Thursday, February 28, 2013

Republican losses obscure US drift to right

(AP) ? Republican angst over presidential election losses obscures the fact that many conservative ideals have prospered for decades.

Conservative efforts have pushed the government rightward on taxes, spending and other policies, despite losses on some social fronts. One might say Republicans keep losing battles but winning wars.

This rightward drift serves as a curious, often ignored backdrop for GOP leaders' claims that the country is burdened by massive spending and taxation.

Republican lawmakers, for instance, adamantly oppose President Barack Obama's call for higher tax revenues as part of an alternative to big spending cuts about to hit government agencies. Yet the federal tax burden, as a portion of the overall economy, has been lower during Obama's four years in office than at any time since 1950.

And what about claims that spending on food stamps, environmental oversight and other nuts-and-bolts federal operations is out of control? Nonmilitary discretionary spending ranged from 3.8 percent to 5.1 percent of the overall economy throughout the 1970s. Starting in 1986, it didn't exceed 3.8 percent again until the 2008 recession dramatically slowed the economy.

Conservatives, however, have been unable in recent years to slow the rapid growth of "entitlement" programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. These popular but costly programs pose long-term fiscal dilemmas if not addressed.

Policy on some social matters ? gay rights, most notably ? has moved leftward. But the opposite is true for another big issue, gun control.

A 10-year ban on assault weapons that expired in 2004 is unlikely to be renewed, even in the wake of school massacres. In 1969, a Republican-led presidential commission recommended the confiscation of most handguns, a nearly unthinkable idea today.

"The political spectrum as a whole has moved to the right," said Bruce Bartlett, an economic adviser to Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Even conservative activists differ on why this has happened. Some say Republicans' constant focus on a few simple ideas, such as never raising taxes, appeals to ordinary people who follow politics only sporadically.

Grover Norquist, author of a famous no-new-tax pledge, has long urged Republicans to use the strategy to build a powerful brand ? "We won't raise your taxes" ? similar to universally recognized products such as Coke. Whatever the Democratic "brand" is, Norquist says, it's much more muddled.

Others say Democrats, by nature, are more willing to compromise in pursuit of "good government" solutions. Republicans, who are less pro-government, are less likely to bend. When one side compromises and the other side doesn't, the center of debate moves toward the unyielding party.

Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz says the Democratic Party has become "essentially a centrist party, and has remained so despite losing its right wing since the 1960s as a result of the realignment of the South." Meanwhile, he said, the GOP "has moved rather dramatically to the right since the '60s." The political middle ground, he said, "has also shifted well to the right of where it was 30 or 40 years ago on most issues."

Abramowitz, who is writing a book on the GOP's transformation, also points to "the growing racial divide between the parties as the country has become more racially and ethnically diverse; the growing influence of right-wing think tanks, funders and media outlets; and a growing cultural/religious divide in the country."

Some Democrats say current deficit-spending debates take insufficient notice of the nation's long-running rightward shift on fiscal policies. Partisan disagreements have led to recent showdowns over the debt ceiling, the end-of-2012 "fiscal cliff" and some fast-approaching, across-the-board spending cuts called the "sequester."

Obama, saying both spending cuts and revenue hikes are needed, repeatedly has tried to reinstate a limited portion of the income tax rates that applied under President Bill Clinton, who left office with a budget surplus.

Republicans, thanks to a law they helped enact in 2011, were forced last month to accept tax increases on the richest Americans. Now, however, they say all further deficit reduction must come entirely from spending cuts.

It's a policy that would puzzle past Republican presidents such as Reagan and Richard Nixon. They mixed tax reductions and tax increases as circumstances changed. But over the past 20 years, the Republicans' "no new taxes" mantra has become virtually sacrosanct.

GOP leaders and tea party activists routinely describe Americans as overtaxed. By historical standards, at least, it's a questionable claim. In 1981, the top marginal income tax rate was 70 percent. Today it is 39.6 percent.

Federal tax revenues exceeded 20 percent of the gross domestic product in 2000. Under Obama, they have not exceeded 15.8 percent a year.

When revenues fall and spending grows, or even stays flat, deficits result. Big tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 contributed to rising deficits, and today the national debt exceeds $16 trillion. To help narrow the gap, Democrats and some independents have implored Republican lawmakers to mix higher taxes on the rich with further spending cuts.

Some Republicans fear their party's antipathy to tax increases, despite the huge debt, will put it out of step with middle America. A Pew Research poll for USA Today finds that 3 in 4 Americans support Obama's call for a mix of spending cuts and tax increases.

"The truth is, Republicans just don't care about deficits," said Bartlett, who has parted ways with many former GOP associates.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top Republicans say the deficit is a threat. America has a spending problem, they say, not a taxing problem.

Even the often-criticized "Obamacare" law is built on foundations ? chiefly, universal health coverage ? proposed years ago by Nixon and the conservative Heritage Foundation. When Congress approved the new law in 2010, not a single Republican voted for it.

Some social issues are too much in flux to say, definitively, whether U.S. society has moved to their right or left. Momentum for more liberal immigration laws rose in the late 1990s, collapsed in 2007, and now seems to be rebounding.

On climate change, some conservatives dispute evidence about humans' role in rising temperatures, and the potential threat to the planet. But Obama and others are pointing to severe storms, record temperatures and other weather events in hopes of building public support for actions against greenhouse gasses.

"If you look at Republican positions on things like health care, climate change and cap and trade, they're moving away from their own positions due to internal political gravity," said David Di Martino, who was an aide to centrist Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska. "So when Obama arrives at a place where they were, say, on tax cuts, they have moved further right. So the president is always perceived to the left, even though the reality is that he's not."

Republicans have lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections. They have done a far better job of pushing government policy to the right.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-28-Conservative%20Success/id-23a3a174c4c4418d83e04fb29b223bec

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Turn your iPhone 5 into a rugged sports camera with the Optrix XD5 case

You always have your iPhone 5 with you to take photos under normal conditions, so why should you invest in another camera to take action photos? ?With the protective XD5 for iPhone 5 case from Optrix, you’ll get a rugged, waterproof case to protect your iPhone in extreme conditions. ?Optrix says they use the same [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/02/28/turn-your-iphone-5-into-a-rugged-sports-camera-with-the-optrix-xd5-case/

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manifesting your dreams and creating a better healthier life

Intend your energy!

?

My teacher always told me if you are not intending you are pretending.

