Panetta says US must be 'very firm' with N. Korea as it turns on its nuke facilities

As the U.S. deploys a Navy missile destroyer in case of a launch by North Korea, the country's leader Kim Jong Un has abolished an armistice with South Korea and is now saying he will re-open a nuclear bomb facility that was closed in 2007. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

By Ian Johnston and Jim Miklaszewski, NBC News

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has warned that the United States should be ?very concerned? by the level of ?provocation and bellicosity? emanating from North Korea, as the rogue communist state announced it was going to restart all its nuclear facilities.

Panetta told CNBC in an interview that the U.S., Japan and South Korea had to be ?very firm in sending them a message that we are going to do everything necessary to defend our security and defend our troops.? He said there was a danger of a "miscalculation" that escalated.

The North continued to make threats Tuesday, and said it would rebuild and restart nuclear facilities, including a reactor that can make one bomb's worth of plutonium a year.

Panetta said the amount of hostility emanating from Pyongyang was alarming.

?I think we've got to be very concerned about ... the level of provocation that North Korea is engaged in. They are in the process of testing ICBMs [Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles]. They've also been testing nuclear weapons,? he said.

NBC's Jim Maceda reports on U.S. Navy movements of destroyers into the Pacific amid threats from North Korea.

?The kind of provocation and bellicosity they're showing now with their rhetoric raises a lot of concern,? he added. ?It just means the United States and our allies Japan and South Korea have to be very firm in sending them a message that we are going to do everything necessary to defend our security and defend our troops.?

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon took time out of an official visit to Andorra on Tuesday to say that the North Korean crisis had "already gone too far" and that he was "deeply troubled" by it.

"Nuclear threats are not a game," Ban said, adding that "things must begin to calm down" or they "could lead down a path that nobody should want to follow."

He closed his remarks by offering to facilitate peace talks, but how the North would react was not immediately clear. Ban was South Korea's foreign affairs minister before election to his UN post.

'Be very prepared'
Panetta noted that over the last 50 or 60 years the North had gone through cycles of ?provocation? and ?accommodation.?

?A lot of this is aimed more probably on the internal situation in North Korea, aimed at improving the new leader's credibility, his credentials as a leader,? he said.

?But at the same time since they have capabilities and [are] developing those capabilities, I don't think we can take anything for granted. The U.S., South Korea and our other partners in that region have to be very prepared in the event that something could happen here. I think the greater likelihood is miscalculation and if they do something that escalates quickly that's the greater danger,? he added.

A spokesman for the North's General Department of Atomic Energy said restarting its nuclear facilities was part of efforts to resolve the country's acute electricity shortage, but also for "bolstering up the nuclear armed force both in quality and quantity," the official Korean Central News Agency said, according to Reuters.

Pyongyang conducted its third nuclear test in February, prompting a new round of U.N. sanctions that have infuriated its leaders and led to a torrent of threatening rhetoric. The United States has sent nuclear-capable bombers and stealth jets to participate in annual South Korean-U.S. military drills that the allies call routine but that Pyongyang claims are invasion preparations.

As North Korean state TV shows constant images of the army bombarding South Korea, North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un is saying his missiles are at the ready and has cut off emergency communications. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

KCNA kept up the rhetoric on its English-language site Tuesday, with an article headlined ?Intensified Anti-U.S. Action Called For.?

It quoted the ?North Side Committee for Implementing the June 15 Joint Declaration? as saying in a statement that the joint U.S. and South Korean military exercise ?clearly proves that the U.S. imperialists' scenario to launch a nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula at any cost has reached an extremely reckless phase of its implementation.?

?As already clarified by the DPRK [North Korea], gone are the days when it could have verbal exchange with them,? the statement said.

?To wage a merciless, just, retaliatory war is the only way of rooting out the source of the danger of a nuclear war on this land and build a peaceful and prosperous reunified thriving nation where all Koreans live together,? it added.

Reuters and NBC News' Andrea Mitchell and John Newland contributed to this report.

Related:

US Navy shifts destroyer in wake of North Korea missile threats

US official warns North Korea is no 'paper tiger'

Analyst: Threats are predictable, Kim Jong Un is not

This story was originally published on Tue Apr 2, 2013 4:39 AM EDT

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Ozone masks plants volatiles, plant eating insects confused

Public release date: 2-Apr-2013
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Contact: A'ndrea Elyse Messer
aem1@psu.edu
814-865-9481
Penn State

Increases in ground-level ozone, especially in rural areas, may interfere not only with predator insects finding host plants, but also with pollinators finding flowers, according to researchers from Penn State and the University of Virginia.

