tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27587840012291361262024-02-20T19:03:39.265-08:00strapped necklineagercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.comBlogger519125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-50448946592736065562013-10-23T00:53:00.001-07:002013-10-23T00:53:46.449-07:00US, Afghans confident troop agreement will pass<p>U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, center, arrives for a meeting of the North Atlantic Council of defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013. NATO defense ministers open a two-day meeting beginning on Tuesday to discuss Syria, Afghanistan, cyber security and ballistic missile defense. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p>U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, center, arrives for a meeting of the North Atlantic Council of defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013. NATO defense ministers open a two-day meeting beginning on Tuesday to discuss Syria, Afghanistan, cyber security and ballistic missile defense. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p>U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, left, speaks with Romanian Defense Minister Mircea Dusa during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council of defense ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2013. NATO defense ministers open a two-day meeting beginning on Tuesday to discuss Syria, Afghanistan, cyber security and ballistic missile defense. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br /><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S and Afghanistan officials said Tuesday that they are confident tribal elders and the Afghan population will agree to keep U.S. and coalition troops in the country after 2014, even as a senior U.S. military official warned of high profile attacks and assassinations leading up to Afghanistan's presidential elections next year.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The comments come amid persistent uncertainty about the security agreement, including provisions allowing the U.S. military to continue to conduct counterterrorism operations and insuring that U.S. military courts, not the Afghans, would maintain legal jurisdiction over American forces that stay in the country.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">A senior U.S. official said that Afghan Defense Minister Bismillah Mohammadi told U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel that he has strong confidence that the agreement would be endorsed soon and that the vast majority of Afghans support it. The two spoke during a NATO meeting where leaders were getting updates on the war and progress of the Afghan forces.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">In a separate discussion, a senior U.S. military official said he is pretty confident that the agreement will be signed, adding that he has spoken to Afghans at every level and none have said the bilateral security agreement was a bad idea.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The military official also said that Afghans recognize that keeping U.S. and coalition troops in the country after 2014 to train and assist the Afghan forces is key to getting the more than $4 billion in financial support that allied nations have pledged to provide.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the issues publicly due to NATO rules.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and President Hamid Karzai reached an agreement about a week ago on the key elements of a deal that would allow American troops to stay after 2014, when combat troops are scheduled to leave. One key unresolved issue — which is a deal breaker for the U.S. — is whether U.S. military courts maintain legal jurisdiction over the troops.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The U.S. official said Hagel made it clear to Mohammadi that jurisdiction is a must for the security agreement.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Karzai said that issue must be discussed by the consultative assembly of tribal elders, or Loya Jirga, before he makes a decision.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The national meeting is expected to start between Nov. 19 and 21 and could last as long as a week, with as many as 3,000 people attending. The Loya Jirga is not binding but Karzai is likely to follow it. The agreement would then have to be ratified by the Afghan Parliament.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">There have been repeated worries that the complex agreement could fall apart in much the same way that U.S. negotiations with Iraqi leaders collapsed over the issue of troop immunity. The U.S. then pulled all of its troops out of Iraq.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Officials Tuesday sought to present a more optimistic view of the Afghan situation, while still acknowledging that there are still challenges ahead.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">In particular, the military official warned that based on intelligence reports and discussions with Afghans, the U.S. is expecting the Taliban to try to disrupt April's elections with high-profile attacks and targeted killings aimed at candidates and high-level officials.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The military official said that although the peak fighting season is ending, the winter is likely to focus more on kinetic attacks than in the past. He said he expects a concerted effort by the enemy to try and prevent successful elections and the Afghan security forces are preparing for that fighting campaign now.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The official added that in the coming months the U.S. and coalition forces will focus less on building the proficiency of individual Afghan units, and more on improving broader capabilities such as logistics, intelligence gathering, budgeting and command and control.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">U.S. officials have said that the U.S. and NATO would like to keep between 8,000-12,000 troops in Afghanistan to train and assist the Afghan force and conduct counterterrorism operations against al-Qaida. Both Hagel and the U.S. military official said they are still comfortable with that range of numbers.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">They noted, however, that the number of troops is just one of the key components for success. The state of the Taliban, cooperation from Pakistan in battling the insurgency and the Afghan political process are also important.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Hagel told reporters traveling with him that the sooner an agreement is reached, the better. But he said there is still sufficient time.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">"I don't think there's any deadline that we have to have it by Thanksgiving," said Hagel, as he was traveling to the NATO meeting. "If we stay on track — that gives us plenty of time."</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">If the security agreement is not signed, all troops would leave at the end of next year. President Barack Obama said in an interview with The Associated Press he would be comfortable with a full pullout of U.S. troops.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">.</p><!-- SourceOrganizationStart --><span id="sourceOrganization" class="source-org vcard">Associated Press</span><!-- SourceOrganizationEnd -->Source: <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-10-22-EU-NATO-Afghanistan/id-655783beea4242b887b359a791366aa8">http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-10-22-EU-NATO-Afghanistan/id-655783beea4242b887b359a791366aa8</a><br />Category: <a href="http://charlesjuarez.mobi/meme/successful-black-man/">james franco</a> <a href="http://charlesjuarez.mobi/wp-content/plugins/cbautoblog/jump/j.php?u=.UkVCT09LU1RPUg==">penn state football</a> <a href="http://charlesjuarez.mobi/wp-login.php?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fcharlesjuarez.mobi%2Fmeme%2Fsuccessful-black-man%2F">snl</a> <a href="http://charlesjuarez.mobi/meme/angry-mom/">Kelly LeBrock</a> <a href="http://charlesjuarez.mobi/marketplace/?cid=67">powerball winning numbers</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-58485703096740933112013-10-23T00:26:00.001-07:002013-10-23T00:26:36.323-07:00Air Force Officers Keep Leaving the Doors to Our Nuclear Missiles Open<p class="has-media media-640"><img data-asset-url="http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/1940rm3rjucwxjpg/ku-xlarge.jpg" data-chomp-id="1940rm3rjucwxjpg" alt="Air Force Officers Keep Leaving the Doors to Our Nuclear Missiles Open" height="360" width="640" src="http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/1940rm3rjucwxjpg/ku-xlarge.jpg" class="transform-ku-xlarge"/></p> <p class="first-text">Not to scare you or anything, but Air Force officers have left the blast doors to nuclear-tipped missiles open at least twice in the past year. These are the guys who help guard the launch codes who are also tasked with watching over the arsenal. Leaving the missiles available and unattended is a very, <em>very</em> big no-no.</p><p><a href="http://gizmodo.com/air-force-officers-keep-leaving-the-doors-to-our-nuclea-1450269228">Read more...</a></p><img width='1' height='1' src='http://gizmodo.feedsportal.com/c/34976/f/647164/s/32c7fcfb/sc/7/mf.gif' border='0'/><br clear='all'/><div class='mf-viral'><table border='0'><tr><td valign='middle'><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/share/twitter/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgizmodo.com%2Fair-force-officers-keep-leaving-the-doors-to-our-nuclea-1450269228&t=Air+Force+Officers+Keep+Leaving+the+Doors+to+Our+Nuclear+Missiles+Open" target="_blank"><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/share/facebook/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgizmodo.com%2Fair-force-officers-keep-leaving-the-doors-to-our-nuclea-1450269228&t=Air+Force+Officers+Keep+Leaving+the+Doors+to+Our+Nuclear+Missiles+Open" target="_blank"><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/share/linkedin/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgizmodo.com%2Fair-force-officers-keep-leaving-the-doors-to-our-nuclea-1450269228&t=Air+Force+Officers+Keep+Leaving+the+Doors+to+Our+Nuclear+Missiles+Open" target="_blank"><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/share/gplus/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgizmodo.com%2Fair-force-officers-keep-leaving-the-doors-to-our-nuclea-1450269228&t=Air+Force+Officers+Keep+Leaving+the+Doors+to+Our+Nuclear+Missiles+Open" target="_blank"><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/share/email/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgizmodo.com%2Fair-force-officers-keep-leaving-the-doors-to-our-nuclea-1450269228&t=Air+Force+Officers+Keep+Leaving+the+Doors+to+Our+Nuclear+Missiles+Open" target="_blank"><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png" border="0" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/176969202219/u/94/f/647164/c/34976/s/32c7fcfb/sc/7/rc/1/rc.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/176969202219/u/94/f/647164/c/34976/s/32c7fcfb/sc/7/rc/1/rc.img" border="0"/></a><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/176969202219/u/94/f/647164/c/34976/s/32c7fcfb/sc/7/rc/2/rc.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/176969202219/u/94/f/647164/c/34976/s/32c7fcfb/sc/7/rc/2/rc.img" border="0"/></a><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/176969202219/u/94/f/647164/c/34976/s/32c7fcfb/sc/7/rc/3/rc.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/176969202219/u/94/f/647164/c/34976/s/32c7fcfb/sc/7/rc/3/rc.img" border="0"/></a><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/176969202219/u/94/f/647164/c/34976/s/32c7fcfb/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/176969202219/u/94/f/647164/c/34976/s/32c7fcfb/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/176969202219/u/94/f/647164/c/34976/s/32c7fcfb/a2t.img" border="0"/><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/ZTsgGIn0cNw" height="1" width="1"/>Source: <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ZTsgGIn0cNw/air-force-officers-keep-leaving-the-doors-to-our-nuclea-1450269228">http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ZTsgGIn0cNw/air-force-officers-keep-leaving-the-doors-to-our-nuclea-1450269228</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://hottian.com/plus/guestbook.php">Covered California</a> <a href="http://www.qitibaojing.net.cn/plus/guestbook.php">Paula Patton</a> <a href="http://www.chinachristmasgoods.com/plus/guestbook.php">jimmy kimmel</a> <a href="http://yiner.biz/plus/guestbook.php">Wally Bayola scandal</a> <a href="http://www.ssyhnz.com/plus/guestbook.php">Ozil</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-66316930606155794582013-10-22T19:03:00.001-07:002013-10-22T19:03:12.636-07:00Obama taps former budget aide Zients to help health law rollout<!-- google_ad_section_start --><br /> <meta itemprop="datePublished" content="2013-10-22T17:39:00Z"/><meta itemprop="headline" content="Obama taps former budget aide Zients to help health law rollout"/><meta itemprop="alternativeHeadline" content=""/><meta itemprop="image" content=""/><meta itemprop="description" content="WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration has asked former budget official and management expert Jeffrey Zients to help the administration manage the rocky roll-out of the Affordable Care Act known as "Obamacare," the White House said on Tuesday. The Department of Health and Human Services, which is managing the healthcare program's launch, has brought Zients in to provide "management advice and counsel" to the project, White House spokesman Jay Carney said at a briefing on Tuesday. (Reporting By Mark Felsenthal and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Sandra Maler)"/><p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration has asked former budget official and management expert Jeffrey Zients to help the administration manage the rocky roll-out of the Affordable Care Act known as "Obamacare," the White House said on Tuesday.</p><br /><p> The Department of Health and Human Services, which is managing the healthcare program's launch, has brought Zients in to provide "management advice and counsel" to the project, White House spokesman Jay Carney said at a briefing on Tuesday.</p><br /><p> (Reporting By Mark Felsenthal and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Sandra Maler)</p><ul id="topics" class="hidden"><li data-id="YCT:001000661">Politics & Government</li><li data-id="YCT:001000395">Health</li><li data-id="WIKIID:Jeffrey_Zients">Jeffrey Zients</li><li data-id="WIKIID:Presidency_of_Barack_Obama">Obama administration</li><li data-id="WIKIID:White_House">White House</li></ul><!-- google_ad_section_end -->Source: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/obama-taps-former-budget-aide-zients-help-health-173900419.html">http://news.yahoo.com/obama-taps-former-budget-aide-zients-help-health-173900419.html</a><br />Category: <a href="http://good4life88.livejournal.com/955.html">Johnny Galecki</a> <a href="http://en088.tumblr.com/post/64667242105/ebay-com-description-writing-tips">NFL Sunday Ticket</a> <a href="http://fun088.tumblr.com/post/64667264388/surroundings-gardening">Mexico vs Honduras</a> <a href="http://famous8.webnode.com/news/surroundings-gardening1/">Galaxy Note 3</a> <a href="http://superduper8.webnode.com/news/ebay-com-description-writing-tips/">msft</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-32253124011008903062013-10-22T18:34:00.001-07:002013-10-22T18:34:20.594-07:00Cardinals, Red Sox set to renew October rivalry<!-- google_ad_section_start --><br /> <meta itemprop="datePublished" content="2013-10-22T22:48:04Z"/><meta itemprop="headline" content="Cardinals, Red Sox set to renew October rivalry"/><meta itemprop="alternativeHeadline" content=""/><meta itemprop="image" content="http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/109dc81fa00cf623400f6a7067003d1b.jpg"/><meta itemprop="description" content="BOSTON (AP) — Lance Lynn squeezed through a door leading into the Green Monster, shimmied along a cramped space behind the famed left-field wall and peered out a tiny metal slot in the Fenway Park scoreboard."/><p>BOSTON (AP) — Lance Lynn squeezed through a door leading into the Green Monster, shimmied along a cramped space behind the famed left-field wall and peered out a tiny metal slot in the Fenway Park scoreboard.</p><p>"A little snug for me," the burly St. Louis pitcher said.</p><p>Plenty of Cardinals got their first look at the century-old ballpark during a workout Tuesday, a day before they opened the World Series against the Boston Red Sox.</p><p>The Red Sox saw a neat sight, too. As they took batting practice at dusk, a giant, vibrant rainbow formed high in the sky beyond center field. Slugger David Ortiz noticed.</p><p>"Oh, yeah," he said. "It's a Dominican thing."</p><p>Whatever, Big Papi. Something special always seems to happen when the Redbirds and Red Sox meet, from Stan the Man vs. the Splendid Splinter, to Gibby vs. Yaz, to Pedro vs. Pujols.</p><p>Now, they're set to meet for the fourth time in "that Octobery kind of air," as Cardinals Game 1 starter Adam Wainwright described it.</p><p>Jon Lester will oppose him Wednesday night, facing a lineup that got a late boost. Allen Craig, who hit a major league-leading .454 with runners in scoring position but hasn't played since Sept. 4 because of sprained left foot, is set to return.</p><p>"I feel like I'm in a good spot," said the cleanup man, who will be the Cardinals' designated hitter.</p><p>Weather could be a factor. Temperatures are supposed to dip into the low 40s and rain is in the forecast.</p><p>Boston was listed as a slim favorite in the matchup between teams that tied for the big league lead in wins. The clubs haven't met in the regular season since 2008, and Red Sox speedster Jacoby Ellsbury was looking forward to this pairing that some are billing as the Beards vs. the Birds.</p><p>"It will be exciting to see some unfamiliar faces," he said.</p><p>Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli and many of their scraggly Boston teammates figure to get a good look at the Cardinals' crop of young arms, led by postseason ace Michael Wacha and relievers Trevor Rosenthal, Carlos Martinez and Kevin Siegrist.</p><p>Ortiz is the link to the Red Sox team that swept St. Louis in the 2004 Series — Boston never trailed at any point — and ended an 86-year championship drought.</p><p>"Obviously I'm aware of the history of the two teams," Ellsbury said. "Once the first pitch happens, all that goes out the window."</p><p>The Red Sox are trying to win their third crown in 10 years. St. Louis is aiming to take its second title in three years and third in eight seasons.</p><p>"Some of us have some pretty bad memories of being here in 2004, and we're looking to kind of right that ship," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said.</p><p>Matheny was the Cardinals' catcher that year, backed up by rookie Yadier Molina. Now Molina is considered the best defensive catcher in baseball, charged with trying to stop Ellsbury and a Red Sox team that's run a lot in the postseason.</p><p>"It's fun to be part of this history, to be here in Fenway Park, to be part of this Series against Boston," Molina said.</p><p>"It's different to play here overall. Playing defense, offense, pitching. It's different, but at the same time it's fun," he said.</p><p>David Freese grew up in St. Louis and became MVP of the 2011 Series. He heard about Stan Musial vs. Ted Williams in 1946, knew about Bob Gibson facing Carl Yastrzemski in '67 and recalled watching on TV when Red Sox reliever Keith Foulke fielded Edgar Renteria's tapper to finish off 2004.