Teen accused of school-bus shooting restricted to school, church

The 15-year-old South Miami-Dade student charged with a girl?s fatal shooting aboard a school bus can leave his house only for classes, church and to meet with lawyers, a judge said Wednesday.

Jordyn Howe, now charged as an adult with manslaughter with a deadly weapon, made his first appearance in circuit court.

?There will be no hanging out at the mall, no hanging out the friends? houses,? Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Ellen Sue Venzer told the slender teen with a baby face.

Jordyn, who is out on bond, also was ordered to attend mental-health counseling.

Miami-Dade police say Jordyn was showing off his stepfather?s pistol to classmates about a school bus in Homestead just before Thanksgiving. The weapon accidentally discharged, fatally striking Lourdes Guzman-DeJesus in the neck as her 7-year-old sister looked on.

Lourdes, 13, attended Palm Glades Preparatory Academy. Jordyn has since returned to school at Somerset Academy Silver Palms.

Wednesday?s court hearing also marked the first time that Lourdes? mother, Ady Guzman-DeJesus, saw the shooting suspect and his family in person. Visibly shaken, she began to bawl as the judge instructed Jordyn.

Adding to the pain: Lourdes? father committed suicide after his daughter's death.

?This family has been torn apart,? her lawyer, Ron Book, told reporters after Wednesday?s court hearing.

The lawyer said that DeJesus recognized the boys? stepfather as a man who had once employed her at a restaurant.

Book also said that the family is dismayed that Jordyn is allowed to go to classes at the same school that Lourdes? little sister attends. He also questioned why the boy?s stepfather had not been charged for not properly securing the weapon, which Jordyn had taken to school ?not once, not twice but on multiple occasions.?

Jordyn had been in juvenile custody, but prosecutors charged him as an adult last week. He is also charged with possession of a firearm by a minor and carrying a concealed weapon.

Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/30/3208120/teen-accused-of-school-bus-shooting.html

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Memories: Alum share how NC State transformed them :: Red ...

Memories: Alum share how NC State transformed them

01.31.2013 | Posted by Bill Krueger | Filed under Memories | Tags: Amanda Birman, Baker Wynn, Betty Wilcox, Brooks Hall, Carol Nix, Charles Webb, Craft Center, Crop Production Services, D.H. Hill Library, Donald Steensen, Ed Morton, Elon University, Farmer Smith, G-Whizz! Apps, Gary Moore, Jim Valvano, Joe Clary, Joshua Scott Latham, Kay Yow, Kim Bloomfield, Larry Jervis, Margaret Seymore, Maurice Farrier, Middle Creek Farms, Mike Piper, Nancy Raynor, NIXdesign, Reynolds Coliseum, Ricky Bloomfield, Rose Grabner, Sigma Nu. Braxton Wesley Smith, Taylor Cooke, Thaddeus Banks. John Boothe, Tiffany Runyan, Tom Shore, Tucker Beach, Turlington Hall, UNC Housestaff, University Towers, Zach Myers |

When we put together our special 125th anniversary issue of NC State magazine, we asked readers to tell us how NC State has transformed their lives. We got so many responses we couldn?t print them all. You can read many of them in the winter issue of the magazine, and here are some of the ones we didn?t have room for. Feel free to add your own memories.

A Proposal at Reynolds
How do you tell just one story about a place that has meant so much to me? It is the place that I forged lifelong friendships. It is where I started to learn that I was better at classes like public speaking and not math. Joining a fraternity seemed like the last thing I wanted to think about. But had I not I would not have been able to be a part of something so great. We lost one of our best friends, and worked so hard to honor him with a scholarship that will continue for many years to come.

My heart found love. Got broken. Looked again for love?and if not for NC State, I would not have found Rose (Grabner ?95), the love of my life! We come back to reconnect with friends almost every fall and winter at football games and gymnastics meets. I even asked Rose to marry me at the ?Sweetheart Meet? in Reynolds Coliseum. I consider myself very lucky to be a part of the Wolfpack family! I have the best of friends, a career and the woman of my dreams. She has blessed me with two wonderful daughters? And we all bleed Wolfpack RED!

?Zach Myers ?97

Speaking in Public
When I enrolled in engineering at NC State, I thought I was safe from any writing or speaking classes. As a shy high school student nothing was more intimidating than speaking before my small class. I was surprised when I learned that public speaking was a required course for an engineering major.

Professor Baker Wynn taught public speaking and business communication. While none of us were willing participants, he got us started on what had been viewed as a distasteful but required subject. Our transition was not immediate but by the end of the quarter we were not so fearful of being in front of our classmates. We also were starting to learn how to be persuasive in speaking or writing. Good oral or written communication is an important part of most people?s success. In later years I found myself making presentations in 50 countries to both small and large groups of decision-makers. The groundwork Professor Wynn laid was one of the most important things I learned at NC State.

?Ed Morton ?56

Finding Balance
When I was a freshman, I had been hanging out with a friend in University Towers and was walking back to my dorm (Turlington) late one night, most likely past midnight.? It was very cold and we were hoping for snow the next day. As I was walking by Tucker Beach, I noticed some people playing ultimate Frisbee. Some of them (who turned out to be friends I had recently made) got a good look at me and called me over to play. There were probably 15 people total playing. The people I didn?t know were very welcoming, and it was just such a fun and random experience. That moment definitely made me feel like NC State was a warm and welcoming family, even on a cold night.

Overall, NC State taught me about life balance. I am so lucky for my wonderful experience there, and I think that it plays a large part in how happy I am with my current life. I majored in chemistry, worked for the university at the NC State Annual Giving from my spring sophomore semester until I graduated, and had a very active social life. I am happy to say that I succeeded in all three facets. I graduated in four years in a very difficult major with a 3.2 GPA and made the dean?s list a few semesters. I loved working to help raise money for the university, and was promoted to help coach other callers while I was there. I was very happy with my group of friends and was still actively making new friends my senior year. I also won a seat as a student senator for PAMS going into my senior year, and became a very avid reader, something that still surprises my parents considering I never read for pleasure growing up.

I?ve been proud of keeping that balance since my time at NC State. I am very passionate about the things I do, and I always do them to the best of my ability, but I understand the importance of not forgetting the other parts of life along the way. It was crucial for my wife and I to keep some balance during the months leading up to our recent wedding so that we didn?t drive each other crazy. Balance and organization has also enabled be to become more involved with NC State by creating time to be a network leader for our small but dedicated alumni group here in Austin, Texas. Our group has had a lot of fun over the past year and I look forward to dedicating more time to developing what we have created so far.

I can?t imagine my life without my experiences at NC State, and am very proud and grateful for my time there.

?Taylor Cooke ?04

Friendly Competition
Here?s a picture of nine girls and four guys who graduated from NC State in 1970, 1971 and 1972.? We spent the weekend of Aug. 4, 2012, in Manteo, N.C., having our own Olympic opening ceremony and game competitions. We even had Olympic T-shirts made for the occasion.? We were very fortunate that our paths crossed in the late 1960s ? and we have all remained friends since then.

?Margaret Seymore ?71

Practical Professors
I enjoyed my time at the College of Forest Resources. Dr. Donald Steensen taught me to take time to evaluate a problem and look for the best and most efficient way to solve it.? Dr. Larry Jervis gave me some good hands-on experience. Dr. Maurice Farrier was terrifying in public, but very personable in private ? and that taught me to be careful not to always judge people on first impressions. A great experience!

?Thaddeus Banks ?81

Teaching a Teacher
I was able to get a master?s in education with a focus on marketing and business education. What I learned helped me be a better teacher and DECA Advisor.

