Computer Science Teacher: Computer Science Education Act (CSEA)

This looks like a very good piece of legislation. The basic idea is not to create new programs or additional spending but to reduce barriers to creating more computer science programs. More information at About the Computer Science Education Act on the Computing in the Core website.

The Computer Science Education Act (CSEA) is a piece of legislation that has been introduced in the US House of Representatives that would make important changes to federal education laws to remove barriers to computer science in K-12 classrooms nationwide. Read a summary of the issues the bill addresses and what the bill does here.
Code.org, Computing in the Core and its members, and K-12 computer science education advocates support this bipartisan legislation.

The Computer Science Education Act would:

• Amend the statutory definition of ?core academic subjects? to add computer science
• Define computer science
• Add computer science to the academic subjects addressed by federal teacher professional development programs

This is something we can get behind by telling our Congressional representatives that they should co-sponsor and support this bill. My rep has already heard from me. Has yours heard from you?

Source: http://blog.acthompson.net/2013/06/computer-science-education-act-csea.html

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Historic rulings on gay marriage

A gay rights activist waves a flag in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building June 24, 2013. (Win McNamee/Get??

The Supreme Court released two major decisions expanding gay rights across the country Wednesday as hordes of cheering demonstrators greeted the news outside. The justices struck down a federal law barring the recognition of same-sex marriage in a split decision, ruling that the law violates the rights of gays and lesbians, and intrudes into states' rights to define and regulate marriage. The court also dismissed a case involving California's gay marriage ban, ruling that supporters of the ban did not have the legal standing, or right, to appeal a lower court's decision striking down Proposition 8 as discriminatory.

The decision clears the way for gay marriage to again be legal in the nation's most populous state, even though the justices did not address the broader legal argument that gay people have a fundamental right to marriage.

The twin decisions throw the fight over gay marriage back to the states, since the court ruled the federal government must recognize the unions if states sanction them, but did not curtail states' rights to ban gay marriage if they choose.

Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court's conservative-leaning swing vote with a legal history of supporting gay rights, joined his liberal colleagues in the DOMA decision, which will dramatically expand the rights of married gay couples in the country to access more than 1,000 federal benefits and responsibilities of marriage previously denied them.

"The avowed purpose and practical effect of the law here in question are to impose a disadvantage, a separate status, and so a stigma upon all who enter into same-sex marriages made lawful by the unquestioned authority of the States," Kennedy wrote of DOMA. He concluded that states must be allowed by the federal government to confer "dignity" on same-sex couples if they choose to legalize gay marriage. DOMA "undermines" same-sex marriages in visible ways and "tells those couples, and all the world, that their otherwise valid marriages are unworthy of federal recognition."

Eighty-three-year-old New Yorker Edith Windsor brought the DOMA suit after she was made to pay more than $363,000 in estate taxes when her same-sex spouse died. If the federal government had recognized her marriage, Windsor would not have owed the sum. She argued that the government has no rational reason to exclude her marriage (she and her late partner, Thea Spyer, had been married since 2007, and together for more than four decades) from the benefits and obligations other married couples receive.

DOMA was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1996, and prevented the government from granting marriage benefits in more than 1,000 federal statutes to same-sex married couples in the 12 states and District of Columbia that allow gay marriage.

With this decision, Kennedy furthers his reputation as a defender of gay rights from the bench. He authored two of the most important Supreme Court decisions involving, and ultimately affirming, gay rights: Lawrence v. Texas (2003) and Romer v. Evans (1996). In Romer, Kennedy struck down Colorado's constitutional amendment banning localities from passing anti-discrimination laws protecting gays and lesbians. In Lawrence, Kennedy invalidated state anti-sodomy laws, ruling that gay people have a right to engage in sexual behavior in their own homes free from the fear of punishment.

Legal experts said the DOMA decision lays the foundation for a future Supreme Court ruling that could find a broader right for same-sex couples to marry.

The decisions mark the first time the highest court has waded into the issue of same-sex marriage. Just 40 years ago, the Supreme Court tersely refused to hear a case brought by a gay couple who wanted to get married in Minnesota, writing that that their claim raised no significant legal issue. At the time, legal opinions often treated homosexuality as criminal, sexually deviant behavior rather than involuntary sexual orientation. Since then, public opinion has changed dramatically on gay people and same-sex marriage, with a majority of Americans only just recently saying they support gay unions. Now, 12 states representing about 18 percent of the U.S. population allow same-sex marriage. With California, the percentage of people living in gay marriage states shoots up to 30.

