Obama ending Israel visit with symbolic stops

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Wrapping up a three day visit to Israel, President Barack Obama paid respects to the nation's heroes and to victims of the Holocaust, solemnly reaffirming the Jewish state's right to exist before leaving for Jordan and the final leg of his trip.

Accompanied by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, Obama laid wreaths at the graves of Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism who died in 1904 before realizing his dream of a Jewish homeland, and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995.

He also toured the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, declaring after that the memorial illustrates the depravity to which man can sink but also serves as a reminder of the "righteous among the nations who refused to be bystanders."

Friday's stop at Herzl's grave, together with Thursday's visit to see the Dead Sea Scrolls, the ancient Hebrew texts, were symbolic stops for Obama that acknowledged that the rationale for Israel's existence rests with its historical ties to the region and with a vision that predated the Holocaust. Obama was criticized in Israel for his 2009 Cairo speech in which he gave only the example of the Holocaust as reason for justifying Israel's existence.

"Here on your ancient land, let it be said for all the world to hear," Obama said at Yad Vashem Friday, in a clear response to that criticism. "The state of Israel does not exist because of the Holocaust, but with the survival of a strong Jewish state of Israel, such a holocaust will never happen again."

Later in the day, Obama was traveling to Jordan where he planned to meet with King Abdullah II. Among the topics is Jordan's struggle with the influx of a half-million refugees from the Syrian civil war. Abdullah has voiced fears that extremists and terrorists could create a regional base in Jordan.

Before leaving for Jordan, Obama and Netanyahu met for two hours over lunch. An Israeli official said the two men discussed Israel's security challenges and that, in addressing the peace process with Palestinians, Netanyahu stressed the importance of security. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity under diplomatic protocol.

The men then met again in a trailer next to a tent on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv before Obama left the country.

In between the two meetings, Obama squeezed in a stop in Bethlehem in the West Bank to visit the Church of the Nativity.

U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to the press alongside Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and President Shimon Peres during his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, ... more? U.S. President Barack Obama speaks to the press alongside Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and President Shimon Peres during his visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem, March 22, 2013. REUTERS/Jason Reed (JERUSALEM - Tags: POLITICS) less? ?

Obama had been scheduled to take a helicopter to Bethlehem but had to change plans due to unusually high winds. The route gave Obama a clear look at Israel's separation barrier with the West Bank, which runs south of Jerusalem and is the subject of weekly protests by Palestinians.

About 300 Palestinians and international pilgrims gathered near the Nativity Church, awaiting Obama's arrival. But a knot of protestors along the route held up signs stating: "Gringo, return to your colony" and "US supports Israeli injustice."

At a nearby mosque, Mohammed Ayesh, a Muslim religious official in Bethlehem, issued a plea to Obama in a speech to worshippers: "America, where are your values? Where are the human rights? Isn't it time that you interfere to make it stop?"

Amid high security, Obama toured the church with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. They stopped at the Grotto of the Nativity, which is said to stand where Jesus Christ was born. About 20 children waving U.S. and Palestinian flags greeted Obama in a courtyard outside the sanctuary. He posed for photographs with Abbas and Bethlehem's mayor, Vera Baboun.

Earlier in Jerusalem, Obama and his Israeli hosts arrived at the somber Herzl grave site under cloudless skies. Obama approached Herzl's resting place alone and bowed his head in silence. He turned briefly to ask Netanyahu where to place a small stone in the Jewish custom, then laid the stone atop the grave.

"It is humbling and inspiring to visit and remember the visionary who began the remarkable establishment of the State of Israel," Obama wrote in the Mt. Herzl guestbook. "May our two countries possess the same vision and will to secure peace and prosperity for future generations."

At Rabin's grave a short walk away, Obama was greeted by members of Rabin's family. He initially placed a stone on Rabin's wife's side of the grave, then returned to place one atop Rabin's side. In a gesture linking the U.S. and Israel, the stone placed on Rabin's grave was from the grounds of the Martin Luther King memorial in Washington, the White House said.

Rabin, Obama told family members, was "a great man."

Chatting with the family, Obama joked that "Bibi arranged for perfect weather," using Netanyahu's familiar name. He then added that "Shimon plied me with wine" at the official state dinner Thursday evening. At one point the talk turned to the singer who performed at the dinner, and Obama pointed out that he was known to sing, too. "They had me on YouTube," he said with a laugh. "Check it out -- Obama singing Al Green."

