Saints' Vilma, Smith attend Williams hearing

New Orleans Saints football linebacker Jonathan Vilma arrives at an attorney's office in Washington, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, for a session of the pay-for-pain bounty system with the New Orleans Saints. Friday's session is part of the latest round of player appeals overseen by former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

New Orleans Saints football linebacker Jonathan Vilma arrives at an attorney's office in Washington, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, for a session of the pay-for-pain bounty system with the New Orleans Saints. Friday's session is part of the latest round of player appeals overseen by former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue arrives at an attorney's office in Washington, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, to take part in a hearing of the pay-for-pain bounty system with the New Orleans Saints. Friday's session is part of the latest round of player appeals overseen by former Tagliabue. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

FILE - In this Sept. 1, 2011 file photo, then-New Orleans Saints football team defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is seen at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and lawyers for the league and the players' union have arrived on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday for a hearing in the Saints bounties case. Tagliabue is overseeing the latest round of player appeals in Washington. Williams has been suspended from the league. (AP Photo/Bill Haber, File)

New Orleans Saints football defensive end Will Smith, left, and linebacker Jonathan Vilma arrive at an attorney's office in Washington, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, for a hearing on their appeals of bounties suspensions. Friday's session is part of the latest round of player appeals overseen by former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Saints defensive end Will Smith says he's glad he got a chance to hear former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams testify at an appeals hearing in the bounties case.

Smith and New Orleans linebacker Jonathan Vilma attended Friday's session, where Williams was cross-examined by the players' lawyers for about four hours.

Smith described the hearing as "peaceful" and "not awkward."

Smith and Vilma ? along with two former Saints, free-agent defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and Cleveland Browns linebacker Scott Fujita ? were suspended by the NFL for the Saints' cash-for-hits program that the league says Williams ran from 2009 to 2011.

Smith, suspended four games, and Vilma, suspended for the entire current season, have been playing while their appeals are pending. Smith later had his suspension reduced to three games.

Smith and Vilma declined to discuss any details of Friday's hearing. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue has insisted on keeping the contents of the appeals process private. The hearings this week have been behind closed doors.

"Paul wants to keep it under wraps, keep everything low-key ... so not really much I can say right now," Vilma said

Neither player was required to attend Friday, but as he left, Vilma said: "Of course it felt good being able to go in there."

Vilma said it was the first time he had seen Williams since the end of last season in January.

"We got to hear what Gregg had to say," Smith said. "We wanted to make sure we were there just to hear him out."

Right from the start, the NFL said Williams was in charge of a pay-for-pain bounty system with the New Orleans Saints.

The former defensive coordinator ? who told the league about others' involvement ? was being cross-examined Friday by lawyers for players appealing their suspensions in the case.

"We know what we did and know what we didn't do," Smith said.

The hearing is part of the latest round of player appeals overseen by Tagliabue. Former Saints assistant coach Mike Cerullo faced questions Thursday, when lawyers for the league and for players spent more than nine hours in a Washington office building.

Tagliabue and various lawyers declined to comment Thursday or Friday.

Vilma and Smith traveled to Washington after playing in New Orleans' 23-13 loss at Atlanta on Thursday night.

The NFL has described Vilma and Smith as ringleaders of a performance pool designed to knock targeted opponents out of games. The league has sworn statements from Williams and Cerullo saying Vilma offered $10,000 to anyone who knocked quarterback Brett Favre out of the NFC championship game at the end of the 2009 season.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued the initial suspensions, which also included a full-season ban for Saints head coach Sean Payton.

Lawsuits brought by Vilma and the NFL Players Association to challenge Goodell's handling of the case, including his decision in October to appoint Tagliabue as the arbitrator for the appeals, are pending in federal court in New Orleans.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Ginger Berrigan gave the parties until Monday to answer questions about whether the NFL's collective bargaining agreement prevents a commissioner from handing out discipline for legal contact, and whether the CBA's passages about detrimental conduct are "ambiguous, hence unenforceable."

In March, the NFL announced that its investigation showed the Saints put together a bounty pool of up to $50,000 to reward game-ending injuries inflicted on opponents. "Knockouts" were worth $1,500 and "cart-offs" $1,000 ? with payments doubled or tripled for the playoffs, the league said.

According to the league, the pay-for-pain program was administered by Williams, with Payton's knowledge. At the time, Williams apologized for his role, saying: "It was a terrible mistake, and we knew it was wrong while we were doing it."

Later that month, Payton became the first head coach suspended by the league for any reason ? banned for all of this season without pay ? and Williams was suspended indefinitely.

Williams was known for his aggressive, physical defenses as a coordinator for Tennessee, Washington, Jacksonville and New Orleans, and during his time as head coach of Buffalo. In January, he was hired by St. Louis to lead their defense.

___

Connect with Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

___

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Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-11-30-Saints-Bounties%20Hearings/id-1e2eb835e3fe48a2a182ea4c5b4caaa0

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Five-Star Match of the Week: Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar - WWE Championship Match, No Way Out 2004

Every Wednesday, WWE Classics and Greatest Matches team up with your favorite Superstars to bring you the Five-Star Match of the Week. We ask a Superstar in the WWE locker room to select one of the greatest wrestling matches of all time, and WWE.com brings you that full-length match, uncut.

As the United States Champion, Antonio Cesaro?s Five-Star Match of the Week was no shocker.

?Eddie Guerrero vs. Brock Lesnar from No Way Out 2004,? Cesaro announced.

The main event bout, one month prior to WrestleMania XX, resulted in the crowning of Guerrero as WWE Champion. Latino Heat was one of the finest Superstars to hold the United States Title in both WCW and WWE. Perhaps seeing Guerrero win the big one speaks to the arrogant European?s own championship aspirations. (MORE EDDIE)

?I picked this match because I just saw it recently before I debuted here in WWE,? Cesaro explained. ?It?s just an awesome match. I think it might get overlooked sometimes, but that match just shows how awesome Eddie Guerrero was and how good Brock Lesnar was as well.?

Lesnar was defending the title with hopes of headlining his second consecutive WrestleMania. While the matchup of Brock and Eddie might seem like a clash of styles, the competitors put on an amazing athletic showcase. (MORE LESNAR)

?It?s so good and the story is so well told, you just get into it every single time,? the United States Champion said. ?You can see how the crowd is quiet watching it at first and by the end, everybody?s on their feet.?

With the referee incapacitated, Lesnar?s rival Goldberg inserted himself into the battle and the lying, cheating and stealing Guerrero was happy to have the help. After Goldberg?s interference, Eddie nailed his signature Frog Splash to pin the champion and win the WWE Title.

?The victory celebration of Eddie makes it at the end,? Cesaro said. ?That just puts the dot on the ?i,? as we say in Switzerland.? (MORE CESARO)

(WWE CLASSICS | WWE GREATEST MATCHES)

PREVIOUS FIVE-STAR MATCHES:
Oct. 3, 2012: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania XII
Oct. 10, 2012: Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero, Halloween Havoc 1997
Oct. 17, 2012: Ric Flair vs. Terry Funk, Clash of the Champions IX: New York Knockout
Oct. 24, 2012: CM Punk vs. John Cena, Money in the Bank 2011
Oct. 31, 2012: Randy Savage vs. Ted DiBiase, WrestleMania IV
Nov. 7, 2012: Bret Hart vs. The British Bulldog, SummerSlam 1992
Nov. 14, 2012: Razor Ramon vs. Shawn Michaels, WrestleMania X
Nov. 21, 2012: The Hart Foundation vs. The British Bulldogs, Madison Square Garden

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Source: http://www.wwe.com/classics/five-star-match-eddie-guerrero-brock-lesnar

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Totalmovie Announces Internet-Based Live ... - Herald Online

MEXICO CITY, Nov. 28, 2012 ? /PRNewswire/ -- Totalmovie, a Grupo Salinas company, and a leader in online premium on-demand video entertainment, plans to launch one of the first global Internet-based live television service in early 2013. ?The combined on-demand and live television service will be available to consumers on multiple platforms including Web (www.totalmovie.com) and Internet-connected devices including TVs, mobile phones, tablets, streaming players and video gaming consoles.

