PBS shows how hacking is reclaiming its good name after a bad rap (video)

Hacking is still a loaded concept for many, often conjuring negative images of corporate espionage, fraudsters and prank-minded script kiddies. PBS' Off Book wants to remind us that hacking wasn't always seen this way -- and, thanks to modern developments, is mending its reputation. Its latest episode shows that hacking began simply as a desire to advance devices and software beyond their original roles, but was co-opted by a sometimes misunderstanding press that associated the word only with malicious intrusions. Today, hacking has regained more of its original meaning: hackathons, a resurgence of DIY culture and digital protests prove that hacks can improve our gadgets, our security and even our political landscape. We still have a long way to go before we completely escape movie stereotypes, but the mini-documentary may offer food for thought the next time you're installing a custom ROM or building your own VR helmet.

Filed under: Misc, Networking, Internet, Alt

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Egyptian TV satirist appears before prosecutors

A bodyguard secures popular Egyptian television satirist Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, as he enters Egypt's state prosecutors office to face accusations of insulting Islam and the country's Islamist leader in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 31, 2013. Government opponents said the warrant against such a high profile figure, known for lampooning President Mohammed Morsi and the new Islamist political class, was an escalation in a campaign to intimidate critics. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

A bodyguard secures popular Egyptian television satirist Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, as he enters Egypt's state prosecutors office to face accusations of insulting Islam and the country's Islamist leader in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 31, 2013. Government opponents said the warrant against such a high profile figure, known for lampooning President Mohammed Morsi and the new Islamist political class, was an escalation in a campaign to intimidate critics. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptian popular television satirist Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, waves to is supporters as he enters Egypt's state prosecutors office in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 31, 2013 for accusations of allegedly insulting Islam and the country's leader. The acceleration in legal action targeting protesters, activists and critics comes against a backdrop of continued unrest in the country. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Popular Egyptian television satirist Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, waves to is supporters as he enters Egypt's state prosecutors office to face accusations of insulting Islam and the country's Islamist leader in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 31, 2013. Government opponents said the warrant against such a high profile figure, known for lampooning President Mohammed Morsi and the new Islamist political class, was an escalation in a campaign to intimidate critics. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

Egyptian popular television satirist Bassem Youssef, who has come to be known as Egypt's Jon Stewart, waves to is supporters as he enters Egypt's state prosecutors office to face accusations of insulting Islam and the country's Islamist leader in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, March 31, 2013. Government opponents said the warrant against such a high profile figure, known for lampooning President Mohammed Morsi and the new Islamist political class, was an escalation in a campaign to intimidate critics. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)

CAIRO (AP) ? A popular television satirist known as Egypt's Jon Stewart was released on bail Sunday after nearly five hours of interrogation over allegations that he broke the law by insulting Islam and the country's leader.

Bassem Youssef is the most prominent critic of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi to be called in for questioning in recent weeks in what the opposition says is a campaign to intimidate critics. Arrest warrants have been issued for five prominent anti-government activists accused of instigating violence.

A prosecution official said Youssef was to pay a bail of 15,000 LE ($2,200), pending the completion of an investigation.

Youssef tweeted that the bail is for three separate cases. The date for an expected fourth interrogation has not been set, he added.

Rights lawyer Gamal Eid said the release on bail means "all options are open."

"The prosecution could continue investigation, put the case aside or send it to trial," Eid said.

Youssef, the host of the weekly show "ElBernameg," or "The Program," is known for his skits lampooning Morsi and Egypt's newly empowered Islamist political class, but he also mocks the opposition and the media.

Several dozen supporters gathered outside the public prosecutor's office as he presented himself for questioning a day after a warrant for his arrest was first reported in the media.

The media also intently followed the comedian's interrogation. He first tweeted a series of quips from the prosecutor's office. "They asked me the color of my eyes. Really," one read.

A news broadcaster at a TV station affiliated with Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group, Misr 25, said he was "mocking" the investigation, and his tweets later were erased and he wrote that some reports from inside the interrogation room were "incorrect."

The fast-paced show has attracted a wide viewership, while at the same time earning itself its fair share of detractors. Youssef has been a frequent target of lawsuits, most of them brought by Islamist lawyers who have accused him of "corrupting morals" or violating "religious principles."

Prosecutor Mohammed el-Sayed Khalifa was quoted on the website of the state-owned Al-Ahram daily that he has heard 28 plaintiffs accusing Youssef of insulting Islam, mocking prayers, and "belittling" Morsi in the eyes of the world and his own people.

Youssef frequently imitates Morsi's speeches and gestures. He has fact-checked the president, and in one particularly popular episode earlier this year, Youssef played video clips showing remarks by Morsi, made in 2010 before he became president, where the Muslim Brotherhood veteran called Zionists "pigs."

The remarks caused a brief diplomatic tiff with the U.S. administration, and Morsi had to issue a statement to defuse the flap.

In his last episode this week, Youssef thanked Morsi for providing him with so much material.

Youssef has also made regular jokes about comments by Islamic clerics and Islamic stations TV presenters, exposing contradictions between their comments and public speeches and what he considers the spirit of Islam.

In remarks to a TV presenter on CBC, the private station that airs his Friday program, Youssef said late Saturday that his program does not insult Islam but aims to expose those who "distort" it.

"We don't insult religion. What we do is expose those so-called religious and Islamic stations which have offended Islam more than anyone else," he said. "If anyone is to be investigated for insulting religions, it should be all those who use Islam as a weapon and a political tool to swallow the others using religion."

When asked if programs in Egypt should be less scathing than those of the West, Youssef jibed: "We will give (the West) an example of how freedoms are respected after the revolution," referring to Egypt's 2011 uprising that overthrew authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak.

Amr Moussa, a former presidential candidate and Arab League secretary general, called the warrant a "provocation to Egyptians who are known for their love of what is funny," he said.

"There is nothing odious about criticizing the president," he said in an emailed statement. "This humanizes the president."

Eid, the rights lawyer, said accusing Youssef of insulting religion ? as opposed to just the president ? is a tactic aimed at increasing public sympathy for the investigation.