</p><p>"I remember the comebacker that ended it. The sweep. You don't expect a World Series to end in four games," the 30-year-old third baseman said.</p><p>Freese said he'd always hoped to get a chance to play at Fenway, and he got his first look Tuesday.</p><p>After Matheny stood near the mound and pointed out the particulars of the dirt triangle in center field, Freese stepped in for batting practice. He launched a long drive that hit high off the Green Monster in left-center, the loud thwack echoing all around the ballpark.</p><p>"That's my Wall ball," he hooted to teammate Matt Holliday.</p><p>Good for a hitter, maybe not so great for a pitcher.</p><p>"A ballgame can change with one swing of the bat in this ballpark," said Wacha, who also climbed into the wall. "It's pretty crazy. Crazy dimensions, that's for sure."</p><ul id="topics" class="hidden"><li data-id="YCT:001000001">Sports & Recreation</li><li data-id="YCT:001000007">Baseball</li><li data-id="WIKIID:Boston_Red_Sox">Red Sox</li></ul><!-- google_ad_section_end -->Source: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/cardinals-red-sox-set-renew-october-rivalry-200225881--spt.html">http://news.yahoo.com/cardinals-red-sox-set-renew-october-rivalry-200225881--spt.html</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://www.akb48-katte.com/groups/personalizing-a-perfect-strategic-internet-marketing-plan/">mrsa</a> <a href="http://www.citywideadz.com/profiles/blogs/put-in-prospects-with-active-marketing">detroit lions</a> <a href="http://www.managinglifeschanges.com/groups-2/upper-mobile-marketing-practical-application-trends-to-seek-out-in-2013/">danity kane</a> <a href="http://getsocialz.com/blogs/viewstory/40422">powerball winning numbers</a> <a href="http://forum.allastra.de/node/188910">elvis presley</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-72778423082111528462013-10-22T13:06:00.001-07:002013-10-22T13:06:23.968-07:00Chocolate Fashions Make For A Truly Sweet Little Black Dress<div id="storytext" readability="143.122833459"><br /><div id="res239697188" class="bucketwrap image large" previewtitle=""Eternal Diamond," an A-line dress hand-painted with 40 pounds of Lindt chocolate. It's adorned simply along the hem with chili and orange segments, flavors used in speciality Lindt chocolate bars. The fan and hat are also crafted from chocolate, of course." readability="11.7362637363"><br /><br /><div class="captionwrap caption" readability="12"><br /><p>"Eternal Diamond," an A-line dress hand-painted with 40 pounds of Lindt chocolate. It's adorned simply along the hem with chili and orange segments, flavors used in speciality Lindt chocolate bars. The fan and hat are also crafted from chocolate, of course.</p><br /></div><br /><span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Photo: Paul Winch-Furness</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Courtesy Salon du Chocolat</span></span><br /><br /><div class="enlarge_html image_data" readability="12"><br /><p class="caption">"Eternal Diamond," an A-line dress hand-painted with 40 pounds of Lindt chocolate. It's adorned simply along the hem with chili and orange segments, flavors used in speciality Lindt chocolate bars. The fan and hat are also crafted from chocolate, of course.</p><br /><span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Photo: Paul Winch-Furness</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Courtesy Salon du Chocolat</span></span></div><br /></div><br /><p>If you find yourself sauntering down the runway wearing 40 pounds of chocolate, don't sweat it. Seriously – you might find yourself dripping on the audience.</p><br /><p>So warns Fiona Bitmead, one of ten models who showed off edible chocolate creations Friday night at the <a href="http://www.salonduchocolat.co.uk/accueil.aspx" target="_blank">Salon du Chocolat</a> in London. Five handlers helping her get dressed.</p><br /><p>"[I] had to worry about a dress melting on me!" she says. "I can't say I've ever wanted to eat the dresses I've worn down the catwalk before."</p><br /><p>But as <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TimGunn" target="_blank">Tim Gunn</a> might say, make it work!</p><br /><p>Salon du Chocolat, not surprisingly, is a French creation. It's the world's largest chocolate fair open to the public, and it has been running for 19 years. This year, it will travel to 23 cities around the world, providing patrons a chance to taste and buy artisan and specialty chocolate. The salon hits New York in November 2014.</p><br /><p>Clad in little — and not so little — chocolate dresses, the models at the London event wore gowns, headpieces, bags and even a swimsuit all made of, or adorned with white, milk and the dark stuff.</p><br /><div id="res239699447" class="bucketwrap image large" previewtitle="Cute, but probably not the best choice for fun in the sun: This bikini was a collaboration between chocolatier Fruitful Blooms and swimwear purveyor Bikini Fling. It features Fruitful Blooms' signature chocolate leaves and flowers." readability="9.24786324786"><br /><br /><div class="captionwrap caption" readability="9.35064935065"><br /><p>Cute, but probably not the best choice for fun in the sun: This bikini was a collaboration between chocolatier <a href="http://www.fruitfulblooms-chocolatiers.com/">Fruitful Blooms</a> and swimwear purveyor Bikini Fling. It features Fruitful Blooms' signature chocolate leaves and flowers.</p><br /></div><br /><span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Photo: Paul Winch-Furness</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Courtesy Salon du Chocolat</span></span><br /><br /><div class="enlarge_html image_data" readability="9.47183098592"><br /><p class="caption">Cute, but probably not the best choice for fun in the sun: This bikini was a collaboration between chocolatier <a href="http://www.fruitfulblooms-chocolatiers.com/">Fruitful Blooms</a> and swimwear purveyor Bikini Fling. It features Fruitful Blooms' signature chocolate leaves and flowers.</p><br /><span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Photo: Paul Winch-Furness</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Courtesy Salon du Chocolat</span></span></div><br /></div><br /><p>Chocolatiers and designers worked together to create a chocoholic's dream dresses. Lauren Smith, a 23-year-old art school graduate, was hired by Swiss chocolatier Lindt to design its "Eternal Diamond" dress, the creation Bitmead modeled. The A-line dress gets its rich brown color from the 40 pounds of chocolate that cover it; it's adorned simply along the hem with chili and orange segments, flavors used in specialty Lindt chocolate bars. Smith says she had two major worries about the dress.</p><br /><p>"One of the main challenges was trying to pick a fabric that could sustain the weight of the chocolate and the embellishments," Smith says. "Luckily, I picked a good, sturdy stiff canvas which worked well."</p><br /><p>Fabric samples were tested at Lindt headquarters in advance to ensure the dress could withstand the heavy chocolate coating. Smith and the Lindt team constructed the <em>piece de resistance</em> by hand in just two weeks.</p><br /><div id="res239700825" class="bucketwrap image large" previewtitle="London patisserie On Cafe's entry featured a gown covered in macarons, of course." readability="7.21403508772"><br /><br /><div class="captionwrap caption" readability="7.30864197531"><br /><p>London patisserie <a href="http://www.oncafe.co.uk/patisserie/?page_id=138">On Cafe</a>'s entry featured a gown covered in macarons, of course.</p><br /></div><br /><span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Photo: Paul Winch-Furness</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Courtesy Salon du Chocolat</span></span><br /><br /><div class="enlarge_html image_data" readability="7.58208955224"><br /><p class="caption">London patisserie <a href="http://www.oncafe.co.uk/patisserie/?page_id=138">On Cafe</a>'s entry featured a gown covered in macarons, of course.</p><br /><span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Photo: Paul Winch-Furness</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Courtesy Salon du Chocolat</span></span></div><br /></div><br /><p>"The thing that I was really worried about was sewing through chocolate and fabric and that actually came out really well. It was a bit hard, but I was able to stitch it," Smith tells The Salt.</p><br /><p>Food artist Paul Wayne Gregory was involved with the construction of the dress, which took 24 hours to hand-paint with chocolate. Gregory says the process wasn't without its meltdowns, as it were.</p><br /><p>"Tempering helps," he says, "but there was a lot of melting, breaking and re-building."</p><br /><p>And how on earth did they transport it? Gregory says, "We had two women holding it in the back of a van."</p><br /><p>Mark Tilling, master chocolatier at <a href="http://www.squires-shop.com/uk">Squires Kitchen</a>, a British pastry shop and baking school, used 10 pounds of chocolate squares to create an Audrey Hepburn-inspired dress and matching round handbag. Tilling says the hardest part was finding something suitable to serve as the template.</p><br /><div id="res239698537" class="bucketwrap image large" previewtitle="Breakfast of chocolate at Tiffany's? Ten pounds of the dark, sweet stuff were used to craft this Audrey Hepburn-inspired dress and matching handbag, created by master chocolatier Mark Tilling of Squire Kitchen." readability="10.7163904236"><br /><br /><div class="captionwrap caption" readability="11"><br /><p>Breakfast of chocolate at Tiffany's? Ten pounds of the dark, sweet stuff were used to craft this Audrey Hepburn-inspired dress and matching handbag, created by master chocolatier Mark Tilling of Squire Kitchen.</p><br /></div><br /><span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Photo: Paul Winch-Furness</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Courtesy Salon du Chocolat</span></span><br /><br /><div class="enlarge_html image_data" readability="11"><br /><p class="caption">Breakfast of chocolate at Tiffany's? Ten pounds of the dark, sweet stuff were used to craft this Audrey Hepburn-inspired dress and matching handbag, created by master chocolatier Mark Tilling of Squire Kitchen.</p><br /><span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Photo: Paul Winch-Furness</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Courtesy Salon du Chocolat</span></span></div><br /></div><br /><p>"It took all day just to find the right dress," Tilling says. " It's got to be easy to get into, so we needed a long zip in the back."</p><br /><p>Tilling started with the dress: Using it as a base, he warmed chocolate to act as glue for the squared panels that adorn the frock.</p><br /><p>Thankfully, designers won't have to re-create their perishable dresses. Each fashion show will feature the work of local designers and chocolatiers.</p><br /></div>Source: <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/10/21/239291104/chocolate-fashions-make-for-a-truly-sweet-little-black-dress?ft=1&f=1004">http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/10/21/239291104/chocolate-fashions-make-for-a-truly-sweet-little-black-dress?ft=1&f=1004</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://wuvm.com/story.php?title=ways-that-you-can-examine-your-very-own-residential-plumbing">Bud Adams</a> <a href="http://wallpaperwallpapers.info/story.php?title=ways-that-you-could-check-your-very-own-domestic-plumbing">castle</a> <a href="http://www.make-link.com/story.php?title=ways-that-you-could-examine-your-very-own-domestic-plumbing-2">apple</a> <a href="http://adidassingapore.com/story.php?title=ways-that-you-could-inspect-your-very-own-domestic-plumbing">Robocop</a> <a href="http://optuner.com/story.php?title=ways-that-you-could-examine-your-very-own-domestic-plumbing">Justin Morneau</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-85930779122812148452013-10-22T12:37:00.001-07:002013-10-22T12:37:36.016-07:00The ocean is broken<!-- google_ad_section_start --><br /> <meta itemprop="datePublished" content="2013-10-22T13:33:26Z"/><meta itemprop="headline" content="The ocean is broken"/><meta itemprop="alternativeHeadline" content=""/><meta itemprop="image" content="http://l.yimg.com/os/publish-images/news/2013-10-22/b7edf710-7ce1-4155-8c65-aed2f189c2c0_broken.jpg"/><meta itemprop="description" content="A sailor takes in a terrifying view of the Pacific ocean: barren, and filled with floating trash."/><p><em>The following article was reprinted with permission from The Newcastle Herald.</em></p> <p>IT was the silence that made this voyage different from all of those before it.</p><p>Not the absence of sound, exactly.</p><p>The wind still whipped the sails and whistled in the rigging. The waves still sloshed against the fibreglass hull.</p><p><strong>Read what's happened since this article went global</strong></p><p>And there were plenty of other noises: muffled thuds and bumps and scrapes as the boat knocked against pieces of debris.</p><p>What was missing was the cries of the seabirds which, on all previous similar voyages, had surrounded the boat.</p><p>The birds were missing because the fish were missing.</p><p>Exactly 10 years before, when Newcastle yachtsman Ivan Macfadyen had sailed exactly the same course from Melbourne to Osaka, all he'd had to do to catch a fish from the ocean between Brisbane and Japan was throw out a baited line.</p><p>"There was not one of the 28 days on that portion of the trip when we didn't catch a good-sized fish to cook up and eat with some rice," Macfadyen recalled.</p><p>But this time, on that whole long leg of sea journey, the total catch was two.</p><p>No fish. No birds. Hardly a sign of life at all.</p><p>"In years gone by I'd gotten used to all the birds and their noises," he said.</p><p>"They'd be following the boat, sometimes resting on the mast before taking off again. You'd see flocks of them wheeling over the surface of the sea in the distance, feeding on pilchards."</p><p>But in March and April this year, only silence and desolation surrounded his boat, Funnel Web, as it sped across the surface of a haunted ocean.</p><p>North of the equator, up above New Guinea, the ocean-racers saw a big fishing boat working a reef in the distance.</p><p>"All day it was there, trawling back and forth. It was a big ship, like a mother-ship," he said.</p><p>And all night it worked too, under bright floodlights. And in the morning Macfadyen was awoken by his crewman calling out, urgently, that the ship had launched a speedboat.</p><p>"Obviously I was worried. We were unarmed and pirates are a real worry in those waters. I thought, if these guys had weapons then we were in deep trouble."</p><p>But they weren't pirates, not in the conventional sense, at least. The speedboat came alongside and the Melanesian men aboard offered gifts of fruit and jars of jam and preserves.</p><p>"And they gave us five big sugar-bags full of fish," he said.</p><p>"They were good, big fish, of all kinds. Some were fresh, but others had obviously been in the sun for a while.</p><p>"We told them there was no way we could possibly use all those fish. There were just two of us, with no real place to store or keep them. They just shrugged and told us to tip them overboard. That's what they would have done with them anyway, they said.</p><p>"They told us that his was just a small fraction of one day's by-catch. That they were only interested in tuna and to them, everything else was rubbish. It was all killed, all dumped. They just trawled that reef day and night and stripped it of every living thing."</p><p>Macfadyen felt sick to his heart. That was one fishing boat among countless more working unseen beyond the horizon, many of them doing exactly the same thing.</p><p>No wonder the sea was dead. No wonder his baited lines caught nothing. There was nothing to catch.</p><p>If that sounds depressing, it only got worse.</p><p>The next leg of the long voyage was from Osaka to San Francisco and for most of that trip the desolation was tinged with nauseous horror and a degree of fear.</p><p>"After we left Japan, it felt as if the ocean itself was dead," Macfadyen said.</p><p>"We hardly saw any living things. We saw one whale, sort of rolling helplessly on the surface with what looked like a big tumour on its head. It was pretty sickening.</p><p>"I've done a lot of miles on the ocean in my life and I'm used to seeing turtles, dolphins, sharks and big flurries of feeding birds. But this time, for 3000 nautical miles there was nothing alive to be seen."</p><p>In place of the missing life was garbage in astounding volumes.</p><p>"Part of it was the aftermath of the tsunami that hit Japan a couple of years ago. The wave came in over the land, picked up an unbelievable load of stuff and carried it out to sea. And it's still out there, everywhere you look."</p><p>Ivan's brother, Glenn, who boarded at Hawaii for the run into the United States, marvelled at the "thousands on thousands" of yellow plastic buoys. The huge tangles of synthetic rope, fishing lines and nets. Pieces of polystyrene foam by the million. And slicks of oil and petrol, everywhere.</p><p>Countless hundreds of wooden power poles are out there, snapped off by the killer wave and still trailing their wires in the middle of the sea.</p><p>"In years gone by, when you were becalmed by lack of wind, you'd just start your engine and motor on," Ivan said.</p><p>Not this time.</p><p>"In a lot of places we couldn't start our motor for fear of entangling the propeller in the mass of pieces of rope and cable. That's an unheard of situation, out in the ocean.</p><p>"If we did decide to motor we couldn't do it at night, only in the daytime with a lookout on the bow, watching for rubbish.</p><p>"On the bow, in the waters above Hawaii, you could see right down into the depths. I could see that the debris isn't just on the surface, it's all the way down. And it's all sizes, from a soft-drink bottle to pieces the size of a big car or truck.</p><p>"We saw a factory chimney sticking out of the water, with some kind of boiler thing still attached below the surface. We saw a big container-type thing, just rolling over and over on the waves.</p><p>"We were weaving around these pieces of debris. It was like sailing through a garbage tip.</p><p>"Below decks you were constantly hearing things hitting against the hull, and you were constantly afraid of hitting something really big. As it was, the hull was scratched and dented all over the place from bits and pieces we never saw."</p><p>Plastic was ubiquitous. Bottles, bags and every kind of throwaway domestic item you can imagine, from broken chairs to dustpans, toys and utensils.</p><p>And something else. The boat's vivid yellow paint job, never faded by sun or sea in years gone past, reacted with something in the water off Japan, losing its sheen in a strange and unprecedented way.</p><p>BACK in Newcastle, Ivan Macfadyen is still coming to terms with the shock and horror of the voyage.</p><p>"The ocean is broken," he said, shaking his head in stunned disbelief.</p><p>Recognising the problem is vast, and that no organisations or governments appear to have a particular interest in doing anything about it, Macfadyen is looking for ideas.</p><p>He plans to lobby government ministers, hoping they might help.</p><p>More immediately, he will approach the organisers of Australia's major ocean races, trying to enlist yachties into an international scheme that uses volunteer yachtsmen to monitor debris and marine life.