Rep: Glee's Monteith heads to rehab

NEW YORK (AP) ? "Glee" star Cory Monteith is heading to rehab.

In a statement, Monteith's rep confirmed Sunday night that the actor has "voluntarily admitted himself to a treatment facility for substance addiction.

"He graciously asks for your respect and privacy as he takes the necessary steps towards recovery."

People first reported the news on its website.

This is not the 30-year-old's first time in rehab. He got treatment when he was 19 and previously has spoken about his addiction struggles, saying he had a serious problem and took just "anything and everything."

He told Parade in 2011 that he was "lucky to be alive."

Monteith stars as Finn Hudson on the Fox show. He dates his co-star, Lea Michele. She told People that she loves and supports Monteith and is proud he's going to rehab.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rep-glees-monteith-heads-rehab-041530416.html

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EBay Beats Out Amazon To Lead $50M Round In India's E ...

Online e-commerce giant eBay last week said that it expects to have 12% of its sales coming from BRIC countries by 2015 in a global e-commerce market that will be worth $300 billion, and here is one more step in that strategy: it is leading a $50 million, Series C investment in Snapdeal, an online marketplace in India with 20 million users. Existing backers Nexus Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners and IndoUS Venture Partners also participated.

The news was first reported by Indian tech blog NextBigWhat, and we have now confirmed the details with our own sources. Snapdeal?s CEO and co-founder Kunal Bahl has declined to comment. It will make eBay a minority shareholder in the company, and this Series C investment means that Snapdeal has now raised about $102 million in funding since 2010, with the previous two investments being $12 million in January 2011, and $40 million in September 2011.

We understand that Snapdeal was not actually looking for such a big round but when it went fundraising for its Series C, but the response was more enthusiastic than it had expected, perhaps owing to the company?s currently crazy growth, with sales growing year-on-year?by about 400% in terms of gross merchandise value.?Among others that were interested was Amazon ? another sign that it, too, wants to doing more in emerging markets going forward. We understand that part of the reason Snapdeal went with eBay was it was a pioneer in the marketplace business model and has been pushing hard on its international strategy.

The news will mean one further step into India for eBay: the company already has a full subsidiary in the country, eBay India, but that only has 5 million users. Ebay India recently noted in its 2012 Census that it enables transactions at the rate of about 1 per minute. That?s for smaller items like mobile accessories and beauty products.

Snapdeal, meanwhile, was first established in 2010 as a daily deals site but more recently, in 2012, moved into a marketplace model ? similar to the one built out by eBay and Amazon, offering a platform for merchants to sell goods. This model has proven particularly successful in emerging markets where there are a lot of small businesses but a relatively young e-commerce landscape: a vacuum for those who come in to offer a platform to take those small businesses online ? one that others like Rocket Internet are also tapping.

Some of the verticals that Snapdeal has focused on include fashion, home goods, and consumer electronics and it now has 20 million users, or about 1 in every five Indian people who are online. It?s expected that Snapdeal will generate about $400 million in sales in 2013. The company does not have any immediate plans to expand to countries outside of India, TechCrunch understands.

Overall, eBay already has a strong business outside of the U.S. In its analyst day last week, Wendy Jones, VP of geographical expansion and cross border trade, noted that 61% of its Marketplace revenue comes from non-U.S. markets.

Within that, the BRIC block of Brazil, Russia, India and China are playing a key role. Last week, eBay chose to hone in on Russia?s role there: Jones called Russia eBay?s number-one priority for expansion, partly because it now has the largest Internet population in all of Europe, and partly because that population is still growing fast. For eBay in particular, Russian users bought $400 million in goods on the site in 2012, growing by 54% over 2011.

But that is also growing beyond Russia: eBay believes that 25% of total active users, and 12% of global sales will be coming from the BRIC block by 2015. Within that eBay says it wants to build out active users in BRIC and emerging markets 6.5-fold.

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Snapdeal, India?s largest online marketplace features best priced deals on branded products like mobile phones, electronics, computer peripherals, apparels, cosmetics, perfumes, watches, bags, sunglasses, footwear, kitchenware and more. Launched in February 2010, Snapdeal.com is the market leader in the retail services deals space, and is the largest e-retailer of watches, sunglasses, jewellery, among other categories. It has been rated as the number 1 e-commerce site in India by Dataquest/Sapient E-commerce Survey 2011. A dynamic and vibrant company, Snapdeal provides a...

