Clout of Obama's "Mr Fix-it" extends abroad at start of second term

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, already deeply immersed in high-profile domestic policy, is finding that his clout extends to foreign affairs as well, as he plays a top surrogate role for President Barack Obama in the early days of their second term.

Biden is now in many ways viewed as Obama's "Mr. Fix-it," who struck a crucial budget deal in January and who is able to navigate his way comfortably through Washington's complex power structure with a back-slapping joviality that Democrats find endearing despite the occasional verbal misstep.

The 70-year-old former senator has often been viewed as gaffe-prone, which makes his wide influence all the more remarkable. Just last year Biden was the subject of media speculation that Obama, when his re-election campaign was struggling, might dump him in favor of Hillary Clinton.

"I think what's striking about Biden's role, particularly recently, is both the public nature of it and the significance of the portfolios," said Joel Goldstein, an expert on the vice presidency at St. Louis University.

A Reuters-Ipsos poll last week showed Biden leading several of the Republicans most often mentioned as potential 2016 contenders, like former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

"In terms of how Biden is perceived, there's a real sort of folksiness - for lack of a better term - that people find appealing," said Ipsos pollster Julia Clark. "He puts his foot in his mouth, but who doesn't? It's sort of what makes him more relatable."

Obama, who has maintained a tight control of foreign policy out of the White House, sent his No. 2 to Munich this month to hold his second administration's first face-to-face contacts with key U.S. allies. Biden visited France and Britain as well as Germany.

In Munich, Biden dangled the possibility of direct U.S. talks with Iran over its nuclear ambitions, which would be a departure from the typical U.S. pattern of dealing with Tehran along with five other major powers.

And under pressure to do more to help Syrian rebels, Obama had Biden meet with Syrian opposition leaders and assure them the United States would send them humanitarian aid in their bid to oust the Syrian government.

Such a high-profile role contrasts with the way many past vice presidents have been relegated to ceremonial functions like representing the United States at funerals abroad.

Some vice presidents, like Dick Cheney under George W. Bush, played powerful roles, but behind the scenes.

Biden has played significant roles both publicly and privately, working internally as a sort of contrarian to challenge policies on Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, while publicly taking on difficult sales jobs, like promoting Obama's unpopular $787 billion economic stimulus plan in the first term.

As a devout Catholic, Biden's public support for gay marriage last year caught the White House off guard and forced Obama to voice his own backing for same-sex marriage.

"It's been that way from the beginning," said Aaron David Miller, an expert at the Woodrow Wilson Center. "You can't diminish Biden's role over the first four years. He's been incredibly public and very active."

OPPOSITES ATTRACT?

In many ways, Biden is the exact opposite of the calm, cool and unflappable Obama, being more prone to bombast and show boating.

So it comes as no surprise that the satirical website, The Onion, has developed an comedy series about him. The Onion's Biden is a boozer - the real Biden does not drink - who stole "800 feet of copper wire from a foreclosed home" and washes a Trans Am muscle car in the White House driveway, shirtless.

Sometimes there is a sense that the fake Biden of The Onion and the real one are somehow linked - such as when he was on Capitol Hill to swear in senators.

"Spread your legs, you're gonna be frisked," he joked to Senator Heidi Heitkamp's husband. To body-building Senator Tim Scott, he said: "Need any help on your pecs, man, give me a call."

He told attendees at the Munich security conference that he had traveled over 640,000 miles (1.02 million km) since becoming vice president, and added: "Most the time the president sends me to places that he doesn't want to go!"

Biden's loose tongue may have led Americans to underestimate his role in Obama's first term.

But recent events, such the fiscal-cliff crisis, have shown how reliant the president is on him.

It was Biden who brought about escape from fiscal chaos late last year by finding common ground with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, whose antipathy for Obama is such that he once vowed his major goal was to deny him a second term.

And it was Biden who negotiated with various groups and came up with the first U.S. gun-control proposals in decades, recommendations that Obama quickly endorsed and Congress is now discussing.

