Iran says it successfully sent a monkey into space

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? A gray-tufted monkey strapped in a pod resembling an infant's car seat rode an Iranian rocket into space and returned safely, officials said Monday in what was described as a step toward Tehran's goal of a manned space flight.

The mission also touched on concerns that advances in Iran's rocket expertise could be channeled into military use for long-range weapons that might one day carry nuclear warheads. Iran says it does not seek atomic weapons.

Launching a live animal into space ? as the U.S. and the Soviet Union did more than a half-century ago in the infancy of their programs ? may boost a country's stature. But John Logsden, a space policy professor emeritus at George Washington University, said Iran's achievement should draw no concern.

"A slight monkey on a suborbital flight is nothing to get too excited about," he said. "They already had the capability to launch warheads in their region."

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the U.S. had no way to confirm the monkey's voyage, but that it was concerned by the reports because "any space launch vehicle capable of placing an object in orbit is directly relevant to the development of long-range ballistic missiles."

The U.N. Security Council has expressly forbidden Iran from such ballistic missile activity, Nuland added.

In June 2010, the Security Council banned Iran from pursuing "any activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons."

With its ambitious aerospace program, Iran has said it wants to become a technological leader for the Islamic world.

It's not the first time Iran has announced it had rocketed a live creature out of the Earth's atmosphere. The country sent a mouse, a turtle and some worms into space in 2010, officials said.

But the purported successful voyage of the small monkey, shown wearing a protective vest, put Iran among just a handful of nations that have sent a primate into space in a mission seen as a precursor of human spaceflight. No name was given for the monkey.

Earlier this month, the director of Iran's space agency, Hamid Fazeli, said Iran wanted to launch its first manned space mission in as soon as five years ? a goal that stretches back to the shah's fascination with NASA years before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

"Iran is on its way to send a man into space," said Iran's Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi in comments posted on the ministry's website.

He added that the capsule "returned to Earth safely at the expected speed, together with the monkey inside," without giving further details.

According to state TV, the rocket dubbed "Pishgam," or "Pioneer" in Farsi, reached a height of 120 kilometers (72 miles), pushing into the threshold of space.

Iran's state TV broadcast its first video pictures showing Iranian scientists fixing the seated monkey into the rocket before the launch. It did not give any details on the timing or location of the launch.

Still images also showed the monkey wearing a type of molded body protection and being strapped tightly into a red plastic seat. The monkey was shown immobilized with straps and his face poked through a purple shield that covered his head and upper body.

Fazel said the monkey parachuted safely with the remaining last stage of the rocket. The TV also showed experts walking to the site in the middle of a desert where the monkey landed.

Fazel told the state TV that Iran will launch a bigger rocket together with a larger animal to obtain greater safety assurances before sending a man into space.

For Iran, its aerospace program is a source of national pride at a time of slumping economic fortunes from Western sanctions. It's also one of the pillars of Iran's aspirations to be seen as the technological hub for Islamic and developing countries.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and others repeatedly describe scientific progress ? including Iran's uranium enrichment labs ? as a patriotic duty in response to Western economic and diplomatic pressures.

Iran's rocket technology alarms the West as giving it intercontinental reach for a possible arsenal. Already, conventional Iranian missiles are capable of reaching Israel and U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf.

Iran insists it only seeks nuclear reactors for energy and medical applications. But authorities also say there can be no retreat from homegrown technological development in all fields ? from peaceful nuclear research to military surveillance drones.

Tehran has announced several successful launches of satellites, dating back to 2005 in a joint project with Russia.

In November, the head of Iran's powerful parliamentary committee on security and foreign policy, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, warned that "no power can prevent Iran's progress in scientific and nuclear science fields."

Similar statements were made last year when Iran announced plans for a new space center.

Few details have emerged on the new facility, but Iran already has a major satellite launch complex near Semnan, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of Tehran. A satellite monitoring facility is located outside Mahdasht, about 70 kilometers (40 miles) west of the Iranian capital.

Iran says it wants to put its own satellites into orbit to monitor natural disasters in the earthquake-prone nation, improve telecommunications and expand military surveillance in the region.

