Pluto/Charon poses for sharpest ground-based images ever

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) ? Despite being infamously demoted from its status as a major planet, Pluto (and its largest companion Charon) recently posed as a surrogate extrasolar planetary system to help astronomers produce exceptionally high-resolution images with the Gemini North 8-meter telescope. Using a method called reconstructive speckle imaging, the researchers took the sharpest ground-based snapshots ever obtained of Pluto and Charon in visible light, which hint at the exoplanet verification power of a large state-of-the-art telescope when combined with speckle imaging techniques.

The data also verified and refined previous orbital characteristics for Pluto and Charon while revealing the pair's precise diameters.

"The Pluto-Charon result is of timely interest to those of us wanting to understand the orbital dynamics of this pair for the 2015 encounter by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft," said Steve Howell of the NASA Ames Research Center, who led the study. In addition, Howell notes that NASA's Kepler mission, which has already proven a powerful exoplanet discovery tool, will benefit greatly from this technique.

Kepler identifies planet candidates by repeatedly measuring the change in brightness of more than 150,000 stars to detect when a planet passes in front of, or affects the brightness of, its host star. Speckle imaging with the Gemini telescope will provide Kepler's follow-up program with a doubling in its ability to resolve objects and validate Earth-like planets. It also offers a 3- to 4-magnitude sensitivity increase for the sources observed by the team. That's about a 50-fold increase in sensitivity in the observations Howell and his team made at Gemini. "This is an enormous gain in the effort underway to confirm small Earth-size planets," Howell added.

To institute this effort Howell and his team -- which included Elliott Horch (Southern Connecticut State University), Mark Everett (National Optical Astronomy Observatory), and David Ciardi (NASA Exoplanet Science Institute/Caltech) -- temporarily installed a camera, called the Differential Speckle Survey Instrument (DSSI), among the suite of instruments mounted on the Gemini telescope.

"This was a fantastic opportunity to bring DSSI to Gemini North this past July," said Horch. "In just a little over half an hour of Pluto observations, collecting light with the large Gemini mirror, we obtained the best resolution ever with the DSSI instrument -- it was stunning!"

The resolution obtained in the observations, about 20 milliarcseconds, easily corresponds to separating a pair of automobile headlights in Providence, Rhode Island, from San Francisco, California. To achieve this level of definition, Gemini obtained a large number of very quick "snapshots" of Pluto and Charon. The researchers then reconstructed them into a single image after subtracting the blurring effects and ever-changing speckled artifacts caused by turbulence in the atmosphere and other optical aberrations. With enough snapshots (each image was exposed for only 60 milliseconds or about 1/20 of a second) only the light from the actual objects remains constant, and the artifacts reveal their transient nature, eventually canceling each other out.

DSSI was built at SCSU between 2007-2008 as a part of a United States National Science Foundation Astronomical Instrumentation grant and mounted on the Gemini North telescope for a limited observing run. The instrument is likely to return to Gemini North for observations in mid-2013 for general user programs from across the international Gemini partnership. Any such arrangement will be announced along with the call for proposals for Semester 13B, in February 2013.

This work was funded in part by the National Science Foundation and NASA's Kepler discovery mission and will be published in the journal Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific in October 2012.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/LuePEZ_Zues/120926213944.htm

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Study: Fox and WSJ overwhelmingly wrong about climate change (Americablog)

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Avoid Fake Debt Relief Providers | - How Important Is Your Finance

?

?Debt can turn a free, happy person into a bitter human being.?

-Michael Mihalik

After years of riding the debt train, fueled by easy credit and home-equity lines of credit, more and more families today are finally waking up and learning to take control of their finances. With the economy continuing to sputter, jobs at a premium and financial markets showing negative or lackluster growth, never before have so many Americans answered the challenge of getting themselves out of debt. The good news is there are some outstanding organizations and tools available to help families take control of their money and learn what it?s like to truly be in command of their destiny. Unfortunately, there are also a lot of scam artists and fake ?debt relief? firms out there as well.

