koren deicer: April 2013

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Rotoworld: Plenty of surprises in first round

Friday, April 26, 2013

Billed as the most unpredictable draft in recent memory, Thursday night?s first round lived up to the hype. For the first time in NFL history, offensive tackles went 1-2. For the first time since 1963, no running backs went in the first round. And for the first time since 2001, only one quarterback was selected. To the headlines:

FREE FALL OF THE NIGHT
West Virginia QB Geno Smith got all dressed up and had nowhere to go. Stuck in the green room at Radio City Music Hall all night long, cameras were in Smith?s face as he played with his phone. The Jets passed on him at both No. 9 and 13, the Raiders went with CB D.J. Hayden at 12 and the Bills pulled a stunner with E.J. Manuel at 16 (more on that below). That left Smith in the Warren Sapp/Brady Quinn chair, sporting a long face and big chip on his shoulder. Smith may not have to wait too long on Friday night, as the quarterback-needy Jaguars hold the first pick of the second round. The Jags had been linked to Smith at No. 2 overall early in the evaluation process. ?

QUOTABLE
?Hang in there Geno, ?good things come to those who wait,? ? Paul Tagliabue.? That?s a tweet Aaron Rodgers sent out during the draft, offering support to Geno Smith. Rodgers, tabbed by some as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft, went 24th to the Packers.

MEET YOUR NO. 1 OVERALL PICK
Never heard of new Chiefs LT Eric Fisher? You?re not alone. Fisher was a lightly regarded prospect coming out of high school in Michigan, only receiving serious interest from Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan. He was merely a third-team All-MAC pick in 2011 before coming on big in 2012 and nipping the small/less athletic Luke Joeckel at the finish line to be the No. 1 overall pick. Fisher is the first player from the MAC to ever go No. 1 and is the highest pick from the MAC since Byron Leftwich in 2003. He?ll be slotted in at left tackle after the Chiefs complete the impending Branden Albert trade with the Dolphins.

THE MANTI MOMENT
The Vikings looked like an ideal landing spot for Manti Te?o. They started the night desperate for help at middle linebacker, held two first-round picks and have been a pipeline for Notre Dame players of late. John Carlson, Kyle Rudolph, John Sullivan, Robert Blanton and Harrison Smith are all Golden Domers currently residing in Minnesota. So it was an awful sign for Te?o when the Vikings ? who ended up making three picks in the first round ? passed on him. It had little to do with the fake girlfriend saga and everything to do with Te?o?s skill set. He lacks the athleticism to play in coverage and couldn?t get off blocks against Alabama?s NFL-caliber offensive line in the BCS title game. Te?o, holed up with his family in Hawaii, could be a Day 2 target for the Bears at No. 50 overall.

REACH OF THE NIGHT
The Cowboys traded out of the No. 18 hole, only receiving picks Nos. 31 and 74 from the 49ers. And at No. 31, they bungled the selection. Instead of shoring up their needs at safety, guard or backup running back, they reached for Wisconsin C Travis Frederick. Our draft guru Josh Norris didn?t even think unathletic Frederick was worth a third-round pick and NFL Network?s Mike Mayock had a third-round grade on him.

BIGGEST MISS BY MOCK DRAFTERS
At one point last week, the majority of mock drafts had Florida DT Sharrif Floyd going third overall to the Raiders. Some had him sliding to the back end of the top-10, but no further. But when the chips were down, Floyd slipped, slid and fell some more. When the carnage finally ended, the Vikings took him as a value pick at No. 23. Credit the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel for securing this quote from a scout: ?Those idiots on TV made Floyd. He?s not that good. He?s not better than Ziggy Hood.? NFL Films? Greg Cosell had tabbed Floyd as ?without question? the draft?s No. 1 player on film even though he produced just 4.5 sacks over 26 starts at Florida.

BEST DRESSED AWARD
This one goes to Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson, and it wasn?t even close. He was rocking a zig-zag bow tie, a white tuxedo jacket and Louis Vuitton belt/suspenders. As our Pat Daugherty noted, he looked like a waiter from the Titanic. Here's a link to his duds.

SURPRISE OF THE NIGHT
Everyone knew that the Bills were in the market for a quarterback. Everyone also thought that quarterback was Syracuse?s Ryan Nassib, who played for new Bills coach Doug Marrone. Nope. Showing a rare ability to keep a secret, the Bills shocked the collective NFL universe when they used the No. 16 pick on Florida State QB E.J. Manuel. He?s a project that will learn behind Kevin Kolb before eventually taking the reins.

BIGGEST TRADE OF THE NIGHT
The Rams identified a need to get playmakers for Sam Bradford. So they swooped in for the premier skill guy in the entire draft, giving Nos. 16, 46, 78 and 222 to the Bills and then snagging West Virginia WR Tavon Austin at No. 8. It?s a deal the Rams were able to do thanks to the picks acquired in last year?s Robert Griffin III trade. Drawing comparisons to the likes of Percy Harvin and Randall Cobb, Austin is going to be a four-down difference maker for the Rams.

QUARTERBACK CAROUSEL
Florida State?s E.J. Manuel was the only quarterback to go. That leaves Ryan Nassib, Geno Smith, Matt Barkley and Tyler Wilson all there for the taking. The Jaguars, Eagles, Cardinals, Browns and Jets all need a quarterback and hold five of the first seven picks in the second round.

BIGGEST WINNERS OF THE NIGHT
No one came away with more raw talent than the Vikings. Sharrif Floyd's natural skills are eye-popping even if his production at Florida wasn't. Florida State CB Xavier Rhodes, who has drawn favorable comparisons to Aqib Talib, has the ability to step in as a Week 1 starter immediately. And although they gave up four picks to get him, Tennessee WR Cordarrelle Patterson is a special athlete with the ball in his hands. He'll quickly help a team that went to the playoffs last year despite closing out the season with Jerome Simpson as their No. 1 wideout.

INSTANT FANTASY IMPACT
Only three wide receivers, one tight end and one quarterback were drafted Thursday night. No running backs were selected. While Tavon Austin is the most electrifying rookie that will hit the field this fall, Clemson?s DeAndre Hopkins landed in the best situation when the Texans took him 27th overall. The Roddy White clone fits perfectly as a ?Z? receiver and has no competition for the job. He?ll see single coverage all day long thanks to Andre Johnson?s presence on the other side of the formation.

Adam Levitan is in his fourth season covering football and basketball for Rotoworld. He won the Fantasy Sports Writers Association award for Best Series in 2011 and 2009, and ESPN's overall fantasy football title in 2000. Find him on Twitter.
Email :Adam Levitan

Source: http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/nfl/43147/365/nfl-draft-round-1-recap

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Wall Street lower after GDP data, Amazon results

By Ryan Vlastelica

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks fell on Friday as the broadest measure of U.S. economic growth fell short of expectations in the first quarter and Amazon.com gave a disappointing outlook.

Amazon.com Inc tumbled after the world's largest Internet retailer reported its results late on Thursday and was the biggest drag on the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes.

Gains by shares of Hewlett-Packard Co and Chevron Corp limited losses in the Dow. Despite Friday's decline, major indexes were on track for a week of solid gains.