?John D. Boothe ?04 MR

An Agricultural Education
NC State has been a big player in my success in agriculture. After graduating I went to work for Middle Creek Farms, where I helped in the spraying of crops and other day-to-day operations. In 2008 I had a chance to go to work for Crop Production Services, and currently I am a consultant at Crop Production Services. I call on a lot of resources at the university on a daily basis. NC State taught me a lot.

?Joshua Scott Latham ?05 AGI

A Lasting Impact
NC State has made a lasting impact on my life. I would not be where I am today without the help of some amazing professors who became mentors and are there for me even now. NC State is a great community and is a place that will always be special to me.

?Amanda Birman ?12

Lessons from Kay Yow
My personal history with NC State began when I was 10 years old. I convinced my parents to send me to Kay Yow?s summer basketball camp, and there I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Coach Yow and her amazing staff. I quickly learned the ?game of life? was about much more than basketball. I was ?transformed? by being exposed to ways of looking at life through Coach Yow?s lens with regards to sportsmanship, leadership and spirituality. She instilled a winning attitude in everyone she coached. As I went on to my undergraduate and graduate studies, and eventually becoming an entrepreneur, I am grateful for my time with Coach Yow.

I attended the Yow camps many times in my adolescent years. Little did I know that I would wind up doing my graduate work at NC State?and eventually working here. In 1987, I was working at my undergraduate alma mater, Elon University, as a designer in the communications office. I loved my job, yet I felt I needed to know more. I needed to study design, not just learn on the job. I began to research various schools and programs across the country. One day, someone said to me, ?Have you looked at NC State?s design school? They?re supposed to have one of the best programs in the nation.? I have to admit, I was surprised. A land-grant university full of vets and engineers had a renowned design program? I called the School of Design [before it was the College of Design] and set up an appointment to visit. The second I set foot in Brooks Hall and saw all the students? amazing work surrounding the galleries and studios, I was sold. I knew I was in the right place. I finished my master?s in graphic and product design and went on to run my own branding/interactive media firm, NIXdesign, in a renovated downtown Raleigh loft for over 18 years.

In addition to our international roster of clients, we worked with many of the university?s colleges and organizations to provide branding, design and interactive media, and I even had the opportunity to play a role in the development of the university?s core brand that exists today. A year and a half ago, a new opportunity presented itself and it was the right time in my life to take it. I am now the director of Marketing Communications at the College of Design and the associate professor of the practice.

NC State University means so many different things to me as I have experienced it at various and key points in my life. I have so much respect for this institution. It is ?gritty? and authentic, and the research and innovation that comes from this university is unparalleled. NC State has helped shape my core values, provided me with a world-class education and is a great place to be employed. I believe in the integrity and value of this university and I look forward to continuing to be a part of the collective effort to transform its future.

And? we beat Duke and UNC!!

?Carol Fountain Nix ?91 MS

A Happier Me
I couldn?t believe how much NC State felt like home as soon as I unpacked the first box from my car. Everything here is exactly what I need to be a happier me.

?Tiffany Runyan ?16 (alum to be!)

A Smart Choice
I grew up a Duke fan (I know, I know, just read the whole thing). I had no family connections with Duke, but my best friend was a Duke sports fan. So, in the absence of another persuasive influence, the void was filled with dark blue. When it came time to choose a university, Duke was my top choice. NC State was my backup. Then something changed ? I discovered the Park Scholarship. My first visit to NC State ?the ?backup school? ? suddenly turned into a serious examination of an opportunity I didn?t know existed. The campus was alive with a sense of excitement and innovation. The students and faculty were warm and inviting. I could sense that NC State merited serious consideration, and its status as my backup school was in serious jeopardy.

Of course, NC State won me over. My undergraduate education was literally everything I?d hoped it would be. I was fortunate to spread my learning opportunities across campus, with my majors taking me to PAMS (BA, Chemistry) and to the College of Education (BS, Secondary Education, Comprehensive Science Concentration), and my minors taking me to the Music Department (Saxophone Performance) and the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures (Spanish). These diverse experiences prepared me very well for my next step, medical school, and eventually a residency in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at UNC-Chapel Hill. Yet despite continuing my education elsewhere, my NC State roots and the resultant immersion in an environment of innovation and discovery have changed my perspective of healthcare. While I didn?t earn a degree in computer science, the mobile health trend became apparent to me very early. In January 2010 I released UNC Housestaff, a simple application to help physicians across the hospital stay connected with patients and data that would improve their ability to practice medicine. This subsequently led the establishment of a small but successful app company, G-Whizz! Apps, and my continued interest in the burgeoning field of medical informatics.

Not only did my time at NC State yield a quality education, it also changed the entire trajectory of my life. From music to medicine and education to innovation, my perspectives were forever changed by my experiences there - experiences that I?ve been able to share with my wonderful wife, Kim Bloomfield ?02, and my daughters, Miriam and Catherine (both Class of 2028).

Many years have passed since I applied to NC State as my ?backup school? and I?ve often considered where I would be had I made a different decision. Would I have had the opportunity to personally care for a sick child? Would I have had the opportunity to improve care for thousands through improvements to electronic health records?? Would I have reached millions through mobile technology? I don?t know, and I don?t want to find out. I chose NC State, and I wouldn?t have had it any other way.

?Ricky Bloomfield, ?04

A Direction for Life

I entered the School of Forestry in September 1953, graduated in 1957, came back to get a master?s in ?62, and a PhD in forest genetics in 1964. During that time, I met and married a ?Meredith Angel.? Next month we will celebrate our 54th wedding anniversary with three daughters and three grandchildren. My education set the direction for my career in forest research and management for the next 48 years. For the past 10 years, however, I have enjoyed frequent visits to NC State?s campus to the woodshop in the Craft Center. My education at NC State was definitely life transforming, and my time in the woodshop at the Craft Center has been life preserving.

?Charles D. Webb ?57, ?62 MS, ?64 PHD

Setting a High Standard
Several memories come to mind, but I will always recall the counseling I received from professors like Dr. Tom Shore, Dr. Farmer Smith, Dr. Betty Wilcox, Dr. Gary Moore, and Dr. Joe Clary. They were so patient, kind, and available. After completing my MEd, I was employed as an adjunct to teach methods courses in the schools of Psychology and Education. It was a wonderful opportunity to work with adults and to observe natural teaching talents in so many of our fine North Carolina teachers. NC State faculty and staff were always my support base as an educator. They set a high standard and helped me to accomplish my very best.

?Nancy Langley Raynor ?84 MED

Never Give Up

NC State helped me in so many ways. From the lifelong friends I met, to the realization that anything is possible if I put my mind to it. Jimmy V taught me about never giving up! It?s helped me a lot through the years.

?Mike Piper ?82

Go Pack, Always

I came to NC State a somewhat shy, non-participatory student. I worked in food service below the D.H. Hill library and made awesome fish fillet sandwiches! I was given the opportunity to join a fraternity ? Sigma Nu. I remember the night some brothers came to the food service area and said, ?You have a pledge meeting tonight.? I had no idea what to expect, but I went. I met lifelong friends at Sigma Nu. We did floats for homecoming, one that we built on top of a car (way before ?Animal House?), and we won the Homecoming contest that year. (I think it was 1977.) We held Christmas at our house for underprivileged children, participated in an all night dance-a-thon with then-mayor Isabella Cannon and had some great dancing and parties at our house after every football game! I grew into an outgoing student and extrovert. I held leadership roles within the fraternity, played a multitude of sports and after graduation a fraternity brother helped lead me into the career I have today. I am very thankful to have been at NC State. I have been a member of the Wolfpack Club for 30-plus years now and attend all home football and basketball games, cheering loudly and proudly for the Wolfpack! Now, both my children are NC State graduates, one in 2011, one in 2012. I am blessed to have loved NC State since my youth. I am blessed to have raised my children to love NC State. I am thankful to be a lifelong Sigma Nu and have had all the experiences that have brought me to where I am today. We have the best fans, the best administrators, and a strong Wolfpack Club that I truly value more with each passing year. I can sum up my feeling for NC State: GO PACK, Always!

