Dropbox

Dropbox (free to $19.99 per month) is the simplest, most elegant file-synchronization tool we've ever used. The premise behind Dropbox is it gives you access to your files no matter what computer or device you have at hand. The service stores files with strong encryption on multiple servers and lets you get at your files quickly, easily, and for the most part elegantly from virtually any Internet-enabled device. Dropbox is both a downloadable product, with a version for every major operating system?Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, BlackBerry?and every user also gets a Web account with file access, too, just in case you're on a computer that doesn't have Dropbox installed.

Dropbox works equally smoothly on Windows, Mac, Linux, as well as mobile devices (see our review of Dropbox for iPad, for example). Dropbox synchronizes only files stored in a single dedicated folder, so if you prefer to synchronize folders you already have on your system, or if you want to keep several folders fully synchronized between multiple machines, Dropbox may not be for you. But its smooth and hassle-free operation make it our Editors' Choice for file-sharing and backup solutions.

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As a freemium service, Dropbox offers a few different pricing levels. First, there's Dropbox Basic, which gives you 2GB of storage at no cost. Second, if you need more space, you can pay $9.95 per month for 50GB or $19.99 per month for 100GB for Dropbox Pro 50 and Dropbox Pro 100, respectively. Finally, a tier for small businesses is also available, called Dropbox Teams, for $795 per year, which provides up to 1 terabyte of storage for five users, and includes telephone tech support, too.?

How to Get Dropbox
Dropbox is available as a download from the company's website. Don't look too hard for it in the Mac App Store because it's not there. The iOS version is in Apple's mobile app market (as it must be), and the Android and BlackBerry apps are in their respective marketplaces, too.

When you download and install the client program, you'll also have to create a new account or sign into an existing one if you have it. Next, the program will create a new folder called "Dropbox" for you; you'll have the option of choosing where to install it, or let it go to the default location (you can always move it later). A shortcut icon also appears (top menu bar in Mac, system tray in Windows) that lets you open your Dropbox folder with just a double click. From this same icon, you can also reach other preference settings, such as the folder's location and throttles on upload and download speeds. Another nice option on the pop-up menu is the "Forums" item, which opens a browser window on Dropbox's user support forum; you'll find the dialogue between users and developers livelier than on most competing services' sites.

Like its rival services, Dropbox stores synchronized files in the cloud so they're available at any machine on which you've installed Dropbox. You can also reach your files through a Web interface from any Internet-connected system. Dropbox's storage preserves copies of earlier versions of the files in My Dropbox, so you always have the most current copy on your computers. We like that you can still access older versions (or files you deleted or moved) with just an Internet connection. One attractive feature (also available in SugarSync) is Dropbox's bandwidth-saving ability to upload and download only the parts of files that change during revisions. We made changes in a 125MB file and found that Dropbox only needed to transfer 2 to 3MB of data to update the file. That's a decent bandwidth savings.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/V2wZkSIoCQk/0,2817,2343852,00.asp

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A Minute With: Kal Penn on Harold, Kumar and Obama (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) ? Harold and Kumar return to theaters on Friday in "A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas," the third film in the comedy franchise that includes "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" and "Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay."

This time, the dope-smoking friends -- now estranged and each with new sidekicks -- reunite to replace a prized Christmas tree Kumar accidentally burned down. While doing so, they get involved with Ukrainian mobsters, a waffle-making robot and a Christmas pageant starring Neil Patrick Harris.

Actor Kal Penn, 34, reprises his role as Kumar after taking a sabbatical to work for President Barack Obama in the White House Office of Public Engagement.

He spoke to Reuters about the film, his time away from Hollywood and what he's been doing since coming back.

Q: Why make a Harold and Kumar Christmas movie?

A: "What I love about the 'Harold & Kumar' movies is they aren't stoner movies like 'Cheech & Chong' and 'Pineapple Express.' Compared to them, Harold and Kumar aren't high for most of their movies. So I always view them as a buddy comedy first, which I think gives them liberty to do a Christmas movie, or a Guantanamo Bay movie."

Q: But Christmas movies have very specific holiday themes and don't usually involve characters like Harold and Kumar.

