New evidence on dinosaurs' role in evolution of bird flight

ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2012) ? A new study looking at the structure of feathers in bird-like dinosaurs has shed light on one of nature's most remarkable inventions -- how flight might have evolved.

Academics at the Universities of Bristol, Yale and Calgary have shown that prehistoric birds had a much more primitive version of the wings we see today, with rigid layers of feathers acting as simple airfoils for gliding.

Close examination of the earliest theropod dinosaurs suggests that feathers were initially developed for insulation, arranged in multiple layers to preserve heat, before their shape evolved for display and camouflage.

As evolution changed the configuration of the feathers, their important role in the aerodynamics and mechanics of flight became more apparent. Natural selection over millions of years ultimately modified dinosaurs' forelimbs into highly-efficient, feathered wings that could rapidly change its span, shape and area -- a key innovation that allowed dinosaurs to rule the skies.

This basic wing configuration has remained more or less the same for the past 130 million years, with bird wings having a layer of long, asymmetrical flight feathers with short covert feathers on top. They are able to separate and rotate these flight feathers to gain height, change direction and even hover.

This formation allows birds to move in such a way as to produce both lift and thrust simultaneously -- a capability that man, with the help of technology, is still trying to successfully imitate.

The research, published November 21 in Current Biology, looked at the dinosaur Anchiornis huxleyi and the Jurassic bird Archaeopteryx lithographica. The latter is 155 million years old and widely considered to be the earliest known bird, presenting a combination of dinosaur and bird characteristics.

Their wings differed from modern day birds in being composed of multiple layers of long feathers, appearing to represent early experiments in the evolution of the wing. Although individual feathers were relatively weak due to slender feather shafts, the layering of these wing feathers is likely to have produced a strong airfoil.

The inability to separate feathers suggests that taking off and flying at low speeds may have been limited, meaning that wings were primarily used in high-speed gliding or flapping flight.

Dr Jakob Vinther, from the University of Bristol's Schools of Biological and Earth Sciences, said: "We are starting to get an intricate picture of how feathers and birds evolved from within the dinosaurs. We now seem to see that feathers evolved initially for insulation. Later in evolution, more complex vaned or pinnate feathers evolved for display.

"These display feathers turned out to be excellent membranes that could have been utilised for aerial locomotion, which only very late in bird evolution became what we consider flapping flight. This new research is shedding light not just on how birds came to fly, but more specifically on how feathers came to be the way they are today -- one of the most amazing and highly specialised structures in nature."

Dr Nicholas Longrich of Yale University added: "By studying fossils carefully, we are now able to start piecing together how the wing evolved. Before, it seemed that we had more or less modern wings from the Jurassic onwards. Now it's clear that early birds were more primitive and represented transitional forms linking birds to dinosaurs. We can see the wing slowly becoming more advanced as we move from Anchiornis, to Archaeopteryx, to later birds."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Bristol.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Nicholas R. Longrich, Jakob Vinther, Qingjin Meng, Quangguo Li, Anthony P. Russell. Primitive Wing Feather Arrangement in Archaeopteryx lithographica and Anchiornis huxleyi. Current Biology, 21 November 2012 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.09.052

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/~3/EZSGMgR6Nd4/121121130817.htm

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US new home starts jump to fastest pace in 4 years

In this Friday, Oct. 12, 2012, photo, workers construct a new home in Chicago. U.S. builders started construction last month on the most single-family homes and apartments since July 2008, more evidence that the housing recovery is gaining momentum. The Commerce Department says housing starts jumped 3.6 percent in October from September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 894,000. Single-family home construction dipped 0.2 percent after hitting the fastest rate in four years in the previous month. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

In this Friday, Oct. 12, 2012, photo, workers construct a new home in Chicago. U.S. builders started construction last month on the most single-family homes and apartments since July 2008, more evidence that the housing recovery is gaining momentum. The Commerce Department says housing starts jumped 3.6 percent in October from September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 894,000. Single-family home construction dipped 0.2 percent after hitting the fastest rate in four years in the previous month. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

In this Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, photo, Ford Smith works on a new home under construction in Chicago. U.S builders started construction last month on the most single-family homes and apartments since July 2008, more evidence that the housing recovery is gaining momentum. The Commerce Department says housing starts jumped 3.6 percent in October from September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 894,000. Single-family home construction dipped 0.2 percent after hitting the fastest rate in four years in the previous month. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. builders started construction last month on the most homes and apartments since July 2008, more evidence that the housing recovery is gaining momentum.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday that builders broke ground on homes in October at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 894,000. That's a 3.6 percent gain from September.

