Nike launches its first 3D-printed football cleat, Ryan Fitzpatrick will be pleased

While we're still giddy at the idea of printing our own phone case, Nike's gone more than a few steps further with its latest innovation. The Swoosh has managed to 3D print the base plate of its latest football cleat, the Vapor Laser Talon. The boot was created using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), which uses high-powered lasers to fuse pieces of plastic together, rather than the more basic methods we've seen in the Makerbot. Not only did SLS enable the company to produce a shoe that would otherwise be impossible with traditional manufacturing techniques, but it was also hammered-out in a fraction of the time. There's no line on when we'll be able to pick one up (or how much it'll cost you), but we imagine you'll pay a premium for that extra bit of speed.

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Iran reports death of Revolutionary Guards officer

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? An Iranian semi-official news agency is reporting that a commander of the powerful Revolutionary Guards has been killed in the country's Kurdish northwest.

The Sunday report by Fars quotes a statement by the Guards as saying Gen. Hamid Tabatabaei was "martyred" during an engineering assignment.

It was the third reported killing of a ranking officer in the area, home to mostly people of the Kurdish ethnic group. Members of the Guards have in the past fought Kurdish opposition groups in the area.

In recent years the Guards have attacked several bases of the armed Kurdish group known as the PEJAK, which has been occasionally involved in armed clashes with Iranian forces. The rebels say they are fighting for greater rights for their minority community.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-reports-death-revolutionary-guards-officer-131315338.html

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ASUS unveils PadFone Infinity with 5-inch 1080P display, Android 4.2

 

ASUS is taking the wraps off of its latest phone-tablet hybrid docking device, the PadFone Infinity, at MWC 2013. The specs here will not disappoint, checking every box you'd expect for a high-end device in 2013. We're looking at a 5-inch 1080P display, quad-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor, 2GB of RAM, 32/64GB of storage and 13MP camera, all in a unibody aluminum frame. On the connectivity front, it has both 100mbps LTE and 42mbps HSPA+ radios and supports the latest 802.11ac Wifi. One major point of this device is that it's also running Android 4.2, something very few manufacturers have been able to announce at this point.

Oh, and did we mention it docks into a tablet? Following in the footsteps of the PadFones before it, the Infinity still docks into a 10.1-inch tablet frame called the "Infinity Station". The station has a 1920x1200 Super IPS display, with the same 400 nit brightness as the phone itself. The station also has its own 5000mAh battery, alongside the phone's own 2400mAh lithium polymer cell. The PadFone Infinity and Station will come together at a hair under 1.48lbs -- about middle of the road for 10-inch tablet weight nowadays.

ASUS is planning to launch the PadFone Infinity in the U.K. at an MSRP of £799 (incl VAT) with the Infinity Station, in three color choices --  Titanium Grey, Champagne Gold and Hot Pink. There are no specific availability dates for the U.K., and no indication at all that this will make its way to the U.S. market either. Considering that previous iterations of the PadFone didn't make it stateside, we're not holding our breath.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/IHlrIPr-v80/story01.htm

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First female South Korean president takes office

AAA??Feb. 24, 2013?8:29 PM ET
First female South Korean president takes office
By FOSTER KLUG and HYUNG-JIN KIM??By FOSTER KLUG and HYUNG-JIN KIM

In this Feb. 22, 2013 photo, South Korean President-elect Park Geun-hye, left, listens to Deputy commander, Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command Gen. Kwon Oh-sung during her visit at the Combined Forces Command in Seoul, South Korea. Even before she takes office Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, as South Korea's first female president, Park's campaign vow to soften Seoul's current hard-line approach to rival North Korea is being tested by Pyongyang's recent underground nuclear detonation. Pyongyang, Washington, Beijing and Tokyo are all watching to see if Park, the daughter of a staunchly anti-communist dictator, pursues an ambitious engagement policy meant to ease five years of animosity on the divided peninsula or if she sticks with the tough stance of her fellow conservative predecessor, Lee Myung-bak. (AP Photo/Yonhap) KOREA OUT

In this Feb. 22, 2013 photo, South Korean President-elect Park Geun-hye, left, listens to Deputy commander, Republic of Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command Gen. Kwon Oh-sung during her visit at the Combined Forces Command in Seoul, South Korea. Even before she takes office Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, as South Korea's first female president, Park's campaign vow to soften Seoul's current hard-line approach to rival North Korea is being tested by Pyongyang's recent underground nuclear detonation. Pyongyang, Washington, Beijing and Tokyo are all watching to see if Park, the daughter of a staunchly anti-communist dictator, pursues an ambitious engagement policy meant to ease five years of animosity on the divided peninsula or if she sticks with the tough stance of her fellow conservative predecessor, Lee Myung-bak. (AP Photo/Yonhap) KOREA OUT

FILE - In this Feb. 12 2013 file photo, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, right, talks with President-elect Park Geun-hye during their meeting about North Korea's nuclear test at the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea. Even before she takes office Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, as South Korea's first female president, Park's campaign vow to soften Seoul's current hard-line approach to rival North Korea is being tested by Pyongyang's recent underground nuclear detonation. Pyongyang, Washington, Beijing and Tokyo are all watching to see if Park, the daughter of a staunchly anti-communist dictator, pursues an ambitious engagement policy meant to ease five years of animosity on the divided peninsula or if she sticks with the tough stance of her fellow conservative predecessor, Lee Myung-bak. (AP Photo/Yonhap, Do Kwang-hwan) KOREA OUT

South Korea's outgoing President Lee Myung-bak, left, and his wife Kim Yoon-ok, right, make heart shape with arms before leaving the presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Park Geun-hye will take office Monday, Feb. 25 as South Korea's first female president. (AP Photo/Yonhap, Do Kwang-hwan) KOREA OUT

South Korean honor guards hold flags during a rehearsal of the 18th presidential inauguration ceremony inside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. South Korean President-elect Park Geun-hye's inauguration will be held on Feb. 25. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A South Korean soldier, wearing a traditional uniform, walks through a sea of chairs arranged at the National Assembly during a rehearsal on the eve of President-elect Park Geun-hye's inauguration in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? Park Geun-hye has become South Korea's first female president and returned to the presidential mansion where she grew up with her dictator father.