Gross domestic product expanded at a 2.5 percent rate in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said, which was below estimates of 3 percent but stronger than the fourth quarter's 0.4 percent rate in 2012.

Even before the data, economists have raised doubts about the ability of the economy to absorb government spending cuts and higher taxes. Investors likely speculated the Federal Reserve, which meets next week, will debate whether to take more measures to boost growth or at least keep the current stimulus plans in place.

"The moderate move to the downside isn't out of line with the GDP data as light as it was," said Steve Sosnick, equity-risk manager at Timber Hill/Interactive Brokers Group in Greenwich, Connecticut. "It wasn't so great, but not bad enough to derail the freight train the market has been on."

The S&P is 1.5 percent higher for the week while the Dow is up 1 percent and the Nasdaq up 2 percent.

The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment fell to 76.4 from 78.6 in March, although it topped economists' expectations.

Amazon shed 7.4 percent to $254.51 after it said revenue growth slowed in the first quarter as the company struggled overseas, but margins jumped on lower shipping expenses.

Chevron rose 0.8 percent to $119.48 after the second largest U.S. oil company posted earnings that beat expectations, helped by foreign currency gains.

"In general, earnings haven't been blockbusters, but the fact that we've had a sharp rally through the season tells you the market is relatively sanguine about what has come out," Sosnick said.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was down 6.44 points, or 0.04 percent, at 14,694.36. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was down 6.84 points, or 0.43 percent, at 1,578.32. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was down 19.94 points, or 0.61 percent, at 3,270.05.

Hewlett-Packard gained 3.3 percent to $20.24, helping to limit losses by the Dow.

J.C. Penney Co was the S&P 500's biggest gainer, jumping 8.7 percent to $16.56 a day after investor George Soros reported a 7.9 percent passive stake in the company.

Shares of Starbucks Corp , the world's biggest coffee chain, slipped 1 percent to $59.85 after it reported revenue was slightly below expectations.

The PHLX housing sector index <.hgx> gained 1.2 percent and was on track for its sixth consecutive advance, getting a lift from D.R. Horton Inc after the No. 1 U.S. homebuilder reported earnings.

D.R. Horton shares jumped 7.3 percent to $26.31.

With 51 percent of the S&P having reported, 69 percent have beaten earnings expectations, above the 63 percent average since 1994 and slightly over the 67 percent beat rate over the past four quarters.

However, revenue has been lackluster, with only 42 percent topping analyst forecasts, well below the 62 percent average since 2002 and the 52 percent beat rate for the last four quarters.

Analysts now see earnings growth of 3.6 percent this quarter, up from expectations of 1.5 percent at the start of the month.

(Editing by James Dalgleish and Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-index-futures-fall-focus-gdp-data-091008483--finance.html

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Afghan troops hold their ground at high cost

FORWARD OPERATING BASE CONNOLLY, Afghanistan (AP) ? The Americans could be spotted waiting for the Chinooks in the 2 a.m. darkness only by the shape of their night-vision goggles, as they shared a cigarette with glowing embers in quick drags among the kneeling assaulters in the chilled dark.

They would be on the first two helicopters to drop into the villages of the Khogyani district in the shadows of the Tora Bora mountains, kicking off a four-day operation against the Taliban by roughly 175 Americans and 1,250 Afghan troops, in a teeth-clenching test of U.S. mentoring and training.

The Afghans were lined up behind the Americans, leaning back on their 130-pound backpacks, saving their strength to carry the packs onto the Chinooks for their first air assault ? and without the Americans' high-tech goggles, letting their eyes adjust to the dark for the assault to come.

They didn't talk much.

A Predator drone feed showed the groups landing in the darkened district ? dark spots trudging slowly up hills and sometimes falling into ditches ? U.S. and Afghan alike. They set up a post to oversee the insurgent-ridden villages they would be guarding for the next four days, as Afghan police cleared them out house by house.

Intelligence intercepts showed most of the insurgents had already fled to the farthest village just beneath Tora Bora, where Osama bin Laden escaped his American pursuers, after watching the Afghan troops and police mass the day before.

The Afghans and their American security advisers from the U.S. Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, were less interested in pursuing them than in making sure they could not return, making way for the Afghan local police who would take their place.

In the daylight, village elders were invited to meet with the Afghan general who led the attack, and they said they welcomed the troops ? because they were Afghans, not foreigners.

The U.S. brigade's commander, Col. Joseph "J.P." McGee, sat quietly in a corner, making the briefest of comments. This was an Afghan-to-Afghan conversation.

Overall in the operation, there were tactical missteps that Americans pointed out privately to the Afghan commanders, tactfully out of earshot of their subordinates. There were shortfalls in supplies, and requests were sometimes denied for U.S. air support for nighttime bombing runs or medical assistance.

But in The Associated Press' visits to Khogyani district and some of the country's most contested southern and eastern provinces ? Helmand, Nuristan, Kunar and Nangarhar ? multiple operations were led or carried out mostly by Afghans, with their officers doing the bulk of the planning and execution, responding without U.S. aid to large-scale Taliban attacks or choosing targets the Americans sometimes disagreed with, if the U.S. advisers were consulted at all.

The uneven but steady progress is encouraging for the U.S. commanders trying to hand off responsibility ahead of the December 2014 drawdown of most U.S. forces, from roughly 66,000 Americans at the start of this year, to an as-yet-undetermined residual force of NATO troops that have been estimated will be around 8,000 to 10,000 troops.

The Afghans are paying heavily for that lead role, with casualty figures rising steadily, more than doubling from 550 Afghan soldiers and police killed in 2011 to more than 1,200 last year, according to data compiled by the Washington-based Brookings Institution.

This year is bloodier still, with 300 security personnel, mostly police, killed in March alone, according to a top Afghan security official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was unauthorized to discuss the unpublished figure. That monthly average is roughly equivalent to the total number of U.S. forces lost in 2012, according to AP's own count of 297 U.S. troops killed, out of a total of 394 coalition forces.

About 660 militants were reported to have been killed by coalition and Afghan forces so far this year, compared with close to 3,000 militants last year. The NATO command does not issue reports on the number of insurgents its troops have killed, and Afghan military figures, from which the AP compiles its data, cannot be independently verified.

Still, there is little public outcry over the Afghan losses. While the Afghan army's attrition rate spiked to 4.1 percent in January, it has dropped back closer to the annual average of 2.6 percent. The combined Afghan army and police roster remains in excess of 332,753, according to figures provided by NATO's training mission, and the combined forces are clawing back some new ground from the Taliban, U.S. and Afghan officials say.

Arrayed against the green Afghan forces is a still-formidable force of Taliban and other militants ? small in number at an estimated 20,000-30,000, compared with the Afghan security forces' strength ? but knitted into the rural fabric of much of Afghanistan, well-versed in guerrilla tactics and local terrain, well-supplied with explosives and ammunition and plugged into enough local tipsters to ambush Afghan security forces when they are at their most vulnerable.

By summer's end, the U.S., the Afghans and the Taliban should know whether Afghan forces have what it takes to hold their ground, Gen. Joseph Dunford, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, told the AP. "If the Afghans perform in a manner that we expect them to, that's going to have a demoralizing effect on the Taliban," he said in his headquarters office in Kabul. "It's going to reduce the capabilities of the Taliban psychologically, and as importantly, it's going to cause the Afghan people to be more confident" in their forces and less likely to support or join the Taliban, he added.