The mission involving the monkey drew historical links to the earliest years of the space race in the 1950s when both the U.S. and the Soviet Union tested rockets with animals on board, including American capsules carrying monkeys and Moscow's holding dogs. Many of the animals on the early flights perished because of equipment failure or technology unable to cope with re-entry from sub-orbit.

Later in the 1960s, the U.S. and Soviets sent animals into orbit for further biological tests on space flight and other nations, including France and China, sent animals on rocket flights.

"They're following the path that we followed more than half a century ago," Logsdon said, adding that Iran is probably ahead of India in terms of space ability, but behind its arch foe Israel.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said it was "appalled" by photos of what it described as a "visibly terrified monkey crudely strapped into a restraint device."

It said it had urged Iran in 2011 not to send a primate into space.

"Iran is repeating the wasteful and cruel mistakes that marked the darkest days of the space race," PETA said in a statement.

____

Science Writer Seth Borenstein and Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-says-successfully-sent-monkey-space-205818340.html

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Gold And Silver Truth-Seeking: Fundamentals & Opinions Are Useless

All general statements are untrue, [including the one above and this one]. There are exceptions to every general rule, so they cannot always be true.

There is truth to the consideration that all fundamentals and opinions are useless in the markets, as they pertain to timing, and timing plays a huge role when investing/trading. What fundamentals/opinions do is put one?s belief system into a context with regard to the market[s]. If one wants to profit from any belief, he/she is then pitted against the forces of the marketplace in their exercise.

If you know about the fundamentals, to whatever degree you believe, and/or if you have an opinion, from whatever source and however reliable or not, the question then becomes, ?What are you going to do about it?? Our premise topic, fundamentals and opinions are useless, goes back to what we have stated before:

It does not matter what others say about the market.
What matters is what the market says about others.

People are drawn to articles/information that reinforces their beliefs. Markets force people to put aside their bias and deal with what is, or else deal with the consequences if the bias/belief is in conflict. The market is, and always will be, the final arbiter of all ?facts? and ?opinions.?

The market is composed of all the known [and not so well-known] facts that affect supply and demand. ?The gold held in New York and London is/may be gone.? Fact or fiction? The Fed and London ain?t telling, or what they are telling is that ?belief? is untrue. Fiat currencies are being created at unprecedented levels. We all know that is a fact, and many believe gold and silver will/should recognize that fact and be priced accordingly, [but are not]. The fundamentals for silver supply and demand are incredibly bullish. Few can deny that, the few being the Fed and JPM, et al.

The market knows all of this! Yet, the price of both gold and silver are languishing in protracted trading ranges. So how valuable are the fundamentals or opinions about gold going to $5,000, or silver to $400, [pick your own number, as most undoubtedly have one]?

For right now, and for the pat 18 months or so, the best information in the world, the strongest opinions held have been ?useless.? The charts, [the market translated into a visual format], reflect the trading ranges, and current prices are just about dead center within them. The middle of a trading range is where the level of knowledge is at its lowest. It is a coin toss. Price can rally to the top of the range and still fail, or it can decline to the bottom of the range and fail to go lower. Flip a coin!

Whatever your opinion of where the price of gold and/or silver should be, this is what the market is saying about your ?belief/opinion:?

[Monthly charts are not included as the month ends next week, and those charts will be included next week. The discussion for gold is more general, and a little more detail is given in the silver charts, as both are similar.]

The market is showing price to be in the middle of a lengthy trading range, [TR], and until the TR is broken, up or down, one is spinning wheels in between. Last week, we showed how the clustering of closes could signify support and a rally, or a pause before continuing lower. The gold ?rally? fizzled and has retraced back to the clustering. Will it continue to act as support, or fail?

Not only is gold in the middle of the TR, it is also in the middle of a down channel. It is anyone?s guess for now.

Let us add that the fundamentals are incredibly bullish, and within that context, we continue to advocate buying the physical at any price, and buy consistently. Our analysis pertains to trading/buying the futures. Regardless of the bullish context of the fundamentals, the market is saying, ?Not right now.? Until price rallies above $1,800, it is not going reach whatever future expectation one may have, which is all we are saying. For timing, any/all fundamental considerations are useless. For positioning one?s self in the physical, now is the time. When gold/silver take off, [even we have a bias], it will be fast and furious [opinion], with no looking back, but that can be months, Quarters, possibly year[s] away.

