UN: 14 Iranian exiles moved from Iraq to Albania

BAGHDAD (AP) ? The first exiles from an Iranian opposition group have moved to Albania from a camp near Baghdad as part of a relocation process, the United Nations said Thursday, a step toward defusing an explosive dispute left over from the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s and the U.S.-led ousting of the regime of Saddam Hussein.

In a statement, the U.N. envoy in Iraq, Martin Kobler, said 14 members of the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq arrived in Albania late Wednesday, the first of 210 set to travel to new homes in Albania.

The MEK, or the People's Mujahedeen of Iran, opposes Tehran's clerical regime. It carried out assassinations and bombings in Iran until renouncing violence in 2001. Several thousand of its members were given sanctuary in Iraq by dictator Saddam Hussein, who was deposed in 2003.

Since then, the MEK refugees have been a stubborn, anachronistic thorn in the side of Iraq and the United States, even after the U.S. turned over responsibility for Camp Ashraf, housing the remnants of the militant group, to the Iraqi government in 2009.

The MEK fought alongside Saddam's forces in the 1980s Iraq-Iran war, and its members fear persecution and death if they return to Iran.

The Shiite-led government in Baghdad that replaced Saddam's regime is bolstering its ties with Iran. It considers the MEK a terrorist group and wants its members out of the country.

The MEK exiles have come under fire from armed Iraqis who demand their expulsion. In one incident, seven people were killed in a rocket attack on the MEK camp in February. Later, the head of a Shiite militant group threatened to carry out more attacks on the camp if the MEK members refused to leave.

Last year about 3,000 MEK exiles were moved from their decades-long enclave in northeastern Iraq to a refugee camp outside Baghdad at a former U.S. military base, part of an effort to ensure their peaceful departure from Iraq. However, while Albania is taking in a small group, it remains unclear where the rest of the MEK members might go, leaving a clear potential for further violence.

The U.S. government praised Albania for accepting to host the MEK members, urging the Iranian opposition group to cooperate fully with the relocation process.

"The relocation of Camp Hurriya residents outside of Iraq is vital to their safety and security. It is the responsibility of the MEK leadership to facilitate for the residents of Camp Hurriya free and unfettered access to U.N. human rights monitors," said a statement by the U.S. State Department.

Albanian Interior Minister Flamur Noka pledged to quickly complete arrangements to resettle the 14. He told The Associated Press that they will get the refugee status immediately and then receive residence permits and proper documentation.

"They will be treated like every other Albanian citizen," he said, though "for the moment they will have the status of the refugee," meaning they will not be free to travel outside Tirana, the capital.

Then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton negotiated the agreement with Albania and the U.N. to take in the 210 MEK exiles late last year.

The U.S. took the MEK off its list of terror groups in September 2012, raising a stiff protest from Iran, charging that the U.S. move was "a violation of America's legal and international obligations" that could threaten U.S. interests.

"There is much evidence of the group being involved in terrorist activities. Delisting it shows America's double standard policy on terrorism," Iran state TV said then. The U.S. distinguishes between "good and bad terrorists" and the MEK are now "good terrorists because the U.S. is using them against Iran," the TV report said.

The MEK spent large sums of money in years of lobbying for removal from the U.S. terror list, holding rallies in European capitals and elsewhere.

On Thursday, Kobler described the transfer of the first group as "an encouraging first step in the relocation of the group of 210 residents the Albanian government has agreed to receive."

Ortenc Balla, a U.N. official in Tirana, said the 14 were in an asylum-seekers center. "The Albanian government has undertaken all the responsibilities, including their security," he told the AP.

Phone calls to the Iraqi government and MEK officials went answered.

___

Associated Press writers Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania and Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/un-14-iranian-exiles-moved-iraq-albania-141342650.html

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Twitter partners with NBA to highlight in-game replays, Blake Griffin posterizations

In all honesty, Blake Griffin himself could start a social network that served no purpose outside of featuring his dizzying (and disgusting, if you will) array of dunks, and it'd probably go over quite well. Instead, he -- along with other superstars in the National Basketball Association -- will soon see replays of in-game highlights making waves across Twitter in more official fashion. Hot on the heels of a deal between ESPN and Twitter comes this: a partnership between the NBA and the aforesaid social network that'll get video highlights to the world while the game is still ongoing.

#NBARapidReplay will be the hashtag to watch for as the playoffs progress, and as you'd expect, short advertisements will appear alongside those clips. Twitter's foray into the television universe is hardly a new one, but it's becoming ever more obvious that the company is following the ad dollars into the homes of everyday viewers. Up next? A deal to tweet highlights from the 2014 Masters golf tournament... but only in extremely soft spoken, lowercase, predominantly pompous characters.