"The accusation of insulting religion would mobilize more people against him," Eid said.

The release on bail means "all options are open," Eid added. "The prosecution could continue investigation, put the case aside or send it to trial."

Recent legal moves against protesters, activists and critics come as unrest in Egypt continues amid deep political polarization.

The opposition charges that Morsi, in office for nine months, has failed to tackle any of the nation's most pressing problems. They say the Brotherhood is trying to monopolize power, breaking its promises to include other factions in key decisions.

Morsi blames the country's woes on corruption under Mubarak as well as ongoing protests. He says the opposition has no grassroots support and, along with former regime supporters, is stoking unrest for political gain.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-31-ML-Egypt/id-69242d10b8a24f67b4609eef1b15165a

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Killing of Texas district attorney, wife, seen as targeted

By Marice Richter

DALLAS (Reuters) - The killing of a Texas district attorney and his wife, in the same county where an assistant prosecutor was shot dead outside a courthouse in January, does not appear to be random, a local official said on Sunday.

Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland and his wife, Cynthia, were found with fatal gunshot wounds at their home near the town of Forney, Texas, on Saturday, two months after Assistant District Attorney Mark Hasse was gunned down.

"In my view it appears that it was not random. It was a targeted attack," Forney Mayor Darren Rozell told CNN.

"We're obviously sad and shocked but there's some outrage too," said Rozell.

He did not elaborate on a possible motive for the double murder, but neither he nor Kaufman County Sheriff David Byrnes ruled out a link between the killings.

Hasse was shot and killed the same day the U.S. Department of Justice released a statement saying the Kaufman County District Attorney's Office was involved in a racketeering case against the Aryan Brotherhood white supremacist group.

"It's unnerving to the law enforcement community, it's unnerving to the community at large," Byrnes told a news conference. "And that's why we're striving to assure the community that we are still providing public safety and will be able to do that."

Byrnes' office reported the shooting deaths late on Saturday.

Kaufman County Judge Bruce Wood said the last known contact with either of the McLellands was about 7 p.m. on Friday.

Wood described McLelland as a friend as well as a colleague. He said he and McLelland had spoken regularly about Hasse and the investigation.

"I can't fathom someone doing this," Wood said. "It is completely senseless, and completely out of the blue. Perhaps it is retaliation, but we won't know that until someone is caught."

Numerous state and federal officials, including the FBI and Texas Rangers, are involved in the investigation, Byrnes said. He said it was too early to discuss whether there were any suspects.

McLelland, a 23-year U.S. Army veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm, had five children including a son who is an officer with the Dallas police department, according to a biography on the county website.

Authorities have made no arrests in Hasse's killing. McLelland had vowed to bring his killer to justice.

Earlier this month, the Hasse slaying case took a new turn when the Kaufman police chief said the FBI was looking for any link between Hasse's death and the March 19 shooting death of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements.

Evan Spencer Ebel, 28, a Colorado prison parolee suspected of killing Clements, died in a shootout with police in Decatur, Texas, on March 21. Ebel was a member of a white supremacist prison gang called the 211 Crew and had a swastika tattoo, prison records indicate.

Judge Wood said Kaufman County investigators had found no link between the shooting death of Clements and the killing of Hasse, however. "No connection was found to the Colorado shooting," he said.

(Reporting by Marice Richter in Dallas; additional reporting by Jon Nielsen in Waxahachie, Texas, and Corrie MacLaggan in Austin, Texas; writing by Tom Brown; editing by Jackie Frank and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-county-district-attorney-wife-found-dead-032732367.html

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Rogue ex-cop's victim makes 1st public appearance

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) ? A Riverside police officer nearly killed in an ambush by rogue ex-cop Christopher Dorner made his first public appearance since the shooting, at an emotional dinner where he was greeted warmly by friends and admirers and shared a table with the wife of his late training officer.

Officer Andrew Tachias was sitting in his patrol car with Officer Michael Crain on Feb. 7 when Dorner pulled alongside them at a stoplight and opened fire.

Crain was killed. Tachias, who is still recovering, was shot eight times.

"I think he's like all of us. It's ups and downs," Crain's widow, Regina, said of Tachias. "One minute you're fine, and the next you are in a hole."

She added the dinner was the first time she and Tachias, 27, had met.

The officer, whose wounded hands were encased in protective coverings, has said he wants to return to work.

"I'm absolutely speechless for him to be back in this environment," said Officer Scott Levesque, who was among those at the event at Riverside's Original Roadhouse Grill.

The dinner capped a daylong fundraiser for the families of Tachias and Crain. It drew so many people that at one point, the restaurant ran out of silverware, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported (http://bit.ly/X4bhPe).

Tachias, dressed in a gray and black striped hoodie and sporting a beard, was greeted with hugs when he arrived at about 8 p.m. and took a table with Crain's widow.

"To be close to the person who was with him last is comforting to me," Regina Crain said.

Crain's father also attended the event, along with Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz and Lt. Larry Gonzalez, the watch commander on duty when Crain and Tachias were attacked.

Dorner went on a rampage after he was fired by the Los Angeles Police Department for filing a false report.

He killed four people and wounded Tachias before committing suicide Feb. 12 after he was cornered in a mountain cabin near Big Bear Lake.

Authorities surrounded the cabin after a wild chase that began when Dorner tied up a couple and stole their car, crashed it and carjacked another vehicle at gunpoint, then crashed that one and fled to the cabin.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rogue-ex-cops-victim-makes-1st-public-appearance-183202187.html

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North Korea's Internet? What Internet? For most, online access doesn't exist

Suzanne Choney , NBC News ? ? ? 21 hrs.

You won't find people in North Korea checking Facebook or Twitter for the latest updates on the tense situation created by its leader, Kim Jong Un. That's because the nation of 24 million is largely shut out from the Internet. Few outside the government and military have ever been online.

"In North Korea, we don't see evidence that much of anyone has access," Jim Cowie, chief technology officer and co-founder of Renesys, which does global Internet measurement, told NBC News.