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September 1, 1995

February 10, 1998, NASDAQ:EBAY

Founded in 1995 in San Jose, CA, eBay connects millions of buyers and sellers globally in the world?s largest online marketplace, utilizing PayPal to ensure secure transactions. The company also operates specialized marketplaces such as StubHub, the world?s largest ticket marketplace, and eBay Classifieds sites, which together have a presence in more than 1,000 cities around the world. eBay items can be sold either via a silent auction, in which users input the maximum price they are willing to...

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Bessemer Venture Partners has over 100 years of investing experience, with a portfolio ranging from brick and mortar retailer Staples to popular web brands like Skype and LinkedIn. The company operates on a global scale with offices located in Israel, India, and both coasts in the US.

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NEA-IndoUS Ventures is a leading venture capital firm which provides early and mid-stage funding to new or growing businesses in India. The team comprises experienced entrepreneurs and executives who understand the model of incubating ideas and transforming them into successful enterprises. They fund these entrepreneurial ideas and offer collaborative partnerships. They invest in tomorrow?s business leaders, explosive new markets and enterprises that will transform their future.

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Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/01/ebay-builds-up-its-bric-strategy-leads-50m-investment-in-india-e-commerce-giant-snapdeal/

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Toy model of Jabba The Hutt's palace resembles a mosque, group says

Lego

Birol Kilic, chairman of the Turkish Cultural Association of Austria, says the Lego play set modeled on the Jabba The Hutt alien's fictional home was culturally insensitive.

By Carlo Angerer, Producer, NBC News

MUNICH ? Danish toy maker Lego plans to stop selling a model of the ?palace? of slug-like Star Wars character Jabba The Hutt after complaints that it resembles a revered mosque, according to a group that raised the grievance.

Birol Kilic, chairman of the Turkish Cultural Association of Austria, said Monday the play set modeled on the obese alien?s fictional home was culturally insensitive.

Photo by Julian Finney / Getty Images

Birol Kilic, chairman of the Turkish Cultural Association of Austria, said the Lego version of Jabba The Hutt's palace resembles Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, a historic mosque that became a model for other centers of Islam and is now a museum.

?This does not belong in?children?s bedrooms,? he said. ?And the minaret-like tower features machine guns. Children will become insensitive to violence and other cultures.?

After a meeting between his organization and the company last week in Munich, Germany, Lego promised to stop selling the play set, Kilic said.

Lego posted on Twitter Monday that it has always intended to stop selling the item at the end of the year. ?We only keep a product in the assortment for a few years and it was scheduled to exit in 2013 from launch,? the tweet said.

However, there was no mention of those original plans in a January press release which said: ?The LEGO Group regrets that the product has caused the members of the Turkish cultural community to interpret it wrongly.?

Roar Trangb?k, a Lego spokesman, on Monday denied that the group had anything to do with their decision.

?The decision to terminate this particular product is not based on any dialogue with the mentioned community,"?Trangb?k said. "We regret the misinterpretation but we fully stand behind the product.?

Trangb?k also said that it is the company's policy not to design models that depict religious structures.?

The Danish toy giant has in recent years made building sets modeled on hit movies including Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars.

In the 1983 science-fiction blockbuster ?Return of the Jedi?, Jabba uses Princess Leia as his slave at the palace.

Lego

Birol Kilic, chairman of the Turkish Cultural Association of Austria, says the Lego play set modeled on the Jabba the Hutt alien's fictional home was culturally insensitive.

Kilic believed that the Lego version, aimed at 9- to 14-year-olds, resembles Istanbul?s Hagia Sophia, a historic mosque that became a model for other centers of Islam and is now a museum in the Turkish city.

Kilic said his organization was notified of the issue by an outraged Austrian father, whose sister had given the Lego set to his son last Christmas. The father returned the toy to the store, Kilic said, and the Turkish Cultural Association petitioned Lego to drop the play set from its line-up.

Kilic said the issue was not merely cultural, but also a reminder that parents should be more thoughtful about what toys their kids play with.

?We?re not the Taliban of Vienna,? he said of his independent, Vienna-based organization with about 700 members, ?but we do give thought to our country and our continent.?

?

