Obama to visit Israel in first visit as president

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama plans to visit Israel in the spring, marking his first visit to the nation since becoming president.

The White House says Obama spoke about the visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Jan. 28. That's when Obama congratulated Netanyahu on his success in Israel's recent election.

Obama visited Israel while running for president in 2008, but hasn't been back since, prompting criticism from some pro-Israel groups.

The White House says the start of Obama's second term offers an opportunity to reaffirm Israel's close relationship with the U.S. and to discuss major issues like Syria and Iran.

The White House has not released the date of Obama's trip.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-02-05-Obama-Israel/id-b32e5acc3a21447a8908d2fa1a2cdc6c

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Quantum microscope for living biology

Artist impression of the quantum microscope. A light field with quantum photon interactions is focused through the wall of a cell. Detection of the transmitted field allows enhanced measurement precision of dynamics within the cell. Credit: Michael Taylor.

(Phys.org)?A team of Australian scientists has developed a powerful microscope using the laws of quantum mechanics to probe the inner workings of living cells.

The team, a collaboration between The University of Queensland and the Australian National University, believe their microscope could lead to a better understanding of the basic components of life and eventually allow quantum mechanics to be probed at a macroscopic level.

Their world-first discovery has been published online today in Nature Photonics.

Team leader Associate Professor Warwick Bowen, of UQ's ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, said the study relied on quantum interactions between the photons of light to achieve measurement precision that surpassed conventional measurement.

"This 'quantum microscope' is a pioneering step towards applications of quantum physics in technology," Associate Professor Bowen said.

"In fundamental physics, it could be immediately applied towards observing phenomena in the microscopic motion of small particles that have yet to be observed and were predicted many decades ago."

In the study, the researchers used their quantum microscope to measure the cytoplasm of a live beer-brewing yeast cell and found they could achieve their measurements 64 per cent faster than with a conventional microscope.

Lead author and UQ PhD student Mr Michael Taylor said the results demonstrated for the first time that quantum light could provide a practical advantage in real-world measurements.

"The measurements performed could aid in understanding the life-cycle of a cell, as its cytoplasm plays a crucial role in transferring nutrients into and around the cell," he said.

Among other things, the 'quantum microscope' could reveal the finer details within a cell ? more than a regular microscope.

Biological imaging is a particularly important application for quantum light as these fine details are typically only visible when a lot of light is used.

"Unfortunately, biological samples are grilled when the power is increased too far," said Mr Taylor.

"The 'quantum microscope', on the other hand, provides a way to improve measurement sensitivity without increasing the risk of optical damage to the sample."

Journal reference: Nature Photonics

Provided by University of Queensland

Source: http://phys.org/news/2013-02-quantum-microscope-biology.html

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Makeup Collections from Urban Decay and OPI Makeup Inspired By ...

In under two weeks I will be in LA for the red carpet premiere of the new Disney movie OZ The Great And Powerful. I have been super excited about this trip since the moment I received the invitation to go. As soon as I accepted I started trying to figure out what I would wear. I took my Mom with me to Kohls on a quest for a dress to wear to the premiere. We looked at dresses for a couple of hours. I tried about a total of 10 dresses on before making my final decision on the one. I looked pretty frightful by that point, my hair had this static cling fly away thing happening on top and was going in all sorts of directions. It was hard to imagine myself looking nice enough for a movie premiere at that moment, I wasn?t even sure I looked presentable enough to watch a movie on my couch. I mean really, take a look.

See what I mean?!

Back to what I?m wearing for the premiere. Fortunately, I have found a dress so that quest is over. I found a pair of heels that I liked that are also actually very comfortable, so that?s done. I have stockings already. That just leaves makeup. There are some lovely colors out there. Unfortunately, I?m frequently not sure what goes with what or what will look good on me. Luckily enough, I?ll have a little help in the makeup department from the folks at Urban Decay and OPI.

Let me start by saying that OPI is my favorite nail polish ever. I like my nails to look decent. I can?t do my own nails to save my life. Think of coloring within the lines but on your fingernails. I can?t do it. The polish ends up all over my fingers. So I get my nails done in the salon about every three week. OPI is my favorite nail polish, and generally the only nail polish that I will use. I like the way that it holds its color and shine, and the way that it lasts. And, I like the names. Instead of naming their colors with numbers like some companies, OPI gives their colors fun names. For example, take a look at the line of limited edition colors that OPI has just come out with, all inspired by the movie OZ The Great And Powerful.