"Ozone pollution has great potential to perniciously alter key interactions between plants and animals," the researchers said in a recent issue of Environmental Research Letters.

The animal tested in this case was the striped cucumber beetle, a predator of cucurbits -- cucumber, squash, pumpkin and melons. These insects dine on the plants from the moment they emerge from the ground and when fruit forms, they eat that as well.

"Insects detect odor with olfactory receptors located on their antennae," said Jose D. Fuentes, professor of meteorology, Penn State. "These receptors sense plant-emitted volatile organic compounds in very small amounts -- as low as six molecules hitting an antenna."

However, ozone, which is a very reactive substance, degrades the volatile organic compounds when they mix to the point where they no longer stimulate the olfactory system.

Fuentes, working with John Zenker, Penn State undergraduate in meteorology, and T'ai H. Roulston, research associate professor and curator, Blandy Experimental Farm, University of Virginia, tested the beetles in an enclosed Y-tube apparatus so that the insect could choose which branch to take. Researchers collected the insects from pumpkin and squash plants. They tested the insects using buffalo gourd plants, a naturally growing wild gourd that likes semiarid areas.

Separate air streams flowed into the two branches of the Y-tube. Choices of air in each tube were ambient filtered air, ambient filtered air plus up to 120 parts per million ozone, ambient filtered air plus volatile organic compounds, or air plus up to 120 parts per billion ozone and volatile organic compounds from the plant. To obtain this mix, or only ozone or volatile organic compounds, that branch flowed either to a plant chamber or ozone generator or both.

The researchers tested the insects with all ambient air, with ambient air and ozone, with ambient air and volatile organic compounds, and with ambient air and a mix of ozone and volatile organic compounds. When presented with an ambient air or volatile organic compound airstream, the beetles chose the volatile organic compound tube 80 percent of the time.

"However, as the ozone levels increased, they chose the path to the flower less frequently," said Fuentes. "By the time the mix contained 80 parts per billion ozone, the beetles showed no preference for either tube."

The researchers also tested the beetles with volatile organic compounds and a mix of volatile organic compounds and ozone. At low ozone levels, the insects showed no preference, but as ozone levels increased, the insects increasingly preferred the ozone-free path. At 80 parts per billion, the beetles chose the volatile organic compounds without ozone significantly more often than the ozonized mixture.

While one might think that higher ozone levels in the lower atmosphere would improve crops because predator insects would be unable to find their hosts, the additional ozone would also interfere with mutualistic insect plant responses such as pollination.

###

The National Science Foundation supported this research.

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 2-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: A'ndrea Elyse Messer
aem1@psu.edu
814-865-9481
Penn State

Increases in ground-level ozone, especially in rural areas, may interfere not only with predator insects finding host plants, but also with pollinators finding flowers, according to researchers from Penn State and the University of Virginia.

"Ozone pollution has great potential to perniciously alter key interactions between plants and animals," the researchers said in a recent issue of Environmental Research Letters.

The animal tested in this case was the striped cucumber beetle, a predator of cucurbits -- cucumber, squash, pumpkin and melons. These insects dine on the plants from the moment they emerge from the ground and when fruit forms, they eat that as well.

"Insects detect odor with olfactory receptors located on their antennae," said Jose D. Fuentes, professor of meteorology, Penn State. "These receptors sense plant-emitted volatile organic compounds in very small amounts -- as low as six molecules hitting an antenna."

However, ozone, which is a very reactive substance, degrades the volatile organic compounds when they mix to the point where they no longer stimulate the olfactory system.

Fuentes, working with John Zenker, Penn State undergraduate in meteorology, and T'ai H. Roulston, research associate professor and curator, Blandy Experimental Farm, University of Virginia, tested the beetles in an enclosed Y-tube apparatus so that the insect could choose which branch to take. Researchers collected the insects from pumpkin and squash plants. They tested the insects using buffalo gourd plants, a naturally growing wild gourd that likes semiarid areas.