This story was originally published on Mon Apr 1, 2013 10:44 AM EDT

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a38284e/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C0A10C175528480Etoy0Emodel0Eof0Ejabba0Ethe0Ehutts0Epalace0Eresembles0Ea0Emosque0Egroup0Esays0Dlite/story01.htm

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Exxon continues cleanup of Arkansas oil pipeline spill

(Reuters) - Exxon Mobil on Sunday continued cleanup of a pipeline oil spill in Arkansas that loosed thousands of barrels of heavy Canadian crude and forced the evacuation of 22 homes.

Exxon's Pegagus pipeline, which can carry more than 90,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude from Pakota, Illinois to Nederland, Texas, was shut after the leak was discovered late Friday afternoon in a subdivision near the town of Mayflower.

The company did not have an estimate for the restarting of the pipeline, which was carrying Canadian Wabasca Heavy crude at the time of the leak. The spill comes as environmentalists are pressing the State Department to reject plan to build the 800,000 bpd Keystone pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada's oil sands to the Gulf Coast.

Exxon said that by 3 a.m. Saturday there was no additional oil spilling from the pipeline. Images from local media showed crude oil snaking along the road in a neighbourhood.

"Cleanup efforts are progressing 24 hours a day," said Exxon spokesman Alan Jeffers, who added the oil had not leaked into nearby Lake Conway.

"We were very fortunate that the local responders made sure the oil did not enter the water."

(Reporting by Matthew Robinson in New York; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/exxon-shuts-oil-pipeline-major-005905765.html

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DNX-5080EX - ADC Mobile

Double-DIN Navigation w/HD Radio/Live Traffic/Pandora/Bluetooth/Ipod Control

Kenwood?s DNX5080EX navigation receiver features Insta-Search and Insta-Route, which find points of interest and routes five times faster than previous models and uses predictive text so you?ll even save time typing in the name of your destination. You?ll also get reliable routing from the included Garmin mapping, plus a level of smartphone connectivity that will let you take full advantage of your phone?s features while allowing you to drive safely.

KENWOOD BRINGS UNLIMITED PANDORA TO THE DNX5080EX: When you play Pandora via your smartphone through the DNX5080EX, you can enjoy unlimited ad-free listening until 2014! You will be able to select stations, fast forward and skip songs, Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down, all without interruption or ads.

Smartphone Integration:

• iPhone:?With a separate cable, you?ll get control of your Pandora Internet radio, Aha Radio, and iHeartRadio apps through the receiver?s touchscreen when connected. App Mode also gives you limited control over other select apps on your phone. The DNX5080EX also offers compatibility with your iPhone?s Siri feature for select email, Bluetooth calling, and iPod commands.

• Android:?You?ll get control of your smartphone?s Pandora, Aha Radio, and iHeartRadio apps through Bluetooth, so no cable needed. The Kenwood Music Control app also gives you easy search and playback functions of your Android phone?s music through the receiver.

• BlackBerry:?You?ll get Pandora Internet radio app control through Bluetooth, so no cable needed.

Free built-in NAVTEQ traffic reports

NAVTEQ traffic information for major metropolitan areas comes with the DNX5080EX, at no cost to you. You?ll be able to see congestion along your route and find a way around it from the driver?s seat.

Bluetooth for hands-free convenience

Built-in Bluetooth lets you make and take calls through the receiver via your compatible phone. When your iPhone?s connected with a cable, the receiver will automatically send a pairing request to your phone ? all you have to do is accept or deny the request. The Kenwood DNX5080EX also supports wireless audio playback (AD2P) and control (AVRCP) of any Bluetooth enabled audio player or smartphone.

HD Radio tuner

The DNX5080EX also features an HD Radio tuner. You?ll enjoy much-improved AM/FM sound quality when you?re tuned into a local participating station, and there?s no subscription required ? just tune it in like a regular radio station.

Audio and video options

This receiver will play all your CDs and DVDs, including discs loaded with music files, while a rear A/V input offers a connection for any other audio/video sources. You can plug your iPod or a thumb drive into the rear USB port, and enjoy all your favorite albums and playlists. No matter what you?re listening to, Kenwood designed the DNX5080EX to send a crisp, clear audio signal to your speakers, and you can use the 3-band parametric equalizer and other soundshaping tools to adjust the sound for your vehicle.

The high-resolution 6.1? WVGA screen is perfect for viewing video from DVDs or other sources when you?re parked. You can tap into video content on your iPod or iPhone with the help of an iPod?cable?(not included). When you?re on the road, you can play movies through a rear-seat monitor for your passengers. It?s a great way to combat boredom on long road trips.