"You don't see banks or factories or universities attached to the Internet," he said. "In North Korea, Internet is extremely limited. They don't have those resources. There's basically one service provider and that is state-controlled."

The country's Internet access physically comes through from China, he said, supplemented "sometimes" by a satellite provider.

"We don't have first-hand knowledge of who has access," Cowie said, but Internet use is "very tightly restricted."

So much so that North Korea was named one of 12 "enemies" of the Internet last year by Reporters Without Borders, which monitors censorship globally. "We still consider North Korea as an enemy of the Internet," Delphine Hagland, the group's director in Washington, D.C., told NBC News. Other countries making that list included China, Iran, Syria and Vietnam.

There aren't many other sources of information available in North Korea, which according to the CIA World Factbook, has "no independent media," with "radios and TVs ... pre-tuned to government stations."

About 1 million people in North Korea have cellphones, but they are not phones with Internet access.

There may be some exceptions, said Hagland. North Koreans who live near the border with China "can have the (illegal) option of connecting to the Chinese mobile network."

In its report, Reporters Without Borders also noted the existence of what's sometimes called a "sneakernet" ? that is, people handing off data to one another via physical media, rather than across a network. The North Korea-China border is "sufficiently porous to allow mobile phones, CDs, DVDs and USB flash drives containing articles and other content to be smuggled in from China."

North Korea did, for a very short time recently, allow tourists who were staying at one hotel to have Internet access via their 3G cellphones. But that access was yanked within less than a month, according to a report in Wired UK.

That brief mobile Internet availability was not tied to Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt's visit to the country, along with former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. The two had gone to North Korea in January to seek the release of American detainee Kenneth Bae ? which did not happen ? as well as to promote Internet freedom.

Nearly two years ago, the United Nations said that access to the Internet should be considered a basic human right. But North Korea has not gotten ? or has ignored ? that memo.

Schmidt, who met with North Korean scientists and software engineers, said after his visit that the country runs a risk of being left behind economically if it does not provide Internet access.

"Once the Internet starts, citizens in a country can certainly build on top of it, but the government has to do something,? he told NBC News' Ed Flanagan at that time. ?They have to make it possible for people to use the Internet, which the government in North Korea has not yet done.?

Check out Technology, GadgetBox, DigitalLife and InGame on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653377/s/2a24c072/l/0L0Snbcnews0N0Ctechnology0Ctechnolog0Cnorth0Ekoreas0Einternet0Ewhat0Einternet0Emost0Eonline0Eaccess0Edoesnt0Eexist0E1C9143426/story01.htm

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Scorsese developing 'Gangs of New York' TV series

NEW YORK (AP) ? Martin Scorsese is developing a TV series based on his 2002 film "Gangs of New York."

The director is partnering with Miramax, which released the Oscar-nominated film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Daniel Day-Lewis. The planned show doesn't yet have a TV network.

The series expands on the brutal, 19th-century New York gang world of the film. Miramax says the series will chronicle the birth of organized crime in not just New York but also in cities such as Chicago and New Orleans.

In a statement Thursday, Scorsese says the era was too rich to fully explore in a two-hour film. He says the series "allows us the time and creative freedom to bring this colorful world, and all the implications it had and still does on our society, to life."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/scorsese-developing-gangs-york-tv-series-213747590.html

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Retiring RIM founder has no plans to sell stake

TORONTO (AP) ? Research In Motion co-founder Mike Lazaridis say he has no plans to sell his significant interest in the BlackBerry maker now that he's retiring as vice chairman and director.

Lazaridis said in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday that having fulfilled a commitment to the board, he has decided to retire after 29 years with the company.

He says he is leaving RIM in good hands. According to FactSet, Lazaridis is the second biggest shareholder with a 5.7 percent stake.

He and Jim Balsillie had stepped down as co-CEOs in January 2012 after several quarters of disappointing results. Thorsten Heins, the chief operating officer, took over and spent the past year cutting costs and steering Research In Motion Ltd. toward the launch of new BlackBerry 10 phones.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-03-28-CN-Earns-Research-In-Motion-Lazaridis-Leaves/id-6fbf2abdfe13434eb2bb2da45694c7b5

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Eye-Trackers, Wrist Bands, Posture Seats, 'Mood Meter'? A Close ...

As part of the government?s initiative to institute Common Core standards for education, so comes a system that would mine information about students to establish best practices for effective teaching. But some think the technology that would conduct the mining crosses a line.

Glenn Beck spoke of the ?indoctrination? of the Common Core and data mining that goes along with it on his Wednesday evening show on TheBlaze TV. A look into the technology that would mine this personal information ? like MRI scans and other sensors ? and how it might be used has him and others concerned.

Cameras on computers could track students? facial expressions. (Photo: Shutterstock.com)

Beck?s response to it all? ?Are you out of your mind?? he said of some of the proposed sensors on Thursday?s morning radio program.

Watch the clip from Wednesday?s show:

In the draft ?Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance: Critical Factors for Success in the 21st Century? report released in February by the Department of Education is a section detailing how to measure such qualities in a student through Behavioral Task Performance.

?Behavioral task performance measures are the broad set of methods used to capture behaviors consistent with perseverance or lack thereof?and in many cases, associated emotional experiences, physical movements or facial expressions, physiological responses, and thoughts? that students do in response to a particular challenge,? the report states.

It goes on to say that laboratory experiments have long been useful in gaining information about behavioral task performance, but ?new technological opportunities offer potential for new methods and approaches.? This includes data collected about students using online learning systems but also ?affective computing? methods, which is defined as ?the study and development of systems and devices that can recognize, interpret, process, and simulate aspects of human affect.?

Understanding the emotions or physiological state of a student while they?re presented with a challenge, the report said, can be measured through ?analysis of facial expressions, EEG brain wave patterns, skin conductance, heart rate variability, posture and eye- tracking.?

The report presents this figure showing a variety of sensors that could be used to determine the emotional state of a student while performing a certain task:

Figure from the draft ?Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance? report (Image: ed.gov)

?Sensors provide constant, parallel streams of data and are used with data mining techniques and self-report measures to examine frustration, motivation/flow, confidence, boredom and fatigue,? the report states.