Just last week Biden was on Capitol Hill taking the temperature of Senate Democrats on the gun control proposals. Having spent 30 years in the Senate, he is viewed on Capitol Hill as a more credible voice than Obama, who served less than a full term as a senator.

"Senator Obama was here for 30 minutes; Senator Biden was here for 30 years. That's the biggest difference. He's a lot less cocky, doesn't hog the conversation, let's everybody speak, and he understands it," said an aide to a senior Republican senator.

Inevitably, conversation about Biden turns to whether he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. He has not ruled this out.

Biden fueled speculation about his plans by staging a party of long-time friends and associates at his home in last January to celebrate his second swearing-in. It included guests from the early voting states of Iowa and New Hampshire.

"I would say he's definitely keeping his options open," said one participant, Sara Riley, a lawyer from Cedar Rapids, Iowa who helped Biden's 2008 presidential campaign.

Biden will have to decide whether he can get elected at 74, an advanced age for a president, and whether he would want to run against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, should the 65-year-old wife for former President Bill Clinton decide to stand as well.

At the White House, officials are well aware of the speculation and want Biden to be a successful vice president should he decide to seek the top job. And the best way for him to be a successful vice president, they say, is for Obama to be a successful president.

At the same time, Obama and the White House have been careful not to choose sides between Biden and Clinton.

White House spokesman Jay Carney skirted the issue when asked if Obama preferred one or the other.

"I think for the sake and sanity of all involved, it's worth taking a little bit of a break from presidential election-year politics," he said.

(Reporting By Steve Holland; Editing by Fred Barbash, Mary Milliken and David Brunnstrom)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/clout-obamas-mr-fix-extends-abroad-start-second-060349350--business.html

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Alternative Energy Investing for 2013 - Renewable Energy World

Solar

If 2011 was a bad year for solar, with the bankruptcy of Solyndra, tariff wars with China, and other damaging events, then 2012 was a disaster. The Ardour Solar Energy Index (SOLRX) lost 35% in 2012. This is on top of a blistering 66% loss in 2011! ?

The chart below shows the change in net profit margin from 2011 to 2012 for the largest solar companies. Performances were not stellar in 2011, only 12 out of the 13 companies turned a profit and the average net profit margin was just over $5 million. In 2012, however, only one of the companies posted a tiny profit, and companies averaged over $28 million in losses. I could throw up similarly downbeat charts for other measures of financial health, including earnings per share (EPS), price to book ratios, and sales growth.

Even analysts? projections for solar earnings have come way down. In 2011, the average EPS estimate for these large solar companies was a meager 0.57 one year out. In 2012, analyst EPS estimates dropped to a very negative average assessment of -1.72. Though depressing, this reality jived with my forecast at the beginning of 2012, where I predicted another year of rough sledding for solar stocks.

Despite the gloomy statistics, financial and energy analyst may look back at 2012 as the turnaround year for solar. Many individual companies (particularly the upstream photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers) are facing economic realities of oversupply and falling PV prices, which will ultimately lead to bankruptcies or mergers. According to IHS iSuppli Market Intelligence, the number of PV suppliers is expected to plunge by 70% in 2013. Those left standing, however, will profit immensely, since solar is a white-hat energy source that is likely only at the beginning of its long-term growth story.

It is very hard to pick winners and losers in this environment, so a broad collection of solar stocks is likely the best route for adventurous investors to take from here. One good option is a Mutual Fund (MF) or Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) concentrated in solar. For MFs, I currently like Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy (GAAEX). Market Vectors Solar Energy ETF (KWT) also looks like a good value.?

Wind

One of the fastest growing clean energy sectors is wind. The chart below shows projected growth of installed wind power in the three largest markets?the EU, North America and China. In 10 years, the amount of installed wind could more than triple from current levels, and in 20 years it could grow by 8 times! Moreover, this chart does not even include other important growth regions around the world.?

