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Thursday, 28 March 2013
How to Make Windows 8 Look and Feel Like Windows 7
Ford not 'yet' ready to talk 'Star Wars' sequels
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Harrison Ford isn't ready ? "yet" ? to talk about his reported part in Disney's planned "Star Wars" sequel, but he praises its director, J.J. Abrams.
"I think he's fantastic," Ford said in a recent interview. "I did his first movie, 'Regarding Henry,' with Mike Nichols. A wonderful talent. Extraordinary guy."
The 70-year-old actor ? who came to fame playing Han Solo in the "Star Wars" trilogy ? is shrugging off questions about that character while promoting his role as Brooklyn Dodgers president Branch Rickey in the upcoming Jackie Robinson film "42."
Asked how he feels generally that the "Star Wars" sequel and Disney spinoffs are in the works, Ford responded: "I don't feel anything at the moment yet."
In an article published earlier this month, "Star Wars" creator George Lucas told Bloomberg Businessweek that Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher had been in negotiations to return to the franchise even before Lucasfilm was sold to Disney last fall.
Was Ford surprised by that announcement? He makes the universal zipping-my-lips sign. Asked what it will take to get him to commit to play Han Solo again, Ford said, "Um, I don't even want to discuss that. It's great. Ain't it great?"
It's been over two decades since Abrams wrote the "Regarding Henry" screenplay. Have the two chatted recently?
"About what?" Ford asked, smirking and taking a slow sip from a cup.
____
Follow Ryan Pearson at http://www.twitter.com/ryanwrd
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ford-not-yet-ready-talk-star-wars-sequels-130256296.html
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Alchemist Accelerator's Second Class Highlights 9 Enterprise Startups In Flight Data Tech, Learning Management And More
Here at the Citrix corporate headquarters for the presentations by the second class of the Alchemist Accelerator group. It's quite an eclectic class for the B2B accelerator.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/kxIPoTw2vak/
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Have Easter plans? Try these restaurants | Food and More with John ...
If you haven?t made reservations for a special Easter meal this Sunday, there may still be time. Here are some restaurants around town that will be celebrating the holiday.
103 West
Brunch buffet with kid-friendly fare and live entertainment. Activities for the children include bunny visits and face painting. 10:30 a.m. ? 3:00 p.m. $62 adults, $24.50 ages 6-12, free for 5 and under. 404-233-5993.
Antebellum
Sunday brunch menu from 9 a.m. ? 3 p.m. 770-965-8100
Bantam & Biddy
Special Easter meal served alongside regular menu. 11 a.m. ? 9 p.m. $20 Easter meal. 404-907-3469
Canoe
Holiday brunch menu from 10:30 a.m. ? 2:30 p.m. 770-432-2663
Chicken & the Egg
Sunday brunch menu served from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. 678-388-8813
Ecco
Special brunch menu, 11 a.m. ? 3 p.m. 404-347-9555
Haven
Three-course brunch menu beginning at 10:30 a.m. $29.00, a la carte children?s menu will be available for $8.00 per item. 404-969-0700
Livingston Restaurant & Bar
Brunch buffet, $35 for adults, $15 for children ages 6-12, free under 5 years. 404-897-5000
No. 246
Brunch and lunch menus offered. Kids Easter egg hunt at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. 678-399-8246
Ray?s on the Creek
Sunday brunch buffet served from 9 a.m. ? 3 p.m. $29.95 adults, $14.95 ages 5-10, 4 and under eat free. 770-649-0064
Ray?s on the River
Easter buffet served from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. $39.95 adults, $19.95 children ages 5-10, 4 and under free. 770-955-1187
Rosebud
A la carte menu, 9 a.m. ? 4 p.m. 404-347-9747
South City Kitchen (both locations)
Three-course brunch menu staring at 10 a.m. (Vinings locations) and 11 a.m. (Midtown). $32, $16 children under 12. 404-873-7358 (Midtown) or 770-435-0700 (Vinings)
The Family Dog
No reservations accepted for this a la carte meal, 10:30 a.m. ? 4 p.m.
The Shed at Glenwood
Brunch buffet, 10 a.m. ? 3 p.m. $25 adult, $12 child. 404-835-4363
Valenza
Three-course Easter dinner with side items for the table to share starting at 5 p.m. $24. 404-969-3233
Villa Christina
Brunch buffet with complimentary mimosas. Activities for the kids include egg hunts, face painting, moon walk, Easter bunny photos and crafts. 11:30 a.m. ? 3:00 p.m. $45 adults, $25 children 6-12 years, free ages five and under. 404-303-0133
?by Jenny Turknett, Food & More blog
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Wednesday, 27 March 2013
Gene therapy may aid failing hearts
Mar. 25, 2013 ? In an animal study, researchers at the University of Washington show that it was possible to use gene therapy to boost heart muscle function. The finding suggests that it might be possible to use this approach to treat patients whose hearts have been weakened by heart attacks and other heart conditions.
Led by University of Washington (UW) Professor and Vice Chair of Bioengineering Michael Regnier and Dr. Chuck Murry, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Biology and co-director of the Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at UW, the study appears online today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Normally, muscle contraction is powered by a molecule, the nucleotide called Adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP). Other naturally occurring nucleotides can also power muscle contraction, but, in most cases, they have proven to be less effective than ATP.
In an earlier study of isolated muscle, however, Regnier, Murry and colleagues had found that one naturally occurring molecule, called 2 deoxy-ATP (dATP), was actually more effective than ATP in powering muscle contraction, increasing both the speed and force of the contraction, at least over the short-term.
In the new PNAS study, the researchers wanted to see whether this effect could be sustained. To do this, they used genetic engineering to create a strain of mice whose cells produced higher-than-normal levels of an enzyme called Ribonucleotide Reductase, which converts the precursor of ATP, adenosine-5'-diphosphate or ADP, to dADP, which, in turn, is rapidly converted to dATP.
"This fundamental discovery, that dATP can act as a 'super-fuel' for the contractile machinery of the heart, or myofilaments, opens up the possibility to treat a variety of heart failure conditions," Regnier said. "An exciting aspect of this study and our ongoing work is that a relatively small increase in dATP in the heart cells has a big effect on heart performance."
The researchers found that increased production of the enzyme Ribonucleotide Reductase increased the concentration of dATP within heart cells approximately tenfold, and even though this level was still less than one to two percent of the cell's total pool of ATP, the increase led to a sustained improvement in heart muscle function, with the genetically engineered hearts contracting more quickly and with greater force.
"It looks as though we may have stumbled on an important pathway that nature uses to regulate heart contractility," Murry added. "The same pathway that heart cells use to make the building blocks for DNA during embryonic growth makes dATP to supercharge contraction when the adult heart is mechanically stressed."