It presents MIT?s Mood Meter ? a device that captures facial expression through a camera on a laptop while software analyses the mood ? as an example of technology that can conduct these measurements. The Mood Meter was deployed on MIT?s campus to get a sense of the general?mood during the Festival of Art, Science and Technology in 2011. By tracking smiles as a metric of happiness, the Mood Meter would provide real-time information that could ?help with answers to questions such as ?Do midterms lower the mood??, ?Does warmer weather lead to happiness??, and ?Are people from one department happier than others???

Watch this video to see the Mood Meter in action:

You can see how such technology could be used to answer questions about a student?s behavior to certain situations or topics in the classroom.

?While this type of tool may not be necessary in a small class of students, it could be useful for examining emotional responses in informal learning environments for large groups, like museums,? the report says of the use of technology like the Mood Meter.

A study in 1999 published by MIT researchers delved into the use of a posture-sensing chair to evaluate a student. The experiment using a chair with pressure sensors on the seat and back evaluated student interest in order to better learn how to improve the experience for students in a computer-learning situation.

But a camera, chair, mouse and wristband equipped with sensors to track different metrics isn?t not all. The report also highlights the value of FMRI (functional magnetic resonance imagery), which would reveal different areas of activity in the brain through scans.

The report notes that use of such a machine is impractical in the school setting ? equipment is large and expensive to use ? but includes the following idea:

Ed Dieterle and Ash Vasudeva of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation point out that researchers such as Jon Gabrieli and Richard Davidson are beginning to use multiple methods to explore how specific brain activity is correlated with other cognitive and affective indicators that are practical to measure in school settings.

Some technology to track students in some ways is already being implemented in schools. A student in a Texas school has fought against the school?s requirement of an RFID (radio-frequency identification) tag in her student I.D. With the RFID enabled tags in the I.D.?s schools would be able to track where students were on campus ? not off ? but the student viewed it as an invasion of privacy and ?the mark of the beast.?

The report goes on to acknowledge the drawbacks of using some data mining technologies, which includes being intrusive or simply impractical for use in a traditional classroom setting.

?[...] many of these types of measures are dependent on the use of highly constrained tasks in digital learning environments, which may be difficult to translate into use in the classroom or informal learning environment.?

And what of privacy (emphasis added)?

Of course, privacy is always a concern, especially when leveraging data available in the ?cloud? that users may or may not be aware is being mined. However, another emergent concern is the consequences of using new types of personal data in new ways. Learners and educators have the potential to get forms of feedback about their behaviors, emotions, physiological responses, and cognitive processes that have never been available before. Measurement developers must carefully consider the impacts of releasing such data, sometimes of a sensitive nature, and incorporate feedback mechanisms that are valuable, respectful, and serve to support productive mindsets.

To Beck, all this adds up to the government ?using your kids as a guinea pig.?

?This is a progressive takeover of America?s entire school system,? Beck said in Wednesday?s show. ?The event horizon on this is so short because they are so far ahead if you don?t gather now as a public and act now in your local and state-wide educational systems, you will not be able to stop this.

?This is a progressive bonanza. If it?s allowed to be in our schools in any form and become the common core of America?s next generation it will destroy America and the system of freedom as we know it,? Beck said.

?

Related:

Featured image via Shutterstock.com.

Source: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/28/eye-trackers-wrist-bands-posture-seats-mood-meter-a-close-look-at-the-tech-proposed-to-track-your-kids-in-schools/

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UN authorizes intervention force for Congo

UNITED NATIONS (AP) ? The U.N. Security Council authorized a new "intervention brigade" for Congo on Thursday with an unprecedented mandate to take military action against rebel groups to help bring peace to the country's conflict-wracked east.

The resolution, which the council adopted unanimously, gives the brigade a mandate to carry out offensive operations alone or with Congolese army troops to neutralize and disarm armed groups.

The intervention brigade is unprecedented in U.N. peacekeeping because of its offensive mandate.

The resolution however states clearly that it would be established for one year "on an exceptional basis and without creating a precedent" to the principles of U.N. peacekeeping.

Guatemala's U.N. Ambassador Gert Rosenthal, expressed concern about getting the United Nations into "peace enforcement" which could compromise U.N. neutrality.

The resolution says the "intervention brigade" must have "a clear exit strategy." It says the council will consider its continued presence based on its performance and whether Congo has made sufficient progress in reforming its security sector and creating a Congolese "rapid reaction force" that can take over responsibility for neutralizing armed groups and reducing the threat they pose to civilians and the government's authority.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, the current council president, told a news conference before the vote that the resolution will reconfigure the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, "recognizing the necessity of decisively countering the destructive" violence that has left eastern Congo in turmoil since the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

The resolution, sponsored by France, the United States and Togo, would give the brigade a mandate to operate "in a robust, highly mobile and versatile manner" to ensure that armed group can't seriously threaten government authority or the security of civilians.

The brigade will be part of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, known as MONUSCO, within its troop ceiling of 19,815. The United Nations currently has more than 17,700 U.N. peacekeepers and more than 1,400 international police in Congo.

The resolution extends MONUSCO's mandate until March 31, 2014. The "intervention brigade" headquarters will be in the key eastern city of Goma. The resolution says the brigade will consist of three infantry battalions, one artillery company and one special forces and reconnaissance company. U.N. officials say it will probably include between 2,000 and 3,000 troops and the U.N. peacekeeping department will now ask U.N. member states to contribute troops.

The resolution says the "intervention brigade" must have "a clear exit strategy." It says the council will consider its continued presence based on its performance and whether Congo has made sufficient progress in reforming its security sector and creating a Congolese "rapid reaction force" able to take over responsibility for neutralizing armed groups and reducing the threat they pose.

Mineral-rich eastern Congo has been engulfed in fighting since the 1994 Rwanda genocide, in which at least 500,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by Hutu militias before a Tutsi-led rebel army took power in Rwanda. More than 1 million Rwandan Hutus fled across the border into Congo, and Rwanda has invaded Congo several times to take action against Hutu militias there.

