Soldier adjusts to life at home after Afghanistan

AAA??Dec. 31, 2012?3:27 AM ET
Soldier adjusts to life at home after Afghanistan
By BRENNAN LINSLEYBy BRENNAN LINSLEY, Associated Press??

In this Nov. 30, 2012. photo, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Aaron Dunn kisses his wife Leanne, holding their baby Emma, age 14 months, as they reunite during an arrival ceremony for soldiers returning from a deployment in Afghanistan, at Ft. Carson, in Colorado Springs, Colo. 1st Lt. Dunn, with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, had not seen his wife and baby since he deployed in March. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

In this Nov. 30, 2012. photo, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Aaron Dunn kisses his wife Leanne, holding their baby Emma, age 14 months, as they reunite during an arrival ceremony for soldiers returning from a deployment in Afghanistan, at Ft. Carson, in Colorado Springs, Colo. 1st Lt. Dunn, with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, had not seen his wife and baby since he deployed in March. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

In this Nov. 30, 2012 photo, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Aaron Dunn walks with his wife Leanne, holding their baby Emma, after they they reunited at an arrival ceremony for soldiers returning from a deployment in Afghanistan, at Ft. Carson, in Colorado Springs, Colo. Dunn deployed to the Hindu Kush mountains close to the border with Pakistan, where his unit was charged with engaging Taliban fighters, and with mentoring Afghan Government soldiers who will soon be left to fight alone as U.S. combat forces steadily draw down after more than ten years. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

In this Nov. 30, 2012 photo, 1st Lt. Aaron Dunn enters his home before sunrise on the morning of his return from a deployment in Afghanistan, in Fountain, Colo. Many soldiers returning home after long deployments describe the change as welcome, but also overwhelming at first. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

In this Nov. 30, 2012 photo, 1st Lt. Aaron Dunn removes his belongings from his army duffel bag, on the morning of his return from a deployment in Afghanistan, in Fountain, Colo. Asked what he'll miss about Afghanistan, Dunn says: "Probably getting to do my job. It's one thing to train, but its a whole different thing when you are actually doing what you have worked so hard at during training. The rewards are there." (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

In this Dec. 9, 2012 photo, roughly a week back from Afghanistan, 1st Lt. Aaron Dunn walks into his living room, his wife Leanne cooking in the the kitchen, and their baby Emma walks nearby, in Fountain, Colo. Asked what he'll miss about Afghanistan, Dunn says: "Probably getting to do my job. It's one thing to train, but its a whole different thing when you are actually doing what you have worked so hard at during training. The rewards are there." (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

FOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) ? First Lt. Aaron Dunn deployed to the Afghanistan in early March 2012. His 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, was charged with engaging Taliban fighters in Kunar Province and mentoring Afghan government soldiers. Upon returning, here are some of his views.

Coming home:

"War and coming home are going to mean different things to each soldier. For me it was God and Family. I get my security in life from my hope in God, and my companionship and support from my family. I really didn't worry too much during deployment, because of that faith."

Support for those serving:

"For a lot of soldiers, it's the family back home that drives them. Support from family and friends is very important. Support is also important from the American public. Often times a simple thank you is enough."

The emotional toll:

"In my opinion, its tougher on the families, especially after the unit takes a casualty. I personally can't imagine waiting, not knowing if your loved one is alive or even alright, and having a panic each time a car drives by your drive way thinking it's the military chaplain and escort coming to see you."

Making up for the lost time with family:

"A lot of people seem to think that 'quality time' will make up for a long absence. It doesn't. Its 'quantity time' that does that. It is the time spent doing things that are fun, but also the time spent doing the daily chores, and other routines that firmly bring a family together. Emma was 5 months old when I deployed, and 14 months old when I returned. I was able to stay in touch with the family and had the luck to watch Emma begin to crawl via Skype."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-31-Afghanistan-Coming%20Home/id-3eb79acd0f19441ea47e9642cb422b6d

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Obama wants gun violence measures passed in 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Recalling the shooting rampage that killed 20 first graders as the worst day of his presidency, President Barack Obama on Sunday pledged to put his "full weight" behind legislation aimed at preventing gun violence.