A: "This is a traditional Christmas movie in a lot of ways: there is a lot of heart, it is about friendship more than anything else and about a mysterious package bringing people together. Sure Harold and Kumar are obnoxious and vulgar, but it comes from such a pure-hearted place."

Q: Has President Obama seen the "Harold & Kumar" movies?

A: "I never figured out a good moment to tell the President of the United States that I was a stoner who escaped from Guantanamo Bay. When do you tell him that? Is it after he announces to the world that he took care of Bin Laden ... You know what I mean?"

Q: This is your first project since leaving Hollywood for Washington. How did you get lured back?

A: "When I left (the TV series) 'House,' I was going to do a two-year sabbatical in D.C. After I finished my first year, I got a call from the 'Harold & Kumar' producers who said, 'We're doing another movie this summer.' I said, 'I'm on a two-year sabbatical, how about next summer?' But I had a contractual obligation to do the movie when they wanted to do it. So I had to resign from my post to go shoot it."

Q: But you went back to the White House. What happened?

A: "I was only gone for two and a half, three months. When I was done, they still hadn't filled the position (in Washington) with a full-time person, so I reapplied. I told them, 'I made the commitment to serve for two years and I need to finish my additional year.' It ended up working out and I went back and finished. Now I'm acting full time."

Q: Did you leave Washington a changed man?

A: "It does change you as a person. I feel like I've become a lot more patient. Change is not a tweet. You don't just send a tweet and suddenly the world changes. It takes a lot of work, a lot of advocacy."

Q: You consider yourself an Independent, unaffiliated with either major political party. Do you think President Obama got enough done during his one term, or does he deserve another?

A: "If you look at the list of things he accomplished in just three years it's astronomical. The stuff I worked on, like the American Opportunity Tax Credit, the president increased it to $2500. That's $2500 to anyone who wanted to go to college. Then there was the Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal. But there's always more that can be done. There's immigration reform and climate change that he's still trying to advocate for, so yes, I do think he needs more time to accomplish everything."

Q: Where is the future for you, Hollywood or Washington?

A: "I'm on 'How I Met Your Mother' through the end of the year and I'm developing a workplace comedy for NBC. I'd love to do a fourth or fifth 'Harold & Kumar' if it's in the cards. I'm also currently helping with the president's reelection campaign. I hope to still do both."

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111102/lf_nm_life/us_kalpenn

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Boeing brings space taxi jobs to Florida

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida | Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:03pm EDT

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida

(Reuters) - Boeing Co will bring hundreds of jobs to Florida by basing a program to develop passenger spaceships at the Kennedy Space Center, first for NASA and later for commercial use, officials said on Monday.

Boeing's plans will ease some of the pain over thousands of job losses in the so-called Space Coast region of central Florida from the end of NASA's space shuttle program earlier this year.

Boeing will ramp up its workforce to about 550 by 2015 to make, test and operate the seven-passenger spaceships, called CST-100s, said John Mulholland, vice president and program manager of commercial programs for Boeing Space Exploration.

"Florida's selection made sense because of the skilled local workforce, the outstanding facilities and the proximity of our NASA customer," he said at a ceremony at the former space shuttle processing hangar where the new venture will be based.

Space Florida, a state-backed agency working to expand space-related businesses, is a partner in the project, serving as Boeing's landlord.

"It's a milestone agreement to bolster the rapidly expanding commercial space industry and bring new jobs to the Space Coast," said NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver.

"If anyone had any doubts that Kennedy Space Center would remain open for business, this agreement allowing Space Florida to lay the groundwork for a world-class commercial space industry here should put that notion to rest."

The Obama administration is requesting $850 million for the fiscal year that began October 1 to invest in commercial passenger spaceships.

With the shuttle fleet's retirement, the United States is dependent on Russia to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, a $100 billion project of 16 nations that orbits 240 miles above Earth.

"The next era of space exploration won't wait, and so we can't wait for Congress to do its job and give our space program the funding it needs," President Barack Obama said in a statement.

"That's why my administration will be pressing forward, in partnership with Space Florida and the private sector, to create jobs and make sure America continues to lead the world in exploration and discovery."