As president, Park will face stark divisions both in South Korean society and with rival North Korea, which detonated an underground nuclear device about two weeks ago. South Koreans worry about a growing gap between rich and poor, and there's pressure for her to live up to her campaign suggestion that she can return the country to the strong economic growth her strong-man father oversaw.

Park technically took over as the clock struck midnight. Her swearing-in ceremony Monday was to be attended by tens of thousands, including international dignitaries.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-24-AS-SKorea-New-President/id-e12f6a731736442db6ed32ec795597e1

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13.02.23 08:00 Spaghetti Dinner Boy Scount Troop 151 - Saturday February 23, 2013 from 8:00 am to 9:00 am @ Asbury Church

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Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0 spotted at MWC, almost hides your entire hand (updated with video)

At last, here's what we've been promised: an 8-inch flavor of Samsung's Galaxy Note lineup. Spotted by an anonymous tipster on the MWC show floor earlier today, the booth shows off said tablet designed with portrait usage in mind, meaning it'll pretty much cover up most of whichever hand you'll be holding it with. And obviously, the Note 8.0 comes with a stylus as well. There's not much more to share at this point, but we'll be seeing this new device in its full glory very soon, so stay tuned. One more shot after the break.

Update: The folks over at Beste Product caught a few models posing with the Galaxy Note 8.0 for Samsung's photographer. The Dutch website even has a video -- embedded after the break -- of the whole action, and there you can see some design similarities of the tablet's backside, especially how the camera protrudes a little.

[Thanks, anonymous]

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Samsung

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/J9nOCItMZW4/

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Scuba Divers Die: Two Divers Found Off The Coast of California

Travelers Today | By Lena Vazifdar

Updated: Feb 23, 2013 07:16 PM EST

Two scuba divers in California have died while diving. The Associated Press reports that they scuba divers were diving off the coast of Monterey County.? At 2:45 p.m Emergency crews were sent to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve.

Lifeguards performed CPR on one of the divers said Daniel Berlant who is the state Department of Forestry and fire Protection spokesman. Firefighters were also on the scene and helped get the second diver who was floating to shore.

The area where the divers were is a popular area for diving

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Captain Carlos Aguilera from the Carmel Highlands Fire department said to The Monterey County Herald, "At that point, we got in a boat with State Parks lifeguards and located the second victim floating in the water about 50 feet from the rocks."

Both the divers names have not been released but they were both pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. The Monterey County Herald reported that it was a man and a woman who drowned.

Executive Officer Noah Hudson said to The Monterey County Herald, "The information we received was that the kayaker was approximately three-quarters of a mile off the coast at Lovers Point, and he felt like the waters had become too rough for him to make it back to shore. We launched a crew that located him, determined that he was not hypothermic and brought him back to Monterey Harbor in our 47-foot motor lifeboat."

Point Lobos is a beautiful area near Carmel, California.

It is "home to over two hundred fifty different animal, marine mammal and bird species, and over three hundred fifty plant species have been identified at the Reserve," states pointlobos.org "Next to the spectacular scenic beauty of the Point, this presence of wildlife is among the area's most arresting features. Here it is possible to observe in a primitive environment many plant and animal species living in interesting relationships to one another."

The offshore area is one of the most richest underwater habitats in the world "with wildlife that includes seals, sea lions, sea otters and migrating gray whales, according to the state Parks and Recreation Department website," reported the AP.

Proof of certification is required for divers and is only permitted at two coves within the park including Whales coves where the two divers were located.

Source: http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/4979/20130223/scuba-diver-dies-two-divers-found-coast.htm

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The United States Heads to the South China Sea

Snapshot

Until recently, Asian countries' competing claims in the seas around China did not cause outright conflict. But now that drilling technology can tap gas and oil beds there, Asia capitals are stepping up their games.

Snapshot

With little fanfare, Beijing has recently taken an unusually moderate approach in the seas surrounding its territory. With the friendlier policy, the country hopes to restore its tarnished image in East Asia and reduce the temptation for Washington to take a more active role there.

A Norweigian- and Chinese-owned offshore oil rig in the South China Sea, May 2006. (Bobby Yip / Courtesy Reuters)

When U.S. officials are asked to comment on disputes over contested islands in the western Pacific, they invariably affirm that the Obama administration has no position on issues of sovereignty but opposes any use of force to resolve the matter. "Whether with regard to disputes in the South China Sea or in the East China Sea," Deputy Secretary of State William Burns declared last October in Tokyo, the United States "does not take a position on the question of ultimate sovereignty." True to form, he continued, "What we do take a position on is the importance of dealing with those questions through dialogue and diplomacy and avoiding intimidation and coercion." In this and other such statements, the United States projects an aura of neutrality -- even suggesting, on occasion, that the country could serve as a good-faith mediator between disputants. But Washington's stance is less neutral than it appears and more geared toward violent conflict than talking it out.

In the East China Sea, China and Japan are squabbling over a cluster of small, uninhabited islands called the Diaoyu by the Chinese and the Senkaku by the Japanese. Japan has administered the islands since the end of World War II, but China, Taiwan, and Japan all lay claim to them. In the South China Sea, meanwhile, tensions have flared over several island groups, most notably the Spratly and Paracel islands (called, respectively, the Nansha and Xisha by China). China, Taiwan, and Vietnam claim all of these islands, and Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines claim some of them.

Little more than rock formations, the islands possess hardly any value in and of themselves. But they are believed to sit astride vast undersea reserves of oil and natural gas -- lucrative caches for whichever country can get to them. Beyond the economic boon it would be, the Chinese view acquisition of the islands (along with the recovery of Taiwan) as the final dismantling of the imperial yoke of Western powers and Japan. The other claimants, meanwhile, see retaining control of the islands as a necessary act of defiance in the face of China's growing power and assertiveness.