Single-family home construction dipped 0.2 percent to an annual rate of 594,000, down from a four-year high in the previous month. Apartment construction, which is more volatile from month to month, rose 10 percent to an annual rate of 285,000.

Applications for building permits, a sign of future construction, fell 2.7 percent to 866,000, after jumping 12 percent in September to a four-year high. Still, permit applications to build single-family homes rose to their highest level since July 2008.

"The overwhelming trend here is a housing market that has clearly shifted into recovery mode," Robert Kavcic, an economist at BMO Capital Markets, said in a note to clients.

Housing starts are 87 percent above the annual rate of 478,000 in April 2009, the recession low. That's still short of the 1.5 million annual rate considered healthy.

Superstorm Sandy had minimal impact on the October figures, the government said. It could delay some construction in November. Still, residential construction activity in region should get a boost soon after when builders begin replacing homes destroyed by the storm.

The housing market has been making consistent gains this year, helping prop up an economy that's being squeezed by a global slowdown and looming spending cuts and tax increases.

Builder confidence rose to its highest level in six and a half years, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo. Their index of builder sentiment rose to 46 this month, up from 41 in October. It was the highest reading since May 2006, just before the housing bubble burst.

Readings below 50 signal negative sentiment about the housing market. The index has been rising since October 2011, when it was 17. It has surged 27 points in the past 12 months, the sharpest annual increase on record.

Sales of previously occupied homes rose 2.1 percent to 4.79 million in October, the National Association of Realtors said. Sales are near their highest level in five years, excluding temporary spikes in 2009 and 2010 when a homebuyer tax credit boosted purchases.

A key factor fueling the gains is a gradually improving economy, which has increased the number of people looking for homes. At the same time, fewer homes are available for sale. The low supply is helping push up prices.

In addition, mortgage rates have hit all-time lows. And rents are rising, making the purchase of a single-family home or condominium more attractive.

Though new homes represent less than 20 percent of the housing sales market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to data from the home builders group.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-20-Housing%20Starts/id-fa92d2794dd445419715b6388b5fdf05

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Whiz kid from Sierra Leone built own battery

5 hrs.

Kelvin Doe?s neighborhood in Sierra Leone has power lines, but they seldom deliver electricity. So, the 16-year-old whiz kid built his own battery out of acid, soda, and metal parts scavenged from trash bins that he now uses to light up area homes and help him work on his own inventions.

Among other gadgets to his credit are a homemade radio transmitter, plus a generator to power it, that he uses to run his own community radio station under the handle DJ Focus.?

?People normally call me DJ Focus in my community because I believe if you focus you can do invention perfectly,? he said in a video about the whiz kid produced by @radical.media for the THNKR YouTube channel.

Doe?s engineering prowess was noticed by David Monina Sengeh, a graduate student MIT Media Lab, during a summer innovation camp called Innovate Salone that he runs in Sierra Leone. Sengeh arranged for Doe to visit the top-flight engineering school this fall.

?It?s an opportunity for him to create the future that he wants to live in,? Sengeh said in the video. Check it out below to learn more about Doe?s inspirational story and his inventions.?

?? via Huffington Post?

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/whiz-kid-sierra-leon-built-own-battery-radio-transmitter-1C7179394

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Catalyst and Rimkus Analytics Join Forces to Offer E-Discovery ...

DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - Nov 19, 2012) - Catalyst Repository Systems, Inc., a pioneer in providing cloud-based document repositories for e-discovery and other complex legal matters, and Rimkus Analytics, LLC, a specialist in electronic discovery and digital forensic consulting, have partnered to deliver a full suite of enhanced e-discovery products and services for processing, hosting, predictive coding and analytics to the multinational marketplace. The combined offerings of the two companies span the entire e-discovery and litigation spectrum, from information management to production.

"There are a number of key benefits to Catalyst's partnership with Rimkus Analytics," said John Tredennick, CEO of Catalyst. "By integrating Catalyst's next-generation e-discovery platform Catalyst Insight with Rimkus consultants' professional services, we offer a comprehensive client experience that includes award-winning, secure technology and proven, defensible processes."

"Catalyst is a recognized leader in the e-discovery market," said Robert Kocher, COO of Rimkus Analytics. "Combining the talents of Catalyst and Rimkus Analytics allows us to deliver our clients a complete e-discovery solution with the most powerful and flexible platform in the industry."

Rimkus Analytics has 39 offices in the U.S. and London providing litigation support, digital forensics and a variety of other consulting services to clients worldwide. The partnership allows Rimkus Analytics to offer clients the unprecedented speed, power and scalability of Catalyst Insight. Insight is a new cloud-based, XML platform offering end-to-end automation of the e-discovery lifecycle, from processing through search, review and production. By integrating Catalyst technology into its top-tier professional consulting services, Rimkus Analytics provides e-discovery clients with defensible, cost-effective methods for handling large amounts of client data, simply and securely.

To learn more about Catalyst's partner programs or to become a Catalyst partner, please contact Christopher Toomey, Catalyst's Director of Alliances and Channel Development at Ctoomey@catalystsecure.com or 1.303.824.0831.

About Catalyst

For over 14 years, Catalyst has pioneered innovative, reliable e-discovery technology and services for professional law firms and in-house counsel from many of the largest organizations in the world. Catalyst's intuitive, secure cloud-based e-discovery platform, Insight, is built for tomorrow's big cases today, helping corporations save money, gain control of their data and easily manage the complexities of matters involving multiple jurisdictions, languages, law firms and parties. Insight's unprecedented scalability allows legal teams to manage big data discovery efficiently, control litigation costs and achieve more accurate and cost-effective review. Please visit Catalyst at www.catalystsecure.com for more information.

About Rimkus Analytics, LLC (www.rimkusanalytics.com)

Rimkus Analytics, LLC is a worldwide digital forensics and e-discovery services provider to insurance companies, law firms, corporations and government agencies. Rimkus Analytics assists clients in the responsive and timely resolution of claims and disputes. The company's team of professional engineers, information technology specialists, certified financial experts and computer specialists is recognized for its commitment to service excellence by local, national and international business communities.

Rimkus Analytics, LLC, contact:
Lorie Y. Varnas
Marketing Manager, Digital Forensics
Email Contact
713-621-3550

Source: http://ltimarket.com/news/catalyst-and-rimkus-analytics-join-forces-offer-e-discovery-technology-and-consulting

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HTML5 vs apps: Brands and mobile | The Wall Blog

Whilst the consumer market embraces the smartphone and mobile web it seems that demand and uptake levels have overtaken most industries ability to deliver mobile information effectively.

Foresee?s mCommerce report shows that many large web retailers mobile experience is still lacking when compared to their online capabilities. Even more damning is the IABs multi-screen marketer?s report; that lists customer dissatisfaction with mobile sites and apps at over 70%. This is bad news for businesses ? 57% of consumers will not recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site and 40% will move to a competitor?s site after a bad mobile experience.

That?s a lot of numbers, but the key point to take away from it is that having a site that simply works on mobile devices just won?t cut it anymore. Consumers want something that delivers the right information for that platform.

The IAB report also found most mobile internet browsing is done in the home, often whilst watching TV. Yahoo! reports around 8 out of 10 people ?multi-screen? on TV and mobile. Many industries have yet to take advantage of this, yet every advertiser should be aware that any call to action they make in their TV ad could be answered immediately by people picking up their phone or tablet.