Boeing is one of four firms receiving NASA funds to develop space taxis. The others are:

* Space Exploration Technologies, a privately owned company founded and overseen by Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk;

* Sierra Nevada Corp, which is working on a winged space plane that resembles the shuttle;

* Blue Origin, a startup company owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.

Turning over transportation to and from the space station to private firms is designed to free up NASA money for a heavy-lift rocket and deep-space capsule that can travel to asteroids, the moon and other destinations beyond the station.

Russia currently charges NASA about $350 million a year for space flight services.

(Editing by Tom Brown and John O'Callaghan)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/qtIOo05cMSM/us-space-boeing-florida-idUSTRE79U58F20111031

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92% Drive

There aren't all that many movies that I walk out of excited about. Don't get me wrong, I love movies and watching anything of some standard is possibly the most fun I have while my clothes are still on, but there are maybe three of four films a year, possibly less, that I actually come away from wondering if I can fit in another session right there and then. Drive is one of them: brutal, beautiful and brilliant. And I'm not just talking about Ryan Gosling. Drive follows the story of a part-time film stunt driver and part-time armed robbery getaway driver as his world suddenly gets turned upside down. In any great film there's a tough balance between style and substance. The good ones get it right. The bad ones don't. Nicolas Winding Refn walks a tough tightrope with Drive, intertwining a twisting mob story with an intoxicating film noir style. He walks it well though, making sure that the more surreal moments are lavished upon with style and mood while the realism is played completely straight; long lasting shots with minimalistic camera work helping to create a sense of reality in a stylised world. His camera work within the confines of a simple car is brilliant, making more inventive use of an enclosed space than would have been though possible. Despite the fact that a good deal of the film is in slow motion, it's used to great effect; highlighting situations and moments rather than slow-mo for the sake of it. But it's his confidence which is the most astonishing. Apart from a few cult hits, Refn's repertoire isn't as stellar as Drive would suggest. From the ice-cold opening scene, Refn is obviously not disposed to spelling anything out to anyone, continuing this tactic throughout the rest of the film. He relies instead on the subtle nuance of a character or a moment, trusting the audience to be patient through the moments they don't understand. The film also moves at a glacial pace at times taking an age while focussing on a moment or a feeling before moving like a bullet through the next scene. It's a challenging ask for the audience at times and can often prove disconcerting. It's this unhurried, unashamedly different pace which gives the film its power, as any moment could give way to an explosion of violence or devastation or, just as likely, nothing at all and keeps the audience guessing until the very last second. Refn continues this sense of unpredictability throughout the entire film, making any moment tense enough have you on the edge of your seat. Based on James Sallis' book, Hossein Amini's screenplay is a thing of minimalistic beauty. There are no enigmatic speeches or famous last cliches. Instead, we have a stripped back document of searing realism, relying on a word or phrase to convey an entire point of view. The Driver's sporadic speeches are made that much more poignant and rivetting by their absence throughout the rest of the film. Hours of lip-biting and googly-eyes is summed up in a phrase, volumes of emotion conveyed by a sentence, even at times a simple word. This precise writing style grounds the film when the more surreal moments threaten to take away from the movie's realism. Amini also shows an affinity for depth of character, with everyone on the screen being as intricate and complex as real life, especially with his main character. This complexity helps to inform and enhace both the direction and the performances of the film, creating a beautifully bleak environment for the film. Cliff Martinez's elctro score is quietly brilliant, underscoring the drama deftly with a sense of understated eeriness which permeates throughout the film. The standout piece, however, is College's "A Real Hero," which becomes the film's de facto theme song. It's a curious blend of electro-pop with an ethereal feel to it, paradoxically working perfectly with the movie. The piece's main refrain, "to be a real human being and a real hero," almost sums up the entire feeling of the film, as the Driver's journey eventually makes him into both these things were he never was before. Speaking of the Driver, we come to the film's coup de grace. I like to think of myself as pretty open-minded when it comes to performers, bar a few exceptions, but I never thought that Ryan Gosling had it in him. His performance as the Driver is so self-assured, so quietly confident, so inexplicably cool, it's impossible not to be amazed. He is incredibly restrained during the first half of the film, his emotions leaking out in almost imperceptible nuance with a small half-smile or a flicker of contempt on his face, and becomes even more powerful during the second half, his unshakable calm giving way to some raw emotion. But there is no Oscar-baiting breakdown, no scenery-chewing here; just a finely tuned inhabitance of an almost exclusively internal character. This is Gosling's career-defining performance and it, for lack of anything else, makes this film completely unmissable. But it's not just Gosling who

October 28, 2011

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/drive_2011/

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Dinosaurs & Robots rocking Anchorage

Several weeks ago here on Symbiartic, I posted the promotional image for the Robots & Dinosaurs science-art exhibit by artists Raven Amos and Scott Elyard.