It took me forever to really figure that statement out.?

What it comes down too is learning to be on track with our thoughts and actions at all times.

To really put aside all negative thoughts or any thing that was contrary to our goals.

To keep taking actions that would benefit our long term vision.

Scripting our goals and plans is a great way to do this. Set down and write out the different ideas you want to accomplish.

Drawing them is a great way to hold your mind and energy toward a dream.?

My husband even made a comment one time when he saw me draw a Koi pond on a piece of paper. He said "well, I guess you are getting a new pond". Sure enough, after a few sketches and a lot of digging I had a new fish pond. I did the same thing with all of my barns, gates and ?flower beds on my ranch.

For me this is one of the best ways to get something really pulled together in mind so that it has enough "Ump" to come into this dimension. It just sends out to the Universe what you desire because you are concentrating on bringing it in to this plane.

Another way to get some extra energy behind your goals is to write them down as a prayer in an Angelic language.?

The Angels are good at helping us pull together things we want, need and desire. ?I have 2 Angelic alphabets on my blog. You can just pick one write out your prayers on a special piece of paper to your angels.

You can find the Angel Alphabets here at this link:? http://marveena.com/blog/angel-alphabets/

?

The page is at

Bright Blessings

Tarot Tutorials

Contact MarVeena at marveenameek@aol.com

Source: http://marveena.com/blog/create-dreams/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=create-dreams

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'Sequester' could hurt GOP more than Obama

Most Americans think both Barack Obama and the Republicans in Congress are mishandling government spending - but, on the brink of across-the-board budget cuts, it's the GOP that receives disproportionately more flak, including from its own partisan and ideological base.

While 52 percent of adults in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll disapprove of Obama's handling of federal spending, that jumps to 67 percent disapproval for the GOP, a substantial 15-point gap in the president's favor.

See PDF with full results, charts and tables here.

Majorities even of Republicans and conservatives rate the Republican Party negatively on its handling of the budget. Obama, by contrast, retains broad support in his partisan corner. And his approval among independents, though weak, is 13 percentage points better than the GOP's.

In tune with previous results on their ongoing budget battles, results of this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates, indicate that both sides face damage if the looming budget sequester takes effect. But the risk to the Republicans continues to look greater.

The president's 43 percent approval rating on spending, weak as it is, outshines the congressional Republicans' paltry 26 percent. That includes single-digit "strong" approval for the GOP, 9 percent, vs. 21 percent for Obama.

But strong disapproval is more closely matched for both sides, indicating that the public overall is not amused by the latest budget standoff, in which $85 billion in automatic spending cuts are to take effect this Friday, the first wave of $1.2 trillion in cuts during the next decade.

ECHO - The results echo previous ABC/Post polls. Obama's approval rating for handling the last budget crisis in January was 21 points better than House Speaker John Boehner's, and the president held a 14-point lead over the Republicans in trust to handle the issue.

In December, more said they'd blame the Republicans than Obama if a deal weren't reached. And nearly two-thirds favored a combination of spending cuts and tax increases to trim the deficit, vs. 29 percent who preferred just spending reductions - an issue that remains the crux of the debate.

GROUPS - While 74 and 68 percent of Democrats and liberals, respectively, approve of the president's handling of the issue, 51 percent of Republicans and 57 percent of conservatives disapprove of the performance of GOP lawmakers.

Even among "very" conservative Americans, 54 percent disapprove of the congressional Republicans' approach. And in terms of intensity, strong approval of the president on spending among Democrats and liberals is more than double that of the GOP among Republicans and conservatives.

Fifty-three percent of independents disapprove of the president's work on spending, and he just breaks even among moderates. But many more in both groups disapprove of congressional Republicans on the issue - 64 percent of independents and 71 percent of moderates.

Broad majorities of whites disapprove of how both sides are handling spending, but even in this group - which Obama lost by 20 points in November - his approval rating is 9 points better than the Republicans'. And the president outpaces congressional Republicans by 17 points among Hispanics and by 64 points among blacks.

Among other groups, while majorities across income brackets and age groups disapprove of the Republicans' performance on spending, Obama breaks even among lower- to middle-income earners and garners majority approval among young adults, two of his core support groups.

METHODOLOGY - This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline and cell phone Feb. 20-24, 2013, among a random national sample of 1,021 adults. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 points. The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates of New York, N.Y., with sampling, data collection and tabulation by SSRS/Social Science Research Solutions of Media, Pa.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/brink-budget-sequester-more-damage-gop-obama-121007509--abc-news-politics.html

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Spotify Updates iOS App With Revamped Interface, New Navigation Tools

Screen Shot 2013-02-27 at 10.12.12 AMFresh on the heels of a Windows Phone 8 launch, Spotify has just released a major update to its iOS app, which revamps the interface quite a bit. The latest version is dubbed Spotify 0.6.0, and it cleans up the interface while adding easier navigation for users. There's a new sidebar which lets users swipe left and right to access further information and an all-inclusive menu for What's New, Radio, Playlists, Friends, Inbox, etc.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/mjl16WsAbVg/

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Falcon Pro releasing new version of app to sidestep token limit

Falcon Pro

Twitter client Falcon Pro is attempting to step around Twitter's 100,000 token authorization limit by releasing a new version of the app with a separate application ID. Just a few days ago, the client had to stop authorizing new users because it hit the Twitter-imposed limitation, which users feared would stop development. Taking to its official Twitter account (naturally), the developer explained the situation, and how he intends to fix it -- at least for the time being.

The plan right now is to release a new version of Falcon Pro -- just the small step to 1.6.7 -- that has a new application ID, which would technically identify it to Twitter as a new client, with a fresh new set of 100,000 user tokens to assign. In order to do this, old user tokens have to all be revoked, and anyone opening a previously installed version will have to re-login. By wiping out old tokens and "starting over", Falcon Pro is hoping to stay active for a while longer.

The price has also been raised -- to $1.95 (€1.49) from $0.99 previously -- to hopefully slow down how long it takes to hit the limit again. The last version hit the 100,000 token limit with less than 50,000 official paid Google Play downloads though, which is disconcerting. We know that a "token" is not a user, and those with multiple devices and accounts occupy multiple tokens, but the average tokens per user is likely well under 2.