Debt consolidation organizations fall under three categories; scam artists, for profit, and non-profit.

Scam

The first thing is to realize is these fake services come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. Many have impressive web sites full of testimonials from happy smiling couples. The claims made sound powerful. ?We owed five hundred thousand dollars! We reduced our monthly payments by 90% and paid off all of our debt in two months!?

These scammers usually want money upfront (although some will wait until later, claiming the need for ?processing fees? or ?account setup fees?)

For Profit

These are somewhat legitimate companies, which work with consumers on a debt consolidation plan. They are not flat out scams, but do try to offer a service?ordinarily for ridiculous rates.

However, the services they provide are normally not worth the prices they charge. They often suggest the consumer take on additional debt loads (why would you take on additional debt?) in the name of lowering interest rates.

While lower interest rates are good, sometimes times the real motivation of these companies is to extort their fee from the consumer. The failure rate of these companies is huge, and the Better Business Bureau gets more complaints about these types of organizations than just about any other type (except for collection agencies).

Note: There are legitimate for profit financial planners who will gladly help you devise a debt management plan. These are certified professionals. As always, check references, but these types of individuals or organizations are usually brick and mortar companies in your area locally.

Non-profit

These debt consolidation organizations normally do not charge you anything other than a small monthly fee. They are supported by the credit-card companies themselves in order to help individuals and families manage their debt and continue to pay on what?s owed. These organizations can usually negotiate to lower (sometimes eliminate) interest and work with families to put together a workable payment plan. These organizations have helped more than any other group on the list.

Stephen Craig is a part of an elite team of writers who have contributed to hundreds of blogs and news sites. Follow him @SCraigSEO.

?

Source: http://www.howimportantisyourfinance.com/2012/09/26/avoid-fake-debt-relief-providers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=avoid-fake-debt-relief-providers

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Program Coordinator ? Global Health, Grand Challenges ...

By GatesFoundationJobs

Business Title Program Coordinator ? Global Health, Grand Challenges ExplorationsDivision: Global Health ProgramDepartment: Discovery & Translational ScienceLocation: SeattleFoundation Overview: Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people?s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people-especially those with the fewest resources-have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, the foundation is led by CEO Jeff Raikes and co-chair William H. Gates Sr., under the direction of Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett.Group Summary:Millions of people ? most of them children ? die each year in developing countries from diseases that are preventable and treatable

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Program Coordinator ? Global Health, Grand Challenges Explorations Job?

Related posts:

1. New York Times Reports On Gates Foundation?s Grand Challenges In Global?
2. Senior Program Officer ? Global Health | Bill & Melinda Gates?
3. Program Manager ? Global Health Job (Seattle, WA, US)
4. Program Coordinator Job (Seattle, WA, US)
5. Gates Foundation seeks Grand Challenges grant applicants

Posted by GatesFoundationJobs on Sep 26 2012. Filed under #GHDjob. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Source: http://www.globalhealthhub.org/2012/09/26/program-coordinator-global-health-grand-challenges-explorations-job/

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Pedal-powered espresso cart a hit for java junkies

20 hrs.

John Roach

An award-winning pedal-powered espresso cart is generating buzz as a fine way for eco-conscious java junkies to get their daily fix.

Amos Reid Field and Lasse Oiva, graduates of the Royal College of Art in London, describe the Velopresso as a ?celebratory fusion of human power, sensory pleasures and technology -- old tech with hi-tech, bicycles and coffee, their engineering and aesthetics.?

Pedals on the modified tricycle push the cart down the road and grind beans, meaning no whirring motors to startle caffeine-deprived heads.?

Water is currently heated up with a tiny gas canister, though the team is exploring the use of turning old coffee grounds into ethanol to power operations, according to Inhabit.?

When this eco-friendly machine will be brewing your double-tall, extra-hot latte is unknown, but given winning recognition for design in the 2012 Deutsche Bank for Creative Expression and second place in the 2012 Pininfarina Design Contest, it seems as if this espresso cart has momentum.