The United States' own interests in the islands are varied. To begin with, the U.S. Navy has long dominated this maritime region, which is a vital thoroughfare for U.S. warships heading from the Pacific to the Middle East. The United States is also obligated by treaty to defend Japan and its maritime lifelines. Hence, "freedom of navigation" in the East and South China Seas is an avowed U.S. national security priority.

The growing involvement of U.S. energy companies in the extraction of oil and natural gas from the South China Sea has added another layer to the United States' strategy. According to a recent report from the U.S. Department of Energy, major firms such as Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil have partnered with the state-owned oil companies of Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines to develop promising reserves in maritime territories claimed by these countries as well as China. In October 2011, for example, Exxon announced a major gas find in waters claimed by Vietnam that are also said to be part of China's own maritime territory.

For years, these obligations and interests were taken only half-seriously. In the George W. Bush years, and early in the Obama years, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dominated White House policymaking, allowing the administrations little time to think about maritime strategy in East Asia. That left a rising China virtually unchecked to assert indisputable rights to contested islands in the region and to use military force to back up its words. On several occasions, the Chinese navy thwarted rivals' efforts (which had often been undertaken in conjunction with U.S. firms) to explore oil and gas prospects in areas they claimed. In May and June 2011, for example, Chinese ships reportedly severed the exploration cables of seismic survey ships owned by PetroVietnam, which has partnered with ExxonMobil and other foreign firms to search for oil and gas in the South China Sea. According to documents released by WikiLeaks, Exxon has been warned by China to suspend its cooperation with PetroVietnam. As is typical, there has been little or no official U.S. response to China's actions.

In 2011, with U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan winding down, President Barack Obama began to address the perceived decline in America's regional power position. Claiming that the Asia-Pacific region had become the new center of global economic dynamism, Obama set out to restore military dominance there. This meant, first and foremost, the reinforcement of U.S. forces in the Pacific, especially the Navy, which is slated to deploy 60 percent of its combat strength in the region (as compared to 50 percent at present); but, as Obama explained, it also entailed the reinvigoration of military ties with U.S. allies in the region, especially Japan and the Philippines. Although Obama has insisted that this so-called pivot to Asia was not intended to punish or contain China, it is hard to view it as anything else.

Source: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/139023/michael-t-klare/the-united-states-heads-to-the-south-china-sea?cid=rss-snapshots-the_united_states_heads_to_the-000000

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Merkel backs new EU talks for Turkey but has doubts

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday she favored new talks to revive Turkey's stalled European Union membership bid, following warnings by the Turkish prime minister its half-century wait was "unforgivable".

Yet Merkel, who favors a "privileged partnership" for Turkey in place of full EU membership, stressed the outcome of Ankara's talks with Brussels should be open, and she remained skeptical about whether Turkey should join.

Turkey has complained bitterly over Berlin's lack of support for its EU hopes, and has accused the EU of double-standards in conducting negotiations without full membership in mind.

Merkel made her comments in her regular weekly video message, a day before she sets off on a two-day visit to Turkey. Her defense minister visited German patriot missile batteries in Turkey, a fellow NATO member, on Saturday.

Socialist French President Francois Hollande said last week he was ready to unblock talks on the "chapter" or policy area dealing with help for EU regions. His conservative predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, strongly opposed Turkey's EU aspirations.

"I think a long negotiating path lies ahead of us. Although I am skeptical, I agreed with the continuation of membership discussions. We are engaging in these with an open result," Merkel said.

"In recent times, negotiations stalled somewhat and I am in favor of opening a new chapter in order to move forward."

Turkey's EU accession bid, launched in 2005, all but ground to a halt over an intractable dispute over the divided island of Cyprus, an EU member, and opposition from Paris and Berlin.

Turkey has completed only one of 35 policy "chapters" every accession candidate must conclude. All but 13 are blocked by France, Cyprus and the European Commission, which says Ankara does not meet standards on human rights and freedom of speech.

"Since Mrs Merkel came to office, she has repeatedly used the expression 'privileged partnership' about our European Union process. Yet when Germany had the rotating presidency, we were still able to secure the opening of certain chapters," Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.

He expressed his hope for positive developments during Ireland's EU presidency which runs until July. Germany last held it in the first half of 2007.

"Now there is change in France and a difference in the views of Germany and France. Along with Chancellor Merkel's positive statement on opening chapters, these will pay off during Ireland's presidency," Erdogan added.

GROWING PRESSURE

Turkey is increasingly frustrated at the wait and support among its citizens for joining the EU has waned. Erdogan called the delay "unforgivable" on February 4 and has warned the EU would lose Turkey if it was not granted full membership by 2023.

German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, from Merkel's Free Democrat (FDP) coalition partners called the standstill unsatisfactory in December and urged renewed vigor in talks.

Even some within Merkel's own Christian Democrats back fuller support for Turkey, risking the chancellor becoming more isolated in advocating 'privileged partnership'.

EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger, a CDU member, told newspaper Bild this week, "I'd like to bet that within the next decade, a German chancellor along with their colleagues from France will go begging on their knees to Ankara saying 'friends come to us'".

Ruprecht Polenz, head of the CDU's parliamentary foreign affairs committee, told the Berliner Zeitung newspaper on Saturday: "it is clear to most people in my party that the idea of 'privileged partnership' is defunct." Instead people should accept that negotiations will ultimately lead to membership.

(Additional reporting by Ayla Jean Yackley in Istanbul and Andreas Rinke in Berlin; Editing by Jason Webb)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/merkel-backs-eu-talks-turkey-doubts-172911699.html

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NASA deciphering the mysterious math of the solar wind

Feb. 21, 2013 ? Many areas of scientific research -- Earth's weather, ocean currents, the outpouring of magnetic energy from the sun -- require mapping out the large scale features of a complex system and its intricate details simultaneously.

