UK inflation expectations rise to 2.8 percent in January - Citi/YouGov

LONDON (Reuters) - Britons' expectations of the average rate of inflation for the year ahead edged up to 2.8 percent in January from 2.7 percent in December, a monthly survey by polling company YouGov showed on Monday.

The poll - which is conducted on behalf of Citi - showed that over the next five to 10 years, Britons expected inflation to average 3.4 percent, up from 3.3 percent in December.

Both figures are in line with the long-run average since the survey started in 2005 but above the BoE Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) 2 percent target, Citi said.

"Whether by luck or judgement, the general public's inflation expectations have, on average, been closer than the MPC's forecasts to the inflation outturns, correctly anticipating the persistent inflation stickiness," Citi economist Michael Saunders said.

"At present, we suspect that the general public's view of further inflation stickiness will again prove correct," he added. "Moreover, the Chancellor may well change the inflation target to make it easier for the MPC to tolerate such a persistent regulatory-driven inflation overshoot."

The poll of 2,413 people was conducted between January 21 and January 23. Consumer price inflation was 2.7 percent in December.

(Reporting by David Milliken)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-inflation-expectations-rise-2-8-percent-january-155251249--business.html

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Wellpoint Profits Jump 38%; Why Are Health Insurance Premiums ...

Wellpoint Profits Jump 38%; Why Are Health Insurance Premiums Still Rising?

Published on Jan 28, 2013 - 6:39:15 AM

By: Consumer Watchdog

WASHINGTON, D.C. Jan. 25, 2013 - Health insurance giant Wellpoint today announced a 38% profit increase in the 4th quarter of 2012, as compared to last year, for a total $2.7 billion in net profits for 2012. The insurance company continues to pad its profits even as the growth of health care costs remains at record-low levels and the company is forcing double-digit premium increases on consumers and small businesses across the country, said Consumer Watchdog.

"Health insurers are talking out of both sides of their mouths when they preach austerity to their customers in order to raise premiums, then turn around and announce another banner year to shareholders. As federal health reform requires health insurance companies to disclose more and more information online, it will be harder for insurers to say one thing to customers and the opposite to Wall Street. Still, consumers remain unprotected in many states where no one has the power to reject an excessive rate hike, even when company profits exceed projections," said Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog.

New rules from the Department of Health and Human Services have begun to open health insurance companies' books, by requiring insurers to publicly file all proposed rate increases. However, because many states lack the power to require justification and approval of rate hikes, unreasonable rate increases continue to take effect, said Consumer Watchdog.

Anthem Blue Cross, Wellpoint's California subsidiary, recently imposed an unreasonable rate hike on more than 250,000 small business customers in that state according to an analysis by California's insurance commissioner that found, among other things, that the "company-wide rates of return on equity have been and remain excessive." California regulators do not have the power to reject excessive rates, so Anthem was able to impose the increase despite the commissioner's finding it was unreasonable.

In California, insurance reform law Proposition 103 regulates auto, home and business insurance rates, and requires insurers to open their books, publicly justify and get approval for rate increases before they take effect. That law was enacted by the voters in 1988 and has saved California drivers $62 billion on their auto insurance premiums.

An initiative measure that has qualified for California's 2014 general election ballot would require health insurance companies to public justify and get approval for rate increases before they take effect.

www.consumerwatchdog.org

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Source: http://yubanet.com/california/Wellpoint-Profits-Jump-38-Why-Are-Health-Insurance-Premiums-Still-Rising.php

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March of Technology Eliminating Jobs

Part one of two.

Middle-class jobs not only in this country, but in developed countries around the world, have been lost due to the march of technology, and experts predict the majority of these jobs will not return.

Science fiction novels have warned of a future in which robots and computers would replace humans, and, according to an article in NBCNews.com, that day may be here.

As the software that runs computers, machines and devices becomes both more powerful and sophisticated, these computers, machines and devices can now more capably and efficiently complete the tasks that humans have done in the past, and unfortunately, many workers find themselves replaced by these software driven machines.

One expert in the field, Andrew McAfee, who is the principal research scientist for MIT, stated that he ?has never seen a period where computers demonstrated as many skills and abilities as they have over the past seven years.?

Labor economists in this country report that half of the 7.5 million jobs lost during the recession were middle-class wage positions.? Unfortunately, they also state that only two percent of the 3.5 million jobs gained back after the recession ended are in mid-pay industries, with seventy percent of the jobs gained being in low-pay industries.? Experts predict? the loss of mid-pay jobs is not over, and as technology becomes more sophisticated, more jobs will be lost.

There are those occupations that benefit from technological advances.? App designers for smart phones and tablet computers, and, of course, software engineers, all benefit by the increasingly technical and sophisticated computer software advances.? But overall, technology eliminates more jobs than it creates.

To be continued.

Original Article.

Source: http://www.tucsonbankruptcylawfirm.com/march-of-technology-eliminating-jobs/

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French, Mali forces head toward Timbuktu

Malian soldiers man a checkpoint on the Gao road outside Sevare, some 620 kilometers (385 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. French and Malian troops held a strategic bridge and the airport in the northern town of Gao on Sunday as their force also pressed toward Timbuktu, another stronghold of Islamic extremists in northern Mali, officials said. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Malian soldiers man a checkpoint on the Gao road outside Sevare, some 620 kilometers (385 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. French and Malian troops held a strategic bridge and the airport in the northern town of Gao on Sunday as their force also pressed toward Timbuktu, another stronghold of Islamic extremists in northern Mali, officials said. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A Malian family's taxi is searched at a checkpoint on the Gao road outside Sevare, some 620 kilometers (385 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. French and Malian troops held a strategic bridge and the airport in the northern town of Gao on Sunday as their force also pressed toward Timbuktu, another stronghold of Islamic extremists in northern Mali, officials said. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

In this image taken during an official visit organized by the Malian army to the town of Konna, some 680 kilometers (430 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, a Malian army armored vehicle used by islamist rebels stands charred. One wing of Mali's Ansar Dine rebel group has split off to create its own movement, saying that they want to negotiate a solution to the crisis in Mali, in a declaration that indicates at least some of the members of the al-Qaida linked group are searching for a way out of the extremist movement in the wake of French air strikes. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

In this image taken during an official visit organized by the Malian army to the town of Konna, some 680 kilometers (430 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, a videographer films Malian soldiers walking through the rubbles of a former army based leveled during fighting with islamist rebels. One wing of Mali's Ansar Dine rebel group has split off to create its own movement, saying that they want to negotiate a solution to the crisis in Mali, in a declaration that indicates at least some of the members of the al-Qaida linked group are searching for a way out of the extremist movement in the wake of French air strikes. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

in this image taken during an official visit organized by the Malian army to the town of Konna, some 680 kilometers (430 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako Saturday , Jan. 26, 2013, an ammunition belt lays on the ground of a destroyed base used by Islamist rebels. One wing of Mali's Ansar Dine rebel group has split off to create its own movement, saying that they want to negotiate a solution to the crisis in Mali, in a declaration that indicates at least some of the members of the al-Qaida-linked group are searching for a way out of the extremist movement in the wake of French airstrikes. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

SEVARE, Mali (AP) ? French and Malian forces pushed toward the fabled desert town of Timbuktu on Sunday, as the two-week-long French mission gathered momentum against the Islamist extremists who have ruled the north for more than nine months.