?OPI is very excited to take this fantastical journey with Disney,? explains Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI Executive VP & Artistic Director. ?Inspired by the magic of Oz The Great and Powerful, this SoftShades collection captures the whimsy seen in the film, from glittery shades packed with white, gold and silvery iridescent confetti ? Lights of Emerald City, When Monkeys Fly! and Which is Witch? ? to soft neutrals in white, beige and pink ? Don?t Burst My Bubble, Glints of Glinda and I Theodora You.

?The new Liquid Sand nail lacquer ? What Wizardry is This? ? features OPI?s groundbreaking technology for a textured, matte finish infused with reflective sparkle,? adds Weiss-Fischmann. ?This rich taupe hue was designed for James Franco?s character, the great Wizard of Oz, and is sure to make a bold statement this spring.?

With a mix of soft cr?me and warm glitter shades, the line is ideal for layering to create rich, complex looks. In addition to the Liquid Sand nail lacquer in What Wizardry is This?, the promotion includes:

• Lights of Emerald City ? White confetti adds city girl flair and style to nails.
• Don?t Burst My Bubble ? Don?t wake me?I?m dreaming about puffy clouds of white.
• When Monkeys Fly! ? I?m simply bananas for this gold confetti.
• Glints of Glinda ? Only a good witch could turn beige from meek to chic.
• Which is Witch? ? Is this silver glitter with iridescent sparkle or the other way around?
• I Theodora You ? This adorable, sheer pink is bewitching on you.

As with all OPI nail lacquers, the shades inspired by Oz The Great and Powerful contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature OPI?s exclusive ProWide? Brush for the ultimate in application.

This limited edition promotion will be available beginning March 2013 at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard?s, jcp Salons, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and ULTA, for $9.00 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each nail lacquer.
For more information, please call 800-341-9999 or visit www.opi.com.

I can?t show you these colors on my hands yet, because I just got my nails done three days ago. But I will be bringing them with me to the salon the day before I leave for LA. Right now I?m thinking I?m going to wear I Theodora You, but still have a little time to decide.

And that leaves makeup. I love eyeliner. I also love lip gloss ? it?s so much better then lipstick, and have no problems finding pretty colors to wear. Foundation ? that?s easy too. But the rest, I can usually use some help. Especially with the eyes. I?ve read tons of different articles that say using two or three colors on the eyes really makes them pop. I can never tell which colors are supposed to go wear, or what will go with something else. I won?t be having that problem this trip, as Urban Decay has come out with two limited edition color palettes inspired by the movie OZ.

Recreate Michelle Williams? ethereal, spellbinding look from the film with The Glinda Palette or copy Mila Kunis? captivating, edgy onscreen look with The Theodora Palette. Each one has six pans and EIGHT ALL NEW and exclusive Eyeshadows. Confused? These sets include two ?duo-shades? that are split in half, with a different color on each side of the pan. Every shade features Urban Decay?s Pigment Infusion System?, the proprietary blend of ingredients that gives each shade its velvety texture, rich color, serious staying power and blendability. Plus, you also get a Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color and a travel-size 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil.

Each palette comes in a sleek tin adorned with gorgeous Oz The Great and Powerful-inspired artwork, with ?Urban Decay? and the name of the film in foil lettering. The Glinda Palette features a dreamy, celestial design awash in a sheer backdrop of pink, gold and peach, while The Theodora Palette features a moody, colorful skyscape flanked by Rorschach-like patterns. And both versions incorporate our Build Your Own Palette format for total versatility. When you finish the original shades (or whenever you get the urge to experiment), just pop them out and pop your favorite UD shadows into the cool collectible tin.

As mentioned, the palettes come in pretty tins.

What?s inside the tins is even prettier.

Theodora is on the left and Glinda is on the right.

The Theodora Palette

Eyeshadows:

• Broken (pale cream satin)
• Beware (warm brown matte)
• Bewitch (dark charcoal brown satin)
• West (deep metallic brown)
• Spell (2 shades in 1: black satin w/green and gold shimmer and gold metallic w/tonal glitter)
• Jealous (2 shades in 1: pale green pearl and dark green pearl)

Eye Pencil: black.

