Penn psychologists show that quality matters more than quantity for word learning

Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
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Contact: Evan Lerner
elerner@upenn.edu
215-573-6604
University of Pennsylvania

Several studies have shown that how much parents say to their children when they are very young is a good predictor of children's vocabulary at the point when they begin school. In turn, a child's vocabulary size at school entry strongly predicts level of success throughout schooling even into high school and college.

A new study by psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania now shows that early vocabulary improvement is likely to have more to do with the "quality" of the interactions in which the words are used rather than the sheer quantity of speech directed at young children. Moreover, the study shows that, unlike quantity, the quality of these interactions is not related to the parents' socioeconomic status.

The study was conducted by professors John Trueswell and Lila Gleitman, both of the Department of Psychology in Penn's School of Arts and Sciences, as well as by Erica Cartmill and Susan Goldin-Meadow of the University of Chicago. Also contributing to the study were Benjamin Armstrong III of Penn and Tamara Medina of Drexel University.

It was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy and Sciences.

Knowing how critical early-language acquisition is to a person's future success, Trueswell and Gleitman have long investigated the mechanisms involved in how children learn their first words. One of their previous studies suggests that children learn these words in what might be described as a "eureka" moment that is, only after "highly informative" examples of speech that clearly connect the word to the thing it refers to.

The researchers suspected these highly informative examples would matter much more than the sheer amount of talk in the home when it came to which children learned more words. To determine if this was the case, they set out to track the long-term effects of these examples, seeing if children who had been exposed to them more often did better on a vocabulary test three years later. However, to begin this study, the researchers first had to determine what constituted highly informative speech.

To quantify this phenomenon, the researchers visited more than 50 families from various backgrounds in their homes and videotaped parents interacting with their children. They made these visits when the children were 14 months old and then again four months later.

The researchers edited these taped interactions down to 40-second segments, each centered on one instance of a parent saying a common, concrete noun, such as "book," "ball" or "dog." The researchers showed these segments to adult volunteers but muted the video until the parent reached the target word, which was replaced by a beep. The volunteers were asked to guess the word the parent was saying in each instance.

"We purposely chose videos of parents interacting with their children in the home because of the complexity there," Trueswell said. "Our intuitions are a little misleading; we think it's going to be a simple environment, but there's all sorts of things happening at once and changing on a second-by-second basis. Identifying a particular word's referent, especially when you don't know any words to begin with, is not a simple task."

By taking out the verbal context, the volunteers experience the taped situations in the way the children experience it, as they don't yet understand any of the words and must rely on environmental clues to first learn them. The researchers also discarded any examples where the child might already know the word in question. In those cases, volunteers might be able to pick up clues from the child rather than the parent, and the parent might be less conscientious about connecting the meaning of a word to its referent.

"We see that the more an environment maximizes the 'here and nowness' of speech, such as when a parent is gesturing or looking at the object in question, the more likely it is that an interaction will be highly informative," Gleitman said. "And it turns out this is surprisingly hard to do; only 7 percent of the examples were able to be guessed correctly by more than half of the adults we showed them to."

If more than half the adults could guess an example's target word correctly, that suggested the interaction was highly informative. The researchers used this approach to determine approximately how frequently each child in the study heard these highly informative examples. They found a surprising amount of variability: the parents who provided the highest rate of highly informative examples did so 38 percent of the time, while those who provided the lowest rate did so only 4 percent of the time.

"This means that some parents are providing 10 times as much highly informative learning instances as others," Gleitman said.

The effect of this discrepancy was clear when the researchers tracked how well each of the children did on a standard vocabulary test three years later. The more frequently a child heard highly informative examples of speech, the better he or she did on these tests.

Increasing the quantity of speech was also beneficial but only because it increased the number of chances parents had to provide highly informative examples.

"Fortunately, low-informative instances seem to be ignored," Trueswell said. "By talking to children more, it's not as if you're giving them bad data, you're only increasing the opportunity to find those nuggets."

Critically, the rate at which a parent gave highly informative examples to their children wasn't correlated to the amount they spoke to them in total. This is potentially hopeful news, given the studies that link low socioeconomic status, or SES, to low speech quantity and thus to poor scholastic performance.

"There are a variety of reasons why low-SES parents are speaking less to their children," Trueswell said, "but, when they do speak to them, their natural predispositions about talking about the 'here and now' don't seem to be correlated to their SES."

And while the exact mechanisms that lead to a particular bit of speech being highly informative will need to be determined in future research, the Penn team's study shows how these quality examples can have an overriding and lasting effect on an important stage of a child's development.

"You can see this effect even with all the variations in their lives and personalities," Gleitman said. "Through all of that noise, the signal of a linear relationship between these highly informative examples and their children's performance on that vocabulary test three years later shines through."

###

The research was supported through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

---

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

Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Evan Lerner
elerner@upenn.edu
215-573-6604
University of Pennsylvania

Several studies have shown that how much parents say to their children when they are very young is a good predictor of children's vocabulary at the point when they begin school. In turn, a child's vocabulary size at school entry strongly predicts level of success throughout schooling even into high school and college.

A new study by psychologists at the University of Pennsylvania now shows that early vocabulary improvement is likely to have more to do with the "quality" of the interactions in which the words are used rather than the sheer quantity of speech directed at young children. Moreover, the study shows that, unlike quantity, the quality of these interactions is not related to the parents' socioeconomic status.

The study was conducted by professors John Trueswell and Lila Gleitman, both of the Department of Psychology in Penn's School of Arts and Sciences, as well as by Erica Cartmill and Susan Goldin-Meadow of the University of Chicago. Also contributing to the study were Benjamin Armstrong III of Penn and Tamara Medina of Drexel University.

It was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy and Sciences.

Knowing how critical early-language acquisition is to a person's future success, Trueswell and Gleitman have long investigated the mechanisms involved in how children learn their first words. One of their previous studies suggests that children learn these words in what might be described as a "eureka" moment that is, only after "highly informative" examples of speech that clearly connect the word to the thing it refers to.

The researchers suspected these highly informative examples would matter much more than the sheer amount of talk in the home when it came to which children learned more words. To determine if this was the case, they set out to track the long-term effects of these examples, seeing if children who had been exposed to them more often did better on a vocabulary test three years later. However, to begin this study, the researchers first had to determine what constituted highly informative speech.

To quantify this phenomenon, the researchers visited more than 50 families from various backgrounds in their homes and videotaped parents interacting with their children. They made these visits when the children were 14 months old and then again four months later.

The researchers edited these taped interactions down to 40-second segments, each centered on one instance of a parent saying a common, concrete noun, such as "book," "ball" or "dog." The researchers showed these segments to adult volunteers but muted the video until the parent reached the target word, which was replaced by a beep. The volunteers were asked to guess the word the parent was saying in each instance.