During a recent conversation with TV advertisers they were talking about ?telling a story? with their campaign, but it stopped when the advert ended bar a few banner ads scattered across the internet. That story should be continued with a simple mobile microsite that keeps a consumer with your brand for a lot longer than the initial 30 second TV spot. In America the concept of companion apps for TV shows and DVD releases is becoming more popular and here in the UK apps like Zeebox bring a social experience to solo TV viewing.

Away from TV and home, our own analytics show how mobile devices are changing the way people access the internet. As part of a recent campaign we found that 70% of users respond to a call to action from emails received via mobile devices, which is really no great surprise. In order to capitalise on this brands need to ensure sites linked from emails such as these are mobile friendly and that the emails themselves stay readable even on the smallest mobile screens.

The prevalence of the smart phone has fundamentally changed the way we look at the internet. Users no longer wait until they are sat at their desk to check a mail or grab a laptop to see your latest deals and will instead pick up their phone to find what they need. Each time we look at a new campaign we ask one simple question, what are we asking the customer to do now? Just by considering this begins to inform us how to approach the mobile strategy and how we can use the phone in the customers hand to start thinking more about a client?s brand.

Mat Gallacher is Head of Technical Strategy at?Mundocom.

Main image?Bigstockphoto.com.

Source: http://wallblog.co.uk/2012/11/19/html5-vs-apps-brands-and-mobile/

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20 Tricks For A More Effective Ab Workout

  • Engage Your Pelvic Floor

    You've probably heard of Kegels before, right? By engaging your pelvic floor (act as though you're trying to stop your urine midstream) before and during any abs exercise you perform, you better engage your transverse abdominals, which act as a girdle for your entire core. This helps give you a tighter midsection -- quite literally -- all the way around!

  • Focus On The Burn

    Many times we completely zone out while working out. We're watching TV, thinking of our to-do list, or even wishing the workout was over instead of paying attention to what we're doing. By focusing on the exercise at hand, you not only are less prone to injury (no distractions so that you can listen to your body), but you also engage the mind-body connection which helps to recruit more muscle fibers, thereby improving your results.

  • Close Your Rib Cage

    In your average sit-up you probably come up and down and don't think much more about the movement, right? Well, when you lower down from a sit-up, pay close attention and keep your rib cage closed. This helps to "crunch" your abs more, engage your transverse abdominals, and keep your back safely supported.

  • Don't Hold Your Breath

    Your core muscles need oxygen to work at full capacity, so be sure that you keep breathing. As a general rule, you want to inhale on the easiest part of the move (on the way down from a crunch) and exhale when you have to exert the most force (on the way up on a crunch).

  • Work In All Dimensions

    Your body doesn't just work in one plane of movement, so why should your abs? Instead of always doing crunches, include abs exercises that rotate, twist and turn your body like you do in real life to build a truly strong core.

  • Start Small

    Just like you wouldn't jump in the deep end of the pool before you know how to swim, you shouldn't tackle a complicated or advanced core move on your first try. Start small by working in a smaller range of motion (holding a plank for 15-20 seconds), and then as your core strength improves and you master proper form, make the movement to larger and more difficult exercises.

  • Add A Weight

    Dumbbells aren't just for bicep curls! Like any other muscle, abs need to be challenged to get stronger. So if regular sit-ups aren't doing it any more (or if you have to do more than 20 to feel the burn), throw some weight into the mix and watch your results multiply.

  • Always Warm Up Properly

    A warmed up core is a happy core. Because your abs are tied in to your lower back, it's extremely important to start any workout with a proper warm up to prevent injury. Warm those muscles up with some light marching in place and gentle standing rotation of your midsection.

  • Walk The Plank

    Training your abs is not all about sit-ups and crunches. While those do work your abs, the plank is a more complete core move that works all the different parts of your abs and your upper-body. But instead of just holding the plank in a static position, engage even more of your ab strength by performing this challenging Plank Walk-Up. It's tough, but your abs will thank you for it!