The exploitation of Congo's mineral resources continues to exacerbate conflict and instability on the ground.

In late February, 11 central Africa leaders and the United Nations signed an agreement to try to establish peace in eastern Congo.

The resolution demands that Congo and the 10 other African nations implement the peace accord "in good faith" and expresses the council's intention "to take appropriate measures as necessary" against any party that doesn't comply with its commitments.

Under the peace deal, the signatories pledged not to interfere in the internal affairs of neighboring countries or provide any support to armed groups. The Congolese government pledged to reform its army and police, consolidate its authority in the volatile east and promote reconciliation, tolerance and democratization.

The signatories include Rwanda and Uganda, which were accused in a U.N. report last year of helping aid the M23 rebel group, which swept through eastern Congo in 2012 and captured Goma in November but pulled out under international pressure. Both countries denied the allegations.

Rwanda's U.N. Ambassador Eugene Gasana told the council after the vote that his government supports the peace deal and is committed to peace in the region.

U.N. peacekeepers were unable to protect civilians from the M23 rebels, whose movement began in April 2012 when hundreds of troops defected from the Congolese armed forces.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a report in February recommending an "intervention brigade" that the M23 rebellion underscored the continuing fragility of the situation in eastern Congo. But he said he is convinced the peace accord offers an opportunity for key nations to collectively address the underlying causes of the conflict in the east and the surrounding Great Lakes region and end the recurring violence.

The resolution strongly condemns the continued presence of the M23 in the immediate vicinity of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, and its attempts to establish "an illegitimate parallel administration in North Kivu."

It demands that the M23 and other armed groups, including those seeking the "liberation" of Rwanda and Uganda, immediately halt all violence and "permanently disband and lay down their arms." It also strongly condemns their continuing human rights abuses including summary executions, sexual and gender-based violence and large-scale recruitment and use of children.

Besides disbanding armed groups, the resolution says the intervention brigade will monitor an arms embargo along with a panel of U.N. experts and observe and report on flows of military personnel, weapons and equipment across the border of eastern Congo including by "surveillance capabilities provided by unmanned aerial systems."

In January, the Security Council gave approval for deployment of unarmed surveillance drones for eastern Congo that would provide intelligence for the peace enforcement brigade as well as the larger U.N. peacekeeping force. U.N. officials expect them to be deployed at the beginning of the summer.

__

Associated Press Writer Maria Sanminiatelli contributed to this report from the United Nations.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/un-authorizes-intervention-force-congo-191451345.html

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Dana White?s latest video blog shows he is a fan of shooting guns, riding motorcycles and apple-picking

With no fight this week, UFC president Dana White released a video blog that shows what he and his "idiot friends" do when visiting his place in Maine. Yes, there's plenty of NSFW language. Take a look and see what White and his friends are up to, including:

1. Talk one friend into trying the spiciest hot sauce ever.
2. Blow things up.
3. Shoot guns while calling each other a nickname for a cat.
4. Apple-picking, though it doesn't look like they're picking honeycrisp apples, the finest of all apple varieties.
5. Milk goats in a way that looks pretty uncomfortable for the goat.
6. Drive motorcycles.

[Also: Nick Diaz can cry foul all he wants, but he's not getting a rematch with GSP]

And a little advice for Nick the Tooth. I was once told at an Indian restaurant, after eating very spicy food, that beer or soda pop are your best bets to cool a burning mouth.

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Justin Timberlake Tells Fans He's 'Speechless' About First-Week Sales

'Shocked ... I just hope this album makes your summer,' he tweets.
By Gil Kaufman

Justin Timberlake
Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704482/justin-timberlake-20-20-album-sales.jhtml

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White House to release budget plan on April 10

By Martyn Herman LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Whether by design, necessity, self-interest or because of all three, nurturing youngsters has become fashionable for England's elite with no expense spared in the hunt for the new Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard. The length and breadth of the country, scouts from top clubs are hoovering up promising footballers barely old enough to tie their bootlaces in a bid to unearth the 30 million pounds ($45.40 million) treasures of the future. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-release-budget-plan-april-10-200534446--business.html

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Verizon FiOS Is The Best Cable Bundle, Says Consumer Reports

Cable companies routinely score lower in customer satisfaction than almost any other consumer service, and a large part of that is the fact that most Americans can't choose their cable provider. But if you do have options, you should choose Verizon FiOS, according to a new report from Consumer Reports. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/XZ1B0B4P8_0/verizon-fios-is-the-best-cable-bundle-says-consumer-reports

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Actress Ashley Judd won't run for US Senate

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) ? Actress Ashley Judd announced Wednesday she won't run for U.S. Senate in Kentucky against Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, saying she had given serious thought to a campaign but decided her responsibilities and energy need to be focused on her family.

The former Kentucky resident tweeted her decision.

"Regretfully, I am currently unable to consider a campaign for the Senate. I have spoken to so many Kentuckians over these last few months who expressed their desire for a fighter for the people & new leader," Judd wrote.

"While that won't be me at this time, I will continue to work as hard as I can to ensure the needs of Kentucky families are met by returning this Senate seat to whom it rightfully belongs: the people & their needs, dreams, and great potential. Thanks for even considering me as that person & know how much I love our Commonwealth. Thank you!"

Her publicist Cara Tripicchio confirmed Judd's decision.

The 44-year-old Judd had hinted last week that she was nearing a decision about the race.

Now living in suburban Nashville, Tenn., Judd has said little publicly about her intentions. However, she has been meeting with several Democratic leaders, including Gov. Steve Beshear, to discuss a possible run.

Defeating McConnell would be the Democrats' biggest prize of the 2014 election. His seat is one of 14 that Republicans are defending while Democrats try to hold onto 21, hoping to retain or add to their 55-45 edge.

The star of such films as "Double Jeopardy" and "Kiss the Girls" is known for her liberal political views and she would have been running in a largely conservative state where Republicans hold both Senate seats and five of the six seats in the U.S. House.

Former State Treasurer Jonathan Miller, a Judd supporter, said she would have been a strong candidate.