"We purposely chose videos of parents interacting with their children in the home because of the complexity there," Trueswell said. "Our intuitions are a little misleading; we think it's going to be a simple environment, but there's all sorts of things happening at once and changing on a second-by-second basis. Identifying a particular word's referent, especially when you don't know any words to begin with, is not a simple task."

By taking out the verbal context, the volunteers experience the taped situations in the way the children experience it, as they don't yet understand any of the words and must rely on environmental clues to first learn them. The researchers also discarded any examples where the child might already know the word in question. In those cases, volunteers might be able to pick up clues from the child rather than the parent, and the parent might be less conscientious about connecting the meaning of a word to its referent.

"We see that the more an environment maximizes the 'here and nowness' of speech, such as when a parent is gesturing or looking at the object in question, the more likely it is that an interaction will be highly informative," Gleitman said. "And it turns out this is surprisingly hard to do; only 7 percent of the examples were able to be guessed correctly by more than half of the adults we showed them to."

If more than half the adults could guess an example's target word correctly, that suggested the interaction was highly informative. The researchers used this approach to determine approximately how frequently each child in the study heard these highly informative examples. They found a surprising amount of variability: the parents who provided the highest rate of highly informative examples did so 38 percent of the time, while those who provided the lowest rate did so only 4 percent of the time.

"This means that some parents are providing 10 times as much highly informative learning instances as others," Gleitman said.

The effect of this discrepancy was clear when the researchers tracked how well each of the children did on a standard vocabulary test three years later. The more frequently a child heard highly informative examples of speech, the better he or she did on these tests.

Increasing the quantity of speech was also beneficial but only because it increased the number of chances parents had to provide highly informative examples.

"Fortunately, low-informative instances seem to be ignored," Trueswell said. "By talking to children more, it's not as if you're giving them bad data, you're only increasing the opportunity to find those nuggets."

Critically, the rate at which a parent gave highly informative examples to their children wasn't correlated to the amount they spoke to them in total. This is potentially hopeful news, given the studies that link low socioeconomic status, or SES, to low speech quantity and thus to poor scholastic performance.

"There are a variety of reasons why low-SES parents are speaking less to their children," Trueswell said, "but, when they do speak to them, their natural predispositions about talking about the 'here and now' don't seem to be correlated to their SES."

And while the exact mechanisms that lead to a particular bit of speech being highly informative will need to be determined in future research, the Penn team's study shows how these quality examples can have an overriding and lasting effect on an important stage of a child's development.

"You can see this effect even with all the variations in their lives and personalities," Gleitman said. "Through all of that noise, the signal of a linear relationship between these highly informative examples and their children's performance on that vocabulary test three years later shines through."

###

The research was supported through the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/uop-pps062413.php

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Orange County Home Improvement Specialists: A New Swimming ...

Once the decision to have a new swimming pool installed has been made there is often a lot of excitement surrounding the project itself as well as the end result. Before homeowners can begin enjoying their pool however they must first undertake one of the most daunting aspects of the new swimming pool. Swimming pool design often drives homeowners mad due to the number of existing designs and the possibilities that are limited only by their own minds and their budget.

In addition to the actual design or architecture of a swimming pool, homeowners must also decide whether their new swimming pool will be of the in ground or above ground variety. Both design have their pros and cons, things that homeowners will need to consider heavily and maybe even consult with the contractor on to ensure they get the pool they want. While many homeowners will immediately begin gravitating towards above ground pool simply because they are far more inexpensive than in ground pools there are some reasons that cause homeowners to change their minds.

When dealing with in ground pools homeowners will have a pool that's made from concrete, vinyl, or even fiberglass. All of these materials have advantages and disadvantages though they're all very strong and make for great swimming pools. In an in ground pool made of concrete homeowners will get peace of mind knowing that they have the most versatile and durable material available for a swimming pool. This means far less hassle and even less repair. While vinyl in ground pools are nearly as versatile as concrete they require greater care when a homeowner wants to avoid tearing or puncturing there liners. As far as fiberglass is concerned in an in ground pool, it is the cheapest and easiest to install however is far less versatile than both concrete and vinyl. Regardless of the type of material a homeowner selects for their new in ground pool they're going to be getting a pool that is of the highest quality.

Many times the need for repairs, limited design choices, the lack of versatility, and dealing with the hassles of an above ground pool aren't enough to dissuade someone from purchasing one. Another reason homeowners may elect an above ground pool as opposed to an in ground pool is cost. Generally speaking and with only a few exceptions, above ground pools are far less expensive than their in ground cousins. Many homeowners also select an above ground pool because they don't want to wait months to begin utilizing their new swimming pool. Additionally a great deal of above ground pools require no contractor for installation. Though they can still be hired to do so most homeowners will be savvy enough to handle installation themselves.

It behooves any homeowner that has decided to have a new swimming pool installed to first consult with a contractor to determine the reality of such a project. Things like placement, cost, design, and above ground versus in ground are things that will need to be sorted out long before any decision to have one installed is made.

Millennium Construction specializes in Orange County swimming pools, Corona Del Mar landscaping ,and pools.

Source: http://orangecountyhomeimprovement.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-new-swimming-pool-above-ground-or-in.html

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Dog Buries Dead Puppy In Astounding Act Of Mourning (VIDEO)

Melbourne Zoo?s newest primate baby, a three week-old Colobus monkey, is held in the arms of her mother Clover, in Melbourne on June 29, 2011. Keepers have not been able to determine the sex of the newborn monkey which is pure white and won?t display any black markings until it?s several months old. Black and White Colobus Monkeys, native to Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania and Kenya, have seen their populations suffer from the fur trade during colonial times, but now the greatest threats to their survival are the loss of their habitat and the bushmeat trade, the large-scale hunting to supply meat to towns and cities. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)

A lynx born on June 10, 2011, is pictured with its mother on June 30, 2011, at the Amneville's zoo, eastern France. (CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/AFP/Getty Images)

An unnamed baby baboon is seen in his mothers arms at the Hagenbeck Zoo on April 18, 2012 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images)

A Siberian tiger (Panthere tiger altaica) mother Niva carries one of her newborns at the Budapest Zoo and Botanic Garden in the Hungarian capital on July 4, 2011. Three eight-week-old Siberian tigers, Virgil, Thrax and Manu, were presented to the press for the first time with their health checkups and ID chips implanted by the chief doctor of the zoo. (ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images)

An eight-day old black-capped capuchin offspring holds on to its mother in an enclosure at the Serengeti animal park in Hodenhagen, western Germany, on May 14, 2012. (HOLGER HOLLEMANN/AFP/GettyImages)

Lion mother Princess licks one of her white lion babies on July 17, 2012 in Kempten, southern Germany. Lion mother Princess gave birth to six white lion cubs on July 11, 2012 at the Circus Krone. (OBIAS KLEINSCHMIDT/AFP/GettyImages)