Importantly, the elevated dATP effect was achieved without imposing additional metabolic demands on the cells, suggesting the modification would not harm the cell's functioning over the long-term.
The finding, the authors write, suggest that treatments that elevate dATP levels in heart cells may prove to be an effective treatment for heart failure.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Washington - Health Sciences, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Sarah G. Nowakowski, Stephen C. Kolwicz, Frederick Steven Korte, Zhaoxiong Luo, Jacqueline N. Robinson-Hamm, Jennifer L. Page, Frank Brozovich, Robert S. Weiss, Rong Tian, Charles E. Murry, and Michael Regnier. Transgenic overexpression of ribonucleotide reductase improves cardiac performance. PNAS, March 25, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1220693110
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/health_medicine/genes/~3/F2dumpqeqr0/130326101618.htm
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Tuesday, 26 March 2013
Cuba cleric: Francis criticized church at conclave
HAVANA (AP) ? Pope Francis issued a strong critique of the church before the College of Cardinals just hours before it selected him as the new pontiff, according to comments published Tuesday by a Roman Catholic magazine in Cuba.
According to Havana Cardinal Jaime Ortega, then-Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio urged the Vatican to eschew self-absorption and refocus its energies outward.
"The church is called on to emerge from itself and move toward the peripheries, not only geographic but also existential (ones): those of sin, suffering, injustice, ignorance and religious abstention, thought and all misery," Bergoglio said.
Ortega said Bergoglio's comments were made to cardinals as they gathered to select Benedict XVI's replacement, and reflect his vision of the contemporary Catholic Church. He said Bergoglio later gave him a handwritten version and permission to divulge its contents.
"Cardinal Bergoglio made a speech that I thought was masterful, insightful, engaging and true," Ortega said.
Ortega added that the remarks offer insight about the direction in which the new pope could take the church following his March 13 election.
In his statements, the future pontiff also warned of the dangers of stagnation.
"When the church does not emerge from itself to evangelize, it becomes self-referential and therefore becomes sick. ... The evils that, over time, occur in ecclesiastical institutions have their root in self-referentiality, a kind of theological narcissism." Bergoglio said.
He also criticized "a mundane church that lives within itself, of itself and for itself."
Finally Bergoglio said that whoever became the new pope should be "a man who ... helps the church to emerge from itself toward the existential outskirts."
Orgeta first revealed Bergoglio's comments in a weekend Mass, and they were published Tuesday on the website of Palabra Nueva magazine, along with a photo of the two men embracing after Bergoglio had donned the papal white robes and rechristened himself Francis.
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Health Care Reform: Who's responsible? - Real [Fit] Life
I just got back from the Business Review Power Breakfast at Glen Sanders Mansion. Today?s topic of discussion was Health Care at the Crossroads: The Drive Toward Reform.
I left feeling optimistic yet overlooked. Seriously. So much talk about numbers, expensive hospital additions, billion dollar?electronic health records, reimbursement models, and ER measurement?utilization, to name a few topics of discussion.?I?m sure if you were a large companies CEO in attendance you may have been impressed, but I wasn?t. Not entirely.
So why did I feel optimistic? A large part of New York State Commissioner of Health, Dr Nirav R. Shah?s message was appealing. I would like to have heard him speak more. I found it most interesting when he spoke of the necessary paradigm shift in ownership of health care and the necessity for businesses to start asking their providers ? what services will you provide to my employees to help keep them healthy?? This is refreshing since our culture has been ingrained to look at health insurance as something we mostly use when we get sick.
Preventative care. It?s the big buzz word as of late. As a fitness and wellness professional I am all on board.
But might I take that a step further and ask what the employers are doing to help keep their employees healthy?
Would that be too bold an assumption? I don?t think so.
Some companies are starting to take a deeper interest in their employees health because it affects their bottom line. The healthier your employees, the lower your insurance costs. Win win.
So companies are starting to look around and ask questions. What can I do to help my employees get healthier? Offer fitness classes? Offer monetary incentives like a deductible that can be put towards a gym membership or a deduction on their health insurance cost?
And furthermore, how do you measure that? How is one able to show that employees are actually getting healthier and that these programs are truly effective?
These are all great questions and I am glad they are finally being asked but can I also point out the irony?
The reason so many people are unhealthy in the first place is because of our work culture. The do more, do better, and do it faster mentality that every worker faces day to day.
CEO and President of St Peter?s Health Partners, James K. Reed, spoke on?today?s?panel as well. He did speak about doing more with less but he was referring to less medical procedures, like?unnecessary?MRI?s. He wasn?t referring to people. ?He also spoke of the need for better communication in the medical field on all levels. But I couldn?t help but feel that even that message did not include every day people like you and I.
And that is the problem. How do you get a whole community of people to care about being healthier if most of what you do is talk over their heads and about them merely as numbers? As dollars?
You don?t.
I see clients daily who are over worked, over stressed, under nourished, sleep deprived, extremely deconditioned, and over prescribed. These are well educated people with good paying jobs. They are doing it all and paying the price because it is what our culture expects.
Studies have shown that simply getting a good nights sleep on a regular basis can have worlds of impact on ones health in a positive way. That?s right. Sleep. But who?s got time for that, right? Seriously. I can imagine most of you laughing as you read this. Yet it is such a simple, free fix.
In addition, many people who are overweight are not eating enough calories or the right kind of calories for most of the day, and when they do eat, the choices are usually something quick and nutrient void. Why? It isn?t because they cannot afford healthy food. It?s because they are too busy.
I have clients who don?t even keep up with the renewal of their necessary medical prescriptions because, you guessed it, they are too busy.
So when I sit at a discussion such as the one I attended today, I think a large part of the puzzle is being overlooked. Businesses are now worrying as the health care system is changing. ?They suddenly can?t afford to have unhealthy employees. That?s great but you can?t just care about your bottom line. You have to truly care about your?people.
James Reed spoke of the greater need for compassion and connection from our doctors and nurses, for more effective communication. He also spoke of the desire for large companies to go to him directly to open up the discussion regarding medical care for their employees.
My question is: Who is talking to the employees? Who is showing them compassion? Who is truly investing in and opening up the discussion to them?
And this does not take the ownership away form the individual either. We are all in this together. And I think the Commissioner,Dr. Shah, did a fairly good job of trying to point that out.
But let?s face it. People spend most waking hours of their week at work. That is where a large part of their lives are spent. If employers can get their employees to make healthier choices in the work place, those benefits will carry over.