"As a Kentuckian and someone who was really enthusiastic about her as a candidate, this wasn't the news I was hoping for," Miller said. "But as her friend, from the first time we talked about the race last summer, I was very candid about the grueling nature of politics. It's become a very unpleasant business and running against Mitch McConnell would be an extraordinarily difficult and grueling experience."

McConnell, who spent some $20 million on his last election and who has already raised $10 million for the next one, had already been taunting would-be Democratic challengers in a comical online video intended to raise second thoughts about taking on a politician known as brawler. The video plays on the fact that Judd lives in Tennessee.

Republican-leaning group American Crossroads in its own online video also plays on the Tennessee angle and ties her closely to President Barack Obama, who is unpopular in Kentucky.

University of Louisville political scientist Laurie Rhodebeck said Judd certainly wasn't frightened out of the race.

"She doesn't strike me as a shrinking violet," Rhodebeck said. "I think the real issue would be how much disruption she wanted in her life. This was the kind of thing that she would have to throw herself into 100 percent in order to make it worthwhile."

Judd and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti separated early this year after marrying in his native Scotland in 2001.

Judd's decision not to enter the race leaves the Democratic Party in search of a candidate. Many of Kentucky's top Democrats, including Beshear, have said they won't run. However, a rising star within the party, Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, hasn't ruled the race out. Grimes declined comment Wednesday evening through her spokeswoman, Lynn Sowards Zellen.

___

Associated Press writer Janet Cappiello contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/actress-ashley-judd-wont-run-us-senate-213309573--politics.html

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Tips for Making a Comeback After Traumatic Brain Injury | Navy ...

By Lt. Ana Soper, PhD, staff neuropsychologist, Naval Hospital Beaufort, S.C.

March is Brain Injury Awareness month, and a time to remember our service members and their families affected by brain injury. As an active duty Navy neuropsychologist working with those affected by TBI, ?I?ve developed several tips to help service members and their loved ones during their recovery:

1) ?Stay positive. No one said this recovery process would be easy, but staying positive can only help.? Brain changes from TBI can actually lead to decreases in motivation and goal-directed activity.? Realize that your brain is doing this but that you don?t have to be defined by it. There are many people out there who have experienced a brain injury, and have gone on to have success related to their job, school, and personal lives after brain injury. The way you talk and think about your recovery affects the way you feel about it, so it?s important to keep moving forward.

2)? You are not alone. There are many people just like you, recovering from a TBI. Don?t isolate yourself, a tendency that can come after a brain injury, and make sure the people you do spend time with treat you with dignity and respect. If you?re part of a group therapy setting, you can find others to share your recovery with who understand what you are going through. If you would like to start group therapy or meet one on one with a supportive professional, start with your primary care doctor or the mental health department, both of whom will likely know what resources are available in the hospital for people who have experienced brain injuries. There are many psychologists out there like me who are waiting to help.

3)? Think like a detective. Become Sherlock Holmes and start deducing what causes your symptoms and makes them better or worse, without over thinking them. For example, are your memory problems more severe when you are tired or after drinking alcohol?? I recommend that you keep track of your memory lapses including what led up to the memory lapse and what helps you redirect your focus and get back on track. If you can track it, you can change it.?

4)? Brain injuries are like fingerprints ? each one is different.? Your recovery will strongly depend on whether your injury is ?mild, moderate, or severe,? which depends on how long you were unconscious and other factors occurring at the time of injury. While almost everyone recovers from a single concussion or mild brain injury within days, the time it takes to heal also depends on the number of brain injuries one has experienced in a lifetime, and other conditions that may exist. For cognitive symptoms that stick around, it can be beneficial to have a neuropsychological assessment to better understand what contributes to symptoms and recommendations.

Lt. Soper talks with a patient about traumatic brain injury at Naval Hospital Beaufort. (Photo courtesy of Lt. Soper)

5)? Relaxation strategies promote the brain?s readiness to learn and remember.? Relaxation strategies are very beneficial to people diagnosed with TBI because stress literally causes changes in brain functioning, particularly memory and attention functioning. Anxiety, which interferes with attention and concentration after TBI, will make symptoms related to any neurologic condition worse. I always recommend doing some brief relaxation techniques before starting a task. Mindfulness meditation has been repeatedly shown to decrease worry and there is now some good initial support that it improves attention and concentration, too. Many people report that managing stress has improved memory and concentration!?

6)? Develop personal mottos or key words that cue you to stay on track or complete tasks. ?These mottos help trigger your memory about what you need to do. Some examples I have seen used are, ?do it, write it, or forget it,? ?be here now,? ?stop, relax, refocus,? and ?KPW? (for keys, phone, and wallet, which I use personally when leaving the house).

7)? Keep your family and loved ones involved in your recovery process. Family members play a critical and often under-appreciated role in recovery after brain injury. TBI doesn?t just affect the service member: it involves those close to them who may also be going through a grief and acceptance process in coping with changes. Many families have found counseling to be vital in adjusting to brain injury as a couple or family.?

It?s also important to prevent caregiver burnout by making sure that caregivers take time for self-care.? I recommend a free guide called ?Taking Care of Yourself While Caring for Others,? and other similar booklets available through the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center?s website at http://www.dvbic.org/material/taking-care-yourself-while-caring-others.???

8)? Consider the benefits of cognitive rehabilitation. This is a treatment used to help individuals compensate for memory, attention, and other thinking problems. One focus of cognitive rehabilitation is helping you organize your physical environment to increase productivity and attention. Around the country there are many inpatient and outpatient programs for individuals with TBI. One such program is the National Intrepid Center of Excellence for traumatic brain injury and psychological health in Bethesda, Md., which is tailored toward the needs of service members.?

For individuals with mild to moderate brain injury who are local to Naval Hospital Beaufort and whose symptoms can be treated in the outpatient setting, I offer a four session ?Brain Boosters? group.? People can also choose to participate in this group as part of a broader, 5-day outpatient stress management program. I hope this group will serve as one model for service delivery in a smaller hospital system. The Brain Boosters group serves as an introductory course on how to compensate for cognitive symptoms (learning, memory, attention and concentration problems) impacted by brain injury (or even stress alone).? The group is adapted from the latest research on what strategies we know works to help compensate for cognitive difficulties. I teach rules of good calendar use, how to remember items you need to bring with you and future appointments, how to remember conversations, and ways to keep focused.?