Sydney Wildlife World's new baby joey koala 'Boonda', clings to its mother 'Elle' on June 28, 2011. Koalas are under threat due to a shortage of suitable habitat from mass land clearance, with Sydney Wildlife World launching KOALA HQ in July, to help raise much needed awareness regarding the importance of conserving one of Australia's most iconic and adored marsupials. (GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

Sydney Wildlife World's new baby joey koala 'Boonda' (C), clings to its mother 'Elle' on June 28, 2011. Koalas are under threat due to a shortage of suitable habitat from mass land clearance, with Sydney Wildlife World launching KOALA HQ in July, to help raise much needed awareness regarding the importance of conserving one of Australia's most iconic and adored marsupials. (GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

Baby 'Kipenzi' sits in her mother 'Kriba's' arms at the Taronga Zoo on January 25, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. The baby western lowland Gorilla, 'Kipenzi' was born to mother 'Kriba' and father 'Kibabu' on January 15th. Western lowland Gorillas are on the critically endangered list. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

A wild macaque baby monkey suckles milk from its mother (L) in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur on September 2, 2012. The long-tailed macaques can be found in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. (MOHD RASFAN/AFP/GettyImages)

Newly born twin baby orangutans cling to their mother at an enclosure at the Foundation for Sustainable Ecosystem in Medan, North Sumatra province on January 27, 2011. Orangutans are far more genetically diverse thatn thought, a finding that could help their survival, say scientists delivering their full DNA analysis of the critically endangered ape. The study, published January 27 in the science journal Nature, also reveals that the orangutan -- 'the man of the forest' -- has hardly evolved over the past 15 million years, in sharp contrast to Homo sapiens and his closest cousin, the chimpanzee. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)

A black-and-white ruffed lemur (Varecia variegata) born in captivity a month ago, hangs on the back of its mother at the zoo in Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, on March 7, 2011. It is the second time there is a birth of this species in captivity in Colombia. (LUIS ROBAYO/AFP/Getty Images)

A Titi Pigmeo (Cebuella Pygmaea) born in captivity ten days ago, hangs from the back of its mother at the Santa Fe zoo in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia on May 13, 2011. (RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images)

A mother polar bear plays with one of her three cubs born in last November, at the Moscow Zoo, on March 22, 2012. (ANDREY SMIRNOV/AFP/Getty Images)

A one-month-old baby lion-tailed macaque clings to its mother at Berlin's Zoologischer Garten Zoo August 23, 2011. The lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus) is an Old World monkey that is endemic to the Western Ghats of south India, it ranks among the rarest and most threatened primates. Some 3000-3500 of these animals live scattered over several areas in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. (JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images)

Johti, 44-years old Asiatic Elephant (Elephas Maximus), plays with her newborn female baby at Ostrava's Zoo on May 31, 2011. The baby elephant was born on April 15. (JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)

A three-month-old Crowned lemur (Eulemur coronatus) sits next to its mother in their enclosure on July 8, 2011 at the zoo in Mulhouse, northeastern France. Every year there are about 250 to 350 births at the Mulhouse zoo. Some young animals, once weaned, can be introduced in protected zones of their original region. If not, they go to other zoos to make up other families. Genetic mixing is necessary for the animals' health and the survival of the species. (SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/Getty Images)

A three-month-old Pied tamarin (Saguinus Bicolor) is pictured with its mother in their enclosure on July 8, 2011 at the zoo in Mulhouse, northeastern France. Every year there are about 250 to 350 births at the Mulhouse zoo. Some young animals, once weaned, can be introduced in protected zones of their original region. If not, they go to other zoos to make up other families. Genetic mixing is necessary for the animals' health and the survival of the species. (SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/Getty Images)

A three-month-old Crowned lemur (Eulemur coronatus) sits next to its mother in their enclosure on July 8, 2011 at the zoo in Mulhouse, northeastern France. Every year there are about 250 to 350 births at the Mulhouse zoo. Some young animals, once weaned, can be introduced in protected zones of their original region. If not, they go to other zoos to make up other families. Genetic mixing is necessary for the animals' health and the survival of the species. (SEBASTIEN BOZON/AFP/Getty Images)

A baby Pygmy hippopotamus stands next to her mother in an enclosure at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo on July 24, 2011. The baby hippo was born on June 22 at the zoo. (KAZUHIRO NOGI/AFP/Getty Images)

A baby baboon only a few days old clings to its mother in an enclosure at the 'ZOOM' Zoo in Gelsenkirchen, western Germany on March 12, 2012. (PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images)

A Danta (Tapitus terrestris) born in captivity ten days ago, stands by its mother at the Santa Fe zoo in Medellin, Antioquia department, Colombia on May 13, 2011. (RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images)

'Luk Chai' (L) and his mother 'Thong Dee' (R) arrive for Luk Chai's second birthday celebrations at Taronga Zoo in Sydney on July 4, 2011. The 830kg infant was the first Asian elephant to be born in Australia and is considered to be a milestone in the zoo's Asian Elephant Conservation Program. (TORSTEN BLACKWOOD/AFP/Getty Images)

This photo taken on December 2, 2011 shows a lamb feeding on her mother as a flock of sheep graze along a road in the outskirts of Beijing. Agricultural authorities in China have recently begun testing sheep after media reports claimed the livestock had been fed an illegal additive meant to make their meat leaner, claiming that clenbuterol, commonly known as 'lean meat powder' in China, was detected in live sheep in Lijin county, a major sheep meat production base in Shandong province. (GOH CHAI HIN/AFP/Getty Images)

A white tiger cub is pictured beside its mother Lisa on December 5, 2011 at the zoological park of Cerza in Hermival-les-Vaux, northern France. The three-year-old Lisa gave birth on October 8, 2011 to two white tigers belonging to a relatively rare species. (KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/AFP/Getty Images)

Two Pumas cubs and their mother called ''Xochitl'' remain at the National Zoo in Masaya department, Nicaragua on January 25, 2012. (ELMER MARTINEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

A merino lamb lies next to its mother moments after its birth at the Educational and Reserach Station for Animal Breeding (Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt fuer Tierzucht und Tierhaltung, or LVAT) in Brandenburg state on January 27, 2012 in Gross Kreutz, Germany. Hundreds of lambs have been born at the LVAT in recent weeks in the midst of the station's lambing season. Many of the lambs will be sold just before Easter, when they will have grown to a weight of over 40kg, as lamb is the traditional German Easter meal. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Eighteen-day-old pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis) makes his first public appearance with its 29-year-old mother Dina at the Bratislava zoo on May 24, 2011. The father is four-year-old Paul brought from the Berlin at the age of one. (JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)

A two week-old Eastern Bongo calf stands beside her mother at Sydney's Taronga Zoo on April 13, 2012. Eastern (or Highlands) Bongos are critically endangered with as few as 75 remaining in small groups of 6 to 12 animals in their Kenyan upland range. Bongo are one of the largest species of antelope in the world and are recognised by their striking russet colour and large antlers which extend over their backs. (WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images)