?Braxton Wesley Smith ?79

Source: http://www.alumniblog.ncsu.edu/2013/01/31/memories-alum-share-how-nc-state-transformed-them/

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AFL-CIO chief vows ?full-fledged campaign? for immigration overhaul

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (Carolyn Kaster/AP)Organized labor is ?entirely behind? comprehensive immigration reform and will mount a ?full-fledged? campaign to help drive it through Congress, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told Yahoo News on Tuesday.

Trumka, whose federation comprises 57 unions representing some 12 million people, called the planned overhaul ?one of our top priorities right now.? He spoke by telephone from Las Vegas, Nev., where he was to attend President Barack Obama?s speech on immigration reform.

?We think everybody ought to have the right to work hard and to progress to citizenship,? Trumka said.

White House officials cite robust support from organized labor?which at times in recent history has opposed giving the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants on U.S. soil a path to citizenship?as a key factor in their optimism about getting a comprehensive bill through Congress. They also point to the expansion of support among Christians, notably evangelicals. And they joke that the difficulty of managing a broad coalition is the kind of problem they like having.

Unions ?did have at one point some differences? on the issue, but ?the entire labor movement is entirely behind this now,? Trumka said. ?We?ll be at the table the whole time this thing is being developed to make sure it meets the needs of workers.? Once it?s drafted, he continued, ?we?ll be pushing this thing [with a] full-fledged campaign? aimed at both public opinion and wary lawmakers.

?We?ll be targeting those in the House or the Senate that either are recalcitrant and don?t want to do anything or aren?t where they need to be," he said.

Labor wants to see a comprehensive overhaul?"It can?t just be hit and miss," Trumka added?that does a better job of managing legal immigration to meet labor market needs, ensures employers are not exploiting undocumented immigrants, gives those on U.S. soil illegally a path to citizenship and makes sure that families are not broken up, he said.

Trumka also noted that unions are ?a little concerned? about a proposed provision in the bipartisan Senate framework requiring that undocumented immigrants seeking legal status provide ?a proven history of employment.? That could be difficult?employers may not want to admit that they hired such workers?but it could ?be defined in a very broad sense,? he said.

?The system is clearly broken right now, doesn?t work for anybody, doesn?t work for the country,? he added.

The AFL-CIO, the country's largest labor federation, isn't exactly a newcomer to the debate. It produced an outline of its own in August 2009. While organized labor's national clout has diminished along with shrinking membership, unions remain a core constituency for Democrats, and much of the party's backbone, providing cash and voter outreach.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/afl-cio-chief-vows-full-fledged-campaign-immigration-171525302--politics.html

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Time to retire chimps in US research labs?

Scientists have a proposal to retire all but 50 research chimpanzees kept in US federal labs. The primates would be sent to 'Chimp Haven,' a new chimp sanctuary in Louisiana. Animal rights activists applaud the move.

By Janet McConnaughey,?Associated Press / January 23, 2013

A 200-acre site near Shreveport, La., in 2004 when the first phase of construction on Chimp Haven was underway. The NIH Council of Councils Working Group on Tuesday Jan. 22, 2013 approved a proposal, which also calls for major cuts in grants to study chimps in laboratories and no return to breeding them for research.

(AP Photo/Chimp Haven, Naomi Lopez-Bauman)

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Government scientists have agreed that all but 50 of hundreds of chimpanzees kept for federally funded research should be retired from labs and sent to a national sanctuary.

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The proposal from a National Institutes of Health committee also said all of the chimps should have plenty of room to play and climb.

The NIH Council of Councils Working Group on Tuesday approved the proposal, which also calls for major cuts in grants to study chimps in laboratories and no return to breeding them for research.

Already, nine chimpanzees arrived Tuesday at Chimp Haven outside Shreveport, La., from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's New Iberia Research Center, which no longer has an NIH chimp research contract. Seven more are expected Thursday and another 95 will arrive over the coming months, sanctuary officials said.

The federal agency said in 2011 that it would phase out most invasive research on chimpanzees. The new 86-page recommendation describes how chimpanzees should be kept and what will be needed for any future research. Chimps should be used only if there is no other way to study a threat to human health, and the research should be approved by an independent committee with members from the public, said the Council of Councils proposal, which will be sent to the NIH's director after a 60-day public-comment period.

Animal-rights activists said they were pleased by the recommendations.

"At last, our federal government understands: A chimpanzee should no more live in a laboratory than a human should live in a phone booth," the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said in a statement.

Chimp Haven was created on 200 acres of a Caddo Parish park in Keithville in northwest Louisiana.

"We should see more than 300 chimpanzees getting moved to the federal sanctuary system," said Kathleen Conlee, the Humane Society of the United States' vice president for animal research issues.

But Conlee said she was disappointed by the recommendation to keep a group of about 50 in case further research on chimpanzees is approved.

"But I'm glad they made clear those animals should be kept to much higher standards than they are currently being kept in," she said.

Chimpanzees should be kept in groups of at least seven, with about 1,000 square feet of outdoor space per chimp ? roughly one-sixth of an acre for a group of seven, according to the proposal.

The space must include year-round outdoor access with a variety of natural surfaces such as grass, dirt and mulch, and enough climbing space to let all members of large troupes travel, feed and rest well above the ground, and with material to let them build new nests each day, the report said.

Chimp Haven's enclosures range from a quarter-acre to five acres, some of them forested and all with climbing structures.

The announcement of its first animals from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's New Iberia Research Center was delayed a day to keep stress on them to a minimum, officials said.

"Understandably, the chimpanzees are nervous when they arrive, and we do everything possible to ease their stress. That includes limiting the number of people in the area to only those who are required to help with the chimpanzees. We also must minimize the risks of the chimpanzees being exposed to communicable diseases," veterinarian Raven Jackson said in the news release.

A $30 million cap on total spending for construction and care of Chimp Haven's retirees has been looming. That would stop NIH from contributing 75 percent of the $13,000 annual cost to care for each federal chimpanzee.

Conlee said the Humane Society will urge Congress to move money now spent on research contracts to Chimp Haven. The sanctuary gives the animals better care for less money than the labs are paid, she said.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/yg7p6VWLHHc/Time-to-retire-chimps-in-US-research-labs

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Is flag football ahead for NFL?

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Making the game safer is making NFL players unsure what's a legal hit.

Players on both Super Bowl teams say they are confused about which hits are considered clean and which ones could lead to a fine. And it's not just the guys on defense who are wondering about the future of pro football.

"I think the rules will change a lot," San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis said Tuesday. "There's already no helmet to helmet. Might be flag football, maybe."

Baltimore Ravens safety Bernard Pollard, one of the league's hardest hitters, warned against trying to take collisions out of the game, as long as they are clean.

"You can't play this game and not expect it to be physical," said Pollard, who was fined $15,250 for a hit on Patriots receiver Wes Welker in the AFC championship game that Pollard believes was within the rules. "There will be injuries in football. There's a car crash on every play."