So far the French forces have met little resistance from the militants, though it remains unclear what battles may await them farther north. The Malian military blocked dozens of international journalists from trying to travel toward Timbuktu.

Lt. Col. Diarran Kone, a spokesman for Mali's defense minister, declined to give details Sunday about the advance on Timbuktu, citing the security of an ongoing military operation.

Timbuktu's mayor, Ousmane Halle, is in the capital, Bamako, and he told The Associated Press he had no information about the remote town, where phone lines have been cut for days.

A convoy of about 15 vehicles transporting international journalists also was blocked Sunday afternoon in Konna, some 186 miles (300 kilometers) south of Timbuktu.

The move on Timbuktu comes a day after the French announced they had seized the airport and a key bridge in Gao, one of the other northern provincial capitals under the grip of radical Islamists.

"People were coming out into the streets to greet the arrival of the troops and celebrate," said Hassane Maiga, a resident of Gao. "At night, youth from Gao went out alongside the Malian military. They scoured homes in search of the Islamists and the youth smashed the houses."

French and Malian forces were patrolling Gao Sunday afternoon searching for remnants of the Islamists and maintaining control of the bridge and airport, said Kone, the Mali military spokesman.

The French special forces, which had stormed in by land and by air, had come under fire in Gao from "several terrorist elements" that were later "destroyed," the French military said in a statement on its website Saturday.

In a later press release entitled "French and Malian troops liberate Gao," the French ministry of defense said they brought back the town's mayor, Sadou Diallo, who had fled to Bamako.

However, a Gao official interviewed by telephone by The Associated Press said late Saturday that coalition forces so far only controlled the airport, the bridge and surrounding neighborhoods. And in Paris, a defense ministry official clarified that the city had not been fully liberated, and that the process of freeing Gao was continuing.

Both officials insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, was seized by a mixture of al-Qaida-linked Islamist fighters more than nine months ago along with the other northern provincial capitals of Kidal and Timbuktu.

The rebel group that turned Gao into a replica of Afghanistan under the Taliban has close ties to Moktar Belmoktar, the Algerian national who has long operated in Mali and who last week claimed responsibility for the terror attack on a BP-operated natural gas plant in Algeria.

His fighters are believed to include Algerians, Egyptians, Mauritanians, Libyans, Tunisians, Pakistanis and even Afghans.

Since France began its military operation, the Islamists have retreated from three small towns in central Mali: Diabaly, Konna and Douentza. However, the Islamists still control much of the north, including Kidal.

The Pentagon said late Saturday that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told France the United States will aid the French military with aerial refueling missions.

U.S. aerial refueling planes would be a boost to air support for French ground forces as they enter vast areas of northern Mali, which is the size of Texas, that are controlled by al-Qaida-linked extremists.

The U.S. was already helping France by transporting French troops and equipment to the West African nation. However, the U.S. government has said it cannot provide direct aid to the Malian military because the country's democratically elected president was overthrown in a coup last March.

The Malian forces, however, are now expected to get more help than initially promised from neighboring nations.

Col. Shehu Usman Abdulkadir, a Nigerian in charge of regional forces heading to Mali, told The Associated Press that the African force will be expanded from an anticipated 3,200 troops to some 5,700 ? a figure that does not include the 2,200 soldiers promised by Chad.

Most analysts had said the earlier figure was far too small to confront the Islamists given the huge territory they hold.

The Mali conflict has been dominating the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which runs through Monday. On Sunday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met in the Ethiopian capital with Mali's interim president, Dioncounda Traore.

Ban "stressed the need to pursue a political process that would lead to a consensual roadmap for the transition to full constitutional order, in parallel with ongoing military operations," according to a U.N. statement.

Traore is heading a civilian transitional government that was set up following the coup last March. No date has been set yet for elections to choose a new government.

___

Associated Press writers Baba Ahmed and Rukmini Callimachi contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-27-Mali%20Fighting/id-7ee06d22c1e14b1cb42c807e1c666469

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Deadly smoke, lone blocked exit: 230 die in Brazil

A woman cries over the coffin of a victim at a gymnasium where bodies were brought for identification in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Flames raced through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing more than 230 people as panicked partygoers gasped for breath in the smoke-filled air, stampeding toward a single exit partially blocked by those already dead. (AP Photo/Nabor Goulart)

A woman cries over the coffin of a victim at a gymnasium where bodies were brought for identification in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Flames raced through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing more than 230 people as panicked partygoers gasped for breath in the smoke-filled air, stampeding toward a single exit partially blocked by those already dead. (AP Photo/Nabor Goulart)

A man stands around coffins containing the remains of victims after the bodies were identified at a gymnasium in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. A fast-moving fire roared through the crowded, windowless Kiss nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, within seconds filling the space with flames and a thick, toxic smoke that killed more than 230 panicked partygoers who gasped for breath and fought in a stampede to escape.(AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Relatives and friends mourn on the coffin containing the remains of a fire victim at a gymnasium where bodies were brought for identification in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. A fast-moving fire roared through the crowded, windowless Kiss nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, within seconds filling the space with flames and a thick, toxic smoke that killed more than 230 panicked partygoers who gasped for breath and fought in a stampede to escape.(AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Relatives and friends carry the coffin of a victim out of a gymnasium where bodies where brought for identification in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. A fast-moving fire roared through the crowded, windowless Kiss nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, within seconds filling the space with flames and a thick, toxic smoke that killed more than 230 panicked partygoers who gasped for breath and fought in a stampede to escape.(AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Family members and friends stand around coffins containing the remains of victims after the bodies were identified at a gymnasium in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Flames raced through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, as panicked partygoers gasped for breath in the smoke-filled air, stampeding toward a single exit partially blocked by those already dead. Officials counted more than 230 bodies that were brought for identification to the gymnasium in Santa Maria,(AP Photo/Nabor Goulart)

SANTA MARIA, Brazil (AP) ? A fast-moving fire roared through a crowded, windowless nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, filling the air in seconds with flames and a thick, toxic smoke that killed more than 230 panicked partygoers, many of whom were caught in a stampede to escape.