Offer on site fitness programming, health screenings, health education, and any other services that will help to make the lives of your employees less stressful and more productive. And offer incentives for participation. Get creative and also make it fun.
Human nature and resistance to change really were at the core of much of what was spoken about today. It?s normal. No one likes change. But people are much more likely to make that step towards it when you show a true investment in them rather than treating them solely as an investment.
www.realfitlife.com
Source: http://blog.timesunion.com/trimboli/health-care-reform-whos-responsible/3517/
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Monday, 25 March 2013
Gun link, but many questions in corrections death
FILE - This undated image provided by the Colorado Department of Corrections shows its director Tom Clements. Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kramer says Clements was shot to death around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night March 19, 2013 when he answered his front door in Monument, north of Colorado Springs. Personal safety is always on the mind of most correctional officers and prison administrators when they?re working the prison tower or shaking down inmate cells for contraband. But increasingly it?s also a concern at the end of their shifts and off prison grounds. The slaying of Clements has officers checking their review mirrors more often and industry experts recommending a closer look at security off the job. (AP Photo/Colorado Department of Corrections)
FILE - This undated image provided by the Colorado Department of Corrections shows its director Tom Clements. Sheriff's Lt. Jeff Kramer says Clements was shot to death around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night March 19, 2013 when he answered his front door in Monument, north of Colorado Springs. Personal safety is always on the mind of most correctional officers and prison administrators when they?re working the prison tower or shaking down inmate cells for contraband. But increasingly it?s also a concern at the end of their shifts and off prison grounds. The slaying of Clements has officers checking their review mirrors more often and industry experts recommending a closer look at security off the job. (AP Photo/Colorado Department of Corrections)
FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Colorado Department of Corrections shows paroled inmate Evan Spencer Ebel. Ebel, 28, the former Colorado inmate and white supremacist at the center of a two-state mystery is dead after a high-speed chase and shootout with Texas deputies March 21, 2013. Now investigators are trying to piece together whether he killed the chief of Colorado prisons and a pizza delivery man. Tom Clements, the Colorado prisons chief who was gunned down, is being remembered at a memorial service, Monday, March 25, 2013 at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo. (AP Photo/Colorado Department of Corrections, File)
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) ? Colorado corrections chief Tom Clements and his wife were watching television when the doorbell rang last Tuesday night. Clements opened the door and was shot to death.
"My life was changed forever," Lisa Clements told hundreds of people, including corrections guards and officials from around the country, who gathered at a memorial service for her husband Monday.
Nearly a week after Clements' death, investigators in Colorado say the gun suspect Evan Ebel used in a shootout with authorities in Texas is the same one used to kill Clements. However, they don't know yet whether Ebel is the person who shot Clements, whether he acted alone and what motivated the slaying of a corrections' chief admired by prisoner advocates and prison guards alike. Authorities warned that could take some time.
Until investigators determine whether Ebel, paroled from Colorado's prison system, in January, acted alone, "it's hard to know what his role was," Lt. Jeff Kramer of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office told The Associated Press.
"He remains a suspect in our investigation, obviously, especially after receiving this confirmed link from Texas," he said.
No other suspects have been named.
Denver police suspect Ebel was involved in the killing of pizza deliveryman Nathan Leon. His body was found two days before Clements was killed.
Investigators also do not know whether the pizza box and Domino's Pizza shirt or jacket found in the car Ebel was driving when he was captured in Texas ? similar to one spotted near Clements home ? were used by the killer to persuade Clements to open the door of his home, Kramer said.
A federal law enforcement official says Ebel was a member of the 211 Crew, a white supremacist prison gang in Colorado.
Kramer said investigators are looking at who Ebel's associates were in prison and outside of prison.
At the memorial service at New Life Church, both Lisa Clements and Gov. John Hickenlooper spoke about Clements' strong belief in redemption. His family said he decided as a teenager to work in corrections after visiting his uncle in prison, and he worked to reduce the use of solitary confinement in Colorado prisons.
Standing with her two daughters, Lisa Clements, a psychologist who oversees Colorado's state mental health institutes, said her husband of 28 years would want justice as well as forgiveness.
"We want everyone who hears Tom's story to know that he lived his life believing in redemption, in the ability of the human heart to be changed. He would want justice certainly but moreover he'd want forgiveness. Our family prays for the family of the man who took Tom's life and we will pray for forgiveness in our own hearts and our own peace," she said.
Hickenlooper, who hired Clements about two years ago, told mourners that he was both pragmatic and principled.
"He had common sense and he had courage," Hickenlooper said.
Hickenlooper is a longtime friend of the suspect's father, attorney Jack Ebel, who testified two years ago before state lawmakers that solitary confinement was destroying his son's psyche.
Hickenlooper confirmed he mentioned the case to Clements as an example of why the prison system needed reform before the job was offered, but the governor said he did not mention Evan Ebel by name.
There was no indication that Hickenlooper's relationship with Jack Ebel played a role in the shooting. Hickenlooper said he did not having any role in Evan Ebel's parole in January.
Jack Ebel issued a statement offering condolences to all those who have suffered from his son's actions.
Clements, born in St. Louis, worked for 31 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, both in prison and as a parole officer, before being hired in Colorado. He began a review of the state's solitary confinement system and eventually reduced the number of prisoners being held in solitary confinement. He closed a new prison built specifically to hold such prisoners ? Colorado State Penitentiary II.
_____
Associated Press writer Dan Elliott contributed to this report
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Genomes of peregrine and saker falcons throw lights on evolution of a predatory lifestyle
Mar. 24, 2013 ? In a collaborative study published online in Nature Genetics, researchers from Cardiff University, BGI, International Wildlife Consultants, Ltd., and Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, have completed the genome sequencing and analysis of two iconic falcons, the peregrine (Falco peregrinus) and saker (Falco cherrug). The work provides an invaluable resource for the deep understanding of the adaptive evolution in raptors and the genetic basis of their wide distribution.
Peregrine and saker falcons are widespread, and their unique morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations make them successful hunters. The peregrine is renowned as the world's fastest animal, and the falcon is the national emblem of United Arab Emirate. In recent decades, peregrine and saker falcons have been listed as endangered due to rapid population declines caused by a wide range of factors including environmental change, overharvesting for falconry, habitat loss and bioaccumulation of pesticides (e.g. DDT, PCBs).
In this study, researchers focused on the evolutionary basis of predatory adaptations underlying peregrine and saker. They conducted whole genome sequencing and assembled the high quality ~1.2 Gb reference genomes for each falcon species. Phylogenic analysis suggested that the two falcon species might diverged 2.1 million years ago.