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Puerto Rico faces lowest coffee production ever

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) ? Coffee production in Puerto Rico has hit the lowest level ever in the island's history, leaving farmers and government officials worried about how to revive a once burgeoning industry amid a deep economic crisis.

Farmers produced some 80,000 pounds (39,900 kilograms) of coffee during the most recent harvest, which represents only a third of local consumption, Agriculture Secretary Myrna Comas said Thursday.

Production in previous years has fluctuated between 105,000 pounds (47,600 kilograms) and 150,000 pounds (68,000 kilograms), according to department statistics.

"We need to fortify this industry ... and restore its much-deserved standing," Comas said. "We were once known worldwide for the quality of coffee produced on this island."

The U.S. territory has since been forced to import coffee from countries including Mexico and the Dominican Republic to meet local demand.

The reasons behind the recent production drop are many, and farmers worry that few solutions will be found.

One of the main problems is a severe shortage of coffee pickers, said Wilfredo Ruiz, president of the Puerto Rico Coffee Buyers & Growers Association.

An estimated 35 percent of the crop is lost every year because there is no one to pick it, leading to millions of dollars in lost revenue, he said.

"This keeps getting worse every day," he said. "There is no substitute for farm workers, and there won't be one. As people become educated, the last choice is to work in agriculture."

The government previously tried to draft troubled teens and inmates as pickers, but the measures weren't considered successful. Comas said part of the problem was lack of coordination, with inmates being sent several months too late to pick beans. She said she would revive the inmate program this year, as well as look at ways to increase salaries for coffee pickers.

Another problem that led to the limited harvest was a lack of seeds, Ruiz said.

Farmers buy locally produced seeds from greenhouses contracted by the government, but few seeds were available last year for unknown reasons, he said.

In addition, a rise in the cost of fertilizer has led farmers to abandon their land or to use it on a limited basis, he said. Currently, a 100-pound (45-kilogram) bag costs about $38, up from $22 in 2005, he said.

The government supplies farmers with two bags per 100 pounds (45 kilograms) of coffee produced, but Ruiz said the arrangement is flawed because farmers are not given enough fertilizer to protect the coffee plants that were not picked due to a lack of workers.

The emergence of a pest that began attacking coffee fields in recent years also is being blamed for a drop in production, as well as the lack of workers to spray fields with pesticides, Ruiz said.

He and other agronomists called on the government to provide more incentives to help revitalize the island's coffee industry.

"During the previous administration, there were no new coffee trees planted," said William Mattei, coffee sector president of the island's Association of Agronomists. "It's something that needs to be done."

Some farmers have chosen to focus on the lucrative, high-quality coffee market to survive economically, while others are experimenting with cultivating coffee plants near coastal towns with high unemployment rates in hopes of luring workers, Mattei said.

Currently, the majority of Puerto Rico's coffee is grown along the island's central mountain region, but many of those farms have been abandoned. Only about 4,000 coffee farmers are left, compared to some 11,000 farmers less than a decade ago, Ruiz said.

There have been recent attempts to revive the sector, however.

In May 2011, the Puerto Rico Coffee Roasters company opened the largest coffee-processing plant in the Caribbean. And this month, the Caribbean's first university laboratory dedicated to coffee tasting opened at the University of Puerto Rico's Utuado campus in the island's central region.

In another push to help boost the industry, Comas this week signed an agreement with farmers to plant 16 million coffee trees in upcoming years. She said the move would generate more than 2,500 jobs and benefit all coffee farmers.

While many celebrated the news, Ruiz remained skeptical.

"The secretary's project has to be coupled with a solution to find farm hands," he said. "Otherwise, it will be in vain."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-05-16-Puerto%20Rico-Coffee%20Woes/id-da9baf879e3c40858f4e2c664e6f3b64

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Relationship troubles? Some sad music might help you feel better

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Consumers experiencing relationship problems are more likely to prefer aesthetic experiences that reflect their negative mood, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

"Emotional experiences of aesthetic products are important to our happiness and well-being. Music, movies, paintings, or novels that are compatible with our current mood and feelings, akin to an empathic friend, are more appreciated when we experience broken or failing relationships," write authors Chan Jean Lee (KAIST Business School), Eduardo B. Andrade (FGV School of Administration), and Stephen E. Palmer (University of California, Berkeley).

Consumers experience serious emotional distress when intimate relationships are broken, and look for a surrogate to replace the lost personal bond. Prior research has reported that consumers in a negative mood prefer pleasant, positive aesthetic experiences (cheerful music; fun comedies) to counter their negative feelings. However, under certain circumstances, consumers in negative moods might choose aesthetic experiences consistent with their mood (sad music; tear-jerking dramas) even when more pleasant alternatives are also available.