Inspectors believe the blaze began when a band's small pyrotechnics show ignited foam sound insulating material on the ceiling, releasing a putrid haze that caused scores of university students to choke to death. Most victims died from smoke inhalation rather than burns in what appeared to be the world's deadliest nightclub fire in more than a decade.

Survivors and the police inspector Marcelo Arigony said security guards briefly tried to block people from exiting the club. Brazilian bars routinely make patrons pay their entire tab at the end of the night before they are allowed to leave.

But Arigony said the guards didn't appear to block fleeing patrons for long. "It was chaotic and it doesn't seem to have been done in bad faith because several security guards also died," he told The Associated Press.

Later, firefighters responding to the blaze initially had trouble getting inside the Kiss nightclub because "there was a barrier of bodies blocking the entrance," Guido Pedroso Melo, commander of the city's fire department, told the O Globo newspaper.

Authorities said band members who were on the stage when the fire broke out later talked with police and confirmed they used pyrotechnics during their show.

Police inspector Sandro Meinerz, who coordinated the investigation at the nightclub, said one band member died after escaping because he returned inside the burning building to save his accordion. The other band members escaped alive because they were the first to notice the fire.

"It was terrible inside ? it was like one of those films of the Holocaust, bodies piled atop one another," said Meinerz. "We had to use trucks to remove them. It took about six hours to take the bodies away."

Television images from Santa Maria, a university city of about 260,000 people, showed black smoke billowing out of the Kiss nightclub as shirtless young men who attended the university party joined firefighters using axes and sledgehammers to pound at the hot-pink exterior walls, trying to reach those trapped inside.

Bodies of the dead and injured were strewn in the street and panicked screams filled the air as medics tried to help. There was little to be done; officials said most of those who died were suffocated by smoke within minutes.

Within hours a community gym was a horror scene, with body after body lined up on the floor, partially covered with black plastic as family members identified kin.

Outside the gym police held up personal objects ? a black purse, a blue high-heeled shoe ? as people seeking information on loved ones crowded around, hoping not to recognize anything being shown them.

Teenagers sprinted from the scene after the fire began, desperately seeking help. Others carried injured and burned friends away in their arms. Many of the victims were under 20 years old, including some minors. About half of those killed were men, about half women.

The party was organized by students from several academic departments from the Federal University of Santa Maria. Such organized university parties are common throughout Brazil.

"There was so much smoke and fire, it was complete panic, and it took a long time for people to get out, there were so many dead," survivor Luana Santos Silva told the Globo TV network.

The fire spread so fast inside the packed club that firefighters and ambulances could do little to stop it, Silva said.

Another survivor, Michele Pereira, told the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper that she was near the stage when members of the band lit some sort of flare that started the conflagration.

"The band that was onstage began to use flares and, suddenly, they stopped the show and pointed them upward," she said. "At that point, the ceiling caught fire. It was really weak, but in a matter of seconds it spread."

Guitarist Rodrigo Martins told Radio Gaucha that the band, Gurizada Fandangueira, started playing at 2:15 a.m. "and we had played around five songs when I looked up and noticed the roof was burning."

"It might have happened because of the Sputnik, the machine we use to create a luminous effect with sparks. It's harmless, we never had any trouble with it," he said. "When the fire started, a guard passed us a fire extinguisher, the singer tried to use it but it wasn't working."

He confirmed that accordion player Danilo Jacques, 28, died, while the five other members made it out safely.

Police Maj. Cleberson Braida Bastianello said by telephone that the toll had risen to 233 with the death of a hospitalized victim. He said earlier that the death toll was likely made worse because the nightclub appeared to have just one exit through which patrons could exit.

Officials earlier counted 232 bodies that had been brought for identification to a gymnasium in Santa Maria, which is located at the southern tip of Brazil, near the borders with Argentina and Uruguay.

Federal Health Minister Alexandre Padhilha told a news conference that most of the 117 people treated in hospitals had been poisoned by gases they breathed during the fire. Only a few suffered serious burns, he said.

Brazil President Dilma Rousseff arrived to visit the injured after cutting short her trip to a Latin American-European summit in Chile.

"It is a tragedy for all of us," Rousseff said.

Most of the dead apparently were asphyxiated, according to Dr. Paulo Afonso Beltrame, a professor at the medical school of the Federal University of Santa Maria who went to the city's Caridade Hospital to help victims.

Beltrame said he was told the club had been filled far beyond its capacity.

Survivors, police and firefighters gave the same account of a band member setting the ceiling's soundproofing ablaze, he said.

"Large amounts of toxic smoke quickly filled the room, and I would say that at least 90 percent of the victims died of asphyxiation," Beltrame told the AP.

"The toxic smoke made people lose their sense of direction so they were unable to find their way to the exit. At least 50 bodies were found inside a bathroom. Apparently they confused the bathroom door with the exit door."

In the hospital, the doctor "saw desperate friends and relatives walking and running down the corridors looking for information," he said, calling it "one of the saddest scenes I have ever witnessed."

Rodrigo Moura, identified by the newspaper Diario de Santa Maria as a security guard at the club, said it was at its maximum capacity of between 1,000 and 2,000, and partygoers were pushing and shoving to escape.

Santa Maria Mayor Cezar Schirmer declared a 30-day mourning period, and Tarso Genro, the governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, said officials were investigating the cause of the disaster.

The blaze was the deadliest in Brazil since at least 1961, when a fire that swept through a circus killed 503 people in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro.

Sunday's fire also appeared to be the worst at a nightclub since December 2000, when a welding accident reportedly set off a fire at a club in Luoyang, China, killing 309.

In 2004, at least 194 people died in a fire at an overcrowded nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Seven members of a band were sentenced to prison for starting the flames.

A blaze at the Lame Horse nightclub in Perm, Russia, killed 152 people in December 2009 after an indoor fireworks display ignited a plastic ceiling decorated with branches.

Similar circumstances led to a 2003 nightclub fire that killed 100 people in the United States. Pyrotechnics used as a stage prop by the 1980s rock band Great White set ablaze cheap soundproofing foam on the walls and ceiling of a Rhode Island music venue.

The band performing in Santa Maria, Gurizada Fandangueira, plays a driving mixture of local Brazilian country music styles. Guitarist Martin told Radio Gaucha the musicians are already seeing hostile messages.

"People on the social networks are saying we have to pay for what happened," he said. "I'm afraid there could be retaliation".