Totalmovie is signing up strategic distribution partners in order to expedite the rollout of its over-the-top (OTT) service in major emerging markets worldwide. These partners include major telecommunications companies, Internet service providers and Pay-TV firms around the world.

Initial distribution partners of the service include RACSA in Central America and Iusacell in Mexico. The service will provide a selection of news, children, sports and general interest programming, including Azteca channels from Mexico.

Totalmovie and Sony also announced an agreement through which Sony will offer in Latin America a pre-loaded Totalmovie application on its Internet connected TV, PlayStation 3 consoles, Blu-Ray players and home theaters products. The agreement is effective immediately for Mexico, Brazil and ?20 other countries in the region.

The Totalmovie application will allow users unlimited access to the extensive Totalmovie catalog of hit Hollywood movies and television series for only US$7.99 per month.

The public signing of the agreement was presided by Ricardo Salinas Pliego, Grupo Salinas Chairman, Takayuki Suzuki, President of Sony Mexico and Samer Salameh, Executive President of Totalmovie.

"This partnership is a winning formula for us, as we expand the horizon of fun and entertainment options for the consumer," said Takayuki Suzuki, President of Sony Mexico.

Totalmovie remains at the forefront of offering innovative OTT solutions with a firm commitment to delivering "anytime, anyplace" premium video entertainment to consumers. Totalmovie currently has almost 2.0M registered users, and gets 5.0M unique visitors to its Web site every month, making it the second-largest premium on-demand video service in Latin America.

About Totalmovie

A Grupo Salinas company and world leader in over-the-top (OTT) video entertainment, Totalmovie (www.totalmovie.com) is Latin America's first legal premium video online streaming service. Launched in July 2011, Totalmovie.com now operates in over 40 countries across Latin America, and has quickly become the second largest online video service in the region.

The Totalmovie service offers subscribers thousands of hours of streaming entertainment including movies, regional content and television series, and soon live linear television channels, for a small monthly subscription fee. The services can be enjoyed on PCs, Blue-Ray players, iPads, Android tablets, Internet TV's, Play Station 3 and Smartphones. ?(For more information, please visit www.totalmovie.com)

About Grupo Salinas

Grupo Salinas (www.gruposalinas.com) is a group of dynamic, fast growing, and technologically advanced companies focused on creating shareholder value, building the Mexican middle class, and improving society through excellence. Created by Mexican entrepreneur Ricardo B. Salinas (www.ricardosalinas.com), Grupo Salinas operates as a management development and decision forum for the top leaders of member companies. These companies include: TV Azteca (www.tvazteca.com.mx; irtvazteca.com), Azteca America (www.aztecaamerica.com), Grupo Elektra (www.grupoelektra.com.mx), Banco Azteca (www.bancoazteca.com.mx), Afore Azteca (www.aforeazteca.com.mx), Advance America (www.advanceamerica.net), Seguros Azteca (www.segurosazteca.com.mx), ?Grupo Iusacell (www.iusacell.com) and Totalmovie (www.totalmovie.com). Each of the Grupo Salinas companies operates independently, with its own management, board of directors and shareholders. Grupo Salinas has no equity holdings.

Grupo Salinas media contact: Daniel McCosh +52 (55) 1720-0059 dmccosh@gruposalinas.com

Total Movie business inquiries: Cecilia Ruiz +1 310 745 2025 ceci@totalmovie.com

SOURCE Totalmovie; Grupo Salinas

Source: http://www.heraldonline.com/2012/11/28/4446726/totalmovie-announces-internet.html

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New blow for Rice: Moderate senator voices concern

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A moderate Republican senator, vital to any White House hopes of getting U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice confirmed as secretary of state, said Wednesday she couldn't back any nomination until more questions are answered about the deadly Sept. 11 attack in Libya and Rice's State Department role during the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing in Kenya.

In a fresh suggestion of eroding GOP support for Rice, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine emerged from a 90-minute, closed-door meeting with the ambassador voicing new criticism of her initial account about Libya. Collins also questioned what Rice, the assistant secretary of state for African Affairs in the Clinton administration, knew about requests for enhanced embassy security before the Nairobi truck bombing.

Pressed on how she would vote if President Barack Obama names Rice to succeed Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Collins said, "I would need to have additional information before I could support her nomination."

At the White House, Obama called Rice "extraordinary" and said he couldn't be prouder of the job she has done as U.N. ambassador. Cabinet members joined Obama in applauding Rice, who attended the meeting. Obama has not named a replacement for Clinton, who has said she intends to step down soon.

The misgivings from Collins, the top Republican on the Homeland Security Committee, came one day after three other GOP senators said they would try to block Rice's nomination. Sens. John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire said they were more troubled than ever by Rice's answers on Libya even though the ambassador conceded that her much-maligned first explanation was wrong.

In an unusual move, Rice and acting CIA Director Michael Morell have held two days of private meetings with Republican senators in hopes of assuaging their concerns. Privately, Senate Republicans said they had hoped the conversations would quiet the criticism as they want to avoid the spectacle of a postelection challenge to a female African-American nominee.

Instead, the sessions have cast further doubt on her chances for the top State Department job and increased the likelihood of a protracted fight if Obama does choose her. Although Democrats will have 55 votes in the next Congress, the president would need the support of five Republicans to avoid a filibuster of the nomination.

Collins said she was troubled by Rice's "political role" in downplaying the Libya attack as a spontaneous demonstration over an anti-Muslim video rather than a terrorist attack by al-Qaida affiliates in a series of Sunday talk show appearances on Sept. 16 ? five days after the attack and weeks before the election.

U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans were killed in the raid on the U.S. diplomatic mission.

Rice has said she was relying on talking points provided by U.S. intelligence.

Introducing another issue certain to be fodder for any confirmation battle, Collins said she pressed Rice about security at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi in 1998 when a truck bomb was set off outside the facility, killing more than 200 Kenyans and 12 Americans.

"What troubles me so much is the Benghazi attack in many ways echoes the attacks on those embassies in 1998 when Susan Rice was head of the African region for our State Department," Collins told reporters after the meeting. "In both cases, the ambassador begged for additional security."

Collins said Rice told her she was not involved directly in turning down the request for improved security. The Maine senator said that in light of Rice's position, she had to be aware of the general threats and U.S. Ambassador Prudence Bushnell's requests for security upgrades in Kenya.

Review boards headed by former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Adm. William J. Crowe after the Aug. 7, 1998, bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania did not find reasonable cause that any U.S. employee breached his duty in connecting with the bombings. Rice was not blamed.

However, Crowe said the boards believed there was a "collective failure" by several administrations and Congress over a decade to invest adequately to shore up vulnerable U.S. diplomatic missions around the world.

Rice has emerged as the front-runner for the top job at State though Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., passed over for the job in 2008, is considered a strong alternative.

In a clear message to the White House, Collins said Kerry would have no problem winning Senate confirmation.

"I think John Kerry be an excellent appointment and would be easily confirmed by his colleagues," Collins said.

Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who is in line to become the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, was more circumspect about Rice's chances after his own meeting with the ambassador.

The GOP senator suggested that Obama "take a deep breath and nominate the person he really believes is the very best person for secretary of state, regardless of relationships."

Corker, who traveled to Libya in early October, was highly critical of the administration and the intelligence community, saying that "the whole issue of Benghazi has been a tawdry affair."

Democrats have rallied to defend Rice, casting the Republican criticism as political scapegoating.

"You know it's a shame to create a sideshow that seems, I think, very clearly to be very political out of something that really has no bearing on what happened in Benghazi," White House spokesman Jay Carney said Wednesday.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., a member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the criticism a "transparent attempt" to deny Obama a potential Cabinet choice.

The issue remained at the forefront as the Senate, in debating a defense policy bill, approved an amendment by McCain that would lead to an increase of up to 1,000 Marine Corps personnel to provide security at U.S. diplomatic missions around the world.

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report.