</p><p>Macfadyen signed up to this scheme while he was in the US, responding to an approach by US academics who asked yachties to fill in daily survey forms and collect samples for radiation testing - a significant concern in the wake of the tsunami and consequent nuclear power station failure in Japan.</p><p>"I asked them why don't we push for a fleet to go and clean up the mess," he said.</p><p>"But they said they'd calculated that the environmental damage from burning the fuel to do that job would be worse than just leaving the debris there."</p><p><em>This article ran in the Newcastle Herald, which published a follow up after it gained traction worldwide. </em></p><ul id="topics" class="hidden"><li data-id="YCT:001000637">Nature & Environment</li><li data-id="WIKIID:Japan">Japan</li></ul><!-- google_ad_section_end -->Source: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/the-ocean-is-broken-133327474.html">http://news.yahoo.com/the-ocean-is-broken-133327474.html</a><br />Category: <a href="http://www.mobiappsreviews.info?p=472">kaley cuoco</a> <a href="http://www.visiblehand.info?p=375">Tony Hale</a> <a href="http://www.marriage2012.com?p=641">9 news</a> <a href="http://www.careip.info?p=673">phoebe cates</a> <a href="http://www.tekmatcher.biz?p=420">Huntington Beach riot</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-40730169547535607262013-10-22T07:08:00.001-07:002013-10-22T07:08:22.764-07:00Colorado theater gunman coerced into incriminating statements, defense says<!-- google_ad_section_start --><br /> <meta itemprop="datePublished" content="2013-10-22T04:46:58Z"/><meta itemprop="headline" content="Colorado theater gunman coerced into incriminating statements, defense says"/><meta itemprop="alternativeHeadline" content=""/><meta itemprop="image" content=""/><meta itemprop="description" content="By Keith Coffman CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Reuters) - Police coerced movie theater gunman James Holmes into talking about explosives found in his apartment after he shot 12 people to death, and those statements should be barred from his murder trial, defense lawyers argued in a Colorado courtroom on Monday. Prosecutors stood by the admissibility of the statements, countering that police were merely trying to obtain information on how to safely defuse the bombs to protect law enforcement officers and the public from a potential detonation of the booby traps. ..."/><p>By Keith Coffman</p><br /><p> CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Reuters) - Police coerced movie theater gunman James Holmes into talking about explosives found in his apartment after he shot 12 people to death, and those statements should be barred from his murder trial, defense lawyers argued in a Colorado courtroom on Monday.</p><br /><p> Prosecutors stood by the admissibility of the statements, countering that police were merely trying to obtain information on how to safely defuse the bombs to protect law enforcement officers and the public from a potential detonation of the booby traps.</p><br /><p> The latest legal back-and-forth in the high-profile case came in a hearing over what evidence should be allowed in the capital murder trial of the onetime neuroscience graduate student, due to start in early February.</p><br /><p> Holmes, 25, is charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder for opening fire in a suburban Denver cinema during a midnight screening of the Batman film "The Dark Knight Rises" in July 2012.</p><br /><p> The shooting rampage left 12 moviegoers dead and 70 others injured or wounded, some with permanent paralysis.</p><br /><p> Holmes has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and his lawyers have said their client was undergoing a psychotic episode when he sprayed the movie auditorium with gunfire before surrendering to police.</p><br /><p> Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the California native if he is convicted.</p><br /><p> Public defender Kristen Nelson said police denied Holmes' repeated requests to speak to a lawyer before he was questioned by investigators, and deceived him into thinking that the information he provided would not be used against him.</p><br /><p> Had police allowed him to seek legal counsel immediately after his arrest, as required under the U.S. Constitution, a lawyer would have helped "protect this mentally ill man from being the instrument to his own conviction and execution," Nelson said.</p><br /><p> Holmes, who has tended to stare straight ahead during courtroom testimony, bowed his head throughout Nelson's impassioned argument.</p><br /><p> Prosecutor Rich Orman countered that police were unsure at the time if there was a second gunman at large and were dealing with a fluid situation.</p><br /><p> "They could not know if setting foot in the apartment would trigger a massive conflagration," he said.</p><br /><p> Defense lawyers also said the seizure of Holmes' bank accounts, which traced his firearms purchases, should be suppressed because there was not initially a valid, signed court order allowing the records to be released to prosecutors.</p><br /><p> But prosecutors said they noticed what they called an oversight and informed the public defenders and the court of the error that was later rectified with a proper court order.</p><br /><p> Arapahoe County District Judge Carlos Samour Jr. has not ruled on the suppression motions.</p><br /><p> (Reporting by Keith Coffman; Editing by Steve Gorman and Eric Beech)</p><ul id="topics" class="hidden"><li data-id="YCT:001000667">Crime & Justice</li><li data-id="YCT:001000780">Society & Culture</li></ul><!-- google_ad_section_end -->Source: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/colorado-theater-gunman-coerced-incriminating-statements-defense-says-044658839.html">http://news.yahoo.com/colorado-theater-gunman-coerced-incriminating-statements-defense-says-044658839.html</a><br />Tags: <a href="http://qcn.stanford.edu/sensor/view_profile.php?userid=57432">Once Upon A Time In Wonderland</a> <a href="http://vcsc.cs.uh.edu/second-computing/show_user.php?userid=4163">Donatella Versace</a> <a href="https://mathematicsteachingcommunity.math.uga.edu/index.php/contributor/NealtRiley">FIFA 14</a> <a href="http://cita.eap.edu/moodle/user/profile.php?id=12879">Katy Perry Vma 2013</a> <a href="http://www.tollywood.moviedrobe.com/story.php?title=graphic-design-2">Percy Jackson Sea Of Monsters</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-65372957911461025912013-10-22T06:36:00.001-07:002013-10-22T06:36:18.134-07:00Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About #%!@% Car Seats<figure class="image inline left" readability="2"><img title="131021_DX_CarSeat" alt="Everything you wanted to know about car seats" src="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/10/131021_DX_CarSeat.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg"/><figcaption class="caption">Car seats are confusing! But also important.</figcaption><p class="credit">Photo by Sean/busbeytheelder/Flickr via Creative Commons</p><br /></figure><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><p>There are many things we do in private that we hope others never see. Installing a car seat is up there for me. Having just moved from New York City, where I rarely drove anywhere, to the country, where I rarely walk anywhere, car seats have suddenly become part of my daily life, and even though I know they may one day save my son’s life, <em>I</em> <em>do not get along with</em> <em>them</em>. When I’m fighting to install one into my car by myself, the process invariably involves instruction manuals (for my car seat <em>and</em> my car), YouTube installation videos (necessary since my manuals seem to be written in Pirahã), ample cursing, and me punching the car seat. Whoever said violence is never justified clearly never owned a Britax.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><p>Most parents will agree car seats are a bitch to install; worse, the stats suggest that three out of four times, we’re doing it wrong. But the angst surrounding car seats does not end with installation—pretty much everything about them is ridiculously confusing. The American Academy of Pediatrics recently changed its recommendations on when to use which types of seats, but chances are, your state law disagrees. Rumor has it that next year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will tell parents to stop using the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system (LATCH) to secure car seats once the combined weight of your car seat and your child exceeds 65 pounds, which begs the question—do you know how much your car seat weighs? I don’t even know how much my kid weighs. Then there is the <em>Freakonomics</em> claim that car seats are in fact useless, the <em>Consumer Reports</em> debacle in which the organization apparently had to recall some reviews after screwing up its safety tests, and, oh yeah, the fact that some car seats simply do not fit in some cars. But hey, guess what? Your kid should be in a car seat until she’s 8 years old and don’t even think about letting her ride in the front seat until she’s 13. K?<br/></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><p>Punch a car seat; it’ll make you feel better. Then read on, because I’m going to try to answer some of the many exasperated questions many of us have pondered about car seats in recent years. </p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><p>First, the very basics: Why these insufferable plastic contraptions are well worth the hassle. Car seats can be life-saving, and to understand why, we have to go back to high school physics. When your car flies down the highway at 70 mph, you go this fast, too. This means you and your car have a heck of a lot of momentum, a figure that reflects speed and mass. When you come to a rapid halt in a collision, your car’s momentum has to drop quickly, which requires force—a force that deforms your car, among other things. Your own momentum must drop, too; you have the choice of flying through the windshield and letting the force of hard pavement stop your momentum, or you can use a seat belt, which does the same thing but a little more amiably.<br/></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><p>Seat belts do more than just keep you from becoming a projectile; they are also slightly elastic, so they lengthen the time over which your momentum slows (as opposed to if you’d slammed into the pavement), which ultimately reduces the total force on your body at any one time. That’s good. Seat belts also ensure that this force hits two of the strongest parts of your body—your pelvis and your shoulders—and that your more delicate tissues, such as your genitals, abdomen and neck, remain unscathed (unless your car gets crushed to the point of crushing you, too). So: Seat belts are awesome.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><p>Car seats, however, are better—which is important because car crash injuries are more dangerous to children than adults. Motor vehicle accidents are the No. 1 cause of death in children; more than one-third of kids who died in accidents in 2011 were unrestrained. “For a kid, things can come apart much more easily. When we sustain whiplash, they can break their necks,” says Ben Hoffman, a pediatrician and car seat specialist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland. Forward-facing car seats, which the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends kids use from ages 2 to at least 4, have five-point harnesses. They distribute the force associated with impact across an even larger area—there are more straps coming into contact with your kid’s body—which means less force being applied to any single point. According to Partners for Child Passenger Safety, a long-standing research partnership between the State Farm Insurance Company, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, forward-facing car seats really do save lives: When these car seats are not seriously misused—i.e. when parents actually strap their kids in and attach car seats to their cars (apparently some don’t even try?)—car seats of all types reduce a 2- to 6-year-old child’s risk of death in a serious crash by an average of 28 percent compared with seat belts.<br/></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><p>But it’s the rear-facing seats that are the real life-savers for kids under 4. Most crashes are frontal, which means that the force applied to riders typically comes from the front. Rear-facing seats distribute the force of impact along the entirety of the backside of your child’s body. Again: same force, but it’s distributed across a much greater area still, which means, yes, less damage. Rear-facing seats also prevent kids’ heads from flying forward as happens to forward-facing passengers. Head-flying is bad for neck muscles and bones, as they have to snap the head back in place (would you want to use your neck as a bungee cord?). One recent study reported that newborns to 2-year-olds were 76 percent more likely to be seriously injured in a car crash when they were in forward-facing car seats compared to rear-facing car seats. Seventy-six percent is a lot. In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics changed its recommendations to say that kids should remain in rear-facing car seats until at least the age of 2 (they used to say age 1); many state laws are not this strict—they are still, I guess, catching up with the science—but I’d do what the doctors say.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><figure class="image inline left" readability="2"><img title="131021_DX_CarSeatLoading" alt="New Car Seat" src="http://www.slate.com/content/dam/slate/articles/double_x/doublex/2013/10/131021_DX_CarSeatLoading.jpg.CROP.original-original.jpg"/><p class="credit">Photo by Glenn Fleishman/Flickr via Creative Commons</p><br /></figure><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><p>What about booster seats, which the AAP says you’re supposed to use for 4 to 7-year-olds who have outgrown their forward-facing harness seats? They don’t protect quite as well as the harnessed seats and not nearly as well as rear-facing seats, because they use only the seat belt as a restraint. They are, however, important to ensure that seat belts actually sit where they are supposed to. When kids under 8 wear seat belts without booster seats, the belts can cut across their necks and abdomens, which is precisely where you do <em>not</em> want a massive amount of force to hit your kid. A 2009 study conducted as part of Partners for Child Passenger Safety found that kids between 4 and 8 were 45 percent less likely to sustain moderate to serious injuries in crashes when they were restrained in high-back or backless booster seats to lap-and-shoulder seat belts alone—and this reduction in injury risk went up to 67 percent for kids in post-1998 car models.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><p class="quote">Do you know how much your car seat weighs? I don’t even know how much my kid weighs.</p><br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><p> What’s important to keep in mind, though, when considering all these studies is that parents who use car seats may differ from parents who don’t use car seats in many important ways. They may drive safer cars and drive more slowly, for instance, both of which could also influence injury risk. Researchers attempt to control for these confounding factors to isolate the effects of car seats themselves, but these controls are never perfect.</p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><p>In fact, a small body of research downright contradicts many of the studies I have just mentioned. In 2005, University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt and journalist Stephen Dubner, co-authors of the bestselling <em>Freakonomics</em> published a controversial piece in the <em>New York Times</em> <em>Magazine</em> arguing that “there is no evidence that car seats do a better job than seat belts in saving the lives of children older than 2.” Their assertions were based on several studies Levitt conducted. One mined data from a federal database called FARS, which records the details of U.S. crashes that kill at least one passenger, and found that kids over 2 were no less likely to die in crashes while in car seats than were kids wearing lap-and-shoulder belts. Another Levitt study using crash data from a national database and those of several states found that for kids aged 2 to 6, car seats did not prevent serious injuries any better than lap-and-shoulder belts did. Car seats did, however, reduce the risk of minor injuries by 25 percent.<br/></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /> <!-- PAGINATION--><br /><!--<br /> <br /> SINGLE PAGE<br /> <br /> Page:<br /> <br /> <span class="sl-art-curpage">1</span><br /> | <br /> 2<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />--><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/10/car_seats_from_rear_facing_to_forward_facing_to_booster_everything_you_need.html">http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/the_kids/2013/10/car_seats_from_rear_facing_to_forward_facing_to_booster_everything_you_need.html</a><br />Tags: <a href="http://www.bacfrancais.com/userinfo.php?uid=942169">Tropical Storm Karen</a> <a href="http://cbeebies-games.net/profile/view/301771.html">nbc news</a> <a href="http://www.communitywalk.com/user/view/2083546">Andrea Sneiderman</a> <a href="https://gitorious.org/~MwuyrtleDojagokestino">area 51</a> <a href="http://www.openfiesta.com/en/user/view/walrusrobert97/">DJ Khaled</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-59783787910131692002013-10-22T01:08:00.001-07:002013-10-22T01:08:24.584-07:00Java forever! 12 keys to Java's enduring dominance<div itemprop="articleBody" readability="78.4985924304"><br /><br /><p>It's easy to forget the value of any given technology once its buzz has arced across our collective consciousness and died a fiery death beyond the hype horizon. Take Cobol, that "Mad Men"-era relic -- just like fish past its prime, as the hipster tech pundits say: worthless, smelly, out of date, bad for you. Java may be the next enterprise mainstay to find itself on the ropes of "relevance."</p><br /><p>The book sales are a distant memory. And Java's middle-age utility is no longer sexy enough for the magazine cover spreads. Nearly 19 years since Java's launch, the application development cognoscenti are wandering around the luring bazaar of Node.js, Objective-C, Dart, Go, and the like, wondering, "Java? Is that Web 1.0 era artifact still here?"</p><br /><p><strong>[ Think you know Java? Test your programming smarts in <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/application-development/the-java-iq-test-194151?source=fssr">InfoWorld's Java IQ test</a>. | Master the latest in Java development with our <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/newsletters/subscribe?showlist=infoworld_java&source=ifwelg_fssr">JavaWorld Enterprise Java newsletter</a>. ]</strong></p><br /><p>A quick search of Dice.com job listings says you bet -- in a big way. Whereas listings for iOS-related jobs top out around 2,500, Java pulls up more than 17,000 listings. The Dice numbers are far from a perfect measure, but anything suggesting the Java job market may be some seven times larger than that of the unstoppable force of hype in the developer world is not bad for a relic.</p><br /><p>Maybe that's because Java offers a better business plan than giving 30 percent of your revenue to Apple off the top and crossing your fingers in hopes that your app makes the top-25 list. Truth is, Java has always tackled a grander problem than helping angry birds get back at some pigs. It's a foundation of a number of platforms, designed to deliver a smooth way for software to run efficiently on more than one chip architecture. That solved problems for the server programmers, client programmers, and embedded programmers all at once.