___

Sibaja reported from Brasilia. Associated Press writers Stan Lehman and Bradley Brooks contributed to this report from Sao Paulo.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-28-Brazil-Nightclub%20Fire/id-ad2ae373fa7f44e99fa70b8bc85d2663

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HEALTH and FITNESS | Carpaltunnelnomore, Hand And Wrist Pain

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CNET Now Forbidden To Review Aereo, The TV Service In Active Litigation With CBS

John P. Falcone over at CBS-owned CNET posted a quick piece on Aereo, the TV-over-Internet startup that is giving broadcasters fits. The story, which would have been a short piece on Aereo on a Roku device, is now awash with ridiculous disclaimers and discussions of lawsuits filed against Aereo by broadcasters.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/tPHc0f6hJrs/

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Intellectual Curiosity and the Military Officer | Small Wars Journal

?To this day I still have the instinct that the treasure, what one needs to know for a profession, is necessarily what lies outside the corpus, as far away from the center as possible.? But there is something central in following one?s own direction in the selection of readings: what I was given to study in school I have forgotten; what I decided to read on my own, I still remember.?
-Nassim Nicholas Taleb

A degree doesn?t make you smart.? A formal education doesn?t make you wise.? But without that piece of paper from somewhere, you won?t get promoted.? Just turn that box green, and to the promotion board, your intellectual merit is validated.

But should it?? Recently, the age old military debate of whether a technical or humanities degree makes a better warfighter has again reared its head.? Both sides are right ? and wrong.? They each also miss the point about what continuing education in a strategic framework really means.

Anecdotal examples from some historic and present warfighters give a confusing picture when trying to validate either position.

John Boyd got a degree in industrial engineering, with a detour into thermodynamic physics along the way, and revolutionized military strategic thought.? VADM James Stockdale went to Stanford and took a Masters in International Relations, but spent most of his time absorbing Stoic philosophy, laying the groundwork for his remarkable leadership in the hell of the Hanoi Hilton.? ADM James Stavridis earned a PhD in International Relations from Tufts, and is one of the most innovative flags to ever have served.? General James Mattis attended the National War College, and will forever be recognized as both a remarkable warrior and cunning diplomat.

Aside from the first name James, what set these remarkable military leaders and intellects apart?? What about their respective educations assisted their rise?? Was it the degree they took or something more?

To be sure, a degree is a signaling device of higher intellectual abilities.? Only 8 percent of the American population holds a Master?s Degree or higher.?? Furthermore, the military at large is better educated than the general population, as Tim Kane, most recently of Bleeding Talent fame, pointed out in 2005. Yet, these general trends hardly matter when it comes to strategic brilliance.

The very term ?brilliance? implies an outlier; someone well removed from the intellectual norm of society. It is in this rarified region that our best battlefield commanders and strategic minds reside.? It is also the place where the degrees they have are secondary to the minds that earned them.

And this is where we find the defining characteristic of the strategic thought leaders throughout the ages.? It is an intellectual curiosity punctuated by a desire to learn as much as possible from as many people as possible in as many areas as possible as often as possible.?

You have to want to learn to learn.? If you are intellectually curious, you will go in search of answers ? often finding them where you least expect them, growing wiser along the way.? Your curiosity will lead you to discover the world is more than either Mechanical Engineering or International Relations.? It is the complex interaction of both, and more.?

The formal degree, if any, is just a basic foundation.? Real learning occurs over years of voracious reading and concerted, sometimes heated, interaction with other minds.? Show me an inspiring leader, and I will show you a continuous learner who experiments with the ideas they have absorbed.?

General Mattis, the Warrior Monk, is famous for this.? At one point, he had a collection of over 7,000 volumes in his personal library.? Vice Admiral Stockdale?s intellectual foundation, which allowed him to survive Vietnam, was rooted in extensive studies, and debates, over the Greek and Roman classics.? John Boyd read everything under the sun, combining philosophy, physics, economics and sociology, among others, to create his defining works.? Admiral Stavridis is a self-professed ?big reader of fiction? in addition to his daily, extensive intellectual diet.

Reading, however, is just the beginning.? It, to paraphrase Peggy Noonan of Reagan speechwriting fame, is the sowing of intellectual capital.? It is the synthesis of all these ideas, and the vigorous interaction with others about these ideas, that create a mind able to tackle the biggest problems.?

Far too often military people live in their own bubble, seeing little need to interact with the civilian society they protect.? Much of this has to do with too many of our duty stations being located far from intellectually vibrant and innovative metropolises.? Even if we wanted to be engaged in local non-military friendships, it?s difficult to do so in places like Twenty Nine Palms.

Although anecdotal, one of the most intellectually liberating experiences of my life was PCSing from sleepy and rural Lemoore, California to San Diego ? a hub of biotech and entrepreneurial culture.? I knew nothing of either industry, but merely having the opportunity to interact with those different than me sparked numerous unanticipated collaborations, and a greater understanding of the world at large.?

Being exposed to more people and more ideas inherently increases serendipity.? Serendipity, in turn, creates exponential opportunity directly proportional to the amount of intellectual preparation already undertaken.? That opportunity leads to action, and sometimes, revolutionary change.

The most potent collaborations match people of different temperaments and talents together, leveraging the best of each for a sum far greater than their constituent parts.? Strategists, by their very nature, are experts at connecting disparate dots into a cohesive whole, necessarily linking people together to accomplish this.? Again, the foundation for all of this is rigorous, diverse and continuous intellectual curiosity.

So, what?s the prescription for educating a future strategist? ?Degrees are fine, but insufficient and end at some point.? Therefore, learn everything you can, formal or otherwise, and maximize serendipitous relationships.? Meet with people you wouldn?t normally interact with.? Start understanding the people outside the military silo ? because in 21st century warfare, the greatest adversaries will likely not be professional warriors.?

Read, but fail fast ? namely, if something bores you, move on to something that doesn?t.? Learn things as they become relevant to the problems or interests in your given stage of life.? Read on a variety of topics, to include non-military fiction.?? The human condition is better revealed in Hugo?s Les Miserables and Dumas? The Count of Monte Cristo than nearly all psychology textbooks combined.?

Engage in frequent discussions with those you disagree with.? Create twitter friendships and debate the merits of military ethics.? Push the envelope, and be willing to take heat for crazy ideas like melding MBA programs with the Naval War College.? You might be wrong ? but your ideas will evolve, adapt, and become better in proportion to the frequency of their exposure to reality.?

The tricky part for bureaucracies evaluating talent is that this is not easily quantifiable.? There is no metric the board recorder can point to in the Tank when your name pops on the screen to say, ?he gets it.?? You won?t get your ?intellectual curiosity qualification? alongside your JPME II because it is an ever evolving, ongoing process.?

Rather, it will, and does permeate itself in more subtle ways.

