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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

You can call me "A.I."

?Internet? is a workmanlike name for the 50-year-old nervous system of packet switches, servers, and routers that spans the globe; is commonplace in homes, at work, in cars; and absorbs every moment of every smart-phone owner in line at every bus station or coffee shop.

?World Wide Web? is a friendlier term. But it?s essentially the same idea ? a phrase that indicates the far-flung threads spun of communications technology. But what?s the name of the result of all the human business that occurs on the Internet, the cumulative effect of quadrillion bits of data being processed, and the prolific harvest of ideas, notions, relationships, associations, riffs, and nonsense that pour out of this wonder of technology? Music, like the Internet, is a technology. ?The Marriage of Figaro? is what Mozart named one magnificent result.

In biology, we give intelligent creatures generic names: dust mite, for instance, or humpback whale. Those life-forms we become more familiar with get unique designations, sort of like URLs: Albert Einstein; Cousin Louie, who is likely to say anything at a family dinner; Molly, the terrier who loves to play ball.

As the Web becomes denser and faster year by year, futurists believe there will be a point where it, too, will seem to exhibit unique intelligence. Already, as Greg Lamb notes in a Monitor cover story (click here to read it), IBM?s Watson supercomputer, by tapping the infosphere at hypersonic speed and besting the reigning ?Jeopardy!? game show champions, has come close to passing the ?Turing test? in which it seems indistinguishable from human intelligence.

When the Mars Curiosity rover follows its advanced programming, makes last-minute adjustments on its own, and lands flawlessly on the fourth planet?s surface; when Google?s autonomous cars navigate California?s highways; or when Apple?s Siri seems to be listening to us and responding with useful information (some of the time, at least) ? there?s intelligence at work that is at least as impressive as a dust mite or terrier.

Some scientists refer to the coming age as ?transhuman.? More dystopian observers describe the Internet as a ?global brain? or ?hive mind? and imagine human-machine ?cyborgs.? But why be so ominous? When humans act together, we call ourselves ?the people,? as in ?We, the people? or ?The people have spoken.? When we think together via the Internet, that?s us, the people, too.

For now, we?re calling advanced information technology artificial intelligence, or AI.

AI has a long history rooted in high levels of logic. As computational power has exploded, the brute force of all that data processing has run rings around the elegant logic trees envisioned by AI pioneers like Marvin Minsky and John McCarthy. The term AI lost its original meaning. Technologists appropriated it. It is artificial because it is human-made. And it increasingly shows signs of intelligence.

No matter how much we rely on and learn from AI, however, it cannot answer the biggest question: Where did intelligence come from? As the biblical Job was asked, ?Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? or who has given understanding to the heart??

Technological achievements are breathtaking. But the original breath each of us took was no human accomplishment. A higher and more profound Intelligence created intelligence.

John Yemma is editor of The Monitor.

Space station crew lands safely after shortened mission (+video)

An American and two Russian astronauts landed safely in Kazakhstan after 123 days aboard the International Space Station. Is the Russian space program back on track?

By Nastassia Astrasheuskaya,?Reuters / September 17, 2012

Ground personnel carry International Space Station (ISS) crew member U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba shortly after landing near the town of Arkalyk in northern Kazakhstan Sept. 17, 2012. Acaba is one of three astronauts who returned to Earth.

(AP Photo/Shamil Zhumatov, pool)

Enlarge

A Russian Soyuz capsule landed on the Kazakh steppe on Monday, delivering a trio of astronauts from a four-month stint on the International Space Station.

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'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // --> An international three-man crew onboard a Russian-made Soyuz capsule touched down successfully on the cloudless central Kazakhstan steppe Monday morning after 123 days at the International Space Station.

The capsule, carrying U.S. astronaut Joseph Acaba and Russian cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergei Revin, parachuted through a blue sky and touched down in a cloud of dust as its soft landing engines ignited at 8:53 local time (0253 GMT).

"Bull's eye landing," a NASA TV commentator said as the capsule lay on its side in the Kazakh steppe circled overhead by approaching search-and-recovery helicopters.