His 49ers counterpart, All-Pro Dashon Goldson, says defenders keep this in mind when they take the field:

"Do your best and then hope you don't get a letter (with a fine) in your locker on Wednesday."

The NFL has sought to eliminate any hits to the head and neck area of defenseless players, particularly in the last three years. It also has banned players launching themselves helmet-first toward an opponent.

Yet, every week, players are fined for those actions, and there have been suspensions. Baltimore safety Ed Reed drew a one-game suspension this season that was lifted by the NFL on appeal and turned into a $50,000 fine for repeated illegal tackles. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Reed is not considered a vicious hitter.

Reed admits he can't be sure what's a true tackle these days and what crosses the line.

"A lot needs to be done with it. I don't think every fine is right," he said. "You have to go back and really look at how guys play the game before you judge them, is what I'm trying to say."

While still recognizing the importance of keeping games as safe as possible, defensive players have complained for years about the league's crackdown on hits. The 49ers and Ravens have two of the most physical defenses in the NFL, and they are proud of their violent nature.

"You can't play timid," Goldson said.

But even offensive players concede that defenses are at a disadvantage to the point of confusion.

Baltimore's Anquan Boldin, one of the more physical wide receivers in the league, doesn't feel sorry for anyone trying to tackle him. But he understands their plight as they close in.

" All defensive players have to deal with that," Boldin said. "It's tough on defensive players on those defenseless receiver calls because they come in and then the receiver drops his shoulder and they hit in the (head). And they get a penalty.

"So maybe they aren't sure and that's bad. This game is played too fast to worry about that, but they do have to worry."

The NFL isn't going to back down on its emphasis on player safety, of course. It is facing at least 175 lawsuits as more than 3,800 players have sued the league over head injuries as the concussion issue has gained attention in recent years. The total number of plaintiffs is 6,000 when spouses, relatives and other representatives are included.

So the emphasis on eliminating what Ray Anderson, the league's main disciplinarian, calls "egregious fouls" will remain.

"We will just not let up," Anderson told The Associated Press on Tuesday. "Get used to it, this will be our mantra: We have an obligation in being relentless in protecting our players.

"If they are in a defenseless position, hitting in the helmet is unnecessary. We said player health and safety is our No. 1 priority from the get-go and we have stuck to it with no apologies and no defensive attitude about it."

Meantime, as offenses make scoreboards spin with record numbers of points, defenses try to figure out exactly what they are allowed to do.

"We are guys who are supposed to hit," said 49ers safety Donte Whitner, who is known for his bone-crunching tackles. "We have to bring the element of fear when they come over the middle. We want receivers to think do you really want to keep coming over the middle time and time again.

"We need to make sure they don't want to, but we need to do it the right way. But we need to figure out the right way."

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/flag-football-ahead-nfl-224513453--nfl.html

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Investing in 2013: How to Profit from the Expanding REIT Universe ...

Investing in 2013: More REIT Options

The past year or so has seen a rush of companies moving toward REIT status.

Firms in wide-ranging industries including healthcare, timber companies, outdoor advertisers, casinos, data warehouses and digital transmission towers have converted, or will soon convert, into REITs.

In order to become a REIT, a company must fulfill two requirements:

First, it must invest at least 75% of its assets in real estate and get a minimum of 75% of its revenue from rents or other direct real-estate activities.

Second, it must pay out a minimum of 90% of its profits to its shareholders in the form of dividends.

If a company meets these criteria, the government (Internal Revenue Service) will not tax those profits at the company level. But as stated previously, the dividends received by shareholders are taxed as ordinary income.

Besides the tax advantages, there are other reasons as to why are companies are making the conversion to REIT status.

It seems to be a very successful strategy to increase share price performance, making both management and shareholders happy.

Jeff Kolitch, portfolio manager at Baron Real Estate Fund, told Barron's that the average REIT trades at 22 times adjusted funds from operations (AFFO), a measure comparable to operating cash flow. There are many, many stocks that trade below 22 times operating cash flow, so conversion to REIT status gives many stocks an immediate boost.

In addition, the newly-converted companies enjoy the access to large amounts of capital enjoyed by real estate trusts. Equity REITs last year raised more capital through stock and debt offerings than the industry had in at least 12 years. The amount raised last year was also as much capital raised as the prior five years combined, according to research firm SNL Financial.

This trend toward an expanding REIT universe is likely to continue in the months and years ahead.

Adam Markman, a managing director at real estate research firm Green Street Advisors, told Bloomberg News, "The pace of conversions isn't slowing. The more success that we have, the more likely it is we'll see additional activity."

Michael Fitzgerald, a partner at Paul Hastings, has worked on REIT conversions and is also a supporter of the REIT trend.

"This is just the beginning. There's going to be a huge emphasis on tax structuring starting in 2013," he told the Financial Times.

This "tax structuring" should expand the REIT universe even further.

New "Stars" in the REIT Universe

For investors interested in income, some of the new "stars" in the REIT universe are rather intriguing.

The list includes: casino company Penn National Gaming Inc. (Nasdaq: PENN), communications infrastructure firms American Tower Corp. (NYSE: AMT) and SBA Communications Corp. (Nasdaq: SBAC), outdoor advertising company Lamar Advertising Co. (Nasdaq: LAMR), publisher Gannett Co. Inc. (NYSE: GCI), and data service companies Digital Realty Trust Inc. (NYSE: DLR) and DuPont Fabros Technology Inc. (NYSE: DFT).

Some of the above have already converted to a REIT, while others are still contemplating the move.

Other firms including CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS) and Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE: CBB) are spinning off part of their firm into a REIT. Cincinnati Bell has already done that with the spinoff its co-location business unit CyrusOne Inc. (Nasdaq: CONE). CBS is considering the spinoff of its billboard advertising unit as a REIT. That business accounted for about 10% of its operating profits.

If you're interested in investing in REITs in 2013, check out this latest offer from our Global Investing Strategist Martin Hutchinson, who has a winning strategy to find the best sources of yield.

Related Articles and News:

Source: http://moneymorning.com/2013/01/29/investing-in-2013-how-to-profit-from-the-expanding-reit-universe/

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Excellent new book on thought leadership for winning business ...

By Craig on Jan 30, 2013 in Blog guests & critiques, interviews, Communication tactics, Public relations, Stakeholder relations, Strategic communication | View Comments

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Source: http://craigpearce.info/public-relations/excellent-book-thought-leadership-winning-business/

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New brand costs dent H&M's Q4 profits

STOCKHOLM (AP) ? Fashion retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB is to press ahead with its global expansion plans with the opening of over 300 stores this year, even though it saw a modest decline in fourth-quarter earnings that the Swedish company blamed in part on higher investments in online shopping and the launch of a new brand.

Net profit in the quarter was 5.29 billion kronor ($825 million), 1 percent down from 5.36 billion kronor a year earlier, the company said Wednesday. The decline broke a three-quarter streak of rising earnings for H&M, which specializes in offering trendy fashion lines at low prices.

However, sales rose 5 percent to 37.9 billion kronor, from 36.2 billion kronor in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Chief Executive Karl-Johan Persson said H&M "stands strong" despite challenging market conditions and will continue expanding this year. The company opened 304 new stores worldwide during 2012 and plans to add 325 more this year, with the fastest rate of expansion in China and the U.S.

Persson said long-term investments in a range of areas, including online shopping and the upcoming launch of a new brand, & Other Stories, weighed on results.

"These long-term investments have created cost increases and to a great extent have not yet generated any revenue," Persson said. "However, we consider these investments to be both necessary and wise as they aim to secure future expansion and profits and thereby further strengthen H&M's position."