___

Donna Cassata can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/DonnaCassataAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blow-rice-moderate-senator-voices-concern-213444777.html

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kumbasherri: Opening Your Mind To Spirituality ? Self Improvement

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Spain's rescued banks to shrink, slash jobs

BRUSSELS/MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's four nationalized banks will more than halve their balance sheets in five years, slash jobs and impose hefty losses on bondholders, under plans approved by the European Commission on Wednesday.

The measures open the door for nearly 40 billion euros ($52 billion)in euro zone bail-out funds for the state-rescued banks, offering hope for an end to Spain's banking crisis which has pushed the country to the brink of asking for sovereign aid.

The approval sets in place one of the most far-reaching over-hauls of any European banking system ordered by the Commission since the start of a banking crisis in mid-2007 with the near collapse of German lender IKB.

"Our objective is to restore the viability of banks receiving aid so that they are able to function without public support in the future," said European Union Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said.

Bankia, NCG Banco, Catalunya Banc and Banco de Valencia were taken over by the Spanish state after unsustainable lending during the country's decade-long property boom left the lenders dangerously short of capital.

The smallest of the four banks, Banco de Valencia, will be sold to one of Spain's healthiest lenders Caixabank, while the other three banks must cut their balance sheets by more than 60 percent over the next five years.

JOB LOSSES

It was cheaper to sell Banco de Valencia under a loss protection scheme than to wind it down, the Commission said. Spain will sell NCG Banco and Catalunya Banc within 5 years or liquidate them.

Almunia said the nationalized banks would have to close up to half their branches during the five-year overhaul process.

The biggest of the banks, Bankia, said it would lay off over a quarter of its workforce amounting to over 6,000 staff, reduce its branch network by around 39 percent and aim to return to profitability by 2013.

Bankia, formed from the merger of seven savings banks in 2010, said holders of hybrid debt would contribute up to 4.8 billion euros to the recapitalization, through losses incurred by swapping their holdings for shares.

The European Commission said the cost to hybrid and subordinated bondholders in the restructuring of the nationalized banks will come to about 10 billion euros.

Many hybrid debt holders at the nationalized banks are retail customers who say they were conned into buying complex financial instruments that buoyed banks' capital levels instead of fixed-term savings accounts.

The Commission said it would ensure the banks use no more taxpayers' money than necessary and that they do not go back to unsustainable business practices.

The Commissioner said he would decide on other Spanish banks with capital shortfalls on December 20.

The approval allows the euro zone to disburse the funds from its permanent ESM bailout fund. Spain was given approval to receive up to 100 billion euros from the ESM in the summer.

(Additional reporting by Robin Emmott in Brussels and Jesus Aguado in Madrid; editing by Luke Baker and Anna Willard)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-approves-spains-bank-restructuring-100746352--finance.html

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Hundreds Of Small Businesses Are Fighting ... - Business Insider

The issue of urban development is never easy. Incorporating old communities into new ones is always fraught with controversy, especially in New York City.

The area of Willets Point in Queens has long been a target for re-development.

In December of 2011, Mayor Bloomberg finally broke ground on a plan to create a shopping mall, convention center, hotel and affordable housing in the area. Though the plan has run into various legal obstacles since then, businesses in the area have begun receiving letters ordering them to vacate their property by February of 2013.

While the city says will the plan will create hundreds of new jobs and spur economic growth in the area, for many who work and own businesses there, the mayor's plan is simply a recipe for their demise.

Watch the video below to see why.

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Produced by Robert Libetti

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Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/willets-point-development-new-york-2012-11

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US pivot to Mexico?

A new leader of Mexico, Enrique Pena Nieto, takes office with enough hope of reform that it argues for the US to draw closer to its neighbor.

By the Monitor's Editorial Board / November 28, 2012

Mexican President-elect Enrique Pe?a Nieto shakes hands with President Obama at the White House on Tuesday.

AP

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The date remains uncertain. But at some point Mexico?s reputation in the eyes of Americans will start to shift from being a burden ? drugs, migrants, violence, corruption ? to becoming a partner as close as Canada, Japan, or Britain.

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Perhaps that date is Dec. 1.

That?s when a new president, Enrique Pe?a Nieto, takes office with far more political pull than recent presidents to push through the kind of reforms that have been moving Mexico closer to the United States over the past decade. He?s also taking over an economy that is fast rivaling China as a magnet for global investors.

President Obama welcomed Mr. Pe?a Nieto to the Oval Office on Tuesday, perhaps with an eye to raising Mexico higher in his second-term agenda. Indeed, in addition to the ?pivot to Asia? that Mr. Obama recently proposed for US foreign policy, he might also pivot the US toward its southern neighbor, which is now its third largest source of oil and second largest export destination.

Few in the US have grasped the changes in Mexico. It is more open to the world, with 44 free-trade pacts and greater manufacturing exports than the rest of Latin America combined. This has forced it to listen more to its foreign critics in honoring the rule of law, labor reform, and human rights. Its politics are more competitive, its civil society and media are stronger, and its governing bodies, such as the central bank and Supreme Court, are more independent.

Mexico even seems posed under Pe?a Nieto?s coming six-year term to lessen the self-defeating nationalism that has prevented reform of its government-run oil monopoly. Opening Pemex to private, even foreign, investment would mark a shift from the historical Mexican resentments that have also dogged its politics. And it would help turn North America into the world?s energy giant.

One still-uncertain measure of Mexico?s changes will be in the political behavior of Pe?a Nieto?s Institutional Revolutionary Party. Has the PRI, which ruled from 1929 to 2000, shed its corrupt, power-hungry ways since it lost power ? and democracy bloomed?

The PRI?s comeback comes as younger Mexicans and a rising middle class are less tolerant of corruption. Mexicans have also tired of the strategy of outgoing President Felipe Calder?n, who relied heavily on the Army in curbing the power of the drug cartels. While homicides are down this year, the killings since 2006 have pushed Mexico to rethink this ?war on drugs.?

Pe?a Nieto plans to further beef up the federal police and improve the judiciary. He needs more US assistance for that. The PRI also holds more power in the legislature than his predecessor?s party, PAN, which allows it to better pass key reforms.

America?s interest in Mexico should also be drawn to the fact that the Mexican economy has been growing faster than that of the US. And far fewer Mexicans are fleeing to the US for jobs.

All this argues for stronger American engagement with a nation of 113 million people on its border that is becoming a global economic player. Obama can help lead that necessary pivot.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/oMyGaexp9mw/US-pivot-to-Mexico

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3 Tips for Baby Boomers Preparing for the Long Term

Baby boomers make up that plentiful population born between 1946-1964, who now are between 48 and 66-years-old, and approaching retirement age.

A total of 76 million people were born in that post-war period, says the Population Reference Bureau, which means soon there will be many people worrying about how they?ll get by in their golden years.

Many children of baby boomers are worrying about whether Mom and Dad will need long-term care.

Waiting until their parents reach 70-years-old isn?t the answer.

Things can go wrong quickly, and with the influx of an aging population needing extra care, space at nursing homes might not be readily available.

In-Home Care Services

Taking care of loved ones at home might be an option. This involves becoming familiar with medical supplies and how to use them. One place to get supplies is Mountainside Medical Supplies based in Marcy, N.Y. Here, the caregiver can get items ranging from non-slip slipper socks to a blood-pressure monitor.

However, sometimes obligations like work make it difficult for adults to take care of their parents, and a professional caregiver might be the answer. Many of the services required to support in-home care for the aging, aren?t covered by Medicare or regular insurance companies.

Care provided by a licensed home care agency can cost $21 per hour for a home health aide, who can help with bathing and dressing, and $19 per hour for a homemaker/companion, who cleans the house and runs errands.

You can find help on your own, but keep in mind agency costs cover hiring (including background checks), training and supervision, managing the schedule, helping with backup care, handling payroll taxes, and taking care of liability insurance and worker?s compensation.

According to eCarediary.com, most agencies will work with the family members to find a good match for their beloved ones. But, remember, the average in-home care spans 3.7 years, according to the eCarediary.