Separate air streams flowed into the two branches of the Y-tube. Choices of air in each tube were ambient filtered air, ambient filtered air plus up to 120 parts per million ozone, ambient filtered air plus volatile organic compounds, or air plus up to 120 parts per billion ozone and volatile organic compounds from the plant. To obtain this mix, or only ozone or volatile organic compounds, that branch flowed either to a plant chamber or ozone generator or both.

The researchers tested the insects with all ambient air, with ambient air and ozone, with ambient air and volatile organic compounds, and with ambient air and a mix of ozone and volatile organic compounds. When presented with an ambient air or volatile organic compound airstream, the beetles chose the volatile organic compound tube 80 percent of the time.

"However, as the ozone levels increased, they chose the path to the flower less frequently," said Fuentes. "By the time the mix contained 80 parts per billion ozone, the beetles showed no preference for either tube."

The researchers also tested the beetles with volatile organic compounds and a mix of volatile organic compounds and ozone. At low ozone levels, the insects showed no preference, but as ozone levels increased, the insects increasingly preferred the ozone-free path. At 80 parts per billion, the beetles chose the volatile organic compounds without ozone significantly more often than the ozonized mixture.

While one might think that higher ozone levels in the lower atmosphere would improve crops because predator insects would be unable to find their hosts, the additional ozone would also interfere with mutualistic insect plant responses such as pollination.

###

The National Science Foundation supported this research.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/ps-omp040213.php

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College athletes twice as likely to have depression than retired collegiate athletes

Public release date: 2-Apr-2013
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Contact: Karen Mallet
km463@georgetown.edu
Georgetown University Medical Center

WASHINGTON A survey of current and former college athletes finds depression levels significantly higher in current athletes, a result that upended the researchers' hypothesis. The finding published in Sports Health suggests the need for more research to understand depression among college athletes.

"We expected to see a significant increase in depression once athletes graduated, but by comparison it appears the stress of intercollegiate athletics may be more significant than we and others anticipated," says the study's senior investigator Daniel Merenstein, MD, an associate professor of family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and in the department of human science in the School of Nursing & Health Studies.

While no research exists on depression in athletes who have recently graduated from college, the researchers hypothesized that the changes in lifestyle and loss of personal identity would put former college athletes at an increased risk for depression.

"College athletes often derive their personal identity from their sport, focusing a lot of their time on athletics in college," the study authors write. "They are often surrounded by other athletes and frequently have an athletic identity from their peers who recognize them on campus as an athlete."

The authors also point out that after college athletics, there is a loss of social support from teammates, coaches and advisors, and that former athletes may not maintain peak physical condition all possible factors for depression.

To examine their hypothesis, the researchers sent surveys to 663 athletes; 163 former and 117 current athletes from nine different universities took part in the study. All had participated in Division I NCAA sponsored sports. Graduated athletes represented 15 different sports and current athletes represented 10.

The analysis of the surveys revealed that nearly 17 percent of current college athletes had scores consistent with depression double that of retired college athletes (eight percent).

Merenstein, a family medicine physician, and his colleagues suggest that stressors experienced by college athletes such as overtraining, injury, pressure to perform, lack of free time or stress from schoolwork could contribute to increased susceptibility to depression.

"College in general is a potentially stressful time for many students. The additional stress of playing high-level sports appears to add to that stress," he says.

Merenstein advises parents, friends and coaches to be aware of changes in behavior, weight and sleep of college athletes, and of all students.

###

In addition to Merenstein, authors of the study include Jared Cohen, a medical student at Temple University and Sabrina Weigand, a medical student at Tulane University. At the time of the study, both were students in the department of human science at Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies.

The study was supported by the department of family medicine. The authors report having no personal financial interests related to the study.

About Georgetown University Medical Center

Georgetown University Medical Center is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through MedStar Health). GUMC's mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis or "care of the whole person." The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing & Health Studies, both nationally ranked; Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute; and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization (BGRO), which accounts for the majority of externally funded research at GUMC including a Clinical Translation and Science Award from the National Institutes of Health.

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 2-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Karen Mallet
km463@georgetown.edu
Georgetown University Medical Center

WASHINGTON A survey of current and former college athletes finds depression levels significantly higher in current athletes, a result that upended the researchers' hypothesis. The finding published in Sports Health suggests the need for more research to understand depression among college athletes.