Obama voiced skepticism about the National Rifle Association's proposal to put armed guards in schools following the Dec. 14 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The president made his comments in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press."

Instead, the president vowed to rally the American people around an agenda to limit gun violence, adding that he still supports increased background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity bullet magazines. He left no doubt it will be one of his top priorities next year.

"It is not enough for us to say, 'This is too hard so we're not going to try,'" Obama said.

"I think there are a vast majority of responsible gun owners out there who recognize that we can't have a situation in which somebody with severe psychological problems is able to get the kind of high capacity weapons that this individual in Newtown obtained and gun down our kids," he added. "And, yes, it's going to be hard."

The president added that he's ready to meet with Republicans and Democrats, anyone with a stake in the issue.

The schoolhouse shootings, coming as families prepared for the holidays, have elevated the issue of gun violence to the forefront of public attention. Six adult staff members were also killed at the elementary school. Shooter Adam Lanza committed suicide, apparently as police closed in. Earlier, he had killed his mother at the home they shared.

The tragedy immediately prompted calls for greater gun controls. But the NRA is strongly resisting those efforts, arguing instead that schools should have armed guards for protection. Some gun enthusiasts have rushed to buy semiautomatic rifles of the type used by Lanza, fearing sales may soon be restricted.

Obama seemed unimpressed by the NRA proposal. "I am skeptical that the only answer is putting more guns in schools," he said. "And I think the vast majority of the American people are skeptical that that somehow is going to solve our problem."

The president said he intends to press the issue with the public.

"The question then becomes whether we are actually shook up enough by what happened here that it does not just become another one of these routine episodes where it gets a lot of attention for a couple of weeks and then it drifts away," Obama said. "It certainly won't feel like that to me. This is something that - you know, that was the worst day of my presidency. And it's not something that I want to see repeated."

Separately, a member of the president's cabinet said Sunday that rural America may be ready to join a national conversation about gun control. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the debate has to start with respect for the Second Amendment right to bear arms and recognition that hunting is a way of life for millions of Americans.

But Vilsack said Newtown has changed the way people see the issue. "I really believe that this is a different circumstance and a different situation," Vilsack said on CNN.

Vilsack said he thinks it's possible for Americans to come together. "It's potentially a unifying conversation," he said. "The problem is that these conversations are always couched in the terms of dividing us. This could be a unifying conversation, and Lord knows we need to be unified."

Besides passing gun violence legislation, Obama also listed deficit reduction and immigration as top priorities for 2013. A big deficit reduction deal with Republicans proved elusive this month, and Obama is now hoping Senate Democratic and Republican leaders salvage a scaled-back plan that avoids tax increases for virtually all Americans.

In addition, he issued a defense of former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, who has been mentioned as one of the leading candidates to replace Leon Panetta as defense secretary.

Hagel, who opposed President George W. Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq, has been criticized in conservative circles for not being a strong enough ally of Israel. Also, many liberals and gay activists have banded against him for comments he made in 1998 about an openly gay nominee for an ambassadorship

Obama, who briefly served with Hagel in the Senate, stressed that he had yet to make a decision but called Hagel a "patriot."

Hagel "served this country with valor in Vietnam," the president said. "And (he) is somebody who's currently serving on my intelligence advisory board and doing an outstanding job."

Obama noted that Hagel had apologized for his 14-year-old remark on gays.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-30-Obama/id-ebc7f75681e444b5a8eba40a3ec62f8c

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Social Media in 2013 |

SCORE OC counselor Jerome Chiaro graduated from Cal State University, Fullerton with a B.A. in entrepreneurship and specializes in helping small businesses across the nation on Social Media, Internet Marketing and Restaurant Marketing with his consulting firm: Restaurant Management University. He has published multiple e-books and video training series such as Restaurant Management Blueprint (a restaurant back-office management software), The Restaurant Road Map (an SEO and internet marketing guide for restaurants), and Facebook ?Like? Machine (a Facebook marketing guide).

SCORE OC: What area of social media should small businesses concentrate on for 2013?

Chiaro: The quick answer is Facebook. Facebook recently passed Google as the most visited website on the internet and they are vying back and forth for the #1 spot. As a small business owner, you can?t afford to not have a presence on Facebook.