Android Central

For now, Falcon Pro v1.6.6 is still a comical $132.12 in the Play Store, with a reminder in the description not to buy it because there are no tokens left. The developer plans to release the 1.6.7 update to the Play Store tonight, and we'll have to see how long it takes to hit the limit again.

Source: @Falcon_Pro (Twitter); Via: AusDroid



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/PHmq2UmSbfg/story01.htm

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Why some people get zits and others don't

Feb. 28, 2013 ? The bacteria that cause acne live on everyone's skin, yet one in five people is lucky enough to develop only an occasional pimple over a lifetime. What's their secret?

In a boon for teenagers everywhere, a UCLA study conducted with researchers at Washington University in St. Louis and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute has discovered that acne bacteria contain "bad" strains associated with pimples and "good" strains that may protect the skin.

The findings, published in the Feb. 28 edition of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, could lead to a myriad of new therapies to prevent and treat the disfiguring skin disorder.

"We learned that not all acne bacteria trigger pimples ? one strain may actually help keep skin healthy," said lead author Huiying Li, an assistant professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. "We hope to apply our findings to develop new strategies that stop blemishes before they start, and enable dermatologists to customize treatment to each patient's unique cocktail of skin bacteria."

The scientists looked at a tiny microbe with a big name: Propionibacterium acnes, bacteria that thrive in the oily depths of our pores. When the bacteria aggravate the immune system, they cause the swollen, red bumps associated with acne.

Using over-the-counter pore-cleansing strips, LA BioMed and UCLA researchers lifted P. acnes bacteria from the noses of 49 pimply and 52 clear-skinned volunteers. After extracting the microbial DNA from the strips, Li's laboratory tracked a genetic marker to identify the bacterial strains in each volunteer's pores and recorded whether the person suffered from acne.

Next, Li's lab cultured the bacteria from the strips to isolate more than 1,000 strains. Washington University scientists sequenced the genomes of 66 of the P. acnes strains, enabling UCLA co-first author Shuta Tomida to zero in on genes unique to each strain.

"We were interested to learn that the bacterial strains looked very different when taken from diseased skin, compared to healthy skin," said co-author Dr. Noah Craft, a dermatologist and director of the Center for Immunotherapeutics Research at LA BioMed at Harbor?UCLA Medical Center. "Two unique strains of P. acnes appeared in one out of five volunteers with acne but rarely occurred in clear-skinned people."

The biggest discovery was still to come.

"We were extremely excited to uncover a third strain of P. acnes that's common in healthy skin yet rarely found when acne is present," said Li, who is also a member of UCLA's Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging. "We suspect that this strain contains a natural defense mechanism that enables it to recognize attackers and destroy them before they infect the bacterial cell."

Offering new hope to acne sufferers, the researchers believe that increasing the body's friendly strain of P. acnes through the use of a simple cream or lotion may help calm spotty complexions.

"This P. acnes strain may protect the skin, much like yogurt's live bacteria help defend the gut from harmful bugs," Li said. "Our next step will be to investigate whether a probiotic cream can block bad bacteria from invading the skin and prevent pimples before they start."

Additional studies will focus on exploring new drugs that kill bad strains of P. acnes while preserving the good ones; the use of viruses to kill acne-related bacteria; and a simple skin test to predict whether a person will develop aggressive acne in the future.

"Our research underscores the importance of strain-level analysis of the world of human microbes to define the role of bacteria in health and disease," said co-author George Weinstock, associate director of the Genome Institute and professor of genetics at Washington University in St. Louis. "This type of analysis has a much higher resolution than prior studies that relied on bacterial cultures or only made distinctions between bacterial species."

Acne affects 80 percent of Americans at some point in their lives, yet scientists know little about what causes the disorder and have made limited progress in developing new strategies for treating it. Dermatologists' arsenal of anti-acne tools ? benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics and Accutane (isotretinoin) ? hasn't expanded in decades. Most severe cases of acne don't respond to antibiotics, and Accutane can produce serious side effects.

The research was supported by a grant (UH2AR057503) from the National Institutes of Health's Human Microbiome Project through the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Co-authors include co-first author Sorel Fitz-Gibbon, Bor-Han Chiu, Lin Nguyen, Christine Du, Dr. Minghsun Liu, David Elashoff, Dr. Jenny Kim, Anya Loncaric, Dr. Robert Modlin and Jeff F. Miller of UCLA; Erica Sodergren of Washington University; and Dr. Marie Erfe of LA BioMed.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences, via Newswise.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Sorel Fitz-Gibbon, Shuta Tomida, Bor-Han Chiu, Lin Nguyen, Christine Du, Minghsun Liu, David Elashoff, Marie C Erfe, Anya Loncaric, Jenny Kim, Robert L Modlin, Jeff F Miller, Erica Sodergren, Noah Craft, George M Weinstock, Huiying Li. Propionibacterium acnes Strain Populations in the Human Skin Microbiome Associated with Acne. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/jid.2013.21

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/iBGU6EmqX9Y/130228080135.htm

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Pre-Sequester Pink Slips? Duncan Stretches Impact on Teachers

At the White House today, Education Secretary Arne Duncan sounded the alarm over looming automatic cuts to the nation's school system, warning that as many as 40,000 teachers could lose their jobs with some layoffs already underway.

It's an eye-opening claim, but one not entirely supported by facts.

"Over the next, you know, month or two, you'll see lots of pink slips go out," Duncan said. "That's starting," he added, "it's still really early on."

The secretary told reporters today that in "a couple districts," including Kanawha County, W.Va., Title I and Head Start teachers have already received the bad news that they will be out of work. It's a claim he first made publicly Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation."

"There are literally teachers now who are getting pink slips, who are getting notices that they can't come back this fall," he said at the time.

Experts agree that widespread teacher layoffs could eventually become reality if the package of deep spending cuts known as sequester is allowed to hold. But they say there is little sign a wave of pink slips has begun.

Kanawha County officials told ABC News that no pink slips have been issued this year because of budgetary issues or the sequester, and that no contingency plans have been drawn up in case the automatic cuts do take hold.

"We're just waiting to hear whether these cuts go through and how much money we'll lose," said one administrator, who asked not to be identified.

Pam Padon, director of federal programs and Title 1 for Kanawha County public schools, told the Washington Post that "transfer notices" were sent to 104 teachers, informing them that they may have a new assignment starting next fall, and that some of those transfers could ultimately mean several people lose their jobs.

County officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to ABC News, confirmed the report, but said that those notices were not considered layoffs or pink slips and have nothing to do with sequestration.

The American Association of School Administrators has offered a similar assessment of the current state of play, saying it knows of no sequester-related layoffs among its members. The full scope of necessary layoffs won't be known until local districts assess the budgetary damage from sequester, if it takes effect, and develop plans for the coming school year, officials have said.

A spokesman for the Education Department did not respond to ABC News' request for comment on the secretary's claims. Duncan did qualify his active-layoffs claim with this: "Whether it's all sequester-related, I don't know. But there are teachers who are getting pink slips now."

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pre-sequester-pink-slips-duncan-stretches-impact-teachers-230607622--abc-news-politics.html

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Accra Genius Map A Worthwhile GPS Option

Finding your way around is the kind of thing that any small business needs to succeed, but when there?s no Internet connection around, what?s to be done? Accra Genius Map is ready to help with an offline mapping system that mostly does the job.

Accra Genius Map is geared to work with the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the iPad; all of Apple?s devices will work here as long as they?re packing iOS 4.0 or later, though it?s not specifically optimized for the iPhone 5. But if you?ve got the appropriate device, it?s going to provide a set of offline maps to help users get around.

But it?s not just maps?it?s also packing an offline search service to allow for rapid location of streets, landmarks, placemarks and more. Users can establish their own custom placemark, and share those placemarks around as they see fit.? The newest version?version 2.0?boasts an increased number of placemarks, as well as support for Google Maps and an improved user interface.

The app itself works surprisingly well, with the touchscreen controls proving responsive and easy to work with. Considering that the app itself only costs $.99, it?s easy to say that this will prove a sound idea when it comes to mapping software, and will easily allow you to locate, for example, your car in a parking lot, or various businesses in the immediate area. This gives business users a lot of utility, serving as a market research app, a sales tool, or just a way to figure out where you are in relation to where you want to be. There?s nothing quite so galling as the thought of missing a sale because you were late to a meeting when you couldn?t find the building your potential buyer was located in, and it?s just the kind of thing that GPS navigation software like Accra Genius Maps can help get around.

Naturally, it will never be enough to easily find your way around in an unfamiliar area. Having the appropriate cloud-based telephony tools, like hold queues to better manage the flow of incoming calls and auto attendants to better handle those calls that come in after business hours, will go a long way in keeping a business running.

While the Accra Genius Map isn?t perfect, and it certainly isn?t a match for good communications tools, it?s going to do a sound job in terms of getting users where they need to be and where they want to go. That goes a long way in terms of keeping a small business running.

Related keywords: IDLC, ISDN, PBX, PSTN

Source: http://www.halloo.com/Blog/index.php/accra-genius-map-a-worthwhile-gps-option/

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Microsoft's Office 365 subscription service is now available for businesses

Back when Microsoft released its Office 365 subscription service for home users, it said the business version would be arriving on February 27th. Sure enough, today's the 27th, and Microsoft's issued a press release explaining the pricing for Office 365 ProPlus, Midsize Business and Small Business Premium.

At the least expensive end of the spectrum is ProPlus, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Outlook, Publisher, InfoPath and Access. Like the Home Premium version of Office 365, a user can install the software on up to five devices, though IT controls are of course more of selling point here than they are on the consumer version. That costs $144 per user for a one-year subscription.

Moving on, the medium-sized-business sku costs $180 per user per year, and adds Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Lync Online and a few IT tools. It, too, is based on the same five-device-per-user model as ProPlus. As for the small business version, you get all the basic Office apps, plus email, shared calendars, website tools and videoconferencing. Pricing there is $150 per user per year. Sorry, though, no dice on the five-device, ProPlus thing -- that's not included in the small biz version.

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Source: Microsoft

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/wuE1utgKcmA/

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Instagram Hits 100 Million Monthly Users 28 Months After Launch

Instagram 100 millionFrom just two guys at rented desks to a $715 million sale to Facebook, a second wind on Android and a mess of privacy scares, Instagram today announced 100 million people use it every month to share the way they see the world. The startup hedged its bets by being acquired just as it expanded beyond iOS, but despite what it could have sold for now, there's no disputing Instagram's success.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/udK75gaptgw/

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Donation-Based Program Offers Food Stamps For Pets | The Jane ...

The More You Know

According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, about 46.6 million people received food stamps in 2012. Luckily for struggling citizens, a federal framework is in place to ensure that they receive the help they need ? but when we fall on hard times, what becomes of man?s woman?s?best friend? (by ?best friend,? I of course mean pets, not diamonds, wine, Julie from middle school with whom you got matching belly button rings, Jennifer Lawrence, pizza, or that girl you talk to on the White Collar message boards. Feasibly they could get by without you).

Pet Food Stamps is a donation-based program in New York committed to helping low-income families and food stamp recipients feed their pets. Open to anyone in the United States, the program has signed up more than 45,000 pets in the past two weeks. Program founder and director Marc Okan explained that Pet Food Stamps supplies participants with monthly food packages from retailer Pet Food Direct after verifying their incomes. The shipments last for six months.

?We?re not looking for government funding at this point,? Okon said. ?Should the government be willing to provide assistance further down the line, we will look into it.? Owners in need can obtain Pet Food Stamps through an online application. At the moment, the program is still waiting for its nonprofit approval.

A food stamp program for pets isn?t such a ridiculous idea: when an individual is struggling to meet their own needs, a once-beloved companion can seem like a frivolous expense and rather quickly become a burden. Most low-income pet owners are forced to drop their animals off at overcrowded shelters where they are usually put to sleep. Pet Food Stamps fills a fairly big void in the federal food stamps program and we are all about it. Keep on feeding those cute animals, Pet Food Stamps!

?With that said, the idea of animals receiving food stamps is a little funny. Just picture it: a line of cats in ol? timey, Depression-era fedoras and coats waiting for soup; hamsters dressed like Dickensian street urchins offering to sweep your chimney for a tuppence; a dirt-smudged dog putting down his empty bowl of gruel, saying, ?Please, sir, I want some more.? It is only a matter of time before this issue splits the pet nation down party lines. The GOP (Grand Old Pets) will rail against the government for giving out hand outs; rapper Ol? Dirty Boxer will release an album that uses his benefit card as a cover. Oliver and Company won?t have prepared you for this.