At Yad Vashem, Obama donned a skull cap and was accompanied by Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, a survivor of the Buchenwald Concentration camp who lost both parents in the Holocaust. Among his stops was Yad Vashem's Hall of Names, a circular chamber that contains original testimony documenting every Holocaust victim ever identified.

"Nothing could be more powerful," Obama said.

----

Associated Press writers Dalia Nammari in Bethlehem and Daniel Estrin contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-ending-israel-visit-symbolic-stops-071847533--politics.html

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A Healthy Garden With Half the Work

Mixing ornamentals and vegetables throughout the garden instead of dividing it into separate sections means you'll save time and take advantage of the benefits of companion planting?growing different plants closely that benefit each other. Examples: Garlic planted near roses helps keep the aphid population in check. Radishes alongside spinach will keep the leaf miners away. Tall flowers provide shade for lettuce.

And instead of planting in straight lines, stagger your plants in a slight zigzag pattern. They'll actually absorb sunshine and water more evenly if they're out of each other's way, says Mary Moss-Sprague, Master Gardener and author of Stand Up and Garden: The no-digging, no-tilling, no-stooping approach to growing vegetables and herbs.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/improvement/lawn-garden/a-healthy-garden-with-half-the-work?src=rss

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FAA to close 149 air traffic towers under cuts

In this March 9, 2010 photo, an American Eagle flight waits for release from the air traffic control tower at Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, Ill. Under orders to trim hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget, the Federal Aviation Administration released a final list Friday, March 22, 2013, of 149 air traffic control facilities that it will close at small airports around the country starting early next month. The tower at Central Illinois Regional was included on that list. (AP Photo/The Pantagraph, Steve Smedley)

In this March 9, 2010 photo, an American Eagle flight waits for release from the air traffic control tower at Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, Ill. Under orders to trim hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget, the Federal Aviation Administration released a final list Friday, March 22, 2013, of 149 air traffic control facilities that it will close at small airports around the country starting early next month. The tower at Central Illinois Regional was included on that list. (AP Photo/The Pantagraph, Steve Smedley)

FILE - In this Feb. 25, 2013 file photo, a twin-engine airplane flies past the air traffic control tower at St. Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto, Ill. Under orders to trim hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget, the Federal Aviation Administration released a final list Friday, March 22, 2013, of 149 air traffic control facilities that it will close at small airports around the country starting early next month. The tower at St. Louis Regional was included on that list. (AP Photo/The Telegraph, John Badman, File)

In this Nov. 26, 2012 photo, the air traffic control tower is seen at Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, Ill. Under orders to trim hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget, the Federal Aviation Administration released a final list Friday, March 22, 2013, of 149 air traffic control facilities that it will close at small airports around the country starting early next month. The tower at Southern Illinois was included on that list. (AP Photo/The Southern, Joel Hawksley)

In this Nov. 26, 2012 photo, small aircraft are seen on the tarmac at Southern Illinois Airport in Murphysboro, Ill. Under orders to trim hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget, the Federal Aviation Administration released a final list Friday, March 22, 2013, of 149 air traffic control facilities that it will close at small airports around the country starting early next month. The air traffic control tower at Southern Illinois was included on that list. (AP Photo/The Southern, Joel Hawksley)

In this Dec. 9, 2009 photo, an Air Choice One flight taxis past the control tower after landing at the Decatur Airport in Decatur, Ill. Under orders to trim hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget, the Federal Aviation Administration released a final list Friday, March 22, 2013, of 149 air traffic control facilities that it will close at small airports around the country starting early next month. Decatur Airport was included on that list. (AP Photo/Herald & Review, Stephen Haas)

CHICAGO (AP) ? Under orders to trim hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget, the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday released a final list of 149 air traffic control towers that it will close at small airports around the country starting early next month.

The closures will not force any of those airports to shut down, but pilots will be left to coordinate takeoffs and landings among themselves over a shared radio frequency with no help from ground controllers. Those procedures are familiar to all pilots.

Since a preliminary list of facilities was released a month ago, the FAA plan has raised wide-ranging concerns, including worries about the effect on safety and the potential financial consequences for communities that rely on airports to help attract businesses and tourists.

"We will work with the airports and the operators to ensure the procedures are in place to maintain the high level of safety at non-towered airports," FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in a statement.