Lip Color: Theodora (bright red cream)

The Glinda Palette

Eyeshadows:

• Tornado (vibrant deep purple shimmer)
• Aura (2 shades in 1: iridescent white w/blue shift and iridescent white w/red shift)
• Magic (pinkish purple w/golden shimmer), Illusion (pale peach satin)
• Oz (2 shades in 1: gold shimmer w/gold glitter and silver shimmer w/silver glitter)
• South (warm pale gray shimmer w/silver micro-glitter)

Eye Pencil: deep eggplant

Lip Color: Glinda (light sheer beige)

I think both palettes are lovely but I think that Glinda is my favorite of the two. Because I adore purple and it is generally the color that looks best with my hazel eyes. And because it?s my favorite color. So now I know what colors go together. now I just have to figure out what orders to put them on in. Any tips for applying eye shadows?

MORE INFO

OPI on Facebook!
OPI on Twitter
Urban Decay on Facebook
Urban Decay on Twitter

I will be attending the red carpet premier of OZ The Great And Powerful as a guest of Disney, with all expenses paid. The products featured in this post were provided to me by Disney, OPI and Urban Decay. As always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own and have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.

Source: http://www.valmg.com/index.php/2013/opi-urban-decay-makeup-inspired-by-oz/

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Ethically Disabled Drivers | Amy Alkon

Ethically Disabled Drivers
One of every 10 drivers in California has a disabled placard. David Goldstein of CBS2 Los Angeles did an investigative report on this, talking to people he found working out vigorously on treadmills and other workout machines at a chichi LA gym -- after getting out of their cars they hung the disabled tags on.

From the news story with the video:

To qualify for placards, drivers must have a medical professional certify they have substantial impaired mobility, lung or cardiovascular disease or severe vision problems, according to the DMV.

A hidden camera caught one woman place her placard in the rear view mirror of her Range Rover before taking a spin class - several days in a row.

According to DMV records, the woman has been disabled for over a decade.

"You've had the placard since 1999. Do you have a disability or are you just using it to park for free?" Goldstein asked.

"I obviously have a disability," the woman said.

When asked to explain her disability, the woman responded, "There's laws regarding privacy matters."

An internationally-renowned fitness expert, Karen Voight, was also spotted using a disabled placard. She teaches a stretching class at the health club.

"You have a disability?" Goldstein asked.

"Well, my knee is unable to do a lot of things, and I was told by the doctor to be off of it as often as I can," Voight responded.

"Even though you're teaching a class here twice a week?" Goldstein said.

"But I don't. What I teach is a rehab class," she said.

The health club simply labels the class as "stretching.

Young kids were also seen weight-lifting and playing basketball -- their car uses a placard linked to a 77-year-old man.

What this means for truly disabled people -- the sort who roll out of wheelchair vans instead of skipping out of cute convertibles -- is that they sometimes can't find a space because of all the bullshit disabled taking them.

Or, as the woman in the wheelchair in the piece points out, a person like her with real disability may be put through danger and hardship by needing to park far away.

It's reprehensible and I hope the people who have these tags because they got the right doctor to wink-wink that they needed them know deep down what scummy people they are and hate themselves for it.

Oh, and as the report points out, disabled status, once granted, doesn't expire. The placards are automatically renewed, year after year after year.

And finally, as a commenter -- "Mr Law Abider" -- noted at the CBS site:

The real question is why people with the placards need to park at meters for free? What part of their disability requires free parking? What, they can't reach up to put money in the meter? I thought the idea behind the placards was to give people with a disability a parking spot closer to a building....and those with vans, enough room to get a wheel chair in and out. But why free parking? Do away with that and I think a majority of your problems will go away.

Which brings us back to fitness trainer Karen Voigt (Ohhhh, her knees. She can teach stretching, but can't wallllk...oh, it's so hard). The truth is, there's a garage where just about every spot is close to the elevator at that chi-chi gym, Sports Club LA.

I do not work out at a gym or that gym, but David Rensin, my friend and literary conscience, takes me to lunch there about once every six months.

The thing is, you have to PAY to park at that gym's garage, and people with handicapped placards get to park free at meters.