With the Prop 8 decision, the Supreme Court refused to wade into the constitutional issues surrounding the California gay marriage case, dismissing the Proposition 8 argument on procedural grounds. The legal dodge means a lower court's ruling making same-sex marriage legal in California will most likely stand, opening the door to marriage to gays and lesbians in the country's most populous state without directly ruling on whether gay people have a constitutional right to marriage.

California voters passed Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage in 2008, after 18,000 same-sex couples had already tied the knot under a state Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage. A same-sex married couple with children, Kris Perry and Sandy Stier, sued the state of California when their six-month-old marriage was invalidated by the ballot initiative. They argued that Proposition 8 discriminated against them and their union based only on their sexual orientation, and that the state had no rational reason for denying them the right to marry. Two lower courts ruled in their favor, and then-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he would no longer defend Proposition 8 in court, leaving a coalition of Prop 8 supporters led by a former state legislator to take up its defense.

Chief Justice John Roberts joined with Antonin Scalia, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan to rule the defenders of Prop 8 did not have the standing to defend the ban in court. The unlikely coalition of liberals and conservatives argued that the Prop 8 supporters could not prove they were directly injured by the lower court's decision to overturn the ban and allow gay people to marry.

Same-sex marriage will most likely not be immediately legal in California, since the losing side may be given a few weeks to petition the courts.

The Prop 8 case was argued by two high-profile lawyers, Ted Olson and David Boies, who previously faced off against each other in Bush v. Gore. Olson, a conservative and Bush's former solicitor general, and Boies, a liberal, have cast gay marriage as the civil rights issue of our time.

Boies said on the steps of the Supreme Court Wednesday that the court had shown gay marriage does not harm society. "Today the United States Supreme Court said as much," Boies said. "They cannot point to anything that harms them because these two love each other.? President Barack Obama also reportedly called Chad Griffin, the president of the Human Rights Campaign gay rights group, to congratulate him on the legal victory. "We're proud of you guys, and we're proud to have this in California," the president said, according to audio on MSNBC.

"The laws of our land are catching up to the fundamental truth that millions of Americans hold in our hearts: when all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free," the president said in a statement.

Olson made the argument that gay marriage should be a conservative cause in a recent interview with NPR. "If you are a conservative, how could you be against a relationship in which people who love one another want to publicly state their vows ... and engage in a household in which they are committed to one another and become part of the community and accepted like other people?"

The Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group (BLAG), a coalition of mostly Republican House lawmakers, defended DOMA since the Obama administration announced they believed the law was unconstitutional in 2011. (Chief Justice John Roberts criticized the president for this move during oral arguments in the case, saying the president lacked ?the courage of his convictions? in continuing to enforce the law but no longer defending it in court.)

"While I am obviously disappointed in the ruling, it is always critical that we protect our system of checks and balances," House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said in a statement. "A robust national debate over marriage will continue in the public square, and it is my hope that states will define marriage as the union between one man and one woman."

--Rachel Rose Hartman contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/news/supreme-court-strikes-down-doma-140330141.html

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Bomb attacks in Syrian capital kill 8 people

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) ? Suicide bombers targeted security compounds in Damascus and a car bomb exploded in a pro-regime district there Sunday, killing at least eight people, the latest in a surge of civil war violence in the capital.

In northern Syria, a car bomb killed 12 soldiers in Aleppo, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on a network of activists in Syria for information. It had no other details, and the government did not comment.

In neighboring Lebanon, meanwhile, fierce clashes erupted between the Lebanese military and supporters of a hard-line Sunni Muslim cleric, in the latest spillover from Syria. Six Lebanese soldiers were killed, according to the army, which vowed to hit back with an "iron hand."

Heavy fighting with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades in Sidon caused panic in the southern coastal city, which until recently had been largely spared the violence hitting other areas. Many people who were spending the day on the beach hurried home, while others living on high floors came down or fled to safer areas. Gray smoke billowed over parts of the city and residents caught in the fire appealed for help.

The fighting broke out in the predominantly Sunni city after supporters of Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir, a virulent critic of the powerful Shiite militant Hezbollah group, opened fire on an army checkpoint.

The military issued a statement confirming that six soldiers died in the shooting, including three officers. It said the shooting was unprovoked.