People with cognitive impairments, such as Alzheimer, require care for an average of 8.9 years. For standard care, the national cost of services right now is $79,000 annually, and can be much more in larger cities. These costs continue to rise dramatically because of inflation and demand.

Long-Term Care Insurance

A good option is buying a long-term care insurance policy. This type of insurance can alleviate financial burden by offering a vehicle for reimbursement in care costs. Premium payments are stretched out over a longer period, according to eCarediary, and distribution is tax free.

A story at the Huffingtonpost.com defines long-term care insurance as a policy that covers care generally not covered by health insurance? Medicare and Medicaid. Long-term insurance can be used to pay for help with the basic activities of everyday life, including bathing, dressing, using bathroom facilities, and eating.

Long-term care insurance will typically pay a large portion of nursing home expenses for a set benefit period of time, depending on the age and health conditions of the insured person.

Long-term care insurance can be complex? so make sure to invest time into your research. Buying it at a relatively young age, might seem like a cost-effective move. However, if the insurance isn?t needed for 20 years, then it might make sense to invest the premiums instead. Read the fine print of long-term care policies to ensure premiums stay leveled, and there are no other hidden costs.

Not sure how much long term care insurance costs? Here?s a previous post where I breakdown the costs of long-term care insurance.

According to the Sacramentobee.com, Facing old age alone, in a way, is a women?s issue, as the article mentioned U.S. census figures showing that almost 11 million Americans have already lost their spouses, and two-thirds of them are women who outlived their husbands.

Feinberg mentioned a scenario not unlike ?The Golden Girls? in which two or three older adults live together to share expenses and take care of each other.

Fun in the Sun | Stay Proactive

Being proactive is another option for adults concerned about their aging baby boomer parents. One way to help aging parents is to urge them to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

Mountainside Medical Equipment offers supplies such as exercise mats, a heart rate monitor, and sport tape. Mini stepper and bike exercisers, aqua weights and other devices make it easier for adults to keep fit in the comfort of their homes.

There are intangible ways children can help their elderly parents. Home Care Partners suggests becoming familiar with the medications they take and making multiple telephone calls just to check-in every week? if distance prevents them from making physical visits.

Society taking care of the aging baby boomer population isn?t a problem that?s going to go away anytime soon; but their children can and should start thinking of ways to take care of their parents now. It will give them and their loved ones more peace of mind?a valuable asset for both generations.

Source: http://www.goodfinancialcents.com/preparing-for-baby-boomers-long-term/

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GI's treatment focus of hearing in WikiLeaks case

FILE - In this June 25, 2012, file photo, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., after a pretrial hearing. Manning, the U.S. Army private charged with sending reams of government secrets to WikiLeaks, is expected to testify during a pretrial hearing starting Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012, at Fort Meade. Manning is seeking dismissal of all charges. He claims his solitary confinement, sometimes with no clothing, was illegal punishment. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

FILE - In this June 25, 2012, file photo, Army Pfc. Bradley Manning is escorted out of a courthouse in Fort Meade, Md., after a pretrial hearing. Manning, the U.S. Army private charged with sending reams of government secrets to WikiLeaks, is expected to testify during a pretrial hearing starting Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012, at Fort Meade. Manning is seeking dismissal of all charges. He claims his solitary confinement, sometimes with no clothing, was illegal punishment. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) ? An Army private charged in the biggest security breach in U.S. history is trying to avoid trial by claiming he's already been punished by confinement conditions that a United Nations torture investigator called cruel, inhuman and degrading.

Pfc. Bradley Manning is expected to testify about his treatment during a pretrial hearing starting Tuesday at Fort Meade. The young intelligence analyst has never spoken publicly about his nearly nine months in the Marine Corps brig in Quantico, Va., from July 2010 to April 2011. The hearing is scheduled to run through Sunday.

Manning was confined alone in a 6-by-8-foot cell for at least 23 hours a day, according to documents filed by the defense. For several days in January 2011, all his clothes were taken from him each night until he was issued a suicide-prevention smock, military officials have said.

The Defense Department has said Manning's treatment properly conformed to his classification as a maximum-custody detainee who posed a risk of injury to himself or others. He was moved in April 2011 to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where he has a medium-security classification.

Publicity about Manning's treatment helped bring worldwide attention to his case. In March, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan E. Mendez presented a report to the UN's Human Rights Council in which he criticized the U.S. government for refusing his repeated requests for a private visit with Manning.

Although they never spoke, "I am persuaded that Pfc. Manning was subjected to cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment" in violation of the UN Convention Against Torture, Mendez wrote in a Nov. 15 email to The Associated Press.

Mendez said he doesn't know if Manning's treatment amounted to torture, as Manning supporters claim.

Military judges can dismiss all charges if pretrial punishment is particularly egregious, but that rarely happens. The usual remedy is credit at sentencing for time served, said Lisa M. Windsor, a retired Army colonel and former Army judge advocate now in private practice in Washington.

"I think the likelihood of him getting any charges dropped is extremely remote," she said.

If the military judge refuses to dismiss the case, defense attorney David Coombs has requested 10-for-1 credit for 258 days of supposedly punitive confinement. That would knock a little more than seven years off Manning's sentence if he is convicted. He faces the possibility of life imprisonment if convicted of the most serious charge, aiding the enemy, and 162 years on the 21 other counts. His trial is set to begin Feb. 4.

Jeff Paterson, a leader of the Bradley Manning Support Network, said the credit would be meaningless if Manning gets a lengthy sentence.

"If that credit is meaningless, then that signals that you can actually torture any personnel or detainee without any actual consequences," Paterson said.

Manning is accused of sending to the secret-spilling website WikiLeaks hundreds of thousands of classified Iraq and Afghanistan war logs and more than 250,000 diplomatic cables while working as an intelligence analyst in Baghdad in 2009 and 2010.

The 24-year-old native of Crescent, Okla., allegedly told a confidant-turned-informant in an online chat in 2010 that he leaked the information because "I want people to see the truth."

Manning has offered to take responsibility for the leak by pleading guilty to reduced charges. The military judge hasn't yet ruled on the offer. It is not part of a plea deal, and it would not preclude prosecutors from pursuing the original charges.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-26-Manning-WikiLeaks/id-38289000de5b4a058e7f01d5d66f9b70

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The Hipster Translator (INFOGRAPHIC)

www.cracked.com:

Hipsters couldn't incite more blind hatred if they were all ginger-haired Al-Qaeda members. But why? Could it be their taste in music? Fashion sense? Attitude of superiority? Perhaps. Or perhaps it's their stupid, ugly faces. We may never know.

Read the whole story at www.cracked.com

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/the-hipster-translator-in_n_2192678.html

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FCC To Hold Hearings On Emergency Communications Post-Sandy ...

FCC Hearings

The FCC will hold a series of field hearings in the coming months to review the challenges to communications in the wake of Superstorm SANDY.? The hearings will commence early in 2013.

Chairman JULIUS GENACHOWSKI said, ?This unprecedented storm has revealed new challenges that will require a national dialogue around ideas and actions to ensure the resilience of communications networks. As our thoughts and sympathies remain with those who have suffered loss and damage as a result of Superstorm Sandy, I urge all stakeholders to engage constructively in the period ahead.?? He thanked Sen, CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY) for pushing the issue.

Among the topics to be addressed will be how communications providers can work together in emergencies, including sharing resources; back-up power resources; and restoration of service.

? see more Net News

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Source: http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/112869/fcc-to-hold-hearings-on-emergency-communications-p

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Alzheimer's disease in mice alleviated: Promising therapeutic approach for humans

ScienceDaily (Nov. 25, 2012) ? Pathological changes typical of Alzheimer's disease were significantly reduced in mice by blockade of an immune system transmitter. A research team from Charit? -- Universit?tsmedizin Berlin and the University of Zurich has just published a new therapeutic approach in fighting Alzheimer's disease in the current issue of Nature Medicine. This approach promises potential in prevention, as well as in cases where the disease has already set in.