?? via Gizmag, Inhabit

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. To learn more about him, check out his website. For more of our Future of Technology series, watch the featured video below.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/pedal-powered-espresso-cart-hit-eco-conscious-java-junkies-1B6117730

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spiracle optimization: scaffold flaw: Backpacking tours with Dragon ...

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MUSIGA dribbles President Mahama

The smart young men of MUSIGA (Musicians Union of Ghana) have taken possession of all the GHs 2million that the government set aside in its last budget to support the creative industries and President Mahama did not know.

Only last week, when the President was making a apolicy statement in Accra on the direction of the country for the next four months, he told the nation that his government appreciated the potential of artists and it was in recognition of that, that the last budget allocated an amount of Ghs2m to the creative industries.

He went on to indicate that his office was working towards an acceptable way of disbursing the funds to the creative industries.

The President was too late. By the time he was making the statement, half of the amount had already been paid and the second half was on its way to the headquarters of MUSIGA.

By Press time yesterday, it was unclear whether the Minister of Finance, Dr Kwabena Dufuor was aware that the money meant for the creative industries comprising performing arts, music, visual art, publishing, film and traditional cultural expressions had been paid out.

That was unlikely because Dr Dufuor himself was seated directly in a front row seat during President Mahama?s speech and he wouldn?t have kept quiet and allowed the President to make such a faux pas.

While practitioners in other sectors of the creative industries may be moaning over their close-shave loss, MUSIGA stalwarts insist that the money, which is reckoned to be bigger than the total budget allocation to the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Culture for the last four years, was theirs to take.

According to officiandos of MUSIGA, the GHs 2 million was meant for them because it was they who presented a proposal to the Minister of Finance in October last year asking for Ghs 5.5 million to undertake a number of important projects.

The proposed projects included research and capacity development study, continuous professional development, strengthening of music industry structures, a one week music fair, and rehabilitation of MUSIGA headquarters building.

MUSIGA Administrator, Ahuma Bosco told Showbiz last Tuesday that even before the announcement was made in the budget, they were confident that they were confident that they had made a credible enough proposition to be considered by government.

He indicated that because MUSIGA was not given the total Ghs 5.5m that they asked for, they have had to scale down the projects that they intended to undertake.

One of the immediate activities MUSIGA is undertaking is the Ghana Music Week which is expected to attract over 500 musicians, bands, industry experts and representatives of music unions across Africa.

?The key goal of Ghana Music Week,? according to MUSIGA is to ?create the industry?s biggest platform to bring together and encourage participation of artistes, stakeholders, policy makers, media and music users to recognize, promote and underscore the importance and value of Ghanaian music forms.?

In response to a Showbiz question, Ahuma Bosco said that although MUSIGA had taken the Ghs2m, they might consider extending some of their largesse to practitioners in other sectors of the creative industries if they present concrete proposals to them.

?This is the taxpayer?s money and we?re keen to ensure that every pesewa that is given out is properly accounted for,? he said.

From: Ghana l Graphic Showbiz l Nanabanyin Dadson

Source: http://www.adomonline.com/index.php/news/headlines/17886-musiga-dribbles-president-mahama

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The US Democrats adopt Jerusalem as capital of Israel

At the Democratic National Party Convention, former Governor of Ohio, Ted Strickland, put forward a motion enshrining in the party's official platform, recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel.? The motion was as follows:

'This summer, I was proud to serve this party as the platform drafting committee chair. I came before you today to discuss the two important matters related to our party's national platform. As an ordained United Methodist Minister, I am here to attest and affirm that our faith and belief in God is central to the American story and informs the value we have expressed in our party's platform. In addition, President Obama recognizes Jerusalem as the?capital?of Israel and our party's platform should as well. Mr. Chairman, I have submitted my amendment in writing and I believe it is being projected on the screen for the delegates to see. I move adoption of the amendment as submitted and shewn to the delegates.'

By linking God and Jerusalem, Ted Strickland sought to affirm the Jud?o-Christian blasphemy as official policy for the ruling party.? Considering that under the Republican administration, the Mosaic Law was more-or-less the modus operandi, for the Democrats to follow suit, does not bode well for America.

