China's graft-fighting Xi tells party future is on the line

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's ruling Communist Party will only be able to mark its 100th birthday in eight years time if officials can learn from the selfless sages of the past, party chief Xi Jinping said in remarks published on Sunday, taking another swipe at corruption.

Xi, who will take over the reins of state power from outgoing President Hu Jintao at this month's annual full session of parliament, has made fighting pervasive graft a central theme since assuming the top job in the party and military in November.

The Communist Party marks the 100th anniversary of its founding in 2021, one year before the second of Xi's two five-year term ends and he steps down as party chief.

"Only if the capabilities of all party members unceasingly continue to strengthen, can the goal of 'two 100 years' and 'the dream' of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese people be realized," Xi said in a speech marking the 80th anniversary of the Central Party School, which trains rising officials.

"Two 100 years" refers to both the party and the People's Republic of China lasting at least a century each.

The People's Republic turns 100 in 2049. The Communists swept to power and founded the republic in 1949 after winning a civil war and forcing Chiang Kai-shek's Kuomintang, or Nationalist, troops to flee to Taiwan, which Beijing still claims as its own.

The concept of "two 100 years" has been alluded to in state media over the past few weeks, but this is the first time Xi explicitly mentioned it in his speech on Friday, which was carried in whole by the People's Daily, the party mouthpiece.

Xi has warned in the past that corruption threatens the party's very survival and launched a campaign to prevent waste and graft. He also banned the 2.3 million-strong People's Liberation Army from binge drinking and told it to be combat- ready.

The Chinese leader peppered his latest speech with references to aphorisms from virtuous officials and philosophers from ancient China, including Confucian philosopher Mencius (372 to 289 BC) and Zhuge Liang (181 to 234 AD), a statesman and strategist lauded to this day for his wisdom and devotion to his monarch.

"Leaders and officials must study China's fine traditional culture ... which contains extensive knowledge and profound scholarship," Xi said.

"Spare no effort in the performance of one's duty until the end of one's days ... I will do whatever it takes to serve my country even at the cost of my own life, regardless of fortune or misfortune to myself," he added, quoting two classical texts.

But party members must also not forget the teachings of Karl Marx and late Chairman Mao Zedong, Xi said.

SURVIVAL

Stability and survival remain the Communist Party's watchwords as the world's second-largest economy grapples with an upsurge of protests and social tensions over growing inequality, environmental degradation and graft.

Ensuring the party makes it to its 100th anniversary and does not go down as just a footnote in China's long history is one of Xi's key challenges.

"Even the Nationalist Party is over 100 years," one source with ties to China's leadership told Reuters, referring to Taiwan's ruling party and onetime rival to the Communists in running all of China which was founded in 1912.

"If the Communist Party cannot reach 100, it would only be a dot in China's 5,000-year history," the source said, requesting anonymity to avoid any repercussions.

"The Communist Party turning 100 will be Xi's most important (set) event during his 10-year rule."

(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chinas-graft-fighting-xi-tells-party-future-line-071416905.html

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Ease The Geek Rage: Obama?s Technically Right, There Is a Jedi Meld

President Obama inadvertently triggered national geek outrage, after he mistakenly mixed up the warring science fiction universes of?Star Wars and?Star Trek. During a press conference related to recently triggered budget cutbacks, known as the "sequester," he said, "I can?t do some kind of Jedi Mind Meld on congressional Republicans," referring to the partisan gridlock that has prevented Congress from passing a budget. Twitter immediately lit up with comments poking fun of the fact that Obama mixed up Star Wars' 'Jedi Mind Trick', used for mind control, and Star Trek's Vulcan 'Mind Meld', for sharing thoughts.

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

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Turbulence in a crystal

Mar. 1, 2013 ? When a crystal is hit by an intense ultrashort light pulse, its atomic structure is set in motion. A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ), the Technischen Universit?t M?nchen (TUM), the Fritz-Haber Institute in Berlin (FHI) and the Universit?t Kassel can now observe how the configuration of electrons and atoms in titanium dioxide, a semiconductor, changes under the impact of an ultraviolet laser pulse, confirming that even subtle changes in the electron distribution caused by the excitation can have a considerable impact on the whole crystal structure.

Knowledge regarding the interaction between light and solid matter on an atomic scale is still comparable to a map with many blank spots. A number of phenomena are still waiting to be observed or understood. A new, up to date unknown aspect of the interplay between light and matter has now been examined by a team of scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics (MPQ), the Technischen Universit?t M?nchen (TUM), the Fritz-Haber Institute in Berlin (FHI) and the Universit?t Kassel using intensive ultraviolet laser pulses with only a few femtoseconds duration (one femtosecond is a millionth of a billionth of a second).