Comparing with chicken and zebra finch, researchers found the transposable element composition of falcons was most similar to that of zebra finch. Large segmental duplications in falcons are less frequent than that in chicken and zebra finch, and comprise less than 1% of both falcon genomes. They also found that a gene expansion in the olfactory receptor ?-c clade in chicken and zebra finch is not present in falcons, possibly reflecting their reliance on vision for locating prey.
Observing genome-wide rapid evolution for both falcons, chicken, zebra finch and turkey, researchers found that the nervous system, olfaction and sodium ion trans-port have evolved rapidly in falcons, and also the evolutionary novelties in beak development related genes of falcons and saker-unique arid-adaptation related genes.
Shengkai Pan, bioinformatics expert from BGI, said, "The two falcon genomes are the first predatory bird genome published. The data presented in this study will advance our understanding of the adaptive evolution of raptors as well as aid the conservation of endangered falcon species."
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BGI Shenzhen.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Xiangjiang Zhan, Shengkai Pan, Junyi Wang, Andrew Dixon, Jing He, Margit G Muller, Peixiang Ni, Li Hu, Yuan Liu, Haolong Hou, Yuanping Chen, Jinquan Xia, Qiong Luo, Pengwei Xu, Ying Chen, Shengguang Liao, Changchang Cao, Shukun Gao, Zhaobao Wang, Zhen Yue, Guoqing Li, Ye Yin, Nick C Fox, Jun Wang, Michael W Bruford. Peregrine and saker falcon genome sequences provide insights into evolution of a predatory lifestyle. Nature Genetics, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/ng.2588
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/nKjE34V6NSI/130325111216.htm
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2 heads not always better than 1 -- like on a shark
Journal of Fish Biology / C. M. Wagner et al
The two-headed bull shark fetus. It's about 8 inches (20 centimeters) from head to head.
By Douglas Main
LiveScience
When a fisherman caught a bull shark recently off the Florida Keys, he came across an unlikely surprise: One of the shark's live fetuses had two heads.
The fisherman kept the odd specimen, and shared it with scientists, who described it in a studypublished online Monday?in the Journal of Fish Biology. It's one of the very few examples of a two-headed shark ever recorded ? there about six instances in published reports ? and the first time this has been seen in a bull shark, said Michael Wagner, a study co-author and researcher at Michigan State University.
Technically called "axial bifurcation," the deformity is a result of the embryo beginning to split into two separate organisms, or twins, but doing so incompletely, Wagner told OurAmazingPlanet. It's a very rare mutation that occurs across different animals, including humans.
"Halfway through the process of forming twins, the embryo stops dividing," he said.
The two-headed fetus likely wouldn't have lived for very long in the wild, he said. "When you're a predator that needs to move fast to catch other fast-moving fish ? that'd be nearly impossible with this mutation," he said. ?[See the two-headed shark.]
Journal of Fish Biology / C. M. Wagner et al
A radiograph of the two-headed shark.
Wagner said the description of the deformed shark may someday help better understand how these deformities arise in sharks and other animals.
Two-headed snakes and turtles can be bought from certain specialty breeders, and there is a small market for such creatures, Wagner said.
Several of the few examples of two-headed sharks available today come from museum specimens from the late 1800s, when deformed animals and other macabre curiosities fetched high prices, he said.
Another reason the two-headed shark likely wouldn't have survived: its small body. "It had very developed heads, but a very stunted body," Wagner said. There's only so much energy that can go into the body's development, and it went into the shark's double noggins, he added.
Email Douglas Main?or follow him @Douglas_Main. Follow us?@OAPlanet, Facebook?or ?Google+. Original article on LiveScience's OurAmazingPlanet
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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What might 2 popes discuss over lunch?
The helicopter carrying Pope Francis, sitting next to left window, flies on its way to Castel Gandolfo Saturday, March 23, 2013. Crowds are beginning to gather in the central square of Castel Gandolfo to catch a glimpse of history: Two popes meeting for lunch and presumably discussing the future of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis flies by helicopter Saturday to the papal residence in the Alban Hills south of Rome where Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has been living since resigning Feb. 28, the first pope to step down in 600 years. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
The helicopter carrying Pope Francis, sitting next to left window, flies on its way to Castel Gandolfo Saturday, March 23, 2013. Crowds are beginning to gather in the central square of Castel Gandolfo to catch a glimpse of history: Two popes meeting for lunch and presumably discussing the future of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis flies by helicopter Saturday to the papal residence in the Alban Hills south of Rome where Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has been living since resigning Feb. 28, the first pope to step down in 600 years. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
Pope Francis meets with ambassadors from the 180 countries that have diplomatic relations with the Holy See at the Vatican, Friday, March 22, 2013. The Pontiff called Friday for more dialogue with Islam and offered an olive branch to China and other countries that don't have diplomatic relations with the Holy See. In his first foreign policy address as pope, Francis delivered his remarks in Italian rather than the traditional French ? another indication that the Argentine-born pope is less than comfortable speaking languages other than Italian and his mother-tongue Spanish. (AP Photo/Tony Gentile, Pool)
The helicopter carrying Pope Francis flies on its way to Castel Gandolfo Saturday, March 23, 2013. Crowds are beginning to gather in the central square of Castel Gandolfo to catch a glimpse of history: Two popes meeting for lunch and presumably discussing the future of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis flies by helicopter Saturday to the papal residence in the Alban Hills south of Rome where Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has been living since resigning Feb. 28, the first pope to step down in 600 years. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
The helicopter carrying Pope Francis flies on its way to Castel Gandolfo Saturday, March 23, 2013. Crowds are beginning to gather in the central square of Castel Gandolfo to catch a glimpse of history: Two popes meeting for lunch and presumably discussing the future of the Catholic Church. Pope Francis flies by helicopter Saturday to the papal residence in the Alban Hills south of Rome where Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has been living since resigning Feb. 28, the first pope to step down in 600 years. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (AP) ? Pope Francis has arrived at the papal residence south of Rome for an extraordinary date with his predecessor Benedict XVI, who met him at the helipad and escorted him to his library for a private chat followed by lunch.
Outside the villa, the main piazza of Castel Gandolfo was packed Saturday with well-wishers hoping to catch a glimpse of history: two popes breaking bread together and presumably discussing the future of the Catholic Church. They chanted "Francesco! Francesco!"
Benedict has been living at the papal summer villa since he resigned Feb. 28, the first pope to step down in 600 years. He has said he plans to live out his final years in prayer and remain "hidden from the world."
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Sunday, 24 March 2013
Write Your Email's Conclusion First to Get More Responses
Nobody carefully reads every word of every email. To avoid getting lost in the shuffle, Inc. suggests ignoring what you learned in English class and starting every email with your conclusion.