Another exciting and dynamic area in renewable energy is offshore wind, and the Obama administration is starting to move forward on this. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the generating potential of offshore wind in areas with less than 100 feet of water equals the entire generating capacity of the U.S. electric system!

Bloomberg reports that at the beginning of January, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management started to gage interest in offshore wind leases for 127 square miles off the coast of New York. Also, in 2013 the administration plans to conduct competitive lease auctions off the Massachusetts coast.

Since there are very few publically traded pure-play wind companies in the U.S., a good way to add wind to a portfolio is by investing in ETFs. Two good examples are First Trust ISE Global Wind Energy Index Fund (FAN), and PowerShares Global Wind Energy Portfolio ETF (PWND). Though these funds were down between 15% and 20% for 2012, they have bounced back nicely since their July lows. In fact, both funds are up in the 33% range since that time.

Energy Efficiency

One of the most promising investment areas for 2013 may come from the area of energy efficiency. From an economic standpoint alone, smart efficiency measures that businesses and individuals can deploy have a short payback period, and many can bank immediate cost savings.

In 2012, Fidelity Investments featured energy efficiency as a ?compelling investment opportunity.? According to Fidelity, global power needs are expected to rise 50% in the next 25 years, creating an increasing market for more efficiency lighting, engines and buildings.

Energy efficiency companies tracked by the Roen Financial Report have done extremely well in the past three months. Almost three quarters of stocks have been gainers, and 45 companies, or fully 20% of those energy efficiency businesses covered, have gained over 25% for the quarter.

Companies I like as long-term investments in energy efficiency include A. O. Smith Corp. (AOS) and Tetra Tech, Inc. (TTEK). AOS is in the commercial and residential water heating business, which has a strong balance sheet, excellent sales growth, reasonable debt levels, and its stock is considered undervalued in the high 60 to low 70 price range. TTEK is an engineering and management firm whose services include water resources, energy efficiency and carbon management. It is a very well-managed company with excellent free cash flow, but its stock is considered overvalued at current prices. If it dips to the mid to low 20?s, TTEK would merit a look.

I have no doubt that energy efficiency companies with good management and strong balance sheets will do well in 2013 and beyond.

Oil Prices ? Continued Increases

Even though the Roen Financial Report does not follow big oil, we do track oil and natural gas prices very closely. As reported previously (Volume 3, Issue 12), the long-term prospects of solar, wind and other clean energy options are clearly tied into the cost of the prevailing dominant energy source, which are petrochemicals.

Until recently, oil was a commodity that traded principally on supply and demand, or on the perception of how supplies may be squeezed due to regional conflicts. In the past several years, however, oil prices have turned into a proxy for how traders believe the economy, and thus the stock market, will fare. The logic goes that the more economic activity occurs, the greater oil consumption will be. Since 2009, the price of a barrel of crude oil has been almost exactly correlated to the S&P 500 index.?

Of course, other factors will contribute to the price of oil in 2013. New drilling technologies are on the rise, giving life to what were thought to be unproductive wells, which will increase supplies. This increased production efficiency, though, has associated environmental issues. Also, the increased production will be more than offset by increased consumption, particularly by developing countries. For example, according to the International Energy Agency, energy consumption in China is likely to double in 10 years from 2008 levels, and triple by 2025!

Since I believe increased consumption will continue to more than offset increased production, I envisage that oil prices will continue to be pegged to the stock market. Because of this, domestic crude oil prices should rise slightly to the $100/barrel range by year?s end, but may peak out at $115/barrel at some point in 2013.

As Goes January?

Alternative energy stocks do not exist in a vacuum, so it is important to look at the prevailing stock market trajectory in 2013.

There is a saying on Wall Street ?as goes January, so goes the rest of the year.?? Indeed, since 1950, the direction of the stock market in the month of January foretold the movement of the market for the rest of the year 70% of the time. Additionally, almost all Januarys that had over a 5% gain (11 out of 12) predicted a gain for the rest of the year. In fact, the average gain in those years was 17%, far exceeding historical averages.?