There is so much out there now, Pinterest is getting big, Twitter is growing very fast ? Tumblr, LinkedIn, Google+, Foursquare, Yelp, Instagram and the list goes on and on. Eventually, small businesses can and should brand their business on each site, but the key is to concentrate on the one site that will reach your target market the fastest ? and 9.5 times out of 10 that is Facebook.

A deeper answer would be email marketing. Email marketing is often overlooked within the ?social media world,? but it is still the quickest, most effective form of communication for small businesses and is the core of any social media campaign. There are some rumors of email attrition, but the statistics show that email will still be the dominant marketing medium for the next few years.

SCORE OC: Do you have any tips for new Twitter users?

Chiaro: Yes, don?t treat Twitter like Facebook And don?t copy/paste your Facebook messages to Twitter. Twitter is a completely different platform, with a different language and niche. They tend to be younger, edgier, techier, hipper even.

For list-building, use the search bar to find and follow as many of your target market niche as you can. Most of the time people will reciprocate and will follow you back.

Once you?ve beefed up your following, start to build relationships with your followers. I use the 80/20 rule with my clients: 80 percent of your posts should be value-driven, no agenda attached; and 20 percent can be promotional-oriented. The most successful Twitter ?retweets? are provocative, engaging and use popular culture.

SCORE OC: What are the biggest mistakes you think small business owners make when it comes to social media?

Chiaro: I think the biggest mistake is doing it all by yourself. A common misconception with social media is that ?it?s is a free way to market your business.? Yes, it is ?free,? but it?s hard to gain any traction without help. Social media can be time consuming, daunting even. To list-build, engage and run promotions is almost a full-time job for any business.

Many of my clients hire independent contractors or even college student interns to help execute their social media marketing plan. The younger generation is so quick on social media technology and they understand the language very well because they use it constantly. They usually end up completing each project better, faster, and cheaper than any small business owner could have.

Source: http://scoreoc.org/2012/12/24/social-media-in-2013/

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Peacock love songs lure eavesdropping females from afar

Friday, December 21, 2012

Deep in the scrublands of Keoladeo National Park in northwest India, one thing was hard for biologist Jessica Yorzinski to ignore: It wasn't the heat. It wasn't the jackals. It was the squawks of peacocks in the throes of passion.

From behind the trees in the distance, she could hear a loud two-part whoop, the distinctive call that male peacocks make right before mating.

During the peacock courtship dance, a male announces that he's ready to make his move by dashing towards the object of his affection and emitting a singular squawk before mounting his mate.

"Peacocks have a number of different courtship calls, but this is the only one specifically associated with the moment before copulation, a time when the female is finally right in front of the male. It's called the hoot-dash display," said Duke University researcher Jessica Yorzinski.

The amorous peacock's signature hoot poses a puzzle for scientists.

For one, he's already got the girl.

"By that point she's already right there, checking him out. You'd think that he might not need another signal at such a late stage in the courtship process," Yorzinski said.

What's more, the calls could alert potential predators that an easy meal is near. Wild peacocks make quick snacks for jackals, tigers and hawks in their native habitat in South Asia.

"In a sense, they're advertizing that they're distracted and vulnerable. It would be wise for a predator to capitalize on that," Yorzinski said.

Intrigued, Yorzinski recorded the loud carrying-on of males in mid-conquest. Then she played the calls to free-ranging females in India and videotaped their reactions.

At each site, a loudspeaker played copulation calls on one day and silent controls on another day.

The result: the recorded love sounds made by amorous peacocks in the throes of passion drew eavesdropping females from afar. Females approached and spent more time near speakers that were playing hoots compared to silent controls.

To make sure the birds weren't simply drawn to any noise, Yorzinski repeated a similar experiment with captive birds in an outdoor enclosure at Duke University. There, a speaker played two different sounds: peacock copulation calls, or crow caws.

A male peacock demonstrates the 'hoot-dash display.' Credit: Video by Jessica Yorzinski

The results matched what she found in the wild. Captive females paid little attention to the speakers when crow caws were playing, but when the love whoops were played, the females moved toward the source of sound and spent more time near the speaker.

"Why they're attracted to these calls and what it tells them ? these are still open questions," Yorzinski said.

Announcing the fact that he's getting a girl could help a male attract additional mates, she explained.