A baby giraffe calf named Mugambi explores alongside his mother Etosha the compound at the Hagenbeck Zoo on April 18, 2012 in Hamburg, Germany. The male calf was born on March 13 with a weight of 55 kilos. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images)

Baby polar bear Anori is accompanied by her mother Vilma as she explores her enclosure at the zoo in Wuppertal, western Germany, on April 19, 2012. Anori was born on January 4, 2012. Anori has the same father as world famous polar bear Knut, who died in 2011. (PATRIK STOLLARZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Bristol Zoo's baby gorilla Kukena holds onto his mother's arm as he ventures out of his enclosure at Bristol Zoo's Gorilla Island on May 4, 2012 in Bristol, England. The seven-month-old western lowland gorilla is starting to find his feet as he learns to walk having been born at the zoo in September. Kukena joins a family of gorillas at the zoo that are part of an international conservation breeding programme for the western lowland gorilla, which is a critically endangered species. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

A ring-tailed lemur baby is carried by its mother through their enclosure at the Serengeti animal park in Hodenhagen, western Germany, on May 14, 2012. In the wild, the monkeys live in South America. (HOLGER HOLLEMANN/AFP/GettyImages)

One-day-old giraffe Bashu is groomed by its mother Iwana at the Artis Zoo in Amsterdam, on 20 June 2012. (ED OUDENAARDEN/AFP/GettyImages)

A baby beluga whale swims close to her 11 year old mother called Parara, at the Hakkeijima Sea Paradise aquarium in Yokohama in suburban Tokyo on June 30, 2012. The one a half meters in length baby beluga was born at the aquarium on June 28. (YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP/GettyImages)

Jumaane, a 4-month old male African baby white rhinos stays close to his mother, Shova in its enclosure at the Singapore Zoo on July 17, 2012. Singapore Zoo currently has eight of these majestic creatures in its collection, and with the most number of white rhinos bred in a single zoo in Southeast Asia. So far 13 baby white rhinos have been born here, with some have been sent to Indonesia, Australia, Thailand and South Korea as part of the Zoo?s ex-situ conservation efforts through its worldwide exchange programme .White rhinos are considered near threatened in the wild on the IUCN?s Red List of Threatened species. (ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP/GettyImages)

Baby capuchin monkey Bonita sits on her mother and bites in a piece of paper at the zoo in Cologne, western Germany, on August 2, 2012. In the wild, capuchins live in Central and South America. (OLIVER BERG/AFP/GettyImages)

Baby capuchin monkey Bonita sits on her mother at the zoo in Cologne, western Germany, on August 2, 2012. In the wild, capuchins live in Central and South America. (OLIVER BERG/AFP/GettyImages)

Young leopards from Sri Lanka, born in the bioparc of Doue-la-Fontaine, play with their mother Iris on September 2, 2012. The Sri Lanka leopard is the largest feline in the island country that shares its name. Rare in captivity, it is threatened by the destruction of its habitat. Three young panthera live in the Zoo of Doue-La-Fontaine, Ciuttai, Cingha and Lanka are the children of Iris (6 years) and Bonhomme (12 years). (FRANK PERRY/AFP/GettyImages)

A new born male dolphin and its mother Roxane swim on September 4, 2012, the day after the birth, at the Brugge Seapark. (KURT DESPLENTER/AFP/GettyImages)

A five months of old male baby golden brushtail possum named Cooper (R) eats his meal next to his mother named Cascade at the Wild Life zoo in Sydney's central district on September 14, 2012. Joey's birth in April is the fourth succesful captive breeding program by Wild Life on the rare golden brushtail possum whose unique color is due to low levels of melanin in their skin and makes them highly visible to predators in the Australian wilds. (ROMEO GACAD/AFP/GettyImages)

One month-old baby mandrill Aron clings to his mother Sandra in their cage at Berlin's Zoologischer Garten zoo on September 28, 2012. The mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is a primate of the Old World monkey (Cercopithecidae) family,closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the drill. (JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/GettyImages)

One month-old baby mandrill Aron clings to his mother Sandra in their cage at Berlin's Zoologischer Garten zoo on September 28, 2012. The mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is a primate of the Old World monkey (Cercopithecidae) family,closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the drill. (JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/GettyImages)

Goliath (L), a baby rhinoceros born on September 18, looks on in his pen next to his mother on October 4, 2012, in the zoological park of Peaugres, central France. Goliath is the first rhino to be born in a French zoo this year and the third in Europe. (PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP/GettyImages)

A mother toque macaque, which is a kind of monkey from Ceylon, holds her male baby at Zoo Berlin on October 23, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. The baby monkey was born on August 23. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

A mother toque macaque, which is a kind of monkey from Ceylon, holds her male baby at Zoo Berlin on October 23, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. The baby monkey was born on August 23. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

A baby hippopotamus born November 23 swims with its mother at Zoo Berlin on December 7, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. The baby hippo is a boy and has two sisters. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

A baby anteater (Myemecophaga tridactyla), born in captivity last December 6, is pictured next to its mother at Amneville Zoo, on December 20, 2012 in Amneville, eastern France. (JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/AFP/Getty Images)

Four-week-old Jamil (R) a greater one horned rhinoceros stands beside his mother, Behan, at an enclosure at Whipsnade Zoo on January 8, 2013. The rhino, one of Whipsnade's newest arrivals weighed in a 59 Kg at birth. The young rhino made its first pubic appearance, stepping out from his paddock for the first time ready to be counted in the annual zoo stocktake. (ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

A White-Cheeked Gibbon mother sits and her baby (R) look on at the Beijing Zoo on January 21, 2013. The zoo grounds were originally a Ming Dynasty imperial palace and finally opened to the public in 1908. The zoo's history states that during the WWII, most of the zoo's animals died of starvation with only 13 monkeys and one old emu surviving the war. (MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images)

A drill monkey mother Kaduna holds her one week young Drill baby in the primate enclosure in the zoo of Munich Hellabrunn, southern Germany, on January 31, 2013. The Drill monkey baby was born in the zoo on January 24, 2013. The Drill's are in danger of extinction in Africa. (CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/23/dog-buries-dead-puppy-mourning-video_n_3487456.html

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Medical E-Booking Platform ZocDoc Takes On $53 Million In New Convertible Debt