The daily chart comments pretty much speak for themselves.

Last week, we noted a long position on the strength of the wide range, strong close bar, 6th bar from the end. The recommendation did not lead to much profit, but profits were taken prior to the decline, based on developing market activity at the time.

While silver is weaker, relatively to gold, it is behaving relatively stronger of late. Note how the weekly close is higher/above the clustering of closes, where gold is right at the clustering location, [both still in the middle!].

As with gold, now is the time to continue accumulating [stacking, as it were] silver at any price. Sales of the American Eagle are going through the roof and were recently halted until 28 January. Why the government continues to sell them at all is beyond us in comprehension, given it is part of the forces [of evil] endeavoring to suppress the market?s alternative to the insidious issue of fiat.

For as much as an argument can be made that price is holding reasonably well within the ongoing TR, the ?fact? that silver failed to reach the upper channel line is a sign of weakness. Yet, unlike gold, the decline in silver held above the wide range, strong close bar where a long position was recommended. You can see the small range high at 32.50, 3rd bar from the end. It was the market?s message telling us that demand was weak. The long position was liquidated profitably, before the decline set in. Love those messages!

Where will the decline stop? We have no clue, nor do we [or you] need to guess. Instead, simply wait for developing market activity to indicate demand is overcoming supply. Why guess when the best source of information will make some kind of factual declaration?!

Maybe price will hold potential support at the clustering of closes, maybe not. What is more important is that the existing TR is telling everyone to wait, for those inclined to heed the market?s message. Even on a shorter time frame, within the TR, the market is STILL saying, price is not strong. Buy the physical, but not the futures.

Fundamental context matters for what side one chooses. The message from the market matters the most for timing and implementing one?s belief. That is a fact that has never changed and one that never will. Count on it!

[Just don't take it to the bank. Banks cannot be trusted.]

Source: http://goldsilverworlds.com/gold-silver-price-news/gold-and-silver-truth-seeking-fundamentals-opinions-are-useless/

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Find Unexpected New Uses for Your Crock Pot ... - Limerick Patch

Sure, you've used your Crock Pot for soups and stews. You probably own a cookbook, and you might even have sites like Crock Pot Girls bookmarked.

But have you made bread in a Crock Pot? Would it ever cross your mind to prepare veggies in one?

Pinterest, my new go-to corner of the Internet for recipes and kitchen inspiration, has more slow-cooker ideas than you could prepare in two lifetimes. Here are a few of my favorite you-can-make-that-in-a-Crock-Pot? recipes.

Lemon and garlic artichokes - I'm not sure why this spiky green veggie - a thistle flower, to be exact - gives people such pause. It strikes fear into the hearts of men. Most of you have had artichoke hearts on pizza or in dip, but I'd bet few of you have prepared them fresh. Why not? They're delicious and extremely healthy. This step-by-step recipe, with photos, should help take some of the fear out of preparing fresh artichokes.

Cheesecake - Prepare a perfect cheesecake in your slow cooker! The secret is a water bath, so you'll have to find a heat-resistant dish that fits into the Crock Pot. Prepare crust and cheesecake batter in the dish, then lower carefully into water bath in the Crock Pot. Bake two to three hours (but check after one). Chill for two hours.

Sourdough bread -Whether you use prepared dough, or make your own, you can have freshly baked bread, in under three hours, from the slow cooker! This is also a great way to bake without heating up the oven. (Hard to think about this now while it's 12 degrees outside, I know, but keep this in mind come July!)

Sausage and egg casserole - A complete breakfast! In a slow cooker! Prepared the night before! Does it get any better? Layer hashbrowns, cooked sausage, onions and cheese, then pour seasoned, whisked eggs over the whole thing. Cook on low for six to eight hours (overnight), and enjoy in the a.m.

Baked apples - All the goodness of baked apple pie, without the guilt of the crust (although, admittedly, the crust is my absolutely favorite part). Carve out the core of six apples and fill them with a mix of brown sugar, nuts, butter and cinnamon. Pour apple juice or apple cider into the Crock Pot, around the apples. Cook on high for two and a half to three hours, until soft. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt.