The intellectually curious officer will find innovative ways to solve problems.?? He will have built relationships beyond his service and community to create collaborations and get things done more effectively.? He will be better able to empathize with their people better.? He will be more attuned to the military and non-military goals of his subordinates.? Most importantly, when an adversary arrives in a form that was unanticipated, he will be able to draw upon years of education tested not in the classroom, but in the real world.

In short, a given degree is of minor consequence.? Strive for life-long learning, be curious, and turn off the damn TV so you can do something productive.? General Mattis, by the way, has never owned one either.?

Source: http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/intellectual-curiosity-and-the-military-officer

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Davos strives to make climate talk more than hot air

DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) - Climate change is back on the global agenda, with debate in the corridors at Davos given fresh impetus by U.S. President Barack Obama and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon both highlighting it as top priority this week.

Yet business leaders are still struggling to find the economic incentives to change current practices.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has not held back in its own assessment of the dangers, with former Mexican president Felipe Calderon warning of "a climate crisis with potentially devastating impacts on the global economy".

Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, summed it up for any Davos doubters: "Unless we take action on climate change, future generations will be roasted, toasted, fried and grilled."

There is a disconnect, however, between increasing evidence of extreme weather - from Superstorm Sandy in the United States in October to record heat in Australia this month - and the limited response from politicians and businesses.

In some cases the clash is stark, as highlighted on Friday when Greenpeace activists shut down a Shell gas station near the WEF meeting in protest at oil drilling in the Arctic that is made easier by a warmer world.

Many companies tout the opportunities presented by a shift to a low-carbon economy, yet the reality is that the continuing economic crisis has discouraged businesses and governments from developing a truly long-term view.

The rapid growth in shale gas - a greener alternative to coal when it is burned, although not when it leaks into the atmosphere - has also made renewables comparatively less attractive, adding to the challenge.

LACK OF URGENCY

The result is that while global investment in renewables is rising, the world still needs to spend $700 billion each year to curb its addiction to fossil fuels, according to a study issued by the WEF this week.

"There is a clear lack of urgency in the climate debate," said Greenpeace Executive Director Kumi Naidoo. "Big business is holding us back."

Business, in turn, complains that the failure of governments to provide a clear regulatory framework limits its ability to plan for the future.

After past failures, governments aim to work out a new U.N. plan to address climate change in 2015 but it will only enter into force from 2020.

"Climate change is a long-term issue and it is not clear how it is going to play out or what the returns are going to be," said PricewaterhouseCoopers International Chairman Dennis Nally.

"So CEOs have to measure how this investment stacks up vis a vis other opportunities that can generate clearer returns."

In practice, only a quarter of CEOs surveyed by PwC said they planned to raise investment in climate risks as cash is rationed and allocated to projects with the most obvious near-term commercial returns.

That doesn't mean CEOs are not worried, according Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, who said virtually every corporation was affected to some degree.

"There was mostly silence on climate change for the last two years at Davos," Krupp said. "But that has changed. The U.S. drought, especially, has grabbed people's attention here in Davos because that has had a real effect on prices."

Also chiming with business leaders is Obama's argument that the United States cannot afford economically to fall behind in a global clean energy race dominated by countries like China, South Korea and Germany.

"The U.S. has to be among the leaders in this global discussion, so it is a positive development," Andrew Liveris, CEO of Dow Chemical, said of Obama's inauguration speech, in which he made climate change a priority for his second term.

RECORD LOW CARBON PRICES

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon came to Davos with a similar message, saying he was very encouraged by Obama's speech, while warning that climate change was approaching "much, much faster than one would expect".

For investors, however, the climate issue remains hard to assess, as shown when the price of European permits to emit carbon fell this week to a new low below 3 euros a tonne, providing minimal incentive for industry to change behavior.

Analysts estimate prices need to be between 20 and 50 euros to make utilities switch to lower-carbon generation.

The question is, when might that carbon risk turn and start to undermine the value of companies heavily reliant on fossil fuels?

The International Energy Agency warned last month that the world will burn around 1.2 billion more tonnes of coal per year by 2017 than it does today - equal to the current coal consumption of Russia and the United States combined.

And an analysis by Ecofys for Greenpeace, presented at Davos, found that just 14 carbon-intensive projects worldwide are set to increase global CO2 emissions by 20 percent, or 6 gigatonnes. They range from coal expansion in Asia to the tar sands of Canada.

When completed, these projects promise to lock in "catastrophic" global warming, according to Greenpeace.

(Editing by David Holmes)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/davos-strives-climate-talk-more-hot-air-134656274.html

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Neo Geo X still in production, Tommo plans to add 'more games, peripherals and software updates'

Despite reports claiming that Tommo Inc's portable re-launch of the Neo Geo had ceased production, that is apparently not the case. "There has been a recent rumor about the end of the production of the NEOGEO X System. This rumor is incorrect," Tommo told us in a statement. The reports apparently stem from ending production of the Limited Edition Neo Geo X Gold System, which Tommo says, "was always planned to be a limited edition product." Beyond just continued production of the standard model, Tommo adds that it'll be supporting the device with, "more games, peripherals, and software updates." The Limited Edition, however, will likely start to disappear by some point in April, when the company expects final stock to begin shipping. "Given the popularity of the NEOGEO X format, we don't expect this stock to last long," the company notes. Head past the break for the full statement.

Show full PR text

There has been a recent rumor about the end of the production of the NEOGEO X System. This rumor is incorrect. Tommo will be continuing to support the NEOGEO X format going forward with more games, peripherals and software updates, as well as more units of the console hardware. The NEOGEO X Gold System Limited Edition Collection Series that includes Ninja Masters, was always planned to be a limited edition product. We are currently manufacturing our final run of this Limited Edition Collection Series and our distributors worldwide expect to have the final stock in April. Given the popularity of the NEOGEO X format, we don't expect this stock to last long.

We are absolutely delighted with how the NEOGEO X has performed so far, and are incredibly grateful for the support of gamers and we are looking forward to continuing the development of this game platform.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, HD

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/S5cOJffI6P0/

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Excellent Self Help Advice For A Better Life | Samuel Levitz ? A ...

Many people want to improve some aspect of their lives. It could be changes emotionally, socially or professionally. The piece that follows includes several useful ideas for those wishing to pursue greater personal development.

Listening is equally as valuable as speaking when you are communicating. This is particularly true when you are talking about self-development. Don?t just listen to other people. Listen to yourself. Hearing your own thoughts and feelings when you express them will lead to a better understanding of what you need to improve your life.

Plenty of employers are more concerned with the fact that you have a degree, rather than what school you attended. There are of course a few exceptions, such as within the finance and engineering industries. In most cases though, just getting a four year degree will make all the difference in the world.

TIP! While it is essential that you have people in your life, you should not depend on others for your happiness. Focus on making yourself happy.