  • Picture A Grapefruit

    One of the biggest mistakes people make when doing mat work for their abs is that they keep their head down. This puts unnecessary strain on your neck and takes the focus off of your abs to perform the move. Every time you're doing abs exercises on the floor, imagine a grapefruit is lodged between your chin and your chest. For best results, don't let your chin lower to your chest!

  • Do Squats

    As exercise physiologists study and better understand the core, more and more are recommending that we think of our core not just as the stomach and lower-back area, but also as our entire pillar (meaning everything except our legs, arms and head). To really strengthen your core, fitness professionals recommend strengthening the muscles that tie in to your pillar like your glutes. And what's one of the best ways to fire those glutes? Deep squats, baby!

  • Train Your Lower Back

    True muscle strength is all about balance. Many of us focus on toning our abs (the muscles we can see) and totally neglect our lower backs. This strength imbalance can lead to lower-back injury and pain. Here's a good rule to remember: For every core exercise you do that only targets your abs (read: isn't twisting, a plank, or involves standing -- which all involve the back), you should do a specific low-back exercise as well. Working your lower back makes for a more complete abs workout!

  • Try Balance Work

    Really want stronger abs? Incorporate balance work into your routine. Whether it's with a Bosu, a stability ball, a balance board, or simply just standing on one leg, exercises that test your balance cause you to fire your core deeply, thereby giving you a more effective ab workout!

  • Go Slow

    Think speeding through your ab workout will speed up your results? Think again. To really feel the burn, try slowing down. By changing the speed of your abs exercises, you'll work your abs in a more targeted way that boosts strength and results!

  • Tweak Your Diet

    It doesn't matter how many hours you spend in the gym each week. If your diet isn?t on point, you?re not going to see that 6-pack. To show off those toned abs, eat a diet with plenty of lean protein, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

  • Give Yourself Adequate Rest

    Just like other muscles, your abs need rest. Don't directly work your abs two days in a row. Take a recovery day in between. Rest helps give you muscles time to repair and get stronger!

  • Change It Up

    Are you guilty of doing the same ab workout day after day? If so, it's time to switch it up. In fact, for best results, you should change up your entire workout -- including abs! -- every four to six weeks.

  • Maintain Constant Tension

    If you're short on time, here's an easy trick to get more for your ab-workout buck: Flex your abs and keep them that way throughout your entire core workout. Whether you're doing crunches, planks or balance work, squeeze those abs as if you?re preparing for someone to punch you in the gut to get even more out of your usual moves.

  • Work Your Upper Abs Last

    Many traditional abs exercises target the top of your abs. Problem is, they neglect your lower abs and obliques. Try starting your workout with lower-ab moves like a double-leg lower lift or a bicycle crunch, which both work multiple areas of your abs. Then, if you have time, end your training session with upper-ab work.

  • Take Yoga Or Pilates

    Many yoga poses and Pilates exercises are extremely good for building core strength. If you're sick of tacking ab workouts on to the end of your cardio or strength session, trade your usual moves in for a yoga or Pilates class. Besides building core strength, these mind-body exercises can also increase your flexibility and reduce stress. Bonus!

  • Related Video

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/18/tricks-ab-workout_n_2130938.html

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    Ridgeland smashes Washington in playoff opener

    ROSSVILLE, Ga. (WRCB) -- Darrell Bridges rushed for 202-yards and five touchdowns as?host Ridgeland ran over visiting?Booker T. Washington 45-21 in the opening round of the GHSA Class AAAA playoffs.

    "Our coaches did a great job making halftime adjustments and our players did a great job on defense. That team can hurt you," said Ridgeland Head Coach Mark Mariakis.

    Mariakis said the plan was to hang around and then outlast Washington (8-3) in the second half. It was a plan the Panthers (10-1) executed to perfection, turning a three point halftime lead into a 10-point?advantage?on the opening drive of the third quarter with Bridges' third touchdown.

    He carried the load the rest of the way.