</p><br /><p>Before we forget Java's many vital contributions to computing and its role today, here are 12 definitive reasons why Java is not only surviving but actively thriving in its post-buzz existence.</p><br /><p>In other words: Don't call it a comeback; Java's been here, dominating, all along.</p><br /><p><strong>Key to continued Java dominance No. 1: Resiliency in the face of (often dirty) politics</strong><br/>The tech world never gave Java a shot because its enemies were many and well-armed. Regardless, the language flourished. Many of those surprised to see Java still here have surely spent too much time listening to the haters and not enough time understanding its success.</p><br /><p>Microsoft was Java's first big enemy because the company saw it as the most worthy successor to the unity MS-DOS offered. Redmond bad-mouthed Java from the beginning, fighting it tooth and nail. Java never found the traction it needed on the desktop, in part because the magic Java virtual machine took too much time to start up. Despite the tiny delay, Java applications run well enough on Windows to be functional.</p><br /><p>For some inexplicable reason, Steve Jobs never embraced Java, even when the Mac was largely ignored by everyone except Adobe. Java compatibility could bring in plenty of code, but Apple always treated it as an afterthought. (Yes, iOS smartphones are smoother than my Android, so maybe Steve had a point.)</p><br /></div>Source: <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/application-development/java-forever-12-keys-javas-enduring-dominance-228504?source=rss_infoworld_top_stories_">http://www.infoworld.com/d/application-development/java-forever-12-keys-javas-enduring-dominance-228504?source=rss_infoworld_top_stories_</a><br />Tags: <a href="http://www.monitoare.eu/w/index.php?title=code+Promo+La+Redoute+2">goog</a> <a href="http://entrewiki.net/index.php?title=code+Promo+La+Redoute+2">Preachers of LA</a> <a href="http://politikpedia.org/index.php/index.php?title=code+Promo+La+Redoute+2">drew brees</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-54509863294933495302013-10-22T00:37:00.001-07:002013-10-22T00:37:06.890-07:00Avatar: Faded History.<span class="corners-top"><span></span></span><br /><ul class="topiclist 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no-repeat;background-color:#EBEADD;background-image:url("/styles/proseafoam/theme/images/quote.gif");border-color:#DBDBCE;border:1px solid #dbdbdb;padding:5px;margin:0.5em 1px 0 25px;}blockquote div,blockquote.uncited div{display:block;}blockquote:before{content:"";}blockquote:after{content:"";}]]></style><br /><img src="http://www.roleplaygateway.com/roleplay/avatar-faded-history/image" alt="Avatar: Faded History." class="crisp-border" /><br /><br /><br /><p>[1x1 between Dumisa and Magnus]<plusone annotation="inline" href="http://www.roleplaygateway.com/roleplay/avatar-faded-history/"></plusone></p><br /><p><br /><strong>Owner:</strong><br /></p><br /><p><br /><strong>Game Masters:</strong><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="corners-top"><span></span></span><br /><br />This topic is an <strong>Out Of Character</strong> part of the roleplay, “Avatar: Faded History.”. Anything posted here will also show up there.<br /><br /><span class="corners-bottom"><span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><p><br /><strong>Topic Tags:</strong><br /></p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <span>Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.<br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><br />First post:<br />•<br />1 post<br />• Page <strong>1</strong> of <strong>1</strong><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="corners-top"><span></span></span><br /><br /><br />This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Avatar: Faded History."<p>You may edit this first post as you see fit.</p><br /><br /><dl class="postprofile" id="profile1925836"><dt><br /><img src="http://www.roleplaygateway.com/download/file.php?avatar=53788_1348105040.png" width="90" height="67" alt="User avatar" class="crisp-border" /><br />Dumisa<br /></dt><br /><dd>Member for <span>1</span> years</dd><br /><dd></dd><br /><br /><dd></dd><br /><br /></dl><br /><span class="corners-bottom"><span></span></span><br /><br /><hr class="divider" /><br /><hr class="divider" /><br /><br /><p><br />First post:<br />•<br />1 post<br />• Page <strong>1</strong> of <strong>1</strong><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><span class="corners-top"><span></span></span><br /><h3>Post a reply</h3><br /><dl class="postprofile"><dd readability="2.5"><br /><center><br /><br /></center><br /><br /><p><strong>RolePlayGateway</strong> is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. 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All attempts to replicate or otherwise emulate this system and its method of organizing roleplay are strictly prohibited without his express written and contractual permission; violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.<br /></p><p>© RolePlayGateway, LLC | with the support of LocalSense</p><br /><br />Source: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/QLiKluq4UPo/viewtopic.php">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/QLiKluq4UPo/viewtopic.php</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/default.aspx?page=449">college football</a> <a href="http://paper.li/BoycottFox1/1289810261">Seamus Heaney</a> <a href="http://www.warriorforum.com/search.php?searchid=21233804">taylor swift</a> <a href="http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2012/11/17/seat-of-the-week-mcewen/?comment_page=16">Steve Ballmer</a> <a href="http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/sioc.axd?sioc_type=comment&sioc_id=8552c668-f062-4cdf-80e5-781711751611">food network star</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-55721278490646906902013-10-21T19:15:00.001-07:002013-10-21T19:15:21.535-07:00Tufts Medical Center to lead 20-center study on vitamin D's effect on Type 2 diabetes<head><title>Tufts Medical Center to lead 20-center study on vitamin D's effect on Type 2 diabetes</title><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"/><meta name="description" content="D2d is a nationwide clinical trial to determine if vitamin D supplementation can reduce the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes in people who are at high risk for this serious metabolic disorder."/><meta name="keywords" content="Medicine/Health Endocrinology Metabolism/Metabolic Diseases Diabetes"/><meta name="date" content="Mon, 21 Oct 2013 04:00:00 GMT"/><meta name="funder" content="National Institutes of Health"/><meta name="journal" content=""/><meta name="type" content="business"/><meta name="institution" content="Tufts Medical Center"/><meta name="meeting" content=""/><meta name="region" content="namerica"/><meta name="MSSmartTagsPreventParsing" content="TRUE"/><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://www.eurekalert.org/eurekalert.css"/><link rel="SHORTCUT ICON" href="http://www.eurekalert.org/images/e-lert.ico"/><!-- Analytics disabled --></head><body class="release" id="readabilityBody" readability="132.693609672"><br /><br /><br /><img align="right" width="140" height="36" src="http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif" border="0" alt="[ Back to EurekAlert! ]"/><br /><br /><p><strong class="relemb"><p>PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:</p> <p>21-Oct-2013</p></strong></p><br /><br />[<br /><br /><br /> | E-mail <br /><br />]<br /><br /><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br /><img src="http://www.eurekalert.org/images/share_icon.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="Share"/> Share<!-- AddThis Button END --><p>Contact: Jeremy Lechan<br/>jlechan@tuftsmedicalcenter.org<br/>716-636-0104<br/><span class="relinst">Tufts Medical Center</span><br /><br /><br/></p><br /><h2 class="subtitle">Nationwide NIH-funded trial to examine whether vitamin D supplementation can reduce diabetes risk in patients with pre-diabetes</h2><br /><br /> <p>October 21, 2013 (BOSTON) A research team led by Anastassios G. Pittas, MD, MS, Endocrinologist and Co-Director of the Diabetes Center at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant of more than $40 million over five years to conduct the Vitamin D and Type 2 diabetes (D2d) study (http://www.d2dstudy.org). D2d is a nationwide clinical trial to determine if vitamin D supplementation can reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes in people who are at high risk for this serious metabolic disorder.</p> <br /> <p>Despite a lack of conclusive evidence to the effectiveness of vitamin D for conditions not related to bone health, sales of vitamin D supplements in the United States have skyrocketed to $425 million annually, making it one of the top selling supplements in the country and one of the most talked about topics in health and medicine. The D2d study, which is coordinated out of the Division of Endocrinology at Tufts Medical Center, is the first of its kind to specifically examine whether vitamin D has an effect on prevention of type 2 diabetes. </p> <br /> <p>"Early studies, by our team and others, suggest a strong link between vitamin D and reduction of diabetes risk," said Pittas, who has investigated the connection since 2002. "While there is a lot of hype about vitamin D and its health benefits, including for diabetes, there is not yet enough evidence from clinical trials to support a recommendation of vitamin D supplementation for diabetes prevention. If the D2d study confirms our hypothesis, it could have a significant impact on the quality of life for millions of people and could potentially save the American health care system billions of dollars." </p> <br /> <p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes is the 7th-leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for more than 69,000 fatalities in 2010. A chronic disease with no known cure, diabetes also can lead to other severe health complications, including stroke, blindness, and diseases of the heart, kidney and nervous system. Data from the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet indicates that nearly 26 million Americans are currently living with the disease; 79 million more (about one-third of the adult U.S. population) are at a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association estimates that diabetes cost the U.S. health care system approximately $245 billion in 2012. </p> <br /> <p>"Maintaining a healthy diet and staying physically active is the best way to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes," said Pittas. "However, achieving and maintaining the required lifestyle changes long-term is a challenge for many people. Therefore, it is critical to find new preventive measures that are safe, effective, affordable and easily applied to prevent future type 2 diabetes cases." </p> <br /> <p>About 2,500 people at high risk for diabetes will be recruited for this landmark trial, which will take place at 20 medical centers in 17 different states across the country. Participants will receive either vitamin D supplementation or placebo, and will be followed for development of diabetes twice a year for approximately four years. Results of the D2d study are expected in 2018.</p> <br /> <p>"At the completion of the study, our goal is to have conclusive evidence as to whether vitamin D supplementation lowers the risk of diabetes," said D2d Project Manager Patricia Sheehan, RN, MPH, MS. "The first step in reaching this objective is encouraging people at high risk for diabetes to take part in this important clinical trial."</p><p>###</p> <br /> <p>D2d at Tufts Medical Center is now inviting people at risk for diabetes in the Boston metropolitan area to join the study. Those at risk for diabetes include people who are overweight, have a family member with type 2 diabetes, live a sedentary lifestyle, or have high blood pressure; members of certain ethnic groups, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans; and women who had diabetes during pregnancy. For more information or to enroll in the D2d study, please call 617-636-2843, e-mail d2dtufts@tuftsmedicalcenter.org or visit the study's website at http://www.D2dstudy.org. </p> <br /> <p>D2d (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01942694) is supported under NIH grant U01DK098245. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of NIH, is the primary sponsor of the trial, with additional support from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements and the American Diabetes Association. Support in the form of educational materials is provided by the National Diabetes Education Program.</p> <br /> <br /> <b/><p>About Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children</p> <br /> <p> <br />Tufts Medical Center is an exceptional, not-for-profit, 415-bed academic medical center that is home to both a full-service hospital for adults and Floating Hospital for Children. Conveniently located in downtown Boston, the Medical Center is the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. Floating Hospital for Children is the full-service children's hospital of Tufts Medical Center and the principal pediatric teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine. For more information, please visit http://www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org. <br /></p> <br /> <br /><hr/><img src="http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif" align="right" width="140" height="36" border="0" alt="[ Back to EurekAlert! ]"/><br /><br />[<br /><br /><br /> | E-mail <br /><br /><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br /><img src="http://www.eurekalert.org/images/share_icon.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="Share"/> Share<!-- AddThis Button END --><br /><br />]<br /><br /><p> <br /><br /></p><p class="disclaimer"><br/><em>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.</em></p><br /><br /><br/><!-- footer block --></body><html readability="54.2654867257"><head><title>Tufts Medical Center to lead 20-center study on vitamin D's effect on Type 2 diabetes</title><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"/><meta name="description" content="D2d is a nationwide clinical trial to determine if vitamin D supplementation can reduce the likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes in people who are at high risk for this serious metabolic disorder."/><meta name="keywords" content="Medicine/Health Endocrinology Metabolism/Metabolic Diseases Diabetes"/><meta name="date" content="Mon, 21 Oct 2013 04:00:00 GMT"/><meta name="funder" content="National Institutes of Health"/><meta name="journal" content=""/><meta name="type" content="business"/><meta name="institution" content="Tufts Medical Center"/><meta name="meeting" content=""/><meta name="region" content="namerica"/><meta name="MSSmartTagsPreventParsing" content="TRUE"/><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://www.eurekalert.org/eurekalert.css"/><link rel="SHORTCUT ICON" href="http://www.eurekalert.org/images/e-lert.ico"/><!-- Analytics disabled --></head><body class="release" id="readabilityBody" readability="132.693609672"><br /><br /><br /><img align="right" width="140" height="36" src="http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif" border="0" alt="[ Back to EurekAlert! ]"/><br /><br /><p><strong class="relemb"><p>PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:</p> <p>21-Oct-2013</p></strong></p><br /><br />[<br /><br /><br /> | E-mail <br /><br />]<br /><br /><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br /><img src="http://www.eurekalert.org/images/share_icon.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="Share"/> Share<!-- AddThis Button END --><p>Contact: Jeremy Lechan<br/>jlechan@tuftsmedicalcenter.org<br/>716-636-0104<br/><span class="relinst">Tufts Medical Center</span><br /><br /><br/></p><br /><h2 class="subtitle">Nationwide NIH-funded trial to examine whether vitamin D supplementation can reduce diabetes risk in patients with pre-diabetes</h2><br /><br /> <p>October 21, 2013 (BOSTON) A research team led by Anastassios G. Pittas, MD, MS, Endocrinologist and Co-Director of the Diabetes Center at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant of more than $40 million over five years to conduct the Vitamin D and Type 2 diabetes (D2d) study (http://www.d2dstudy.org). D2d is a nationwide clinical trial to determine if vitamin D supplementation can reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes in people who are at high risk for this serious metabolic disorder.</p> <br /> <p>Despite a lack of conclusive evidence to the effectiveness of vitamin D for conditions not related to bone health, sales of vitamin D supplements in the United States have skyrocketed to $425 million annually, making it one of the top selling supplements in the country and one of the most talked about topics in health and medicine. The D2d study, which is coordinated out of the Division of Endocrinology at Tufts Medical Center, is the first of its kind to specifically examine whether vitamin D has an effect on prevention of type 2 diabetes. </p> <br /> <p>"Early studies, by our team and others, suggest a strong link between vitamin D and reduction of diabetes risk," said Pittas, who has investigated the connection since 2002. "While there is a lot of hype about vitamin D and its health benefits, including for diabetes, there is not yet enough evidence from clinical trials to support a recommendation of vitamin D supplementation for diabetes prevention. If the D2d study confirms our hypothesis, it could have a significant impact on the quality of life for millions of people and could potentially save the American health care system billions of dollars." </p> <br /> <p>According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, diabetes is the 7th-leading cause of death in the United States, responsible for more than 69,000 fatalities in 2010. A chronic disease with no known cure, diabetes also can lead to other severe health complications, including stroke, blindness, and diseases of the heart, kidney and nervous system. Data from the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet indicates that nearly 26 million Americans are currently living with the disease; 79 million more (about one-third of the adult U.S. population) are at a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association estimates that diabetes cost the U.S. health care system approximately $245 billion in 2012. </p> <br /> <p>"Maintaining a healthy diet and staying physically active is the best way to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes," said Pittas. "However, achieving and maintaining the required lifestyle changes long-term is a challenge for many people. Therefore, it is critical to find new preventive measures that are safe, effective, affordable and easily applied to prevent future type 2 diabetes cases." </p> <br /> <p>About 2,500 people at high risk for diabetes will be recruited for this landmark trial, which will take place at 20 medical centers in 17 different states across the country. Participants will receive either vitamin D supplementation or placebo, and will be followed for development of diabetes twice a year for approximately four years. Results of the D2d study are expected in 2018.</p> <br /> <p>"At the completion of the study, our goal is to have conclusive evidence as to whether vitamin D supplementation lowers the risk of diabetes," said D2d Project Manager Patricia Sheehan, RN, MPH, MS. "The first step in reaching this objective is encouraging people at high risk for diabetes to take part in this important clinical trial."