Expand your system

You can hook up a satellite radio tuner (not included) to the receiver and access the wide variety of entertainment, sports, news, and commercial-free music satellite radio provides. You can also connect a rear-view camera, so you can see what?s behind you as you back out of a tight parking space. If you?re looking to add amps and subs, you can take advantage of three sets of preamp outputs available, including a dedicated subwoofer output with low-pass filter and level control.

iDatalink Maestro lets you keep your SYNC features

If your Ford vehicle comes with factory SYNC features, you don?t have to worry about losing your favorite conveniences to get navigation and better sound ? the DNX5080EX offers compatibility you won?t find in many other aftermarket radios, thanks to the?iDatalink Maestro module. For SYNC systems, you?ll be able to retain voice-controlled features, steering wheel audio controls, and factory audio functions, plus enjoy expanded functionality including gauges, climate controls, a distance sensor, and tire pressure monitor. The DNX5080EX will also be compatible with GM OnStar and Chrysler uConnect systems, with adapters from iDatalink coming soon.

Features:

?	Garmin GPS Navigation System ? DNX models offer the world?s leading GPS navigation system by Garmin. With preloaded NAVTEQ? map data of the United States, Canada and Mexico, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, you can choose from different intuitive map view options including split-screen AV control.
?	?
	Navteq Traffic ? NAVTEQ provides real-time traffic data for over 90 major cities in North America, including Canada. If traffic is congested up ahead or there is a road closure, the navigation system will automatically re-navigate the route to show you how to get to your destination, quickly and easily! Alternatively, in manual mode, the system will add delay time to your trip so you can decide to avoid or continue on your current route. Navteq Traffic offers great value as it includes a lifetime service subscription.
?	?
	Lane Assist ? The Lane Assist function guides you to the appropriate lane to be in for upcoming junctions and interchanges facilitating a safer navigation experience.
?	?
	Traffic Trend ? Traffic Trend calculates preferred routes based on historical traffic data as routes driven at 7am on a Monday morning will have a different traffic pattern history than at 9am on a Sunday. This functions delivers a more realistic and accurate preferred route to save you time.
?	?
	Navigation Split Screen AV Control ? The screen views, which can be easily toggled from one to another simply by touching the screen or appropriate button, can be changed to best suit specific needs. For instance, Split Screen AV Control divides the screen into two, with navigation on the left and a control window on the right for audio/video sources.
?	?
	Built-In Bluetooth Hands-Free - Bluetooth wireless technology promotes safe driving habits by allowing you to have a hands-free conversation while you drive without the need to hold a phone. Incoming calls can be set to pick up automatically or at the touch of a button if you prefer to screen incoming calls. For outgoing calls, you can choose to dial out by scrolling through your phonebook on the easy to read display interface or by voice dialing if enabled on your compatible smartphone. Built-In Bluetooth A2DP Music Streaming - Enjoy wireless music playback from your Bluetooth device like a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth through your in-dash receiver. Check for Bluetooth phone compatibility at http://www.kenwood.com/cs/ce/bt.
?	?
	Siri Eyes Free? & Voice Dialing Support - Easy 1-touch access to Apple?s Siri for total convenience of voice control for dialing, text messaging, email, music playback and a host of other voice supported functions on the iPhone 4S/5. Voice dialing functionality is compatible with other device platforms from Android and BlackBerry.
?	?
	Built-In HD Radio ? Digital HD Radio broadcasts not only mean CD quality FM sound and great sounding AM, it also means additional information can be broadcast simultaneously such as Song and Title information, Album Art, unique images related to songs, radio station promotions and additional content. HD Radio is free to listeners with service currently only available in the US.
?	?
	USB Connectivity for iPhone, iPod and compatible USB mass storage devices ? USB-enabled DNX receiver models, feature USB connectivity for audio playback from popular devices like iPhone and iPod. Featuring easy-to-use user interface, iPod browsing is a breeze when searching by playlist, artist, album, song, genres or composer. The user can also search by Album Artwork. For added versatility, iPhone App mode enables various audio and video apps to play on screen (requires iPhone 4/4S with optional KCA-iP202 cable). It also offers 7 command controls for various applications. Additionally, the same USB connectivity allows users to connect USB thumb drives and external hard disk drives. Check for iPhone-iPod compatibility at http://www.kenwood.com/cs/ce/ipod.