Senior administration and coalition officials said the goal is to reach a sort of bloody equilibrium, where the Afghan security forces hold the populated areas and major trade routes to allow commerce to grow, and thereby slowly diminish the ranks of the Taliban by providing other employment opportunities for would-be fighters.

"What they need to be able to do is to secure key areas ... and eventually wait out and let the insurgency wither away," said McGee, at his headquarters in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangahar province.

"It would be folly to try to roll up into every valley and fight these guys. It is what we used to do," McGee said. "I think (the Afghans) will pursue a very different approach than we did .... more patient, more focused on endurance as opposed to attrition of the enemy, and I think eventually the Taliban will lose relevance and support over time," he said.

The Taliban know this is a make-or-break season for the Afghan forces and are targeting accordingly. From November 2012 through the end of January, 75 percent of attacks were against coalition forces and only 25 percent were targeted at Afghans, according to a senior coalition intelligence official, who spoke anonymously as a condition of discussing the confidential statistics. This past winter, the numbers were reversed, with 75 percent of the attacks now striking Afghans and 25 percent targeting coalition or coalition and Afghan joint patrols.

The police remain the Afghans' most vulnerable target ? usually in lightly defended posts, in remote areas and still considered far less trained, with incidents of drug use and corruption still common.

But NATO deputy commander Lt. Gen. Nick Carter said five out of Afghanistan's 26 army brigades ? each comprising 450 to 600 troops ? can operate independently, and an additional 16 are capable of operating with limited advice from the U.S.-led international coalition. U.S. military officers who monitor performance say they've tracked a marked improvement in Afghan army units during the past 12 months, with 101 units improving and only seven dropping in the ratings.

One of those newly independent Afghan army brigades is in Helmand province, scene of some of the fiercest fighting, and worst losses, for U.S. Marines.

Now the once-bustling Camp Dwyer ? a satellite base a 20-minute flight south from the larger Camp Leatherneck ? has shrunk from some 5,000 Marines and support staff to roughly 800. About 60 of those Marines are living in a smaller base, next to the Afghan National Army's 1st Brigade, 215th Corps headquarters.

The last time Marines there went on joint patrols with the Afghans was in the fall, said U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Philip Treglia, who leads the security force adviser team.

"We're shrinking from 60 to 24 advisers," this spring, Treglia said. "This summer I'm recommending we go down to five," he added. "The Afghans just aren't going to need us."

Treglia's Afghan counterpart, Brig. Gen. Mohammad Ali Sujai, bolstered that prediction only weeks earlier by conducting a four-day, 650-man army and police operation to clear insurgents and opium-producing poppy fields out of Trek Nawa ? a known Taliban safe haven.

He only told the Americans about the operation when it was done.

"It was a test," Sujai said. "I wanted to prove we could do it alone."

Treglia described another incident, this one watched by the Americans on aerial surveillance. Eighty Taliban fighters approached the town of Marjah from the north, stopping at a mosque to let the locals know they were coming back to take over. By the time they'd reached a second mosque, the locals had called the Afghan security forces ? army, police and the militia-like local police, who happened to all be interrelated by marriage. Some of them were even former Taliban, Treglia said. A 400-man force headed north and intercepted the would-be invaders.

The Americans counted at least 30 bodies left on the battlefield, all Taliban, according to Sujai. The rest fled.

Treglia said sometimes the Afghans don't want the Americans there, because they don't want them watching ? like when the police shake down local farmers for bribes, in return for burning only part, instead of all, of their poppy crops. The cops then demand the farmers turn in the Taliban when they visit to collect the drugs, thus both lining their pockets and bumping up their arrest record, Treglia explained.

"We used to try to stop it. Now, we let the Afghan general know ? and he knows ? and it's up to them to sort it out," the American said.

In some cases, the Americans are forcing the Afghans to take charge before they want to, hoping to wean the Afghans of support that soon won't be available as the U.S. forces shrink in southern Afghanistan in the coming months. If the Afghans are wounded on an operation, the Marines get them to describe the injuries and only dispatch a U.S. aerial medevac crew if the wounds are life-threatening, explained U.S. Marine Maj. Christopher Bourbeau, deputy commander of the mission. Bourbeau traded flying combat helicopters over southern Afghanistan to join the adviser team and has watched the Afghans develop over a four-year period of rotations through the area.

Bourbeau has enlisted Marine medics and the doctors and nurses at the U.S. medical facility at neighboring Camp Dwyer to teach the Afghans how to transport their less severely wounded troops by road. The troops got a grim reminder to pay closer attention when they were hit a few months ago, however, and failed to tie tourniquets on the wounded men.

"They lost guys because no one did that simple thing," Bourbeau. He launched a brigade-wide refresher course after the losses and demonstrated the results by staging an impromptu pop quiz of one of the Afghan bomb technicians as he walked around the Afghan base. He tossed a tourniquet at the man, said, "Go," and the Afghan had tied a tourniquet on the American officer's leg in just over 30 seconds.

There was a similar spirit of just-say-no tough love at Forward Operating Base Joyce in Kunar province. When the U.S. refused to supply a remote Afghan guard post in the hills above their side-by-side bases, the Afghans built a road to it themselves.

"They secure the camp better than we do now," said U.S. Army security adviser Lt. Col Bryan Latke.

By the numbers, they are finding 20 percent more improvised explosive devices, or IEDs on average than the Americans did, Latke added.

And when Col. Hayatullah, who uses only one name, agreed to clear the Pech Valley, he addressed the villagers before the operation alone.

"I told them I am a fellow Muslim," said the commander of the Afghan army's 2nd Brigade, 201st Corps, gesturing to the Arabic inscription "God is great" on one shoulder of his uniform. "I told them I come with a Quran in one hand and a sword in the other. Your actions determine which one I use."

The troops took the valley and are holding it ? something the Americans never could in a decade of battle, Latke said.

In a planning meeting for another clearing operation to come, the Afghan army commanders and a group of police and intelligence chiefs argued over how the operation would unfold, with the Americans sitting silently at the far end of the crowded conference table.

"We're not going to leave the enemy sitting a kilometer away from us and do nothing," shouted Afghan Maj. Mahboob, who also goes by one name, leaping to his feet and straining across the table for emphasis.

"The coalition is going to leave, and we have to be able to do this!" he said. The officer's words were translated by a U.S. military translator, but he later repeated what was said in English when asked.

In the operation McGee oversaw to the south, the 1,250 Afghans took and held the towns, leaving Afghan local police in their stead, McGee said.

"There were no civilian casualties, and the villagers are supporting it and at least 100 local police have started work," said Khogyani district's administration chief, Abdul Wahab Momand.

But even as that operation was going ahead, up to eight suicide bombers hit a police headquarters in nearby Jalalabad, about 75 miles east of Kabul, killing least five officers. On the same day in Helmand province, a car bomb struck a British base, killing one of the coalition troops ? grim reminders that militants intend to keep fighting.