So far the stock market, as measured by the S&P 500, is up 4.8% since the beginning of the year, and is on track to have continued gains for the month. Even more impressive, alternative energy stocks are up 9.2% so far for the year on average. Even if you take out volatile penny stocks, gains averaged 8.1%. Considering this I feel all stocks, including the alternative energy sector, will have a very positive 2013.

Another reason I believe stocks will do well in 2013 is that the economy is improving. Unlike the gloomy years of 2009-2011, where a continuum of bad economic news was the rule of the day, 2012 revealed some financial bright spots. These include improved business sentiment, a turnaround in housing, and healthy stock market returns.

Also, companies are still primed for business investment. S&P 500 companies in total have over $4.2 trillion in cash and short-term investments on hand, a 4.2% increase from the previous quarter, and 6.6% above levels of the same quarter last year.

Another positive is that inflation remains low. The chart below shows the annual change in the core rate of inflation over the past 50+ years. Though there was a 2.1% jump in the past 12 months, the graph clearly shows inflation is well below the long-term average. A low inflation rate has always been helpful for the economy.?

I believe inflation will remain tame, despite unprecedented amounts of government spending. The ?Velocity of Money? (the rate at which money flows through the economy) is still very low, and actually dropped in 2012. Unless this indicator picks up, we do not see excessive inflation coming any time soon.

The bottom line is that low interest rates and plenty of corporate cash will be a strong driver of stocks in 2013, including the growth industries within alternative energy.

Source: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2013/02/alternative-energy-investing-for-2013

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Quantum microscope for living biology

Feb. 4, 2013 ? A team of Australian scientists has developed a powerful microscope using the laws of quantum mechanics to probe the inner workings of living cells.

The team, a collaboration between The University of Queensland and the Australian National University, believe their microscope could lead to a better understanding of the basic components of life and eventually allow quantum mechanics to be probed at a macroscopic level.

Their world-first discovery has been published online in Nature Photonics.

Team leader Associate Professor Warwick Bowen, of UQ's ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, said the study relied on quantum interactions between the photons of light to achieve measurement precision that surpassed conventional measurement.

"This 'quantum microscope' is a pioneering step towards applications of quantum physics in technology," Associate Professor Bowen said.

"In fundamental physics, it could be immediately applied towards observing phenomena in the microscopic motion of small particles that have yet to be observed and were predicted many decades ago."

In the study, the researchers used their quantum microscope to measure the cytoplasm of a live beer-brewing yeast cell and found they could achieve their measurements 64 per cent faster than with a conventional microscope.

Lead author and UQ PhD student Mr Michael Taylor said the results demonstrated for the first time that quantum light could provide a practical advantage in real-world measurements.

"The measurements performed could aid in understanding the life-cycle of a cell, as its cytoplasm plays a crucial role in transferring nutrients into and around the cell," he said.

Among other things, the 'quantum microscope' could reveal the finer details within a cell -- more than a regular microscope.

Biological imaging is a particularly important application for quantum light as these fine details are typically only visible when a lot of light is used.

"Unfortunately, biological samples are grilled when the power is increased too far," said Mr Taylor.

"The 'quantum microscope', on the other hand, provides a way to improve measurement sensitivity without increasing the risk of optical damage to the sample."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Australian National University.

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. Michael A. Taylor, Jiri Janousek, Vincent Daria, Joachim Knittel, Boris Hage, Hans-A. Bachor, Warwick P. Bowen. Biological measurement beyond the quantum limit. Nature Photonics, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2012.346

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/top_news/top_technology/~3/-wjkVJ77B1Q/130204163442.htm

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Reports: Ex-SEAL/author fatally shot on gun range

In this April 6, 2012, photo, former Navy SEAL and author of the book ?American Sniper? poses in Midlothian, Texas. A Texas sheriff has told local newspapers that Kyle has been fatally shot along with another man on a gun range, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley)