?	?
	Pandora Connectivity for Smartphones ? Install the Pandora App on compatible iPhones, Android and BlackBerry smartphones, and enjoy a personalized listening experience. A number of Pandora functions can be controlled from a Pandora-enabled Kenwood receiver when an iPhone is connected through USB or via Bluetooth A2DP for compatible Android and BlackBerry device which support Serial Port Profile (SPP). Functions include Thumbs up & down, Bookmark Artist, Bookmark Song, A to Z search and Alphabetical channel search. Pandora allows users to maximize the internet radio experience in your car by customizing all of your favourite artists for a rich musical experience. Pandora application requires a data connection on your smartphone with service currently only available in the U.S.
?	?
	Aha Radio for iPhone/Android ? Aha Radio organizes your favourite personalized content from the web along with on-demand internet radio stations using your phone?s data plan and makes them easily accessible in the car through the on-screen interface. Aha Radio for iPhone requires a wired connection via KCA-iP202 cable. Aha Radio for Android requires a wireless Bluetooth connection. For more information, please visit http://www.aharadio.com/ .
?	?
	SiriusXM Ready ? Connect, control and enjoy satellite radio from SiriusXM, including new SiriusXM XTRA Channels with a single direct connection to a DNX receiver with optional SiriusXM tuner SXV200. 2013 DNX receivers can take advantage of the SXV200 advanced features such as TuneStart?, Smart Favorites?, channel logos, artist/song/game alerts, iTunes tagging or SiriusXM Replay?. *Runs exclusively on the XM network. XM subscription required.
?	?
	Rear USB Input ? Easily connect your compatible USB-enabled devices to the rear USB connection. These include iPhone and iPod devices as well as compatible Mass Storage Class devices like smartphones, USB thumb drives and portable hard drives. This USB input will allow you to charge and control the music playback on your connected device (maximum 1A charging). Check for compatibility and digital audio file specs athttp://www.kenwood.com/cs/ce/audiofile.
?	?
	Variable Color Illumination ? This allows the user to match the Kenwood unit?s illumination with the vehicle dashboard lights. Users can color-coordinate the background colors to their preferences and change key illuminations from the wide pallet of available colors to match any dashboard lighting conditions.
?	?
	Rear View Camera Input ? Eliminate blind spots and improve safety when reversing your vehicle by adding an optional reverse camera. Once the camera is installed, as soon as you put the vehicle into reverse, the rear view image will appear automatically on the DNX5080EX display.
?	?
	Three 2.0V Pre-outs with Crossover System ? Get the most out of your audio system by adding external power amplifiers to maximize sonic performance. Using the built-in crossover system, you can also easily filter out unwanted frequencies to your speakers and subwoofers to tune your system to its maximum potential.
?	?
	Ford SYNC? integration solution ? In a collaborative effort with ADS (Automotive Data Solutions), Kenwood offers the ultimate interface solution for most Ford SYNC? models from 2008 to 2012. Connect the optional iDataLink Maestro RR module to a compatible 2013 DNX/DNN model receiver and seamlessly interface factory infotainment features such as Satellite Radio, USB Media Player, Bluetooth Hands free and Music Streaming. Additionally, the DNX5080EX will then communicate and display the on-board features of the vehicle, including Gauges, Climate Control, Parking and other Vehicle Information. *Retained features may vary by vehicle. Check compatibility at http://audio.idatalink.com/maestro. Maestro RR module and additional accessory cables required.

SPECS:

Tuner	?
FM	?
??-??FM Frequency Range	87.9MHz ? 107.9MHz
??-??FM Usable Sensitivity	7.2dBf
??-??FM Quiet Sensitivity	10.2dBf
??-??FM Frequency Response	30Hz-15kHz
??-??FM Signal/Noise	75dB(MONO)
??-??FM Stereo Separation	45dB( 1kHz)
AM	?
????-??AM Frequency Range	530kHz-1700kHz
????-??AM Usable Sensitivity	28dB? (25?v)
General	?
-??Operating Voltage	14.4V (10.5 ? 16 V allowable)
-??Maximum Current Consumption	10A
-??Installation Dimensions	182 x 112 x 160mm (7-3/16 x 4-7/16 x 6-5/16 inch)
-??Operational Temperature Range	-10?C ? +60?C
-??Weight	2.0 kg (4.3 lbs)