</p><p>###</p> <br /> <p>D2d at Tufts Medical Center is now inviting people at risk for diabetes in the Boston metropolitan area to join the study. Those at risk for diabetes include people who are overweight, have a family member with type 2 diabetes, live a sedentary lifestyle, or have high blood pressure; members of certain ethnic groups, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans; and women who had diabetes during pregnancy. For more information or to enroll in the D2d study, please call 617-636-2843, e-mail d2dtufts@tuftsmedicalcenter.org or visit the study's website at http://www.D2dstudy.org. </p> <br /> <p>D2d (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01942694) is supported under NIH grant U01DK098245. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of NIH, is the primary sponsor of the trial, with additional support from the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements and the American Diabetes Association. Support in the form of educational materials is provided by the National Diabetes Education Program.</p> <br /> <br /> <b/><p>About Tufts Medical Center and Floating Hospital for Children</p> <br /> <p> <br />Tufts Medical Center is an exceptional, not-for-profit, 415-bed academic medical center that is home to both a full-service hospital for adults and Floating Hospital for Children. Conveniently located in downtown Boston, the Medical Center is the principal teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine. Floating Hospital for Children is the full-service children's hospital of Tufts Medical Center and the principal pediatric teaching hospital of Tufts University School of Medicine. For more information, please visit http://www.tuftsmedicalcenter.org. <br /></p> <br /> <br /><hr/><img src="http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif" align="right" width="140" height="36" border="0" alt="[ Back to EurekAlert! ]"/><br /><br />[<br /><br /><br /> | E-mail <br /><br /><!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><br /><img src="http://www.eurekalert.org/images/share_icon.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="Share"/> Share<!-- AddThis Button END --><br /><br />]<br /><br /><p> <br /><br /></p><p class="disclaimer"><br/><em>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.</em></p><br /><br /><br/><!-- footer block --></body></html>Source: <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/tmc-tmc102113.php">http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-10/tmc-tmc102113.php</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://gruposanjacinto.com.mx/wiki/index.php?title=Don't_Let_These_Tips_For_Success_In_Affiliate_Marketing_Pass_You_By">Red Sox Score</a> <a href="http://sourceforts2.com/wiki/index.php?title=Affiliate_Marketing_Can_Net_You_Some_Serious_Cash_With_These_Tips">Monika Jakisic</a> <a href="http://www.info.fundp.ac.be/wiki/index.php?title=Use_These_Suggestions_To_Accomplish_Affiliate_Marketing_Success">Nate Burleson</a> <a href="http://rio-ramscht.de/wiki/index.php?title=Tips_To_Make_Money_In_Affiliate_Marketing">floyd mayweather</a> <a href="http://katzen-lexikon.de/index.php?title=Great_Tips_And_Strategies_On_Affiliate_Marketing">Jack Nicholson</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-42095377510595774272013-10-21T18:41:00.001-07:002013-10-21T18:41:33.274-07:00Tablets shipments to mushroom by 53 percent in 2013<div itemprop="articleBody" readability="79.298618491"><br /><p>Tablets shipments will blast ahead by 53 percent in 2013 as desktop and laptop shipments decline by 11 percent, research firm Gartner forecast on Monday.</p><br /><p>The emergence of ultramobile devices, which marries a PC with the form factor of a tablet, will help ease the declines in other PCs, but not by much. When ultramobiles are included, the overall PC market will still decline 8.4 percent in 2013, Gartner said.</p><br /><p><strong>[ Understand how to both manage and benefit from the consumerization of IT with InfoWorld's <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/coit?source=ifwelg_fssr">"Consumerization Digital Spotlight" PDF special report</a>. | For a quick, smart take on the news you'll be talking about, check out <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/newsletters/subscribe?showlist=infoworld_techbrief&source=ifwelg_fssr">InfoWorld TechBrief</a> -- subscribe today. ]</strong></p><br /><p>The news of the fantastic popularity of tablets comes as Apple is set <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9243222/Apple_to_uncover_or_cover_new_iPads_including_Retina_Mini_on_Oct._22" target="_blank">to release revamped iPads and iPad Minis</a> on Tuesday, while <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9137060/Microsoft_Update_Latest_news_features_reviews_opinions_and_more">Microsoft</a> on the same day begins shipments of its Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/topic/241/Tablets" target="_blank">tablets</a> <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9243283/Microsoft_fires_off_Windows_8.1_first_round_in_fast_track_updates" target="_blank">running Windows 8.1</a>, starting at $449 and $899, respectively.</p><br /><p>Gartner forecast that Android tablets of all brands will exceed iPads for all of 2013 for the first time, with 91.5 million (49.6 percent) Android tablets shipped compared with 89.6 million (48.6 percent) Apple iPads. Gartner said just over 3 million (1.7 percent) Windows tablets will ship.</p><br /><p>Apple's iPads still had the largest share of the worldwide tablet market by manufacturer at 32 percent in the second quarter, according to IDC, followed by Samsung at 18 percent. Samsung builds its tablets primarily on the Android mobile operating system.</p><br /><p>Gartner and other analysts have found a strong trend toward smaller tablets, some as small as those with a 7-in. display. In a survey of 21,500 consumers in the U.S. and seven other countries, Gartner found 47 percent owned a tablet with a display of 8 inches or less.</p><br /><p>"Continuing on the trend we saw last year, we expect this holiday season to be all about smaller tablets as even the long-term holiday favorite -- the <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/topic/75/Smartphones" target="_blank">smartphone</a> -- loses its appeal," said Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi in a statement.</p><br /><p>Mobile phones will reach 1.8 billion shipments in 2013, Gartner said, growing by 3.7 percent over 2012.</p><br /><p>For all devices, including desktops, laptops, ultramobiles, tablets and mobile phones, Android has 38 percent of the market, while the Windows OS is second at 4.3 percent due to a decline in traditional PC sales, Gartner said. The total shipments for all devices should reach 2.3 billion in 2013.</p><br /><p>By device type, Gartner said shipments of desktops and laptops in 2013 will total 303 million units; ultramobiles, 18.5 million; tablets, 184 million; and mobile phones,1.8 billion. The total of all categories is 2.3 billion.</p><br /><p>All products running iOS are third, at 1.2 percent. Gartner noted that Windows will return to growth in 2014, with OS shipments increasing nearly 10 percent to about 364 million that year.</p><br /></div>Source: <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/tablets-shipments-mushroom-53-percent-in-2013-229171">http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/tablets-shipments-mushroom-53-percent-in-2013-229171</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://participate.krqe.com/pencilslash76">House of Cards</a> <a href="http://hspeople.com/wristchin28">elton john</a> <a href="http://www.yeepe.com/members/details.asp?i=98769">Amber Riley</a> <a href="http://bakugangame.net/profile/view/104706.html">auburn football</a> <a href="http://my.desktopnexus.com/viola50rule">Alfonso Soriano</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-3798347335920731032013-10-21T13:09:00.001-07:002013-10-21T13:09:59.776-07:00SF transit strike has commuters facing gridlock<p>Mourners hold candles to honor the memory of two workers who were killed during a train accident in Walnut Creek, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013. Two federal accident investigators arrived in the San Francisco Bay area on Sunday to examine the deaths of two transit workers who on Saturday, were struck by an out-of-service commuter train performing routine maintenance against the backdrop of a labor strike. (AP Photo/Eric Slomanson)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p>Mourners hold candles to honor the memory of two workers who were killed during a train accident in Walnut Creek, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013. Two federal accident investigators arrived in the San Francisco Bay area on Sunday to examine the deaths of two transit workers who on Saturday, were struck by an out-of-service commuter train performing routine maintenance against the backdrop of a labor strike. (AP Photo/Eric Slomanson)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p>With the BART transit system on strike, traffic is backed up for blocks on Battery Street leading to an artery of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge during the evening commute Friday, Oct. 18, 2013, in San Francisco. San Francisco Bay Area rapid transit workers are on strike for the second time since July, scrambling the morning commute for hundreds of thousands of workers who were up before dawn to clog highways, swarm buses and shiver on ferry decks as they found alternative ways to the office. About 400,000 riders take BART every weekday on the nation's fifth-largest commuter rail system. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p>Nucion Avent, left, and Richard Lazzaro, both members of ATU 1555, hold candles to honor the memory of two workers who were killed during a train accident in Walnut Creek, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013. Two federal accident investigators arrived in the San Francisco Bay area on Sunday to examine the deaths of two transit workers who on Saturday, were struck by an out-of-service commuter train performing routine maintenance against the backdrop of a labor strike. (AP Photo/Eric Slomanson)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p>A BART police officer looks out of a BART car that struck and killed two people along Jones Road in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013. (AP Photo/The Mercury News, Dan Rosenstrauch)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p>Jack Landes holds a candle to honor the memory of two workers who were killed during a train accident in Walnut Creek, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013. Two federal accident investigators arrived in the San Francisco Bay area on Sunday to examine the deaths of two transit workers who on Saturday, were struck by an out-of-service commuter train performing routine maintenance against the backdrop of a labor strike. (AP Photo/Eric Slomanson)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br /><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content"><span id="dateLine" class="dateline">OAKLAND, Calif.</span> (AP) — Frustrated San Francisco Bay Area commuters started the work week on Monday with gridlocked roadways and long lines for buses and ferries as a major transit strike entered its fourth day.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">At the same time, federal investigators were searching for clues to a weekend train crash that killed two workers.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Traffic leading up the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was already snarled for miles around 6 a.m., as commuters got an earlier start without Bay Area Rapid Transit service. The line for charter buses running out of BART's station in Walnut Creek was at least a hundred-people deep in the pre-dawn hours.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">By 7:35 a.m., BART reported that only two of the nine stations it was running charter buses from had available bus seats.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">"We need BART to be running right now," said Karen Wormley, who waited for a bus from BART's Walnut Creek station. "I need to get to work."</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">BART, the nation's fifth-largest commuter rail system, has an average weekday ridership of 400,000.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said Sunday that transit officials and labor leaders have been in contact over the weekend, but the two sides did not have any plans to return to the bargaining table.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">BART presented what it called its last and final offer to its unions a week ago but is open to restarting the negotiations if that is what the federal mediator overseeing the process wants, Trost said. The system's directors plan to hold a special closed meeting on Monday, she said.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Amalgamated Transit Union local president Antonette Bryant said over the weekend that she would take BART's final contract before members for a vote this week, but expects it will be rejected.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The San Francisco Chronicle reported that late Sunday the unions made an offer to BART. The ATU and Service Employees International Union said the proposal would allow for changes in work rules related to implementing new technology, but retain rules related to safety. Trost said that the agency "will take a look at their proposal."</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Officials have said that the two sides generally agreed on economic issues but came to an impasse over work rules, including the length of the work day and when overtime pay kicks in, the union said.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Meanwhile, a federal investigator said Sunday that even though the train that killed the two workers didn't have a front-facing video recorder, interviews, inspections, audio recordings and camera footage from the train's cab should provide enough evidence to determine a cause.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Jim Southworth, the National Transportation Safety Board's railroad accident investigator-in-charge, said the Bay Area Rapid Transit train wasn't carrying any passengers when the crash occurred Saturday because of the labor strike.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">But whether the work stoppage or the way BART management deployed non-striking workers during the shutdown played a role in the fatalities will not be known for weeks or months, Southworth said.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">BART officials said on Sunday that they could no longer discuss the accident because of the ongoing NTSB investigation.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">BART's assistant general manager has said that the four-car train with several employees aboard was returning from a routine maintenance trip and was being run in automatic mode under computer control when it struck the workers who were inspecting a section of track in Walnut Creek.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Neither BART nor the county coroner has released the names and ages of the victims — one a BART employee and the other a contractor. They were the sixth and seventh workers to die on the job in the system's 41-year history.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Even if the strike ended immediately, the ongoing investigation at the collision site means it would probably take a few days before trains could run on those specific tracks, he said.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">On Sunday evening, transit workers held a candlelight vigil for their colleagues.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The NTSB has been promoting improved safety measures for track maintenance crews since a foreman was killed by a passenger train in May in West Haven, Conn., spokesman Eric Weiss said.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">___</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Cone reported from Fresno.</p><!-- SourceOrganizationStart --><span id="sourceOrganization" class="source-org vcard">Associated Press</span><!-- SourceOrganizationEnd -->Source: <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-21-BART%20Strike/id-a8dc40dccc8044aeabb54bf039b921ed">http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-10-21-BART%20Strike/id-a8dc40dccc8044aeabb54bf039b921ed</a><br />Tags: <a href="http://www.myplick.com/view/5IA-okOkt2W/The-Best-Informatiom-About-Making-Monery-Online">penn state</a> <a href="http://free.yudu.com/item/details/1395640/Making-Money-Online-Is-Esay-With-These-Tips">eminem</a> <a href="http://personal.crocodoc.com/qEMUZjV">indicted</a> <a href="http://www.boxpdf.com/docs/29369/all-you-need-to-know-about-making-money-online.html">kim zolciak</a> <a href="https://hotfile.com/dl/251396663/010b40e/Helpful_Tips_About_Making_Some_Money_Online.20131020.013709.pdf.html">tibetan mastiff</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-11844026032978426212013-10-21T12:37:00.001-07:002013-10-21T12:37:04.943-07:00Bradley hopes for dignified end to Egypt WCup push<p>In this Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013 photo, Bob Bradley from the US, Egypt’s national team coach pauses, during an interview with The Associated Press, in Cairo, Egypt. With Egypt still reeling from a 6-1 loss to Ghana in a World Cup playoff, the team's American coach is hoping to restore some pride to the bruised national side. It’s unclear, however, if Bob Bradley will even get the chance to do that. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p>In this Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013 photo, Bob Bradley from the US, Egypt’s national team coach pauses, during an interview with The Associated Press, in Cairo, Egypt. With Egypt still reeling from a 6-1 loss to Ghana in a World Cup playoff, the team's American coach is hoping to restore some pride to the bruised national side. It’s unclear, however, if Bob Bradley will even get the chance to do that. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p>In this Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013 photo, Bob Bradley from the US, Egypt’s national team coach talks, during an interview with The Associated Press, in Cairo, Egypt. With Egypt still reeling from a 6-1 loss to Ghana in a World Cup playoff, the team's American coach is hoping to restore some pride to the bruised national side. It’s unclear, however, if Bob Bradley will even get the chance to do that. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <p>In this Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013 photo, Bob Bradley from the US, Egypt’s national team coach reacts, during an interview with The Associated Press, in Cairo, Egypt. With Egypt still reeling from a 6-1 loss to Ghana in a World Cup playoff, the team's American coach is hoping to restore some pride to the bruised national side. It’s unclear, however, if Bob Bradley will even get the chance to do that. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)</p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /><br /><br /><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content"><span id="dateLine" class="dateline">CAIRO</span> (AP) — Two years ago, American coach Bob Bradley was brought to Egypt with much fanfare to help the national soccer team qualify for the World Cup amid political turmoil.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">With Egypt still reeling from last week's 6-1 loss to Ghana in a World Cup playoff that all but ended the battered nation's hopes go to Brazil next year, much of the blame for a surprisingly one-sided defeat in the Ghanaian town of Kumasi has been pinned on Bradley.