"Do we still have challenges? Sure we do," Dunford said. "Literacy, logistics ... technical capabilities. ... But in terms of their ability to provide security to the Afghan people in 2013 and beyond, I'm confident that they'll be able to do that," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Rahim Faiez and Amir Shah in Kabul, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.

___

Follow Kimberly Dozier on Twitter: http://twitter.com/kimberlydozier

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-27-Afghan%20War-The%20Handoff/id-5478cd5cf03f43d0ac1b49807ac37640

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This week on gdgt: Samsung plays it safe with the Galaxy S 4

This week on gdgt

Each week, our friends at gdgt go through the latest gadgets and score them to help you decide which ones to buy. Here are some of their latest picks -- along with a few you should probably avoid. Want more? Visit gdgt anytime to catch up on the latest, and subscribe to gdgt's newsletter to get a weekly roundup in your inbox.

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/CY-cDQKiV3E/

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Belief in God Can Improve Mental Health Outcomes | Psych Central ...

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on April 26, 2013

Belief in God Improves Mental Health Outcomes A new study suggests belief in God may significantly improve the outcome of those receiving short-term treatment for psychiatric illness.

Researchers followed patients receiving care from a hospital-based behavioral health program to investigate the relationship between patients? level of belief in God, expectations for treatment and actual treatment outcomes.

In the study, published in the current issue of Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers comment that people with a moderate to high level of belief in a higher power do significantly better in short-term psychiatric treatment than those without.

?Belief was associated with not only improved psychological well-being, but decreases in depression and intention to self-harm,? says David H. Rosmarin, Ph.D., an instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

The study looked at 159 patients, recruited over a one-year period. Each participant was asked to gauge their belief in God as well as their expectations for treatment outcome and emotion regulation, each on a five-point scale.

Levels of depression, well-being, and self-harm were assessed at the beginning and end of their treatment program.

Of the patients sampled, more than 30 percent claimed no specific religious affiliation yet still saw the same benefits in treatment if their belief in a higher power was rated as moderately or very high.

Patients with ?no? or only ?slight? belief in God were twice as likely not to respond to treatment as patients with higher levels of belief.

Investigators believe the study demonstrates that a belief in God is associated with improved treatment outcomes in psychiatric care.

?More centrally, our results suggest that belief in the credibility of psychiatric treatment and increased expectations to gain from treatment might be mechanisms by which belief in God can impact treatment outcomes.?

Investigators hope that the study will lead to additional investigation on the clinical implication of spirtual life as more than 90 percent of the U.S. population hold religious beliefs.

Source: McLean Hospital

APA Reference
Nauert PhD, R. (2013). Belief in God Can Improve Mental Health Outcomes. Psych Central. Retrieved on April 27, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/04/26/belief-in-god-improves-mental-health-outcomes/54121.html

Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/04/26/belief-in-god-improves-mental-health-outcomes/54121.html

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Tuesday, April 16, 2013

And Now Twitter Wants To Run Video Ads, Too - Business Insider

Twitter CEO Dick Costolo.

Twitter is in talks with NBC and Viacom to bring video content and advertising to the service, Bloomberg reports:

Twitter ... is racing to add video content that will get users to spend more time on the site and watch promotions. Building on its existing partnerships with Walt Disney Co. (DIS)?s ESPN, Weather Channel LLC and Turner Broadcasting System Inc. (TWX), Twitter is seeking to add more entertainment and news video, two people familiar with the plan said.

The company would split ad revenue with the content providers.

The talks come after Twitter acquired Bluefin Labs, a social media analytics company that specializes in TV audiences.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/and-now-twitter-wants-to-run-video-ads-too-2013-4

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YouTube Adds ?Tape Mode? To Select Videos In Celebration Of Video Casette Recorder's 57th Birthday

There isn't much to miss about old-school VHS tapes. They are fuzzy, show static, have bad audio, and are generally difficult to navigate around — remember having to hold down the button on the VCR to rewind your favorite movies? Perhaps the only thing about VHS tapes worth reminiscing over was the feeling of opening that giant plastic VHS cover of my favorite Disney films.

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

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Monday, April 15, 2013

Defiant North Korea celebrates founder's anniversary

By David Chance

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea celebrated the 101st anniversary of its founder's birth on Monday with no signs of tension easing on the peninsula after it rejected talks with South Korea aimed at normalizing ties and re-opening a joint industrial park.

The United States has also offered talks, but on the pre-condition that North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons ambitions. North Korea deems its nuclear arms a "treasured sword" and has vowed never to give them up.

The North has threatened for weeks to attack the United States, South Korea and Japan since new U.N. sanctions were imposed in response to its latest nuclear arms test in February.

South Korea's Defence Ministry said it remained on guard against a possible new missile launch to coincide with the Day of the Sun, the date state founder Kim Il-Sung was born. But officials discounted speculation that the North would proceed with a launch or a new nuclear test on the anniversary itself.

"North Korea is not believed to have launched a missile on the occasion of the Day of the Sun, of which today's is the 101st," ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a briefing.

"But the military is not easing up on its vigilance on the activities of the North's military with the view that they can conduct a provocation at any time."

Kim Il-Sung was born in 1912 and led his country from its founding in 1948, through the 1950-53 Korean War and until he died in 1994. His son, Kim Jong-il, then took over.

The South Korean Unification Ministry, which oversees relations with the North, said it was "regrettable" that the North had rejected an offer of talks, made last week by President Park Geun-hye. It said the offer would remain on the table.

Missile launches and nuclear tests by North Korea are both banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions, that were expanded after its third nuclear test, in February.

The aim of the North's aggressive acts, analysts say, is to bolster the leadership of Kim Jong-un, 30, the grandson of the reclusive state's founder, or to force the United States to hold talks with the North.

THIRD IN FAMILY DYNASTY

The third Kim to rule in Pyongyang attended a midnight celebration of his father and grandfather's rule with top officials, including his kingmaker uncle Jang Song-thaek and the country's top generals.

In Tokyo, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was meeting Prime Minister Shinzo Abe after making a weekend offer to hold talks with the North if it abandoned its nuclear weapons program.

Japan also said it was willing for talks with North Korea if Pyongyang took steps toward de-nuclearisation.

Kerry's trip to South Korea, China and Japan was aimed at reassuring its allies and putting pressure on Beijing to act decisively to implement the U.N. sanctions.

Kerry said he believes China, the North's sole economic and political benefactor, should put "some teeth" in efforts to persuade Pyongyang to alter its policies.

The Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, the People's Daily, warned on Monday that tensions could get out of control.

"Bad things will always happen if a bowstring is drawn for too long," the paper wrote in a commentary.

"It does not matter if it is intentional or accidental, even the smallest thing could cause the situation to change rapidly and perhaps get totally out of control."

If matters did go out of control, it said, "no party will be able to stand on the side".

North Korea has repeatedly stressed that it fears the United States wants to invade it and has manipulated the United Nations to weaken it. At the weekend, the North rejected the overture by new South Korean President Park as a "cunning" ploy.

"We will expand in quantity our nuclear weapons capability, which is the treasure of a unified Korea ... that we would never barter at any price," Kim Yong-nam, North Korea's titular head of state, told a gathering of officials and service personnel applauding the achievements of Kim Il-Sung.