The vote at the Convention was farcical.? The oral vote had to be taken three times, and each time a clear majority voted NO to the amendment to the party platform.? Each time the vote was taken, the voice of the Democrats was clear: the will of the party was to keep the issue of God excluded from party policy, and for Jerusalem NOT to be recognised as the capital of Israel.? In a display of sheer arrogance, Convention leader (Mayor of Los Angleles)? Antonio Villaraigosa, declared that the requisite two thirds majority had been obtained, and that the motion had passed!

Direct Link to video: http://youtu.be/cncbOEoQbOg

What the vote means in a nutshell, is that the occupation of Jerusalem, Samaria and Judea (the West Bank) by Israel has now been recognised by the Democrats as legitimate.? This will make the restoration of a Palestinian State much harder, and will add support to those who wish to force all Palestinians out of Palestine.? Of course, it is not guaranteed that the next President will be a Democrat, or that the party will gain a majority in either Senate or Congress, but considering the power of the Israeli lobby over both main parties, that may not matter.? Doubtless AIPAC will now use its financial muscle to push the Republicans into adopting similar measures.

The USA was once a proud country; the Land of the Free indeed.? Now it is the Home of the Slave; the plaything of the Self-Chosen people and the Shabbat Goy collaborators.

Source: http://newsfromatlantis.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-us-democrats-adopt-jerusalem-as.html

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Social Network Internet marketing Where you can Market Your ...

Social network marketing is probably the most effective and inexpensive ways to acquire business leads and build a business. Every single day, social networking websites attract a ridiculous quantity of traffic. These incredible traffic prices make social networking websites incredibly opportune platforms for business promotion and online marketing.

Luckily for budding business-people from the 21st century, utilizing these social networks is relatively easy to do and is available by all. At the very basic level, promoting your business online such as Facebook is absolutely free of charge. In addition to being infinitely cost-effective, navigating these social networking websites and using them to your marketing advantage is relatively simple.

Regardless of how technologically fluent you may be or how foreign computers appear to you, I am positive which any committed individual can acquire the necessary tools to achieve using social media systems to build a home business.

Marketing on Facebook

Network Marketing can be an incredibly profitable business venture if taken seriously and executed properly. Today, the majority of successful entrepreneurs in the market have established a powerful online presence. Doing so is an essential step towards success as a modern network marketer.

Facebook is perhaps the most popular option with regards to marketing using social press. This easy to use website presents an incredible marketing opportunity. With millions of enthusiastic Facebookers logging in daily, this social network is really a hot-bed for business creating.

By posting attractive content with backlinks to their personal website or blog, network marketers can be sure to acquire new business leads. Taking advantage of this particular inexpensive and effective marketing opportunity is remarkably simple.

Interested entrepreneurs simply need to create a profile and become associated with others in their niche. After acquiring a decent sized following, your blog or website will almost certainly begin to enjoy an increase in traffic. Social network marketing on Facebook can be financially beneficial.

Marketing on Twitter

In essence, marketing your network marketing business on Twitter is like Facebook. Initially, the goal is to broaden your marketing scope by receiving a following. This can be done by becoming associated with other marketers or potential consumers in your niche.

As your following grows, the results will be obvious if you are marketing effectively. There are loads of training materials available to anyone online. To be clear, Twitter is a micro-blogging platform that allows users to tweet away messages with 140 or even less characters.

Because of various features, Twitter is a great location for internet business promotion. If a fellow Twitter user finds your content attractive or entertaining, they will often retweet your original tweet to all their followers. Although this may seem like a field related in order to rocket science, Twitter is incredibly simple to learn to navigate.

Marketing using Article Syndication

Using social media for marketing can be very effective. That being said, this marketing process can be rather time-consuming if not executed efficiently. Luckily, there are article syndication tools available that can dramatically expedite the social networking marketing process.

Instead of navigating between 10 to 12 various websites and posting the same content, article syndication tools automate this method and only need you to post your content once. These services will rapidly and automatically post your content all over the web and consequently produce valuable backlinks.