TAGS: food stamps | pets | welfare

Source: http://www.thejanedough.com/donation-based-program-offers-food-stamps-for-pets/

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Stringer wins 900th as Rutgers tops South Florida

Rutgers' Betnijah Laney (44) grabs for the ball in front of South Florida's Andrea Smith during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Piscataway, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Rutgers' Betnijah Laney (44) grabs for the ball in front of South Florida's Andrea Smith during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Piscataway, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

South Florida's Inga Orekhova, right, of Ukraine, looks to take a shot as Rutgers' Betnijah Laney blocks her path during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013, in Piscataway, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

(AP) ? C. Vivian Stringer became the fourth women's college basketball coach to reach 900 wins as Rutgers cruised past South Florida 68-56 on Tuesday night.

Stringer, a Hall of Famer in her 42nd season as head coach, reached the milestone thanks to Erica Wheeler, who scored 24 points to help the Scarlet Knights (15-12, 6-8 Big East) snap a four-game losing streak.

Stringer joined Pat Summitt, Jody Conradt and Sylvia Hatchell, who reached the mark on Feb. 7. Only three Division I men's coaches have reached 900 victories ? Mike Krzyzewski, Bob Knight and Jim Boeheim.

"I am fortunate to call Vivian my friend and could not be happier that she has reached the 900-win milestone in her career. I have great respect and admiration for Vivian and consider her one of the great pioneers of our game," Summitt said in a statement. "She has had an incredible journey, and I hope she adds many more to her 'W' column!"

As the game ended, a crowd of 1,304 at the Rutgers Athletic Center saluted Stringer with chants of "900" and "C.V.S." and Scarlet Knights Athletics Director Tim Pernetti was among the first to greet her with a congratulatory banner.

Rutgers had lost four straight games since beating Cincinnati for Stringer's 899th career victory. Stringer is 900-330 in her career.

Betnijah Laney added 20 points, nine rebounds and four assists for the Scarlet Knights. Laney and Wheeler had six points apiece and Syessence Davis made a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer as the Scarlet Knights used a 17-6 closing run to go into intermission with a 35-24 advantage.

Rachel Hollivay scored six of her eight points after the break for Rutgers, which didn't allow South Florida (19-8, 8-6) within eight points in the second half.

The Bulls, who saw their three-game winning streak snapped, were led by Courtney Williams' 15 points.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-26-BKW-South-Florida-Rutgers/id-2681799d1bf543528fd80d097c8e639a

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Russia meteor's origin tracked down

The BBC's Daniel Sandford said people described a ball of fire in the sky (First broadcast 15 Feb 2013)

Astronomers have traced the origin of a meteor that injured about 1,000 people after breaking up over central Russia earlier this month.

Using amateur video footage, they were able to plot the meteor's trajectory through Earth's atmosphere and then reconstruct its orbit around the Sun.

As the space rock burned up over the city of Chelyabinsk, the shockwave blew out windows and rocked buildings.

The team, from Colombia, has published details on the Arxiv website.

Numerous videos of the fireball were taken with camera phones, CCTV and car-dashboard cameras and subsequently shared widely on the web. Furthermore, traffic camera footage of the fireball had precise time and date stamps.

Early estimates of the meteor's mass put it at ten tonnes; US space agency Nasa later estimated it to be between 7,000 and 10,000 tonnes. Nasa estimates the size of the object was about 17m (55ft).

Using the footage and the location of an impact into Lake Chebarkul, Jorge Zuluaga and Ignacio Ferrin, from the University of Antioquia in Medellin were able to use simple trigonometry to calculate the height, speed and position of the rock as it fell to Earth.

To reconstruct the meteor's original orbit around the Sun, they used six different properties of its trajectory through Earth's atmosphere. Most of these are related to the point at which the meteor becomes bright enough to cast a noticeable shadow in the videos.

The researchers then plugged their figures into astronomy software developed by the US Naval Observatory.

The results suggest the meteor belongs to a well known family of space rocks - known as the Apollo asteroids - that cross Earth's orbit.

Of about 9,700 near-Earth asteroids discovered so far, about 5,200 are thought to be Apollos. Asteroids are divided into different groups such as Apollo, Aten, or Amor, based on the type of orbit they have.

Dr Stephen Lowry, from the University of Kent, said the team had done well to publish so quickly.

"It certainly looks like it was a member of the Apollo class of asteroids," he told BBC News.

"Its elliptical, low inclination orbit, indicates a solar system origin, most likely from the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Dr Lowry added: "Perhaps with more data, we can determine roughly where in the asteroid belt it come from."

Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21579422#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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MYO senses your muscles, brings yet another way to control devices (video)

MYO senses your muscles, brings yet another way to control devices

With visions of Minority Report, many a user's hoped to control gadgets by wildly waving at a Kinect like a symphony conductor. Now there's another way to make your friends laugh at you thanks to the Thalmic Labs' MYO armband, which senses motion and electrical activity in your muscles to let you control your computer or other device via Bluetooth 4.0. The company says its proprietary sensor can detect signals right down to individual fingers before you even move them, which -- coupled with an extremely sensitive 6-axis motion detector -- makes for a highly responsive experience. Feedback to the user is given through haptics in the device, which also packs an ARM processor and onboard Lithium-Ion batteries. MYO is now up for a limited pre-order with Thalmic saying you won't be charged until it ships near year's end, while developers can also grab the API. If you're willing to risk some ridicule to be first on the block to grab one, hit the source.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/26/MYO-armband-muscle-control/

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Samsung picks Apple?s pocket, ends up with Wallet [video]

Feb 27 (Reuters) - Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki suffered one of her worst career defeats when she bowed out of the Malaysia Open to 186th-ranked Chinese qualifier Qiang Wang on Wednesday. The Dane, top seed at the event in Kuala Lumpur, cruised through the opening set of her first round clash and had a match point in the second before going down 2-6 7-6 6-1. Qualifier Wang, 21, allowed Wozniacki only one point in the second set tiebreak as she levelled the match and rolled through the decider to claim her biggest careeer win. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/samsung-picks-apple-pocket-ends-wallet-video-140053978.html

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Tenet swings to profit as hospital visits rise

(Reuters) - Tenet Healthcare Corp on Tuesday reported a fourth-quarter profit versus a year-ago loss as outpatient hospital visits increased and said it sees health reform next year will have a positive impact on earnings.