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common causes of dementia. In Germany and Switzerland alone, around 1.5 million people are affected, and forecasts predict a doubling of the number of patients worldwide within the next 20 years. The accumulation of particular abnormal proteins, including amyloid-? (A?) among others, in patients' brains plays a central role in this disease. Prof. Frank Heppner from the Department of Neuropathology at Charit? and his colleague Prof. Burkhard Becher from the Institute for Experimental Immunology at the University of Zurich were able to show that turning off particular cytokines (immune system signal transmitters) reduced the Alzheimer's typical amyloid-? deposits in mice with the disease. As a result, the strongest effects were demonstrated after reducing amyloid-? by approximately 65 percent, when the immune molecule p40 was affected, which is a component of the cytokines interleukin (IL)-12 and -23.

Relevant for human therapy

Follow-up experiments also relevant for humans showed that substantial improvements in behavioral testing resulted when mice were given the antibody blocking the immune molecule p40. This effect was also achieved when the mice were already showing symptoms of the disease. Based on the current study by Prof. Heppner's and Prof. Becher's team, the level of p40 molecules is higher in Alzheimer's patients' brain fluid, which is in agreement with a recently published study by American colleagues demonstrating increased p40 levels in blood plasma of subjects with Alzheimer's disease, thus showing obvious relevance for human therapy.

The significance of the immune system in Alzheimer's research is the focus of current efforts. Prof. Heppner and Prof. Becher suspect that cytokines IL-12 and IL-23 themselves are not causative in the pathology, and that the mechanism of the immune molecule p40 in Alzheimer's requires additional clarification. However, they are convinced that the results of their six-years of research work justify the step toward clinical studies in humans, for which they plan to collaborate with a suitable industrial partner.

IIn the context of other illnesses, such as psoriasis, a medication that suppresses p40 in humans has already been applied. "Based on the safety data in patients," comment Profs. Heppner and Becher, "clinical studies could now be implemented without delay. Now, the goal is to bring the new therapeutic approach to Alzheimer patients quickly."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Zurich.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Johannes vom Berg, Stefan Prokop, Kelly R Miller, Juliane Obst, Roland E K?lin, Ileana Lopategui-Cabezas, Anja Wegner, Florian Mair, Carola G Schipke, Oliver Peters, York Winter, Burkhard Becher, Frank L Heppner. Inhibition of IL-12/IL-23 signaling reduces Alzheimer's disease?like pathology and cognitive decline. Nature Medicine, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nm.2965

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/ZuKMmT0f2Rg/121125193051.htm

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Online Marketing News - Internet Marketing University of Canada

Online Marketing News: Create A Content Matrix, Pinterest Images Tips, Video Ad Strategy, Yahoo Ads Plummet

Become a Certified Internet Marketing Professional at the Internet Marketing University of Canada

Content Marketing Media Matrix For Small Businesses

This new infographic from PRWeb?( a TopRank Online Marketing Client) provides a guide to finding what type of content is best for promoting your business depending on your audience as well as you?re services or products. ?Use this infographic to find out what will work best for your content marketing strategy.

DMA Finds Marketers Bullish on Growth of Digital and Direct Marketing
According to this recent article, 75% of marketers say that they?re bullish about growth prospects for digital and direct marketing. ?This is slightly up from a previous survey taken 2nd quarter, in which 72% said that they were bullish about growth prospects. ?Via BtoB.

5 Tips for Creating Pinterest Images That People Love to Share
Good images on social sites like Pinterest can increase your traffic, get you a higher number of pins and repins, and ultimately improve your presence on Pinterest. ?This article shares 5 tips for creating Pinterest-friendly images. ?Via Social Media Examiner.

Yahoo?s Ad Sell-Through Rate on Its Log-in Page Has Plummeted
A recent report shows that Yahoo?s log-in page ? where users sign into their Yahoo services and email ? only had an ad present for 47% of the days in the first half of fourth quarter. ?Via Adage.

Longer Online Videos Beg for New Ad Strategy
Online audiences are not only consuming more and more videos, they?re staying glued to the screen for much longer. ?This presents a new opportunity for advertisers and marketers to rethink their ad strategies. ?Via ClickZ.

TopRank Team News

Jolina Pettice ? Reality Check: Is Small Business Saturday Actually Working?
As we head into the shopping season, we have been discussing with many of our small business clients how to take advantage of Small Business Saturday.?From campaigns to email marketing to content; are you counting on Small Business Saturday to drive sales and acquire new customers??Check out this post from Inc. about the inception of this movement and whether it?s proving effective for the small business owner.?Via Inc.

Rob Bayne -?Majestic SEO New Feature: Bucket Lists!? Don?t Just See Links, Manage Them
If you are doing Penguin analysis, link building, or competitor research, a new feature of MajesticSEO you will probably want to become familiar with is the bucket list.? Similar to making something a favorite or bookmarking, adding a link to your bucket allows you to not only keep track of that link, but also to run bulk reports and comparisons on everything in your bucket. ?Via Majestic SEO.

Brian Larson ? Are You Paying Too Much for Your PPC Keywords?
Bid management tools can be critical to keeping SEM costs in check by effectively managing keyword bids. But alas, not all tools are created equal. Search Engine Land analyzes Forrester?s research on the best PPC bid management providers in this post from Chris Sherman. Is your provider on the list? ?Via Search Engine Land.

Sam Giehll ? Marketing and Thanksgiving: A Tempest of Myths and Facts
When it comes to your metrics and marketing efforts, there is a fine line between fact and myth. This post addresses facts ? like the existence of social media ROI ? and wraps them up in a metaphorical Thanksgiving themed bow. An excellent read for the holiday, or any day. ?Via Adobe.

Evan Prokop ? Mobile Proves to Be Incredibly Profitable for Auto Dealers
Summary: A recent study showed that an astonishing 40% of people searching for cars on mobile end up buying a car the same day and 36 percent within the hour.? Interestingly, only 1% of mobile users reported using an auto industry app. ?Via Search Engine Watch.

Time to Weigh In:?What types of images have you found appeal most to your Pinterest audience, Facebook Fans, and Twitter Followers? ?How do you think Yahoo?s low ad sales will affect the number of people using their service? ?Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!

---

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TopRank? Online Marketing Newsletter.

? Online Marketing Blog, 2012. |
Online Marketing News: Create A Content Matrix, Pinterest Images Tips, Video Ad Strategy, Yahoo Ads Plummet | http://www.toprankblog.com

Become a Certified Internet Marketing Professional at the Internet Marketing University of Canada

By admin in Internet Marketing on November 25, 2012

Source: http://imuniversity.ca/blog/internet-marketing/online-marketing-news-create-a-content-matrix-pinterest-images-tips-video-ad-strategy-yahoo-ads-plummet/

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Video: Office Depot, Banana Republic top ?Naughty? list

The top team in all the land

Keith Arnold looks back at the good, bad, and ugly from Notre Dame?s 22-13 win over USC while also getting you ready for January?s matchup that will pit the Irish against a SEC foe in a National Championship Game that is sure to thrill even the modest of college football fans.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49971332#49971332

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Excessive Snow Sports Biking And Surfing - ArticleCube

If you are one of those people who embark on action sports, free sports and adventure sports you know that you put yourself at a advanced of inherent risk every time you strap upon and head outside. Sports such as snowmobiling, sledding, snowboarding, ice skating, cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, ski jumping, speed skating and also figure skating, curling, bandy and hockey, that entail speed, heights and levels of physical pressure often require remarkably specialized gear for maximum performance.

These activities differ from traditional sports activities and games due to their environmental characteristics. They often involve environmental variables including weather as well as terrain related, such as snow, water, ice, wing and mountains.

Snowboarders, surfers and climbers exercising extreme sports know well that the high quality of gear should never be jeopardized. It controls the outcome of a sport to some significant extent. Furthermore, it affords runners or adventures optimum safety more so while on high risk expeditions.

The reason why you Need Proper Clothing, Kits And Accessories

First and foremost, what you wear and when you wear it will allow you to get to your destination in a safe as well as practical manner; you need to pay close attention to your kit from helmets for the head, foot wear, bottom half, lighting and inclement weather conditions clothing. This article will outline

Motorfist Clothing

Motorfist clothing is one of many snowmobile clothing undertakings that develops as well as sells good quality wearable snow vehicles outwear and apparel. The actual snow gear gives snowmobilers a head to toe coverage that guarantees them comfort and safety. The clothing line includes coats (boots, bindings, helmets, gloves, etc.) mid as well as base layer (jackets, snow pants, etc.) foot wear; warm and end snow boots, casual wear and gloves.