Describing such systems accurately, relies on numerous kinds of input, beginning with observations of the system, incorporating mathematical equations to approximate those observations, running computer simulations to attempt to replicate observations, and cycling back through all the steps to refine and improve the models until they jibe with what's seen. Ultimately, the models successfully help scientists describe, and even predict, how the system works.

Understanding the sun and how the material and energy it sends out affects the solar system is crucial, since it creates a dynamic space weather system that can disrupt human technology in space such as communications and global positioning system (GPS) satellites.

However, the sun and its prodigious stream of solar particles, called the solar wind, can be particularly tricky to model since as the material streams to the outer reaches of the solar system it carries along its own magnetic fields. The magnetic forces add an extra set of laws to incorporate when trying to determine what's governing the movement. Indeed, until now, equations for certain aspects of the solar wind have never been successfully devised to correlate to the observations seen by instruments in space. Now, for the first time, a scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., has created a set of the necessary equations, published in Physical Review Letters on Dec. 4, 2012.

"Since the 1970s, scientists have known that movement in the solar wind often has the characteristics of a kind of wave called an Alfv?n wave," says Aaron Roberts, a space scientist at Goddard. "Imagine you have a jump rope and you wiggle one end so that it sends waves down the rope. Alfv?n waves are similar, but the moving rope is a magnetic field line itself."

The Alfv?n waves in this case tended to have great consistency in height -- or amplitude, which is the common term when talking about waves -- but they are random in direction. You might think of it like a jump rope twirling, always the same distance from center, but nonetheless able to be in many places in space. Another way scientists have envisioned the waves is as a "random walk on a sphere." Again, always the same distance from a given center, but with a variable placement.

Such metaphorical descriptions are based on what instruments in space have, in fact, observed when they see magnetic waves go by in the solar wind. But it turns out that the equations to describe this kind of movement -- equations necessary to advance scientific models of the entire system -- were not easily found.

"The puzzle has been to figure out why the amplitude is so constant," says Roberts. "But it's been very difficult to find equations that satisfy all the characteristics of the magnetic field."

Similar waves are, in fact, seen in light, known as polarized waves. But magnetic fields have additional constraints on what shapes and configurations are even possible. Roberts found a way to overlap numerous waves of different wavelengths in such a way that they ultimately made the variation in amplitude as small as possible.

To his surprise, the equations Roberts devised matched what was observed more closely than he'd expected. Not only did the equations show waves of constant amplitude, but they also showed occasional random jumps and sharp changes -- an unexplained feature seen in the observations themselves.

"Overlapping the waves in this way gives us a way of writing down equations that we didn't have before," says Roberts. "It also has this nice consequence that it is more realistic than we expected, since it shows discontinuities we actually see in the wind. This is important for simulations and models where we want to start with initial conditions that are as close to the observed solar wind as we can get."

Of course, having an equation doesn't yet tell us the reason why the waves in the solar wind are shaped in this way. Nonetheless, equations that describe how the waves move open the door to increasingly accurate simulations that may well help explain such causes. By alternately improving models and improving observations, scientists continue the cyclic nature of such research, until just what physical action on the sun causes these curiously-shaped Alfv?n waves someday becomes clear.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA.

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. D. Aaron Roberts. Construction of Solar-Wind-Like Magnetic Fields. Physical Review Letters, 2012; 109 (23) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.231102

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/C8_zf6cWoDw/130221214615.htm

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Ex-mayor Murphy says his bodyguard didn't use cards

The U.S. military on Friday grounded the F-35 fighter jet due to a crack in an engine component that was discovered during a routine inspection in California.

The Pentagon said in a statement that it was too early to assess the impact on the fleet of ...

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Football: Sheikh Salman in the running for AFC presdient

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South Africa court awards Pistorius bail

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Iraq gives go-ahead for Iranian pipeline to Syria

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraq has approved the construction of a natural gas pipeline across its territory that will connect Iran to key ally Syria. The move likely to strengthen Tehran's influence over its neighbors.

The Iraqi Cabinet said in a statement Tuesday evening that it has instructed the country's oil minister to sign a framework agreement for the $10 billion project, allowing the pipeline to move ahead.

The project is designed to supply gas from the giant South Pars field to Syria as well as other export markets.

Iran signed a preliminary deal to build the 1,500-kilometer (750-mile) pipeline in July 2011 as Syrian rebels were stepping up their fight to topple President Bashar Assad. Work on the project started in November.

After Russia, Iran has the world's second-largest natural gas reserves.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-gives-ahead-iranian-pipeline-syria-101538950--finance.html

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Molecular system that could help develop potential treatments for conditions such as Alzheimer's disease identified

Feb. 21, 2013 ? Scientists from the University of Southampton have identified the molecular system that contributes to the harmful inflammatory reaction in the brain during neurodegenerative diseases.

An important aspect of chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's or prion disease, is the generation of an innate inflammatory reaction within the brain.

Results from the study open new avenues for the regulation of the inflammatory reaction and provide new insights into the understanding of the biology of microglial cells, which play a leading role in the development and maintenance of this reaction.

Dr Diego Gomez-Nicola, from the CNS Inflammation group at the University of Southampton and lead author of the paper, says: "The understanding of microglial biology during neurodegenerative diseases is crucial for the development of potential therapeutic approaches to control the harmful inflammatory reaction. These potential interventions could modify or arrest neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer disease.

"The future potential outcomes of this line of research would be rapidly translated into the clinics of neuropathology, and would improve the quality of life of patients with these diseases."

Microglial cells multiply during different neurodegenerative conditions, although little is known about to what extent this accounts for the expansion of the microglial population during the development of the disease or how it is regulated.

Writing in The Journal of Neuroscience, scientists from the University of Southampton describe how they used a laboratory model of neurodegeneration (murine prion disease), to understand the brain's response to microglial proliferation and dissected the molecules regulating this process. They found that signalling through a receptor called CSF1R is a key for the expansion of the microglial population and therefore drugs could target this.