In this April 6, 2012, photo, former Navy SEAL and author of the book ?American Sniper? poses in Midlothian, Texas. A Texas sheriff has told local newspapers that Kyle has been fatally shot along with another man on a gun range, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley)

In this April 6, 2012, photo, former Navy SEAL and author of the book ?American Sniper? poses in Midlothian, Texas. A Texas sheriff has told local newspapers that Kyle has been fatally shot along with another man on a gun range, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley)

GLEN ROSE, Texas (AP) ? Former Navy SEAL and "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle was fatally shot along with another man Saturday on a Texas gun range, a sheriff told local newspapers.

Erath County Sheriff Tommy Bryant said Kyle, 38, and a second man were found dead at Rough Creek Lodge's shooting range west of Glen Rose, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Stephenville Empire-Tribune. Glen Rose is about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

Bryant did not immediately return phone calls to The Associated Press seeking comment late Saturday and early Sunday. A woman who answered the phone at the lodge where the shooting occurred declined comment and referred calls to the sheriff's office.

Investigators did not immediately release the name of the second victim, according to the newspapers.

Witnesses told sheriff's investigators that a gunman opened fire on the men around 3:30 p.m. Saturday, then fled in a pickup truck belonging to one of the victims, according to the Star-Telegram. The newspapers said a 25-year-old man was later taken into custody in Lancaster, southeast of Dallas, and that charges were expected.

Lancaster police did not immediately return calls for comment.

The motive for the shooting was unclear.

Kyle wrote the best-selling book, "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History," detailing his 150-plus kills of insurgents from 1999 to 2009.

Kyle was sued by former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura over a portion of the book that claims Kyle punched Ventura in a 2006 bar fight over unpatriotic remarks. Ventura says the punch never happened and that the claim by Kyle defamed him.

Kyle had asked that Ventura's claims of invasion of privacy and "unjust enrichment" be dismissed, saying there was no legal basis for them. But a federal judge said the lawsuit should proceed. Both sides were told to be ready for trial by Aug. 1.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-03-Sniper%20Author-Shooting/id-973efe4d32274e59a151dd739c6a6a38

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Wine on Android demoed at FOSDEM

Wine, the software that's officially not an emulator but allows Microsoft Windows applications to run on Linux, Mac OS, and other platforms, was shown running on an Android environment today at FOSDEM in Brussels. Alexandre Julliard, of Codeweavers and Wine's original developer, demoed Wine on a Apple Macbook running Linux and the Android emulator. The initial tests show Wine running pretty slowly, but Julliard blames much of this on the fact that Android was emulated on the system.

While running Windows programs compiled for ARM processors on Android devices is an interesting idea, things will really take off if Intel can push the X86 processor to Android tablet manufacturers. An Atom CPU powered Android device will allow Codeweavers to push their CrossOver commercial products, like Office, for both consumers and business users. 

Source: Phoronix

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/7mm20IS0AHo/story01.htm

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'Warm Bodies' Scores Big During Super Bowl Weekend Box Office

Zombie rom-com takes #1 spot at the box office with a $20 million debut.
By Ryan J. Downey

Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer on the set of "Warm Bodies"
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1701289/warm-bodies-weekend-box-office.jhtml

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Frank Ocean says 'no charges' against Chris Brown

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Frank Ocean says he won't pursue criminal charges against Chris Brown, who is alleged to have punched Ocean in a recent fight.

The R&B star wrote on his Tumblr page Saturday that he wants peace instead of criminal charges or a civil lawsuit.

Brown is under investigation for his role in a fight outside a West Hollywood recording studio on Jan. 27. Witnesses told Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies that Brown punched someone during an argument over a parking space.

Authorities didn't identify the victim, but the celebrity website TMZ said the fight involved Ocean later tweeted that he "got jumped by Chris and a couple guys" and suffered a finger cut.

Brown has not commented on the allegation.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/frank-ocean-says-no-charges-against-chris-brown-041359397.html

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