Kim Il-Sung's birthday is usually marked with a mass parade to showcase the North's military might. In 2012, following the death of his father, Kim Jong-un made a public speech, the first in living memory for a North Korean leader.

(Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed and Kiyoshi Takenaka in TOKYO, Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Writing by Ron Popeski; Editing by Robert Birsel and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/defiant-north-korea-celebrates-founders-anniversary-030745316.html

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Highway Patrol: Bus at 'unsafe' speed before Yosemite wreck that injured 16

By John S. Marshall, The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO ? A tour bus carrying visitors from Yosemite National Park was traveling at an unsafe speed when the driver lost control and crashed on a mountain road, leaving 16 people injured, the California Highway Patrol said Sunday.

The bus was about six miles outside of the south entrance of the park when it went off Highway 41, a winding mountain road when it crashed about 6 p.m. Saturday. It came to a stop when it hit a tree, CHP Officer Scott Jobinger said.

Fifteen passengers and a tour guide suffered minor to moderate injuries.

"At this point the cause was the bus was traveling at unsafe speed and went off the road," Jobinger said. He said the accident remained under investigation to determine if other factors played a role.

CHP Sgt. Edward Green told the Fresno Bee that the impact of the crash caused several passengers to be thrown to the driver's side of the bus, with the bus stopping when it hit the tree.

"If the tree wasn't there to stop the bus, it would have continued down the ravine," Greene said.

The 15 injured passengers, described as mostly elderly, and a tour guide were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

Four of the injured were treated at Community Regional Medical Center, and four were treated at Clovis Community Medical Center, said Jennifer Avila-Allen, a spokeswoman for the hospitals. All but one at Community Regional had been released, she said. The conditions of the others, taken to a different hospital, were not known.

The bus was towed to an impound yard where it will be inspected to see if any mechanical problems may have contributed to the crash, Jobinger said.

The bus driver, identified as Changefeng Liu, 49, of Fremont, Calif., was the only person on the bus who was not hurt. He has not been arrested, and alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the crash.

Investigators have not determined the exact speed of the bus at the time it went off the roadway, but the scenic highway has sharp curves where the speed limits drop to 35 miles per hour, Jobinger said.

The bus is operated by Seven Happiness Tour & Charter, a Burlingame, Calif.-based company that specializes in providing tours to the Chinese-American community, said Charles Wu, who works at the company and answered the phone at its headquarters Sunday. He said the owner would not be available to comment until Monday.

"Most of them (passengers) were Chinese people from the Bay Area," Wu said.

Wu said he had not talked to the bus driver since the crash and have few details about the incident, but said Liu had worked for the company for about six years.

Liu could not be reached for comment.

The tour bus company, which operates six motor coaches and six mini-buses or vans, has not had any crashes in the last 24 months, according to records with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

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Teen Dies Playing Chicken in California

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Take the bait? NYPD anti-theft tactics criticized

In this Monday, April 8, 2013 photo, Deirdre Myers poses for a picture near her home in New York. Police took Myers and her teen daughter into custody in 2010 in what's known as a "bait car" operation. It involved leaving a wad of cash in an unattended car and seeing if a would-be thief would take advantage. The dismissal of the case against the single mother has drawn attention to police tactics that a judge ruled went too far. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Sometimes the bait is a small amount of cash in a stray wallet. Or a credit card. Even a pack of cigarettes can do the trick.

Police in New York City leave the items unattended ? on subway platforms, on park benches, in cars ? and wait to see if someone grabs them.

The New York Police Department says the practice has been a valuable tool for catching career criminals and deterring thefts in public places. But a recent court ruling throwing out a larceny case against a Bronx woman cast a harsh light on a tactic critics say too often sweeps up innocent people.

Judge Linda Poust Lopez found that there was no proof Deirdre Myers tried to steal anything ? and that she was framed by a sting that took the tactic way too far.

Upholding the charges "would greatly damage the confidence and trust of the public in the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system, and rightly so," the judge wrote.

Myers, a 40-year-old single mother with no criminal record, has since sued the city, claiming she and her daughter were traumatized by a wrongful arrest in 2010.

"You know how embarrassing and humiliating this was?" Myers said. "I'd never been stopped by the police for anything in my life."

The city Law Department is still reviewing Myers' lawsuit, city attorney Raju Sundaran said in a statement. But, he added, "undercover sting operations are lawful and help reduce crime."

The judge suggested that Myers' brush with the law had its roots in the so-called lucky bag operation that the NYPD began in 2006 to deter thefts of wallets, shopping bags, smartphones and other valuables in the subways.

A typical scenario was for a plainclothes officer to place a handbag with cash on a train platform and briefly look or step away. Anyone who took the bag, then passed up chances to return it to the undercover cop or to report it to a uniformed officer posted nearby could be locked up.

At the time, police credited the subway operation with driving down crime there. They say they still use the tactic when they see a spike in thefts of personal property in public places such as Grand Central Terminal or Central Park. But they now require more evidence of intent ? a suspect trying to hide a wallet or taking cash out of it and throwing it away ? before making an arrest.

Last year, police arrested a tourist from Atlanta in Central Park after he picked up a purse and took out $27 stashed inside, according to court papers in another pending civil case. He ended up paying a $120 fine as part of a plea bargain.

Authorities began using "bait cars" about six years ago in the Bronx to combat a chronic problem with car thefts and break-ins in working-class neighborhoods. In most cases, police plant property ? an iPad, a pack of cigarettes ? in plain sight as the bait for thieves but make sure the car is locked so that a suspect would have to take the extra step of breaking in before being arrested.

But the strategy used in the Myers case "was certainly the most extreme version of the operation that we've seen," said her attorney, Ann Mauer.

According to court papers and to Myers' account, she and her daughter Kenya, then a 15-year-old high school student, were sitting on the stoop of their building when the sting unfolded

"It seemed like everybody in the Bronx was out that night," she said in an interview monitored by Vik Pawar, her attorney in her federal lawsuit.

The summer scene was interrupted by a bit of theater staged by police: A dark car raced down the block before stopping. Another vehicle carrying plainclothes officers wasn't far behind. When the driver got out and ran, the officers gave chase, yelling, "Stop! Police!" her suit says.

Myers' daughter, seeing that the driver left the car door open, went over and peered inside to see personal items that included what looked like a bundle of cash ? in reality, a dollar bill wrapped around pieces of newspaper. The girl had called her mother over when another set of police officers suddenly pulled up in a van and forced them to the ground, according to Myers' account.

"Get on the floor? For what?" Myers recalled telling the officers.

The officers took them into custody, even though they never touched anything inside the car, the suit says. While entering a stationhouse in handcuffs, Myers spotted the driver of the car standing outside, smoking a cigarette. It dawned on her that he was an undercover with a starring role in the sting ? a suspicion supported by the court ruling.

"I thought I was in 'The Twilight Zone,'" she said.

The girl ultimately wasn't charged. But her mother spent more than two years fighting charges of petty larceny and possession of stolen property.

A spokesman for the Bronx District Attorney's office conceded that the bait car had been left unlocked and said prosecutors would not appeal the judge's ruling. He declined to comment further.