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">It put the future of the former United States coach in doubt and raised speculation that he might not be with his team for the second match in Cairo because of fears over his safety.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The criticism was a far cry from Bradley's first year in Egypt.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Although he barely speaks Arabic, and was replacing a legend in former coach Hassan Shehata, fans and pundits have given him high grades. They have praised his technical skills, his experience and the commitment to returning Egypt to the World Cup for the first time in 24 years.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">In an interview with The Associated Press, Bradley shrugged off criticism that ranges from accusations that he made bad lineup choices ahead of the Ghana match and failed to make tactical decisions and fortify Egypt's defense as his side was being hammered. The fans back home said the coach's mistakes humiliated the team.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">"I am strong in these situations," Bradley said. "As a national coach you have some people on your side and some who are against you," he said. "I understand the disappointment. I see it when I see people in the street."</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">But sometimes, the American said, people also come up to him and say: "Thank you for giving everything at the time when the country is going through so much trouble, so much turmoil."</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The Ghana Football Association has asked soccer's governing body FIFA to move the Nov. 19 return leg to a neutral venue, citing security concerns if the game is played in Cairo. FIFA has given Egypt a deadline of Oct. 28 to provide "comprehensive security assurances."</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Bradley was doubtful of Ghana's motivation for the request and said he's never feared for his safety despite choosing to move to Cairo in autumn 2011. Egypt was still restive in the aftermath of the uprising that forced long-time autocratic president Hosni Mubarak from office.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">"It's very important for people outside of Egypt to understand that in moments when there's violence it happens in isolated places," Bradley said. "Cairo is a huge city and the people continue to go about their lives. They go to work, and they are trying to care about their families."</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Bradley has lived in a Cairo hotel for much of his time in Egypt. He said he's never feared for his safety, even as the country faced further upheaval. He's never had bodyguards, and has frequently been seen dining with his wife in the capital's restaurants and shopping in Cairo's upscale Zamalek district.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">He said he's never felt targeted as an American.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">"I came to Egypt to be a leader, to be a friend, not a policy maker," Bradley said.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">"We chose to live in Cairo," he said. "We've connected with Egyptian people and with everything that's gone on we found a way to challenge a group of players to be strong, to be proud and to understand that there is an opportunity that when everything in the country is going in one direction, maybe we can do something that will be a symbol of hope. "</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Managing the team amid political chaos has been Bradley's main challenge. A stadium riot in the Mediterranean city of Port Said last year left 74 dead and devastated the sport, leading to the cancellation of games and the closure of others to fans.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">More violence erupted earlier this year, when seven police officers were acquitted in a trial over the melee, while death sentences against 21 alleged rioters were confirmed. Angry fans rampaged through the heart of Cairo, storming the Egyptian soccer federation's headquarters before setting it ablaze.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Then in July, Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, was ousted in a military coup that followed protests by millions demanding he step down. Since then, Morsi's supporters have staged near-daily protests and hundreds have been killed in a crackdown.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Through it all, soccer-crazed Egyptians were banking on the Pharaohs to earn a spot at next year's World Cup in Brazil, hoping that qualifying for the tournament for the first time in decades will restore some national pride and help bridge deep political and social divisions.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">The turmoil has taken a toll on Bradley's squad in the key match of the qualifying campaign.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">"When we went on the field in Kumasi last week, these were some of the things that the players were carrying on their shoulders," Bradley said. "It's a lot to ask of the players in a football match."</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">He defended his players and said he'd like to be with them during the final match next month that he hopes will take place in the Egyptian capital to give the national team a chance to restore pride to the game and the American coach a chance for a dignified exit from the country.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">"Our team has worked very, very hard to try and make a dream, an important dream for all Egyptians," Bradley said. "I am sad that we've put ourselves in a position right now where that dream is at risk.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">"It's going to be difficult, but we still have 90 more minutes," Bradley said.</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">___</p><p class="ap_para ap_para-d57851005a80479aaeeb90a12c70b9f6 entry-content">Follow Barbara Surk at http://www.twitter.com/BarbaraSurkAP</p><!-- SourceOrganizationStart --><span id="sourceOrganization" class="source-org vcard">Associated Press</span><!-- SourceOrganizationEnd -->Source: <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-10-21-SOC-Egypt-Bradley's-Predicament/id-dd64381709df419cb46ed494e4abf4ef">http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-10-21-SOC-Egypt-Bradley's-Predicament/id-dd64381709df419cb46ed494e4abf4ef</a><br />Tags: <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/profile/1014999199">homeland</a> <a href="http://www.socialgrapes.com/users/budgetchin54">revenge</a> <a href="http://developer.teradata.com/user/linkcrayon58">The Goldbergs</a> <a href="http://testbp.org/members/jeansmitten96/profile/">miley cyrus</a> <a href="http://www.hbwm.com/wristcell15">royal baby</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-58260347216350166122013-10-21T07:09:00.001-07:002013-10-21T07:09:09.179-07:00Snowden: No classified files taken to Russia<p class="first">WASHINGTON (AP) — Former <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382065219710_5">National Security Agency</span> systems analyst <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382065219710_1">Edward Snowden</span> says that he did not take any secret <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382065219710_3">NSA documents</span> to <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382065219710_2">Russia</span> and that <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382065219710_4">intelligence officials</span> in China as well as Russia could not get access to the documents he had obtained before leaving the United States.</p><br /><p>In an interview with The New York Times, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382065219710_6">Snowden</span> said he handed over all the documents he had obtained to journalists during his stay in <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382065219710_7">Hong Kong</span>. The newspaper posted its story on its website Thursday.</p><br /><p>Snowden said he did not retain copies of the documents and did not take them to Russia "because it wouldn't serve the public interest," the Times reported. He said his familiarity with China's intelligence abilities allowed him to protect the documents from Chinese spies while he was in Hong Kong.</p><br /><p>"There's a zero percent chance the Russians or Chinese have received any documents," he said.</p><br /><p>Snowden's leaks of highly classified material have resulted in numerous news stories about U.S. surveillance activities at home and abroad and sparked debate about the legality of those activities and the privacy implications for average Americans.</p><br /><p>The Times reported that in the interview, which it said took place over several days in the last week and involved encrypted online communications, Snowden asserted that he believed he was a whistle-blower who was acting in the nation's best interests by revealing information about the NSA's surveillance dragnet and huge collections of communications data.</p><br /><p>Snowden said that he had helped U.S. national security by prompting a badly needed public debate about the scope of the intelligence effort. "The secret continuance of these programs represents a far greater danger than their disclosure," he said.</p><br /><p>Snowden faces espionage charges in the U.S. On Aug. 1 he was granted asylum in Russia, which is allowing him to remain there for one year.</p><br />Source: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-no-classified-documents-taken-russia-013625971--politics.html">http://news.yahoo.com/snowden-no-classified-documents-taken-russia-013625971--politics.html</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://starggo.com/story.php?title=what-can-city-girls-do-for-you-website-about-escorts?929457747">Ozymandias</a> <a href="http://styxor.com/story.php?title=what-can-city-girls-do-for-us-blog-about-escorts?737337126">Malcom Floyd</a> <a href="http://mumblu.com/story.php?title=what-can-city-girls-do-for-you-website-about-escorts?418446839">9news</a> <a href="http://pge-smartac.com/tags.php/80085">Farmers Almanac</a> <a href="http://www.yaazzu.com/?p=710Entertainment">H&m</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-44237159992762571732013-10-21T06:32:00.001-07:002013-10-21T06:32:01.017-07:00Vin Diesel On Stilts Isn't Even The Weirdest Thing About This Video<p type="articleSubhead"><br /> Diesel says he's practicing for 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' but MTV News has a few questions.<br /> <br /> <br/>By Kevin P. Sullivan<br /> <br /> </p><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Source: <a href="<br /> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1715677/vin-diesel-stilts-guardians-galaxy.jhtml<br /> "><br /> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1715677/vin-diesel-stilts-guardians-galaxy.jhtml<br /> </a><br />Category: <a href="http://www.cleaningservicequeens.sitew.us/#Page_1.A">Preachers of LA</a> <a href="http://www.zimbio.com/Cash/articles/peT2LjA8tUJ/Working+House+Cleaning+Service+Makes+Sense?add=True">Presidents Cup Streaker</a> <a href="http://cleaningservicenyc.angelfire.com/">Kliff Kingsbury</a> <a href="http://maid-service-cost.wikia.com/wiki/Maid_service_cost_Wiki">Hasnat Khan</a> <a href="http://brooklynmaidservices.devhub.com/">jimmy fallon</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-56529534702820247302013-10-21T00:57:00.001-07:002013-10-21T00:57:08.169-07:00Home Remodeling Spending to Accelerate into 2014 - Article from ...The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) report released by Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) documents continued market improvement, and predicts strong gains for the balance of 2013 and into the early months of 2014.<br /><br /><p>Following a 12-month period when annualized growth averaged just under 5 percent, the LIRA shows home improvement spending momentum building to double-digit growth in the months ahead. By the first quarter of 2014, spending for home improvement projects is predicted to be growing at an annualized rate of 17.3 percent, with the dollar value of activity projected to reach an annualized total of $148.9 billion.</p><br /><br /><p>The JCHS expects the first quarter of 2014 will represent the peak of growth for this recovery cycle, although still–robust double-digit growth rates will likely be posted at least through the spring and early summer of next year.</p><br /><br /><p>“Existing home sales are still growing at a double-digit pace, and rising house prices are helping homeowners rebuild equity lost during the housing crash,” notes Kermit Baker, the director of the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard’s JCHS.</p><br /><br /><p>In its most recent release, the National Association of Realtors reported existing home sales nationwide through the first two-thirds of 2013 were running 11.9 percent ahead of the total recorded over the first eight months of 2012. Since recent homebuyers are traditionally the most active in the home improvement market, the growth in sales of existing homes is providing more opportunities for remodeling projects.</p><br /><br /><p>The LIRA is compiled by analyzing recent trends in eight specific indicators of market activity (e.g., housing starts, pending home sales, retail sales at building supply stores, etc.) which together have historically had strong correlations to remodeling spending. After weighting the components to reflect their relative correlation and lead times with respect to historical remodeling spending trends, the factors are applied to develop a forecast of near-term changes in the market.</p><br /><br /><p><img src="http://www.cepro.com/images/uploads/lirateaser.jpg" border="0" alt="image" name="image" width="515" height="354" id="image" /><br /><b><small>Click image to enlarge</small></b><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Source: <a href="http://www.cepro.com/article/home_remodeling_spending_to_accelerate_into_2014/">http://www.cepro.com/article/home_remodeling_spending_to_accelerate_into_2014/</a><br />Tags: <a href="http://youmob.com/mob.aspx?mob=http://smell1tail.mywapblog.com/our-analysis-of-the-samsung-galaxy-tab.xhtml">Susan Bennett</a> <a href="https://kippt.com/noahlist2/list/clips/17471050">The Blacklist</a> <a href="http://www.jeteye.com/jetpak/cf32ea1e-98b7-4581-a5af-9f8fc418cddf/">GTA 5 Cheats</a> <a href="http://www.webshare.co/url/?i=754628&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftaylordead73.artician.com%2Fportfolio%2FSamsung-Galaxy-Tab-Important-Facts-Major-Featuresrnrn%2F">aaron hernandez</a> <a href="http://www.thisnext.com/item/85894378/0F7EC458/A-Complete-Critique-Of-The?share=1">nate robinson</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-92125481321793456522013-10-21T00:23:00.001-07:002013-10-21T00:23:09.644-07:00This Week's Must-Reads: Real-Life Sea Monsters, High-End GIFs, and Bacon<div readability="135.486146524"><br /><br /><div id="attachment_154481" class="wp-caption alignnone c4" readability="13"><a href="http://www.wired.com/opinion/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG_2273-660x990.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-154481" title="IMG_2273-660x990" src="http://www.wired.com/images/1x1.trans.gif" data-lazy-src="http://www.wired.com/opinion/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG_2273-660x990.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="445"/><noscript><br /><p><img class="size-full wp-image-154481" title="IMG_2273-660x990" src="http://www.wired.com/opinion/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/IMG_2273-660x990.jpg" alt="" width="660" height="445"/></p><br /></noscript></a><br /><p class="wp-caption-text"><em>Image: Buddy, the nematode, suspended in ethanol solution, courtesy of Jonathan D. Allen, Department of Biology, College of William and Mary.</em></p><br /></div><br /><p>By this point in the week, you’ve seen hundreds of articles you meant to read but haven’t had the time to. Now it’s the weekend, and it’s all a blur (the extra two drinks you had at happy hour probably didn’t help). So we’re here to lend a hand. We’ve rounded up the best reads from WIRED and around the web so you don’t have to sift through all the links you saved or curse your browser for crashing because you had amassed a bigillion open tabs with all those stories. Enjoy!</p><br /><p><strong>Buddy, Stop Biting My Lip</strong><br/>Imagine looking in the mirror and noticing that the little sore on your lip is alive and moving. Nightmare? Horror flick? Nope, this has actually happened. The culprit: a little white nematode. The latest host to this lip-burrowing creature was a biology professor in Williamsburg, Virginia. He decided to do what any self-respecting scientist would do: Take it out with the best pair of forceps he could find … Meet Buddy, his tiny parasitic-worm pal. [<a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/10/how-to-read-a-research-paper-about-that-scientist-with-a-nematode-in-his-mouth/" target="_blank">WIRED Science</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>The Google Quantum Computer Falls Prey to the Government Shutdown</strong><br/>Quantum computers can’t catch a break. First, physicists <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/10/quantum-computer-ramsey/">questioned their very existence</a>. Then, the government shut down and Google and NASA’s shared quantum machine went into limbo. The computer itself was working, but the NASA engineers who were supposed to operate it could not. Instead it sat there, eating up power. But cheer up, at least you can create <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/10/minecraft_quantum/" target="_blank">quantum entangled blocks in Minecraft</a>. [<a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/10/dwave-nasa/" target="_blank">WIRED Enterprise</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>Math Confirms the Obvious: Bacon Is Freakin’ Awesome</strong><br/>Fact: Bacon makes burgers, salads, veggies, and just about any food way more amazing. I knew this. You knew this. But there are doubters out there. Now you can silence the haters with data. Yes, we now have numbers to back up what we knew all along: Bacon is a miracle food. [<a href="http://www.wired.com/design/2013/10/bacon-is-a-miracle-food/" target="_blank">WIRED Design</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>Unleash Your Inner Genius</strong><br/>Did your teachers ever ask you what you wanted to learn? Probably not. And that’s a shame. If they had, maybe you’d be running Google or be well on your way to making a scientific discovery that would earn you a Nobel Prize. Luckily, today some students are getting that opportunity, and their teachers are seeing amazing results. [<a href="http://www.wired.com/business/2013/10/free-thinkers" target="_blank">WIRED Business</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>The Sport of Videogame Speedrunning</strong><br/>Zipping through a videogame faster than anyone else in the world can make you a legend. It means you’ve got the smarts to remember where all the game’s loopholes and bugs are — and how to exploit them. Plus, you’ve got the motor skills to move your fingers across the controller at ridiculously sick speeds. [<a href="http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2013/10/zelda-wind-waker-speedrun/" target="_blank">Game Life</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>Windows 