Syria's state-run news agency SANA said three suicide bombers blew themselves up while trying to break into the Rukneddine police station in northern Damascus, killing five people and wounding several others. SANA said three would-be suicide bombers also tried to break into the Criminal Security Branch in the southern Bab Mousalla area but were caught by security forces before they could detonate their explosives.

Activists confirmed the death toll.

SANA said a car bomb exploded in Mazzeh 86 district in the capital, killing three people, including a 3-year-old boy. Residents of the district are mostly Alawites, an offshoot Shiite sect that President Bashar Assad's family belongs to. The opposition forces fighting against Assad's regime are mostly Sunni Muslims.

Nobody immediately claimed responsibility for the Damascus explosions, but they bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida-linked groups that have joined forces with rebels fighting to oust Assad.

The attacks in Syria's two largest cities came as government forces pressed an offensive on the outskirts of the capital.

SANA carried a statement by the Interior Ministry saying that the Damascus attacks were a "new escalation by terrorist groups," a term used by the government to refer to the rebels.

More than 93,000 people have been killed in Syrian conflict that started in March 2011 as peaceful protest against Assad's rule. In the past year, the war has taken on sectarian overtones.

The conflict has increasingly spilled across Syria's borders.

The clashes in Sidon centered on the Bilal bin Rabbah Mosque, where al-Assir preaches. The cleric is believed to have hundreds of armed supporters in Sidon who fought back Sunday. Dozens of al-Assir's gunmen also partially shut down the main highway linking south Lebanon with Beirut.

By Sunday evening, the army had besieged the mosque, sealing off access to it from all directions, and was going after al-Assir and his supporters, who have been agitating for months.

The NNA report said Assir was believed to be hiding inside the mosque with several of his followers.

The cleric and his followers support Sunni rebels in the Syria conflict, and he has threatened to clear apartments in Sidon where Hezbollah supporters live.

Sunday's clashes in Sidon deepened tensions in Lebanon. on edge since the Syrian conflict began more than two years ago.

Lebanese President Michel Suleiman called an emergency meeting of the security cabinet for Monday. NNA also reported sporadic shooting in the volatile city of Tripoli in the north, and the army announced additional force deployments in around Beirut.

The violence came a day after an 11-nation group that includes the U.S. met in the Qatari capital of Doha to coordinate military aid and other forms of assistance to the rebels.

Syria's al-Thawra newspaper, the mouthpiece of the government, assailed the Friends of Syria meeting.

"It's clear that the enemies of Syria are rushing to arm the terrorists to kill the chances for holding the Geneva conference," the newspaper said, referring to a U.S.-Russia initiative for bringing Assad's government and rebels together to negotiate an end to the crisis.

The Syrian paper pledged that the army would "continue the showdown to eliminate terrorism and restore security and stability."

____

Surk reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Jamal Halaby in Amman, Jordan contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bomb-attacks-syrian-capital-kill-8-people-182829771.html

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Content Marketing Tips for Tech Brands: Attract New Business in ...

The old adage "you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar" holds true for digital marketers today. This is especially true for the technology industry, where the "honey" is valuable content that makes understanding technology, and its application, easy for consumers.

We're in a time of unprecedented growth and innovation. That's where the need for strong content marketing comes in! Content marketing is your ace in the hole when it comes to delighting customers and attracting new ones. Below are three great examples of content marketing initiatives that, when emulated, can bring success to your business as well.

1. Speak to your brand's area of expertise

GE's ecomagination site is brand journalism at its finest. Launched in 2005, ecomagination's content speaks directly to the brand's greater purpose, turning traditionally complex environmental subjects, like clean technology and sustainable infrastructure, into digestible topics. From zero-energy buildings to the potential for wind power, GE combines journalistic pieces with shorter posts that speak to the company's achievements and goals when it comes to resource efficiency.

Beyond informing consumers and educating readers, ecomagination's greater mission is to deliver valuable insights to key stakeholders and partners that share in GE's pursuit of green energy solutions. The site positions GE as a thought leader when it comes to the reduction of greenhouse gas, water use and the improvement of energy-efficient operations.

Tip: Identify your area of expertise, and create content that voices your brand's ultimate business and social objectives. Tout your performance by producing or licensing content that aligns with your brand's overall mission and purpose.

