China plans next manned space mission for summer

BEIJING (AP) ? China will send three astronauts on a mission to its orbiting space station this summer as part of preparations to establish an even larger permanent presence above Earth, the manned space program said Thursday.

The Shenzhou 10 spacecraft will take flight sometime between June and August, the program said in a statement. It will deliver its crew to the Tiangong 1, where it will spend two weeks conducting tests of the station's docking system and its systems for supporting life and carrying out scientific work.

Two Chinese spacecraft, one of them manned, have docked already with Tiangong 1 since it was launched in September 2011. China has been extremely cautious and methodical in its manned missions, hoping to avoid accidents and loss of life that could tarnish one of the nation's most successful and prestigious scientific and engineering undertakings.

The station is to be replaced in around 2020 with a permanent space station that will weigh about 60 tons, slightly smaller than NASA's Skylab of the 1970s and about one-sixth the size of the 16-nation International Space Station. China was barred from participating in the International Space Station, largely on objections from the United States over political differences and the Chinese program's close military links.

China's ambitious space goals also include plans for sending a rover to the moon, possibly followed by a manned lunar mission. China's manned space program launched its first astronaut, Yang Liwei, into space in 2003, making it just the third nation after Russia and the U.S. to achieve that feat.

China would also be the third country after the United States and Russia to send independently maintained space stations into orbit.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2013-02-28-AS-China-Space/id-bc8884ac30f4484d98a97509a25ff8e3

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Patent Law and Genetically Modified Seeds and Plants - EU Pundit

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court held oral argument on
Bowman v. Monsanto Co.

Adam Liptak reported at the NYTimes.com in Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Bowman v. Monsanto.

It is clear from the questioning during oral argument that Monsanto will prevail on the merits, although it appears to this observer that many commentators underestimate the judicial and legal difficulty of this case, which the Supreme Court took on because it is the first time that the patent rights to progeny of a "self-replicated" product are being decided, i.e. whether successive generations of self-replicating seeds are subject to Monsanto patents on the "original" humanly and genetically-modified non-replicated seed.

Oral argument suggests quite convincingly that the Supreme Court will not rely on some kind of conditional sales doctrine as representing some form of restrictive "license" as a limitation on the first sale doctrine. As Justice Breyer said in this regard:

"Now, they -- they thought, the [Federal C]ircuit, that there's some restriction in a license and they have a doctrine that seems to say that you can restrict licenses -- through licenses the use of a product after it's been sold. And that would seem contrary to the first sale doctrine""

Obviously, the Supreme Court will be sure to set the Federal Circuit straight on its "lingering confusion" (quoting Justice Sotomayor) with respect to conditional sales. "Sales" have nothing to do with the coming decision per se.

Furthermore, the Court will also not rely on contractual limitations as the means by which patent holders must protect their rights. Patent rights as such are rights granted by the patents themselves, and not by contracts.

Rather, it is quite clear that the Supreme Court will hold that successive generations of self-replicating genetically modified and thus rightfully "patented" seeds are "copies" of the original patented seed, the "making" of which via unauthorized copies is prohibited.

Such a resolution as above of the legal problem presented by the case may appear by hindsight to be "apparent", but by no means necessarily obvious as a matter of law. Indeed, a strict view of the facts would hold that "God" makes the copies in the case of seed replication, regardless of genetic modification, even if human intervention (planting, fertilizing, watering, etc.) may also be required. In any case, the definition of "copying" here will be extended by the Court to its furthest possible limit for purposes of patent law.

It must be emphasized here in closing that the patents to the Monsanto soybeans involve the insertion of a genetic sequence into the germplasm of seeds that makes the resulting plants resistant to glyphosate, a herbicide manufactured by Monsanto, that otherwise kills other plants and weeds by inhibiting an enzyme necessary for growth.

When glyphosate is applied from the air, other plants and weeds in the field are killed while the resistant genetically modified plants survive and grow.