I emailed Karen Voight: karen@karenvoight.com:

Subj: being cheap is not a true disability - saving parking $ at Sports Club LA's garage

My friend takes me to Sports Club LA for lunch every six months.

The truth is, no space in that garage is far from the elevator.

In fact, it looks like you walked further than you would have if you'd parked at ANY space in the garage to get to your meter.

Hmmm...could it be that you get to park at meters for free, and it costs MONEY to park in that garage?

Source: http://amyalkon.mensnewsdaily.com/2013/02/03/ethically-disabled-drivers/

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Strings for a CURE: Where the Arts meet Humanities ? New Mexico ...

Posted by Sindicator on January 30, 2013

Performance image via RyanMcGarvey.com

Resident NM Guitar God, Ryan McGarvey has teamed with the innovative, life-enriching organization StringsforaCURE?, saying:

?I?m so incredibly honored to work with this organization, and to help for such a worthy cause. Please take a look at the great pieces of jewelry that they were able to make from my guitar strings. All proceeds go to help those with breast cancer.?

Elisa Guida, a two-time breast cancer survivor and jewelry designer, transforms guitar strings into one-of-a-kind bracelets, earrings, pendants and rings. Net proceeds are used to fund the foundation?s efforts to educate, comfort and support cancer patients. The foundation focuses primarily on helping those with breast cancer.

The StringsforaCURE? Foundation helps women and men diagnosed with cancer, primarily breast. Our mission is to provide education, comfort and support to cancer patients, focusing on the breast cancer patient. We help the patient directly by providing gas, grocery or pharmacy gift cards. We also provide educational materials, comfort baskets and medical grants. We want to ease the burden during their cancer journey. We raise awareness on how important nutrition and wellness plays a part in the recovery of the cancer patient.

National and international musicians donate their used guitar strings to StringsforaCURE?, and I transform them into one-of-a-kind bracelets, earrings, pendants and rings. We also raise funds through our online Virtual Quilt, our Pennies2Patients Program and Pickin? On Cancer fundraiser and also through private donations.

My dream is to recruit many nationally known musicians ? including Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen, among many others ? to donate their strings to the foundation. We have received strings from several famous musicians, such as Jon Bon Jovi, Melissa Etheridge, Paul Rodgers, Joe Bonamassa to mention a few. -Elisa Guida, Executive Director

The StringsforaCURE foundation is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization, and a Green Foundation. Their jewelry is made in the U.S.A. with net proceeds used to fund the foundation?s efforts to educate, comfort and support cancer patients.

Tags: Breast Cancer, Ryan McGarvey, Strings for a Cure

Source: http://www.oneheadlightink.com/sindication/2013/01/30/strings-for-a-cure-where-the-arts-meet-humanities/

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'Hungry twin' stars gobble their first meals

Jan. 31, 2013 ? Just-forming stars, like growing babies, are always hungry and must "feed" on huge amounts of gas and dust from dense envelopes surrounding them at birth. Now a team of astronomers including Robert Gutermuth, a University of Massachusetts Amherst expert in imaging data from the Spitzer Space Telescope, reports observing an unusual "baby" star that periodically emits infrared light bursts, suggesting it may be twins, that is, a binary star. The discovery is reported this month in Nature.

The extremely young object, dubbed LRLL 54361, is about 100,000 years old and is located about 950 light years away toward the Perseus constellation. Years of monitoring its infrared with the Spitzer instrument reveal that it becomes 10 times brighter every 25.34 days, Gutermuth and colleagues say. This periodicity suggests that a companion to the central forming star is likely inhibiting the infall of gas and dust until its closest orbital approach, when matter eventually comes crashing down onto the protostellar "twins."

Gutermuth, who surveys star-forming molecular clouds with Spitzer to search for protostars, says, "The idea that this object is a baby binary system fits our data, so, twins fit our data. In single protostars, we would still see matter dumping onto the star non-uniformly, but never with the regularity or intensity of the bursts we observe in LRLL 54361. The 25.43-day period is consistent with the orbital period we would expect from a very close binary star."

The protostar twins, embedded in a gas "cocoon" many times larger than our solar system, offer an unusual chance to study what looks like a developing binary star system, he adds. Because dense envelopes of gas and dust surround embryonic stars, the only detectable light to escape is at longer, infrared wavelengths. "Spitzer's infrared camera is perfect for penetrating this cool dust to detect emission from the warm center," says Gutermuth.