H&M shares dropped 2.7 percent to 228.40 kronor in midday trading in Stockholm.

Daniel Ovin, an analyst at CAI Cheuvreux Nordic in Stockholm, said the report was largely in line with expectations, but the cost of investments was higher than anticipated. He also said H&M's sales forecast for January was below expectations.

H&M's main competitor is Spain's Inditex, the owner of Massimo Dutti and Zara. Founded in 1947, H&M has more than 2,800 stores in 48 countries. Its other brands include the higher-priced COS and urban fashion labels such as Monki, Weekday and Cheap Monday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-30-EU-Sweden-Earns-HandM/id-bf29484df9924aac935982ed8d0a37b7

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Get your superzoom on with Nikon's Coolpix P520 and L820

Oh, the superzoom camera -- it's not a compact and the lens doesn't twist off, but for one reason or another, this confused category has survived against the odds. So, if superzooms happen to be your shooter of choice, we've got some good news: Nikon's got a new pair to add to the pickins. For those with deeper pockets, the Coolpix P520 might be on order, with an 18.1-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and a 3.2-inch vari-angle (tilt-and-swivel) VGA display. There's a 42x f/3.0-5.8, 24-1,000mm lens on board, netting you quite a bit of range. It also offers 1080/60i HD video shooting and WiFi compatibility through the optional ($60) WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter.

Casual photographers might be more taken with the Coolpix L820, which still packs a fair amount of punch, thanks to a 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, a 30x, 22.5-675mm zoom lens with optical VR, and 1080p video shooting. Unlike its more feature-packed sibling, though, this model uses AA batteries -- which you might be into if international travel is on the agenda (those disposable cells are available worldwide, which helps if you aren't keen on plugging in a charger). Both offerings will hit stores in late February, with the P520 available for $450 and the L820 shipping for $280, in your choice of black or red finishes.

Show full PR text

WITH INCREDIBLE ZOOM RANGES, NIKON'S NEW S9500, P520 and L820 COOLPIX CAMERAS MAKE CAPTURING ACTION AT A DISTANCE EASY

Combining Connectivity with High Quality NIKKOR Lenses, Nikon's New COOLPIX Cameras are Designed for Every Shooting Occasion

MELVILLE, NY (January 28, 2013) - Today, Nikon Inc. introduced three new COOLPIX digital cameras with high-power zoom lenses, enabling consumers to capture beautiful images and videos at a wide range of distances. The COOLPIX P520 sports a 42x zoom lens and the versatility needed for advanced performance, while the 22x zoom COOLPIX S9500 combines impressive range with an ultra-slim, pocketable package. Both feature Wi-Fi(R) connectivity1 that allows users to send images and videos from their camera directly to a compatible smart device through the Wireless Mobile Adapter Utility application1, ideal for sharing content with others as well as for posting to social networking sites. The compact COOLPIX L820 offers a 30x zoom and an ergonomic design, making it simple and fun to comfortably capture images and videos at various distances. Great for anyone from the weekend jetsetter to the everyday memory maker, the zoom lenses and user-friendly features of the newest COOLPIX cameras make them ideal to have on-hand for any occasion.

"Nikon's new long zoom COOLPIX cameras provide consumers with the chance to capture a diverse range of subjects and scenes, whether near the subject or at a distance," said Bo Kajiwara, Vice President of Marketing, Planning and Customer Experience, Nikon Inc. "Designed for the frequent traveler, the instant sharer, and the family memory keeper, these new COOLPIX cameras offer trusted Nikon technology, high image quality, Full HD video and a variety of other features that meet photographers' needs."

The Nikon COOLPIX P520: The Advanced Performance Ultra Zoom Camera
For those looking to capture a beautiful and sharp image up close or at a distance, the new COOLPIX P520 boasts a 42x optical zoom-NIKKOR glass lens with an impressive zoom range from a wide 24mm to a whopping 1000mm (35mm equivalent), for users that require the very best in performance and versatility. Lens-shift Vibration Reduction (VR) alongside the new Active Mode assist in capturing blur-free images and video, while full manual controls give users the power to realize their creative potential when shooting. The P520 also features an 18.1-megapixel backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor and high ISO sensitivity to ensure quality images even in low-light conditions.

Additionally, the COOLPIX P520 allows users to not only shoot images from a distance, but also at unique angles thanks to a versatile 3.2-inch Vari-Angle LCD monitor. Additionally, Full HD (1080p) video recording with stereo sound is possible with the simple touch of the dedicated movie record button. This ultra-zoom camera comes with built-in GPS capabilities as well, allowing photographers to log their journey with an easy-to-use display.

To share images and videos instantly with family and friends, the P520 is compatible with the WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter2. This optional accessory paired along with the downloadable Wireless Mobile Adapter Utility application1 allows users to transfer their images and videos to compatible smart devices and tablets for easy sharing and viewing with others.

The Nikon COOLPIX L820: A Comfortable Long Zoom Camera Fit to Preserve Precious Family Memories
Designed to capture stunning images at various distances, the compact COOLPIX L820 sports a high-power 30x zoom, a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, and Vibration Reduction (VR) technology to help keep shots steady. With its super wide-angle lens, covering from wide-angle 22.5mm to super-telephoto 675mm, users have the versatility to capture crisp, vivid images, whether up-close or at a distance. The camera's 3-inch monitor, ergonomic design, along with the convenience of AA-size batteries and a dedicated video button make it easy and fun for users to shoot comfortably. Thanks to a simple and intuitive interface, users can easily access a wide range of features, including Easy Auto Mode and Smart Portrait System, which enable them to enhance their photos with options like Red Eye Fix and Face-Priority AF. Other special effects include Glamour Retouch, Filter Effects and Skin Softening for optimal portrait enhancements.

The Nikon COOLPIX S9500: New Ultra-Slim Zoom Offering Shares World Travels With Ease
The slim COOLPIX S9500 sports a 22x optical zoom (25-550mm) and is the perfect companion for anyone that wants to capture and share high-quality images and HD videos with a sleek and stylish package. Small enough to keep close in a shirt pocket or purse, the S9500 features an 18.1-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, ideal for capturing low-light images with clarity and sharpness. It also sports a legendary NIKKOR lens with Vibration Reduction (VR) to minimize the effects of blur and camera shake. For those who want to capture their journey through video, this camera also offers Full HD (1080p) movie recording with stereo sound. Additionally, a bright 3-inch OLED monitor assists users to clearly compose or view their recorded movies or captured images, even when in bright conditions. The COOLPIX S9500 also offers various shooting effects to enhance memories, including an upgraded Glamour Retouch function, Skin Softening and Quick Effects.

To enhance the user's sharing capabilities when away from family and friends, the S9500 offers a built-in GPS function to provide the user the ability to log their travels and share where they have been. In addition, the camera offers built-in Wi-Fi(R)1 connectivity so images and videos can be shared while on the go by transferring them to a compatible smart device equipped with the Wireless Mobile Adapter Utility application1. It also enables users to remotely take photos with the camera from a compatible smartphone or tablet.

The COOLPIX S6500: Compact Camera that Packs a Powerful 12x Zoom
Announced earlier this month, the COOLPIX S6500 is designed for those looking for an easy-to-carry camera that takes and shares great photos, easily. The camera features a 12x optical zoom lens, a 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and a variety of user-friendly features, including five new Glamour Retouch effects, all packed into a slim, stylish camera body. In addition to an extensive feature set, the S6500 offers built-in Wi-Fi(R) connectivity1 that allows users to transfer images and HD movies from their camera directly to a compatible smart device.