In other words, contrary to the situation in the upcoming Myriad case decision at the Supreme Court involving human genes, the "seed" here "created" by Monsanto has been truly "humanly" altered, even if the patent incorporates the original soybean seed or other plant seed as the object of the genetic modification. In Myriad, by contrast, there is the attempt to patent "cleaved snips" of actually existing human genes, and that of course will be denied by the Supreme Court, since the genetic code remains as is for its operative part, and is used principally as such, even if in abbreviated form.

In Monsanto there is a completely new addition to the genetics of the seed. In Myriad, one is merely using a genetics that is already there.

See the briefs to the Monsanto case at americanbar.org.

Source: http://eupundit.blogspot.com/2013/02/patent-law-and-genetically-modified.html

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The bird is the latest word in animal cafes | Japan Pulse

Whooo would like a cup of coffee?

?

For feline fanciers who aren?t allowed to keep pets at home, Japan has no end of cat cafes. But now bird lovers of a feather can also flock together at Tokyo?s new wave of cafes that host birds of prey. According to Daily Portal, this burgeoning trend started with Caf? Little Zoo?in Chiba. A cafe that houses not only a number of owls and hawks outside its doors, but also reptiles within. Visitors to the cafe get to hold and pet the animals under the supervision of staff. The cafe is now so busy that groups of four or more are advised to make reservations.

Tori no Iru Cafe ? where the birds are

Also taking reservations due to a flurry of recent media coverage is Tori no Iru cafe near Kiba station on the Tozai line. The shop is home to a Harris Hawk, a Eurasian Eagle Owl, parakeets, parrots and other birds.? Here too, customers are allowed to pet and hold the birds ? while a staff member watches like a hawk, of course.

The manager, Ms. Toriyama,? opened the establishment after keeping birds as pets herself. Although she gushes in her? Daily Portal interview that owls are quiet and easy to take care of, a British charity called the Suffolk Owl sanctuary begs to differ. The sanctuary emphasizes that birds of prey are unpredictable creatures with sharp claws that do not take well to confined spaces. Indeed, according to the BBC, high numbers of owls were abandoned in the UK last year for just this reason, after the popularity of the Harry Potter films triggered a trend for keeping the birds as pets. All the more reason, perhaps, that owl-lovers might want to visit the birds instead of trying to keep them at home.

Fukuro no Mise (?owl shop?) near Tsukishima station has sweaters, cards and other goods shaped like or decorated with owls, as well as items to help you raise your very own owl at home. (However, the sanctuary recommends building an aviary to keep owls ? we can?t help but wonder where a Tokyoite might find the space for one.) At Fukuro no Mise, just like at the other bird cafes, owls that have been raised in captivity to be docile can be held and petted for the price of a cup of coffee. Their talons are trimmed and their beaks are filed to reduce scratching.

At the Falconer?s Caf? in Mitaka, falconry enthusiasts bring their own birds to compare and contrast. The concept of this cafe is rather similar to dog cafes where dogs are not held captive within the cafe but brought along by their owners. Though Japan?isn?t?the most litigious of societies, bringing together small children and birds of prey?doesn?t?strike us as the brightest of ideas for a business. Smoothed claws aside, it might take just one nasty scratch or peck to ground this trend before it really takes flight ? or at least to ruffle a few feathers.

Photo courtesy of WikiCommons.

Tags: birds, cafes, cats

Felicity Hughes is a freelance journalist who has written articles for The Japan Times, Metropolis magazine and The Guardian. She enjoys hunting down trends and relishes ripping the plastic wrapping off shiny new stuff. Her CV lives here.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 26th, 2013 at 5:40 pm and is filed under Culture, Entertainment, Food & drink, Lifestyles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://blog.japantimes.co.jp/japan-pulse/the-bird-is-the-latest-word-in-animal-cafes/

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Mu Alpha Theta honor society expands to Middlesex Community ...

By Press Staff

Middlesex Community College is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Middletown Press. Brad M. Horrigan. 04.23.07.

MIDDLETOWN >> An honors society celebrating excellence in mathematics in high school and two-year-college students has expanded to Middlesex Community College.

Mu Alpha Theta will welcome seven new members from the school, representing the first chapter at a two-year college in all of New England.