RECOMMENDED: Are you scientifically literate? Take the quiz

Veteran mission commander Padalka, who has logged 711 days in orbit to make him the world's fourth most experienced astronaut, was the first out of the cramped descent capsule.

"I feel great," said Padalka, wrapped in a blue blanket, sipping hot tea and smiling, enjoying the balmy steppe air under the early morning sunlight as medical personnel wiped sweat from his brow.
"This was my fourth flight, and so it is nothing of the extraordinary already," he said, looking relaxed.

During his stay at the orbital station, Padalka conducted a six-hour spacewalk on Aug. 20 to relocate a crane, launch a small science satellite and install micrometeoroid shields on the space station's Zvezda command module.

He and fellow crew members Acaba and Revin were carried over to autograph the Soyuz, scorched black by re-entry, to be displayed in a Russian provincial museum.

The crew returned after spending 123 days in orbit aboard the International Space Station, a $100 billion research complex involving 15 countries and orbiting 240 miles (385 km) above Earth.

The mission was shorter than the usual six months after launch delays in order to ready a new spaceship to replace the initial Soyuz craft, which was cracked during pressure tests.

Moscow hopes Monday's smooth landing will help to ease concerns over relying solely on Russia to service the ISS following a string of recent mishaps in its space programme.

"Everything is to cheer today," Russian space agency chief Vladimir Popovkin told reporters at Mission Control in Moscow.
"Padalka, Revin and Acaba are feeling well, and they will all go home today."

Three other International Space Station crew members - veteran Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide - remain in orbit.

They are scheduled to be joined by another trio - Kevin Ford, Oleg Novitsky and Yevgeny Tarelkin - due to blast off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan next month.

That mission was scheduled to launch on October 15 but will be delayed by about a week due to a technical glitch with equipment aboard the Soyuz, Popovkin said.

"We've had a worry over one of the devices. We decided to change it, test it again and so the launch has been put off by one week," Popovkin said.

The Soviet Union put the first satellite and the first man in space, but Russia's space programme has suffered a series of humiliating set-backs in recent months that industry veterans blame on a decade of crimped budgets and a brain drain.

While none of the mishaps have threatened crews, they have raised worries over Russia's reliability, cost billions in satellite losses and dashed Moscow's dreams to end a more than two-decade absence from deep-space exploration.

Since the retirement of the U.S. space shuttles last year, the United States is dependent on Russia to fly astronauts at a costs to the nation of $60 million per person.

RECOMMENDED: Are you scientifically literate? Take the quiz

(Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel and Robin Paxton, Additional reporting by Dmitry Solovyov in Almaty; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/T4TDqzOOp0Q/Space-station-crew-lands-safely-after-shortened-mission-video

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Al-Qaida threatens attacks on US diplomats

CAIRO (AP) ? Al-Qaida's branch in North Africa on Tuesday called for attacks on U.S. diplomats and an escalation of protests against an anti-Islam video that was produced in the United States and triggered a wave of demonstrations and riots in the Middle East and beyond.

While demonstrations have tapered off in nations including Egypt and Tunisia, protests against the film turned violent in Pakistan and Indian-controlled Kashmir and hundreds of people rallied in Indonesia and Thailand.

In Kabul, the Afghan capital, a suicide bomber rammed a car packed with explosives into a mini-bus carrying South African aviation workers to the airport, killing at least 12 people in an attack that a militant group said was revenge for the film "Innocence of Muslims," which was made by an Egyptian-born American citizen.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said the attack killed eight South Africans, three Afghans and a Kyrgyzstani.

At least 10 protesters have died in riots in several countries, bringing the total number of deaths linked to unrest over the film to 22.

U.S. officials describe the video as offensive, but the American government's protection of free speech rights has clashed with the anger of Muslims abroad who are furious over the depiction of the Prophet Muhammad as a fraud, womanizer and pedophile.

In a statement, Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb praised the killing of Christopher Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, in an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on Sept. 11. The group threatened attacks in Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania, and condemned the United States for "lying to Muslims for more than 10 years, saying its war was against terrorism and not Islam."

The group urged Muslims to pull down and burn American flags at embassies, and kill or expel American diplomats to "purge our land of their filth in revenge for the honor of the Prophet."