The physicists illuminated a titanium dioxide crystal (consisting of titanium and oxygen atoms) with an intense ultraviolet laser pulse of less than five femtoseconds duration. The laser pulse excites the valence electrons in the crystal and generates a small number of hot electrons with a temperature of several thousand Kelvin. Valence electrons are electrons that are only weakly bound to the atoms in a crystal that interact strongly with each other and therefore form the bond between the atoms in a crystal. The continuous interplay between the positions of the atomic cores and the valence electrons determines the material characteristics such as electric conductivity, optical properties or the crystal lattice structure.

Following the first, intense laser pulse, the changes in the reflectivity of the crystal on the femtosecond timescale were observed by a second, weak light pulse. This measurement provides the scientists with information on the changes in the crystal induced by the first laser pulse: the intense ultraviolet laser pulse did not only heat up the valence electrons but also changed the electron distribution within the lattice. The electron density was reduced around the oxygen atoms and increased around the titanium atoms. This redistribution of the electrons causes a shift of the equilibrium position of the oxygen atoms relative to the titanium atoms, which leads to an oscillatory motion of the oxygen atoms around the new equilibrium position. In an intuitive picture the oxygen atoms in the crystal potential surface can be compared to a ball in a bowl. In the ground state, the ball is at rest at the center of the bowl. The excitation of the electrons corresponds to a sudden shift of the bowl, and the ball oscillates around its new minimum position.

In their experiment, the scientists also observed a suprising effect: after the excitation with the laser pulse, the electrons cool down to room temperature within about 20 femtoseconds, while the crystal is only heated slightly on these timescales. The cooling of the electrons led to an additional significant change in the valence electron distribution. In consequence, the equilibrium position of the lattice was shifted even further from the initial position of the ground state. Such a dependence of the crystal structure on the electron temperature has long been predicted theoretically. Now it could be observed experimentally for the first time. The results show that even subtle changes in the electron distribuition can have a significant impact on the equilibrium state of a crystal. The understanding of such phenomena can be helpful in the design of new materials.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics. The original article was written by Thorsten Naeser.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Elisabeth M. Bothschafter, Alexander Paarmann, Eeuwe S. Zijlstra, Nicholas Karpowicz, Martin E. Garcia, Reinhard Kienberger, Ralph Ernstorfer. Ultrafast Evolution of the Excited-State Potential Energy Surface of TiO_{2} Single Crystals Induced by Carrier Cooling. Physical Review Letters, 2013; 110 (6) DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.067402

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://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/physics/~3/FYNvm5HLh0U/130301051617.htm

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"Cloud Atlas" hits $28 million at China box office, passes U.S. haul

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Cloud Atlas," the pricey and sprawling adventure tale from Lana and Andy Wachowskis, has surpassed its North American haul at the Chinese box office.

As of Thursday, "Cloud Atlas" had taken in $28.6 million with just a few days left in its run in China, just ahead of its overall North American total of $27.1 million. Since opening on October 26, it has grossed $113 million worldwide, $86 million of that coming from foreign markets.

Topping its U.S. box office total in China is both a positive and a negative. While the China figure is pretty good - and will make that country by far the most lucrative market for the film - the film was a major disappointment in the U.S., where it opened to less than $10 million.

It is, however, the latest evidence of China's increasing importance at the global box office.

"Over the next couple of years, I'm sure we'll see grosses in China begin to match or exceed North American grosses more frequently," BoxOffice.com vice-president and senior analyst Phil Contrino told TheWrap. "The growth in that market is unbelievable."

The independently financed "Cloud Atlas" had a $102 million production budget and was co-directed by the Wachowskis("The Matrix") and German filmmaker Tom Tykwer ("Run Lola Run"). Based on the novel by David Mitchell, it's an ambitious adventure that simultaneously tells multiple stories throughout the past, present and future in order to explore how individuals' actions affect others. It stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Sturgess, Ben Whishaw and Xun Zhou, among others in multiple (and often unrecognizable) roles.

"Cloud Atlas" has been generally well-reviewed in China, where its spiritual message seems to have resonated. It might have done even better at the box office there, had it not gone up against "Skyfall" and the domestic blockbuster "Journey to the West." Chinese film officials and censors excised almost 30 minutes" from the film's 172-minute running time - mostly sex and violence - prior to the film's debut in Beijing.

The China figure - and the fact that it could add another $15 million to $20 million from France, Japan and a handful of countries where it has yet to open - moves it closer to profitability. Its biggest markets other than China and the U.S. have been Russia ($17 million), Germany ($12 million) and Brazil and Italy (both $4.7 million).