An estimated 26 million people, many of them now uninsured, are expected to obtain coverage through health insurance exchanges being set up under the U.S. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Tenet, the No. 3 for-profit U.S. hospital chain, said it has traditionally served a larger number of uninsured patients than other publicly traded chains. This burden is expected to diminish as those patients are insured through the exchanges, beginning in 2014.

"We see a lot of upside in our markets," Tenet Chief Executive Trevor Fetter said on a conference call.

Fetter said Tenet recently signed its first contracts with three Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans for health insurance to be sold through the exchanges, covering about 30 percent of its hospitals. The plans have a similar structure as its commercial contracts, with a pricing discount of less than 10 percent from current rates.

"Where we have accepted any discount at all, it is for additional market share," Fetter said.

Tenet posted fourth-quarter earnings of $49 million, or 45 cents a share, compared with a loss of $76 million, or 70 cents a share, a year earlier, when the company took a large charge for the early retirement of debt.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) increased 16.7 percent to $336 million. Net operating revenue rose 7.3 percent to $2.33 billion.

Tenet reiterated its outlook for 2013 EBITDA of $1.325 billion to $1.425 billion.

In the fourth quarter, Dallas-based Tenet said adjusted patient admissions rose 2.9 percent, with outpatient visits up 7.3 percent and outpatient surgeries climbing 13.9 percent. Total admissions were flat, while emergency room visits increased 8.6 percent.

Uninsured and charity admissions rose 1.1 percent. Bad debt expenses as a percentage of revenue was 7.9 percent, up from 7.7 percent from a year ago, as more uninsured patients sought treatment, Tenet said.

Tenet shares were down 1.4 percent at $37.12 on the New York Stock Exchange.

(Reporting by Susan Kelly in Chicago; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick, Maureen Bavdek and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tenet-swings-profit-outpatient-visits-rise-134540702--sector.html

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Air balloon in Egypt falls 1,000 feet, killing 18

LUXOR, Egypt (AP) ? A hot air balloon flying over Egypt's ancient city of Luxor caught fire and crashed into a sugar cane field on Tuesday, killing at least 18 foreign tourists, a security official said.

It was one of the worst accidents involving tourists in Egypt and likely to push the key tourism industry deeper into recession.

The casualties included French, British, Belgian, Hungarian, Japanese nationals and nine tourists from Hong Kong, Luxor Governor Ezzat Saad told reporters.

Three survivors of the crash ? two British tourists and one Egyptian ? were taken to a local hospital. Egypt's civil aviation minister, Wael el-Maadawi, suspended hot air balloon flights and flew to Luxor to lead the investigation into the crash.

According to the Egyptian security official, the balloon carrying at least 20 tourists was flying over Luxor early Tuesday when it caught fire, which triggered an explosion in its gas canister, then plunged at least 300 meters (1,000 feet) from the sky.

The balloon crashed into a sugar cane field outside al-Dhabaa village just west of Luxor, 510 kilometers (320 miles) south of Cairo, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Bodies of the dead tourists were scattered across the field around the remnants of the balloon. An Associated Press reporter at the crash site counted eight bodies as they were put into body bags and taken away. The security official said all 18 bodies have been recovered.

The security official said foul play has been ruled out. He also said initial reports of 19 dead were revised to 18 as confusion is common in the aftermath of such accidents.

An official with the state prosecutor's office said initial findings show that the accident occurred when the pilot's landing cable was caught around a helium tube. He spoke anonymously because the investigation is ongoing.

The head of Japan Travel Bureau's Egypt branch, Atsushi Imaeda, confirmed that four Japanese died in the crash. He said two were a couple in their 60s from Tokyo. Details on the other two were not immediately available.

In Hong Kong, a travel agency said nine of the tourists that were aboard the balloon were natives of the semiautonomous Chinese city. There was a "very big chance that all nine have perished," said Raymond Ng, a spokesman for the agency. The nine, he said, included five women and four men from three families.

They were traveling with six other Hong Kong residents on a 10-day tour of Egypt.

Ng said an escort of the nine tourists watched the balloon from the ground catching fire around 7 a.m. and plunging to the ground two minutes later.

In Britain, tour operator Thomas Cook confirmed that two British tourists were dead and two were in hospital.

"What happened in Luxor this morning is a terrible tragedy and the thoughts of everyone in Thomas Cook are with our guests, their family and friends," said Peter Fankhauser, CEO of Thomas Cook UK & Continental Europe.

"We have a very experienced team in resort with the two guests in the local hospital, and we're providing our full support to the family and friends of the deceased at this difficult time," he said.

In Paris, a diplomatic official said French tourists were among those involved in the accident, but would give no details on how many, or whether French citizens were among those killed.

Speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to be publicly named according to government policy, the official said French authorities were working with their Egyptian counterparts to clarify what happened. French media reports said two French tourists were among the dead but the official wouldn't confirm that.

Hot air ballooning, usually at sunrise over the famed Karnak and Luxor temples as well as the Valley of the Kings, is a popular pastime for tourists visiting the area. Tickets for a hot air balloon ride per person are around 200 Egyptian pounds, or roughly $30.

The site of the accident has seen past crashes. In 2009, 16 tourists were injured when their balloon struck a cellphone transmission tower. A year earlier, seven tourists were injured in a similar crash.

Egypt's tourism industry has been decimated since the 2011 uprising and the political turmoil that followed and continues to this day. Luxor's hotels are currently about 25 percent full in what is supposed to be the peak of the winter season.

Scared off by the turmoil and tenuous security following the uprising, the number of tourists coming to Egypt fell to 9.8 million in 2011 from 14.7 million the year before, and revenues plunged 30 percent to $8.8 billion.

Magda Fawzi, whose company operates four luxury Nile River cruise boats to Luxor, said she expects the accident will lead to tourist cancellations. Tour guide Hadi Salama said he expects Tuesday's accident to hurt the eight hot air balloon companies operating in Luxor, but that it may not directly affect tourism to the Nile Valley city.

Poverty swelled at the country's fastest rate in Luxor, which is highly dependent on visitors to its monumental temples and the tombs of King Tutankhamun and other pharaohs. In 2011, 39 percent of its population lived on less than $1 a day, compared to 18 percent in 2009, according to government figures.

In August, Egypt's Islamist President Mohammed Morsi flew to Luxor to encourage tourism there, about a month after he took office and vowed that Egypt was safe for tourists.