Dr Diego Gomez-Nicola adds: "We have been able to identify that this molecular system is active in human Alzheimer's disease and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, pointing to this mechanism being universal for controlling microglial proliferation during neurodegeneration. By means of targeting CSF1R with selective inhibitors we have been able to delay the clinical symptoms of experimental prion disease, also preventing the loss of neurons."

The research has been funded by a Marie Curie fellowship from the European Union and a pilot research grant from Alzheimer's Research UK.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/Ag2UYcm-nZA/130221084711.htm

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Real-estate recovery anticipated for UAE in 2013 | Informa Group plc ...

According to lan Robertson, CEO, Jones Lang LaSalle MENA, "The foundations are being laid for a recovery from 2014, with a number of major infrastructure projects scheduled to start later this year. We also expect the real-estate in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai to benefit from increased economic activity between the UAE and East Asia, specifically China and South Korea, as well as sub Saharan Africa and Australia."

Real estate advisory firm Jones Lang LaSalle's Q4 2012 Dubai Real-Estate Overview reported promising signs of recovery from the end of last year in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with upward prices in the residential, retail and hotel sectors. These were coupled with stimulus packages, as well as UAE Central Bank mortgage loan-to-value caps to curb market fluctuations.

According to the latest figures from Ventures ONSITE, the UAE has a value of projects planned, under tender, under construction or on hold, of $900,953m. Likewise, project values for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are $673,490m, Qatar $108,063m and Kuwait $142,924m.

This positive outlook sets the platform for Cityscape Abu Dhabi and ecoConstruct Expo 2013 - held concurrently over three days from 16 -18 April at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Already established as one of the world's leading business-to-business real-estate events, Cityscape's portfolio of exhibitions, conferences, round tables, seminars, and business breakfast events brings together key industry decision makers, international investors, developers, architects, designers and consultants.

ecoConstruct Expo, hosted alongside Cityscape Abu Dhabi, provides an opportunity for the region's consultants, contractors and architects to source sustainable building/construction solutions, and is a platform for local and international suppliers to showcase their eco-friendly building and infrastructure products which also reduce costs, increase output and raise overall building efficiency.

Sustainability is gaining pace within the construction industry in 2013, continuing from 2012, with Abu Dhabi taking the lead. According to recent reports, developers across the region are turning their attention to the impact of sustainability and green construction concepts on their profits and cost savings targets. Energy audits have shown that energy bills can be reduced by up to 20% through good design and the use of sustainable materials.

Meanwhile, the industry as a whole is realising that the lifecycle costs of these buildings can be reduced with minimal cost measures and a payback period of just 12 to 18 months. As such, 2013 is set to be a year of massive growth in the green building market - not least for developers looking to ensure the longevity of their assets.

Adnan Sharafi, Emirates Green Building Council (Emirates/GBC) Chairman explained, "The construction industry in the region is witnessing robust growth, and emerging from the challenges faced in the last few years, the sector now has a renewed focus on sustainability and quality. Industry stakeholders seek materials and processes that will not only help optimise resource use efficiency, but also contribute to cost and energy savings in the long run. Through our participation at Cityscape Abu Dhabi and ecoConstruct Expo 2013, Emirates Green Building Council is underlining its commitment to promoting best practices in sustainability in the built environment, in line with the green vision for the UAE."

As steady growth is being witnessed within the industry, this focus on preservation and quality will benefit everyone from the Developer to the end-user.

"Being the region's leading event focusing on green sustainability, ecoConstruct Expo has a crucial role to play in what is an ever-increasing priority for the building industry," offered Chris Speller, Commercial Director, Informa. "Together with Cityscape Abu Dhabi, the Expo is perfectly aligned to provide a holistic view of one of the region's key economic sectors," he added.

Both events are supported by Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) as a Strategic Partner while Emirates Steel is ecoConstruct Expo's Principal Sponsor.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/real-estate-recovery-anticipated-uae-2013-330560

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Clive Davis Admits: I'm Bisexual

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Simple And Powerful Online Marketing Tips

By Clare Johnson

In a world where cut throat competition has become the norm, having a competitive edge in your target niche is vital for the sustainability of your business. Today, the internet has made it easier to create and maintain a business presence online. The fact that this type of marketing is cheap and effective has only contributed to its popularity and regard as a necessity for most businesses.

Online Marketing Tips

There are several proven techniques that you could implement when formulating an online marketing strategy for your company. Here are some internet marketing tips and tricks to help boost your business:

Identify your market

Whatever internet marketing strategies you have will not succeed unless you have clearly defined your audience. Figure out what your target market is before spending any money on marketing. Typically, a good understanding of your product will help you realize who will be interested in it, their age group, gender and their potential financial situation. Identifying your market will also help you determine what you are looking to gain from your internet affiliate marketing and advertising efforts i.e. increased revenues, product awareness, brand creation etc.

Budget for your plan

Internet marketing online is cheaper if you compare it with other form of marketing. Actually, there are many marketing platforms that you can use for free. It is however important to not only rely on these free forms of online marketing but also consider spending money on outlets relevant to your product with the most potential output. Paid internet marketing resources such as pay-per-click will guarantee that your website will feature in many related website as an advert. You could also apply internet marketing advertising methods such as placing online ads on internet newsgroups or major commercial services online.

Website Content

The information you present on your website should be helpful, up to date and relevant to your customers. It should be easy to read and navigate so that customers can quickly get to the specific information they want, which should be neatly arranged and accessible with the simple click of a link. Many people just scan the heading of a website in a rush to find the particular information that they want therefore your content should be properly structured with the coding tags and necessary headings.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

You want your website to be among the first results displayed when someone types a query into any search engine about something that is relevant to your company. Dedicating a portion of your budget to hiring a professional SEO specialist can be rewarding in terms of attracting new traffic to your website. The idea behind SEO is to make you web pages search engine friendly by: using keywords that are commonly searched when looking for products like yours, formatting and customizing your titles and headlines, back-linking, creating Meta tags etc.