ZocDoc, the company that makes a web-centric platform for booking health appointments, has closed on $53 million as part of a new $55 million round of convertible debt. In a phone call this afternoon, ZocDoc CEO Cyrus Massoumi said that the funding is in a convertible debt note with a “handful of folks.” He declined to provide further details on the entities involved. “We made the decision a little while ago to open up a convertible debt note on incredibly company-favorable terms… and I don’t believe that companies should ever raise money when they ‘need it’,” Massoumi said. “We don’t need the money, we don’t plan to use it, it’s basically sitting in the bank collecting dust.” Indeed, it doesn’t seem like ZocDoc should be desperate for new funds at the moment. Since it was founded five years ago, ZocDoc has taken on some $95 million in venture capital from investors including Khosla Ventures, Goldman Sachs, DST Global, and others. The new debt note comes at a solid point in ZocDoc’s growth, Massoumi said. ZocDoc has now passed 1,000 procedure types on the service. This is a nice bit of news for the company, which when it launched way back in 2007 at the TechCrunch 40 conference (the earliest iteration of what is now known as Disrupt) was criticized for being something that people would book minor appointments on, but not major things like heart surgeries. “Now, we have people booking appointments for heart surgeries and butt rashes,” Massoumi joked. The new infusion of funding will be a nice thing to have set away as ZocDoc continues to angle for more growth. Massoumi says that ZocDoc recently expanded its New York headquarters, and now has more than 400 employees on its payroll. Its platform is live in more than 1800 cities, and the “vast majority” of the regions in which it operates are profitable for the company, he said.

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

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NSA Leaker Snowden Leaves Hong Kong (Voice Of America)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/314619944?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Virginia Houses for Sale: Foreclosures - Real Estate - Centreville ...

Bank-owned homes in Northern Virginia, Fredericksburg.

Patch has?31 community sites?in Virginia and D.C. with some of the most in-demand neighborhoods in the commonwealth. Each site routinely covers local real estate.

Foreclosures nationwide?are on the decline, writes Amrita Jayakumar?in the?Washington Post. In Virginia, the number of homes in foreclosure is down more than 42 percent from where it was a year ago,?according to the report released Tuesday by LPS Applied Analytics, a market research company.

The state has?foreclosures resources for Virginia homeowners.

Using real estate listings from our friends at AOL Real Estate and Zillow, Patch editors looked at bank-owned property on the market last week.

Old Town WOW House: 534 N. Pitt St.

Foreclosure Home Sales in Chantilly

Three Foreclosures for Sale in Annandale

Foreclosure Homes for Sale in Lorton

Six Foreclosure Homes for Sale in Fairfax Station and Clifton

Four Foreclosure Homes for Sale in Burke

Reston WOW House: Foreclosure Deal in 20190

Real Estate: Foreclosures in Fairfax County/City

Two New Foreclosures for Sale in Kingstowne

Tysons Foreclosure: Townhouse for $425K

Source: http://centreville.patch.com/groups/real-estate/p/virginia-houses-for-sale-foreclosures

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Joeckel signs rookie contract with Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) ? First-round draft pick Luke Joeckel has signed a five-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Joeckel inked the deal Saturday, leaving the team with three unsigned picks.

Under the rookie salary cap, the No. 2 pick in April's draft gets a signing bonus near $13.8 million and has a cap number around $3.85 million in his first season.

The Jaguars selected Texas A&M's standout offensive tackle with the second overall pick in April's draft, expecting him to help bolster an offensive line that allowed 50 sacks last season. He immediately moved from the left side to the right, working exclusively with the first-team offense the last two months.

Jacksonville hopes Joeckel and veteran left tackle Eugene Monroe will give the franchise its best tackle tandem since Tony Boselli and Leon Searcy in the late 1990s.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/joeckel-signs-rookie-contract-jaguars-235849786.html

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Kardashian baby name: the science of how names shape us

Kardashian baby name: some studies have linked unusual names to numerous disadvantages later in life. As for the Kardashian baby name, it remains to be seen.

By Elizabeth Barber,?Contributor / June 21, 2013

Kardashian baby name: This 2012 photo shows singer Kanye West, left, talking to his girlfriend Kim Kardashian before an NBA basketball game between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks in Miami. A birth certificate released by the Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health shows that the couple's daughter North West, was born last Saturday in Los Angeles.

Alan Diaz/AP

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Kim Kardashian, for reasons that are not yet clear, has named her baby North West.

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It's an odd choice that's unlikely to much affect Kanye West's and Kardashian's little girl ? but, for a child born to non-famous parents, is a name that might critically shape who she grows up to be. Without the gilded Kardashian name to guarantee her success, that non-celebrity girl might struggle to fend off bullies, get hired, and overall surmount other people?s ? and eventually her own ? low expectations for her future.

Studies have increasingly shown that names are a highly relevant factor is how others perceive us and we perceive ourselves. In 2010, David Figlio of Northwestern University in Illinois analyzed names from millions of birth certificates for the probability that the name belonged to someone of low socioeconomic status ? children whose names met those criteria would go to be discriminated against throughout life, he found. Similarly, a 2003 study from The National Bureau of Economic Research found that resumes with White-sounding names receive 50 percent more callbacks for interviews than resumes with African-American-sounding names.

The significance of that research has grown in recent years, as baby names have become increasingly more unusual. In 2010, a British study of some 3,000 parents found that one-in-five of them regretted the name they had selected for their children, in that case often an unusual name or one with a strange spelling. That finding wasn?t surprising to scientists, since a growing crop of studies have linked unusual names to numerous disadvantages in life.

Much of how we perceive the world is unconscious, and our latent biases against particular names are often influential in how we treat people. A 2011 informal survey that combed baby name conversations on online message boards found that the names perceived to be highly trendy are the biggest culprits in jolting those biases and that those names often end up capping our lists of the most hated names.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/8qmeDm82OMA/Kardashian-baby-name-the-science-of-how-names-shape-us

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Why the new Mac Pro might be the most exciting Apple product since the iPad

Guy English, my co-host on Debug and Ad Hoc doesn't un-fallow his personal blog often, but when he does it's usually more than a little cause for contemplation. Last night was no different, as he dove deep into the new Mac Pro, and why he thinks it might just be the most interesting piece of hardware Apple's fielded since the original iPad. From Kickingbear:

This machine fascinates me not because it seems like it?ll make everything I currently do faster. It fascinates me because it?s fundamentally new. There?s only one CPU socket and it bets heavily on the bus and GPU performance. While this looks to software to be just another Mac it isn?t. It?s capabilities aren?t traditional. The CPU is a front end to a couple of very capable massively parallel processors at the end of a relatively fast bus. One of those GPUs isn?t even hooked up to do graphics. I think that?s a serious tell. If you leverage your massively parallel GPU to run a computation that runs even one second and in that time you can?t update your screen, that?s a problem. Have one GPU dedicated to rendering and a second available for serious computation and you?ve got an architecture that?ll feel incredible to work with.

I'm now factorially more excited about this machine, and like Guy, not just because of what it is, but because of what it might allow to be. No more spoilers. Go read the whole thing.

Source: Kickingbear

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/18VjXDoG7oI/story01.htm

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PFT: Fax-gate part deux? Bucs may owe millions

AP

Bills WR Marquise Goodman draws inspiration from his younger brother.