"Egypt is safer than before, and is open for all," he said in remarks carried by the official MENA news agency at the time. He was referring to the security situation following the 2011 ouster of autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak.

Deadly accidents caused by poor management and a decrepit infrastructure have taken place since Morsi took office. In January, 19 Egyptian conscripts died when their rickety train jumped the track. In November, 49 kindergarteners were killed when their school bus crashed into a speeding train because the railway guard failed to close the crossing.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's most powerful political force and Morsi's base of support, blames accidents on a culture of negligence fostered by Mubarak.

___

Associated Press writers Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong, Jill Lawless in London and Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hot-air-balloon-crash-egypt-kills-18-foreigners-091122549.html

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C. Everett Koop, former surgeon general, dies at 96 (Washington Post)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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New Zeland police hunt giant killer great white shark

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A New Zealand man was attacked and killed by a great white shark on Wednesday in a rare fatal shark incident in the country, prompting police to open fire.

Police said they fired shots at the shark after a man was fatally bitten at Muriwai beach located around 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Auckland, one of many beaches dotted along the North Island's west coast that are known for their wild surf.

Rescue crews were quoted by local media as saying the shark was a "white pointer", commonly known as a great white, measuring roughly 4 meters (13 feet) long. Witnesses said a rescue helicopter also fired shots at the shark.

"We saw the shark fin, and the next minute, boom, the attack came. There was blood everywhere on the water," eye witness Pio Mosie was quoted by local news website Stuff.co.nz as saying.

"They fired six or seven shots to the shark, three from the police helicopter and a few shots from the lifeguard. I don't know if they killed the shark or not," he added.

The head of the local volunteer lifeguard service was quoted as saying they had confirmed that "one or two" sharks were spotted, but none had been seen since the man's body was removed from the water.

Shark attacks are rare in New Zealand, where water sports and beach holidays are a rite of summer. More than 60 shark species are known to swim in the country's waters.

Fourteen fatal attacks have been reported since records began around 1837, according to the country's Department of Conservation, which added that non-fatal shark attacks average roughly two each year.

The last attack linked with a death was in 2009, when a kayaker was mauled by a great white in the nearby Coromandel Peninsula, although whether the victim drowned before the attack has been disputed.

According to the International Shark Attack File, 11 shark fatalities were reported last year, including three in Australia and South Africa, nearly tripling the average annual number of fatalities for 2001 to 2010.

(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu, editing by Elaine Lies)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/zealand-man-fatally-attacked-shark-police-open-fire-111439376.html

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Gun Control Proposals Separated Into Four Bills, Suggesting Democratic Strategy


* Proposals broken into four bills to improve odds for some
* Strategy suggests ban on assault weapons unlikely to pass
* Senate committee to vote as early as Thursday
By Thomas Ferraro
WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's fellow Democrats in the U.S. Senate have spread his gun-control proposals across four bills in an effort to get at least some of the less controversial measures - such as expanded background checks for gun buyers - passed into law.
The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote as early as Thursday on the bills, which together amount to an acknowledgement by Democrats that a ban on military-style "assault" weapons is unlikely to clear Congress.
The proposed ban on assault weapons makes up one of the four gun-control bills, all of which are likely to be approved by the Democrat-led Judiciary Committee and be considered by the full Senate, congressional aides said Tuesday.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, will decide how to package the measures for a vote on the Senate floor.
By breaking Obama's gun-control agenda into pieces, supporters hope to avoid having a less popular proposal such as the assault weapons ban contribute to the rejection of other proposals, aides said.
The proposed ban, introduced by Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, has drawn opposition from Republicans and some Democrats. It will be the focus of a Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday.
"We are taking a pragmatic approach that is designed to maximize our options," a senior Democratic aide said.
The four bills now before the Judiciary Committee include one introduced by Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the panel's chairman, that would crack down on illegal gun trafficking.
Another bill, by California Senator Barbara Boxer, is designed to increase school safety.
A bill, still being finalized, would call for "universal" background checks for all prospective gun buyers. Currently, only about 40 percent of buyers are screened for previous crimes or mental illness.
Feinstein's proposal, targets assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips like those used in the Dec. 14 massacre at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, that left 20 children and six adults dead - and inspired the current action on gun control.

'NO WAY' ON ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
Wednesday's hearing is likely be the latest in a series of dramatic Capitol Hill hearings to reflect the passion surrounding the debate over gun control.
Those scheduled to testify include the father of one of the students killed in Newtown, and a doctor who was in a local emergency room when victims of the shootings were brought in.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said Democrats "are trying to create political theater" with the hearing, and that there is no way an assault weapons ban will become law.
"It faces bipartisan opposition," he said.
Even so, all four of the gun-control bills are widely expected to sent to the full Senate on party-line votes of 10-8, Senate aides said.
But to clear procedural roadblocks from Republicans on the Senate floor, the measures will need 60 votes in the 100-member Senate, where Democrats and independents who support them account for 55 seats and Republicans hold 45.
There have been calls from those in both parties for expanded background checks in an effort to keep firearms out of the hands of convicted criminals and the mentally ill.
But a bipartisan deal has not yet been struck despite weeks of talks among four senators - Democrats Charles Schumer of New York and Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republicans Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Mark Kirk of Illinois.
"It is the one thing we think can really pass, and we don't yet have an agreement on it," a Senate aide said.
On Tuesday, Coburn said, "We're still talking." (Editing by David Lindsey and Cynthia Osterman)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/26/gun-control-proposals_n_2769133.html

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PFT: Raiders want to chop down Palmer's pay

350x-1AP

Last year, the NFL stripped $36 million in cap space from the Redskins, who along with the Cowboys apparently took the term ?uncapped year? too literally in 2010.

In response, the Redskins employed half-measures to recover the cap dollars, filing a grievance under the labor deal that did nothing other than stir up a cockeyed collusion claim from the NFLPA.

This year, with half of the penalty due to hit the 2013 salary cap, the Redskins could be opting for a more complete assault on the league?s position.? Or at least threatening it.

According to Mark Maske and Mike Jones of the Washington Post, the Redskins are spreading the word in Indianapolis that they?re considering legal action aimed at delaying the start of free agency while litigation proceeds regarding the question of whether the Redskins? legal rights were violated.? The Redskins are telling agents that any contract talks will be delayed until the situation is resolved.

If the Redskins proceed, it would be a big deal.? And if they delay the start of free agency until their claims are resolved, it would be a huge deal.