For those who are affected by a brain injury, please remember you are not alone and there are so many resources and strategies to help you better understand and compensate for brain injury, and to aid you and your loved ones along the journey to recovery. Assessment and treatment for TBI are available, they work, and we want to help you!?

Recommended Resources:

1)? Brainline.org - website with caregiver tips

2)? Brain Injury Survival Kit:? 365 Tips, Tools, and Tricks to Deal with Cognitive Function Loss.? by Cheryle Sullivan.? (2008).? Demos.

3)? How to Help Someone With Brain Injury (website from the Mayo Clinic).:

4)? Overcoming Grief and Loss after Brain Injury.? By Drs. Janet Niemeyer and Robert Karol.? (2010).? Oxford University Press.

5)? The Stranger in Our Marriage:? A Partner?s Guide to Navigating Traumatic Brain Injury.? By Dr. Colleen Morgan.? (2010).? Peppertree Press.?

6)? Courage After Fire: Coping Strategies for Troops Returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and Their Families.? By Dr. Keith Armstrong and others.? (2005). Ulysses Press.?

7)? Once a Warrior?Always a Warrior: Navigating the Transition from Combat to Home?Including Combat Stress, PTSD, and mTBI.? By Charles Hoge.? (2010). GPP Life.

Source: http://navymedicine.navylive.dodlive.mil/archives/4457

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What a bunch of dodos! Catastrophic mass extinction of birds in Pacific Islands followed arrival of first people

Mar. 25, 2013 ? Research carried out by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and collaborators reveals that the last region on earth to be colonised by humans was home to more than 1,000 species of birds that went extinct soon after people reached their island homes.

The paper was published today (March 25th) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Almost 4,000 years ago, tropical Pacific Islands were an untouched paradise, but the arrival of the first people in places like Hawaii and Fiji caused irreversible damage to these natural havens, due to overhunting and deforestation. As a result, birds disappeared. But understanding the scale and extent of these extinctions has been hampered by uncertainties in the fossil record.

Professor Tim Blackburn, Director of ZSL's Institute of Zoology says: "We studied fossils from 41 tropical Pacific islands and using new techniques we were able to gauge how many extra species of bird disappeared without leaving any trace."

They found that 160 species of non-passerine land birds (non-perching birds which generally have feet designed for specific functions, for example webbed for swimming) went extinct without a trace after the first humans arrived on these islands alone.

"If we take into account all the other islands in the tropical Pacific, as well as seabirds and songbirds, the total extinction toll is likely to have been around 1,300 bird species," Professor Blackburn added.

Species lost include several species of moa-nalos, large flightless waterfowl from Hawai'i, and the New Caledonian Sylviornis, a relative of the game birds (pheasants, grouse, etc) but which weighed in at around 30kg, three times as heavy as a swan.

Certain islands and bird species were particularly vulnerable to hunting and habitat destruction. Small, dry islands lost more species because they were more easily deforested and had fewer places for birds to hide from hunters. Flightless birds were over 30 times more likely to become extinct that those that could fly.

Bird extinctions in the tropical Pacific did not stop with these losses. Forty more species disappeared after Europeans arrived, and many more species are still threatened with extinction today.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Zoological Society of London, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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. Richard P. Duncan, Alison G. Boyer, and Tim M. Blackburn. Magnitude and variation of prehistoric bird extinctions in the Pacific. PNAS, March 25, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1216511110

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_science/~3/mDW88MPtjBQ/130325160509.htm

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Windows Blue: Screenshots, whispers, and the promise of a fresher OS

Don't confuse Windows Blue with Windows 9. Still, the OS upgrade may pack some worthwhile goodies, including Internet Explorer 11.?

By Matthew Shaer / March 25, 2013

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer shows a Surface tablet before the launch of Windows 8 operating system in New York. Windows Blue, an updated version of Windows 8, could hit computers later this year.

Reuters

Enlarge

Although Microsoft has declined to talk about it, Windows Blue ? an upgrade to Windows 8 ? almost certainly exists, and will most likely be hitting computers and mobile devices sometime this year. The latest Windows Blue leaks arrived over the weekend, with a series of screenshots and videos of Windows Blue, including an in-depth, hands-on WinBeta clip.?

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It's worth noting that Windows Blue isn't Windows 9. Nor is it an overhauled version of Windows 8. Instead, it's a rejiggering, a tweaking, a refining of the original Windows 8 OS. Among the updates: More color options and the ability to better?organize, resize, and customize tiles. Multitasking will be easier with Windows Blue, says WinBeta, as will managing gads of desktop traffic.?

"The biggest changes are really in the settings part of the Start Screen," Tom Warren of The Verge recently wrote. "Users can now access new networking and apps sections that provide access to additional options not available in Windows 8. Networking lets you switch connections on and off, and there's a quick way to add VPN settings too. In the new Apps section you can view how much storage apps are taking up and also take control of when notifications are shown thanks to a new quiet mode."?

Windows 8 sales were steady if slightly underwhelming through the holiday shopping season ? more recently, Information Week reported that Windows 8 sales seemed to be "stalled." Will Windows Blue bring attention back to the platform in the longterm? Unclear. But over at?Beta News, Joe Wilcox argues that at the very least, Blue represents a positive development for Microsoft, which is finally speeding up its OS development cycle.?

"[The] situation is this: Google cranks out new Android, Chrome and Chrome OS updates at frenetic pace, along with a plethora of supporting services," Wilcox writes. "Meanwhile, Microsoft development, by comparison, is more like IBM at the end of the mainframe era set against the PC. Microsoft really, really,?really?needs to pick up the pace."?

Interestingly, WebProNews believes Windows Blue will ship with Internet Explorer 11 ? a good reason, in of itself, to upgrade. Launch date of Windows Blue is unclear, but we'd put our money on the early fall ? more or less a full year after the initial release of Windows 8.?