Price and Availability:
The COOLPIX P520 will be available for a suggested retail price of $449.95* in Black, Red, and Dark Grey in February 2013. The COOLPIX L820 will be available for a suggested retail price of $279.95* in Black and Red, while the COOLPIX S9500 will be available for a suggested retail price of $349.95* in Black, Silver, and Red. Both will be available in February 2013. Additionally, the previously announced COOLPIX S6500 will be available in early February for a suggested retail price of $219.95* in Silver, Black, Red and Orange.

Filed under: Cameras, Nikon

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/28/nikon-coolpix-p520-l820/

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HBT: Contreras goes back to homeland

Jose Contreras defected from Cuba in 2002 while playing a game in Mexico. When he did that, and especially after signing a $32 million contract with the New York Yankees, he became persona non grata in Cuba. ?He, like all other defectors, were barred from returning home and?labeled?traitors.

But a change in Cuban law that went into effect last month allow defectors to return to Cuba to visit and eases restrictions on the comings and goings of residents. ?Contreras was the first big name athlete to take advantage of that law and recently returned home for the first time in a decade.

CNN has the story, with some emotional words from Contreras himself.

While the money and fame obviously make the decision of athletes who defect an understandable one, it?s hard to imagine how they live for years, even decades, without meaningful contact with their family. ?Here?s hoping we?ve seen the end of those days.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/29/jose-contreras-goes-home/related/

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Pinterest, One Of The Web?s Most Iconic Designs, Tries A New Look

Don't worry, Pinterest isn't ditching the grid style "Masonry" design it's known and cloned for. But today Pinterest announced tests of a new navigation system, bigger images, and more related content on Pins to keep you clicking. The redesign is being tried with a small group of users that you can sign up to join, but everyone could get the new way to nest online if it's popular.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/9NWaDdloKrY/

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Detroit edges closer to bankruptcy filing

14 hrs.

Nick Carey, Bernie Woodall and Karen Pierog , Reuters

DETROIT - At the Detroit Auto Show earlier this month, luxury was in the air. Pricey new Bentleys and Maseratis glittered - including a Maserati 2014 Quattroporte with a $132,000 price tag; U.S. Cabinet Secretaries and dignitaries rubbed shoulders; and many of the well-heeled attendees ponied up for a $300-a-ticket black-tie charity ball.

But in a city that is slowly dying, the glitz didn't extend much beyond the Cobo Center exhibition hall.?General Motors Co. and Chrysler, which along with Ford Motor Co. gave the Motor City its identity, survived near-death experiences after filing for bankruptcy during the financial crisis.?

Now, Detroit itself is edging closer to a similar precipice, only unlike the automakers, its chances of getting a federal bailout are almost nonexistent.

The story of Detroit's decline is decades old: Its tax revenue and population have shrunk and labor costs have remained out of whack. But the city's budget problems have deepened to such an extent that it could run out of cash in a matter of weeks or months and ultimately be forced into what would be the largest-ever Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy filing in the United States.

Frustrated by the lack of concrete progress, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, last month appointed a team to scour the city's books. The audit could result in a state takeover of Detroit's finances through the appointment of an emergency financial manager. Such a manager, who would seize control of the city's checkbook, could then propose federal bankruptcy court as the best option.

Snyder, who has called the situation "a crisis in terms of financial affairs," said the team would deliver its report in February.

"Detroit is teetering on the verge of bankruptcy after the City Council has failed to make the necessary cuts to deal with having a smaller population," said Rick Jones, chairman of the Republican majority caucus in the state Senate.

Jones, who has indicated he does not favor a bankruptcy, said he would like to see an emergency manager installed to fix the city's problems. If that failed, there would be a case for finding a way to shrink the Detroit municipal area, he argued.

Detroit's population is now just over 700,000 - down 30 percent since 1990 - but the city still has to provide services to an area encompassing more land than San Francisco, Boston and the borough of Manhattan.

While Democratic Mayor Dave Bing and the Detroit City Council have moved to reduce spending and initiate some reforms to stave off a takeover, including layoffs and wage and benefit cuts, the progress may not be enough for Michigan officials and lawmakers.

Streets without lights
In the booming post-Second World War era, Detroit was America's fifth-largest city. Today, it ranks 18th. In addition to a sharp population decline, it suffers from high unemployment related to a loss of businesses, a flood of home foreclosures and a cut in state funding. That has led to shriveling revenue, leaving the city unable to afford a workforce of more than 10,000 and the surging health and pension costs that go with them and with its retirees. As a result, credit ratings on Detroit's approximately $8.2 billion of outstanding debt have sunk deeper into junk territory.

The city's labor costs, including health care and pensions, are shrinking in absolute terms but rising as a share of the budget. They are slated to drop to $968 million, or nearly 49.5 percent of the operating budget, in the fiscal year ending June 30 versus $1.14 billion, or 45.5 percent, a year earlier.

Signs of decline are everywhere - in a rising crime rate, streets without lights and block after block of abandoned buildings. The murder rate of one per 1,719 people last year was more than 11 times the rate in New York City. The jobless rate is above 18 percent, more than twice rate for the country as a whole.

A bankruptcy would be messy.

The interests of creditors would likely collide with those of labor unions wanting to protect workers' benefits, said Eric Scorsone, a Michigan State University economist who has written papers on municipal bankruptcy and on the state's emergency manager laws.

"It is going to require the players - the City Council, the mayor, the state - to be on the same page. If you go into bankruptcy with a lot of conflict and dissent, it's going to cost more," said Scorsone.

It could also be racially explosive. Detroit has the largest percentage of black people of any U.S. city, with 83 percent of the population identifying themselves as African American, black or Negro, according to the 2010 U.S. census. Most of Michigan's state government, including the governor's office, is run by white Republicans. ?

Detroit Council Member JoAnn Watson, who along with two other members of the city's all-black City Council has been resisting reform measures, said she is still hopeful of a federal bailout or an injection of state money that she claims the city is owed.

Mayor Bing would not comment for this story.

Consequences
The automakers have little to say publicly about the crisis. Most of their operations in Michigan are now outside Detroit, and getting any top executive to even discuss the possibility of a city bankruptcy was almost impossible at the auto show. "I don't want to get into the politics," said GM CEO Dan Akerson, while Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said: "I don't see what the consequences would be for us."

One of the city's biggest challenges is its complex set of labor agreements with a whopping 48 bargaining units that represent most of the city's workforce.

Max Newman, a bankruptcy attorney at Michigan-based Butzel Long, said a Chapter 9 bankruptcy could help the city throw out its collective bargaining agreements with unions.

Costs would have to be tackled since Detroit cannot just jack up taxes to reduce the cumulative budget deficit, which grew to $326.6 million in fiscal 2012 from $196.6 million in fiscal 2011. The state would likely resist tax increases, and they might only make matters worse anyway. "If taxes go up any further it would exacerbate the flight out of the city," Newman said.

But for some of those who have seen Detroit struggle for years, bankruptcy is starting to look like the least awful option - even though it will be painful.

"I think...off and on, that it wouldn't be a bad idea," said former Ford chief financial officer Allan Gilmour, now the president of Detroit's Wayne State University. "Let's clean this out once and for all."

Additional reporting by Deepa Seetharaman and Paul Lienert in Detroit.

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stuck-reverse-detroit-edges-closer-bankruptcy-1C8149698

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Florida women frighten off intruder by chanting ?Jesus?

Suspect Derick Lee, after being arrested by police (Lake City Police Department)If you ask the 15 women inside Jacquie Hagler?s house what happened, they?ll tell you it?s simple: Jesus scared a would-be thief out of the Florida woman?s home.