Your time is your best possession. Don?t you want some of your time back? Article syndication tools can be incredibly helpful for those associated with social network marketing ventures where you can build your business quickly and much more efficiently.

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Britney Spears: 'X Factor' Gig is 'Refreshing'

Pop superstar says judging is 'totally different' from performing onstage.
By Gil Kaufman, with reporting by James Lacsina

Britney Spears
Photo: WireImage

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1693693/britney-spears-x-factor-judge.jhtml

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Alien snakes help spiders overrun Guam

The jungles of Guam have up to 40 times more spiders than do the forested areas of nearby Pacific islands thanks in part to the brown tree snake, according to a study published this week in the journal PLoS One.

The bird-devouring snake from northern Australia and nearby islands was introduced to Guam in the 1940s. The ravenous reptile became the dominant predator; bird numbers plummeted. By the 1980s, 10 of 12 native bird species had been wiped out, and the last two survive only in small areas, protected by intense snake-trapping.

Small-scale experiments show that areas without birds have more spiders ? which makes sense, because birds eat spiders and the insects upon which spiders feed. But the sheer numbers of spiders found in Guam's jungles were much greater than predicted by these small studies, suggesting the removal of birds from an entire forest can have unforeseen ? and creepy ? effects.

Study author Haldre Rogers, a researcher at Rice University in Houston, counted spiders throughout Guam's jungles by counting spider webs (which correlate with spider population and are commonly used as a stand-in measurement).

The difference between the number of spiders Rogers and her colleagues counted on Guam and three nearby islands that still have birds "was far more dramatic than what any small-scale experiments had previously found," she said in a statement from Rice.

"Anytime you have a reduction in insectivorous birds, the system will probably respond with an increase in spiders," Rogers said.

And she thinks this may be true elsewhere. "With insectivorous birds in decline in many places in the world, I suspect there has been a concurrent increase in spiders."

Guam spends $1 million per year searching departing planes and cargo for stowaway snakes.

But the nocturnal reptile is hard to find, especially on the island itself; residents and tourists rarely see them, and even those who actively hunt the snakes often come up empty-handed, according to the release.

Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter @OAPlanet. We're also on? Facebook? and? Google+.

? 2012 OurAmazingPlanet. All rights reserved. More from OurAmazingPlanet.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49025826/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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3 Electoral College members may pass on Romney

At least three Republican electors say they may not support their party's presidential ticket when the Electoral College meets in December to formally elect the next president, escalating tensions within the GOP and adding a fresh layer of intrigue to the final weeks of the White House race.

The electors ? all supporters of former GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul ? told The Associated Press they are exploring options should Mitt Romney win their states. They expressed frustration at how Republican leaders have worked to suppress Paul's conservative movement and his legion of loyal supporters.

"They've never given Ron Paul a fair shot, and I'm disgusted with that. I'd like to show them how disgusted I am," said Melinda Wadsley, an Iowa mother of three who was selected as a Republican elector earlier this year. She said Paul is the better choice and noted that the Electoral College was founded with the idea that electors wouldn't just mimic the popular vote.

The defection of multiple electors would be unprecedented in the last 116 years of U.S. politics. It also would raise the remote possibility that the country could even end up with a president and vice president from different parties.

If Romney prevailed in an extremely close presidential election, for example, defections could deprive him of the Electoral College majority needed to secure the presidency. That would throw the presidential election to the U.S. House for the first time in nearly two centuries. The Senate would elect the vice president if neither running mate got a majority of the electoral votes. If Republicans retained control of the House, and with the each state delegation getting a single vote, Romney probably would prevail. But if the Senate remained in Democratic hands, Vice President Joe Biden would be the favorite.

Because so-called faithless electors are rare, the position of elector is largely viewed as symbolic. Each party chooses people to serve as electors in the 50 states, and electors from the winning party convene in each state capital in December to officially select the president and vice president.

