3 million Danes. Between 1977 and 2010, more than 91,000 of these people had hospital contact in connection with a mood disorder. It transpired that 32% of the patients had previously been admitted with an infectious disease, while 5% had been admitted with an autoimmune disease.

According to Michael Eriksen Benrs, the increased risk of mood disorders can be explained by the fact that infections affect the brain:

"Normally, the brain is protected by the so-called blood-brain barrier (BBB), but in the case of infections and inflammation, new research has shown that the brain can be affected on account of a more permeable BBB."

"We can see that the brain is affected, whichever type of infection or autoimmune disease it is. Therefore, it is naturally important that more research is conducted into the mechanisms which lie behind the connection between the immune system and mood disorders," says Michael Eriksen Benrs. He hopes that knowing more about this connection will help to prevent mood disorders and improve future treatment.

Facts

• 3.56 million Danes born between 1945 and 1996 were followed via the Danish patient registers.
• Of these, 91,637 had hospital contact in connection with a mood disorder.
• The study has been financed by the Stanley Medical Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health in the USA.
• The findings have just been published in the prestigious international journal JAMA Psychiatry.

###

Further information

Michael Eriksen Benrs, MD and PhD
Aarhus University and the
University of Copenhagen
Tel.: +45 2625 5239
benros@ncrr.dk

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/au-iir061713.php

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Residents anxious to return to Colorado fire zone

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) ? With evacuees anxious to return, firefighters worked Sunday to dig up and extinguish hot spots to protect homes spared by the most destructive wildfire in Colorado's history.

The labor-intensive work is necessary because extremely dry grass and trees could quickly ignite if wind stirs up hot spots in the densely wooded Black Forest near Colorado Springs.

Firefighters did get some help from the weather as steady rain moved through the area Sunday afternoon. But that weather came with some lightning, which sparked a small grass fire near one home.

Nearly 500 homes have been burned by the 22-square-mile fire, which is 65 percent contained. Crews hope to have it fully under control by Thursday.

Even though the fire was no longer active enough on Sunday to produce a large smoke plume, El Paso County Sheriff Terry Maketa said it wasn't safe for people to return home until roads and downed power lines were repaired.

Additionally, the death of two unidentified people trying to flee the fire was still being investigated. Maketa said he was in no rush to have people return to an area that, at least for now, was still being considered a crime scene.

"I'm not going to compromise the evidence by allowing people in too soon," he said.

Some evacuees outside the burn area have been allowed back home. Those with property in the burn area have returned with escorts to check on their property or to pick up items, but Maketa said some were then refusing to leave once they were done. He urged fire victims to cooperate or risk being arrested.

Trudy Dawson, 59, was at work when the fire broke out Tuesday and quickly spread in record-breaking heat and strong winds. Her 25-year-old daughter, Jordan, who was on her way from Denver to visit, spotted the smoke, called her mother and went to the house.

With only 30 minutes to evacuate, she only had time to find a family cat and to open a corral gate so the horses could flee.

Jordan and two adult siblings went to the property the next day with a sheriff's escort and found the horses, unhurt, standing in their corral.

"It was just skeletons of vehicles and ash everywhere. It's haunting. It looks like it's right out of a horror movie," Jordan Dawson said.

It's unknown what sparked the blaze, but investigators believe it was human-caused and have asked for help from the state and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as they sift through the ash.

It's only a few miles away from the state's second most destructive wildfire, the Waldo Canyon Fire, which burned last summer.

The memory of that fire may have made residents especially appreciative of firefighters. About 1,000 people turned out to line the road and cheer firefighters as they returned from lines Saturday night, fire spokesman Brandon Hampton said.

Some of the aircraft used to fight the Black Forest Fire and other Front Range fires have been moved to fight a nearly 700-acre wildfire near Rifle Falls State Park in western Colorado. That fire erupted Friday from a smoldering lightning strike the day before, spokesman Pat Thrasher said. The residents of 12 homes were ordered to leave along with campers in the park as well as Rifle Mountain Park and the nearby White River National Forest.

Crews were closer to containing other wildfires that broke out around the same time as Black Forest. In Canon City, 50 miles to the southwest, a fire that destroyed 48 buildings at Royal Gorge Bridge & Park was 85 percent contained and the park's scenic railroad was running again. A lightning-sparked fire in Rocky Mountain National Park had burned nearly 500 acres and was 60 percent contained.