Social Networking Connection

You cannot possibly overlook the power of social networking. Social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus and MySpace provide access to millions of potential customers all through a single medium. Create a page for your website or business on these social networking sites and provide frequent updates about new products and any general information related to your company. You could also create a blog where you could discuss topics related to your products and encourage interaction by allowing people to comment and become members of the blog.

Creating a relationship with your customers and having a sense of community could be priceless for generating buzz for new products, company branding and creating an image to the public. Social networking has proven time and again to be productive as far as internet marketing for small business goes seeking to create a name and acquire a share of the market.

Integrating Multimedia

People like to see the products that they are buying before they buy them. If you are selling something online, include pictures, videos and sounds as necessary in order to give a more detailed look of your products. Multimedia could also be implemented for internet marketing advertising purposes i.e. You could create an interesting video promoting your products and post it on video sharing sites like YouTube and attach links back to your website. Videos on sites such as YouTube have been known to get millions of views, which means that you could potentially get hundreds or even thousands of new traffic to your website.

The rise of the online marketing has changed the dynamics for every internet marketer out there and handling all these issues can be time consuming and tedious. However, a good internet marketing business can help your business get a piece of this elusive and tricky new global market. The flexibility, cost effectiveness and convenience of this type of marketing makes it a no brainer for businesses looking to grown and reach new heights. If done right, an internet marketing promotion could lead to unimaginable gains for your business.

Clare Johnson has been successfully blogging with Empower Network since its inception. Are you ready to release your inner badass? These people made money blogging? FREE VIDEO reveals how they did it!

Tagged as: internet marketer, internet marketing advertising, Internet Marketing For Small Business, internet marketing online, internet marketing promotion, internet marketing tips and tricks, Online Marketing Tips

Source: http://liveamericandreamnow.com/?p=6564

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Verizon Galaxy S3 Sells for $69.99 on Amazon

The Samsung Galaxy S3 is considered by many people in the tech world the best smartphone currently on the market; it has even ranked higher than Apple's iPhone 5 in terms of features and specs on many technology enthusiasts' lists. It is the first smartphone to truly give the iPhone real competition since its debut in 2007.

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The Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 has some very impressive specs. The Galaxy S3 features a 4.8-inch 306ppi (pixels per inch) 1280 x 720 Super AMOLED Plus HD display, Android 4.0 (upgradable to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean), 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 16GB of internal memory, 2GB of RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera with zero shutter lag and LED Flash, 1.9-megapixel front camera, 1080p HD video capture (rear camera), 720p HD video capture (front-facing camera), 4G LTE radio, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC (near field communications), microSD slot with support for up to 64GB microSD cards and a 2,100 mAh removable battery.

If you buy this smartphone you'll be happy to know that while it ships with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, you'll be able to update the Galaxy S3 right out of the box to Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, and soon Android 4.1.2 will be released for it, which is expected to bring even more features and enhancements to the smartphone. One very popular feature is Samsung's very own Multi-View feature that allows you to multitask by running two applications at the same time while splitting them up on the screen.

Amazon Wireless is currently offering the $69.99 Verizon Samsung Galaxy S3 in both black and white models and is also offering free two-day shipping on the order. Amazon has both models in stock and will ship the smartphone within 24 hours of purchase.?

Source: http://www.mobilenapps.com/articles/7441/20130219/verizon-galaxy-s3-sells-69-99-amazon.htm

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ASU professors study the social dynamics of scientific collaborations

Public release date: 18-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Skip Derra
skip.derra@asu.edu
480-965-4823
Arizona State University

BOSTON -- Society currently faces profound social and environmental challenges that must be met to secure a sustainable future for humanity. A major challenge in achieving this goal is discovering how best to synthesize important findings and ideas from many disciplines and use them to produce scientifically informed social and environmental policy.

This task is not easy. Different disciplines use different theories and methods, and scientists and policy makers rarely work together. New types of research centers are needed, as are new ways of organizing collaborations between scientists and between scientists and policy makers.

New research by John Parker of Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University and Edward Hackett of ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change works to identify the specific types of research environments and social interactions that facilitate success in these collaborations.

Parker presented the team's analysis of factors that facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations between scientists and policy makers today (Feb. 18), at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His talk was titled "Ecology Transformed: NCEAS and Organizing for Synthesis."

Parker and Hackett are using novel, state-of-the-art research instruments known as "sociometric sensors" in their investigation. These are wearable computers that record data about how scientists and policy makers interact with each other, including movement, vocal tones, interruptions, volume and other conversational nuances.

They will use these sensors to study scientists working on real problems at several research centers around the world with the aim of identify patterns of social interaction that are best related to collaborative success. Sensor data will also be integrated with interviews, surveys and observations of the scientists.

Hackett and Parker hope that the groundwork they build in these studies will pave the way for future research on the same topic and allow for the creation of new types of research centers capable of meeting the challenges of the future. Their work also has implications for ASU's vision as The New American University.

"What we are doing," Parker said, "is related to what ASU is trying to do on a larger scale. By embedding engagement into activities, the university hopes to positively impact the social and environmental development of individuals and the community as a whole."

###

Source:
John Parker, (480) 727-5545

Media contact:
Skip Derra, (480) 965-4823; skip.derra@asu.edu

Story written by Ross McBeath

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[ | E-mail | Share ]

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

Public release date: 18-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Skip Derra
skip.derra@asu.edu
480-965-4823
Arizona State University

BOSTON -- Society currently faces profound social and environmental challenges that must be met to secure a sustainable future for humanity. A major challenge in achieving this goal is discovering how best to synthesize important findings and ideas from many disciplines and use them to produce scientifically informed social and environmental policy.

This task is not easy. Different disciplines use different theories and methods, and scientists and policy makers rarely work together. New types of research centers are needed, as are new ways of organizing collaborations between scientists and between scientists and policy makers.

New research by John Parker of Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University and Edward Hackett of ASU's School of Human Evolution and Social Change works to identify the specific types of research environments and social interactions that facilitate success in these collaborations.