Yemen-based al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula recently issued a similar call for attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities. It is al-Qaida's most active branch in the Middle East.

An Islamist militant group, Hizb-i-Islami, claimed responsibility for the attack in Kabul. The group is headed by 65-year-old former warlord Gubuddin Hekmatyar, a former Afghan prime minister and one-time U.S. ally who is now listed as a terrorist by Washington. The militia has thousands of fighters and followers across the country's north and east.

In Pakistan, hundreds of angry protesters broke through a barricade outside the U.S. Consulate in the northwest city of Peshawar, sparking clashes with police that left several wounded on both sides, said police officer Arif Khan. The demonstrators threw bricks and flaming wads of cloth at the police, who pushed them back by firing tear gas and rubber bullets and charging with batons. The protest was organized by the youth wing of the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami party.

In Kashmir's main city of Srinagar, a strike shut down businesses and public transportation as marchers burned U.S. flags and an effigy of President Barack Obama. When the protesters tried to march into the main business district, police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse them, a police officer said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters. Protesters hurled rocks at the troops, he said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

An alliance of Kashmiri religious groups called the strike in response to the anti-Islam film. The shutdown was supported by the bar association, trade unions and separatist groups in the volatile region, where strikes are a common tactic to protest against Indian rule.

In Indonesia, about 200 people from various Islamic groups torched an American flag and tires outside the U.S. Consulate in the third largest city of Medan. Some unfurled banners saying, "Go to hell America," while others trampled on dozens of paper flags. Also Tuesday, about 100 Muslim students in Makassar, a city in central Indonesia, called for the death penalty against the filmmaker, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula.

Some 400 people protested peacefully outside the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand's capital. Protesters carried signs and banners saying, "We love Prophet Muhammad" and "Stop insulting our religion," and chanted, "Down with America" and "Down with Israel."

The government in Bangladesh blocked YouTube on Monday to prevent people from seeing the video. Mir Mohammaed Morshed, a spokesman for the state-run Bangladesh Telecommunications Company Ltd., said the decision will remain effective until further notice.

Google has blocked access to the video in Libya and Egypt following violence there, and in Indonesia and India because it says the video broke laws in those countries.

---

Associated Press writers Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan and Aijaz Hussain in Srinagar, India contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaida-threatens-attacks-us-diplomats-091835292.html

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Monday, September 17, 2012

JBL to climb Mount Kilimanjaro this week

UPDATE: Sept. 17, 2012

JBL is less than one week away from beginning his Mount Kilimanjaro climb in Africa!

"I really believe unless I get altitude sickness (which I didn't have any problem last time) or I have an accident where I fall and break an ankle or something, I should make this mountain at 19,334 feet," he wrote.

What does a fighter look like? (PHOTOS)

I've often heard the phrase, "He/she doesn't look like a fighter!" This comes up especially before women's fights, when Ronda Rousey's cover girl looks are cited as a reason to be shocked that she can rip your arm off. I hear it about Georges St-Pierre, who could easily find another career on a runway. UFC president Dana White brought it up recently when he criticized Roy Nelson's mullet, beard and belly.

But the thing about MMA is that outside making weight the day before a fight and passing a ton of medical tests, there are no physical requirements to step in a cage. While fighters look like this:

They also look like this:

They come in sizes large:

and small:

They are from all over the world and represent every color in the rainbow.

And yes, Dana, sometimes they even look like this.

There is no one way to look, act or sound like a fighter. The diversity within mixed martial arts is something to be celebrated, not criticized.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/does-fighter-look-photos-154843275--mma.html

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Meet AcceleratorHK, Hong Kong?s First Startup Accelerator Program

Even though Hong Kong is an important Asian city, technology entrepreneurship is still nascent. The infrastructure in place does not foster competitiveness. That is why Stephen Forte and TechCrunch Disrupt NY 2012 Hackathon winner Paul Orlando decided to create AcceleratorHK, the first accelerator program in Hong Kong. The three-month program offers $15,000 in seed capital, mentorship and co-working space. It is now accepting applications for its first batch.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/KhmBJk59DxI/

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Sunday, September 16, 2012

Surviving Your Bankruptcy: Helpful Tips And Advice | Siben & Siben ...