There are currently chapters at 18 high schools throughout Connecticut, as well as chapters at high schools and two-year colleges throughout the country. Mu Alpha Theta gives the $2,500 Kalin Award, named for a former society president, to outstanding students each year at its society?s national convention.

Students who are passionate about math now have an opportunity to join the new Middlesex Community College math honor society, according to a statement from the college.?

To be eligible for induction, students must have at least one mathematics course at or above the college levels in algebra or pre-calculus, as well as an overall GPA of 3.0.? High school students who are in Mu Alpha Theta can transfer their memberships to Middlesex Community College, the school said.

The addition of Mu Alpha Theta to Middlesex Community College coincides with the college moving towards a focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

?This new chapter of Mu Alpha Theta plays a key role in encouraging our students to tap their dormant skills in math by participating in profound math discussions and fun contests,? said Mary Rayappan, assistant professor of mathematics, who oversaw the process to bring Mu Alpha Theta to the college with the help of students from the Math Club. ?This will cultivate a sense of community bonding where students can come together to appreciate math. Students will also donate their time in the community through different outreach activities and several fun group events this semester.?

The Middlesex Community College Mu Alpha Theta members are Andrew Kenyon, Max MacNaught, Florian Orleanu, Luis Serazo, Ritu Mehra, Vincent Marotta and Liron Rogof. Students will be formally inducted into the honor society on Pi Day, which is celebrated on March 14 around the world.

Mu Alpha Theta has 93,300 student members in more than 1,950 schools. The organization is dedicated to inspiring a keen interest in mathematics, developing strong scholarship in the subject, and promoting the enjoyment of mathematics in high school and two-year-college students. For more information, visit www.mualphatheta.org.

Source: http://www.middletownpress.com/articles/2013/02/26/news/doc512c015b5e3d4472488865.txt

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?Negro? will no longer be used on US Census surveys

WASHINGTON (AP) ? After more than a century, the Census Bureau is dropping its use of the word ?Negro? to describe black Americans in surveys.

Instead of the term that came into use during the Jim Crow era of racial segregation, census forms will use the more modern labels ?black? or ?African-American?.

The change will take effect next year when the Census Bureau distributes its annual American Community Survey to more than 3.5 million U.S. households, Nicholas Jones, chief of the bureau?s racial statistics branch, said in an interview.

He pointed to months of public feedback and census research that concluded few black Americans still identify with being Negro and many view the term as ?offensive and outdated.?

?This is a reflection of changing times, changing vocabularies and changing understandings of what race means in this country,? said Matthew Snipp, a sociology professor at Stanford University, who writes frequently on race and ethnicity. ?For younger African-Americans, the term ?Negro? harkens back to the era when African-Americans were second-class citizens in this country.?

First used in the census in 1900, ?Negro? became the most common way of referring to black Americans through most of the early 20th century, during a time of racial inequality and segregation. ?Negro? itself had taken the place of ?colored.? Starting with the 1960s civil rights movement, black activists began to reject the ?Negro? label and came to identify themselves as black or African-American.

Still, the term has lingered, having been used by Martin Luther King Jr. in his speeches. It also remains in the names of some black empowerment groups that were established before the 1960s, such as the United Negro College Fund, now often referred to as UNCF.

For the 2010 census, the government briefly considered dropping the word ?Negro? but ultimately decided against it, determining that a small segment, mostly older blacks living in the South, still identified with the term. But once census forms were mailed and some black groups protested, Robert Groves, the Census Bureau?s director at the time, apologized and predicted the term would be dropped in future censuses.

When asked to mark their race, Americans are currently given a choice of five government-defined categories in census surveys, including one checkbox selection which is described as ?black, African Am., or Negro.? Beginning with the surveys next year, that selection will simply say ?black? or ?African American.?

In the 2000 census, about 50,000 people specifically wrote in the word Negro when asked how they wished to be identified. By 2010, unpublished census data provided to the AP show that number had declined to roughly 36,000.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

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Source: http://thegrio.com/2013/02/25/negro-will-no-longer-be-used-on-us-census-surveys/

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Darien skater glides her way to gold - The Ram Roundup & The ...