At first, those gathered at Hagler?s house for a jewelry party thought the intruder was part of an elaborate gag, using a ?water gun? to tease the Florida women.

"It's only a water gun," one attendee reportedly said, while brushing away the firearm allegedly brandished by Derick Lee, who allegedly entered the home wearing a ski cap and bandana across his face.

Witnesses say Lee then held the gun to the woman?s head and announced, "I'm not joking, I'm going to shoot someone, give me your money." He even showed the women some of the bullets loaded into his gun before they could be convinced the robbery attempt was real.

What Lee didn?t know was that, spiritually speaking, he was outgunned by the jewelry party attendees.

"When I realized what was going on, I stood up and said, 'In the name of Jesus, get out of my house now,'? Hagler told WJXT-TV. "And he said, 'I'm going to shoot someone.' And I said it again, real boldly," Hagler continued. "Everybody started chanting, 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,' and he did a quick scan of the room and ran out the door as fast as he could go."

The suspect, Lee, 24, was arrested on Friday night at his home and identified by several of the jewelry party attendees during a police photo lineup. He?s currently being held on a $200,000 bond.

"I believe he saw angels,? Hagler said in an interview with the Christian Post. ?He saw who was on our side, and he just turned around. The look on his face was just, like, astonishment. He was totally captivated by whatever he saw. He just turned around and ran out the door.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/florida-women-frighten-off-intruder-chanting-jesus-014559212.html

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500px Returns To The iOS App Store, With Mature Content Warning And Photo Reporting Button

Toronto's 500px got its popular photo sharing iPhone app back on the iTunes App Store today, following a takedown that Apple said stemmed from multiple user complaints about pornographic material. The app returns with an age-gate warning, advising that the content in the app is for 17+ audiences, and also adds a new "Report Photo" button to help users quickly tag things they find offensive for potential removal from the network.

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

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9/11 fund begins payments to sick responders

By David B. Caruso, The Associated Press

NEW YORK ? A special fund set up by Congress to compensate people who got sick after being exposed to toxic World Trade Center dust following Sept. 11 is making its first round of payments, with the initial payouts going to a group of 15 first responders with respiratory problems.

The administrator who oversees the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, Sheila Birnbaum, announced Tuesday that the fund was finally poised to process payouts, after a deliberate start in which officials figured out how the program would work and lawyers pieced together documentation for at least 16,000 applications.

The first round of payments, most of which have been offered to firefighters, range from $10,000 to a high of $1.5 million.

---

Birnbaum declined to identify the recipients by name or say much about their illnesses, citing privacy concerns. She said their health problems range from "serious" to "not so serious," and that the people getting the larger awards tended to be younger and to have suffered more severe economic losses.

The people offered lower amounts include some who have already received other compensation for their illnesses, including shares of a civil settlement for thousands of firefighters, police officers and construction workers who had sued over the lack of protective equipment at ground zero.

None of the people in the initial group had cancer and all are still living, Birnbaum said.

"We think we are off to a good start, and with the help of the lawyers and the claimants, we will be able to come up with a lot more awards in the coming months," she said.

It will be years, though, before any applicants see the bulk of their money, or even know for certain how much they will get.

Officials don't yet know how many people will apply for aid from the $2.78 billion fund, or how ill they will be. That means they can't yet calculate each person's share. So for now, applicants are getting only 10 percent of their award. The remainder won't be paid until after the fund closes to new applicants in 2016.

Some advocates for the sick have worried that the $2.78 billion appropriated by Congress will be far less than the actual losses suffered by the sick ? a possibility that Birnbaum acknowledged in drafting the formula she is using to decide how much money claimants will get in the first round.

Planning for a worst-case scenario, fund officials estimated that as many as 26,475 people would be eligible for more than $8.5 billion in compensation.

If that happens, the firefighter awarded $1.5 million this week would, in the end, actually get a prorated share of only around $488,000.

"I think without question, there is not going to be enough," said Noah Kushlefsky, a lawyer who, along with partners, is representing about 4,700 claimants. He said that he believed Congress would ultimately be asked to put more money into the fund. "There is no doubt, based on the severity of some of the injuries."

As for the slow pace of awards so far, Kushlefsky said Birnbaum and her staff are not to blame.

He said the process of assembling the evidence showing that his clients were actually at ground zero, or were exposed to toxins, has been challenging and time-consuming. But he said the process is hitting a stage when applications should be moving much more quickly.

"I think that things are going to start taking off in the very near future," he said, noting that some of his clients have grumbled about the slowness of the process. "All these guys have waited 11 years now, and none of them are warm and fuzzy about it."

Related:?

US adds cancer to list of illnesses linked to 9/11 terror attacks?

US to cover cancer care for 9/11 responders

Plan: Responders could cover 50 cancers

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/29/16758622-911-fund-begins-payments-to-sick-responders?lite

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Crafts, Hobbies & Home 2020: Container Gardening: How To Grow ...

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Download: $2.99 (as of 01/28/2013 12:00 PST)

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

How To Grow A Spectacular Container Garden Anywhere

I Believe Every Person On This Planet Can Grow A Beautiful Garden Using These Proven Container Gardening TechniquesYou could be just months away from a harvest of delicious, fresh organic food from your container garden. Learn how to:

Grow A Great Container Garden That Will Make Your Friends Jealous

Even if you only have a tiny balcony to work with, you can grow fresh food and flowers there. There are dozens of kinds of container gardens you can create to suit your own personality and tastes. Do you want tons of fresh food, flowers or something totally unique like a contorted filbert?

Grow Vegetables And Fresh Food With Your Container Gardens

The options are almost endless if you'd like to learn container gardening to grow fresh organic fruits and vegetables for you and your family. You can grow tomatoes, cucumbers, kale, spinach, collards, head and leaf lettuces, bok choy, herbs including rosemary, basil, parsley, cilantro, scallions, green onion and much more!

Fertilize, Water and Care For Your Plants Easily

Included in the book are step-by-step tutorials and instructions for proper fertilizer use, the proven system for proper plant watering and general plant maintenance to make it both easy and fun to care for your new home garden. Gardening doesn't have to be hard!

Fascinating And Unique Container Gardens That Will Dazzle Your Guests

Are you looking for that extra special plant or garden that will wow and amaze your house guests? Included in the book are instructions for unique and beautiful terrariums, japanese gardens, the mystical bonsai trees, scintillating succulent gardens and even cute little cactus gardens. You don't have to grow the same old plants like everyone else - you can grow something entirely new and exciting!

A List Of The Twenty Most Beautiful And Easy To Grow Plants

Some plants just thrive extremely well in container gardens and look gorgeous to boot! Learn about coleus, bogonias, wishbone flower and dozens of other plants that are perfect for growing in containers.

How To Start A Garden For Beginners

Whether you're a complete beginner or just want to learn more, this gardening guidebook will teach you everything you need to know to enjoy the fruits of your own special garden. Every section includes action steps, pictures and step by step tutorials so you will know what to do and how to do it to create your perfect garden.

Special Section On Aeroponic Vertical Gardening

You'll learn how to start your own aeroponics vertical garden for less than a few hundred dollars. In the past, aeroponics and hydroponics systems were only available to the wealthy and those with extensive knowledge of agriculture and hydroponics.

Want A Beautiful Home Garden Like This?

If you're looking for gardening books on kindle and you're ready to start a container garden, this is the book for you!