"We expected to see a significant increase in depression once athletes graduated, but by comparison it appears the stress of intercollegiate athletics may be more significant than we and others anticipated," says the study's senior investigator Daniel Merenstein, MD, an associate professor of family medicine at Georgetown University School of Medicine and in the department of human science in the School of Nursing & Health Studies.

While no research exists on depression in athletes who have recently graduated from college, the researchers hypothesized that the changes in lifestyle and loss of personal identity would put former college athletes at an increased risk for depression.

"College athletes often derive their personal identity from their sport, focusing a lot of their time on athletics in college," the study authors write. "They are often surrounded by other athletes and frequently have an athletic identity from their peers who recognize them on campus as an athlete."

The authors also point out that after college athletics, there is a loss of social support from teammates, coaches and advisors, and that former athletes may not maintain peak physical condition all possible factors for depression.

To examine their hypothesis, the researchers sent surveys to 663 athletes; 163 former and 117 current athletes from nine different universities took part in the study. All had participated in Division I NCAA sponsored sports. Graduated athletes represented 15 different sports and current athletes represented 10.

The analysis of the surveys revealed that nearly 17 percent of current college athletes had scores consistent with depression double that of retired college athletes (eight percent).

Merenstein, a family medicine physician, and his colleagues suggest that stressors experienced by college athletes such as overtraining, injury, pressure to perform, lack of free time or stress from schoolwork could contribute to increased susceptibility to depression.

"College in general is a potentially stressful time for many students. The additional stress of playing high-level sports appears to add to that stress," he says.

Merenstein advises parents, friends and coaches to be aware of changes in behavior, weight and sleep of college athletes, and of all students.

###

In addition to Merenstein, authors of the study include Jared Cohen, a medical student at Temple University and Sabrina Weigand, a medical student at Tulane University. At the time of the study, both were students in the department of human science at Georgetown University School of Nursing & Health Studies.

The study was supported by the department of family medicine. The authors report having no personal financial interests related to the study.

About Georgetown University Medical Center

Georgetown University Medical Center is an internationally recognized academic medical center with a three-part mission of research, teaching and patient care (through MedStar Health). GUMC's mission is carried out with a strong emphasis on public service and a dedication to the Catholic, Jesuit principle of cura personalis or "care of the whole person." The Medical Center includes the School of Medicine and the School of Nursing & Health Studies, both nationally ranked; Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, designated as a comprehensive cancer center by the National Cancer Institute; and the Biomedical Graduate Research Organization (BGRO), which accounts for the majority of externally funded research at GUMC including a Clinical Translation and Science Award from the National Institutes of Health.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/gumc-cat040213.php

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Bomb-laden truck kills 7 at Iraqi police station

BAGHDAD (AP) ? A suicide bomber drove a fuel-laden truck into a police station in central Iraq on Monday, killing seven policemen, officials said.

The morning attack in Tikrit, north of Baghdad, also wounded more than 30, said Iraqi health official Raed Ibrahim.

Qutayba al-Jabouri, a lawmaker from the Salahuddin province to which Tikrit belongs, also confirmed the incident.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack was typical of al-Qaida's Iraq branch, the Islamic State of Iraq.

The militant Sunni group frequently uses car bombs, suicide bombers and coordinated blasts to target Shiites and those working with the Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Iraqi intelligence officials say that the country's al-Qaida branch is strengthening as it takes advantage of chaos in neighboring Syria to smuggle in arms, weapons and fighters.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-04-01-Iraq/id-ca0221a480f7474a9bd62d297eabb6c8

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Apple apologizes to Chinese consumers, revises local warranty policy for iPhone 4 and 4S

Over the last couple of weeks, Chinese consumers and media had been up in arms over Apple's lesser warranty coverage -- specifically over refurbished replacement devices for faulty iPhone 4 and 4S -- compared to that applied in other countries, and Cupertino's seeming arrogance from its lack of response at the time didn't help at all. But in an open letter addressed to Chinese consumers earlier today, CEO Tim Cook apologizes on behalf of his company and promises that "Apple's commitment and passion for China are no different than for other countries." After taking a closer look at China's "Three Guarantees" law (repair, refund and replace), Cook's China team will now be offering the following:

• Improved warranty policy for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S: the first 15-day grace period offers full device replacement as usual, whereas the remainder of the one-year warranty period will now offer brand new parts replacement or brand new device replacement (depending on the situation), as opposed to replacing with refurbished parts or a refurbished device; and the warranty period is restarted for the new device, as required by the "Three Guarantees" law
• More concise repair and warranty policy statement now available on Apple China's website -- which clarifies that the iPads still only get a two-year coverage on just the key components, whereas the batteries and accessories only get one year, sadly
• Strengthened supervision and training for Apple Authorized Service Providers
• Direct online feedback link now available for Chinese consumers

Looks like a good start here (especially for the second hand market, of course), but let's see if the Chinese consumers will see an effective change at the stores -- maybe the next wave of virtual protest will eventually force Apple to add full two-year coverage for the iPads as well.

Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Tablets, Mobile

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Source: Apple (Chinese)

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Rubio: Reports of immigration deal 'premature'

FILE - In this March 12, 2013 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Republican Party?s search for a way back to presidential success in 2016 is drawing a striking array of personalities and policy options. It?s shaping up as a wide-open self-reassessment by the GOP. Some factions are trying to tug the party left or right. Others argue over pragmatism versus defiance. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - In this March 12, 2013 file photo, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Republican Party?s search for a way back to presidential success in 2016 is drawing a striking array of personalities and policy options. It?s shaping up as a wide-open self-reassessment by the GOP. Some factions are trying to tug the party left or right. Others argue over pragmatism versus defiance. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., makes a point as he is joined by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Sen. Michael Bennett, D-CO, during a news conference after their tour of the Mexico border with the United States on Wednesday, March 27, 2013, in Nogales, Ariz. A group of influential U.S. senators shaping and negotiating details of an immigration reform package vowed Wednesday to make the legislation public when Congress reconvenes next month. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Even with one of the largest hurdles to an immigration overhaul overcome, lawmakers on Sunday cautioned much work remains and that no final deal has been reached.

The AFL-CIO and the pro-business U.S. Chamber of Commerce reached a deal late Friday that would allow tens of thousands of low-skill workers into the country to fill jobs in construction, restaurants and hotels. Yet despite the unusual agreement between the two powerful lobbying groups, lawmakers from both parties tried to curb expectations that the negotiations were finished and an immigration bill was heading for a vote.

"Reports that the bipartisan group of eight senators have agreed on a legislative proposal are premature," said Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who is among the lawmakers working on legislation.

Rubio, a Cuban-American who is weighing a presidential bid in 2016, is a leading figure inside his party. Lawmakers will be closely watching any deal for his approval and his skepticism about the process did little to encourage optimism.

"Eight senators from seven states have worked on this bill to serve as a starting point for discussion about fixing our broken immigration system," Rubio said. "But arriving at a final product will require it to be properly submitted for the American people's consideration, through the other 92 senators from 43 states that weren't part of this initial drafting process."

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., helped negotiate the deal between AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka and Chamber of Commerce head Tom Donohue during a late-Friday phone call. Under the compromise, the government would create a new "W'' visa for low-skill workers who would earn wages paid to Americans or the prevailing wages for the industry they're working in, whichever is higher. The Labor Department would determine prevailing wage based on customary rates in specific localities, so that it would vary from city to city.

The detente between the nation's leading labor federation and the powerful business lobbying group still needs senators' approval, including a nod from Sen. John McCain, the Arizona Republican whose previous efforts came up short.

The measure also under serious discussion would secure the border, crack down on employers, improve legal immigration and create a 13-year pathway to citizenship for the millions of illegal immigrants already here.

Schumer acknowledged on Sunday that the lawmakers themselves had not settled on a final deal and said the senators have not yet finished writing a bill to address the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the United States.

"Business and labor have an agreement," Schumer said. "This is a major, major obstacle that is overcome."

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., also warned the negotiations were not complete despite the truce between labor and business.

"That doesn't mean we've crossed every 'i' or dotted every 't,' or vice versa," Flake said.

Big labor and big business were at a standoff over wages for low-skill workers and which industries would be included. Those disputes had led talks to break down a week ago, throwing into doubt whether Schumer and seven other senators crafting a comprehensive immigration bill would be able to complete their work as planned.

It's a major second-term priority of President Barack Obama's and would usher in the most dramatic changes to the faltering U.S. immigration system in more than two decades.