All these are designed to assist you meet the stressful and often risky life style of snowmobilers to ensure you of maximum safety and assurance. Made employing top of the range materials and ingredients such as eVent, quality zippers, reflective scothclite and breathable along with waterproof fabrics, motorfist is the best bet for a snowmobiler. Furthermore, our dealers are spread all over the United States, Canada, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

Back Country Gear

For Men and women involved in paddle sports, snow sports, travel, camping, hiking and hiking, back country gear is actually of premium value. Back and country gear is all the device and clothing utilized in the above activities. From backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, accessories, hydration as well as cooking equipment, Ropes along with Slings, climbing bags and packs, snowshoes, hats, gloves and avalanche gear, jackets shirts, head gear, climbing and trail wear.

Dirt Bike Kits

Dirt bikes used in biking are specially designed to enable correct exploration of mountain along with trails. Enabling you to ride through difficult as well as challenging terrain, a new dirt bike kit is of high end and does not disappoint.

Ice Age Performance offers all the above in order to meet your extreme sport needs. You will have the best bet for your money thanks to high quality, high performance and motorfist clothing, dirt bike kits and back country gear the ice age performance gives to its consumers.

? Link to this page : http://www.articlecube.com/Article/Excessive-Snow-Sports-Biking-And-Surfing/1823126

Source: http://www.articlecube.com/Article/Excessive-Snow-Sports-Biking-And-Surfing/1823126

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Commander: Iran missile technology sent to Gaza

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran has supplied Hamas in Gaza with the technology to "quickly" produce longer-range missiles on their own without needing direct shipments, said a report Wednesday that quoted the head of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard.

The comments by Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari offer some of the clearest insights on Iran's weapons support for Hamas, whose Iranian-engineered Fajr-5 missiles have struck near Tel Aviv and Jerusalem during weeklong battles with Israel.

"Gaza is under siege, so we cannot help them. The Fajr-5 missiles have not been shipped from Iran. Its technology has been transferred and (the missiles are) being produced quickly," Jafari was quoted as saying by the semiofficial ISNA news agency.

Iran has repeatedly denied it directly supplied Hamas with the Fajr-5. The ISNA report gave no further details on the level of missile know-how sent to Gaza or the channels used.

Israel charges that Iran sends weapons, including rockets, to Gaza through a network of smuggling tunnels under the 15-kilometer (9-mile) border between Gaza and Egypt.

Iran also backs the anti-Israel faction Hezbollah in Lebanon, which fired thousands of rockets into Israel during a monthlong 2006 war.

Iran's parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, meanwhile, said his country was "honored" that Iran could help Palestinians with "material and military aspects." He did not elaborate.

He criticized Arab countries for failing to help arm Hamas and other Palestinian group. "The Palestinian nation does not need speeches and meetings. Arab countries should send military aid," he was quoted as saying by the semiofficial Fars news agency.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei also chided other Muslim nations for not rallying behind Gaza in the latest showdown with Israel.

"Some of them sufficed with words, and some others did not condemn" Israel, Khamenei said, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Gaza over the past week in an operation it says is meant to stop daily rocket salvos by Gaza militants at Israel.

Iran and Israel are bitter enemies, and the two nations are locked in a deepening dispute over Iran's nuclear program. The West and others fear Iran could eventually produce nuclear weapons, and Israel has left open the option of staging a military strike at its nuclear facilities.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes such as power generation and cancer treatment.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/commander-iran-missile-technology-sent-gaza-144357088.html

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Sound bullets in water

ScienceDaily (Nov. 19, 2012) ? Sound waves are commonly used in applications ranging from ultrasound imaging to hyperthermia therapy, in which high temperatures are induced, for example, in tumors to destroy them. In 2010, researchers at Caltech led by Chiara Daraio, a professor of aeronautics and applied physics, developed a nonlinear acoustic lens that can focus high-amplitude pressure pulses into compact "sound bullets." In that initial work, the scientists demonstrated how sound bullets form in solids. Now, they have done themselves one better, creating a device that can form and control those bullets in water.

The nonlinear acoustic lens is constructed from chains strung with stainless-steel spheres that are oriented parallel to one another -- and squeezed together -- to form an array. The gadget was inspired by Newton's cradle, a popular toy that consists of a line of identical balls suspended by wires from a frame. When an end ball is pulled back and released, it slams into the next ball, causing the last ball in the line to fly outward. Similarly, in the acoustic lens, striking one end of the array generates compact nonlinear pulses of sound -- solitary waves that propagate through the lens and can be tightly focused on a target area; when they coalesce at this focal point, they produce a significantly amplified version: the sound bullet. These intense pressure waves may be used to obliterate tumors or kidney stones -- leaving surrounding tissues unharmed -- or probe objects like ship hulls or bridges for unseen defects.

In the new work, the lens has been made more accurate, and a waterproof interface, which efficiently transmitted the pulses, was inserted between the chains and water. "We use water as a target medium with the idea that the acoustic lens could be used for underwater imaging and/or biomedical applications," says postdoc Carly Donahue, who helped refine the device.

"Currently, our work is fundamental in nature. We are focused on demonstrating proof of principle and establishing the technical strengths and weaknesses, which will inform the future design of engineering devices for specific applications," she adds. "For example, using these systems in biomedical applications requires reducing their dimensions and learning about the related scaling effects. Creating commercially viable devices will require the involvement of industrial partners."

Donahue discusses the technology and its potential applications in a talk at the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting, which will take place November 18-20, 2012 at the San Diego Convention Center, located near the historic Gaslamp District on the waterfront, in San Diego, California. The talk is entitled, "An Experimental Study of a Nonlinear Acoustic Lens Interfaced with Water."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics.

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/kLObqaPMnDk/121119104527.htm

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New Amp Electrical Issues - DIYMA Car Audio Forum

Hey guys. I've had this Rockford Fosgate Punch 601s amp sitting in my trunk for literally months, and I finally got around to installing it today (shame). It's powering my Alpine Type-R 6.5in. components up front.

After a long day of blood, sweat, and tears, everything is finally hooked up and put back together, and I'm ready to start setting my gains (It has the separate left and right gain settings). So I turn on the car and have at it. I should mention that, like an idiot, I didn't actually turn on the engine, just accessories. I know, I know I have no problems for a good ten minutes or so, when suddenly my Alpine components cut out completely. If it helps you diagnose, this was right before a big bass part, and the volume seemed fairly close to max. I turned down the volume, and they started up again. Realizing my mistake, I pause the music and try to start my car. But as I turn the key, all the lights flicker, and the starter doesn't even turn over.

I hooked up the battery charger and let it be for a while. When I come back, it starts up with no problems, and I continue tuning with the engine running. But the speakers still cut out occasionally, and I can see my interior lights dim very slightly with every note.

Have I set the gain wrong? Do I need a new battery (is it normal for it to have died completely after 10-15 minutes of music with no engine?)? Do I need a capacitor, even though it's just a 150RMSx2 amp? Is there something else I've missed? What would you do?

Additional information: Speakers are rated at 110RMS, and it's all running off of an Alpine CDE-123.

Source: http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/general-car-audio-discussion/139686-new-amp-electrical-issues.html

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OB/GYNs back over-the-counter birth control pills

This undated image provided by Bedsider.org shows a package of estrogen/progestin birth control pills. The nation's largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists says birth control pills should be sold over the counter, like condoms. The surprise opinion announced Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012 could boost longtime efforts by women's advocates to make the pill more accessible. (AP Photo/Bedsider.org)

This undated image provided by Bedsider.org shows a package of estrogen/progestin birth control pills. The nation's largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists says birth control pills should be sold over the counter, like condoms. The surprise opinion announced Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012 could boost longtime efforts by women's advocates to make the pill more accessible. (AP Photo/Bedsider.org)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? No prescription or doctor's exam needed: The nation's largest group of obstetricians and gynecologists says birth control pills should be sold over the counter, like condoms.