2. Humanize your brand

If your computer broke down in the early days of personal electronics, you packed it up and sent it back to the manufacturer for repair. To solve for this frustrating process and create a more personal, hands-on experience, Apple developed a retail concept complete with free in-store workshops, youth programs and individual lessons for existing customers.

Apple-using industry experts are frequent guest speakers at retail locations. By playing host to successful, well-respected individuals who use their products in daily life, Apple is cleverly aligning their brand with the notion of success, positioning themselves as thought leaders in a variety of industries. Last year, Apple hosted painter and illustrator William Low at their west village retail location, where he addressed his acceptance of digital media as an artist in an evolving landscape.

These unique offerings help customers to better understand their Apple products, providing them with tools for optimal use. Furthermore, the in-person element heightens Apple's visibility, humanizing the brand through direct employee-to-consumer interaction.

Tip: What can you learn from Apple's retail strategy? You don't have to build out a full retail offering in order to follow their lead. In fact, it's possible to take a page from Apple's strategy by creating exclusive online tutorials, Webinars or instructional videos that educate your consumers and highlight the advantages of your products. Want to attract brand evangelists but don't have the budget or brand cache to attract industry leaders for free? Try featuring your own consumers in videos. This requires far fewer resources than hiring professional talent, and guarantees you'll get authentic, from-the-heart testimonials that highlight your strengths and speak directly to your audience.

3. Inspire creativity; get your consumers involved

In an effort to capitalize on the increasing popularity of mobile as a global platform, Mozilla Firefox launched Firefox Flicks, a crowd sourced content marketing campaign that calls upon users to create their own videos on the subject of the mobile web.

Through this campaign Firefox succeeds in a variety of ways. First, the campaign lays the foundation for the promotion of their latest mobile operating system, Firefox OS. Next, it leverages their social consumer base, encouraging them to create on-brand, promotional content. Lastly, the campaign speaks to their credibility by partnering with industry-leading judges, including: Catherine Ogilvie, marketing general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Asia at Dolby, Robert Harvey, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Panavision and Edward Norton, famed actor, director and producer.
Prizes are distributed throughout the entire contest run, creating multiple chances for consumers to win, which in turn increases the likelihood of participation. Entrants have the opportunity to win cash, gift bags with Firefox swag and the opportunity to have their original film produced by the judges using professional equipment.

Tip: Stay on top of industry trends, and leverage your knowledge of innovation and the marketplace to create engaging content marketing strategies that leverage this insight. Launch new initiatives or services in tandem with crowd-sourced contests; in doing so you'll automatically generate free buzz around your product offerings. Remember to create engaging and fun incentives when it comes to contests. This will generate more entries and result in increased social sharing and participation over time. Firefox successfully leveraged the rise of mobile when promoting their new operating system, creating a fun, user-driven contest that has rallied support and generated buzz.

As a technology company, you have an incredible opportunity to open up the lines of communication with your customers, share your knowledge, and solve problems with, and for, your consumers. Take the actions highlighted above, and you'll be well on your way to using content marketing as a powerful tool to grow your business.

A version of this post first appeared on The Bureau, NewsCred's content marketing news portal.

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Follow Amanda Fayer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/amandaefayer

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amanda-feinberg/content-marketing-tips_b_3461135.html

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Police: OSHA to join La. blast investigation

DONALDSONVILLE, La. (AP) ? Federal investigators are expected in south Louisiana over the weekend at the site of an explosion that killed one worker a chemical plant in Donaldsville, La.

State Police Trooper Jared Sandifer said Saturday that officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were coming to the CF Industries facility as soon as the site was deemed safe. Sandifer said the state police's hazardous materials unit was at the plant overnight.

Police say 55-year-old Ronald "Rocky" Morris Jr. of Belle Rose, La., was killed in the Friday blast.

CF Industries identified its injured employees as Courtney Julien, Melvin Singleton, Jeramy Worsham and Kade Yarbrough. Three contractor employees also were hurt.

CF Industries manufactures ammonia and other nitrogen fertilizers at the Donaldsonville facility.