Have a favorite slow cooker recipe? Share it with us below!

Source: http://limerick.patch.com/articles/find-unexpected-new-uses-for-your-crock-pot

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How The Medical Equipment Tax May Change Healthcare Forever ...

In order to pay for the Nation?s new healthcare program, the IRS hopes to raise $30 billion and they don?t plan on having a bake sale to get the cash. Under the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (P.L. 111-152) a 2.3% excise tax will be levied on medical equipment starting January 1st, 2013. Amid growing fears that the tax will have far reaching and negative impacts on the healthcare system, both Democrats and Republicans are coming together in hopes of repealing the excise tax.

Known as the Medical Device Tax, its aim is to generate revenues to help pay for the addition of health care benefits to millions of new Obamacare recipients. But how could a seemingly innocuous 2.3% tax hike on manufacturers of medical equipment have any impact on the citizen at large? At least they aren?t increasing my taxes you might think, right? Like a Trojan horse, this tax is being ushered into our cities but once inside the proverbial gates, it could destroy many of the innovative companies that develop and build the machines which make modern medicine possible, lead to job losses and an increase in health care costs, according to John A. Sparks from the Washington Times.¹

We take for granted the wondrous, beeping, chirping and dripping, life-saving machines that fill our hospital room floors and stand vigil at our bedsides when we are sick. We have come to expect that scanning MRI, Ultra Sound and X-Ray devices will help our doctors see into our bodies, diagnose, and treat our medical conditions. As my boss likes to quote from the Pearson, Sabin, Emanuel book, ?No Margin ? No Mission?, the Medical Device Tax slices over half of the margin, or profit, from the companies hard at work, creating and manufacturing the equipment that make American modern medicine possible.

The attentive reader might ask how could a measly 2.3% tax confiscate over half of a business?s profits? First, this tax is imposed on revenue, not profit, like most commerce taxes. To understand, if a business develops and makes an MRI machine that generates $1 million in its first year of sales, but has only seen an actual profit, after all business expenses, of $40,000 the company would be taxed on that $40,000. The government would take its share of the profits. However, this tax is levied on revenue, not profits. Instead of taking a percentage of the $40,000 profit, the government will take 2.3% off the $1 million in revenue or $23,000. That?s 58% ? more than half the company?s profits ? if they even have profits. It may take years for the revenue from a new device to generate a profit but the company is required to pay out 2.3% on revenue, regardless, ensuring many companies could be forced to close their doors.

Foreseeing the negative impact, the tax will have on the financial future of the medical technology industry, investment in health care technology companies has already begun to retreat, reaching anemic levels. Elizabeth McDonald, noted business journalist explains that capital funding for the medical equipment industry during the third quarter of 2012 reached the lowest it has been in almost a decade.¹ According to a Price Waterhouse Coopers paper published August 2011 a broad coalition of medical technology companies and leading associations consisting of over 400 companies, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other investment firms all believe the new tax will lead to job losses, reduction in research and development and burdensome administration. The tax will ?harm patient care and thwart innovation and job creation at a time when we can least afford it, ? said Mark Leahey, President and CEO of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA).² Bruce Josten, Executive Vice President for Government Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce echoes Leahey?s statement saying that, ?Allowing the medical device excise tax to take effect would undermine patient care, stifle innovation in medical technology, and further damage our economy.?³

The Medical Equipment Tax has US manufacturers of medical products scrambling to raise prices, eliminate jobs and revise their business strategies. Congress wants you to think the tax won?t affect the general consumer since it?s not imposed directly on you. Remember, ?No Margin ? No Mission? and without profits, the medical device industry will languish,? irreparably damaging healthcare on the whole.? Although it?s aim was to raise money to pay for Obamacare, the Medical Device Tax may hobble the health care system it is intended to fund.

How do you think the Medical Device Tax will impact you and your healthcare?

Craig Hood is Executive Vice President of Scrip Companies and Founder of Allegro Medical (AllegroMedical.com), the leading online supplier of medical equipment and home health care supplies.