For?more tech news, follow us on?Twitter @venturenaut.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/gHWHTJMHqGk/Windows-Blue-Screenshots-whispers-and-the-promise-of-a-fresher-OS

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Buddhist-Muslim violence spreads in Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Anti-Muslim mobs rampaged through three more towns in Myanmar's predominantly Buddhist heartland over the weekend, destroying mosques and burning dozens of homes despite government efforts to stem the nation's latest outbreak of sectarian violence.

President Thein Sein had declared an emergency in central Myanmar on Friday and deployed army troops to the worst-hit city, Meikhtila, where 32 people were killed and 10,000 mostly Muslim residents were displaced. But even as soldiers restored order there after several days of anarchy in which armed Buddhists torched the city's Muslim quarters, the unrest has spread south toward the capital, Naypyitaw.

A Muslim resident of Tatkone, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Meikhtila, said by telephone that a group of about 20 men ransacked a one-story brick mosque there late Sunday night, pelting it with stones and smashing windows before soldiers fired shots to drive them away. Speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns, he said he believed the perpetrators were not from Tatkone.

A day earlier, another mob burned down a mosque and 50 homes in the nearby town of Yamethin, state television reported. Another mosque and several buildings were destroyed the same day in Lewei, farther south. It was not immediately clear who was behind the violence, and no clashes or casualties were reported in the three towns.

Edginess over the situation spread Monday to the nation's largest city, Yangon, more than 500 kilometers (300 miles) south of Meikhtila, although no actual unrest was apparent.

Rumors circulated that a busy market called Yuzana Plaza would be burned down, leading many shopkeepers to close for the day. In Mingalartaungnyunt, an eastern suburb of Yangon, more rumors led to additional shop closings and police arrived to secure the area, although no violence took place.

The upsurge in sectarian unrest is casting a shadow over Thein Sein's administration as it struggles to make democratic changes in the Southeast Asian country after half a century of army rule officially ended two years ago this month.

Similar violence that rocked western Rakhine state last year, pitting ethnic Rakhine Buddhists against Rohingya Muslims, killed hundreds and drove 100,000 from their homes.

The Rohingya are widely denigrated as illegal migrants from Bangladesh and most are denied passports as a result. The Muslim population of central Myanmar, by contrast, is mostly of Indian origin and does not face the same questions over nationality.

The emergence of sectarian conflict beyond Rakhine state is an ominous development, one that indicates anti-Muslim sentiment has intensified nationwide since last year and, if left unchecked, could spread.

Sectarian and ethnic tensions are not new in Myanmar, which is also home to small Christian, Hindu and animist minorities.

Muslims account for about 4 percent of the nation's roughly 60 million people, and during the long era of authoritarian rule, military governments twice drove out hundreds of thousands of Rohingya, while smaller clashes had occurred elsewhere. About one third of the nation's population is comprised of ethnic minority groups, and most have waged wars against the government for autonomy.

Analysts say racism has also played a role. Unlike the ethnic Burman majority, most Muslims in Myanmar are of South Asian descent, populations with darker skin that migrated to Myanmar centuries ago from what are now parts of India and Bangladesh.

The latest bloodshed "shows that inter-communal tensions in Myanmar are not just limited to the Rakhine and Rohingya in northern Rakhine state," said Jim Della-Giacoma of the International Crisis Group. "Myanmar is a country with dozens of localized fault lines and grievances that were papered over during the authoritarian years that we are just beginning to see and understand. It is a paradox of transitions that greater freedom does allow these local conflicts to resurface."

"If a democratic state is the nation's goal, they need to find a place for all its people as equal citizens," Della-Giacoma said. "Given the country's history, it won't be easy."

The government has put the total death toll in Meikhtila at 32, and authorities say they have detained at least 35 people allegedly involved in arson and violence in the region.

On Sunday, Vijay Nambiar, the U.N. secretary-general's special adviser on Myanmar, toured Meikhtila, visiting displaced residents and calling on the government to punish those responsible.

Nambiar said he was encouraged to learn that some individuals in both communities had helped each other and that religious leaders were now advocating peace.

Muslims in Meikhtila, which makes up about 30 percent of the city's 100,000 inhabitants, appeared to have borne the brunt of the devastation. At least five mosques were set ablaze from Wednesday to Friday, and most homes and shops burned were Muslim-owned.

Chaos began Wednesday after an argument broke out between a Muslim gold shop owner and his Buddhist customers. Once news spread that a Muslim man had killed a Buddhist monk, Buddhist mobs rampaged through a Muslim neighborhood and the situation quickly spiraled out of control.

Residents and activists said the police did little to stop the rioters or reacted too slowly, allowing the violence to escalate.

One Muslim man in Meikhtila named Aung Thein, whose family has fled, said the situation was still tense there.

People are still threatening Muslims who have attempted to return to their destroyed homes to sift through the rubble and salvage their belongings, he said.

"We only want to return to our homes and rebuild our lives," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Todd Pitman and Grant Peck contributed to this report from Bangkok.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/buddhist-muslim-violence-spreads-myanmar-060529329.html

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Painting benefit held for local animal rescue

Posted at: 03/24/2013 7:09 PM

If you like to paint, love pets and don't mind a glass or two of wine, Sunday's Nuts for Mutts fundraising event in Fairport was for you.

The local animal rescue group held a fundraiser called Painting with a Purpose.

Those in attendance took a class where an instructor showed them how to paint their own work of art. They were also allowed to enjoy some wine while they worked.??

Organizers say it's a fun way for donors to unleash their inner artist and support a good cause at the same time.

"We've had a great turnout today. It's definitely something we're going to do annually. It's very important to bring awareness to animal rescue and all of the dogs out there who are in need of forever homes,? said Nicole Rongo, volunteer coordinator at Nuts for Mutts.

Some of the money raised from the event will help cover food and vet costs for dogs at the Nuts for Mutts shelter.

?

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Source: http://www.whec.com/news/stories/s2974276.shtml?cat=565

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