    "We're not shocked, I hope nobody else is shocked because he's been doing it all year long," said Mariakis. "We're gonna do what we do well. We're gonna be physical and run the football and if somebody beats us while we're doing that, then hats off to them."

    The Panthers will host LaGrange?next week?in round number two. LaGrange beat Chestatee 59-46 in round one.

    Source: http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/20123921/ridgeland-smashes-booker-t-in-ghsa-opener

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    War On Drugs: 27 Reasons Why U.S. Doesn't Have The 'Moral Authority' To Lead It In Latin America

  • Because Most Americans Are Unenthusiastic About It

    Only 7 percent of Americans think the United States is winning the war on drugs, and few Americans are interested in throwing down more money to try to win, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll released this month.

  • Because the U.S. Won't Control The Flow Of Guns Into Latin America

    Mexican authorities seized almost 70,000 weapons of U.S. origin from 2007 to 2011. In 2004, the U.S. Congress declined to renew a 10-year ban on the sale of assault weapons. They quickly became the guns of choice for Mexican drug cartels. Some 60,000 people have died in Mexico since President Felipe Calder?n launched a military assault on the cartels in 2006.

  • Because the United States Leads The Hemisphere In Drug Consumption

    Americans have the highest rate of illegal drug consumption in the world, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

  • Because The U.S. Ignores Latin American Calls For A Rethinking Of Drug Policy

    Several current and former Latin American presidents, like Fernando Henrique Cardoso, have urged the United States to rethink its failed war on drugs, to no avail.

  • Because Of The Fast And Furious Scandal

    In an attempt to track guns as they moved across the U.S.-Mexico border, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms allowed smugglers to purchase weapons. The ATF lost track of the guns and they wound up in the hands of drug cartels -- even as far south as Colombia.

  • Because American Politicians Refuse To Candidly Lead A Debate On Reforming Our Laws

    Though the subject of marijuana legalization regularly ranks among the most popular at the digital town halls President Obama takes part in, he declines to address the issue or give it a thoughtful answer. Incidentally, a younger Obama supported marijuana decriminalization and a rethinking of the drug war.

  • Because The U.S. Tortures Detainees In Cuba

    Almost 800 prisoners accused of terrorism have have been held at the U.S. military prison of Guant?namo, Cuba, where they are detained indefinitely without facing trial. The United States has drawn international criticism from human rights defenders for subjecting the detainees there to torture and other cruel treatment. The Cuban government opposes hosting the U.S. naval base on its soil.

  • Because The U.S. Has The World's Largest Prison Population

    The United States has the world's largest prison population by far -- largely fed by the war on drugs -- at 500 per 100,000 people.

  • Because The U.S. Jails Undocumented Immigrants Guilty Of Civil Violations

    Because the United States imprisons roughly 400,000 immigrants each year on civil violations.

  • Because The Border Patrol Kills Kids Who Throw Rocks

    The U.S. Border Patrol has come under fire for killing minors who were throwing rocks.

  • Because The U.S. Recognized An Illegal Government In Venezuela

    When opponents of leftwing Venezuelan President Hugo Ch?vez briefly ousted him in 2002, the United States not only failed to condemn the coup, it praised the coup leaders.

  • Because U.S. Extradition Undermines Justice In Colombia

    When Colombia demobilized the largest rightwing paramilitary organization in 2006, if offered lenient sentences to those who would offer details on the atrocities the AUC committed. But rather than facing justice in their home country, Colombia has extradited several paramilitary leaders to the United States to face drug trafficking charges -- marking it harder for people like Bela Henr?quez to find out the details surrounding the murders of their loved ones. "More than anger, I feel powerless," Henriquez, whose father, Julio, was kidnapped and killed on the orders of one defendant, told ProPublica. "We don't know what they are negotiating, what conditions they are living under. What guarantee of justice do we have?"

  • Because The U.S. Helped Create Today's Cartels

    The U.S funded the Guatemalan military during the 1960s and 1970s anti-insurgency war, despite awareness of widespread human rights violations. Among the recipients of U.S military funding and training were the Kaibiles, a special force unit responsible for several massacres. Former Kaibiles have joined the ranks of the Zetas drug cartel.