TIP! Be prepared for the possibility that your bankruptcy filing could be denied by the court. By keeping all of the possibilities in mind, you can prepare yourself for any eventuality.

Lots of people look down upon bankruptcy, but when they are forced to claim it, they sing a different tune. A quick change in an life, such as a divorce, can cause a situation that can only result in bankruptcy. No matter how you found yourself looking at bankruptcy as an option, continue reading so that you can learn how to move forward.

TIP! Once you file for bankruptcy, you will have a hard time getting loans or credits. If so, apply for a secured credit card.

There are two different kinds of personal bankruptcy you can file for: Chapter 7 and Chapter 13. Take the time to find out about each one online, and look at the advantages and disadvantages of each. If you?re really not sure how this all works after your research, meet with your lawyer and ask them prior to making a decision.

TIP! Always make your loved ones a priority. The process for bankruptcy can be hard.

Filing for bankruptcy is hard on anyone, and can cause extreme amounts of stress. Look for a good attorney who can help you through the process. Do not let price be the only factor. Choosing a lawyer should be based on finding one with a proven track record who can give you the help that you need. You can get good information about attorneys from friends,the internet and free consultations that most attorneys provide. You might want to visit a court hearing and observe lawyers handling their cases.

TIP! You may have a hard time filing for bankruptcy if the majority of your debt is from student loans. In most states, student loans are almost impossible to get discharged.

If you feel that bankruptcy filing may be right for you, seek some legal advice first from a specialist lawyer. An attorney can offer valuable advice and help to simplify an extremely complex process. They can also help to unravel the complexities of the paperwork and give you any further information you need.

TIP! Filing for bankruptcy will probably not help you in the event of exorbitant taxes. It has occurred that tax debt has been paid for by a credit card and then bankruptcy filed immediately after.

Once you have filed for bankruptcy, you will want to open a new line of credit, as soon as possible in order to start the credit repair process. That can be hard with poor credit, but a viable option is a secured credit card. The interest rates will be higher than normal, but then again due to your history you are not going to be able to obtain normal interest rates anyway. You can improve your credit in preparation for future loans and accounts by maintaining a credit line and keeping up with its payments.

TIP! If you are thinking about filing for bankruptcy, one of the first things you should do is look into the laws of your state. For instance, for 365 days before filing, no one is able to receive assets from the filer.

Two to three months following your bankruptcy hearing, get a copy of your credit score from the major reporting agencies. Check to make sure that your report accurately shows that your debts have been discharged and that closed accounts are also updated. You want to start building up your credit score from an accurate base, so it?s important to address any errors you find in your reports immediately.

TIP! Don?t stress about trying to determine whether bankruptcy is something you must do. It can be hard to ask for help but it?s not recommended for you to get further into debt.

When you have made the decision that you are left with no options other than to file for bankruptcy, study the bankruptcy laws specific to your state the best you can. Take a proactive stance and stay informed for the best possible outcome in your bankruptcy filing. Remember that you?re the boss and your future financial well being is on the line.

TIP! Prior to filing for bankruptcy, research which assets will remain exempt from creditors. The Bankruptcy Code provides a list of all the different kinds of assets that you can exclude.

When it comes to informing your attorney about your case, don?t be fearful. You cannot expect your lawyer to remember every important detail without some reminder from you. Be as open as you can be to make sure your bankruptcy goes as well as possible.

TIP! Most people that file for bankruptcy try not to use credit cards again. This is not a smart move, since using credit wisely allows you to build a solid credit history.

Look all paths you can take to get control of your financial debts before making the choice to file for bankruptcy. Don?t carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. If the circumstances that brought you here were not within your ability to control, let go of the stress and guilt associated with them. This article shares what you need to know about fixing your financial predicament

Source: http://www.sibensiben.com/long-island-injury-lawyer-blog/long-island-bankruptcy-lawyer/surviving-your-bankruptcy-helpful-tips-and-advice-3

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