If self improvement is an important goal in your life, be sure to feed your faith with love. There is no way to have faith in something you do not love. Never let faith take a back burner in your life. Do good for others and show that you love yourself through your love for others.

When you are working on your personal development, you should realize you deserve to be the best you can be. Repeat this statement to yourself every day, ?I owe it to myself to strive for the best?. When you complete your journey you?ll be secure in the knowledge that you did the best you could and no regrets are necessary.

Take stock of your alcohol use to see if you are drinking too much. Are nicotine or other destructive habits something that harms you? Our body is sacred, and we should respect it and treat it as so. Eliminating bad habits can be a very essential part of improving your life. Take stock of how you are living your life and the habits you have accumulated. Which ones do you think you could get rid of right now?

TIP! Your mind?s health depends on how healthy your body is. Develop a regular fitness routine and follow a nutritious, satisfying diet plan.

You can try writing yourself a motivational speech. List all of your good qualities on a postcard. Keep the card in your purse or wallet, and pull it out every time you feel depressed and defeated or have a negative thought about yourself. Better yet, read the list out loud while recording yourself. What?s the point?

If you are not able to achieve anything you wanted to, it is time to evaluate the situation seriously. Find out how others have succeeded at the same thing. This could illuminate a problem with the feasibility of your goals, your technique for achieving such goals, or even simply not allowing the time necessary to complete them.

Try and find new ways to challenge yourself. New challenges open new possibilities for you. You will see, do and explore more things than you ever thought possible. You may even want to achieve something that has never been done before. Look for your own thing to do, instead of accomplishing things people have already done.

TIP! Instead of talking up all of your trophies and accomplishments, ask other people about their notable achievements and proudest moments. This will help you to find some of the amazing things that people can accomplish, and help you to respect them more.

Evaluate yourself and seek out that one aspect that you wish to change or improve. It may be that you have several such things which you could concentrate on, but by selecting just one, you stand a better chance of prevailing. In addition, this enables you to make slow and gradual changes to your actions, perceptions and behaviors, increasing the likelihood that these new concepts will eventually become second nature.

If you want to improve yourself, write down a specific list of things you want to improve. Write down everything you aspire to be or to change about yourself. The next step is to seek different ways to grow that skill or trait. Finally, you will need to put yourself in a situation where you can practice being confident. You will have a high degree of success if you attack this methodically.

One way to raise your self-esteem is to give other people compliments. Doing the opposite and taking the initiative to be kind to others helps you to be kind to yourself too.

TIP! Work more efficiently to get the most out of your effort. Some say there is a trick that involves taking frequent breaks throughout the work day.

Nothing is more important to your personal development than working on health issues. When you are feeling good, it is easier to feel better about yourself. You can think more clearly, and even save time and money, by not having to go to the doctor on a regular basis. Make it your goal to improve your health.

Getting out and living your life can really enhance your quest for self improvement. The thing you have to do is take action. Take charge of your life and refuse to take the role of a spectator. Being a passive observer to the world around you removes you from the game entirely. Do not let that happen.

Maintaining benevolent wishes for others can lead to an increase in the good things you bring into your own life. Thus, never wish down on someone and always pray for the best. If you focus on the positive aspects of everyday life, you will be much less susceptible to those random episodes of doom and gloom.

TIP! If you experience anxiety in social situations, ask a friend to join you at the movie theater. You will be thrust into a busy setting and out of your comfort zone, but you will not have to excessively socialize with others.

None of us can say that we haven?t made mistakes from time to time. One of the biggest mistakes that we often choose to ignore is our choice in foods. Unchecked stress can be very damaging to both your mind and your body. Make an honest effort to live life to the fullest without sweating the small stuff.

You can benefit by learning about other individuals who are a success. You can build upon the trails they blazed and avoid mistakes they made by finding out how they reached fulfillment. Reading about the lessons they have learned will have a positive impact on your own self improvement.

You need a good attitude for personal development. A negative attitude will hold you back and even send you down the wrong path. Instead, let go of negative thinking. Make a choice everyday to look on the positive side of things and watch your goal progression improve.

TIP! Establish reachable goals to increase your feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction in life. Once you have identified your own weaknesses, you can begin to improve upon them.

Ask successful people around you about their habits and consider adopting them too. Don?t try to make too many changes at once. Start with two or three fundamentals that can make a difference, and practice those few until they feel natural to you. It can take up to three weeks to acquire a new habit, so it is important to keep trying.

Keep your focus on your inner self instead of your physical appearance. In the long run, wearing the best clothes or looking incredible does not matter. What?s most important is your internal appearance and your personality. Instead of making cosmetic changes, put more effort into improving your inner self.

Know what your core beliefs are and live by them. Your personality is strongly shaped and supported by these principles. Sticking to your core values will help your self esteem, if you?ve got a strong foundation to rely on. This will also help you develop consistency.

TIP! Humility is essential to your success. In the grand scheme of things, we are relatively insignificant.

Get rid of every part of your life that is disorganized. Not only will being organized make you feel accomplished, but it will also boost your confidence. You will also have the added benefit of relief from the stress that disorganization can cause. Organizing your environment can be a calming and centralizing influence.

Take care of yourself physically to get the most out of your personal development activities. You can keep your energy level up with regular exercise, a healthy diet, and getting a good night?s sleep. This will give you the energy you need to be successful at your self improvement efforts. It might seem easy, but it can prove to be very difficult.

Focus on learning how to stay calm in difficult circumstances, rather than becoming irrational and emotional. Once you learn how to remain calm in the midst of stress, you?ll have the confidence needed to cope with anything that happens in your life. Learning to breathe deeply upon command can give you back your sense of control.

TIP! Decide what you value most in life and stick with it. Therefore, it is extremely important that this is a priority in your life.

Treat yourself right by respecting your body. When your body communicates a need such as hunger, pain or thirst, it is important that you address it as soon as possible. Once you do this, your body will be better able to aid you for the long term. If you neglect your body now, you will pay for it down the line.

Many people know that they wish to improve the quality of their lives, but they do not know where to begin. This article will give you many ideas to get going, though keep in mind that only you can make a change. You?ll discover ways to keep your motivation and drive from waning by referring back to these suggestions periodically.

Look for reading material that inspires you and encourages you to be your best. Everyone?s idea of a positive piece of writing is different. It may be a religious bible, or alternatively a book of inspirational quotes. As long as you have a tangible source that can help to inspire you when you?re feeling down, you?ll always be able to regain your peace of mind. This, of course, can vastly increase your ability to deal with anything that life throws your way.

TIP! An extremely important key to personal development is knowing what you want to do with your life. One of the things that will make the biggest difference in your outlook is having long-term goals.