Airlines have yet to say whether they will continue offering service to airports that lose tower staff. The trade group Airlines for America said its member carriers have no plans to cancel or suspend flights as a result of the closures.

The FAA is being forced to trim $637 million for the rest of the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30. The agency said it had no choice but to subject most of its 47,000 employees, including tower controllers, to periodic furloughs and to close air traffic facilities at small airports with lighter traffic. The changes are part of the across-the-board spending cuts known as sequestration, which went into effect March 1.

The airports targeted for tower shutdowns have fewer than 150,000 total flight operations per year. Of those, fewer than 10,000 are commercial flights by passenger airlines.

Airport directors, pilots and others in the aviation sector have argued that stripping away an extra layer of safety during the most critical stages of flight will elevate risks and at the very least slow years of progress that made the U.S. aviation network the safest in the world.

One of the facilities on the closure list is at Ogden-Hinckley Airport in Utah, where air traffic controllers keep planes safely separated from the F-16s screaming in and out of nearby Hill Air Force Base and flights using Salt Lake City International Airport.

"There's going to be problems," said Ogden airport Manager Royal Eccles. "There will be safety concerns and ramification because of it."

Opponents of the closures are also warning of possible disruptions to medical transport flights and flight schools training the next generation of pilots.

The 149 air traffic facilities slated to begin closing on April 7 are all staffed by contract employees who are not FAA staffers. There were 65 other facilities staffed by FAA employees on the preliminary list of towers that could be closed. A final decision on their closure will require further review, the FAA said.

The agency is also still considering eliminating overnight shifts at 72 additional air traffic facilities, including some at major airports like Chicago's Midway International and General Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee. There was no word Friday on when that decision will come.

The targeted towers are located in nearly every state.

Hundreds of small airports around the country routinely operate without controllers. Pilots flying there are trained to watch for other aircraft and announce their position over the radio during approaches, landings and takeoffs.

But the overall air system's safety is built on redundancy. Taking away the controller's extra set of eyes is like removing stop signs or traffic lights from city intersections and forcing drivers to be more vigilant and cautious, said Paul Rinaldi, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.

"That's what the pilot is going to have to do now," said Rinaldi, whose group represents nearly 15,000 FAA-employed controllers as well as some staff at privately run contract towers. "A pilot is now going to have that extra duty of making sure that everybody seems to be doing the right thing on a crowded" radio frequency.

Some aviation experts say overnight shifts should have been eliminated regardless of the sequester at facilities that don't see enough traffic to justify the expense. The budget cuts being forced on the FAA could provide the agency with political cover to make some of those changes.

"There's a tendency over time to have Congress direct more money to small airports than would probably be economically justified," explained Robert Poole, an aviation analyst at the Reason Foundation think tank.

He said his own initial review of the list released Friday showed that many of the towers are at airports with few or no scheduled passenger flights, suggesting there will be little effect on airline service.

Rinaldi acknowledged that "just maybe there are some that don't warrant" air traffic control services.

"But I would bet the vast majority of them do," he said.

In Dallas' northern suburbs, local officials plan to put up the $315,000 needed to keep the tower open for the next six months at Collin County Regional Airport in McKinney, said airport Director Kenneth Wiegand.

That will drive the airport into a deeper operating deficit, but it is worth it to keep the dozens of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the area happy and the local economy healthy, Wiegand explained.

"These businesses aren't going to fly a $70 million airplane into an airport that doesn't have positive control," he said. "They don't want to mix it up with the smaller aircraft."

In New Mexico, officials in the state capital of Santa Fe said they were concerned about the impact on tourism.

In just the past few years, the mountain community has won back commercial jet service. For now, Mayor David Coss remains optimistic the airlines will continue to fly in, adding that the city cannot afford to pick up the $60,000 a month cost of operating the tower without federal funds.

"None of them have indicated otherwise," he said. "Our airport manager has contacted all of them, and they have all said they didn't have any change in plans right now."

___

Associated Press writers Brady McCombs in Salt Lake City and Jeri Clausing in Albuquerque, N.M., contributed to this report.

___

FAA statement on tower closures with list of affected airports: www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=14414

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-03-22-Budget%20Battle-Airports/id-4d1562c9e8624b04bd9e3f6a38c63398

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SPOT Connect Turns an iPhone into a Satellite Communications Hub

Using SPOT?s SPOT Connect, users can turn their smartphone into a satellite powered communications center and skip the search for cellphone reception in remote areas.