8 Gets a Much-Needed Reboot</strong><br/>The debut of Microsoft’s new operating system last year was anything but triumphant. People hated it, in fact. The tech giant couldn’t just Ctrl+Alt+Del the thing so the stakes were high for the Windows 8 update, which was finally released this week. It’s a vast improvement over the first iteration. It even has a Start button. Well, a Start button doppelgänger, but that’s good enough. Upgrade if you haven’t already. [<a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/10/windows-8-1-is-here/" target="_blank">Gadget Lab</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>“Sea Monster” Surfaces in California </strong><br/><a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/09/carta-marina/">Island whales and pristers</a> don’t actually exist, which is good because they’d probably eat you. But evolution actually has resulted in some sea creatures that could rival these fabled swimmers. One surfaced this week off the coast of Catalina Island in California. A marine biology instructor spotted the carcass of an 18-foot oarfish — nature’s answer to the <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/09/carta-marina/?pid=11271">mythical sea serpent</a> — while snorkeling. You have to see this thing. [<a href="http://news.mongabay.com/2013/1016-california-sea-monster-oarfish.html" target="_blank">Mongabay</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>The Lives and Times of Modern Day Newsies (Yes, They Still Exist)</strong><br/>Around the turn of the 19th century, newsies were a staple of the newspaper industry, but in the 1940s, they mostly went the way of the flop film named after them. But cities like New York and San Francisco still have armies of of them, hustling hard and handing out free papers. Here’s a look. [<a href="http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/a_newsies_life_in_nyc.php" target="_blank">Columbia Journalism Review</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>Bacteria, Recoded</strong><br/>Captain Kirk recognized the promise of DNA-based computing <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/10/tech-time-warp-of-the-week-william-shatner-microworld/">30 years ago</a>. But before a <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2013/04/bio-fab-open-source-language/">language for programming life</a> actually materializes, scientists have to know how to reliably tweak and control DNA. This week, a group of researchers at Yale and Harvard reported a new way to edit a bacterium’s genetic code. The research is still preliminary, but it could eventually help develop organisms that can manufacture drugs and are less resistant to viruses. [<a href="http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/17/find-and-replace-across-an-entire-genome/" target="_blank">Not Exactly Rocket Science</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>Home-Brewed Lending Libraries with Character</strong><br/>Sure, e-books are great if you don’t want to bother with backbreaking loads. But analog books beat their digital counterparts in many ways. For starters, <a href="http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/10/how-ebook-pricing-hurts-us-in-more-ways-than-you-think/">you actually own them</a> and because of that, you can lend them out or gift them any which way you want. Like through this network of charming lending libraries. [<a href="http://www.lamag.com/citythink/citythinkblog/2013/10/17/the-great-little-lending-libraries-of-la-tour" target="_blank">Los Angeles Magazine</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>Tumblr’s GIF Auction</strong><br/>Sure, there’s no shortage of <a href="http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/10/absurd-creature-goblin-shark/" target="_blank">free GIFs</a> on the internet. But for just a few thousand dollars, you can buy some <em>really</em> awesome ones. This week, Tumblr and auction house Phillips held a digital art auction to test whether collectors would fork over cash for GIFs, webcam videos, and code. [<a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/17/4844814/would-you-pay-2000-for-a-gif" target="_blank">The Verge</a>]</p><br /><p><strong>The Curse of Graphene</strong><br/>Some believe graphene has superpowers. It conducts electricity incredibly well and is super strong. In research it’s been used to create tiny tattoo biosensors and, more recently, <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=graphene-makes-light-work-of-optical-signals" target="_blank">photodetectors</a> that can transform infrared light into electrical signals. That’s huge because it makes transferring data potentially faster. But for all of graphene’s successes in the lab, in practice, it’s been kind of a dud, in part because it’s hard to manufacture. So the question remains: Is graphene really the next big thing? Maybe. If investors <a href="http://www.wired.com/business/2013/04/tracking-graphenes-move-from-science-project-to-money-machine/" target="_blank">can profit from it</a>. [<a href="http://qz.com/135380/its-stronger-than-steel-and-paper-thin-but-graphene-isnt-living-up-to-its-promise/" target="_blank">Quartz</a>]</p><br /><br /></div>Source: <a href="http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661370/s/32a46055/sc/4/l/0L0Swired0N0Copinion0C20A130C10A0Cwireddozen10A190C/story01.htm">http://feeds.wired.com/c/35185/f/661370/s/32a46055/sc/4/l/0L0Swired0N0Copinion0C20A130C10A0Cwireddozen10A190C/story01.htm</a><br />Tags: <a href="http://gazebobuildingblueprintspdf.jigsy.com/diy-gazebo-construction">columbus day</a> <a href="http://gazebobuildingblueprintspdf.jigsy.com/storage-gazebo-building-blueprints">powerball</a> <a href="http://besthawaiiancoffee.over-blog.com/instant-peaberry-hawaiian-coffee-get-pure-100-percent-organic-kona-coffee">Washington Navy Yard</a> <a href="http://besthawaiiancoffee.over-blog.com/whole-bean-best-kona-coffee-for-sale-the-tasty-gourmet-coffee-on-the-earth">What Does the Fox Say</a> <a href="http://besthawaiiancoffeeorganic.edublogs.org/2013/07/05/hawaii-best-peaberry-kona-coffee-for-sale-what-makes-peaberry-kona-coffee-so-amazing/">indicted</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-4617298986739695752013-10-20T19:11:00.001-07:002013-10-20T19:11:23.411-07:00'Gravity' holds atop box office for 3rd week<!-- google_ad_section_start --><br /> <meta itemprop="datePublished" content="2013-10-20T19:31:29Z"/><meta itemprop="headline" content="'Gravity' holds atop box office for 3rd week"/><meta itemprop="alternativeHeadline" content=""/><meta itemprop="image" content="http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/71760e6960d4bf23400f6a7067008b20.jpg"/><meta itemprop="description" content="NEW YORK (AP) — Star power and Oscar aspirations are reigning at the box office, where the space adventure "Gravity" and the Somali pirate docudrama "Captain Phillips" are holding off all comers."/><p>NEW YORK (AP) — Star power and Oscar aspirations are reigning at the box office, where the space adventure "Gravity" and the Somali pirate docudrama "Captain Phillips" are holding off all comers.</p><p>With $31 million over the weekend according to studio estimates Sunday, "Gravity" topped the box office for the third straight week, cementing its status as the juggernaut of the fall movie-going season. It also took in another $33.5 million overseas.</p><p>The 3-D Warner Bros. movie, staring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, has now made more than $170 million in three weeks. The film's groundbreaking visuals have been particularly popular on IMAX screens, where it made an "Avatar"-like $7.4 million on the weekend.</p><p>"Captain Phillips," starring Tom Hanks and directed by Paul Greengrass, also held in second place, taking in $17.3 million in its second week. The Sony film slid only 33 percent from its debut last weekend of $25.7 million.</p><p>The two movies and their veteran stars were able to keep three new wide releases at bay: the horror remake "Carrie" ($17 million for Sony and MGM), the Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger action flick "Escape Plan" ($9.8 million for Lionsgate), and the WikiLeaks drama "The Fifth Estate."</p><p>The last utterly flopped — a fate predicted by its subject, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange — taking in a paltry $1.7 million for Disney. It's the worst debut this year for a film in such wide release (1,769 theaters).</p><p>"It's a very strong lineup that is not budging," said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Rentrak, who noted the primary family choice, "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2," is also holding steady with $10.1 million in its fourth week. "'Carrie' came into a very competitive marketplace."</p><p>In a limited release of just 19 theaters, Steve McQueen's highly-anticipated slavery epic "12 Years a Slave," starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, opened with $960,000. The exceptionally high theater average of $50,000 suggested considerable audience eagerness for the already much-lauded film.</p><p>Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak. Where available, latest international numbers for Friday through Sunday are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.</p><p>1. "Gravity," $30 million ($33.5 million international).</p><p>2. "Captain Phillips," $17.3 million ($9.1 million international).</p><p>3. "Carrie," $17 million.</p><p>4. "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," $10.1 million ($5.1 million international).</p><p>5. "Escape Plan," $9.8 million ($9.4 million international).</p><p>6. "Prisoners," $2.1 million ($7.3 million international).</p><p>7. "Enough Said," $1.8 million.</p><p>8. "Fifth Estate," $1.7 million.</p><p>9. "Runner Runner," $1.6 million ($4.2 million international).</p><p>10. "Insidious Chapter 2," $1.5 million ($6.4 million international).</p><p>___</p><p>Estimated weekend ticket sales Friday through Sunday at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:</p><p>1. "Gravity," $33.5 million.</p><p>2. "Turbo," $16 million.</p><p>3. "The Wolverine," $13.6 million.</p><p>4. "Special ID," $12.5 million.</p><p>5. "Stalingrad," $12.2 million.</p><p>6. "Escape Plan," $9.4 million.</p><p>7. "Captain Phillips," $9.1 million.</p><p>8. "Prisoners," $7.3 million.</p><p>9. "Despicable Me 2," $7.1 million.</p><p>10. "Insidious Chapter 2," $6.4 million.</p><p>___</p><p>Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle</p><p>___</p><p>Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.</p><ul id="topics" class="hidden"><li data-id="YCT:001000076">Movies</li><li data-id="YCT:001000031">Arts & Entertainment</li><li data-id="WIKIID:Captain_Phillips">Captain Phillips</li></ul><!-- google_ad_section_end -->Source: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/gravity-holds-atop-box-office-3rd-week-160257421--finance.html">http://news.yahoo.com/gravity-holds-atop-box-office-3rd-week-160257421--finance.html</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://rupgermany.bplaced.net/wiki/index.php?title=Discovering_Copywriting">Emmys 2013</a> <a href="http://www.miwofficial.com/users/d17pkLzD">Richard Sherman</a> <a href="http://www.webshare.co/url/?i=769992&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftokynapp.com%2Fblogs%2F2102%2F1319%2Fa-survey-of-the-best-anti-aging">Nick Pasquale</a> <a href="http://www.designfloat.com/promos/three-top-products-to-protect-your-skin-from-aging-in-2013/">K Michelle</a> <a href="http://youmob.com/mob.aspx?mob=http://tokynapp.com/blogs/2102/1319/a-survey-of-the-best-anti-aging">Desiree And Chris</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-965868234926916422013-10-20T18:18:00.001-07:002013-10-20T18:18:35.517-07:00Brace for stronger DDoS attacks, security firm warns<div id="main" role="main" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article" readability="83.7788595271"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p><span itemprop="articleBody description text">The average size of <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2025236/4-ways-to-prepare-for-and-fend-off-ddos-attacks.html?tk=rel_news">DDoS attacks</a> is still climbing with the number breaching 20Gbps around four times the level seen a year ago, according to Arbor Networks.</span></p><br /><p><span itemprop="articleBody description text">The firm's numbers of the first three quarters of 2013 show a rising curve with average attack sizes reaching 3-3.5Gbps, compared to 1.48Gbps for the same period in 2012. For the year as a whole, the average was now 2.64Gbps.</span></p><br /><p><span itemprop="articleBody description text">Although no attack in the third quarter reached the extreme scale of March's <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2032254/how-the-world-s-largest-cyberattack-slows-down-your-internet-use.html?tk=rel_news">humungous 300Gbps Spamhaus super-DDoS,</a> the firm's Atlas system did record one of 191Gbps in August, which suggests that the new traffic ceiling is shifting from 100Gbps to 200Gbps.</span></p><br /><p><span itemprop="articleBody description text">Probably more significant was the more than fourfold rise in the number of attacks over the 20Gbps threshold compared to 2012 with three months of the year still left to run, Arbor said.</span></p><br /><h2><span itemprop="articleBody description text">Volume of attacks increases</span></h2><br /><p><span itemprop="articleBody description text">Away from the notion of size, other trends are now well established, including that for packets per second (PPS) sizes, which are now on a downward path after major growth in the previous two years; IP fragmentation attacks had risen sharply from around one in ten attacks to more than a quarter.</span></p><br /><p><span itemprop="articleBody description text">Arbor also found that almost nine out of ten DDoS attacks lasted for less than an hour although larger ones usually went on for much longer.</span></p><br /><p><span itemprop="articleBody description text">Spamhaus hasn't been the only significant incident. A <a href="http://news.techworld.com/security/3465607/china-suffers-major-ddos-attack-on-cn-domain/">major DDoS of unknown size on the China's .cn country code</a> top level domain in August briefly disrupted Internet access in the country.</span></p><br /><p><span itemprop="articleBody description text">"While we didn't witness a Spamhaus-sized 300Gbps attack this quarter, the largest attack size we did see in ATLAS was still pretty remarkable at 191Gbps," said Arbor's solutions architect, Darren Anstee.</span></p><br /><br /><br /><div id="toaster"><br /><br /><br /><div id="toasterNewsletter"><br /><h4>Subscribe to the Power Tips Newsletter</h4><br /><br /></div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><div id="emailModal" class="c3" readability="9"><br /><br /><p><br /><h2>Thank you for sharing this page.</h2><br /></p><br /><p><br /><h2>Sorry! There was an error emailing this page</h2><br /></p><br /></div><br /></div>Source: <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2056188/brace-for-stronger-ddos-attacks-security-firm-warns.html#tk.rss_all">http://www.pcworld.com/article/2056188/brace-for-stronger-ddos-attacks-security-firm-warns.html#tk.rss_all</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://totalbookmarking.com/story.php?title=what-is-quickbooks-web-hosting">kate upton</a> <a href="http://bookmarkdo.com/story.php?title=what-is-quickbooks-web-hosting-3">Cameron Douglas</a> <a href="http://xn--wb-7ia.net/story.php?title=what-is-quickbooks-web-hosting-2">Namaste</a> <a href="http://neutralidad.co/pligg/story.php?title=what-is-quickbooks-web-hosting">brandon jacobs</a> <a href="http://bookmarktown.me/story.php?title=what-is-quickbooks-hosting-2">lsu football</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-91323390180874572782013-10-20T12:48:00.001-07:002013-10-20T12:48:15.618-07:00House to Vote on Ending Government Shutdown: What the Pundits are Saying<div readability="82.2396896693"><br /><p>The government shutdown is close to ending.</p><br /><br /><p>The House voted to end the government shutdown 284 to 144 Wednesday night. Earlier, the Senate voted to end the shutdown 81-18. The bill will now go to <strong>President Obama,</strong> who said in a televised speech that he will sign the bill if and that the government will reopen immediately after.</p><br /><p>The bill contained none of the major changes to President Obama's budget that the Republicans had pushed for, which led pundits on the cable networks to question if the shutdown would damage the politicians who made it happen.</p><br /><p><strong>Anderson Cooper</strong> anchored coverage for CNN, where colleague <strong>David Gergen</strong> predicted Republicans would likely use similar tactics in the future.</p><br /><p>"I am not at all convinced that the Tea Party learned their lesson out of this," Gergen said. He said Republicans will believe they did fight hard enough.</p><br /><p>"Don't you imagine Democrats will come out of this feeling like they won? Their muscles are bigger, and [they] will be less willing to compromise," Gergen predicted</p><br /><p>CNN's <strong>John King</strong> said the next round of elections will be make or break for the Tea Party candidates, and signal whether they have been hurt politically by the shutdown.</p><br /><p>Fox News Channel's <strong>Bret Baier</strong> anchored a special report and spoke with White House correspondent <strong>Ed Henry</strong>. Henry said many people will be skeptical that a similar situation will not arise in the future. He speculated observers will think Republicans and Democrats have simply "kicked the can down the road," putting off their problems for another day.</p><br /><p>On MSNBC, <strong>Chris Hayes</strong> speculated the Democrats learned to stand united during the shutdown by observing how the Republican party had acted in the past. <strong>Ben Domenech</strong>, from the right-leaning The Heartland Institute, looked back to the shutdown of the mid-1990s, noting Republicans had been united then because they had just won a resounding midterm election in 1994.</p><br /><p>"In the 1990s shutdown, you had a united front because <strong>Newt Gingrich</strong> had led the Republican party out of the wilderness," Domenech said.</p><br /><p>Hayes noted this was not the case with the current shutdown, because Republicans lost the 2012 presidential election.</p><br /><p>Said Hayes: "That's what's so remarkable about this fool's errand. We just had an election which the Republicans demonstratively and very clearly lost." </p><br /><br /></div>Source: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/live_feed/~3/xoaRi_eKoY0/story01.htm">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/live_feed/~3/xoaRi_eKoY0/story01.htm</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://maquinasdecafe1.wordpress.com/2013/10/20/barra-de-cafe-y-la-mezcla-perfecta/">mariano rivera</a> <a href="http://maquinasdecafe1.wordpress.com/about/">broncos</a> <a href="http://maquinasdecafe1.wordpress.com/servicios-de-cafe/">september 11</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-30816863544056440112013-10-20T07:09:00.001-07:002013-10-20T07:09:24.659-07:00This Week On The TC Europe Podcast: Dailymotion Is Growing, SwiftKey Gets Better, Cambridge Gets Into VC<div readability="46.1656565657"><a href="http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/techcrunch-europe-podcast.jpg?w=400" class="article-image-lightbox"><img src="http://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/techcrunch-europe-podcast.jpg?w=400" class="article-img-feature"/></a><br /><p>This week, we talk about SwiftKey <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/17/swiftkey-4-3/">releasing</a> a lot of new keyboard layouts and features, Dailymotion <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/16/dailymotion-announces-an-upcoming-european-acquisition-and-a-new-office-in-japan/">expanding</a> to Japan and acquiring a startup in Europe, and Cambridge <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/11/cambridge-innovation-capital/">getting into</a> VC. This is the <a href="http://techcrunch.com/tag/europe-podcast/">TechCrunch Europe Podcast</a>, wherein we European writers discuss tech news, as well as what’s happening in our startup scene.