"When you have two young stars feeding from the same circumstellar disk, the gravitational influence of the secondary companion can cause hiccups, an inhibition of infalling material from the disk. But when the orbital paths approach closely, that material can rush in, triggering feeding pulses for both stars and releasing a bright burst of light. The flash moves out from the center, reflecting off the disk and cavities in the envelope like an echo reverberating out from cave walls. We've seen the light flashes with Spitzer and have imaged the echo-tracing cavities in its envelope with the Hubble Space Telescope."

The light echo to which Gutermuth refers is seen in images taken at the near-infrared limit of the Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 instrument. The lead investigator for this work and the Spitzer study is UMass Amherst alumnus James Muzerolle, now of the Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore. The investigators are careful to point out that they're not sure what is at the center of object LRLL 54361, but if it is an embryonic binary star, the prospects are exciting.

Scientists have shown that close binary low mass stars are a somewhat rare outcome of the star formation process. But understanding their formation is critical to address some of the fundamental open questions in star and planet formation, such as how protostars form, how they accumulate their mass and how planets form from their circumstellar disks, Gutermuth points out. It's believed that most of a central star's mass is assembled early, whereas planet formation in spinning outer gaseous disks may take several million years to complete.

Another reason this object is so interesting, he says, is that it provides a new demonstration of the impact of time-domain astronomy. "By analyzing the variability of this object's light over time, we have obtained a unique set of constraints on its physical nature. This system offers us a rare chance to observe the evolution of the disk and envelope around a binary star in almost real time."

"Looking ahead, we'll characterize this system further at millimeter wavelengths with the aid of the Large Millimeter Telescope now becoming operational under a partnership between UMass Amherst and Mexico's Instituto Nacional de Astrof?sica, ?ptica y Electr?nica. Studying millimeter variability over time will be part of our approach."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. James Muzerolle, Elise Furlan, Kevin Flaherty, Zoltan Balog, Robert Gutermuth. Pulsed accretion in a variable protostar. Nature, 2013; 493 (7432): 378 DOI: 10.1038/nature11746

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/u0Dtg2h2WA8/130131095228.htm

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Bipartisan Repeal Legislation Introduced in Washington State

"Death penalty foes introduce measure in Olympia," is the AP report, via the Seattle Times.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers against the death penalty have introduced a measure eliminating it. But they fully acknowledge that the bill won't go anywhere this year in Olympia.

The House measure eliminates the death penalty from the punishment available for people convicted of aggravated first-degree murder, leaving life in prison without parole as the top conviction.

In a joint statement, Democratic representatives Reuven Carlyle of Seattle and Tina Orwall of Des Moines and Republican Rep. Maureen Walsh of Walla Walla say that the death penalty is "immoral, , unfairly implemented, and appeals to society's most violent instincts rather than love and compassion."

"State Rep. Orwall sponsors bill to repeal death penalty," is by Steve Hunter for the Kent Reporter.

State Rep. Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines, is one of the sponsors of House Bill 1504 to repeal the death penalty in Washington in favor of a sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of release or parole.

Orwall issued a joint statement Tuesday with Reps. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle and Maureen Walsh, R-Walla Walla on the bill:

?At a time when our state is striving to come together on major policy issues we feel there is meaningful value in uniting behind our shared conviction that life has value and that the death penalty is below us as a civilized society. We respect and acknowledge the political environment in Olympia does not welcome this issue on the agenda this year. And yet, nonetheless, we feel compelled to stand together, to speak out together, to encourage our colleagues to join us in elevating the dialogue about this profoundly important moral issue.

"We believe the death penalty is immoral, unfairly implemented, and appeals to society's most violent instincts rather than love and compassion. And it is financially draining, as we expend far more on the appeals process for death row inmates than lifetime incarceration. As we weep in pain for victims of horrific, unimaginable crimes, we also hope and pray that one day our state will join a community of states and nations to eliminate this unwise policy."

Senate Bill 5372 is a companion bill to end the death penalty sponsored by several senators, including Sen. Karen Keiser, D-Kent.

Earlier coverage from Washington begins at the link.

Source: http://standdown.typepad.com/weblog/2013/01/bipartisan-repeal-legislation-introduced-in-washington-state.html

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