Say you're trying to get your boss to move a department meeting to an offsite location. You might write an email like this:
Since it's often easier to generate creative ideas in unfamiliar locations, I'd like to suggest moving our meeting to the sushi restaurant across the street.
Instead, Inc. suggests writing more like this:
I think we should move our meeting to the sushi restaurant across the street, since it's often easier to generate creative ideas in unfamiliar locations.
Writing this way serves two purposes. One, it means your most important point will show up in the preview pane of most email clients. Second, it plants your central idea in the recipient's head right away, and lets your supporting points hammer it home. Check out Inc. for more email tips.
How To Write a Convincing Email | Inc.
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LIVE UPDATES: What's Happening at the Senate Vote-A-Rama
4:33 a.m.
A fitting end. With a vote on the budget imminent, Mitch McConnell declares, at 4:33 a.m., "This is one of the Senate's finest days in recent years."
4:31 a.m.
The final amendment vote belongs to Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., and it passes.?
4:05 a.m.
Patty Murray thanks all the Senate pages. Standing ovation.
3:54 a.m.
The vote-a-rama has hit the 12-hour mark.
The Senate has been steadily working through -- and defeating -- amendments offered by some of the chamber's most conservative members for about half an hour.?
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, briefly stumbled over the Bill of Rights, citing the First Amendment for the right to bear arms. He quickly corrected himself, and blamed the late hour.
3:27 a.m.
Vitter amendment fails 44-54.
3:21 a.m.
Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, bring up a bill to require photo ID to vote -- a hot-button issue.
3:15 a.m.
Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., requested to use electronic devices on the floor during the final set of votes. Reid objected. But the reality is that iPhones, Blackberries and iPads are already strewn about the chamber.
Sen. Robert Mendendez, D-N.J., who heads the foreign relations committee, warns senators about setting foreign policy "at 3 in the morning," saying it could set "dangerous" precedents and create instability in the Middle East.
3:05 a.m.
After an hour break in voting as staff and senators huddled over what to do next, the Senate has announced it will proceed on a batch of about a dozen votes. Patty Murray requested senators sit in their seats, a relatively rare request, to speed up the process and cut the total time per vote to only seven and a half minutes.
?The end is in sight, folks,? tweeted Adam Jentleson, Harry Reid?s spokesman.?
1:45 a.m.
Harry Reid pulled off his glasses and rubbed his eyes during the exchange between Patty Murray and Jeff Sessions over further amendments. Murray accused the Republicans of "filibustering by amendment." Sessions said of his GOP colleagues, "This may be their only opportunity."
Murray pleaded for an end, citing the Senate's "elderly" members.?
1:41 a.m.
Patty Murray says more than 60 amendments have been considered and urges colleagues to consider wrapping it up. "We had amendments on virtually every topic here tonight, including the budget," she said.
Jeff Sessions and David Vitter answer for the minority: No.
1:33 a.m.
On voice vote, senators agree to take 20 percent of their salaries and dedicate to a charity of their choice so that lawmakers can feel what workers furloughed by sequestration are feeling. (A few loud "no" votes caused King to reorder the voice vote not once but twice.)
1:28 a.m.
Patty Murray?s working hard, and knows it. Asked by another senator how many more tranches of amendments would be seen, she indicated people just need to remain cool and let the process keep working itself through. ?I don?t think anybody here can say I haven?t been working my tail off? to get what have been dozens of amendments considered quickly.
1:08 a.m.
Angus King seems tired. He just miscalled a voice vote (no instead of yes), leading Republicans to threaten a more time-consuming roll call. Patty Murray steps in and claims, to laughter, that she hadn?t heard it properly, so they do it all again. Onward.
12:41 a.m.
Senate Republicans try to unsuccessfully pass another amendment that defunds, in some way, the Affordable Care Act: one of the president's signature policy accomplishments. Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa compares their ongoing efforts to dismantle the health care law to a magical cloak from the Harry Potter novels that just makes objects disappear. This comparison makes everyone on the floor, including Sen. Murray, laugh. As it gets late, people are getting a little punchy. Onward to more amendments!
12:31 a.m.
Sessions? immigration bill fails, 43-56.
12:29 a.m.
Mike Lee on Twitter promising a late night/early morning: "Votes on one Lee amendment, several more to go. It's going to be a late night as we do the work we were sent to do."
12:06 a.m.
Fun fact: As you watch Sen. Murray manage the floor over the next few hours and organize amendments, remember: She taught pre-school before she was elected to Congress.
12:04 a.m.
#Votearama is trending on Twitter in D.C.
12:00 a.m.
Potentially interesting immigration marker due soon. Expecting to see Jeff Sessions offer a measure aimed at ensuring illegal immigrants granted any legal status under whatever immigration reform emerges from Congress, should it emerge, are denied access to free health care either under Medicaid or ?Obamacare?.
11:59 p.m.
Heading into the early hours of Saturday morning, this is the next batch of amendments:
- ? Cardin #706 (carbon emissions);
- ? Inhofe #359 (green house gases);
- ? Menendez #705 (immigration-health care-side-by-side to Sessions );
- ? Sessions #614 ( immigrants/health care);
- ? Merkley #696 (prosecutions of financial institutions);
- ? Roberts #187 (prohibit promotional materials PPACA);
- ? Menendez #619 (Flood loss mitigation);
- ? Portman #152 (medical malpractice reconciliation instructions);
11:47 p.m.
Tim Scott union dues bill failed (not because he didn't talk more about it).
11:36 p.m.
Picking up speed again. Voice vote approval of Sherrod Brown?s, D-Ohio, manufacturing amendment. Then Tim Scott, R-S.C., introduced his measure to prohibit automatic deduction of union dues from federal workers? paychecks, but didn?t use up any time explaining or defending it.?
11:15 p.m.
These are the next four amendments up:
- McCaskill #366 (federal and state credentialing)
- Johnson (WI) #213 (Social Security/Medicare)
- Brown #455 (manufacturing)
- Scott #597 (federal workers-union fees)
11:08 p.m.
Majority Leader Reid on the floor praises the progress, but notes how much farther vote-a-rama has to go if all senators insist on a vote for their amendments. ?We?re doing fine. We?re not at carnival stage yet. Let?s proceed and try to reach this with a lot of dignity.?
Patty Murray asks senators to ?continue cooperating.?
11:07 p.m.
Mike Lee, R-UT, amendment requiring budgets spend more on Defense than on debt interest payments goes down, 46-53.
10:59 p.m.
Rand Paul goes to Twitter to thank Mitch McConnell for supporting his failed balanced budget amendment.
10:15 p.m.