Studies in other species have shown that females flock towards popular males. "It's like someone's already vouched for him. If he's good enough for one girl, then he might be good enough for another girl, too."

That dating boost could make up for the risks involved in disclosing his whereabouts to potential predators, especially in the birds' native habitat in South Asia where dense trees and grasses make strutting males hard for females to spot.

If distant females are drawn to the love calls made by mating males, what's less clear is what keeps males from boosting their call rate to give the impression that they're more successful than they actually are.

"One of the biggest unanswered questions is why males don't fake it," Yorzinski said. "I've heard males making false calls when there's no mate in sight, so there definitely is some level of cheating going on. Figuring out why they don't do it more often would be the key."

###

National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent): http://www.nescent.org

Thanks to National Evolutionary Synthesis Center (NESCent) for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 21 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126055/Peacock_love_songs_lure_eavesdropping_females_from_afar

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Peel-and-Stick solar panels from Stanford engineering

Friday, December 21, 2012

For all their promise, solar cells have frustrated scientists in one crucial regard ? most are rigid. They must be deployed in stiff, often heavy, fixed panels, limiting their applications. So researchers have been trying to get photovoltaics to loosen up. The ideal: flexible, decal-like solar panels that can be peeled off like band-aids and stuck to virtually any surface, from papers to window panes.

Now the ideal is real. Stanford researchers have succeeded in developing the world's first peel-and-stick thin-film solar cells. The breakthrough is described in a paper in the December 20th issue of Scientific Reports.

Unlike standard thin-film solar cells, the peel-and-stick version from Stanford does not require any direct fabrication on the final carrier substrate. This is a far more dramatic development than it may initially seem. All the challenges associated with putting solar cells on unconventional materials are avoided with the new process, vastly expanding the potential applications of solar technology.

Thin-film photovoltaic cells are traditionally fixed on rigid silicon and glass substrates, greatly limiting their uses, says Chi Hwan Lee, lead author of the paper and a PhD candidate in mechanical engineering. And while the development of thin-film solar cells promised to inject some flexibility into the technology, explains Xiaolin Zheng, a Stanford assistant professor of mechanical engineering and senior author of the paper, scientists found that use of alternative substrates was problematic in the extreme.

"Nonconventional or 'universal' substrates are difficult to use for photovoltaics because they typically have irregular surfaces and they don't do well with the thermal and chemical processing necessary to produce today's solar cells," Zheng observes. "We got around these problems by developing this peel-and-stick process, which gives thin-film solar cells flexibility and attachment potential we've never seen before, and also reduces their general cost and weight."

Utilizing the process, Zheng continues, researchers attached their solar cells to paper, plastic and window glass among other materials.

"It's significant that we didn't lose any of the original cell efficiency," Zheng said.

The new process involves a unique silicon, silicon dioxide and metal "sandwich." First, a 300-nanometer film of nickel (Ni) is deposited on a silicon/silicon dioxide (Si/SiO2) wafer. Thin-film solar cells are then deposited on the nickel layer utilizing standard fabrication techniques, and covered with a layer of protective polymer. A thermal release tape is then attached to the top of the thin-film solar cells to augment their transfer off of the production wafer and onto a new substrate.

The solar cell is now ready to peel from the wafer. To remove it, the wafer is submerged in water at room temperature and the edge of the thermal release tape is peeled back slightly, allowing water to seep into and penetrate between the nickel and silicon dioxide interface. The solar cell is thus freed from the hard substrate but still attached to the thermal release tape. Zheng and team then heat the tape and solar cell to 90?C for several seconds, then the cell can be applied to virtually any surface using double-sided tape or other adhesive. Finally, the thermal release tape is removed, leaving just the solar cell attached to the chosen substrate.

Tests have demonstrated that the peel-and-stick process reliably leaves the thin-film solar cells wholly intact and functional, Zheng said. "There's also no waste. The silicon wafer is typically undamaged and clean after removal of the solar cells, and can be reused."

While others have been successful in fabricating thin-film solar cells on flexible substrates before, those efforts have required modifications of existing processes or materials, noted Lee. "The main contribution of our work is we have done so without modifying any existing processes, facilities or materials, making them viable commercially. And we have demonstrated our process on a more diverse array of substrates than ever before," Lee said.