Tuesday's surprise opinion from these gatekeepers of contraception could boost longtime efforts by women's advocates to make the pill more accessible.

But no one expects the pill to be sold without a prescription any time soon: A company would have to seek government permission first, and it's not clear if any are considering it. Plus there are big questions about what such a move would mean for many women's wallets if it were no longer covered by insurance.

Still, momentum may be building.

Already, anyone 17 or older doesn't need to see a doctor before buying the morning-after pill ? a higher-dose version of regular birth control that can prevent pregnancy if taken shortly after unprotected sex. Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration held a meeting to gather ideas about how to sell regular oral contraceptives without a prescription, too.

Now the influential American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is declaring it's safe to sell the pill that way.

Wait, why would doctors who make money from women's yearly visits for a birth-control prescription advocate giving that up?

Half of the nation's pregnancies every year are unintended, a rate that hasn't changed in 20 years ? and easier access to birth control pills could help, said Dr. Kavita Nanda, an OB/GYN who co-authored the opinion for the doctors group.

"It's unfortunate that in this country where we have all these contraceptive methods available, unintended pregnancy is still a major public health problem," said Nanda, a scientist with the North Carolina nonprofit FHI 360, formerly known as Family Health International.

Many women have trouble affording a doctor's visit, or getting an appointment in time when their pills are running low ? which can lead to skipped doses, Nanda added.

If the pill didn't require a prescription, women could "pick it up in the middle of the night if they run out," she said. "It removes those types of barriers."

Tuesday, the FDA said it was willing to meet with any company interested in making the pill nonprescription, to discuss what if any studies would be needed.

Then there's the price question. The Obama administration's new health care law requires FDA-approved contraceptives to be available without copays for women enrolled in most workplace health plans.

If the pill were sold without a prescription, it wouldn't be covered under that provision, just as condoms aren't, said Health and Human Services spokesman Tait Sye.

ACOG's opinion, published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, says any move toward making the pill nonprescription should address that cost issue. Not all women are eligible for the free birth control provision, it noted, citing a recent survey that found young women and the uninsured pay an average of $16 per month's supply.

The doctors group made clear that:

?Birth control pills are very safe. Blood clots, the main serious side effect, happen very rarely, and are a bigger threat during pregnancy and right after giving birth.

?Women can easily tell if they have risk factors, such as smoking or having a previous clot, and should avoid the pill.

?Other over-the-counter drugs are sold despite rare but serious side effects, such as stomach bleeding from aspirin and liver damage from acetaminophen.

?And there's no need for a Pap smear or pelvic exam before using birth control pills. But women should be told to continue getting check-ups as needed, or if they'd like to discuss other forms of birth control such as implantable contraceptives that do require a physician's involvement.

The group didn't address teen use of contraception. Despite protests from reproductive health specialists, current U.S. policy requires girls younger than 17 to produce a prescription for the morning-after pill, meaning pharmacists must check customers' ages. Presumably regular birth control pills would be treated the same way.

Prescription-only oral contraceptives have long been the rule in the U.S., Canada, Western Europe, Australia and a few other places, but many countries don't require a prescription.

Switching isn't a new idea. In Washington state a few years ago, a pilot project concluded that pharmacists successfully supplied women with a variety of hormonal contraceptives, including birth control pills, without a doctor's involvement. The question was how to pay for it.

Some pharmacies in parts of London have a similar project under way, and a recent report from that country's health officials concluded the program is working well enough that it should be expanded.

And in El Paso, Texas, researchers studied 500 women who regularly crossed the border into Mexico to buy birth control pills, where some U.S. brands sell over the counter for a few dollars a pack. Over nine months, the women who bought in Mexico stuck with their contraception better than another 500 women who received the pill from public clinics in El Paso, possibly because the clinic users had to wait for appointments, said Dr. Dan Grossman of the University of California, San Francisco, and the nonprofit research group Ibis Reproductive Health.

"Being able to easily get the pill when you need it makes a difference," he said.

___

Online:

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Is Alcohol Good or Bad For Health? | Mark's Daily Apple

What do we make of alcohol? In sufficient amounts, it?s a poison. It?s incredibly addictive. It destroys entire communities. It tears families apart and compels otherwise reasonable, upstanding individuals to commit terribly senseless acts. On the other hand, it?s a powerful social lubricant. The good stuff tastes great and can enhance the healthfulness of certain foods while inhibiting the unhealthfulness of others. It?s fun, it?s pleasurable, and it brings real (if chemically enhanced) joy to people. Moreover, we have a long and storied history with alcohol; it?s been an integral part of human culture and society for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years.

So, what?s the deal? Is it good, or is it bad? Is it poison, or is it a gift? Let?s take a look at both sides of the story, which, as is often the case, isn?t exactly black and white:

First, the downsides.

It?s toxic.

Our ability to break alcohol down into less toxic metabolites didn?t arise because of our tendency to seek out fermented fruits. Over the course of an average day, the average human digestive system produces about three grams of ethanol just from the gut flora fermenting the gut?s contents. If we didn?t have the ability to metabolize and detoxify ethanol, those three grams would add up real quick and represent a huge toxin load on our bodies. After alcohol is consumed, a number of enzymatic reactions ensue. In the liver, an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase converts the ethanol to acetaldehyde, an incredibly toxic compound that?s been implicated in causing many hangover symptoms. An enzyme called acetaldehyde dehydrogenase converts the acetaldehyde into acetic acid, or vinegar (which is harmless unless you?re a cucumber). From there, you?re good to go. Sounds simple enough, right? Just let the enzymes do their thing. As long as you make those enzymes, the alcohol will be safely and effectively metabolized into table vinegar which can then be extracted to form a delicious salad dressing (that last part isn?t true).

Unfortunately, not everyone produces the same amount and quality of detoxifying enzymes. Many people of East Asian descent possess a dominant mutation in the gene that codes for aldehyde dehydrogenase, making it less effective. While they?re less likely to be alcoholics, folks with the mutation (characterized by a ?flushing? upon ingestion) are at an elevated risk of liver damage and esophageal cancer.

It can give you fatty liver (and worse).

Around these parts, we usually talk about non-alcoholic fatty liver, a disease associated with sugar and fat intake coupled with inadequate choline to support the liver?s function. But notice that we have to qualify it with ?non-alcoholic.? That?s because the most-studied type of fatty liver is alcoholic fatty liver. The mechanisms behind alcoholic fatty liver are myriad and multifaceted, but it ultimately comes down to the fact that you?re bathing your liver in a known toxin. Liver alcohol metabolism increases the NADH/NAD+ ratio, thereby promoting the creation of liver fat cells and a reduction in fatty acid oxidation; the result is added fat in the liver and impaired fat burning.?Acetaldehyde, especially if it lingers for too long, also induces inflammation in the liver, which can ultimately progress to full cirrhosis and liver failure.

It can be carcinogenic.

Excessive alcohol intake is an established epidemiological risk factor for several cancers, including stomach, liver, and colon cancer (to name just a few; more than a dozen cancers are linked to alcohol abuse). In the stomach and liver, alcohol dehydrogenase converts ethanol into acetaldehyde, which is inflammatory and toxic. Alcohol that makes it through the stomach into the small intestine is also oxidized into acetaldehyde, this time by gut flora. While the liver produces the necessary enzymes to break down acetaldehyde into acetic acid, our gut microbes aren?t so well equipped and the acetaldehyde is allowed to linger longer.

It?s addictive.

While I?d argue that being addicted to anything will have a negative effect on your life, if not your physical health, being addicted to alcohol is particularly harmful because of how toxic it is ? especially the more you drink. To get an idea of just how addictive it is, check out the results of this study: alcohol is less addictive than nicotine, crystal meth, and crack, but more addictive than heroin, intranasal amphetamine, cocaine, and caffeine. One?s susceptibility to alcohol addiction is often hereditary, too, meaning some people will be far more likely to become addicted than others.