Dinosaurs & Robots show promo image. Trikeratos ? Scott Elyard.

Rockstar science-blogger Maggie Koerth-Baker of Boing Boing also featured the show.

From all accounts on Raven and Scott?s blogs, the show has gone quite well! ?So well in fact, they?ve been asked to move to a larger venue. ?Catch the show at the Downtown location of Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge in Anchorage, Alaska with the reception starting November 4th at 5pm. ?Science-art for the masses! (Glad Symbiartic could help in our humble way! And thanks for the postcards!)

If you can?t make the show, be sure to look through their blogs. In addition to the original art at the show, a number of prints are available from the artists for sale.

Here?s a video promotion for the show:

Links:
Coherent Light ? Scott Elyard?s art blog .

The CAW Box ? Raven Amos?s art blog

@coherent_light ? Elyard on Twitter

@alaskanime ? ?Amos on Twitter.

Scott Elyard on G+

Raven Amos on G+

Both are also contributing members of ART Evolved.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=c20e6a2af3d23c97aaf90ef758c74367

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Shared genes with Neanderthal relatives: Modern East Asians share genetic material with prehistoric Denisovans

ScienceDaily (Oct. 31, 2011) ? During human evolution our ancestors mated with Neanderthals, but also with other related hominids. In this week's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from Uppsala University are publishing findings showing that people in East Asia share genetic material with Denisovans, who got the name from the cave in Siberia where they were first found.

"Our study covers a larger part of the world than earlier studies, and it is clear that it is not as simple as we previously thought. Hybridization took place at several points in evolution, and the genetic traces of this can be found in several places in the world. We'll probably be uncovering more events like these," says Mattias Jakobsson, who conducted the study together with Pontus Skoglund.

Previous studies have found two separate hybridization events between so-called archaic humans (different from modern humans in both genetics and morphology) and the ancestors of modern humans after their emergence from Africa: hybridization between Neanderthals and the ancestors of modern humans outside of Africa and hybridization between Denisovans and the ancestors of indigenous Oceanians. The genetic difference between Neandertals and Denisovans is roughly as great as the maximal level of variation among us modern humans.

The Uppsala scientists' study demonstrates that hybridization also occurred on the East Asian mainland. The connection was discovered by using genotype data in order to obtain a larger data set. Complete genomes of modern humans are only available from some dozen individuals today, whereas genotype data is available from thousands of individuals. These genetic data can be compared with genome sequences from Neandertals and a Denisovan which have been determined from archeological material. Only a pinky finger and a tooth have been described from the latter.

Genotype data stems from genetic research where hundreds of thousands of genetic variants from test panels are gathered on a chip. However, this process leads to unusual variants not being included, which can lead to biases if the material is treated as if it consisted of complete genomes. Skoglund and Jakobsson used advanced computer simulations to determine what this source of error means for comparisons with archaic genes and have thereby been able to use genetic data from more than 1,500 modern humans from all over the world.

"We found that individuals from mainly Southeast Asia have a higher proportion of Denisova-related genetic variants than people from other parts of the world, such as Europe, America, West and Central Asia, and Africa. The findings show that gene flow from archaic human groups also occurred on the Asian mainland," says Mattias Jakobsson.

"While we can see that genetic material of archaic humans lives on to a greater extent than what was previously thought, we still know very little about the history of these groups and when their contacts with modern humans occurred," says Pontus Skoglund.

Because they find Denisova-related gene variants in Southeast Asia and Oceania, but not in Europe and America, the researchers suggest that hybridization with Denisova man took place about 20,000-40,000 years ago, but could also have occurred earlier. This is long after the branch that became modern humans split off from the branch that led to Neandertals and Denisovans some 300,000-500,000 years ago.