Sources:
¹The Washington Times ? ?Obamacare tax on medical devices hurts jobs and health?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/15/obamacare-tax-on-medical-devices-hurts-jobs-and-he/

²Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA) ? ?Broad Coalition Urges Congressional Leaders to Repeal Medical Device Tax?, July 18, 2011

http://medicaldevices.org/node/1039

³Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) ? Medtechfocus, ?Med tech companies further debate over US competitiveness, raise question about impact of excise tax on innovation?, August 16, 2011 http://pwchealth.com/cgi-local/hregister.cgi/reg/medtech-focus-on-excise-tax.pdf

Source: http://www.allegromedical.com/blog/how-the-medical-equipment-tax-may-change-healthcare-forever-2257.html

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I Heart Ian ? Blog Archive ? Your Resource For Kitchen Supplies

Your kitchen changes anytime you buy new appliances, supplies, and ingredients. Step inside a kitchen in someone else?s house and you will see an arrangement entirely different from the one in your own home. With a fruit juicer or Vitamix blender, you can make tasty juices and smoothies that will be the ideal complement to any meal. With a flour mill, you can create your own healthy bread. In addition, you can buy pressure cookers, ice cream makers, specialty toasters, or dehydrators to add to your kitchen. As the leading retailer for Bosch brand appliances, we are your primary store for the best cooking supplies in the industry. Start the transformation of your kitchen today with professional equipment from our store. Bosch kitchen center Salt Lake City Utah

Source: http://iheartian.com/your-resource-for-kitchen-supplies/

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Translator App Waygo Reads Chinese Menus For Hungry Travelers

As anyone who has ever studied Chinese knows, it's an onerous language to learn--especially on an empty stomach. That's where Waygo comes in. The translation iOS app makes life easier for travelers by using?optical character recognition to read menu items written in Chinese characters.

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

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Your Package Has Been Returned and Your SSL Certificate is ...

We have a very good Spam filter, but still every now and then a phishing email will slip through.? My business email is easy to find so I get? a wide assortment of unsolicited emails. This week I received a deviation on an scam that has been around for years ? your package was returned and click this link to get it.? I also received one that my LogMein SSL Certificate had been suspended?- click here to fix.?Of course, the links are malicious and at least, would come with some irritating pop-ups and at worse, steal your identity, seize your system and ruin your computer.

These exploits are designed to cause an immediate emotional response that will make you click before your think.? Because if you look closer, the fraud is apparent.? The?mail and parcel carriers do not typically?use email for package routing information?although some will let you elect mobile or email notification.? The body of the emails usually have?spelling or grammatical errors and often the links take you to strange sites. A?suspended LogMein SSL Certificate is a problem, but too suspicious to believe the email.

If you think the issue may be real, do some additional research but don?t click any links. Even with legitimate emails, your clicks are tracked by?embedded links.? So if you don?t want to be tracked or scammed, avoid links.

You already know these tips for protecting yourself, but let?s review:

1. Have a good Spam Filter.? Still about 90% of the emails sent worldwide are Spam and many are malicious. A good filter will catch most Spam.

2. Use virus protection.? Even if you use a great Spam Filter, you still need virus protection for those threats that slip through. We like Symantec for our business users.

3. Use malware protection. There are several that you can try and use free for home use. We like MalwareBytes and Advanced System Care. The licensed versions provide real-time protection.

4. Do not open files or click links in emails unless you trust and know the source.??And even if you know and trust the source be sure it is a?real email from them. Email accounts can be hacked and?malicious emails sent from?your friend?s account.

5.? If you think you are infected, consult an expert.? If it looks really bad, disconnect your computer from the network or Internet. If it looks really, really bad, turn off your computer until help is available.

6. Don?t put your credit card information in those pop-ups that guarantee to remove the infection, they are scams.

7.?Don?t forward email unless absolutely necessary.? This is not only for security but for proper etiquette as well.? If you have to forward something be sure it is not a hoax and that the recipient wants to receive. If you have to send that funny joke, be sure to have the recipient?s permission.

We look at online threats constantly, but sometimes there is one so good that even the experts are initially fooled.

Source: http://lansystems.com/internet-security-2/your-package-has-been-returned-and-your-ssl-certificate-is-suspended

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