Though defense attorneys in the Bronx say there have been a few other cases involving bait cars and pretend police pursuits, the tactic hasn't drawn much attention outside the borough.

Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union and a lucky bag critic, said she wasn't aware that police were using decoy cars until asked about the Myers case.

"It's such a bizarre and extreme attempt to set somebody up," Lieberman said. "It's like lucky bag on steroids."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-04-14-US-NYPD-Lucky-Bags/id-7fcf412d3b2d4908a618dcddfba069db

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'Vatican Quest' Video Game Causes Major Controversy In Spain

Benedict XVI

RECROP OF VAT114 - In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Mons. Franco Comaldo, a pope aide, left, looks at Pope Benedict XVI as he reads a document in Latin where he announces his resignation, during a meeting of Vatican cardinals, at the Vatican, Monday, Feb. 11, 2013. Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign Feb. 28 - the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years. The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho)

Benedict XVI

In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI, center, reads a document in Latin where he announces his resignation, during a meeting of Vatican cardinals, at the Vatican, Monday, Feb. 11, 2013. Benedict XVI announced Monday that he would resign Feb. 28 - the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years. The decision sets the stage for a conclave to elect a new pope before the end of March. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho)

Britain's Prince Philip (L) watches as h

Britain's Prince Philip (L) watches as his wife Queen Elizabeth talks with Pope Benedict XVI during an exchange of gifts in the Morning Drawing Room, at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland on September 16, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI urged all parties involved in Northern Ireland to work for a 'just and lasting peace' in his first speech of an historic state visit to Britain on Thursday. AFP PHOTO / DAVID CHESKIN / POOL (Photo credit should read DAVID CHESKIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI receives a picture fro

Pope Benedict XVI receives a picture from US President George W. Bush during a tete-a-tete in the medieval St John's Tower in the Vatican Gardens on June 13, 2008. US President George W. Bush had a special audience with Pope Benedict XVI, who was returning the hospitality he enjoyed at the White House in April. AFP PHOTO / Filippo Monteforte (Photo credit should read FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP/Getty Images)

In this photo released by the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI, seated in his studio at the Vatican City, uses an iPad device to light up one of the world's largest electronic Christmas trees in Gubbio, central Italy, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011. (AP Photo/Osservatore Romano, HO) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Madeleine McCanns Parents Visit The Pope

VATICAN CITY - MAY 30: Pope Benedict XVI meets Gerry and Kate McCann during his weekly audience at St. Peter's Square, May 30, 2007 in Vatican City. The parents of four-year-old Madeleine McCann discussed the plight of their daughter, who vanished 27 days ago whilst holidaying in Portugal. (Photo by Arturo Mari L'Osservatore Romano Vatican Pool via Getty Images)

The Pope Meets With President Obama

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JULY 10: US President Barack Obama (L) meets with Pope Benedict XVI in his library at the Vatican on July 10, 2009 in Vatican City, Vatican. Obama was meeting with The Pope for the first time as President following the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy. (Photo by Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

The Pope Meets With President Obama

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JULY 10: US President Barack Obama (L) and First Lady Michelle Obama meet with Pope Benedict XVI in his library at the Vatican on July 10, 2009 in Vatican City, Vatican. Obama was meeting with The Pope for the first time as President following the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy. (Photo by Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

In this photo released by the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI, seated in his studio at the Vatican City, uses an iPad device to light up one of the world's largest electronic Christmas tree in Gubbio, central Italy, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011. (AP Photo/Osservatore Romano, HO) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

VATICAN-POPE-AUDIENCE-INTERNET-TWITTER

Pope Benedict XVI clicks on a tablet to send his first twitter message during his weekly general audience on December 12, 2012 at the Paul VI hall at the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI sent his first Twitter message from a digital tablet on Wednesday using the handle @pontifex, blessing his hundreds of thousands of new Internet followers. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)

Tony Blair Meets With Pope Benedict XVI

VATICAN CITY - JUNE 23: Pope Benedict XVI meets outgoing Prime Minister Tony Blair in a private audience at his library, on June 23, 2007 in Vatican City. (Photo by L'Osservatore Romano Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Tony Blair Meets With Pope Benedict XVI

In this photo released by Cubadebate, Pope Benedict XVI, right, meets with Cuba's Fidel Castro in Havana, Cuba, Wednesday March 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Cubadebate)

Pope Benedict XVI Makes First Visit To Cuba

HAVANA, CUBA - MARCH 29: Pope Benedict XVI meets with former Cuban President Fidel Castro (L) at the Vatican embassy on March 29, 2012 in Havana, Cuba. The Pope is finishing up his first trip to Cuba, fourteen years after Pope John Paul II visited the communist country. (Photo by L'Osservatore Romano Vatican-Pool/Getty Images)

VATICAN-POPE-AUDIENCE-FILES

(FILES) This recent file picture taken on February 6, 2013 at the Paul VI hall at the Vatican shows Pope Benedict XVI arriving for the weekly general audience. The Vatican spokesman announced that Pope says he will resign on February 28. AFP PHOTO / FILES / VINCENZO PINTO (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)

VATICAN-POPE-AUDIENCE

Pope Benedict XVI (R) and his personal secretary Georg Gaenswein arrive for the weekly general audience on February 06, 2013 at the Paul VI hall at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)

Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI gets up after kneeling for a prayer during his visit at the Roman seminary, in Rome Friday, Feb. 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

VATICAN-POPE-CONCERT

RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT 'AFP PHOTO / OSSERVATORE ROMANO' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS Italy's president Giorgio Napolitano (2nd R) sits flanked by Pope Benedict XVI (C) at a concert by the Orchestra del Maggio Fiorentino, directed by Indian conductor Zubin Metha, to celebrate the 84th Lateran pact's anniversary on February 4, 2013, at the Sala Nervi in Vatican city. AFP PHOTO / OSSERVATORE ROMANO' (Photo credit should read OSSERVATORE ROMANO/AFP/Getty Images)

In this photo provided by Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Benedict XVI receives a Lazio soccer team's jersey from club's president Claudio Lotito, at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano)

VATICAN-POPE-AUDIENCE

Pope Benedict XVI (C) leads his weekly general audience on January 30, 2013 at the Paul VI hall at the Vatican. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO (Photo credit should read ANDREAS SOLARO,ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images)

VATICAN-POPE-ANGELUS-DOVE

Pope Benedict XVI releases a dove from the window of his appartment at the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer in St. Peter's square at the Vatican on January 27, 2013. The Pontiff and youth of the Catholic Action released two doves, symbol of peace. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)

ITALY-VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE

Pope Benedict XVI arrives to lead the celebration of the Vespers of the Solemnity of the conversion of Saint Paul, in conclusion of the week of prayer for christian unity at the Saint Paul basilica in Rome on January 25, 2013. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates Baptisms In Sistine Chapel

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JANUARY 13: Pope Benedict XVI (L) performs a baptism in the Sistine Chapel on January 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. The Vatican reiterated its opposition to same-sex marriage on January 13, after an Italian court ruling it was prejudice to assume a child would have a detrimental upbringing living with a gay couple. (Photo by L'Osservatore Romano-Vatican Pool via Getty Images)