  • Because The U.S. Backed An Argentine Military Dictatorship That Killed 30,000 People

    The rightwing military dictatorship that took over Argentina in 1976 "disappeared" some 30,000 people, according to estimates by several human rights organizations. They subjected countless others to sadistic forms of torture and stole dozens of babies from mothers they jailed and murdered. The military junta carried out the so-called "Dirty War" with the full knowledge and support of the Nixon administration.

  • Because The U.S. Helped Topple The Democratically Elected Government Of Salvador Allende

    When it became clear that socialist Salvador Allende would likely win the presidency in Chile, U.S. President Richard Nixon told the CIA to "make the economy scream" in order to "prevent Allende from coming to power or to unseat him," according to the National Security Archive. Augusto Pinochet overthrew Allende in a bloody coup on Sept. 11, 1973, torturing and disappearing thousands of his political rivals with the backing of the U.S. government.

  • Because the U.S. Backed A Military Coup In Brazil In 1964

    The Brazilian military overthrew the democratically elected government of Jo?o Goulart in 1964, with the enthusiastic support of President Lyndon Johnson, ushering in two decades of repressive government.

  • Because The U.S. Funded A Terrorist Group In Nicaragua

    The Reagan administration funded the Contra rebels against the Marxist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. Regarded by many as terrorists, the Contras murdered, tortured and raped civilians. When human rights organizations reported on the crimes, the Reagan administration accused them of working on behalf of the Sandinistas.

  • Because The U.S. Helped Finance Atrocities In Colombia

    Through Plan Colombia, the U.S. has pumped over $6 billion into Colombia's military and intelligence service since 2002. The intelligence service has been disbanded for spying on the Supreme Court and carrying out smear campaigns against the justices, as well as journalists, members of Congress and human rights activists. The military faces numerous allegations of human rights abuse, including the practice of killing non-combatants from poor neighborhoods and dressing them up as guerrillas to inflate enemy casualty statistics.

  • Because The U.S. Maintains A Trade Embargo Against Cuba Despite Opposition From The Entire World

    For 21 years, the U.N. has condemned the U.S. embargo against Cuba and for 21 years the United States has ignored it. Some 188 nations voted against the embargo this year, with only the U.S. itself, Israel, Palau opposing.

  • Because The U.S. Engineered A Coup Against The Democratically Elected Government Of Guatemala In 1954

    At the behest of United Fruit Company, a U.S. corporation with extensive holdings in Central America, the CIA helped engineer the overthrow of the Guatemalan government in 1954, ushering in decades of civil war that resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives.

  • Because The U.S. Backed The Salvadoran Military As It Committed Atrocities In The 1980s

    El Salvador's military committed atrocities throughout the 1980s with U.S. funding.

  • Because The U.S. Invaded Haiti and Occupied It For Almost 20 Years

    Woodrow Wilson ordered the Marines to invade and occupy Haiti in 1915 after the assassination of the Haitian president. The troops didn't leave until 1934.

  • Because The U.S. Invaded Haiti Again In 1994

    One invasion wasn't good enough. The U.S. military returned in 1994.

  • Because The U.S. Trained Military Leaders Who Committed Atrocities In Latin America

    The School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Georgia, trained soldiers and generals responsible for massacres and torture of tens of thousands of Latin Americans, according to Al Jazeera.

  • Because The U.S. Backed Dictator Rafael Trujillo

    Rafael Trujillo Sr. (Photo by Hank Walker//Time Life Pictures/Getty Images)

  • Because The U.S. Invaded Cuba And Undermined The Island's Independence

    The so-called "Spanish-American War" began in 1868 with the first of a series of three wars for Cuban independence. In 1898, the U.S. got involved, invading Cuba and occupying the island after forcing Spain to give it. The United States then forced Cuba to accept the odious Platt Amendent to its Constitution, which allowed the United States to intervene in the country militarily and established the U.S. military base at Guant?namo.