DETAILS:

Part Number: DNX-5080EX
Downloads: Owner's Manual | Firmware Updates |
Website: Visit Kenwood's Website
Installations: View our installations of the DNX-5080EX

In Stock?: Usually - CALL FIRST
Normal shipping time: Three days
Parts Warranty: Three Years
Labor Warranty: LIFETIME

Options: Rear Camera | Rear Entertainment | SiriusXM Radio | Video iPod Cable

• Standard Kit
• Standard Harness
• Steering Wheel Controls (if present)

• Custom Kit
• Rear Camera
• Satellite Tuner
• Video iPod Cable

• If factory rear camera is displayed in mirror, it may be wired to deck display for add'l labor
• Factory satellite radio (if present) is lost when factory radio is removed
• Additional cost harness is required when factory rear entertainment system is present
• Some steering wheel controls may operate differently from factory functions
• CALL FIRST if vehicle is equipped with factory rear entertainment system
• USB/AUX inputs included - factory USB/AUX jack will not be active

PRICING:

Log in for local dealer pricing. If you are a LOCAL DEALER without login credentials, please contact us for access.
For product questions or to place an order, please email Walt via the contact form.

Source: http://www.adcmobile.com/2013/03/30/dnx-5080ex/

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The Man Behind Ben-Hur, Lame Police Tactics, and Lots and Lots of Gay Marriage

Lew Wallace composes under the Ben-Hur beech.

Courtesy of Indiana Historical Society, M0292

?The Passion of Lew Wallace: The incredible story of how a disgraced Civil War general became one of the best-selling novelists in American history,? by John Swansburg. Swansburg recounts Wallace?s triumphs and failures, from his ignominious role at the 1862 Battle of Shiloh to his association with legendary gunslinger Billy the Kid. And he describes how the iconic Ben-Hur, a novel which helped reunite America after the trauma of the Civil War, came to be written.

?Boston Punk Zombies Are Watching You!: The Boston police go undercover on the Internet to stop the city?s most dreaded scourge: DIY indie-rock shows,? by Luke O?Neil. The Boston Police Department has ?been going undercover on social media sites to get information on underground indie rock shows. The pproblem is, O?Neil writes, that a hipster can sniff out a fake from a mile away. His piece raises questions about the allocation of police resources and the usefulness of social media as a crime-fighting tool.

?The New Stimulus Package: Overachievers are popping Adderall to get ahead. Is that a good idea?? by Will Oremus. Will Oremus asks some hard-hitting questions about Adderall usage. Is the use of brain drugs by healthy professionals cheating, like the use of performance-enhancing drugs by athletes? Does Adderall have a different effect on the ADHD-brain and the ADHD-free brain? And if not, where is the harm?

?Blue Sky Thinking: The entirely serious plan to collect solar energy by spaceship and beam it back to Earth with lasers,? by Jeffrey Ball. Rather than cost or scale, the biggest obstacle to space solar power may simply be the ?giggle factor.? Still, with rivals like China becoming interested, the United States has increased motivation to set this project in motion.?

?Ditching DOMA: Judging by Wednesday?s Supreme Court hearing, the Defense of Marriage Act can?t be defended,? by Emily Bazelon. Bazelon explores the genius of United States v. Windsor?s court challenge. The case aligns state sovereignty with gay couples? sovereignty over their lives and is proving the indefensibility of the Defense of Marriage Act. Also, John Culhane investigates why and under what circumstances the Supreme Court might dismiss a Prop 8.

?Rand vs. Rubio: Whether either senator will become a presidential contender depends on how much the Republican Party is willing to change,? by John Dickerson. Rand and Rubio are the alliterative duo taking the GOP by storm. Both are young and ambitious Republicans in a party looking for its next leader. As their party continues to go through a molting period, either man?s success will hinge upon how much the Republican Party is willing to change.

?Homosexuality as Infertility: How the gay marriage debate will end,? by William Saletan. In addition to being a political and legal battle, gay marriage is its own culture war. Supporters of same-sex marriage liken it to interracial marriage, an idea that once seemed bizarre to most Americans but is now almost universally accepted. Opponents of gay marriage liken it to abortion, which continues to divide and inflame the country. Saletan makes the argument that the war will end as people who oppose gay marriage come to accept homosexuality as a kind of infertility. Elsewhere, Brian Palmer explains the long and ignoble tradition of couching bigotry in concern for ?the children.?