"This is a legacy item for him. There is no doubt in my mind that he wants to pass comprehensive immigration reform," said David Axelrod, a longtime political confidant of Obama.

During the last week, an immigration deal seemed doomed. But the breakthrough late Friday restarted the talks.

Ultimately the new "W Visa" program would be capped at 200,000 workers a year, but the number of visas would fluctuate, depending on unemployment rates, job openings, employer demand and data collected by a new federal bureau being pushed by the labor movement as an objective monitor of the market, according to an official involved with the talks who also spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement.

A "safety valve" would allow employers to exceed the cap, the official said, if they could show need and pay premium wages, but any additional workers brought in would be subtracted from the following year's cap.

The workers could move from employer to employer and would be able to petition for permanent residency and ultimately seek U.S. citizenship. Neither is possible for temporary workers now.

The new program would fill needs employers say they have that are not currently met by U.S. immigration programs. Most industries don't have a good way to hire a steady supply of foreign workers because there's one temporary visa program for low-wage nonagricultural workers but it's capped at 66,000 visas per year and is only supposed to be used for seasonal or temporary jobs.

Separately, the new immigration bill also is expected to offer many more visas for high-tech workers, new visas for agriculture workers, and provisions allowing some agriculture workers already in the U.S. a speedier path to citizenship than that provided to other illegal immigrants, in an effort to create a stable agricultural workforce.

Schumer, Flake and Axelrod appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press."

___

Associated Press writer Erica Werner contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-03-31-US-Immigration-1st-Ld-Writethru/id-a84ea5ea878b40bc983f71113887ec46

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Letters From a 'Lost' Marilyn Monroe, Angry John Lennon to Be Auctioned

A letter from a "lost" Marilyn Monroe to mentor Lee Strasberg and one from an irritated John Lennon to Linda and Paul McCartney are among hundreds of historical objects set to be auctioned on May 30.

It is part of the second in a series of auctions intended to sell about 3,000 artifacts from an anonymous collector.

Letters from Marilyn Monroe, John Lennon Letters To Be Auctioned

The first auction was a "blockbuster sale," with a Vincent van Gogh letter selling for $336,000 and a Thomas Jefferson letter that sold for $300,000, according a news release announcing the latest auction. The auctions are being run by Profiles in History.

PHOTOS: Expensive Items

The upcoming auction includes letters and manuscripts from historical figures including George Washington, Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ernest Hemingway.

One of the letters already garnering buzz is a despair-filled letter on Hotel Bel-Air stationary from Marilyn Monroe to her mentor and legendary acting coach, Lee Strasberg.

PHOTOS: Rare Photos of Marilyn Monroe

The letter began, "Dear Lee, I'm embarrassed to start this, but thank you for understanding and having changed my life. Even though you changed it I still am lost. I mean I can't get myself together."

Letters from a Hopeless Marilyn Monroe, Angry John Lennon To Be Auctioned

"You once said the first time I heard you talk at the actors studio that 'There is only concentration between the actor and suiside [sic]," she wrote.

"My will is weak but I can't stand anything. I sound crazy but I think I'm going crazy," she added. "It's just that I get before a camera and my concentration and everything I'm trying to learn leaves me. Then I feel like I'm not existing in the human race at all."

Letters from a Hopeless Marilyn Monroe, Angry John Lennon To Be Auctioned

Another letter on the block is an angry and sarcastic letter from John Lennon to Linda and Paul McCartney.

"I was reading your letter and wondering what middle aged cranky Beatle fan wrote it. I resisted looking at the last page to find out," Lennon wrote. He ventured a few guesses and then wrote, "What the hell - it's Linda?"

PHOTOS: Remembering John Lennon

The Lennon letterhead has a circular image of Lennon and Yoko Ono almost touching lips.

Letters from a 'Lost' Marilyn Monroe, Angry John Lennon To Be Auctioned

The Lennon letter is expected to fetch between $40,000 and $60,000 and the Monroe letter is expected to take in between $30,000 and $50,000.

Letters from a 'Lost' Marilyn Monroe, Angry John Lennon To Be Auctioned

Some of the items from the auction will be on display at Douglas Elliman's Madison Avenue Gallery from April 8-16. The online auction will take place May 30.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/letters-lost-marilyn-monroe-angry-191803846.html

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