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Source: http://www.samuellevitz.com/excellent-self-help-advice-for-a-better-life-2

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Siemens earnings down 12 percent in its Q1

BERLIN (AP) ? Earnings at industrial conglomerate Siemens AG declined 12 percent in the October-December quarter after the company took charges at its transport business and a solar power operation it is selling.

Siemens reported Wednesday net earnings of ?1.21 billion ($1.6 billion) in its fiscal first quarter, down from ?1.38 billion a year earlier. However, its revenue climbed 2 percent to ?18.13 billion despite a 3 percent drop in orders to ?19.14 billion.

"In an uncertain economic environment, we got off to a solid start in fiscal 2013," CEO Peter Loescher said. He cautioned that the global economy was unlikely to help out over the rest of the year to help the company reach its "ambitious goals."

In November, Siemens launched a cost-cutting program and productivity push aimed at saving ?6 billion by 2014 and increasing competitiveness. Loescher said the company's "full attention is on implementing" the program.

During the October-December quarter, Siemens said it would sell its solar business and concentrate its renewable energy focus on wind and water power. Its first-quarter earnings were hit by a ?150 million loss from the solar business and charges at its transport business totaled ?116 million amid delays in the delivery of trains to Germany's national railway.

Siemens shares were slightly lower in early Frankfurt trading, slipping 0.4 percent to ?83.33.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/siemens-earnings-down-12-percent-q1-083835737--finance.html

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Palestinians say they may have no choice but to take Israel to Hague court

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Palestinians declared Wednesday that they will have no choice but to complain about Israel to the International Criminal Court if the Jewish state proceeds with plans to build housing on land the Palestinians want for a future state.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the Middle East, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki said his government's decision will largely depend on what the Israelis do with the so-called "E1" area outside the Arab suburbs of East Jerusalem.

"If Israel would like to go further by implementing the E1 (settlement) plan and the other related plans around Jerusalem then yes, we will be going to the ICC," he said. "We have no other choice. It depends on the Israeli decision."

The Palestinians have previously suggested that bringing their various disputes with Israel to the Hague-based court was an option, but Malki's remarks on Wednesday were the most direct threat his government has made against the Jewish state to date.

The International Criminal Court prosecutes charges of genocide, war crimes and other major human rights violations. The Palestinians must first apply to join the court, and once a member they could refer Israel for investigation.

The Palestinians became eligible to join the ICC after the U.N. General Assembly upgraded the Palestinians' status at the world body in November from "observer entity" to "non-member state," a move that was widely seen as a de facto recognition of an independent Palestinian state.

After the November 29 vote - on the 65th anniversary of the adoption of U.N. resolution 181 that partitioned Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states - Israel announced it would build 3,000 more settler homes in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are areas the Palestinians want for a future state, along with Gaza.

E1 covers some 12 square km (4.6 square miles) and is considered particularly important because it not only juts into the narrow "waist" of the West Bank, but also backs onto East Jerusalem, where Palestinians want to establish their capital.

Approximately 500,000 Israelis and 2.5 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The United Nations deems all Israeli settlements in the West Bank to be illegal.

'STATE OF PALESTINE'

U.N. Special Coordinator of the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry, told the 15-nation Security Council settlements were contrary to international law and "increasingly an obstacle to peace." But he also warned the Palestinians against pursuing international action.

The council meeting on the Middle East represented its first public debate on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the Palestinian U.N. status upgrade. Malki and a number of council members referred to the "State of Palestine" in their speeches.

The words "State of Palestine" were also emblazoned on the name plate for the Palestinian delegation.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice made clear to the council that such public references to the "State of Palestine" do not make it a sovereign state.

"Any reference to the 'State of Palestine' in the United Nations, including the use of the term 'State of Palestine' on the placard in the Security Council or the use of the term 'State of Palestine' in the invitation ... do not reflect acquiescence that 'Palestine' is a state," she said.

The United States, Israel and seven other members of the 193-nation General Assembly voted against the Palestinian U.N. status upgrade in November.

The White House on Wednesday renewed its call for a resumption of long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations in the wake of Israeli elections in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged the winner but with a weaker-than-expected showing for his right-wing bloc.

(Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-may-no-choice-israel-hague-court-204023337.html

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Feds: 3 charged over 'Gozi' computer virus

NEW YORK (AP) ? Federal authorities in New York say they've brought criminal charges against three people in connection with a computer virus that infected more than a million computers worldwide.

The authorities said Wednesday that NASA computers were among those infected by what was labeled the "Gozi Virus."

Authorities say they believe the three people who are charged created and distributed the virus.

It caused millions of dollars in losses by stealing online banking credentials, among other things.

A news conference on the charges was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in New York.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/feds-3-charged-over-gozi-computer-virus-152520134.html

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Two years since uprising, Egypt braces for more protests

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt marks the second anniversary of the uprising that swept Hosni Mubarak from power with little to celebrate. Deeply divided and facing an economic crisis, the nation is bracing for more protests, but this time against a freely elected leader.

President Mohamed Mursi's opponents plan to march to Tahrir Square on Friday to vent anger at the new Islamist leader and his Muslim Brotherhood backers, whom they accuse of betraying the goals of the January 25 revolution that galvanised Egyptians in a display of national unity that has not been seen since.

"We don't see it as a celebration. This will be a new revolutionary wave that will show the Brotherhood that they are not alone - that there are other forces that can stand against them," said Ahmed Maher, founder of the April 6 - a group that helped ignite the uprising by using social media to organise.

The Brotherhood has said it will not send its supporters to Tahrir Square on Friday - a decision that at least limits the scope for more of the unrest that has compounded Egypt's economic troubles.

Instead, with its eye on forthcoming parliamentary polls, the electorially savvy Brotherhood is marking the anniversary with a campaign to help the poor. With allies, it promises to send volunteers to renovate 2,000 schools, plant trees, deliver medical aid and open "charity markets" selling affordable food.

"The importance of the anniversary is to lift the spirits of the Egyptian people: more hope and more work," said Ahmed Aref, a Muslim Brotherhood spokesman who was in Tahrir Square for the entire 18-day uprising against Mubarak.

Inspired by Tunisia's uprising against President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Egypt's revolution helped set off more revolts in Libya and Syria. It brought political freedom that allowed the dramatic rise to power of the Brotherhood, an Islamist group that was outlawed under decades of army-backed autocracy.

Two years on, Egypt is struggling with a deep economic crisis caused by political turbulence which has continued unabated since the election of a new president.

The sense of common purpose that united Egyptians against Mubarak has given way to conflict. Secularists and liberals accuse the Muslim Brotherhood of seeking to dominate the country. The Islamists say their opponents are not respecting the rules of the democratic game.