We addressed the situation a couple of weeks ago, reporting that the Redskins were still upset about the situation but explaining that their options are limited.? They could bebluffing about going to court in order to get, for example, half of their cap money back (i.e., the $18 million that would apply to this year?s cap).? But the NFL could choose to call their bluff and go to court.

Either way, Daniel Snyder could be inching toward ground previously occupied by the late Al Davis:? Snyder could soon be suing his partners.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/25/raiders-to-try-to-chop-down-carson-palmers-salary/related/

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Senate confirmation of public insurance counsel delayed | Trail ...

Senate confirmation of Public Insurance Counsel Deeia Beck was put on hold Monday as the Senate Nominations Committee approved a list of gubernatorial appointees ? but left Beck?s nomination pending. The other appointees will be voted on by the full Senate later this week. Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, had asked the committee to delay Beck?s confirmation until she met with Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, to resolve differences over a bill Hancock filed to abolish the Office of Public Insurance Counsel.

At a nominations committee meeting last week, Fraser suggested Hancock was ?stood up? at a meeting he was supposed to have with Beck, but she denied that a meeting was ever scheduled. However, she subsequently met with Hancock and has talked with other senators to clear potential roadblocks to her confirmation, which requires a two-thirds vote of the upper chamber. Beck has generally received good marks for her job of representing homeowners and small businesses before the Texas Department of Insurance.

At a hearing last week, Beck was asked whether she had endorsed Hancock?s opponent in the GOP primary last year. She replied that she did not. Beck, a former Fort Worth lawyer, has been the state?s Public Insurance Counsel since her appointment by Gov. Rick Perry in August of 2008. The bill to abolish her agency was filed days after she moved to block a 20 percent increase in home insurance rates by State Farm, the largest property insurer in Texas.

This entry was posted in Issues, Legislature 2013 by Terrence Stutz/Reporter. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/02/senate-confirmation-of-public-insurance-counsel-delayed.html/

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Andy Rubin: Google Has ?No Plans? To Launch Retail Stores

google-storefront-closedIn a roundtable discussion with reporters today, Google's head of Android Andy Rubin came right out and flatly denied the search giant was considering the launch of retail locations. "Google has no plans and we have nothing to announce," Rubin was reported as as saying by AllThingsD's Ina Fried. Curiously, Rubin's explanation for why Google doesn't need stores was basically the exact opposite of argument from third-party observers about why it does.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/fr4VF0K6rZM/

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Can Therapy Dogs Help Kids With Autism? - Health News and ...

black lab2 Can Therapy Dogs Help Kids With Autism?

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) ? For children with autism, trained dogs may offer not only a furry friend, but some therapeutic benefits, too, a new research review finds.

There is a ?substantial body of evidence? that dogs act as ?social catalysts,? even encouraging adults to be a little friendlier to each other, said senior researcher Francesca Cirulli, of the National Institute of Health in Rome, Italy. And the few studies that have focused on kids with autism suggest the same is true for them.

People have long turned to animals as a way to help with health conditions or disabilities ? either as part of formal therapy or to offer everyday assistance (such as guide dogs for the blind).

In some cases, ?therapy? or ?service? dogs are called into action to help children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) ? a group of developmental brain disorders that hinder a child?s ability to communicate and interact socially. ASDs range from the severe cases of ?classic? autism to the relatively mild form called Asperger?s syndrome.

In the United States, it?s estimated that about one in 88 children has some form of autism.

Yet there has been little research into whether trained dogs actually benefit those kids. The good news is, the existing evidence is promising, according to the new review, published in the February issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

However, ?it is early to draw final conclusions,? said Cirulli.

Specifically, Cirulli?s team found six published studies of dogs? effects on children with an autism spectrum disorder. Four of them looked at therapy dogs ? dogs that therapists use during formal sessions to help children settle in, get engaged and be more open to communicating.

Overall, the studies were positive, Cirulli and her colleagues found.

In one study of 22 children, for example, kids were more talkative and socially engaged during therapy sessions where a dog was present. In another study, of 12 boys, the children were less aggressive and smiled more when their therapy session included a canine companion.

Two studies focused on service dogs ? trained dogs that live with the family. The animals serve mainly to keep kids with autism safe; when the family goes out, the child will be literally tethered to the dog to keep from running off or getting hurt.

?That can be a huge relief for families,? said Dr. Melissa Nishawala, medical director of the Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinical and Research Program at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City.

Parents? anxiety over their child?s safety can lead to social isolation in some cases, noted Nishawala, who was not involved in the study. ?Your world can get very small,? she said, ?because you limit where you go.?

So a service dog can make a big difference to the whole family, Nishawala said.

Cirulli?s team found that service dogs might also benefit children?s behavior. In the two studies they reviewed, parents generally said their children were better behaved and more attentive after the family got a service dog.

There are still plenty of questions, though ? about both therapy dogs and service dogs.

For one, children with an autism spectrum disorder vary widely in the types of issues they have and their severity. No one is sure which kids might benefit most from time with a trained pooch, Nishawala noted.

She said more studies are needed ? not only larger ones, but also ones with better ?definitions.? That means making sure the children involved have been formally diagnosed with a form of autism, defining what the ?therapy? is, and being clear about what outcomes the study is assessing.

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that a dog could help bring a child with autism out of his shell, said Nishawala, but scientific evidence is just coming in.

Cirulli agreed that better defined studies are key.

It?s possible, Cirulli noted, that a dog could have negative effects on some kids with an autism spectrum disorder. An animal might, for instance, increase ?hyper? behavior.

For parents wondering whether adopting a dog is a good idea, the answer seems to be, ?It depends.?

Cirulli pointed out that these studies focused on dogs trained to be around children with autism. So the findings cannot be assumed to apply to your average Fido.

You might first want to see how your child reacts to a friend?s or neighbor?s dog, Cirulli suggested.

?Getting a dog could be a nice thing for the family,? Nishawala agreed. ?It could be therapeutic for everyone.?

If you are interested in a trained service dog, be prepared for an investment. It costs about $20,000 to train a dog, and the family would have to foot much of that bill.

More information

Autism Service Dogs of America has more on which kids might benefit from a canine companion.

HEALTHDAY Web XSmall Can Therapy Dogs Help Kids With Autism?

Source: http://news.health.com/2013/02/26/can-therapy-dogs-help-kids-with-autism/

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