It disrupts sleep.

A nightcap is a misnomer. Sure, it?ll help you fall asleep, but your sleep won?t be any better. In fact, as plenty of people reminded me in the comment section of last week?s post on sleep, alcohol is a serious disrupter of sleep quality. It increases the incidence of sleep disruptions, and it perturbs the healthy sleep cycles.

It affects judgment and perception.

Even though alcohol destroys a person?s ability to safely maneuver a motor vehicle, one in three car accidents that result in death involve drunk drivers. Everyone knows that you shouldn?t drive drunk, but why does it keep happening? A recent study even showed that just a single drink caused subjects to find ?intentionality? in other people?s actions (PDF). Subjects who got the alcohol were less likely to view simple actions as accidental, rather than intentional. Thus, when you?re under the influence of alcohol, you?re more likely to take personal offense at the guy bumping into your shoulder, the lady stepping on your shoe, or the person ?staring? at you from across the bar. Because, after all, they ?meant? to do it, right? The title of the study sums it up quite nicely: ??There?s No Such Thing as an Accident,? Especially When People are Drunk.?

It promotes bad eating.

Everyone who?s ever gotten at least a buzz from a glass or two of wine or a mixed drink has felt the often irresistible urge to snack, to order something salty, crunchy, and sweet from the menu, to beg the driver to swing by the greasiest nastiest fast food drive-thru. This is a well-documented phenomenon. Alcohol affects both active overeating and passive overeating. Active overeating describes the conscious decision to ?get some grub.? Passive overeating describes the amount you eat once the food is in front of you. Both are enhanced by alcohol. This wouldn?t be such a bad thing if you?re drinking at a Primal meet-up, where you?re surrounded by relatively healthy food, but that?s not where most drinking occurs.

It gives hangovers.

What?s worse than a bad hangover? I?m unaware of anything, at least on a physical scale. Sure, you can mitigate the damage, but the fact that a hangover even exists tells us that whatever we?re ingesting that gave us the hangover is bad for us (in the amount we ingested, at least).

But what about the positives?

It improves endothelial function (with a catch).

Impaired release of nitric oxide from the endothelial cells is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease. Ethanol actually increases the production of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels, regulates blood pressure, induces vascular smooth muscle relaxation, and basically improves endothelial function. If you want good cardiovascular health, you want good endothelial function. However, it?s important to note that?large doses of ethanol seem to decrease endothelial function, so caution is obviously warranted.

It can reduce stress.

A lot of people use a glass of wine or beer to ?wind down? after a hard day. This sounds bad on the surface ? ?you?re relying on alcohol to stay sane!? ? but really, if you have to choose between stewing in your stress hormones all day and night and having a drink or two to settle yourself down, I think the drink can be a better option for some people ? particularly if the stress is going to impair your sleep and affect your relationships. You?ll want to identify and deal with the original source of the stress, of course, but some people may find a net benefit from having that drink.

It promotes socializing.

Humans are social animals, and we are happiest and healthiest when we have friends, loved ones, and spend quality time with them. Social isolation is a consistent and strong risk factor for increased mortality and morbidity (meaning it?s linked with earlier death and worse health in the days up until that death). You shouldn?t base your socialization entirely on drinking alcohol, but it can certainly be a powerful enhancer of your social life, and if you?re having a couple of glasses of wine as you host dinner parties, hang out with friends, enjoy a candlelit dinner with your significant other, or throw a BBQ with your social circle, it will likely have a net positive effect on your health. Of course, this isn?t to say that alcohol is any way needed to have a good time in a social setting.

It can reduce post-prandial blood sugar and lipid peroxidation (when taken with a meal).

Just like it says above, drinking alcohol (like wine, for example) with food can?reduce postprandial blood glucose?and the susceptibility of blood lipids to peroxidation (PDF).

It can lower iron absorption if you?ve got iron overload.

Although the conventional push is to increase the intake of iron from foods (especially via fortified grains), some people don?t actually need the added iron. If you have hemochromatosis, a genetic condition that probably arose in Europeans as a survival response to the bubonic plague, you are a hyper-absorber of dietary iron. Luckily, ethanol seems to inhibit the absorption of heme iron, the kind you find in red meat. Red wine is also effective at reducing non-heme iron absorption, an effect most likely due to the polyphenols present. That said, the entirely non-alcoholic black tea also inhibits iron absorption and has even been shown to reduce the frequency of blood-draws required in patients with iron overload. Coffee works, too.

If you?re going to drink:

Have it with food.

When you eat a meal, and your stomach is ?full,? the pyloric sphincter ? which controls the passage of food and drink from the stomach into the small intestine ? closes up until your stomach can break down its contents. Any alcohol added to a full stomach will also spend more time being broken down by the relevant enzymes. If you drink on an empty stomach, the pyloric sphincter is wide open, and a greater proportion of alcohol will make it to the small intestine for immediate absorption. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, drinking alcohol with food can?reduce postprandial blood glucose?and the susceptibility of blood lipids to peroxidation (PDF). Keeping your drinking around meals will let you take advantage of these benefits.

Focus on alcoholic drinks with greater fluid content.

Shots of plastic bottle vodka (or even the best vodka) are concentrated sources of ethanol, and as long as we?ve been nibbling on fermented fruits and brewing up Paleolithic moonshine from mushrooms and honey, consuming concentrated, distilled ethanol in the form of rum, gin, whiskey, vodka, and other hard liquors is a relatively recent practice. Some accounts suggest that the Chinese were distilling rice liquor in 800 BC, while others say it wasn?t until the 12th century AD that distillation became commonplace across the ?known? world. At any rate, one could certainly argue that alcohol with a low fluid content is an evolutionarily novel food item. Less fluid means less ?stuff? in your stomach, which means a more open and allowing pyloric sphincter, which means faster absorption through the small intestine. More fluid means more ?stuff? in your stomach and a more restrictive pyloric sphincter and slower absorption. You could even make like the ancient Greeks and water down your wine, which some people seem to think actually improves the wine.

Choose your drinking companions wisely.

Even among voles, peer pressure-induced binge drinking is a reality. If that super cool vole with the sweet facial hair is double fisting acorn shells filled with dandelion wine, you?ll be subconsciously drawn to do the same. If your group of friends gets absolutely obliterated every time you go out with them, you?re more likely to join in on the ?fun.?

Drink moderate amounts.

All the research suggesting health benefits to drinking revolves around ?moderate drinking,? which is one, two, or three drinks a day. They?re not talking about pounding shots, or drinking Long Island iced teas, or doing Jello shots (although the gelatin might help matters). They?re talking about a glass or two of something.

Have everything else in line.

If you want to drink and remain healthy, you should strive to eat healthy, exercise well, reduce stress, walk a lot, experience nature, hang out with friends and loved ones, get sun when available, avoid nighttime light exposure as much as possible, and every other lifestyle prescription I recommend. In short, alcohol can augment (or at least fail to impact either way) an already healthy lifestyle, but it probably won?t make a bad situation better.

Full disclosure: I drink. My drink of choice is red wine, and I might do a glass or two most nights, but I never get drunk. Heck, I don?t even really get ?buzzed.? I?d never recommend that people take up drinking or continue drinking, but I also don?t see it as a great evil in and of itself. The dose and frequency make the poison; it?s just that depending on a number of factors, the dose that makes alcohol a poison might be lower or higher for you than for me. If your sleep is affected or you are the least bit ?off? the next day, you probably surpassed your ability to effectively process it and you should factor that in to your choice and approach to drinking again. And remember, alcoholism is a serious issue for some people and I am in no way suggesting there is any ?workaround? or excuse herein for someone with those issues, or that drinking, even in moderation, is necessary or optimal for healthy living.

Okay, that?s about it for me. Let?s open it up to you guys, now. I want to hear your thoughts on alcohol, especially whether it?s had a positive, negative, or neutral effect on your life and the life of those you care about. I want to hear how you?ve integrated alcohol into your otherwise healthy lifestyle (or not). Thanks for reading!

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Source: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/alcohol-the-good-and-the-bad/

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