SPOT Connect, a small hockey puck-shaped device that will set potential buyers back $169, employs a $99 a year service that allows users to send status updates to Twitter and Facebook as well as send and receive emails and text messages without having to first worry about whether they?re in a place covered by a working cell tower. This device also has an emergency beacon mode that can be used in the case of life-threatening emergencies where ever you are, though it does not support voice calls of any kind. The Spot Connect device itself is available at BestBuy, Dick?s Sporting Goods, Bass Pro and Sports Authority.

Spot?s SPOT Connect turns your iPhone into a satellite-powered communications tool.

The entire experience is powered by Bluetooth connectivity and a Spot Connect companion app that?s installed on an iPhone 4S, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, iPad, or second, third, fourth and fifth generation iPod Touch. Together the system will link up with the Globalstar?s satellite communications system to keep its user in contact with the outside world. In addition to communications, SPOT Connect will also act as a sort of homing signal for a user?s physical whereabouts. Using the application?s built-in options, users could have the software and device package send out email, or text, with their exact geolocation and the time and date of which the location was logged.

Source: http://www.gottabemobile.com/2013/03/21/spot-connect-turns-an-iphone-into-a-satellite-communications-hub/

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Rescued subway worker looking forward to cold beer

Officers of the New York City police Emergency Services Unit, covered in mud and dirt, walk to a waiting bus to warm up after securing the rescue of a construction worker trapped underground at an MTA subway construction project in New York early Wednesday, March 20, 2013. The worker, trapped for several hours, was lifted from underground with the assistance of the New York police and fire departments. Fire officials say he is awake and conscious and is being evaluated at a local hospital. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Officers of the New York City police Emergency Services Unit, covered in mud and dirt, walk to a waiting bus to warm up after securing the rescue of a construction worker trapped underground at an MTA subway construction project in New York early Wednesday, March 20, 2013. The worker, trapped for several hours, was lifted from underground with the assistance of the New York police and fire departments. Fire officials say he is awake and conscious and is being evaluated at a local hospital. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

NEW YORK (AP) ? A New York City subway construction worker who got stuck chest-deep in mud for nearly four hours says he's looking forward to having a beer, relaxing and golfing after he gets out of the hospital.

Joseph Barone of Lyndhurst, N.J., told the New York Post (http://bit.ly/XqJ3LJ ) it got extremely cold the minute the mud sucked him in.

He's being treated at Weill Cornell Medical Center following Tuesday's ordeal. He's in serious but stable condition.

Barone was working on the Second Avenue subway in Manhattan when he became stuck in the tunnel 75 feet below ground.

More than 150 firefighters helped to rescue him.

Barone says the rescuers kept reassuring him. He says he remained calm but did worry who would provide for his family if he didn't make it.

___

Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.com

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-21-US-Subway-Worker-Trapped/id-07f7a8708c834b10bb06f3b15277ad0c

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Turn On Facebook Chat for Only the Few People That Matter

Facebook Chat causes more annoyances than it solves, but if you use it to talk to the occasional friend, there's actually a lesser-known setting that lets you appear offline to everyone save a few of your close friends. Here's how it works.

Facebook Chat isn't exactly the best instant messaging service out there, but it might be the only one your friends use?or maybe you want it turned on for it's pretty solid video chat offerings. Whatever the case may be, here's how to appear offline to the friends you don't want to contact:

1. Open up your Facebook chat list and click the gear icon. Go to "Advanced Settings."
2. Choose "Turn On Chat for Only Some Friends" and type in the name of the friends you want to whitelist. Alternatively, you can turn chat on for everyone and block just a few people.
3. Click Save.

When you're done, you'll appear offline to everyone except the friends you've whitelisted, which is pretty handy for keeping everyone else at bay. Hit the link for six other handy Facebook tips.

7 Tricks to Improve Facebook Functionality | Make Tech Easier

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Pzp4GccVgSE/turn-on-facebook-chat-for-only-the-few-people-that-matter

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Paint a tree at Ashlyn's Hope fundraiser in Southlake ... - Health Blog

Jackie Schlegel- Polvado and her family, Jackie and her husband founded Ashlyn's Hope to help other families like theirs who have a child with autism

The thing that awes me about parents whose children face challenges is how determined they are to help others whose children face challenges, too. When Keller?s Jackie Schlegel-Polvado learned her daughter, Ashlyn, had autism, she created?Ashlyn?s Hope, which creates meaningful programming designed to build and strengthen families that have a child with autism through core beliefs of Hope, Healing, Respite and Recovery.