"With more complete genomes from modern humans and more analyses of fossil material, it will be possible to describe our prehistory with considerably greater accuracy and richer detail," says Mattias Jakobsson.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Uppsala University, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Pontus Skoglunda and Mattias Jakobssona. Archaic human ancestry in East Asia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2011 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1108181108

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111031154119.htm

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Raghida Dergham: Is the West Hijacking Arab Revolutions to the Benefit of Islamists?

Dubai -- While the West speaks of the necessity of accepting the results of the democratic process, in terms of Islamists coming to power in the Arab region, there are increased suspicions regarding the goals pursued by the West in its new policy of rapprochement with the Islamist movement, in what is a striking effort at undermining modern, secular and liberal movements. The three North African countries in which revolutions of change have taken place are witnessing a transitional process that is noteworthy, not just in domestic and local terms, but also in terms of the roles played by foreign forces, both regional and international. The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt is trying to hijack the youth's revolution with the help of the West. This is while bearing in mind that Egypt is considered to be the "command center" for the Muslim Brotherhood's network in different Arab countries.

The followers of the An-Nahda in Tunisia are wrapping their message with moderation as they prepare to hijack the democracy that Tunisia's youth dream of, while being met by applause and encouragement from the West in the name of the "fairness" of the electoral process. Libya, where the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) is in a "marriage of convenience" with Islamist rebels, has become a hub of extremism and lawlessness, with a plethora of military aid being collected by an assortment of armed Islamists who aim to exclude others from power. In Yemen, where a struggle for power rages on, a war is taking place between extremism and a harsher and more violent brand of extremism, with so-called "moderate Islam" in the middle as a means of salvation, even as the latter's ideology remains neither modern nor liberal, and is rather lacking when it comes to the fundamentals of democracy and equality.

In Syria, where the battle for freedom is at its most difficult phase, the youths of the revolution fear what could very much be under discussion behind the scenes between the West and the Islamist movements, in terms of collaboration and of strengthening the Islamists' hold on power, in a clear bid to hijack the revolution of a youth that aspires to freedom in its every sense, not to yet another brand of tyranny and authoritarianism. Yet despite increasing talk and concern over the unnatural relationship between the West and Islamist movements in the Arab region, there is growing insistence among the region's enlightened and modern youths that they will not allow this relationship to direct their lives and dictate their course. It would thus be more logical for the West to listen carefully to what is happening at the youths' scene, as well as on the traditional secularist and modernist scenes, and to realize the danger of what it is doing for these elements and the road to change brought about by the Arab Spring.

The obsession of some Westerners with the so-called "Turkish model" of "moderate Islam," able to rule with discipline and democracy, seems na?ve, essentially because of its assumption that such a model can automatically be applied on the Arab scene, without carefully considering the different background and conditions that exist in Turkey and the Arab countries. There is also some naivety in assuming that the "Iranian model" of religious autocratic rule that oppresses people, forbids pluralism and turns power into tyranny, can be excluded as a possibility. What the movements of modernity, freedom and democracy in the Arab region fear is the replication of the Iranian experience and its revival on the Arab scene. What took place in 1979 after the Iranian Revolution is that the Mullahs hijacked it, excluded the youths from it and monopolized power in the "Islamic Republic" of Iran for more than 30 years.

Perhaps the West purposely encouraged what happened to Iran and its exceptional civilization by taking it back to the Dark Ages, to live in seclusion and isolation as a result of the tyranny of the Mullahs. Perhaps taking Iran more than 50 years back in time was a Western goal, which would explain their encouragement for the peaceful nature of this revolution to be hijacked. It should be stressed here that it was Iran's 1979 revolution that sparked, throughout the Arab region, the movement of reverting to social rigidity instead of modernity and advancement. The environment created by the rule of the Mullahs in Iran led to restricting efforts in neighboring Arab Gulf region, which became unable to embrace modernity for fear of its repercussions and consequences. In fact, hawkishness gained more ground in the Arab Gulf as a means of containing religious extremism. Thus, sectarianism increased hand in hand with extremism, and the whole region became thoroughly consumed by the struggle of religions, away from the social development necessary to accompany the structural development represented by buildings, installations and other basic infrastructure.