In New Mexico, crews were trying to protect homes in a historic mining town from a 35-square mile wildfire that had prompted 26 people to leave their homes.

___

Associated Press writer Colleen Slevin contributed to this report from Denver.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/residents-anxious-return-colorado-fire-zone-211159765.html

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Report: UK spies hacked foreign diplomats

LONDON (AP) ? The Guardian newspaper said the British eavesdropping agency GCHQ repeatedly hacked into foreign diplomats' phones and emails when the U.K. hosted international conferences, even going so far as to set up a bugged Internet cafe in an effort to get an edge in high-stakes negotiations.

The news prompted an angry response from Russian officials concerned that their communications had been intercepted.

The report ? the latest in a series of revelations which have ignited a worldwide debate over the scope of Western intelligence gathering ? came just hours before Britain was due to open the G-8 summit in Northern Ireland on Monday, a meeting of the world's leading economies that include Russia. The allegation that the United Kingdom has previously used its position as host to spy on its allies and other attendees could make for awkward conversation as the delegates arrive for talks.

"The diplomatic fallout from this could be considerable," according to British academic Richard J. Aldrich, whose book "GCHQ" charts the agency's history.

Speaking at the G-8 summit, Prime Minister David Cameron declined to address the issue.

"We never comment on security or intelligence issues and I am not about to start now," he said. "I don't make comments on security or intelligence issues. That would be breaking something that no government has previously done."

GCHQ also declined to comment on the report.

Russian officials complained Monday about reports that their delegation had been snooped on in earlier summits.

"It's a scandal! The U.S. and British special services tapped (then President Dmitry) Medvedev's phone at the 2009 G-20 summit. The U.S. denies it, but we can't trust them," Alexei Pushkov, the Kremlin-connected chief of foreign affairs committee in the lower house of Russian parliament, wrote on his Twitter feed Monday.

Sergei Devyatov, a spokesman for the Federal Protection Service that provides security for top Russian government officials, said in a statement carried by the Interfax news agency: "The Federal Protective Service is taking every necessary measure to provide the appropriate level of confidentiality of information for top-ranking officials of the country."

The Guardian cites more than half a dozen internal government documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden as the basis for its reporting on GCHQ's intelligence operations, which it says involved, among other things, hacking into the South African foreign ministry's computer network and targeting the Turkish delegation at the 2009 G-20 summit in London.

Clayson Monyela, a spokesman for South Africa's foreign ministry, declined to comment on the report Monday when reached by telephone by AP. Monyela said on his Twitter feed that "the matter is receiving attention."

The source material ? whose authenticity could not immediately be determined ? appears to be a mixed bag. The Guardian describes one as "a PowerPoint slide," another as "a briefing paper" and others simply as "documents."

Some of the leaked material was posted to the Guardian's website with heavy redactions. A spokesman for the newspaper said the redactions were made at the newspaper's initiative, but declined to elaborate.

It wasn't completely clear how Snowden would have had access to the British intelligence documents, although in one article the Guardian mentions that source material was drawn from a top-secret internal network shared by GCHQ and the NSA. Aldrich said he wouldn't be surprised if the GCHQ material came from a shared network accessed by Snowden, explaining that the NSA and GCHQ collaborated so closely that in some areas the two agencies effectively operated as one.

One document cited by the Guardian ? but not posted to its website ? appeared to boast of GCHQ's tapping into smartphones. The Guardian quoted the document as saying that "capabilities against BlackBerry provided advance copies of G-20 briefings to ministers." It went on to say that "Diplomatic targets from all nations have an MO (a habit) of using smartphones," adding that spies "exploited this use at the G-20 meetings last year."

Another document cited ? but also not posted ? concerned GCHQ's use of a customized Internet cafe which was "able to extract key logging info, providing creds (credentials) for delegates, meaning we have sustained intelligence options against them even after conference has finished." No further details were given, but the reference to key logging suggested that computers at the cafe would have been pre-installed with malicious software designed to spy on key strokes, steal passwords and eavesdrop on emails.

Aldrich said that revelation stuck out as particularly ingenious.

"It's a bit 'Mission Impossible,'" he said.

___

Vladimir Isachenkov in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, and Jason Straziuso in Nairobi, Kenya, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-uk-spies-hacked-foreign-diplomats-075321600.html

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