Some amendments aim to make a political point and garner media attention. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., authored one to withhold pay for top staff at the president?s Office of Management and Budget for every day the president?s budget is late. It got Cornyn on Fox News on Thursday because it?s a finger-in-the-eye of President Obama, who still hasn?t authored a budget plan this year. The measure passed with a voice vote on Friday night.
9:44 p.m.
So, why do the votes on these amendments matter? Well, they lay down markers for future, tough policy discussions on everything from tax reform to the Keystone pipeline to the estate tax. Here are some interesting articles to peruse on the policy implications of these votes and amendments:
-- Why Keystone Wins Big
-- The Senate's Support for an Internet Sales Tax
-- Budget Votes that Highlight Immigration Debate
9:35 p.m.
Among the interesting amendments that have come up in the last 30 minutes: the Senate voted in favor of an amendment to reduce or repeal the estate tax, an idea put forward by Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia. But, the Senate did not vote in favor of eliminating the estate tax entirely, as Republican Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina suggested.
The Senate also voted in favor (again, non-binding) of not touching benefits for disabled veterans if and when the debate over chained CPI re-emerges. That was Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders amendment. Chained CPI would tweak the cost-of-living calculation for federal benefits, including Social Security, and would result in less generous allotments for people. President Obama has put $130 billion in chained CPI changes on the table as part of a grand budget deal, much to the chagrin of his more liberal counterparts in Congress like Sanders.
Majority Leader Reid also is not a big fan of chained CPI and sat beside Sanders on the floor following the vote on that amendment.
8:44 p.m.
Wanna know why this vote-a-rama will last into the wee hours of the night? So far, 562 amendments have been filed, according to a Senate Democratic aide.
For context, the leadership aide writes: "The average number of votes on amendments and motions to recommit during Senate consideration of the last 10 Budgets is 32. And according to CRS, between 1993 and 2009, an average of 78 amendments to the budget resolution were offered per year during floor consideration." So, the 562 amendments far exceeds what we've seen historically on budget resolutions.
8:32 p.m.
Other topics coming up in amendments: Estate tax; chained CPI; funding for embassy security and law enforcement; something on mercury, more details as we get them; and an amendment from Maryland's Democratic Senator Cardin on pediatric dental care.
8:28 p.m.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid warns senators that, ?This is not going to go on forever.? He continued, ?We have 400 amendments that have been offered. We?re not going to do that.?
8:10 p.m.
Motion to waive Budget Act to consider Rubio's abortion measure fails.?
7:50 p.m.
The vote-a-rama seems to be moving a bit faster. The senators are now debating an amendment by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio that would prohibit people, apart from parents, from taking minors into another state to receive an abortion. Upcoming: An amendment from North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan on veterans (she's in a vulnerable seat in 2014) and an amendment about biennial budgeting i.e. moving the budget process to once every two years.
7:29 p.m.
All the vote-a-rama roll call votes have had 99 senators voting. That's because 89-year old Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, is absent.
7:25 p.m.
Alaska?s bipartisan pair of senators, Mark Begich, the Democrat, and Lisa Murkowski, the Republican, both back an amendment requiring labeling of a genetically modified ?fake fish,? as Begich calls it. It passes with a voice vote.
7:08 p.m.
The amendment on taxing internet sales passed 75 to 24. Non-binding, of course, but interesting marker for future fights over overhauling the tax code.
7:01 p.m.
Lots of the amendments in this vote-a-rama include the phrase "deficit-neutral funds." What the heck does that mean? As Dylan Matthews of the Washington Post's Wonkblog explains: The words "deficit-neutral funds" offers "a way to discuss budget-irrelevant topics without violating budget reconciliation rules." In other words, they're a technical workaround that allows lawmakers to score? political points on a wider range of topics.
6:49 p.m.
How do Republicans sustain themselves ahead of a long evening of votes? BBQ. That?s what?s getting dished out in Sen. Mitch McConnell office during the sales tax debate: meat, baked beans, corn bread and salad.
6:30 p.m.
If you want a better sense of why overhauling the tax code may be difficult politically, just tune into the debate unfolding now on the Senate floor over a possible sales tax on internet purchases. The Senate has been fiercely debating this amendment for the past 30 minutes or so.
This amendment, put forth by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Mike Enzi, would express support for letting states collect sales taxes on internet purchases--even if those companies were headquartered out-of-state. And, the amendment pits the business interests of typical retail stores against internet competitors. Among others, the amendment is backed by big lobbying money including the country's largest retail trade association that says it is "strongly supporting this legislative effort aimed at leveling the sales tax playing field for all retailers."
Like many fights over taxes, the split between those in favor of the amendment and those against it does not fall along typical party lines. Among the biggest critics of the bill: Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Ron Wyden and Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte
6:18 p.m.
The Senate is now in the midst of debating an amendment from Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, about states' ability to apply the sales tax to Internet purchases.?
6:03 p.m.
The Hoeven amendment supporting the Keystone XL pipeline passes 62-37, with the backing of 17, yes 17, Senate Democrats.
5:46 p.m.
?The hand-writing is on the wall. I see it,? Boxer says ahead of the next Keystone pipeline amendment vote, this one pushed by Hoeven, after she lost the first tally.
5:45 p.m.
Just how many amendments have been filed? As of 5:30, Senate Republicans have offered 371 budget amendments and Democrats have put together 154.
5:43 p.m.
Boxer?s Keystone amendment fails 33-66.
5:40 p.m.
Settling in for a long night here on the Senate side. For those just tuning into vote-a-rama, a reminder: This is Sen. Patty Murray's first time shepherding a Democratic budget to the floor. She's taken on other thankless tasks, like leading the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (when few thought the party would retain the Senate in 2012) and co-leading the super committee that failed to come up with a grand deficit deal. For background reading on Murray's political ascendance, I'd recommend two deep dives: an August 2011 look at her role leading the DSCC and a March 20 profile of her leadership on the Senate Budget Committee and as a foil to Rep. Paul Ryan, Chairman of the House Budget Committee and former Republican vice presidential candidate. Also, of note: Majority Leader Harry Reid really trusts her.
5:29 p.m.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-North Dakota, speaks against an amendment from Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., related to the Keystone XL pipeline. Boxer stands, arms crossed, steadily shaking her head in disagreement across the floor as Hoeven speaks.
5:20 p.m.
You know who seems to love vote-a-rama? Sen. Tom Coburn. The Oklahoma representative, who disdains wasteful government spending, has put forth over 50 amendments for this budget voting fest. If every senators did that, leadership would have to contend with 5,000 amendments. This doesn't mean that all of Coburn's amendments will make it to the floor, but it does show that Coburn is sticking with his usual playbook of digging into the budget and pointing out its myriad of flaws.