Parker presented the team's analysis of factors that facilitate cross-disciplinary collaborations between scientists and policy makers today (Feb. 18), at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. His talk was titled "Ecology Transformed: NCEAS and Organizing for Synthesis."

Parker and Hackett are using novel, state-of-the-art research instruments known as "sociometric sensors" in their investigation. These are wearable computers that record data about how scientists and policy makers interact with each other, including movement, vocal tones, interruptions, volume and other conversational nuances.

They will use these sensors to study scientists working on real problems at several research centers around the world with the aim of identify patterns of social interaction that are best related to collaborative success. Sensor data will also be integrated with interviews, surveys and observations of the scientists.

Hackett and Parker hope that the groundwork they build in these studies will pave the way for future research on the same topic and allow for the creation of new types of research centers capable of meeting the challenges of the future. Their work also has implications for ASU's vision as The New American University.

"What we are doing," Parker said, "is related to what ASU is trying to do on a larger scale. By embedding engagement into activities, the university hopes to positively impact the social and environmental development of individuals and the community as a whole."

###

Source:
John Parker, (480) 727-5545

Media contact:
Skip Derra, (480) 965-4823; skip.derra@asu.edu

Story written by Ross McBeath

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/asu-aps021513.php

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First Time? Welcome to Slickdeals! Save money here by finding the lowest and cheapest price, best deals and bargains, and hot coupons. We're all about community driven bargain hunting with thousands of free discounts, promo codes, reviews and price comparisons.

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Moms everywhere like to ask their unmarried

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Thoughts on Officiating at Same-Gender Blessing Services ...

The Board of the Covenant Network has analyzed the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission?s decisions in cases where teaching elders have been involved in same-gender marriages, and offers thoughts for those who are concerned with providing pastoral care that is consistent with the GAPJC?s authoritative interpretation of the PCUSA Constitution:

May Presbyterian ministers officiate at weddings of same-gender couples?
May Sessions give permission for such ceremonies to be held on their premises?

Now that nine states and the District of Columbia have authorized same-gender couples to enter into lawful, civil marriage, and other jurisdictions are considering similar measures, these questions have become more common and more pressing.

There are no certain, straightforward answers to these questions. Teaching elders and Sessions should carefully weigh the following considerations if they are asked to participate in or make their facilities available for a licensed same-gender wedding ceremony.

There is no definitive authority comprehensively addressing issues arising with same-gender wedding ceremonies, but decisions in church courts have not looked favorably on Presbyterian ministers officiating at such ceremonies. The General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission (GAPJC) has addressed same-gender unions and marriages five times over the past dozen years.[1] It has repeatedly observed that the Constitution nowhere expressly addresses same-gender relationships. In the absence of a definitive description or ruling, the Constitution?s definition of Christian marriage as between ?a man and a woman? (W-4.9001) has been called upon to provide the basis for evaluating conduct concerning same-gender ceremonies. The GAPJC has recognized this provision in the Book of Worship was not designed to address the questions now being pressed.[2] Nevertheless, in the absence of direct address to these questions, the definition has generally been used to weigh against same-gender wedding services being conducted by teaching elders or hosted by Presbyterian churches.

Some pastoral acts have been affirmed as permissible:

• Teaching elders may hold a religious service to bless a same-gender union, including the union of a couple that has been civilly married, and Sessions may authorize the use of church facilities for such a purpose.? Such a ceremony, however, must be liturgically distinct from traditional PCUSA liturgies of marriage, such as those found in the Book of Common Worship.? The GAPJC decisions have not explained what constitutes a sufficient liturgical distinction, but in the view of the Covenant Network, the GAPJC likely will honor any good faith effort to avoid hallmarks of the traditional Christian marriage service (e.g., as in the concluding pronouncement of marriage).
• Teaching elders may participate in a civil ceremony of marriage for a same-gender couple.? Nothing in the Constitution or polity prohibits a teaching elder from signing a legal certificate or license of marriage or acting as a witness to the civil marriage.[3]? The Commission has made clear that the Directory for Worship only applies to services ?conducted under the auspices of the PCUSA.?? McNeill, at 3.? Teaching elders also may provide pre-marital counseling to a same-gender couple to the same extent as would be expected with a traditional dual- gender marriage.? Such counseling probably should include information concerning the PCUSA?s definition of Christian marriage.? Teaching elders (and others) may refer accurately to the couple as ?married,? so long as they do not state or imply that the civil marriage is recognized as a Christian marriage by PCUSA polity. ??See McNeill, at 3 (PCUSA officer who was civilly married in a same-gender relationship did not commit an offense by describing herself as ?married?).

Caution is urged here, however. Because same-gender marriages, civil or Christian, are highly controversial, public engagement with same-gender marriage ceremonies may provoke accusations and even charges.[4]? In the absence of clearer guidelines, teaching elders who desire to provide pastoral support to a same-gender couple and celebrate the couple?s decision to enter into a commitment of civil marriage may be vulnerable to accusations.

Some pastoral acts seem to be ruled out by GAPJC decisions:

• Teaching elders may not represent or imply that a religious ceremony of blessing for a same-gender couple ?is an ecclesiastical marriage ceremony as defined by PCUSA polity, whether or not the civil jurisdiction allows same-gender civil marriages.?? Southard, at 4.? What this admonition means in practice, however, is far from clear if the religious ceremony coincides with the same-gender couple?s civil marriage (as is commonly the case with traditional dual-gender marriage).