In one study, consumers were presented with various frustrating situations and asked to rate angry music relative to joyful or relaxing music. Consumers liked angry music more when they were frustrated by interpersonal violations (being interrupted; someone always being late) than by impersonal hassles (no internet connection; natural disaster).

In another study, consumers were asked to recall experiences involving loss. Preference for sad music was significantly higher when they had experienced an interpersonal loss (losing a personal relationship) versus an impersonal loss (losing a competition).

"Interpersonal relationships influence consumer preference for aesthetic experiences. Consumers seek and experience emotional companionship with music, films, novels, and the fine arts as a substitute for lost and troubled relationships," the authors conclude.

###

University of Chicago Press Journals: http://www.journals.uchicago.edu

Thanks to University of Chicago Press Journals for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128266/Relationship_troubles__Some_sad_music_might_help_you_feel_better

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?Radio Without Rules?: Google Announces New Music Streaming Service

Google announced its subscription streaming service, Google Play Music All Access (wow that's a mouthful), at Google I/O Wednesday. It's all about harnessing the power of Google to provide you with stellar music recommendations, on your phone, tablet, or on ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/LQPBVnueNTc/

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Home Based Business Advice: Take It To A Whole New Level ? Hot ...

People often say that information is power, that happens to be true in today?s world. If you want to learn what type of information will skyrocket your business then you are in the right article.

One of the things you should do first if you want to succeed is have an action plan or a business plan that is long term and detailed. This plan will basically have your goals for each month and what actions you will take to get there. You must be aware that you will find many obstacles in the way to success with your home based business, having an action plan will ensure you stay focus and determined to make it work.

Any business requires an investment of either time or money, you have to decide which one applies to your business. If you want to make the real money from your business then you must not be afraid to invest your time & money.

Just because you are working for yourself it does not mean you should be messy, try to be organized with the way you run your business from home. Set aside a spot where you can work and concentrate on what you are doing without distractions. If you can be disciplined with your business you will start believing in it.

Make sure you have all the tools and resources you need to have a great website. A website that looks cheap and unprofessional may drive customers away and that is a big mistake. Use professional websites as an example of what you?re aiming for and remember your site will be your image on the internet.

There are hundreds of online businesses, each one is different and you must keep that in mind when you encounter issues you are not familiar with. Be open minded to learning new things and applying what you learn along the way. Don?t get frustrated with things you don?t understand and remember chances are someone already encountered your problem so do some research until you find a solution.

Many people want the internet lifestyle or want to simply work from home. The reality is not everyone has what it takes to do it. It comes down to having the right information and patience to make your home business work.

Learn more about starting a business with my empower network review, then see what it takes to get started with these empower network that will help you.

Source: http://hotarticledepot.com/home-based-business-advice-take-it-to-a-whole-new-level-2/

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HP Pavilion M6-1148CA

The HP Pavilion M6-1148CA ($599.99), available in Canada, is a well-rounded Windows 8-equipped laptop that marries a sleek aesthetic with several useful niceties like a large display, full-size keyboard, and roomy hard drive. Although its AMD APU is often outperformed by the Intel-equipped competition, the Pavilion M6-1148CA's decent feature set, and reasonable price tag partially acquit it of this otherwise major flaw. For the average user who occasionally edits photos or home movies, though, it's worth checking out, even if it isn't the best option.

Design and Features
Measuring 1 by 14.9 by 9.8 inches (HWD), the Pavilion M6-1148CA isn't exactly a petite laptop, but its svelte profile helps reduce unnecessary bulk. Moreover, its weight of 5.02 pounds is relatively light for its size and lighter than competing laptops of equal-size, like the HP Pavilion G6-2368CA (5.08 pounds) and Lenovo IdeaPad N581 (5.71 pounds). Although its underside is a standard black plastic affair, a handsome brushed aluminum finish on the system's lid and palmrest add a touch of panache to the Pavilion M6-1148CA's overall aesthetic.

The Pavilion M6-1148CA's 15.6-inch display has a maximum resolution of 1,366 by 768 is sufficient of supporting 720P content, a useful feature for movie buffs given the fact that the Pavilion M6-1148CA features a tray-loading DVD burner. Outside of movies, the display is easy on the eyes, and its glossy coating lends itself to bright colors and crisp text. The Pavilion M6-1148CA's speakers and integrated subwoofer, meanwhile, are housed in a horizontal grille directly above the keyboard and sport the familiar Beats by Dr. Dre logo. Although "Beats Audio technology" is often marketed as a groundbreaking auditory experience, in practice it's just a control panel that features volume boost and an equalizer. Not to say that the Pavilion M6-1148CA's speakers are disappointing: at maximum volume, Radiohead's "Idioteque" sounded crisp and distortion-free and was loud enough to fill a medium-sized room. The much-hyped bass, however, wasn't as nearly as pronounced as I had hoped.