</p><br /><p>As always, those topics were a great opportunity to talk more about our general thoughts on the tech ecosystem in Europe. Is Dailymotion ‘the YouTube of France’ or is it something else? Is Cambridge the most technologically advanced university in the U.K.? Can keyboard layouts be exciting products? To answer this very last question, yes. For all the others, you’ll have to listen to the show.</p><br /><p>Join <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/sohear">Steve O’Hear</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/riptari">Natasha Lomas</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/johnbiggs">John Biggs</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/romaindillet">Romain Dillet</a> to hear what we think about those topics.</p><br /><br /> <p>We invite you to enjoy our <a href="http://techcrunch.com/tag/europe-podcast/">weekly podcast</a> every Thursday.</p><br /><p><a target="_blank" href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/tceurope/episode_11.output1.mp3">Download an MP3 of this show</a><br/><a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/techcrunch-europe-podcast/id692233516">Subscribe in iTunes</a><br/><a target="_blank" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/TCEurope">Subscribe to the show via RSS</a></p><br /><p>Intro music by <a target="_blank" href="http://espantomusic.bandcamp.com/track/von-night-city">Espanto</a>.</p><br /><br /></div>Source: <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/DWPm2cV862g/">http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/DWPm2cV862g/</a><br />Category: <a href="http://homebusiness.searchwink.com/2010/01/22/anna-marie-gospel/">Jake Locker</a> <a href="http://www.aikis.or.jp/~aono-kcu/aska/aska.cgi">iOS 7</a> <a href="http://dreamer.bne.jp/arata/aska2/aska.cgi">constitution day</a> <a href="http://fc-hertha-rheidt.de/fussball-265/gaestebuch.html">Delbert Belton</a> <a href="http://zentools.joomlabamboo.com/democontent/setting-up-zentools/specifying-image-sizes-based-on-screen-sizes">Claude Debussy</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-5881032341903137952013-10-20T06:29:00.001-07:002013-10-20T06:29:23.200-07:00What The World's Newspapers Are Saying<div id="storytext" readability="91.062151736"><br /><div id="res236151802" class="bucketwrap image large" previewtitle="A newsstand in Rome."><br /><br /><br /><span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Oded Balilty</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">AP</span></span><br /><br /><div class="enlarge_html image_data"><br /><p class="caption">A newsstand in Rome.</p><br /><span class="creditwrap"><span class="credit">Oded Balilty</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">AP</span></span></div><br /></div><br /><p>Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican <a href="http://www.corriere.it/esteri/13_ottobre_17/papa-abu-mazen-spero-accordo-pace-con-israele-4888b56e-3712-11e3-ab57-6b6fcd48eb87.shtml">led the website</a> of Italy's <em>Corriere della Sera</em> newspaper.</p><br /><p>At the end of their 25-minute meeting, the pope gave Abbas a pen, which the Palestinian Authority president said he hoped to use "to sign the peace agreement with Israel."</p><br /><p>The pope replied: "Hurry, hurry," according to the newspaper.</p><br /><p>—</p><br /><p>Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/01/us-nigeria-violence-idUSBRE9900DF20131001">recently called for</a> a national dialogue in his ethnically and religiously divided country.</p><br /><p>He announced the formation of a committee that would hold discussions on resolving differences in Nigeria. But, as the <em>Vanguard</em> <a href="http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/10/nass-must-ratify-report-senators-reps/">newspaper reports</a>, Nigerian lawmakers say that the committee's final outcome must first pass through them to become law.</p><br /><p>Here's how Reuters describes Nigeria's religious makeup:</p><br /><blockquote class="edTag" readability="9.5"><br /><div readability="18"><br /><p>"Nigeria's nearly 170 million people and 250 ethnic groups, split roughly evenly between Islam, which dominates in the north, and Christianity, prevalent in the south, mostly live side by side in peace. But the country suffers bouts of bloodshed over land where the two religions meet in the middle.</p><br /><p>"The oil producing Niger Delta is a haven for criminal gangs who steal oil and kidnap, while the Boko Haram insurgency has killed thousands and destablised swathes of the north."</p><br /></div><br /></blockquote><br /><p>—</p><br /><p><a href="http://www.latercera.com/noticia/politica/2013/10/674-547400-9-chile-cierra-apoyos-para-ingresar-al-consejo-de-seguridad-de-la-onu.shtml">La Tercera reports</a> on Chile's efforts to win a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council.</p><br /><p>The General Assembly elects five new countries to the council on Thursday. Chad, Chile, Lithuania, Nigeria and Saudi Arabia are looking for spots. All are <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/nigeria-chad-saudi-arabia-lithuania-and-chile-virtually-certain-to-join-un-security-council/2013/10/17/4a10071e-36e2-11e3-89db-8002ba99b894_story.html">virtually guaranteed</a> a place on the 15-member council because none of the races are contested.</p><br /><p>This would be Chile's fifth time on the council. The previous occasion was in 2003 and 2004. That was when Chile refused to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Chile's term would last from January 2014 to December 2015.</p><br /><p>—</p><br /><p>From the Philippines, a story of hope amid the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/world/asia/death-toll-in-philippines-earthquake-rises.html?_r=0">earthquake</a> that killed more than 100 people. <em>The Inquirer</em> <a href="http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/508589/faith-in-the-midst-of-ruins">reports</a>:</p><br /><blockquote class="edTag" readability="5"><br /><div readability="9"><br /><p>"Two statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary stand — without any blemish — amid the ruins of two churches in Maribojoc and Loon towns following Tuesday's devastating earthquake. It was enough for residents to raise their hopes that life will get better."</p><br /></div><br /></blockquote><br /></div>Source: <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/10/17/236139792/what-the-worlds-newspapers-are-saying?ft=1&f=1009">http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2013/10/17/236139792/what-the-worlds-newspapers-are-saying?ft=1&f=1009</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://www.archivenic.com/plus.google.com">kim kardashian</a> <a href="http://www.brasilcomz.com/wikiboi/index.php?title=Helpful_tips_To_be_able_to_Understanding_The_college_Expertise.">pirate bay</a> <a href="http://www.civiced.org/test?a%5B%5D=%3Ca+href%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fligenavn.dk">Cameron Douglas</a> <a href="http://www.deepue.com/profile.php?id=251201">Under the Dome</a> <a href="http://www.gauhaticommercecollege.in/content/considering-college-learn-more-about-it-here">regions</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-43550639133878332362013-10-20T00:40:00.001-07:002013-10-20T00:40:54.667-07:00SF-area trains run as rail strike averted again<p class="first">OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco Bay Area's main commuter rail line was up and running Wednesday as a potential <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1381942450743_6">transit strike</span> was averted for the third straight day.</p><br /><p>The Bay Area Rapid Transit agency and two of its largest unions have made some progress in the intense negotiations to avoid a second strike in more than three months, Federal mediator George Cohen said late Tuesday.</p><br /><p>Negotiations will resume Wednesday, just hours after another marathon session Tuesday ended shortly after midnight, the Service Employees International Union Local 1021 said Wednesday.</p><br /><p>"We truly understand the riders' frustration, because we share the same frustration that we've not yet reached an agreement," <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1381942450743_5">SEIU</span> 1021 president Roxanne Sanchez said. "We are encouraged by the progress we've achieved, and at the request of the federal mediators, we will continue to bargain."</p><br /><p><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1381942450743_2">BART</span> is the nation's fifth-largest rail system and the threat of another strike would likely cripple the morning commute has been looming over riders who have already endured at least a half-dozen strike deadlines from the SEIU and the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1381942450743_4">Amalgamated Transit Union</span> Local 1555.</p><br /><p>Meanwhile, workers at the <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1381942450743_3">Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District</span>, a major regional bus line, have also threatened to strike this week if their conditions for a new contract aren't met.</p><br /><p>Hundreds of thousands of commuters in cities like Oakland and Berkeley depend on the two transit systems and roadways would be further congested if the strikes coincide.</p><br /><p><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1381942450743_1">AC Transit</span> which serves about 100,000 riders mostly across the East Bay also has buses shuttling to and from San Francisco. The buses served as an alternative for many BART train riders during a nearly five-day strike in July.</p><br /><p>Both BART and AC Transit's contracts expired in June. The <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1381942450743_7">bus workers</span> issued a 72-hour strike notice Monday with plans to walk off on Thursday.</p><br /><p>On Tuesday, the AC Transit board requested that Gov. Jerry Brown impose a 60-day cooling off period. The board said a bus strike would significantly endanger the public's health, safety and welfare.</p><br /><p>AC Transit workers have rejected two contract proposals that would have given workers a 9.5 percent raise over three years as they would also have to contribute more toward their health plans.</p><br /><p>AC Transit and BART union officials deny any coordination. Still, the specter of both transit agencies striking simultaneously could give them leverage if the governor doesn't delay the bus workers strike.</p><br /><p>Sticking points in the 6-month-old BART negotiations include salaries and workers' contributions to their health and pension plans. BART officials confirmed Tuesday that some progress has been made but economic issues still need to be hammered out.</p><br /><p>BART General Manager Grace Crunican presented a "last, best and final offer" Sunday that includes an annual 3 percent raise over four years and requires workers to contribute 4 percent toward their pension and 9.5 percent toward medical benefits. The value of BART's proposal is $57 million over four years and that figure also includes money for smaller unions and nonunion workers, BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said.</p><br /><p>BART is looking at the unions' counterproposal and trying to see how they could possibly fit into management's final offer, Trost said.</p><br /><p>"Everyone's working very hard," Trost told reporters Tuesday. "The general manager's there, she's meeting with the federal mediator. He's still going between both (parties) floors to see if we can come to a deal."</p><br /><p>SEIU Local 1021 executive director Pete Castelli said Monday the parties were somewhere between $6 million to $10 million apart over four years.</p><br /><p>Workers from the two unions, which represent more than 2,300 mechanics, custodians, station agents, train operators and clerical staff, now average about $71,000 in base salary and $11,000 in overtime annually, the transit agency said. BART workers currently pay $92 a month for health care and contribute nothing toward their pensions.</p><br /><p>ATU President Antonette Bryant told reporters Tuesday the union would not discuss any details of the talks because of a gag order imposed by the mediator.</p><br /><p>"We're not trying to avoid, mislead or keep information to ourselves," Bryant said. "We are diligently working trying to get a contract for our members and to get the riding public held off hostage."</p><br />Source: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/sf-area-trains-run-rail-strike-averted-again-133707870--finance.html">http://news.yahoo.com/sf-area-trains-run-rail-strike-averted-again-133707870--finance.html</a><br />Category: <a href="http://bolajudi.us/entries/view/17986/guidebook-on-age-defying-skin-treatment-for-aging-adults.html">cory booker</a> <a href="http://englishfromzero.com/story.php?title=manual-on-age-defying-skin-care-for-elderly-adults">yosemite national park</a> <a href="http://bookmarkstatus.com/story.php?title=manual-on-anti-wrinkle-skin-care-for-old-adults">david ortiz</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2758784001229136126.post-36880934709236025562013-10-19T19:05:00.001-07:002013-10-19T19:05:07.580-07:00TIMELINE - Canada's BlackBerry mulls its options<!-- google_ad_section_start --><br /><p class="first"> REUTERS - Chinese personal computer maker <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382046065814_7">Lenovo Group Ltd</span> has signed a nondisclosure deal to examine the books of troubled Canadian smartphone maker <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382046065814_2">BlackBerry</span> Ltd <bb.to>, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, quoting unnamed sources.</bb.to></p><br /><p> BlackBerry has already accepted a tentative $4.7 billion go-private deal orchestrated by its largest shareholder, but is also assessing other options including interest from its founders.</p><br /><p> Here are important milestones in the history of the company formerly known as <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382046065814_5">Research In Motion</span>:</p><br /><p> February 1985 - <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382046065814_3">Mike Lazaridis</span> and Douglas Fregin co-found Research In Motion in Waterloo, Ontario, the Canadian university city where Lazaridis studied.</p><br /><p> 1989 - <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382046065814_1">RIM</span> develops a network gateway called RIMGate, precursor to its <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382046065814_4">BlackBerry Enterprise Server</span>.</p><br /><p> 1992 - <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382046065814_6">Jim Balsillie</span> joins RIM as co-CEO, mortgaging his house and investing $250,000.</p><br /><p> 1994 - RIM launches a handheld point-of-sale card reader, which verifies debit and credit transactions directly to a bank.</p><br /><p> 1995 - RIM builds its own radio modem for wireless email.</p><br /><p> 1997 - RIM lists on the Toronto Stock Exchange, raising more than $115 million.</p><br /><p> 1999 - RIM launches BlackBerry email service, first wireless device to synch with corporate email systems. Lists on the Nasdaq.</p><br /><p> 2002 - RIM adds voice calls to the BlackBerry. 2004 - RIM's surpasses 1 million BlackBerry users.</p><br /><p> 2007 - <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382046065814_8">Apple Inc</span> launches first iPhone. RIM passes 10 million subscribers, briefly becomes most valuable company in Canada. <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1382046065814_9">Google Inc</span>'s <goog.o> open source Android platform is unveiled. It launches in October 2008.</goog.o></p><br /><p> 2008 - RIM launches BlackBerry Storm, its first touchscreen and keyboard-less device. The screen uses a tactile feedback technology known as haptics, allowing a user to click down to select actions. The model bombs.</p><br /><p> 2010 - RIM buys QNX Software Systems for C$200 million. It will later use its software for its BlackBerry 10 devices.</p><br /><p> 2011 - RIM launches PlayBook, which is panned for lacking core BlackBerry functions such as email and organizer capability. It later books a writedown on unsold PlayBook inventory. Company slashes financial forecasts, the first of many revisions, which it then misses. Says will slash more than 10 percent of its workforce. Resists investor pressure for co-CEOs Lazaridis and Balsillie to step down. Offers to manage rival devices including Apple's iPhone and iPad. Delays its QNX-based BlackBerry 10 phones until late 2012.</p><br /><p> 2012 - Lazaridis and Balsillie step down as co-chief executives and chairmen. Thorsten Heins appointed CEO and Barbara Stymiest named chair of the board. Heins promises overhaul, says RIM will no longer issue financial forecasts. RIM hires bankers to assist with strategic review, delays BlackBerry 10 again, until early 2013. Shares hit lowest level in nearly a decade.</p><br /><p> January 30, 2013 - Heins unveils BlackBerry 10 devices at glitzy event in New York, with simultaneous gatherings in other cities around the world, and company changes name to BlackBerry.</p><br /><p> June 28, 2013 - Shares fall 25 percent after company reports loss and warns of more pain, says BlackBerry 10 sales were disappointing. Days earlier the company said it can now service Apple and Android devices for enterprise customers.</p><br /><p> August 12, 2013 - BlackBerry says it is weighing options including a sale. Fairfax Financial Holdings' Prem Watsa steps down from board to avoid conflict of interest, days after Reuters reported that the company's board was warming to the idea of going private.</p><br /><p> September 3, 2013 - Microsoft Corp <msft.o> buys Nokia's <nok1v.he> phone business and licenses its patents for more than $7 billion.</nok1v.he></msft.o></p><br /><p> September 20, 2013 - BlackBerry warns of a steep loss and says it will cut more than a third of its workforce as it abandons the consumer market.</p><br /><p> September 23, 2013 - BlackBerry signs tentative $4.7 billion deal to be acquired and taken private by a consortium led by its largest investor, Watsa's Fairfax Financial.</p><br /><p> October 10, 2013 - Co-founders Lazaridis and Fregin say in a filing that they are considering a bid to buy the company.</p><br /><p> (Reporting by Alastair Sharp; editing by Matthew Lewis)</p><br /><br /><!-- google_ad_section_end -->Source: <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/timeline-canadas-blackberry-mulls-options-213841555--sector.html">http://news.yahoo.com/timeline-canadas-blackberry-mulls-options-213841555--sector.html</a><br />Similar Articles: <a href="http://list.ly/list/91P-make-wreath-christmas">charlie hunnam</a> <a href="http://list.ly/list/8xl-best-price-kindle-fire-tablet">Robinson Cano</a> <a href="http://zeen.com/read/FcqIzq/what-is-a-kindle-reading-device">sunday night football</a> <a href="http://zeen.com/read/HGstGh/michael-buble-uk-tour-2013">drake</a> <a href="http://zeen.com/read/EeUqJt/best-top-rated-movies-most-popular-top-rated-movies-2013">Catching Fire trailer</a> agercalandra21http://www.blogger.com/profile/13384000704715859577noreply@blogger.com0