In cases not covered by these rulings, there may be room for pastoral discretion, though the way is not entirely clear. ?The hard and murky question is whether it is permissible for a teaching elder to combine a civil marriage ceremony with a service of religious blessing, even assuming the pastor is careful to distinguish the liturgy from a traditional service of marriage and not to imply or represent that the marriage, though legal, is not sanctioned by the PCUSA.? The GAPJC has never directly confronted this issue.[5]

The Covenant Network believes that a teaching elder may officiate at a civil marriage with a religious blessing without running afoul of the Constitution, provided that the officiant steers clear of traditional liturgical forms and issues a statement in connection with the service that sets forth the PCUSA polity.? This view is supported by the GAPJC?s observation that its authoritative interpretations are meant to avoid the misrepresentation that the PCUSA ?recognizes the ceremony and the resulting relationship to be a marriage in the eyes of the church.?? Spahr (II), at 4.? If the PCUSA?s view of marriage is clearly represented, there would be no misrepresentation that the ?marriage,? though legal and blessed by the Church, is not ?an ecclesiastical marriage ceremony as defined by PCUSA polity.?

Teaching elders who wish to proceed with the possibly permissible procedure described above (distinguishing a civil wedding with a religious blessing from a ?marriage in the eyes of the church?) might steer clear of misrepresenting PCUSA polity in the context of a same-gender marriage/blessing by including the following statements made in the service or in the bulletin:

?According to the laws of the State (of _______) and the provisions of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA), we are gathered to bless the civil union of ___ and ___. ??In all human relationships, we celebrate acts of commitment, respect, and love. So we come today with joy to recognize and bless this civil union as a sacred covenant.?

or

?We are gathered today in great joy to celebrate the love and commitment of _____ and _____. ? With regret we acknowledge that the laws of _____ and the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (USA) do not recognize full marriage equality; yet we believe that this covenant is every bit as sacred as marriage, and commit ourselves to working for the day when there are no such distinctions?

or

?We are here today to celebrate a civil marriage under the laws of the State of__________ of???????? ?and ??????????????. ?While we wish the Presbyterian Church sanctioned this as a marriage, and will work for the day it does so, we intend to rejoice with this couple and support their commitment, love, and mutual respect just as we rejoice with and support all who make vows of faithful love and commitment in this church.?

??????????? We encourage ministers to work with couples to be creative in developing services that reflect and honor their relationships.? There are some suggestions, which might be adapted, in a volume published by Westminster John Knox in 1995:? Equal Rites: Lesbian and Gay Worship, Ceremonies, and Celebrations, eds. Kittredge Cherry and Salmon Sherwood.? Other resources are listed at

Although the Covenant Network believes that such a service is defensible under the Constitution, in many Presbyteries where same-gender marriage remains highly controversial, the act of providing an ecclesiastical blessing that merges with the civil marriage may provoke an accusation and a charge.?? Thus, the officiant may want to consider a safer strategy:? separating the permissible religious blessing from the civil marriage.?? For example, the pastor or others could hold a civil ceremony to attest to the marriage and sign the license followed by a service of blessing.?? The Office of the General Assembly indeed has advised that such an approach poses less risk of judicial charges.[6] ?The same admonitions would still apply ? that the service of blessing must be liturgically distinct and that marriage must not be held out to be an ecclesiastical marriage ceremony as defined by PCUSA polity.

Finally, for those who reject applying the fine distinctions suggested above, but who instead decide to provide the same service of marriage to same-gender couples, accusations and charges likely will come.? It is likely, however, the practical consequences from such a charge would not be severe.? Experience from other cases has been that Investigating Committees and Prosecuting Committees will apply only the mildest form of discipline, a Rebuke, to teaching elders who are found guilty of the offense of officiating at a disapproved same-gender wedding ceremony.

Prepared by Timothy Cahn, Esq., and the Board of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians.

---

[1] See Pby of Newark v. McNeill, (2012), Disc. Case 221-02; ?Spahr v. Pby of Redwoods (2012), Disc.Case 220-08 (Spahr 2); Southard v. Pby of Boston (2011), Disc. Case 220-02;? Spahr v. Pby of Redwoods (2008), Disc. Case 218-12; Benton v. Pby or Hudson River, (2000) Rem. Case 212-11.? A brief history of the rulings is available here: http://covnetpres.org/2013/02/a-pastoral-emergency/.

[2] The GAPJC has expressed concern over the lack of clear authority addressing same-gender marriages.? The Commission recently observed, ?In light of the number of cases coming before this Commission and the convoluted grounds upon which cases are brought and decided, it would be beneficial for the church to provide a definitive position regarding participation of officers in same-gender ceremonies whether civil or religious.?? McNeill, at 5.

[3] Marriage fundamentally is a matter of state law.? The civil laws of all fifty states authorize religious ministers to act as an agent of the state to solemnize the marriage.? One would be well-advised to consult the civil law of the jurisdiction where the same-gender marriage is contemplated to determine whether or not a denomination?s view of its ministers? authorization to perform Christian marriage under ecclesial rules has any impact on the standing of the minister to be the State?s agent in solemnizing the marriage.? See Spahr II, at 5 (Concurring opinion by B. Bundick).

[4] PCUSA polity provides a very simple, accessible procedure by which any Presbyterian member may initiate disciplinary proceedings against a teaching elder, even one located in a different Presbytery.

[5]An Advisory Opinion issued by the Office of the General Assembly has suggested that a teaching elder may not ?perform a same-gender ?marriage.?? ??The Advisory Opinion?s use of ?marriage?? (the quotation marks are the OGA?s) in this context is ambiguous.? The Covenant Network agrees with this statement only assuming that the OGA, by ?marriage,? means a ?Christian marriage sanctioned by PCUSA polity.?? A PCUSA teaching elder may not officiate a same-gender marriage that is determined and represented to be a Christian marriage service authorized by the PCUSA.?? Nothing in the Constitution, however, prohibits teaching elders from solemnizing the civil marriage of a same-gender couple, if authorized by the State to do so.

[6] The OGA opined: ?The blessing of a union between two persons of the same-gender previously married in a legally permitted civil ceremony may pose less risk, provided that the officiant at the blessing ceremony does not in any way state, imply, or represent the blessing to be? a Christian marriage recognized by the PCUSA.

Source: http://covnetpres.org/2013/02/thoughts-on-officiating-at-same-gender-blessing-services/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=thoughts-on-officiating-at-same-gender-blessing-services

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