5:11 p.m.
The Whitehouse amendment falls short 41-58.?
5:04 p.m.
The vote on the Whitehouse amendment (#652) is the first of four in a row on energy and environment issues, including two related to the Keystone XL pipeline.
4:55 p.m.
Our first papal reference. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, cites Pope Francis in pushing his amendment related to a carbon tax. Whitehouse says that, ?We ignore carbon pollution at our peril? and cites God when suggesting that not taking care of the environment ?is an offense to His creation.?
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, rises in opposition and declares, ?To have to oppose the pope is really ominous.?
4:18 p.m.?
Senate Budget Committee Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., issues a warning to her colleagues who choose to wander off the floor amid the coming flurry of votes. "You leave at your own peril," she says.
4:00 p.m.
More than 400 amendments to the Senate budget have been filed for Friday's marathon session on the floor. More amendments can be offered through the night, although senators won't necessarily demand votes on every measure.
Under the rules, it all comes to end only when there is no senator on the floor seeking a vote on an amendment. Senator Reid has said he hopes senators will only ask for votes on 25 to 30 of the amendments put forth.
Even so, the chamber likely will not end this "vote-a-rama" until after midnight.
?
?
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/live-updates-whats-happening-senate-vote-rama-210918702--politics.html
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Saturday, 23 March 2013
Paul Ryan Says Obama 'Charm Offensive' Was 'Helpful,' But It's Still Knives Out For Obamacare
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) appeared on Greta Van Susteren's "On The Record" Thursday night to give his side of the story on the ongoing knock-down drag-out budget debate. Ryan, whose re-polished budget plan passed the House but was predictably halted by the Democratic-controlled Senate, said that President Barack Obama's "charm offensive" was "helpful." Citing the delays in the White House presenting its budget, however, Ryan averred, "The question is, is it real and will it last? If it is real and if it does last, then I think we've got a chance of getting a down payment on the problem fixed."
Meanwhile, it's knives out for Obamacare:
RYAN: You know, the dirty little secret about this, Greta, "Obamacare" changes Medicare as we know it. "Obamacare" is the law that puts a board of 15 bureaucrats in charge of cutting Medicare that leads to denied access to current seniors.What we say -- get rid of this board, make sure that all the savings from Medicare goes to Medicare solvency, not to pay for another program by raiding it. And oh, by the way, people who are on Medicare, they organize their lives around this program. And before a debt crisis, the moment we're in right now, we can put reforms in that guarantee the program doesn't change for those who are in and near retirement, but we must reform it for our generation and the younger people so that we can keep that promise.
Ryan's long had it out for this board, more properly known as the Independent Payment Advisory Board, and has only a slightly less paranoiac take on it than many of his colleagues, who have referred to it as the "death panel." But Ryan's presentation of what the IPAB does nevertheless stretches the truth.
As the Kaiser Family Foundation noted back in 2010, "The Board is prohibited from submitting proposals that would ration care, increase taxes, change Medicare benefits or eligibility, increase beneficiary premiums and cost-sharing requirements, or reduce low-income subsidies under Part D. Prior to 2019, the Board is also prohibited from recommending changes in payments to providers and suppliers that are scheduled to receive a reduction in their payment updates in excess of a reduction due to productivity adjustments, as specified in the health reform law."
What's more, Ryan proposed similar measures himself in his Patient's Choice Act. (The notion that the GOP-controlled House could simply swap out the IPAB with Ryan's proposal has been floated.)
Ryan is of course still touting his plan to transform Medicare -- at least for everyone currently aged 55 and younger -- into a voucher system, and he's now gone all in on promises to balance the budget. "We owe the country a balanced budget," he said. "It's a reasonable plan. It grows the economy. Balancing the budget is not just a statistical exercise, it's the necessary means to a healthier economy, creates more jobs, helps people keep more of their own hard-earned money. And it's a big contrast to the other budgets that are passing."
Of course, the virtues of a balanced budget are oft-overhyped, but the GOP has nevertheless found a point of contrast with Obama, who has explicitly stated that balancing the budget -- and extracting capital from the economy -- in the short term is not a priority for him during the economic recovery. Ryan and his colleagues, however, point to an internal party poll that indicates this is a winning political message. Per Politico:
The poll showed that 45 percent of Democratic voters think ?balancing ? the federal budget would significantly increase economic growth and create millions of American jobs.? A sky-high 61 percent of independents and 76 percent of Republicans agree.But the data Republicans culled are much more granular than that.
Sixty-four percent of voters in Democratic-held districts ? dubbed offensive districts by the NRCC ? think balancing the budget creates a massive number of jobs. Swing district voters overwhelmingly agreed ? to the tune of 62 percent. Fifty-seven percent of voters in Democratic districts represented by Republicans agree, as well.
"Now if this were true," notes Dave Weigel, "recent history would have been one of constant recessions."
The wild deficits of the 1980s wouldn't have come during a period of massive economic growth. The job growth and deficits of the middle Bush II years, when unemployment fell to around 5 percent, wouldn't make any sense. And it wouldn't have made any sense, in 2001, when Republican economists argued that the surplus needed to be wiped out to pay for more tax cuts?and unbalancing the budget?in the interest of economic stimulus.
One of the people making that argument for stimulus through massive tax cuts? Paul Ryan. Meanwhile, there is an observable 60-year trend that indicates that low unemployment is a driver of deficit reduction, so the argument that a balanced budget leads to jobs -- which perhaps sounds pleasing to the public -- is nevertheless a strategy that mistakes the horse for the cart.
Toward the end of the interview, Van Susteren asked Ryan whether he was considering mounting a presidential campaign in 2016.
RYAN: I'm going to take a look at this seriously later. But the way I look at this is, I should not be clouding my judgment in doing my job right now. I'm the head of the Budget Committee. I represent Wisconsin's 1st district, and I should not be putting into my mind, you know, some kind of political consideration three- and-a-half years down from now because I think that will cloud my judgment. What I need to do is look at the moment we have right now. We're on the cusp of a debt crisis. We have a fiscal problem. We have an economic problem. I need to focus on that and I need to make sure that I make the right decisions for the right reasons on dealing with this issue. Then when we've dealt with that, then I'm going to give serious consideration to these other things.
Watch the full interview here.
[Would you like to follow me on Twitter? Because why not?]
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/22/paul-ryan-obamacare_n_2932406.html
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PFT: Osi likely headed to Falcons or 'Phins
Getty ImagesSeveral weeks ago, we began to catch wind of a plan to delay the payment of so-called performance-based pay to NFL players. ?As it was initially explained, the move arises from efforts to pump up the salary cap.