Officials say there were no hazardous materials at the site.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-osha-join-la-blast-investigation-163129224.html

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Turkish union federation to call general strike after police raid

ROME (Reuters) - Italy has intercepted more than 400 hundred migrants seeking to enter the European Union by boat in the past 12 hours, including one carrying a baby girl born at sea, and more vessels have been sighted, the coast guard said on Saturday. The newborn arrived in a wooden boat just after midnight in the small port of Roccella Ionica in the region of Calabria, which forms the toe of the Italian boot, with 158 other migrants, a coast guard statement said. The baby girl was named "new life" in her native language, the coast guard said without giving her nationality. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/turkish-union-federation-call-general-strike-police-raid-204327576.html

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Real Estate Q&A: Hedge Funds Buying Homes and Inheriting ...

Each month, past San Diego State University?lecturer and Zillow Blog contributor Leonard Baron answers two questions from readers regarding buying, selling and investing. Have a question? Send it to?Leonard@ProfessorBaron.com

Hedge funds crowding out real estate buyers

Hi Leonard ? We are first-time buyers in Phoenix and can?t purchase because many hedge funds seem to be buying all the properties we want. We?re really frustrated and have started offering on properties that are not our top picks, just in hopes to at least buy something. But we are also considering just holding off for a while and staying renters. How long do you think it will be until the hedge funds stop ruining the market for all of us? Maria P., Phoenix, AZ

Well Maria, you?re not alone. In fact, many markets are short on inventory. The real bummer for buyers like yourself is that both prices and interest rates are up. However, don?t rush to buy property. You should buy the right property for you, for all the right reasons that are important to you. Don?t buy a property if you don?t ?love? it. So even with the increasing prices and interest rates, you?re probably best off to keep searching for a great-fit property that you will own for a long time instead of buying something that?s not right for you.

Many hedge funds are learning that owning and managing individual rental properties is not as easy nor as profitable as they?d hoped. The problem for buyers is that the hedge fund managers make money lining up investors and buying the properties (think acquisition fees, management fees, asset management fees, etc.), and they get those fees regardless of how good or bad the investment actually works out for their investors.

So that?s not much of an incentive for them to stop buying, even though the returns can?t be all that good. However, in the next few years most of those funds will probably realize that individual properties are not the great investments they originally penciled out and will probably start dumping properties so individuals like you can buy them.

Tax guidance:?Grandparent gifting property

Hi Professor ??My grandfather is getting very old, and he is going to give/gift an investment rental property he?s owned forever to me in the next couple of weeks as he?s unfortunately going into hospice. I don?t know much about the tax issues and inheritance issues, but Grandpa has instructed me to get guidance, and I?m wondering if I need to do something before he passes. Joshua N., Arlington, TX

Hi Joshua ??First and foremost I?m sorry to hear about your grandfather?s condition, but hopefully he?s lived a good life and is in comfortable surroundings. Also, always get professional tax advice; my guidance is just general information.

Yes, you absolutely need to contact a certified public accountant or lawyer ASAP. There are several issues, from the property income tax basis and depreciation amounts, to inheritance taxes and maybe even Texas property tax issues. And there are possibly probate court issues too.

One major issue is that if the transfer occurs before his passing, the current federal income tax basis on the property will transfer to you. That means if you sell the property in the next few years, you?ll probably have a huge tax bill. If you inherit the property after he passes, your federal income tax basis will be the ?stepped up? current market value, so if you sell the property, the tax impacts should be minimal. Also, if you inherit the property, you can start taking depreciation expense on the new ?stepped up? basis, which you won?t be able to do if he gifts you the property before death. And that could be a lot of tax savings to you for decades.

There may also be state property tax issues that should be addressed related to the transfer. And there could be state and/or federal inheritance tax issues that need to be addressed.

Also, does he have a revocable living trust (so his assets can pass to his beneficiaries outside of probate court)? This keeps the distribution of assets private and probably saves on court costs, so you want to address that issue with a lawyer, as it may take a week or two to set up a trust and transfer assets (cost should be $2,000 to $3,000).

There are lots of issues related to the transfer of any assets before and/or upon death. Spending a little money on competent guidance could save you tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in income taxes, property taxes and court fees over time. Grandpa is trying to help you one last time. Now follow his wishes and get on it!

Related:

Leonard Baron, MBA, is America?s Real Estate Professor?.?His unbiased, neutral and inexpensive ?Real Estate Ownership, Investment and Due Diligence 101? textbook teaches real estate owners how to make smart and safe purchase decisions.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.

Source: http://www.zillowblog.com/2013-06-14/real-estate-qa-hedge-funds-buying-homes-and-inheriting-property/

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