Part of the reason that LB Alonzo Highsmith Jr. signed with the Dolphins was to be close to his brother, a University of Miami senior also named Alonzo Highsmith Jr.

Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com points out the problems Patriots players drafted out of Florida in 2011 have experienced and wonders if Bill Belichick put too much stock in his friendship with Urban Meyer.

Jets assistant coaches Dennis Thurman and Tim McDonald have enjoyed a long friendship.

A look at the fight for roster spots and playing time in the Ravens backfield.

Will Bengals LB James Harrison outplay Jarvis Jones, his replacement on the Steelers roster, during the 2013 season?

What can the Browns do to cut down on QB Brandon Weeden getting passes knocked down at the line?

Age won?t be a problem for the Steelers defensive backs, according to the Steelers defensive backs.

Texans DE J.J. Watt got to know about helicopters during his visit to Afghanistan.

Previewing Year Two for Colts QB Andrew Luck.

Jaguars K Josh Scobee taught Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com about the technique needed to be a placekicker.

A video look at the progress made by Titans QB Jake Locker.

The Broncos are trying to keep expectations from going to anyone?s head.

An offseason with coach Andy Reid has left Chiefs QB Chase Daniel confident about the year to come.

Said Raiders RB Darren McFadden, ?Things are going very well with the offensive line. As far as the blitz pick up, the calls the offensive line is making. I feel like we?re meshing very well.?

CB Steve Williams could make an immediate impact in the Chargers secondary.

Ten things to know about Cowboys DB Will Allen.

Giants DT Marvin Austin has been playing the drums with children as part of a program called School of Rock.

A newly released biography tries to paint a picture of Eagles coach Chip Kelly.

Taking stock of the left defensive end spot for the Redskins.

Bears QB Jay Cutler is turning the clock back to the 80s for a fundraiser.

QB Thaddeus Lewis is confident about his chances of making the Lions.

Packers TE D.J. Williams likes to both work hard and play hard.

How much does it matter where on the depth chart the Vikings place DT Sharrif Floyd?

Osi Umenyiora thinks the younger Falcons defensive ends are developing quickly.

Undrafted rookie S Robert Lester hopes to make a mark with the Panthers.

Contrary to an internet report, Saints QB Drew Brees didn?t break his legs in a car accident.

Buccaneers rookies have spent time with local members of the military recently.

The Cardinals say they are reloading rather than rebuilding.

The Rams opened the NFL?s first Youth Training Academy.

Achilles injuries are piling up for the 49ers.

Looking back at general managers through the years for the Seahawks.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/06/22/bucs-face-huge-potential-liability-in-junk-fax-lawsuit/related/

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Welcome to the Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential speculation sweepstakes (Washington Post)

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Ohio air show resumes after stuntwoman, pilot die

CINCINNATI (AP) ? An air show in southwestern Ohio reopened with a moment of silence Sunday, a day after a pilot and wing walker died in a horrifying, fiery crash in front of thousands of spectators.

The Vectren Air Show near Dayton, which closed right after Saturday's crash, resumed Sunday in honor of pilot Charlie Schwenker and veteran stuntwoman Jane Wicker, both of Virginia.

"As a pilot, you accept the fact that accidents do happen ? it's an accepted risk we take," said John King, president of the Flying Circus Airshow, which had trained Wicker.

"They were both dedicated to flying and the act. They were true, ultimate professionals," King said. "I don't know of anyone who could have done any better than what they were doing."

Wicker and Schwenker were killed when their plane crashed in front of spectators who screamed in shock as the aircraft became engulfed in flames. No one else was hurt.

Video of the crash showed their plane gliding through the sky before abruptly rolled over, crashing and exploding into flames. Wicker, performing at the Dayton show for the first time, had been sitting atop the 450 HP Stearmans.

The decision to resume the show a day after the crash was an emotional one supported by Wicker's ex-husband, said air show general manager Brenda Kerfoot.

"He said, 'This is what Jane and Charlie would have wanted,'" Kerfoot said. "'They want you to have a safe show and go out there and do what you do best.'"

Wicker, 44, who lived in Bristow, Va., was a mother of two boys and engaged to be married, Kerfoot said.

"She was a well-rounded, delightful woman who was passionate about aviation," said Kerfoot. "She was in the business for a very long time and was well-loved by the air show community; she would certainly have wanted the show to go on."

Schwenker, 64, of Oakton, Va., was married.

The cause of the crash is unclear and the conclusion of an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board likely will take months. The NTSB planned a mid-afternoon news conference Sunday to discuss the accident.

Wicker's website says she responded to a classified ad from the Flying Circus Airshow in Bealeton, Va., in 1990, for a wing-walking position, thinking it would be fun. She was a contract employee who worked as a Federal Aviation Administration budget analyst, the FAA said.

In one post on Wicker's site, the stuntwoman explains what she loved most about her job.

"There is nothing that feels more exhilarating or freer to me than the wind and sky rushing by me as the earth rolls around my head," the post says. "I'm alive up there. To soar like a bird and touch the sky puts me in a place where I feel I totally belong. It's the only thing I've done that I've never questioned, never hesitated about and always felt was my destiny."

She also answered a question she said she got frequently: What about the risk?

"I feel safer on the wing of my airplane than I do driving to the airport," she wrote. "Why? Because I'm in control of those risks and not at the mercy of those other drivers."

A program for the air show touted Wicker as a performer of "heart-stopping" feats who did moves that "no other wing walker is brave enough to try."

"Wing riding is not for this damsel; her wing walking style is the real thing," the program said. "With no safety line and no parachute, Jane amazes the crowd by climbing, walking, and hanging all over her beautiful ... aircraft.

"Spectators are sure to gasp as this daredevil demonstrates in true form the unbelievable art of wing walking," it says.

On the video of the crash, an announcer narrates as Wicker's plane glides through the air.

"Keep an eye on Jane. Keep an eye on Charlie. Watch this! Jane Wicker, sitting on top of the world," the announcer said, right before the plane makes a quick turn and nosedive.

Some spectators said they knew something was wrong because the plane was flying low and slow.

Thanh Tran, of Fairfield, said he could see a look of concern on Wicker's face just before the plane went down.

"She looked very scared," he said. "Then the airplane crashed on the ground. After that, it was terrible, man ... very terrible."

In 2011, wing walker Todd Green fell 200 feet to his death at an air show in Michigan while performing a stunt in which he grabbed the skid of a helicopter.

In 2007, veteran stunt pilot Jim LeRoy was killed at the Dayton show when his biplane slammed into the runway while performing loop-to-loops and caught fire.

Still, King said, in the four decades since Flying Circus started, many kids have been so inspired watching the show that they later became military and commercial pilots.

"Our show takes them back to the barnstorming era of air shows," he said. "It's amazing how many people have taken up aviation careers because of their first exposure to the Flying Circus."

___

Associated Press writer Verena Dobnik in New York contributed to this report.