  • Because The U.S. Colonized Puerto Rico

    As long as your invading Cuba, why not take Puerto Rico as well? The United States invaded in 1898 and the island remains a U.S. territory today.

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/18/war-on-drugs-latin-america_n_2151848.html

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    Republican Reconsideration of Immigration - Reason.com

    ?Those are my principles. If you don't like them I have others.? ? Groucho Marx

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    Apparently Groucho has been elected chairman of the Republican National Committee.

    Mitt Romney?s loss to Barack Obama has so shocked the Republican Party that it now is willing to question long-held positions. If defeat prompts Republicans to abandon anti-freedom convictions, that?s all to the good?even if the abandonment is cynically motivated.

    The first position open to change is immigration. Hispanics are a growing percentage of the population, and the Republican share of their vote was only 27 percent this year, down from 44 percent in 2004 and 31 percent four years ago. As the?Wall Street Journal?observes, ?Polls regularly show that immigration is not a priority for Hispanic voters, but how border policy is discussed still matters as a threshold and symbolic issue.?

    The party has long insisted on border security, which means an electrified fence, militarization, and even surveillance by drones. Only after the border is secure, Republicans and conservatives have said, should any change in immigration policy be considered. The most staunchly conservative Republicans have opposed anything that smacks of amnesty for ?illegal aliens,? that is, persons without government papers. Conservative activists and talk-show hosts have insisted that no one whose first act with respect to America was to break the law deserves to be here.

    Now Sean Hannity, a conservative pundit on Fox News, says he has ?evolved.? People without papers who have no criminal records should be allowed a ?pathway to citizenship.? The old Hannity would have said that they all have criminal records by virtue of being in the country without the government?s permission. Funny, isn?t it, that conservatives who say they want small government think it should be big enough to decree who can and cannot freely cross the border.

    Hannity?s motive is clear?and it isn?t the advancement of individual freedom. ?We?ve got to get rid of the immigration issue altogether,??he said. Why did it take a devastating loss at the polls for Hannity to evolve? Because refusal to take a humane position toward people who exercise their natural right to move in search of a better life has become an albatross for the Republicans.

    Fellow conservative pundit Charles Krauthammer wants a similar shift. Krauthammer?says?a GOP turnaround

    requires but a single policy change: Border fence plus amnesty. Yes, amnesty. Use the word. Shock and awe?full legal normalization (just short of citizenship) in return for full border enforcement.

    Continuing, he writes,

    I?ve always been of the ?enforcement first? school, with the subsequent promise of legalization. I still think it?s the better policy. But many Hispanics fear that there will be nothing beyond enforcement. So, promise amnesty right up front. Secure the border with?guaranteed legalization to follow on the day the four border-state governors affirm that illegal immigration has slowed to a trickle.

    Krauthammer leaves a big question unaddressed: If until now Hispanics haven?t believed there would be anything ?beyond enforcement,? why should they believe an upfront promise of amnesty? Because the Republicans want their votes.

    The cynicism runs thick: ?Imagine Marco Rubio advancing such a policy on the road to 2016,? Krauthammer writes. ?It would transform the landscape. He?d win the Hispanic vote. Yes, win it. A problem fixable with a single policy initiative is not structural. It is solvable.?

    Right. Put a Hispanic face on the GOP, and all will be well. Is that the same Marco Rubio who?misled voters?to believe his parents were exiles from Castro?s Cuba, when in fact they came to the United States more than two years before the communist revolution?

    Even if it?s for the wrong reasons, it?s good to see conservatives rethinking their position. But they have a long way to go. Forget about border-security. People have a right to move, and government should not be issuing?or withholding?permission slips. Being required to have papers should offend people who believe they are free.

    Next, forget about amnesty. Amnesty implies forgiveness for wrongdoing. But there is nothing wrong in breaking a decree that violates natural law and natural rights. No such product of a legislature even deserves to be called law.

    This article originally appeared at the Future of Freedom Foundation.

    Source: http://reason.com/archives/2012/11/18/republican-reconsideration-of-immigratio

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