Now, it?s being sold as a way to protect players from themselves, financially.
NFLPA spokesman George Atallah previously has acknowledged that the two-year delay will happen with the 2013 performance-based bay, for cap purposes. ?According to Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com, the performance-based pay of all players?will be held in escrow for two years ? in every remaining year of the CBA.
For clarity, the term ?performance-based pay? relates to one specific benefit, paid to players based on their playing time in relation to their compensation. ?A low-paid player who plays a lot, for example, gets a big check, like Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, who went from undrafted to starting lineup. ?The term does not include incentives or contractual bonuses.
Freeman calls it a ?controversial and still hotly debated move? within the NFLPA, which resulted from an ?extremely close? vote of the union?s player representatives at their annual meeting earlier this month. ?The most surprising aspect of the move, from our perspective, is that it?s now apparently being characterized not as a shell game aimed at ensuring the salary cap will remain at desired levels while keeping earned money out of the players? hands for two years, but as a way to protect players from themselves.
It?s fitting, we suppose, given that the NFL has spent so much time over the past several years protecting players from themselves on the field. ?Now, the union can protect players from themselves off the field.
But that?s not fair to the guys who don?t take out $300,000 loans to throw birthday parties for themselves. ?That?s money that can be invested by the players who earned it. ?And if the players choose to make it rain or take it to the tables or light it all on fire and watch it burn, that?s their business.
The inalienable right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness necessarily includes a right to squander life, liberty, and/or happiness. ?Freedom includes the freedom to screw up, and when a group of men are being treated like children, that?s not good for anybody.
Then again, it?s possible that it?s all just clumsy cover for an effort to prop up the salary cap by keeping player money from the players on a two-year rolling basis. ?Regardless of the real reason, no union should be taking its members? money and putting it in a jar for two years, two months, two weeks, two days, or even two minutes.
Especially if the members don?t want that to happen.
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PFT: Criticism of Gabbert 'pisses off' Jones-Drew
Getty ImagesFormer Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher wants to keep playing. ?The problem is that he needs a team.
And his objective in looking for a new team is simple.
?I?m an old fart, so I want to go in there and win,? Urlacher told The Dan Patrick Show earlier in the hour.
But Urlacher is pragmatic. ??Maybe nobody wants me,? Urlacher said. ??But we?re gonna find out.?
He thinks that more teams hadn?t shown interest because no one really believed he?d leave Chicago. ?And Urlacher said that his agents have spoken to the Vikings, Cowboys, and Cardinals since Urlacher hit the open market.
Playing in a 4-3 defense isn?t a prerequisite. ??I think I could learn a 3-4,? Urlacher said, before addressing the possibility of trying to replace Ray Lewis in Baltimore with a ?no thanks.?
At this point, the only thing Urlacher or anyone else knows is that Urlacher won?t be a Bear. ??I really don?t think they wanted me back,? Urlacher said, adding that he believes the team?s one-year, $2 million effort is now ?gone.?
Though the money (or lack thereof) drove the decision, Urlacher believes that the move was rooted in the coaching change. ?Urlacher explained that, if Lovie Smith were still the head coach, Urlacher would still be a Bear.
At some point, the Bears presumably will welcome Urlacher back for a jersey retirement or some other ceremony to celebrate his career.
?What if i don?t go back?? Urlacher joked. ??What if i don?t want to go back??
Surely, he?ll want to go back at the appropriate time. ?The question for now is whether he?ll find an appropriate fit.
Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/22/gabbert-criticism-pisses-off-jones-drew/related/
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First images released from newest Earth observation satellite
Mar. 21, 2013 ? NASA and the Department of the Interior's U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have released the first images from the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) satellite, which was launched Feb. 11.
The natural-color images show the intersection of the United States Great Plains and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming and Colorado. In the images, green coniferous forests in the mountains stretch down to the brown plains with Denver and other cities strung south to north.
LDCM acquired the images at about 1:40 p.m. EDT March 18. The satellite's Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) instruments observed the scene simultaneously. The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., processed the data.
"We are very excited about this first collection of simultaneous imagery," said Jim Irons, LDCM project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "These images confirm we have two healthy, functioning sensors that survived the rigors of launch and insertion into Earth orbit."
Since launch, LDCM has been going through on-orbit testing. The mission operations team has completed its review of all major spacecraft and instrument subsystems, and performed multiple spacecraft attitude maneuvers to verify the ability to accurately point the instruments.
The two LDCM sensors collect data simultaneously over the same ground path. OLI collects light reflected off the surface of Earth in nine different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including bands of visible light and near-infrared and short-wave-infrared bands, which are beyond human vision. TIRS collects data at two longer wavelength thermal infrared bands that measure heat emitted from the surface.
By looking at different band combinations, scientists can distinguish features on the land surface. These features include forests and how they respond to natural and human-caused disturbances, and the health of agricultural crops and how much water they use. Data from LDCM will extend a continuous, 40-year-long data record of Earth's surface from previous Landsat satellites, an unmatched, impartial perspective that allows scientists to study how landscapes all across the world change through time.
"These first scenes from the new Landsat satellite continue the remarkable output from the Landsat program with better, more useful imagery and information," said Matthew C. Larsen, associate director for climate and land use change at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Va. "We are gratified that this productive partnership between USGS and NASA has maintained the continuity and utility of this essential satellite tool, providing the foundation for land and water management around the globe."
As planned, LDCM currently is flying in an orbit slightly lower than its operational orbit of 438 miles (705 kilometers) above Earth's surface. As the spacecraft's thrusters raise its orbit, the NASA-USGS team will take the opportunity to collect imagery while LDCM is flying under Landsat 7, also operating in orbit. Measurements collected simultaneously from both satellites will allow the team to cross-calibrate the LDCM sensors with Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper-Plus instrument.
"So far, our checkout activities have gone extremely well," said Ken Schwer, LDCM project manager at Goddard. "The mission operations team has done a tremendous job getting us to the point of imaging Earth." During the next few weeks, this team will calibrate the instruments and verify they meet performance specifications.
After its checkout and commissioning phase is complete, LDCM will begin its normal operations in May. At that time, NASA will hand over control of the satellite to the USGS, which will operate it throughout its planned five-year mission life. The satellite will be renamed Landsat 8. USGS will process data from OLI and TIRS and add it to the Landsat Data Archive at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, where it will be distributed for free via the Internet.
For more information on these first LDCM images, visit: http://go.nasa.gov/13cHhFJ
For more information on the LDCM mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/landsat
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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/RmKX8_eP33w/130321170932.htm
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