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• Rank: #5498 in eBooks
• Published on: 2013-01-02
• Released on: 2013-01-02
• Format: Kindle eBook
• Number of items: 1

Source: http://nicecraftshobbieshome534.blogspot.com/2013/01/container-gardening-how-to-grow-food.html

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Source: http://weekssamuel16.typepad.com/blog/2013/01/crafts-hobbies-home-2020-container-gardening-how-to-grow.html

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Anytime Fitness Folsom 90 Day Challenge | Personal Trainer ...

Old School Fitness' is located in the New Anytime Fitness of Folsom: 1007 east Bidwell St #109 Folsom, CA 95630 in Sacramento

Old School Fitness continues to serve the current cities with Bodybuilding Prep and coaching, Personal Training one-on-one or in groups, and fitness programs in: Fitness Training & Coaching, Body Building Training, Health and Fitness Advice, Weight Loss Programs, and much more:
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Source: http://www.personaltrainersacramento.com/anytime-fitness-folsom-90-day-challenge/

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Xerox Travel Scanner 150

The Xerox Travel Scanner 150 ($159.99 direct) is a featherweight, USB-powered portable scanner geared toward travelers who need to scan documents, receipts, and/or business cards while on the road. It can scan to a number of destinations, including cloud-based ones, in a variety of document formats, but it lacks an automatic document feeder (ADF) and is limited to simplex scanning.

The Travel Scanner 150 is very compact and lightweight, measuring 1.5 by 12.4 by 2 inches (HWD) and weighed in at just 11.2 ounces. As it is powered from a computer over a USB connection, there's no power adapter to lug. Unlike many portable scanners, including two Editors' Choice models?the Xerox Mobile Scanner (4 stars) and the Visioneer Mobility (4 stars) ?it can't operate independently of a PC. The Travel Scanner 150 includes a good selection of bundled software: the Visioneer OneTouch scan utility; Visioneer Acuity for scan optimization and quality enhacement; Nuance PaperPort Professional 12 for document management; Nuance OmniPage Pro for OCR; Nuance PDF Converter; and NewSoft Presto! BizCard 5 for business cards.

Scanning
The OneTouch utility's default pre-programmed scan profile is Document (PDF), which scans to 200-ppi black-and-white image PDF and saves it to a OneTouch folder in PaperPort. The OneTouch interface, accessible from an icon on the Start bar (we tested it on a Windows Vista system) offers a variety of additional scan profiles, which can be enabled or modified through the interface. They include but are not limited to Searchable PDF, OCR, legal-sized or A4 documents, receipts, business cards, and bank checks. It can scan to image PDF, Searchable PDF, BMP, TIFF, and JPEG, as well as to DOC, RTF, and other document formats. You can change resolution (it goes up to 600 ppi), mode (black-and-white, grayscale, or color), and more.

It will also scan to Cloud-based services? Google Docs, Evernote, FilesAnywhere, OfficeDrop, and DropBox ?by means of OneTouch links, which are downloadable for free from Visioneer Connect. They can be preset with login credentials entered and destination folder selected.

You can also scan from PaperPort, or from most any program that offers a scan command, thanks to the enclosed Twain and WIA drivers as well as Visioneer's own DriverPlus driver.

Scanning is simple and straightforward?just insert the document in the slot, and the scanner should grab it and feed the paper through. It says on the Xerox data sheet for the Travel Scanner 150, "? if you can insert a dollar bill into a change machine, you have the scanning operation mastered ?" That's true enough, but just as a change or vending machine won't always accept your dollar bill on the first try, ?at times the Travel Scanner 150 proved finicky and had to be coaxed into accepting a sheet.

Results
The Travel Scanner 150 did well on our OCR testing, reading our Arial font test page perfectly down to 5 points except for two minor errors (one spurious italicization and one spurious capitalization), and our Times New Roman font test page perfectly down to 8 points, with a couple of minor errors at 6 points. It did well in business-card scanning with BizCard, with about half of the cards not showing any errors, and most of the others just one or two.

The Xerox Travel Scanner 150 is a portable document scanner for the business traveler that needs to scan receipts and other documents while on the road. It's featherweight and compact, and can scan to a variety of destinations and document formats, including searchable PDF. Its features are basic: It supports simplex (one-sided) scanning only, lacks an automatic document feeder (ADF), and it requires a USB connection to a computer to operate.

If you need a portable scanner that adds an ADF and supports duplex scanning, consider springing for the Editors' Choice Canon imageFormula P-150 Scan-tini. The battery-powered Visioneer Mobility and Xerox Mobile Scanner, also Editors' Choices, each support scanning to mobile devices?the former over a cable and the latter via an Eye-Fi Wi-Fi card. But for many travelers, simplex scanning of receipts, business cards, and other short documents to a laptop via USB cable will suffice, and the Xerox Travel Scanner 150 provides an easy, effective, and cost-effective solution.

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DARPA's 1.8-gigapixel cam touts surveillance from 20,000 feet (video)

It's been three years since we first heard about DARPA's ARGUS-IS, but thanks to a PBS Nova special entitled "Rise of the Drones," we finally have more information about the 1.8-gigapixel camera that is supposedly the highest-resolution surveillance system in the world. The documentary showed video footage of the imaging system in action, though the camera itself remains shrouded in mystery for security reasons. Designed to be used with UAVs like the Predator, the ARGUS-IS (which stands for Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance - Imaging System) can spot a six-inch object within a ten square mile radius from 20,000 feet in the air. As shown in the clip after the break, the high-res cam doesn't quite reveal facial features, but you can spot details like a bird flying around a building and the color of someone's clothes.

The video goes on to reveal that the camera's internals are actually a collection of 368 sensors that are identical to the ones found in 5-megapixel smartphones. But the ARGUS-IS wouldn't be much without the processing power of the platform behind it. We're not entirely sure how this is done, but the camera allegedly streams around 1 million terabytes (that's an exabyte, folks) of video, which adds up to roughly 5,000 hours of HD footage per day. Thankfully, there's software that helps guys on the ground filter through the mass of data. As seen in the image above, it lets them track moving objects with up to 65 simultaneous windows. The military potential here is obvious, but DARPA is keeping mum on any future implementations of the ARGUS-IS -- or if it's been in use all this time.

Filed under: Science, Alt

Comments

Source: ExtremeTech, PBS

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/28/darpa-argus-is-surveillance/

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Brace Yourself for the Post-PC Threat Era

It was inevitable. As computing has evolved, so has its nemesis: malware. "2012 is truly the year we entered the post-PC era as cybercriminals moved to embrace Android, social media platforms, and even Macs with their attacks," Trend Micro declared in its annual Security Roundup last week. A characteristic of the post-PC threat landscape is the accelerated growth of malware.

Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/27fc79a9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C771760Bhtml/story01.htm

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Life Before the Bathhouse

Over 100 years before Chihiro showed up at the bathhouse door. (This is a roleplay about the movie Spirited Away.)

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This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Life Before the Bathhouse?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
Welcome to my roleplay"Life Before the Bathhouse"

Please ask questions here. :3

Peachy

I am the beginning of sorrow, and the end of sickness. You cannot express happiness without me, yet I am in the midst of crosses. I am always in risk, yet never in danger. You may find me in the sun, but I am never out of darkness.

peachyme123

Member for 2 years

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(?>?<)/ AFPHS! I'm completely loving your roleplay. I've always been a huge fan of Spirited away, so I can't wait for this RP to get up and running. That being said, you can definitely expect an application from me :)

DasNaisa

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I Can't wait to see it! :3

peachyme123

Member for 2 years

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Gosh..haven't RP'd Spirited Away in years. I'd love to join if I can dust off an old water spirit character of mine.

VitaminHeart

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Member for 3 years

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