VATICAN-POPE-MONACO-PRINCE

Pope Benedict XVI welcomes Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene on January 12, 2013 prior to a private audience at Vatican. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)

VATICAN-POPE-MONACO-PRINCE

Pope Benedict XVI (C) talks to Prince Albert II of Monaco and his wife Princess Charlene on January 12, 2013 during a private audience at Vatican. AFP PHOTO / VINCENZO PINTO (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI Receives Prince Albert II of Monaco and Princess Charlene

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JANUARY 12: Pope Benedict XVI meets HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco and HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco during a private audience at his library on January 12, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI (L) is greeted by Ital

Pope Benedict XVI (L) is greeted by Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and his wife Elsa (both not pictured) as he disembarks from a helicopter in Arezzo stadium on the start of a one day pastoral visit on May 13, 2012. The Pope will lead a Holy Mass and will also visit the Shrine of La Verna and address citizens of Sansepolcro. AFP PHOTO / POOL / VINCENZO PINTO ALTERNATIVE CROP VERSION (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/GettyImages)

In this photo provided by the Vatican paper L'Osservatore Romano, Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, right, and Pope Benedict XVI meet during an official visit at the Vatican Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. Premier Mario Monti has met with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican in their first formal talks since Monti took over as head of a government of experts in November to tackle Italy's debt crisis. The Vatican said the two sides discussed Italian and European issues as well as the need to protect religious minorities in some areas of the world, and confirmed their interest in continuing "constructive cooperation." (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano)

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, right, and Pope Benedict XVI meet during an official visit at the Vatican Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Max Rossi, Pool)

Pope Benedict XVI (R) is greeted by Ital

Pope Benedict XVI (R) is greeted by Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti and his wife Elsa (L) as he disembarks from a helicopter in Arezzo stadium on the start of a one day pastoral visit on May 13, 2012. The Pope will lead a Holy Mass and will also visit the Shrine of La Verna and address citizens of Sansepolcro. AFP PHOTO / POOL / VINCENZO PINTO (Photo credit should read VINCENZO PINTO/AFP/GettyImages)

Pope Benedict XVI meets Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JANUARY 14: Pope Benedict XVI exchanges gifts with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti during a meeting at his private library on January 14, 2012 in Vatican City, Vatican. This is the first time the Pope has received the new Italian President. (Photo by Stefano Dal Pozzolo - Vatican Pool via Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI and German Chancellor

Pope Benedict XVI and German Chancellor Angela Merkel pose for a picture after an oecumenical service at the protestant monastery of St. Augustin in Erfurt, eastern Germany, on September 23, 2011, on the second day of the Pontiff's first state visit to his native Germany. The 84-year old pope, German born Joseph Ratzinger, has a packed program, with 18 sermons and speeches planned for his four-day trip to Berlin, Erfurt in the ex-German Democratic Republic and Freiburg. AFP PHOTO / POOL BUNDESREGIERUNG GUIDO BERGMANN (Photo credit should read GUIDO BERGMANN/AFP/Getty Images)

Benedict XVI , Angela Merkel, Joachim Sauer

Benedict XVI speaks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, center, and her husband Joachim Sauer, left, in the house of the German Bishops Conference in Berlin, Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011. Pope Benedict XVI is on a four-day official visit to his homeland Germany. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski, pool)

ALTERNATIVE CROP - German Chancellor Ang

ALTERNATIVE CROP - German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) looks on as Pope Benedict XVI has his robe blown in the face by the wind after arriving on September 22, 2011 at the Tegel airport in Berlin, where he starts his first state visit to his native Germany. The 84-year old pope, German born Joseph Ratzinger, has a packed program, with 18 sermons and speeches planned for his four-day trip to Berlin, Erfurt in the ex-German Democratic Republic and Freiburg. AFP PHOTO / PATRIK STOLLARZ (Photo credit should read PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Silvio Berlusconi Pope Benedict XVI

FILE - In this Friday, June 6, 2008 file photo, Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi shows one of the gifts he received from Pope Benedict XVI, a pen commemorating St. Peter, on the occasion of their meeting at the Vatican City. Premier Silvio Berlusconi resigned in Rome, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011, after the Parliament's lower chamber passed European-demanded reforms, ending a 17-year political era and setting in motion a transition aimed at bringing Italy back from the brink of economic crisis. The 75-year-old billionaire media mogul, who came to power for the first time in 1994 using a soccer chant "Go Italy" as the name of his political party, became Italy's longest-serving post-war premier.(AP Photo/Alessandro Bianchi, pool, file)

The Pope Meets With President Obama

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JULY 10: US President Barack Obama (L) and First Lady Michelle Obama exchange gifts with Pope Benedict XVI in his library at the Vatican on July 10, 2009 in Vatican City, Vatican. Obama was meeting with The Pope for the first time as President following the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy. (Photo by Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

The Pope Meets With President Obama

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - JULY 10: US President Barack Obama (R) meets with Pope Benedict XVI in his library at the Vatican on July 10, 2009 in Vatican City, Vatican. Obama was meeting with The Pope for the first time as President following the G8 summit in L'Aquila, Italy. (Photo by Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

British Prime Minister David Cameron (L)

British Prime Minister David Cameron (L) bids farewell to Pope Benedict XVI at Birmingham International Airport, England, on September 19, 2010, after a four day visit to Britain by the Pope. Pope Benedict XVI flew out of Britain Sunday after an historic four-day state visit, as Prime Minister David Cameron said he had made people 'sit up and think.' AFP PHOTO/CARL COURT (Photo credit should read Carl Court/AFP/Getty Images)

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI Pays A State Visit To The UK - Day 4

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Pope Benedict XVI is escorted by PM David Cameron as heads to board his Alitalia jet to Italy on September 19, 2010 in Birmingham, England. Pope Benedict XVI has conducted the first state visit to the UK by a Pontiff. Earlier in the day he beatified Cardinal Newman at an open air mass in Cofton Park. (Photo by Carl Court - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI (R) meets with British

Pope Benedict XVI (R) meets with British Prime Minister David Cameron at Archbishop's House, in central London, on September 18, 2010. Pope Benedict XVI is 'very calm' and 'no one felt threatened' despite the arrest of six men linked to an alleged plot to launch an attack during his visit to Britain, a Vatican spokesman said Saturday. AFP PHOTO/Stefan Rousseau/POOL (Photo credit should read STEFAN ROUSSEAU/AFP/Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI strokesa lion cub as he greets circus artists and workers, during an audience he held in the Pope Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Benedict clapped and watched amused as circus workers flipped, flopped, juggled and twisted before him in what the Vatican has called a historic audience to make street performers and other itinerant entertainers feel like they belong to the church. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Benedict XVI strokes a lion cub as he greets circus artists and workers during an audience he held in the Pope Paul VI hall, at the Vatican, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012. Benedict clapped and watched amused as circus workers flipped, flopped, juggled and twisted before him in what the Vatican has called a historic audience to make street performers and other itinerant entertainers feel like they belong to the church. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates The Vespers And Te Deum Prayers To Mark The End of 2012

Pope Benedict XVI is helped by assistants as he celebrates the Vespers and Te Deum prayers in Saint Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on December 31, 2012. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO (Photo credit should read ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images)