The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) play numerous roles, sometimes in concordance, and sometimes in contradiction and mutual opposition. The common denominator among them is preserving the monarchy and keeping the Arab Spring far from the Gulf region with a certain extent of reform, which could either be costly for the regimes or for their relationship with Islamists -- be they moderates or extremists. What is even more noteworthy is what is being said about the Islamic Republic of Iran, in terms of its occasional support of groups allied with the Muslim Brotherhood, which it sees as a means to weaken the influence of Saudi Arabia in the region.

Also noteworthy is the fact that the United Arab Emirates is supporting the movement closest to modernism in Libya by providing support in the form of training the police force and strengthening it with equipment. This is while Qatar supports Islamist movements with training and weapons, which undermines the ability of "non-Islamists" to compete for power, and in fact leads to excluding them from power. Regarding Syria, on the other hand, the UAE is worried about what regional interference could lead to, and fears what reaches the extent of preparing for after the revolution. This is why it hesitates to support the Syrian opposition despite its desire -- which it has, in fact, sometimes acted on -- to provide some support to non-Islamist forces.

GCC countries always have Iran on their mind, as it does them, especially through the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the many dimensions of the relationship between Sunnis and Shiites. Examining how the West's policies have evolved regarding this aspect in particular, would require greater space and a more in-depth study. Yet it is noteworthy that former U.S. President George W. Bush strengthened the standing of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its influence and its regional ambitions of hegemony, through his war in Iraq. As for the current President, Barack Obama, he seems to be in the process of strengthening "moderate Islam," specifically among Sunnis, for it to be the means to confront both Sunni and Shiite extremism, in a policy of attracting "moderate Islam" even at the cost of undermining the forces of modernity, advancement and secularism, and pulling the rug from under their feet. This policy of Obama's is no less dangerous than that of Bush. They both played the sectarian card at the expense of secularism, and they both adopted policies that lead to weakening the forces of moderation and strengthening the forces of extremism, regardless of whether it is "moderate extremism," as it at the end of the day is based on the ideology of monopolizing power and not separating religion and state.

Shirin Ebadi, the Iranian judge, human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, addressed the women of the Arab awakening at the Women's Forum in Deauville, France, and said: Do not repeat our mistake. She said that the separation of religion and state is the only guarantee of democracy, not because the flaw lies in the Sharia itself, but because it can be interpreted by men who want more domination, and who view democracy as an enemy of their monopoly, one that takes away powers they have hijacked and purposely kept women away from.

At the same conference, the Yemeni participant, a friend of Tawakel Karman, the first Arab woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, said that Tawakel is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, and that, compared to the "Salafists," this group represents moderation itself, as well as salvation. This is an opinion which seems to have been embraced by the West, strengthened and driven forward amid the applause of Islamist movements that present themselves as the alternative moderation, blocking the way for movements of modernity by mounting the steed of democracy, most likely on a single path from which there is no return.

They are inflating themselves and their size, and entering into a temporary marriage with the West -- which in their opinion is na?ve -- a marriage of convenience that is to their benefit as long as it breaks the back of secularists and modernists. In truth, the democratic U.S. administration is not the only one encouraging Islamist movements to take such a course, as there are also some republicans like Senator John McCain. McCain made sure to address Islamists from the rostrum of the World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea during a seminar on the American-Arab relationship, calling for respecting their rights to power, and thereby sending two messages: one to Islamists under the headline "we are with you," and the other to the modernists under the headline "we do not care about you".

There are two schools of thought that do not agree with the opinion that there is no escape from accepting the movements of "moderate Islam" because they have been victorious in the revolutions and base themselves on the change brought by the Arab Spring. Those two schools do not agree that the Arab Spring is the spring of Islamists, and they do not agree to the claim that they are the makers of the Arab awakening or spring. These two schools want to stop the Islamists from hijacking the Arab Awakening and climbing to power with the help of the West, whether the latter is na?ve or ill-intentioned.