You'll paint and take home this picture of a blooming tree at the Ashlyn's Hope fundraiser

Jackie is holding a fundraiser for Ashlyn?s Hope at Texas U Can Paint?in Southlake,?where participants can paint a blooming tree, perfect for spring and for the hope that this season evokes, Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. You?ll get stroke-by-stroke instructions on how to create the night?s featured painting under the guidance of local artists, with snacks, wine and other refreshments while you work and make friends. If you can?t participate, Jackie welcomes donations or the purchase of a ticket for a parent of a child with autism who might not be able to afford the $40 cost. Just go to the sign-up page at Texas U Can Paint for details.

Here?s a Q and A I did with Jackie about Ashlyn?s Hope.

Q: Why and when did you start Ashlyn?s Hope?
5 years ago my husband and I started a Printed Resource guide called Connections Kids:The Special Needs Directory to connect families of children with ALL special needs to local resources. And we have loved every minute of it, but I always knew I would do something more specific to autism that addresses the needs of our families. Over a 2-year course of homeschooling Ashlyn, my vision and dream of non-profit that would build a one-of-a kind respite ranch for families of child with autism started to emerge. In the spring of 2012 that dream became a reality when I was introduced to a special person named Catherine Butski who shared my vision for this community and for my daughter and it was then we were able to formally begin our work and efforts.

Q: What has your organization done so far?
Over the summer we worked with?10 different families to provide a fun and therapeutic play experience utilizing therapeutic horse riding in a safe, farm-based atmosphere that included siblings and parents! It was a remarkable experience seeing the benefit of a relaxed, inclusive environment, not only for the child with autism, but for the parents and most certainly the siblings. In December I had the joy of working on a Christmas Wish program to provide Christmas Gifts to 15 local autism families in need.

Q: What is the best thing about it?
Hands down the best part is seeing the face of a parent when you tell them there is no such thing as false hope. At the end of the day, sometimes it?s all we have, so we better hold on to it tight. Looking parents in the eyes and believing with them that their child can get better is a profoundly moving experience, some have never heard those words before.

Q: What is the biggest challenge to having a child with autism?
Autism can be challenging all around. Personally, there were years when we did not sleep and I still bear the scars of Ashlyn?s aggression. Several years ago mounting medical bills and loss of income resulted in the foreclosure of our home. But that pales in comparison to the feeling of isolation when you drive by the playground and see all the families enjoying their time together and yet you can?t join them. The feeling of isolation when the birthday invitations stop, or you realize your family didn?t invite you to Christmas is a feeling of isolation that you never forget. Seeing those feelings magnified in your non-affected children is so painful and so damaging to your spirit, it?s hard to put into words.

Q: What would you like other parents who have children with autism to know?
Do NOT be a victim of circumstance. It would be very easy to look at our children and be sad. Sad of what could have been. Each and every one of our children and our families not only has a unique purpose, but has the ability to live an extraordinary life. Don?t get stranded on the side of the road while life passes by. Will it be harder then most? Yes. Will you have more road blocks? Certainly. Will it take more dedication to get where we are going? Without a doubt. But I?m here to tell you, the voice inside your head is your biggest ally or your biggest enemy. Decide what road you are taking today, hop on it and never look back.

Q: What would you like parents who don?t have children with autism to know?
One in every 88 children in the US has autism, and the numbers are increasing by the day. Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S., costing the nation over $137 billion per year, a figure expected to significantly increase in the next decade. This will certainly be a financial disaster for future generations who will bear the responsibility of caring for this population. It?s not enough to ?be aware?, our families need help. We need local community-based, affordable programming that supports our ENTIRE family, including our non-affected children. Find a local organization or family to get involved with. Be a friend. Everyone can do something, it?s the little things you do that make the biggest difference.

Follow Nancy Churnin on Facebook at?http://www.facebook.com/DallasMoms and on Twitter @nchurnin.

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Source: http://healthblog.dallasnews.com/2013/03/paint-a-tree-at-ashlyns-hope-fundraiser-to-help-families-of-kids-with-autism.html/

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