Pope Benedict XVI Celebrates The Vespers And Te Deum Prayers To Mark The End of 2012

Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the Vespers and Te Deum prayers in Saint Peter's Basilica the mark the end of 2012 at the Vatican on December 31, 2012. AFP PHOTO / ANDREAS SOLARO (Photo credit should read ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP/Getty Images)

VATICAN-POPE-TAIZE-MEETING

Pope Benedict XVI blesses as arrives for the prayer with the ecumenical christian community of Taize during their European meeting, on December 29, 2012, in St.Peter's square at the Vatican. The Taize community, based in the eastern French village of Taize, was created in 1940 by Brother Roger, from Switzerland. The group draws tens of thousands of young people for prayer workshops held across the year at its base, and similar numbers at its annual gathering in a European city, traditionally held between Christmas and the New Year's eve. AFP PHOTO / ALBERTO PIZZOLI (Photo credit should read ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images)

FILE - In this June 28, 2011 file photo, Pope Benedict XVI touches a touchpad to send a tweet for the launch of the Vatican news information portal "www.news.va", at the Vatican. The Vatican said Monday, Dec. 3, 2012, that Pope Benedict XVI will start tweeting in six languages from his own personal handle (at)Pontifex, on Dec. 12. The pontiff will be using a question and answer format in his first Tweet, focusing on answering questions about faith ? in 140 characters. (AP Photo/Osservatore Romano, File) EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Bechara el-Rai

FILE - In this Tuesday, March 15, 2011 file photo, the newly elected Maronite Patriarch Bechara el-Rai gestures as he is surrounded by supporters shortly after his election at the Maronite church's seat in Bkirki, northeast of Beirut, Lebanon. Pope Benedict XVI has named six new cardinals Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, adding prelates from Lebanon, the Philippines, Nigeria, Colombia, India and the United States to the ranks of cardinals who will elect his successor. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein, File)

Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful as he arrives in St. Peter's square to bless the nativity scene at the Vatican, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. The Pontiff marked the end of 2011 with prayers of thanks and said humanity awaits the new year with apprehension but also with hope for a better future. "Another year approaches its end, while we await a new one, with the trepidation, desires and expectations of always," Benedict said at the traditional New Year's Eve vespers service, as he delivered his homily from the central altar of St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday evening. (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)

Pope Benedict XVI delivers his blessing as he arrives for the weekly general audience in the Pope Paul II hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/13/vatican-quest-video-game-_n_3076843.html

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What will happen to the 'Rainbow Nation' once its icon ... - World News

By Rohit Kachroo, Correspondent, NBC News

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa ? Discussing what will happen to the country once its iconic leader Nelson Mandela dies has long been a culturally and politically taboo subject in South Africa. Out of respect for the 94-year-old former president, government officials never publicly refer to plans for what happens after his death, and in private, they often use cryptic synonyms to discuss the inevitable.

View images of civil rights leader Nelson Mandela, who went from anti-apartheid activist to prisoner to South Africa's first black president.

But Mandela?s frequent trips to the hospital ? most recently to be treated for pneumonia ? have forced the question of ?what happens next?? further into the public domain.

Of course, no one knows what democratic South Africa will look like without Mandela.

Some believe the frail freedom fighter is somehow holding the disparate parts of the ?Rainbow Nation? together from his sick bed, and fear an outbreak of racial violence once he dies. Others disagree and think the young nation is still struggling ? but that it has moved beyond the apartheid-era issues.??

?It genuinely frightens me?
?I am not a racist, but?? -- It sounds like an ominous opener.

Elaine was about to outline her prediction ? an unpopular one ? of what will happen when South Africa loses Mandela. She feels the need to declare her belief in racial equality before setting out her fear that South Africa?s delicate social harmony might be torn apart when the ?Father of the Nation? is gone.

?I am really scared that the country will explode. There are a lot of people out there who are just holding themselves back until he dies. It genuinely frightens me,? said Elaine, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the topic. ?

?I will be mourning like everyone else, but I will be mourning at home. I won?t be leaving my house that day because I?m concerned about what will happen,? she said. ?I don?t know what they will do. But I feel that they have a right to be angry.?

?They? are South Africa?s 40 million black people who, a generation after the end of apartheid, are disproportionately enduring its economic legacy. Largely, they remain the ?have-nots? of what the World Bank has called the world?s most unequal society.

Rohit Kachroo/ NBC News

Georgina Sefara is a 20-year-old student in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Elaine, a 26-year-old white woman, is certainly one of the ?haves.? Born into a rich family, she now works as a well-paid financial advisor in Johannesburg?s northern suburbs. ?I may be paranoid,? Elaine admitted, ?but there are lots of people who think like me.?

A ?patronizing? view
Georgina Sefara is a 20-year-old student. A black woman, born after Mandela?s 1990 release from prison, she has never truly known racial segregation and resents the view that violence will erupt after Mandela?s death.

?Many white South Africans think that there will be apartheid in reverse. That?s what they?re afraid of. You hear many whites saying they will move to Australia when that happens.

?But [the violence] will never happen? It?s patronizing and outdated to think that it will.?

?Most of my parents? generation are still angry,? said Georgina's classmate Carol Phago, an English student from Johannesburg. ?Many still hold a grudge,? she said, referring to the former apartheid era.

?But maybe there are different enemies now. People are angry with the government, not with their fellow South Africans.?

Dissatisfaction with government
Rage is certainly building over the government?s inability to improve the lives of the millions of black South Africans who live in impoverished townships.

Nelson Mandela was discharged on Saturday from the hospital where he had been undergoing treatment for pneumonia, South Africa's presidency said in a statement. NBC's Ron Allen reports.

In addition, there is anger over the country?s inability to shake off the title as ?the rape capital of the world.??

According to a 2012 World Health Organization report, more than one in five men reported raping a woman who was not a partner and 14.3 percent of men reported having raped their current or former wife or girlfriend.

The issue of rampant domestic violence in South Africa gained international attention recently with the fatal shooting of Reeva Steenkamp by Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius.

Rohit Kachroo / NBC News

Geoffrey Manulake, is a 32-year-old security guard in Johannesburg, South Africa.

There is frustration with a police force that is faced with constant accusations of corruption and incompetence. The shooting death of 34 striking miners by police officers last August has amplified the recurring claim that the behavior of the state under democracy has become too similar to that of the apartheid government.

It is one reason why security guard Geoffrey Manulake, 32, has rejected a career in the police force. He feels disillusioned with the public institutions of his country and worries about how they will develop in the post-Mandela period.

?Politicians feel the need to satisfy themselves. They just want to line their own pockets,? said Manulake. ?I look around at our leaders and feel that we cannot lose this icon. Nelson Mandela is the one who united our country and united the world.?

?But we have come a long way since ?94,? he said, referring to the year Mandela was elected president in South Africa?s first multi-racial elections. "People who talk about violence are wrong.?

Related links:

Nelson Mandela is discharged from South Africa hospital

Mandela hospitalized again, South Africa leader asks world to pray for him

'Who is my Mandela?' South Africans consider icon's place in a changing world

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/13/17707616-what-will-happen-to-the-rainbow-nation-once-its-icon-mandela-dies?lite

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