Warner Bros distributed "Cloud Atlas" in the U.S. while the foreign rights were pre-sold piece-meal to finance the film. Chinese distributor Dreams of Dragons Pictures is handling it there.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cloud-atlas-hits-28-million-china-box-office-230325082.html

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DJ Ajax Dies in Car Accident; Was 41

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/dj-ajax-dies-in-car-accident-was-41/

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Punchdrunk Panda: practical and purely Pinoy products | Vera Files

March 1, 2013

?By ERIN EMOCLING

Photos from PUNCHDRUNK PANDA

NOWADAYS, a wide range of products are readily available to consumers through the Internet. The real challenge in having an online business is how to make one?s products stand out from the competition.

Punchdrunk Panda (PdP), a company engaged in online selling, offers unique and functional ?world-class? Pinoy goods that showcase the talent of local graphic designers.

Founded by Gail Go and Jen Horn in mid-2007,? PdP has an exclusive product line that includes casual shoes, laptop sleeves, camera straps, and smartphone cases, among others. Some of their best-selling products are those designed by artists Manix Abrera, Rob Cham, and JP Cuison.

?Our missions are to give Filipino designers and illustrators an unconventional canvas on which to showcase their work and create conversation starters, to create proudly Pinoy-made products that show off Filipino creativity and capability, and to give you unique, functional, and awesome-looking products to express your personality and support for Pinoy products and designers,? Go explained.

The company has an awesome roster of contributing artists with distinctive styles, such as Alessa Lanot, Diego and Ge Mapa, Saab Magalona, Selena Salang, and Tof Zapanta, among others.

?They (artists) are very passionate about their work, (which is) like an extension of their personality. Consumers dig that,? Go shared. ?We do not limit ourselves to a certain style but we?d like it to be familiar and distinctive: familiar to the consumers but distinctive in a way that when you see an artwork, you?d go ?Hey, that?s (an artist name) art?.?

What makes their products truly Pinoy aside from being designed by local artists is the fact that PdP tries to manufacture them in the country. ?As long as we can find a manufacturer in the Philippines, it?s still cost efficient,? Go said.

PdP started because of Go and Horn?s shared frustration with the lack of affordable and functional laptop sleeves. ?Jen and I combined our powers to design the funkiest, yet most practical laptop sleeves. This idea eventually trickled down to other products on which graphic designs aren?t conventionally applied,? Go shared.

She went on: ?Jen and I started PdP because of our passion for creativity, essentially. As PdP grew, we needed an equally passionate member and we were lucky to have found Nica Kim (their honorary partner and operations manager).?

In 2008, PdP got their first retail partner, LapDance Bags. They created a new direction for their products and incorporated graphic design, as well. Go and Horn quit their jobs the following year so they could focus on their business.

Not long after their successful graphic-designed laptop sleeves, they thought of designing ladies? casual footwear. They also collaborated with local artists in launching ?cool things,? like artist webisodes, blogger hangouts, and Community Creativity Camp.

PdP is also known for the Anteroom Sessions event, which it started in 2011.? The marketing event featured local artists, bands, and entrepreneurs.

?Anteroom Sessions is something that we are so proud to have initiated,? Go said. ?It?s been a huge success to date and it?s unfortunate that I physically cannot repeat this for this year. It?s hard when I?m half way across the globe. My staff is not ready to run it by themselves.?

Go moved to Canada a couple of years ago where she has since been remotely managing PdP. ?I have a staff and they help me with the day-to-day operations. Thank God for the Internet,? said Go, who does fulltime brand marketing for ConAgra Foods Canada.

Meanwhile, Horn and Kim no longer take an active part in PdP.

In February, PdP started an initiative to enable Filipino consumers to give back to the community by donating 10 % of its sales to local and sustainable organizations, such as Save the Philippine Seas, Got Heart Foundation, and Muni PH.

?Upon check out, consumers are asked to select one of the three organizations and we?ll donate 10% of the total invoice to the selected organization,? Go explained.? ?(We at) PdP personally know these organizations and we believe in their initiatives.?

Punchdrunk Panda has gone through big leaps already. It has redirected its products? designs to make sure they convey a meaningful message.

PdP will release a brand new product in May which, Go said, is ?going to be school-related, so stay tuned.?

?For our coming May product launches, our designs? themes will be on personal growth and development, local culture and travel, and energy conservation,? she said. ?It?s an exciting challenge for PdP and the artists that we work with. But we really want to inspire Filipinos through our designs.?

Tagged Punchdrunk Panda

Source: http://verafiles.org/punchdrunk-panda-practical-and-purely-pinoy-products/

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