"Now you can put them on helmets, cell phones, convex windows, portable electronic devices, curved roofs, clothing ? virtually anything," said Zheng.

Moreover, peel-and-stick technology isn't necessarily restricted to thin-film solar cells, Zheng said. The researchers believe the process can also be applied to thin-film electronics, including printed circuits and ultra thin transistors and LCDs.

"Obviously, a lot of new products ? from 'smart' clothing to new aerospace systems ? might be possible by combining both thin-film electronics and thin-film solar cells," observed Zheng. "And for that matter, we may be just at the beginning of this technology. The peel-and-stick qualities we're researching probably aren't restricted to Ni/SiO2. It's likely many other material interfaces demonstrate similar qualities, and they may have certain advantages for specific applications. We have a lot left to investigate."

###

Stanford School of Engineering: http://soe.stanford.edu

Thanks to Stanford School of Engineering for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 17 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126039/Peel_and_Stick_solar_panels_from_Stanford_engineering

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Netflix Will Finally Publish What You Watch on Your Facebook Timeline

This week, the House of Representatives and the Senate both passed a Netflix-endorsed measure amending the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act aka the Bork Law. Assuming President Obama rubber stamps the amendment, Netflix will offer you the option of publishing information about what you're watching on Facebook—something it already does in scores of other countries. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/O6MXongkWh4/netflix-will-finally-publish-what-you-watch-on-your-facebook-timeline

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TechWhirl: Technical Communication Recap for December 21, 2012

?This week?s update on technical communication and the TechWhirl community is supported by Platinum sponsor Adobe & their Technical Communication Suite 4 | http://adobe.ly/scpwfT

If you?re reading this, then continue your technical communication work as you have been for the last however-many years, no Mayan or Zombie Apocalypse today.? If you?re like most of us, just a little sigh of relief, but if you?re panicking about the shopping you still have to do, you might actually be disappointed that the sun came up today.

Generally speaking we?re quite happy that the prophets of doom have again spoken too soon, since it means we have plenty of time for yakking it up about technical communications, content strategy and user experience.? 2012 was an incredibly busy and productive year on all of these fronts, and we?re proud of how we?ve been able to cover the latest and greatest in this far-ranging industry.? We?re also excited about the prospects for 2013, as economies continue their slow recovery, our profession still ranks highly for growth opportunities. We see it in the increasing popularity of our jobs board, the buzz that continues on the email discussion list, and the variety of posts and commentary happening on the magazine.

As you slide into the winter holidays (we hope figuratively, not literally), take a few moments to reflect on how great it is to be a part of the technical communication field, and? resolve to become a more active member of the community in 2013.

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Have a great weekend!

-The gang at TechWhirl

?	Sick of holiday shopping? Then read our tech comm news and commentary. Start with technical communication, gaze at what content strategy & curation offers, order up some user experience and gift wrap it all with Career and Life.
?	More than 3700 visitors converged on Wiesbaden, Germany back on October 23 ? 25, 2012 for tekom annual fair and tcworld conference 2012, the world?s largest event in the field of technical communication. The conference program, given in both German and English, featured seven tracks for the international community.
?	It?s never easy to do group projects, but this virtual conference on content strategy in the mobile device age came off quite well. Sponsored by STC and The Content Wrangler, many great speakers came together to discuss mobile content strategy, and the short answer is, it?s complex but doable.
?	Of course it?s the time of year where we?re checking off lists?gifts to buy, parties to attend, cards to send, colleagues to endorse on LinkedIn. We?re pretty sure that those of us in technical communication have more lists than most, it?s just in our nature. We take after the jolly fat man in that regard, whose lists of naughty and nice have to be well-organized, meta-tagged, and navigable in order to deliver the right stocking stuffers
?	In 2012, Techwhirl?s email discussion list was alive with opinion, facts, recommendations, suggestions, and ideas on technical writing, job hunting, planning and production of content intended to help users. As we close out the year, we thought it would be worthwhile to mine this vast expertise and provide you with some wide-ranging tips and tricks you can use in 2013 and beyond.

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Source: http://techwhirl.com/inside-techwhirl/technical-communication-recap-dec-21-2012/

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