One school says: let the Islamists rule the Arab region, as this is an opportunity to prove their failure at controlling a people that does not want them. Those affiliated with this school point to Hamas and the Palestinian people's reactions to it, in not accepting it and Islamist rule. They believe that the Arab people will defeat Islamist movements, and that they will fail. Then the modernists will return nearly victorious and welcomed by the people, and things will move forward. This, then, is an opportunity to prove the sure failure of Islamists, so let them fail.

The other school says: the greatest mistake is for the modernists to dwindle and withdraw from the battle now, because the Islamists reaching power will consolidate their rule for decades, not years. We must therefore immediately demand a transitional phase that would give these movements the opportunity to organize into political parties and enter the elections. This is while bearing in mind that the only organized party is that of the Islamists, having been the only opposition movement under the former rulers. Those who are of this opinion insist on yielding neither to the cunning of the Islamists nor to the naivety of the West, and on launching an awareness campaign for world public opinion about Islamists and Western governments hijacking the Arab Spring in order to exclude the modernists, young and old equally.

It would be more logical for Western capitals to hear and to listen closely, because their partnership in hijacking the Arab youth's ambitions of freedom, pluralism, democracy and modernity will come at high cost for them -- not just for the path of change that has emerged from the soul of the youths of the Arab Spring.

RaghidaDergham.com

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Follow Raghida Dergham on Twitter: www.twitter.com/raghidadergham

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/raghida-dergham/the-west-is-hijacking-ara_b_1064180.html

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Cain not running on empty; South could be pivotal (AP)

HOMEWOOD, Ala. ? Herman Cain's rise in the polls appears to be no fluke.

Unlike some other Republican presidential contenders who have flamed out after auditioning as the conservative antidote to Mitt Romney, Cain is still riding high atop public opinion surveys.

"They said I was the flavor of the week," the Georgia businessman said at an appearance Friday on a campaign swing through Alabama. "But four weeks later the Cain campaign still tastes good!"

Cain lacks the money and organization of his top tier GOP competitors. But so far, he's survived several high-profile campaign blunders and an onslaught of attacks on his signature 9-9-9 tax overhaul plan. And he's doing things his own way.

Cain has carved out an unorthodox ? some say impossible ? path to the White House, largely eschewing early voting states to focus heavily on the South. It's a region where tea party groups, social conservatives and evangelical voters that make up the backbone of his support hold sway.

Cain hasn't set foot in Iowa or New Hampshire for weeks. Instead, he's barnstormed through Tennessee and Alabama, states that don't hold primaries until March.

"The South looks very, very good for us," Mark Block, Cain's campaign manager, said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Do the early states matter? Of course. But they are not everything."

Block argues that next year's compressed primary calendar means more states will play larger roles. So instead of scurrying around New Hampshire trying to win over skeptics, the campaign team is revving up support in states where Cain's small government, anti-tax message and church revival-style delivery resonate with voters.

Cain was trying to show that in Alabama, where enthusiastic, overflow crowds greeted him at every stop. In Talladega, residents were visibly excited by the first visit from a presidential candidate in modern memory.

"I heard that FDR waved from the train once when he came through," said Jeanne Rasco, who had turned out for a packed Cain rally at a historic theater on the city square. "I think it shows he cares about our values. He's one of us," she said.

Cain himself plays up his Southern roots: His drawl grows a little thicker and he mentions God a little more frequently, to suit the crowd. "I am in Alabama because Alabama matters," Cain said at the state's party headquarters. "Ya'll are my neighbors."

In the South, some Cain supporters say that supporting an African-American could turn long-held racial perceptions around. No Deep South states supported Barack Obama in 2008 and elected representatives in the state have become more racially polarized in recent years.

Scott Beason, a Republican Alabama state senator, said a Cain victory, especially in the Deep South, would be a visible sign of progress.

"It would change the stereotypes that still exist about how people make their decisions down here," Beason said. "I think it's ironic that he will do better here than in the so-called enlightened states up north." "What folks are doing is listening to what is he saying and he is not afraid to say what he thinks."

But is the Cain bubble going to burst?

Cain himself says no and mocks rumors that he's simply in the race to promote his brand. "I've written some books," he said. "I don't want no TV show."

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Follow Shannon McCaffrey at http://www.twitter.comsmccaffrey13

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111029/ap_on_el_pr/us_cain_momentum_still_going

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