Lily Fine (top left), Darien?s Brooke Ferris (top center), Kathryn Berger (top right), and Chloe Gerace (bottom), represented the Skating Club of Southern Connecticut at the Greenwich Town Competition.

Representing Skating Club of Southern Connecticut (SCSC), Darien resident Brooke Ferris captured gold for her individual preliminary test track performance.

The 2013 Greenwich Town Competition was held on Sunday at the Dorothy Hamill Skating Rink in Greenwich. The event, sponsored by the Windy Hill Skating Club and Town of Greenwich Parks & Recreation, was made possible by US Figure Skating.

Other SCSC members from Stamford were wholeheartedly pleased to be awarded a medal at the Test Track Pre- Preliminary category. Those skaters included Kathryn Berger (silver) and Lily Fine (bronze).?Spirited 6-year-old Chloe Gerace also received gold for her Basic Skills 7 performance.

These skaters also compete together as team members of the Southern CT Synchronized Skating. Ferris started skating four years ago and skates seven days a week, including working at the ice rink helping to teach group lessons.

All skaters are coached by Val Legutko. The next competition for Ferris and some of her fellow skate-mates might be the Southern CT Basic Skills scheduled for March at Terry Connors rink.

For information regarding SCSC or the March competition, visit www.skatescsc.com.

Source: http://blog.ctnews.com/chik/2013/02/25/darien-skater-glides-her-way-to-gold/

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Do You Want The Government To Manage Your 401k Or IRA? | The ...

The Democrats have had their eyes on our 401k and IRA accounts for quite a while. The national debt is $16.5 trillion and growing by the minute. Their appetite for spending is insatiable, and there aren?t enough earners left to tax to pay for it all. But, look at all the money middle class Americans have saved for their retirements. Shortly after the 2012 election the left started referring to 401k?s as subsidies, and at the time I noted:

The main message here is that anyone who worked and saved for what they have didn?t earn it. Your earnings, in their minds, belong to someone else. You may not be rich by anyone?s standards, but if you worked and saved for your whole life, in their minds you?re fair game, because there?s someone out there who didn?t work and save. And now somehow that?s your problem. This is the Obama world. Maybe you worked and saved for your entire life as a middle class American. If the money you saved pushes you into the ?rich? category by their standards you now must be punished.

That?s how they think, but they know they can?t come out and say that. So instead they?re going to ?help you? manage your retirement.

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is weighing whether it should take on a role in helping Americans manage the $19.4 trillion they have put into retirement savings, a move that would be the agency?s first foray into consumer investments.

?That?s one of the things we?ve been exploring and are interested in in terms of whether and what authority we have,? bureau director Richard Cordray said in an interview. He didn?t provide additional details.

They have such a great track record when they ?foray? into other areas of our lives. Had they not ?forayed? into the mortgage market our retirement accounts wouldn?t have taken such huge hits in 2008. If they haven?t forayed into bank bailouts the taxpayers wouldn?t be giving real subsidies to the Too Big To Fail banks to the tune of $83 billion per year. But we?re supposed to trust them with our retirement accounts? Look at Social Security and the public pensions, they?re all going broke. That?s why they want to foray into our 401k?s.

That article linked above is a Bloomberg article from about a month ago. Zero Hedge picked up on it earlier this month, and recently American Thinker had a lengthy article on the subject and today Maggie?s Notebook covered it. But I haven?t heard much about it in the rest of the media. Be sure to follow the links, they all have a lot more information. ?And the idea of the government raiding our retirement accounts isn?t new, they?ve been talking about it since at least 2008 ? see here, here and here. I?m sure they?re just waiting for the right crisis to come along so they can justify their actions.

Update: Here?s an angle I hadn?t thought of before. Do you think the Democrats float these ideas so people get nervous and withdraw funds from their 401k?s prematurely so the government will get a tax windfall?

Tags: 401k, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, control, government, IRA, manage, retirement

Source: http://lonelyconservative.com/2013/02/do-you-want-the-government-to-manage-your-401k-or-ira/

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