The Pavilion M6-1148CA's raised tile keyboard offers plenty of space for your hands and even includes a dedicated alphanumeric keypad. Although its keystrokes are somewhat shallow, it's not enough to pose an ergonomic issue when typing a lengthy email or term paper. The absence of backlighting is a regrettable shortcoming that's sure to frustrate users who prefer to work in dimly lit environments. The Pavilion M6-1148CA's touch pad sports a smooth finish and its fluid support for the usual bevy of Windows 8-specific gesture controls, which allows users to intuitively navigate through Microsoft's latest operating system despite the absence of a touchscreen.

The I/O port selection is solid on the Pavilion M6-1148CA, thanks to its generous offering of three USB 3.0 ports, which is more than either the Lenovo Ideapad N581 (two USB 3.0 ports) and the Samsung Series 3 NP300E5E-A05CA (no USB 3.0 ports). Two of these USB 3.0 ports can be found on the left side of the system alongside full-size HDMI and VGA outputs, Ethernet, and a headphone jack. The right side sports the system's sole USB 2.0 port, the third USB 3.0 port, and a tray-loading DVD burner. A memory card reader is located in the front of the system. At the same time, though, the Pavilion M6-1148CA's USB 3.0 ports are marked with tiny "SS" (super-speed) logos rather than the familiar blue color, which may confuse less observant users.

The Pavilion M6-1148CA's 750GB 5,400rpm hard drive offers ample storage space for your program files and media. It does, however, come with a hefty serving of preloaded software that must be waded through. It ranges from useful (Microsoft Office Starter 2010, CyberLink disc-burning suite) to delete-on-arrival bloatware (WildTangent Games, Microsoft Live Essentials 2011, links to eBay, Netflix). There's also a large amount of proprietary software by HP (Connected Music, CoolSense, Games, MyRoom, and so on) and trial software (60 days of Norton Internet Security). Accordingly, users who prefer starting with a clean slate should be prepared to devote an afternoon shoveling through the Pavilion M6-1148CA's preloaded software. HP covers the Pavilion M6-1148CA with a one-year warranty on parts and labor.

Performance
Although the Pavilion M6-1148CA's 1.9GHz AMD A8-4500 processor and 8GB RAM churned out respectable scores on our benchmark tests, it had difficulty holding its own against Intel-equipped competitors. Its PCMark 7 score of 1,654 points outperformed the AMD-equipped Pavilion G6-2368CA (1,319 points) but struggled to keep up with the Intel-based systems, like the Acer Aspire V5-571P-6627 (2,301 points).The Pavilion M6-1148CA's weaker processing speed was also apparent in our Cinebench R11.5 test, where its score of 1.73 points failed to keep pace with the Lenovo N581 (2.49 points) and the class-leading Series 3 NP300E5E-A05CA (3 points).

The Pavilion M6-1148CA performed more competitively in our multimedia tests. It completed our Handbrake video-encoding test in 2 minutes 3 seconds, putting it within striking distance of the Acer V5-571P-6627 (1:57). Similarly, it churned through the dozen or so filters in our Photoshop CS6 test in 7 minutes 38 seconds, or nearly equal to that of the Acer V5-571P-6627 (7:36) but nonetheless significantly short of the Lenovo N581 (5:34) and the top-performing Samsung Series 3 NP300E5E-A05CA (4:35). On the other hand, the Pavilion M6-1148CA landed at the bottom of the pile in 3DMark11, (986 points in Entry-level settings) and showed signs of struggle in keeping up with the rest, like the Lenovo N581 (1,234 points). Overall, the Pavilion M6-1148CA demonstrated a moderate capacity for media creation. You won't necessarily make a living as a graphic designer with it but can nonetheless still tinker with Photoshop effects and convert movie files.

One area where the Pavilion M6-1148CA performed on equal footing with its Intel-equipped competition was in our gaming test. In both Aliens Vs. Predator and Heaven benchmark tests, the Pavilion M6-1148CA, too, failed to cross the 30 frames-per-second playability barrier.

The Pavilion M6-1148CA landed at bottom in our battery rundown test, where its removable 6-cell 2,800 mAh Li Ion battery lasted for 2 hours 23 minutes, or less than half as long as the class-leading Samsung Series 3 NP300E5E-A05CA (5:11. I If you're on the market for a system that can last an entire workday on a single charge, the Pavilion M6-1148CA probably isn't the way to go. At the very least, however, it gives you the option of using a spare battery.

Despite its less-than-robust processing power, the HP Pavilion M6-1148CA's good feature set helps make it a well-rounded choice. For the average user who occasionally edits photos or home movies, it's worth checking out. At the same time, however, it's not the best choice in this price range and prospective purchasers should accordingly explore other options before making a final decision.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/mA8h2IPeYgM/0,2817,2418812,00.asp

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