___

Follow Amanda Lee Myers on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AmandaLeeAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-air-show-resumes-stuntwoman-pilot-die-131204772.html

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Candidate shot at Albania election polling place

Albania?s Conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha, 68, who is seeking a third term in office, speaks at a rally in Tirana, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. The general election taking place Sunday, June 23, 2013 is considered a test for the Balkan country to shed its post-Communist legacy of troubled popular votes, as it seeks closer ties and eventual membership in the European Union. Conservative Sali Berisha, is seeking a third term and will speak at his Democratic Party's main election rally Friday in the capital Tirana. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Albania?s Conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha, 68, who is seeking a third term in office, speaks at a rally in Tirana, Tuesday, June 18, 2013. The general election taking place Sunday, June 23, 2013 is considered a test for the Balkan country to shed its post-Communist legacy of troubled popular votes, as it seeks closer ties and eventual membership in the European Union. Conservative Sali Berisha, is seeking a third term and will speak at his Democratic Party's main election rally Friday in the capital Tirana. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

In this Thursday, June 20, 2013 photo, main opposition Socialist Party leader Edi Rama, speaks at a rally, in Tirana, Albania, ahead of the Sunday?s general elections. Political parties in Albania entered their final day of campaigning for Sunday's general elections, considered a test for the Balkan country to shed its history of troubled campaigns as it seeks closer ties and eventual membership in the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Trash bins in the capital Tirana Saturday, June 22, 2013, are filled with posters, banners and other materials used by the political parties during the month-long electoral campaign. Political campaigning stops in Albania Saturday, a day before parliamentary elections which are considered a crucial test for its ambitions for closer ties and eventual membership in the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

An Albanian woman casts her vote in Tirana, Sunday, June 23, 2013 in the Albanian elections. An Albanian political candidate was shot and a supporter of a rival party killed in an exchange of gunfire near a polling station, police said Sunday, as the country held crucial elections already marred by a dispute that could leave the outcome up in the air. Both conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his close rival, Socialist leader Edi Rama, have hopes for eventual entry to the European Union, and the election is seen as a test of whether the country can run a fair and safe vote. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

An Albanian woman casts her vote in Tirana, Sunday, June 23, 2013 in the Albanian elections. An Albanian political candidate was shot and a supporter of a rival party killed in an exchange of gunfire near a polling station, police said Sunday, as the country held crucial elections already marred by a dispute that could leave the outcome up in the air. Both conservative Prime Minister Sali Berisha and his close rival, Socialist leader Edi Rama, have hopes for eventual entry to the European Union, and the election is seen as a test of whether the country can run a fair and safe vote. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

TIRANA, Albania (AP) ? An exchange of gunfire near a polling station wounded a candidate for parliament and left dead a supporter of a rival party during Albania's national elections on Sunday, tainting what had been a largely peaceful campaign season and threatening to further undermine the nation's bid to join the European Union.

The violence, which drew condemnation from an EU official, added to the already existing uncertainty surrounding the election: because of a political dispute, it's unclear when the vote results will be announced.

A police spokesman said Gjon Gjoni, 49, died after being shot in an exchange of fire that also wounded Mhill Fufi, 49, a candidate for Prime Minister Sali Berisha's governing Democratic Party. An opposition party leader identified Gjoni as a supporter. Another man, Fufi's relative Kastriot Fufi, 39, was also wounded.

It was not immediately clear who exactly did the shooting. The incident took place in the city of Lac, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Tirana, and started with an argument, said the police spokesman, Tefik Sulejmani, who gave few other details.

A spokeswoman for the ruling Democratic Party, Laura Vorpsi, said Mhill Fufi was trying to move away some opposition supporters who were trying to bribe voters, and alleged that those opposition supporters "responded with shooting rounds."

"The Democratic Party harshly denounces any act of violence," Vorpsi said.

Once one of the world's most hardline communist countries, Albania has had a rocky road to democracy. Corruption has plagued the impoverished country, and its elections have been marred by violence and vote-rigging.

The conservative prime minister, Berisha, and his close rival, Socialist Party leader Edi Rama, both hope Albania can gain eventual entry to the EU, and Sunday's election is seen as a test of whether the country can run a fair and safe vote.

Berisha declined to comment on the killing after casting his ballot, saying he needed more information first. The prime minister invited all Albanians to take part in the vote and turn Sunday "into a day of festivities and good understanding."

"I assure you that your vote will be fully respected," Berisha said.

Rama, meanwhile, denounced "certain segments of police" for collaborating with "criminals" and insisted that participation in the vote was the best way to respond. "It is barbarous that in an election day, in the midst of Europe, a human is shot dead from criminals supported from police," he told reporters.

Ilir Meta, the leader of the Socialist Movement for Integration, confirmed that Gjoni, the man who died, was a supporter. Meta, whose party is allies with that of Rama's, also blamed police and "criminal elements" of the ruling Democrats, whom he alleged were exerting pressure at polling stations.

"Sali Berisha is not Albania's premier any more. He cannot leave power without shedding blood," Meta said.

In other incidents across the country, a journalist was reportedly not allowed to enter a polling station and was pushed away from the area, while a camera belonging to a private TV station, Top Channel was broken and the cameraman reported to have been beaten.

Some 3.3 million registered voters were eligible to cast their ballots Sunday, the eighth national polls since the fall of communism in 1990. The month-long contest had been relatively calm until election day, though there had been reports of civil servants and even school children being pressured to attend pro-government rallies.

Albania's president called for unity in wake of Sunday's violence. "Peace, calm, citizens' life is important," Bujar Nishani said. "I appeal for calm and maturity because, we may vote for different parties, but we are one nation."

Bu the EU's top diplomat in Albania took a hard stand on the violence.

"I want to say something very clear, very firm. Among the international and European standards for elections, there is the refusal of violence," said Ettore Sequi, the EU ambassador to Tirana.

A political dispute over the country's election commission has meant it is uncertain when results of the vote will be announced, although the law mandates they be revealed no later than three days after the polls.

Albania joined NATO in 2009. But it has failed to gain candidate status from the EU, which is pressing for broader democratic reforms and an improved election record.

Some 400 international observers and about 8,000 local ones are monitoring Sunday's election.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-23-Albania-Elections/id-82924db3043046059d8d6340bc2037a3

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Judy Reyes: My Daughter Will ?Probably Be a Director?

"She does the lines and then we switch roles and she goes, 'No! Don't say it like that. This is impossible!' She'll probably be a director," she adds.

Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/XjMuMQXxMqs/

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Edward Snowden In A 'Safe Place' As U.S. Prepares To Seek Extradition

By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - Edward Snowden was in a "safe place" in Hong Kong, a newspaper reported on Saturday, as the United States prepared to seek the extradition of the former U.S. National Security Agency contractor after filing espionage charges against him.
The South China Morning Post said Snowden, who has exposed secret U.S. surveillance programs including new details published on Saturday about alleged hacking of Chinese phone companies, was not in police protection in Hong Kong, as had been reported elsewhere.
"Contrary to some reports, the former CIA analyst has not been detained, is not under police protection but is in a 'safe place' in Hong Kong," the newspaper said.
Hong Kong Police Commissioner Andy Tsang declined to comment other than to say Hong Kong would deal with the case in accordance with the law.
Two U.S. sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States was preparing to seek Snowden's extradition from Hong Kong, which is part of China but has wide-ranging autonomy, including an independent judiciary.
The United States charged Snowden with theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence to an unauthorized person, according to the criminal complaint made public on Friday.
The latter two offenses fall under the U.S. Espionage Act and carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
America's use of the Espionage Act against Snowden has fueled debate among legal experts about whether that could complicate his extradition, since Hong Kong courts may choose to shield him.
Snowden says he leaked the details of the classified U.S. surveillance to expose abusive programs that trampled on citizens' rights.
Documents leaked by Snowden revealed that the NSA has access to vast amounts of internet data such as emails, chat rooms and video from large companies such as Facebook and Google, under a government program known as Prism.
They also showed that the government had worked through the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to gather so-called metadata - such as the time, duration and telephone numbers called - on all calls carried by service providers such as Verizon.
On Friday, the Guardian newspaper, citing documents shared by Snowden, said Britain's spy agency GCHQ had tapped fiber-optic cables that carry international phone and internet traffic and is sharing vast quantities of personal information with the NSA.

STEALING DATA
The South China Morning Post said on Saturday that Snowden offered new details on U.S. surveillance activities in China.
The paper said documents and statements by Snowden show the NSA program had hacked major Chinese telecoms companies to access text messages and targeted China's top Tsinghua University.
The NSA program also hacked the Hong Kong headquarters of Pacnet, which has an extensive fiber-optic network, it said.
"The NSA does all kinds of things like hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal all of your SMS data," Snowden was quoted by the Post as saying during a June 12 interview.
President Barack Obama and his intelligence chiefs have vigorously defended the programs, saying they are regulated by law and that Congress was notified. They say the programs have been used to thwart militant plots and do not target Americans' personal lives.
Since making his revelations about massive U.S. surveillance programs, Edward Snowden, 30, has sought legal representation from human rights lawyers as he prepares to fight U.S. attempts to force him home for trial, sources in Hong Kong say.
The United States and Hong Kong signed an extradition treaty in 1998, under which scores of Americans have been sent back home to face trial.
The United States and Hong Kong have "excellent cooperation" and as a result of agreements, "there is an active extradition relationship between Hong Kong and the United States," a U.S. law enforcement official told Reuters.
However, the process can take years, lawyers say, and Snowden's case could be particularly complex.
An Icelandic businessman linked to the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks said on Thursday he had readied a private plane in China to fly Snowden to Iceland if Iceland's government would grant asylum.
Iceland refused on Friday to say whether it would grant asylum to Snowden. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; Additional reporting by James Pomfret, Venus Wu and Grace Li in HONG KONG, Tabassum Zakaria and Mark Hosenball in WASHINGTON; Editing by Eric Beech)

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/22/edward-snowden-safe_n_3483716.html

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NSA leaker charged with espionage, theft

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Justice Department has charged former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden with espionage and theft of government property in the NSA surveillance case.

Snowden, believed to be holed up in Hong Kong, has admitted providing information to the news media about two highly classified NSA surveillance programs.

A one-page criminal complaint unsealed Friday in federal court in Alexandria, Va., says Snowden engaged in unauthorized communication of national defense information and willful communication of classified communications intelligence information. Both are charges under the Espionage Act. Snowden also is charged with theft of government property. All three crimes carry a maximum 10-year prison penalty.

The federal court in the Eastern District of Virginia where the complaint was filed is headquarters for Snowden's former employer, government contractor Booz Allen Hamilton.

The complaint is dated June 14, five days after Snowden's name first surfaced as the leaker of information about the two programs in which the NSA gathered telephone and Internet records to ferret out terror plots.

The complaint could become an integral part of a U.S. government effort to have Snowden extradited from Hong Kong, a process that could turn into a prolonged legal battle. Snowden could contest extradition on grounds of political persecution. In general, the extradition agreement between the U.S. and Hong Kong excepts political offenses from the obligation to turn over a person.

It was unclear late Friday whether the U.S. had made an extradition request. Hong Kong had no immediate reaction to word of the charges against Snowden.

The Espionage Act arguably is a political offense. The Obama administration has now used the act in eight criminal cases in an unprecedented effort to stem leaks. In one of them, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning acknowledged he sent more than 700,000 battlefield reports, diplomatic cables and other materials to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks. His military trial is underway.

Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, welcomed the charges. "I've always thought this was a treasonous act," he said in a statement. "I hope Hong Kong's government will take him into custody and extradite him to the U.S."

Michael di Pretoro, a retired 30-year veteran with the FBI who served from 1990 to 1994 as the legal liaison officer at the American consulate in Hong Kong, said "relations between U.S. and Hong Kong law enforcement personnel are historically quite good."

"In my time, I felt the degree of cooperation was outstanding to the extent that I almost felt I was in an FBI field office," said di Pretoro.

The U.S. and Hong Kong cooperate on law enforcement matters and have a standing agreement on the surrender of fugitives.

However, Snowden's appeal rights could drag out any extradition proceeding.

The success or failure of any extradition proceeding depends on what the suspect is charged with under U.S. law and how it corresponds to Hong Kong law under the treaty. In order for Hong Kong officials to honor the extradition request, they have to have some applicable statute under their law that corresponds with a violation of U.S. law.

In Iceland, a business executive said Friday that a private plane was on standby to transport Snowden from Hong Kong to Iceland, although Iceland's government says it has not received an asylum request from Snowden.

Business executive Olafur Vignir Sigurvinsson said he has been in contact with someone representing Snowden and has not spoken to the American himself. Private donations are being collected to pay for the flight, he said.

"There are a number of people that are interested in freedom of speech and recognize the importance of knowing who is spying on us," Sigurvinsson said. "We are people that care about privacy."

Disclosure of the criminal complaint came as President Barack Obama held his first meeting with a privacy and civil liberties board as his intelligence chief sought ways to help Americans understand more about sweeping government surveillance efforts exposed by Snowden.

The five members of the little-known Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board met with Obama for an hour in the White House Situation Room, questioning the president on the two NSA programs that have stoked controversy.

One program collects billions of U.S. phone records. The second gathers audio, video, email, photographic and Internet search usage of foreign nationals overseas, and probably some Americans in the process, who use major providers such as Microsoft, Google, Apple, and Yahoo.

___

Associated Press writer Jenna Gottlieb in Reykjavik, Iceland, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nsa-leaker-charged-espionage-theft-001952096.html

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