Mursi's bid to fast-track a controversial, Islamist-tinged constitution in December fuelled days of protests that helped send the Egyptian pound to record lows against the U.S. dollar. Analysts fear Friday could bring more yet more trouble.

"I foresee very big protests, and some civil unrest," said Elijah Zarwan of the European Council on Foreign Relations. "Two years on, a real sense of disenchantment has settled on Egypt.

"There is a fairly widespread sense that the country is slipping, socially, economically and in terms of governance. Politically, the divisions have become so fierce that it's hard to imagine the various parties and factions coming to an agreement, even on the things they agree on."

CONSTITUTION "NOT WORTHY" OF REVOLUTION

Despite winning approval in a popular referendum, the new constitution remains one of the main grievances of the array of leftist and liberal parties calling for Friday's protests.

"Nothing will undermine our hopes, but this constitution is not worthy of the revolution," Maher of April 6 told Reuters.

Its critics say the constitution offers inadequate protection for human rights, gives the president too many privileges and fails to curb the power of the military establishment.

Mursi's supporters say the criticism is unfair, enacting the constitution quickly was crucial to restoring stability, and the opposition is making the situation worse by perpetuating unrest. The referendum, they say, settled the issue democratically, and protests are just another chance to stir up trouble.

Both sides trade blame for economic hardship as the falling currency drives up the cost of imported food on which the mostly desert nation depends. The opposition says government economic mismanagement is at fault, while the government blames the climate of instability fomented by its opponents.

Other sources of friction abound. Activists are impatient for justice for the victims of political violence perpetrated over the last two years. Little has been done to reform brutal Mubarak-era security agencies. A spate of transport disasters on roads and railways neglected for years is feeding discontent.

The political polarisation is making it harder for the Mursi administration to address the economic problems. In December, he postponed reforms needed to address a gaping budget deficit and secure a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

With its foreign currency reserves critically low, the finances of the Arab world's most populous nation have been propped up by the tiny but rich Gulf emirate of Qatar, which has supplied some $5 billion in grants and loans.

The Brotherhood acknowledges that many of the revolution's goals have yet to be realised. Yet the group sees major achievements including the new constitution and the election of the country's first civilian head of state.

Marking the anniversary with a big charity campaign is a classic Brotherhood tactic, demonstrating the populist impulses and organisational muscle that have swept the Islamists to five straight election victories since Mubarak fell - two for parliament, one for president and two referendums.

"The people are interested in their daily bread. Citizens want to feel the change brought by the Egyptian revolution. This requires the opposition to translate what they are calling for into real policy programmes," said Ahmed Subei, a spokesman for the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-years-since-uprising-egypt-braces-more-protests-124541637.html

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They Hate Me, They Really Hate Me

President Obama greets people after the public ceremonial inauguration on the U.S. Capitol on Monday in Washington, DC. John Dickerson's column on what Obama could do in his second term drew the ire of conservatives.

EVAN VUCCI/Getty Images

When you are on the Fox News? ticker for the wrong reasons, it's time to put things into context.

On the eve of the president's?inauguration,?I wrote a piece about what President Obama needs to do to be a transformational rather than caretaker president.?I was using a very specific definition of transformational presidencies based on my reading of a theory of political science and the president's own words about transformational presidencies from the 2008 campaign.?It was also based on these givens: The?president is ambitious, has picked politically controversial goals, has little time to operate before he is dubbed a lame-duck president, and has written off working with Republicans. "Bloodier-minded when it comes to beating Republicans,? is how Jodi Kantor put it in the New York Times.?Given these facts, there is only one logical conclusion for a president who wants to transform American politics: He must take on Republicans?aggressively.?

For me, this was a math problem with an unmistakable conclusion. Some people thought I was giving the president my personal advice. No. My goal was to make?a compelling argument based on the facts. I used words like "war" and ?pulverize,? and some have responded with threats to me and my family. (?Go for his throat!? some have counseled, echoing the headline.) These words have also liberated some correspondents (USUALLY THE ONES THAT TYPE IN ALL CAPS!!!!) from reading the piece or reading it in the spirit in which it was written.?But there were also almost 2,000 other words in the piece, which should put that provocative language in context.?What's been lost in the news ticker and Twitter threats is the argument of the piece: This is the only plausible path for a bold, game-changing second term for a president who has positioned himself the way President Obama has. Indeed, the piece accurately anticipated the forceful line the president ultimately took in his inaugural address with his call for collective action and failure to reach out to Republicans. Brit Hume said Obama?s speech confirms for all time the president?s essential liberalism. The New Republic?s Noam Scheiber precisely identified the speech not merely as liberal but an argument for liberalism.

Some correspondents have asked why I didn't advocate that Obama embrace House GOP spending plans or some other immediate compromise, a more pleasant outcome than the prospect of even more conflict in Washington.?There's no evidence, however, that the president is in a compromising mood. (Again, see second inaugural.) This piece was written from the viewpoint of the reality as it stands, not a more pleasing future we would all prefer to inhabit. That reality (and the initial piece) includes an unpleasant fact to some Republicans: The GOP is in a state of disequilibrium. For evidence of that disarray, I rely on?Rep. Tom Cole,?Sen. Rand Paul,?participants at the House GOP retreat,?and Ramesh Ponnuru at the?National Review. (As I mentioned in the piece, Democrats have their own tensions, too.)

People see my article as an argument for one-party power, which is impossible since I posit that Obama?s second-term conflict with the GOP will be the first step leading to its rebirth as a majority party. Some assume I hate Republicans. This latter charge will confuse my close relations, who are not only proud conservatives but among Fox News' most ardent fans (the two groups not necessarily overlapping). Indeed, one of the many reactions I received on my reporting on the tensions within the Republican Party came from a family member who wrote: "Barack Obama is the best thing ever for those who believe in conservative principles because it would show that with hard work, regardless of race, anyone can achieve, and it would give Republicans a few years in the wilderness to get back to a coherent philosophy. Now I believe that Obama will help conservatives because he will make them better. He has totally figured out how to use technology to deliver mass customized messages to individual voters and now citizens. Ultimately, this is a great boon to democracy. He is smart and articulate. He is tough and ruthless. All of this will make conservatives and Republicans raise their game. Ultimately, that is good. ? I look forward to a Republican Party that is a worthy adversary and a worthy advocate.?Barack Obama should inspire us conservatives to be better, not to be whinier."

You can disagree with that analysis, but it is in keeping with the theory of political transformation that I was articulating as I considered the central question on the eve of Obama?s second term: What is the pathway for transforming American politics given the president's current posture? There may be another way to solve this math problem, but I still don't see it.?

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