?Is Minimalism Really Sustainable?: It?s easy to live with very few things if you can buy whatever you want,? by Katy Waldman. Waldman responds to a recent essay in the?New York Times?Sunday Review, in which the founder of Treehugger.com describes his transformation from ardent consumer to modern day minimalist. She points out that minimal living can sometimes require a more than minimal cash flow.

?Offed the Record: Can a journalist publish off-the-record quotes after a source dies?? by L.V. Anderson. The Russian edition of Forbes magazine published an interview that had been conducted less than 24 hours before exiled Russian billionaire Boris Berezovsky died. Anderson asks if it is ethical for journalists to publish off-the-record comments after a source?s death.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=dde3fcccf82e2a610955acfc0643d2b9

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Iraqi Catholics celebrate Easter

A worshipper reaches to touch a crucifix during Easter mass at Virgin Mary Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 31, 2013. The Chaldean Church is an Eastern Rite church affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)

A worshipper reaches to touch a crucifix during Easter mass at Virgin Mary Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 31, 2013. The Chaldean Church is an Eastern Rite church affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)

A policeman searches a man outside the Virgin Mary Chaldean Church before Easter mass at Virgin Mary Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 31, 2013. The Chaldean Church is an Eastern Rite church affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)

Iraqi Christians light candles before Easter mass at Virgin Mary Chaldean Church in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 31, 2013. The Chaldean Church is an Eastern Rite church affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)

BAGHDAD (AP) ? Iraq's Catholic Christians flocked to churches to celebrate Easter Sunday, praying, singing and rejoicing in the resurrection of Christ behind high blast walls and tight security cordons.

It was the first Easter since the election of Pope Francis in Rome, and worshipers said they hoped their new spiritual leader would help strengthen their tiny community that has shrunk under the joint pressures of militant attacks and economic hardships.

At the St. Joseph Chaldean Church in Baghdad, some 200 worshipers stood and sat during parts of the Easter mass led by Father Saad Sirop.

"We pray for love and peace to spread through the world," said worshiper Fatin Yousef, 49. Like most worshippers she arrived have dressed immaculately for mass, her hair tumbling in salon-created curls, wearing a tidy black skirt, low-heeled pumps and a striped shirt. "We hope Pope Francis will help make it better for Christians in Iraq."

There are an estimated 400,000 to 600,000 Christians in Iraq, with most belonging to ancient eastern churches. There has been no census in Iraq for 16 years, making precise figures difficult to obtain.

An estimated two-thirds of Iraq's Christians are Catholics of the Chaldean church and the smaller Assyrian Catholic church. Worshipers of both churches chant in versions of ancient Aramaic, the language that Jesus spoke, although the dialects would be mutually unintelligible.

Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, Iraqi Christians have suffered repeated attacks by Islamic militants. Hundreds of thousands have left the country, with church officials estimating their communities have at least halved. The worst attack was at Baghdad's soaring Our Lady of Salvation church in October 2010. It killed more than 50 worshipers and wounded scores more.

More broadly, decades of immigration have shrunken the size of Christian communities throughout the Middle East, with most leaving for better opportunities and to join families abroad.

Other Christians in the region no longer feel comfortable among majority-Muslim communities that many believe have become more outwardly pious and politically Islamist over the decades.

They included Iraqi Christian worshiper Yousef's son, who moved to live with relatives in Arizona last year. Yousef said she was arranging for her other daughter and son to immigrate.

"There's still fear here, and there's no stability in this country," she said.

Iraqi officials have made efforts to secure churches since the violence of 2010.

High blast walls topped with netting and barbed wire surrounded the St. Joseph Church in Baghdad in the middle-class district of Karradeh. Blue-khaki clad Iraqi police guarded roads surrounding the church and checked papers of passers-by as worshipers filtered inside.

Four Iraqi Christian volunteers, two men and two women, stood at the church entrance to double-check who was coming in.

White-robed church volunteers marched down the church aisle behind Father Sirop, who chanted and waved thickly-scented incense that wafted through the building. The white-painted interior was adorned with three ornate chandeliers and a series of simple paintings illustrating the life of Christ.

Worshipers stood for lengthy passages of Sirop's mass, at one point bursting into applause when he told them, "Celebrate! You are Christians!"

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-03-31-ML-Iraq-Easter/id-26178f2e7087429fb1cd764c38259387

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