As Paul supporters fought for more prestigious delegate slots during state-level conventions this year, they also quietly accrued electors ? some in Democratic states likely to be won by President Barack Obama, but also in a handful in states that Romney could take.

In Nevada, for example, Paul's forces seized control of the state convention and won a majority of delegates. They also placed four Paul supporters among the state's six electors.

The electors said they have had no organized discussion over how to cast their electoral votes and there have been no efforts by the campaigns to get them to vote for either Paul or Romney.

Nevada's electors are approaching their duties in different ways.

Jesse Law, an elector and Paul supporter, said he may have qualms with Romney but has always intended to cast his electoral vote for the party nominee.

"I just want to beat Obama," Law said.

But Ken Eastman may not cast his Nevada electoral vote for Romney, if the former Massachusetts governor wins the state. Eastman said he wants to explore options with Republican leaders in Clark County, a group now dominated by Paul supporters.

"I'm undecided at this point," Eastman said, adding that he's "pretty disgusted" with the national Republican Party and how it has worked to suppress Paul's grassroots movement. He said the GOP has not been open to an influx of people with different ideas.

In Texas, elector Billie Zimmerman said she sees Paul as the only candidate able to save the country. She considers Romney and running mate Paul Ryan to be just another couple of Republicans who will disappoint her, and she called the GOP convention a "shocking display of deception and treachery and cheating."

Zimmerman said she hasn't decided how she'll cast her electoral vote.

Along with the three electors looking at alternatives, Nevada GOP elector Ken Searles said he may vote for Paul as a protest, so long as his vote wouldn't change the outcome of the election. Another elector, Kathleen Miller in Alaska, said she is planning to vote for Romney but left open the possibility of a Paul vote if the outcome of the election was certain and Republican leaders continued what she called "shenanigans."

About half the states, including Nevada, have laws requiring electors to follow the popular vote. Nevada's statute carries no punishment, and it's unclear how it would be enforced. Election officials said they may turn to the courts to enforce the law if an elector strayed.

Tensions between the Republican Party and Paul supporters have been escalating for much of the year. At the Republican National Convention last month, Paul supporters booed as the party adopted new rules to make it more difficult for similar insurgent campaigns to gain traction in the future.

Paul has not endorsed Romney. His did not respond to requests for comment on the possible defection of GOP electors.

The Romney campaign sidestepped questions about the electors, with political director Rich Beeson saying Republicans "are united to defeat President Obama to get our economy back on track and Americans working again."

Often chosen during the convention process, electors are designated by each party to cast votes if their presidential candidate wins the state. A presidential candidate needs 270 of the 538 electoral votes to win.

The last time the House determined the presidential outcome was in 1825, when it selected John Quincy Adams after none of the four candidates won a majority of the electoral votes.

There have been a handful of faithless electors in recent years. In 2004, one Minnesota elector voted for John Edwards for president instead of his top-of-the-ticket running mate John Kerry. Many observers assumed that was simply a mistake. The Minnesota vote was done secretly, and no one ever claimed responsibility.

A District of Columbia elector abstained in 2000 to protest the lack of congressional representation for the district.

The last time multiple electors defected was in 1896, when William Jennings Bryan was the presidential candidate of both the Democratic Party and the People's Party, with both parties choosing different vice presidential picks. Twenty-seven electors in that race chose the People's Party ticket, even though it didn't win the popular vote.

__

Contact Associated Press writer Mike Baker on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/HiPpEV

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/3-electoral-college-members-may-pass-romney-163227666--election.html

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What is a Fake Allergy? | Care2 Healthy Living

• Health Guru
• September 11, 2012
• 3:30 pm
• 25 comments

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Just because you're experiencing a rash or shortness of breath, it doesn't mean you're having an allergic reaction. Chances are it's a fake allergy. Watch this to find out what they are and how to spot and treat them.

Read more: Allergies, General Health, Health, Videos, Videos, allergic reactions, fake allergy, histamine

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Source: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/what-is-a-fake-allergy.html

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Nantucket Real Estate: Smoother Sailing in August 2012

The numbers are in for the month of August (Sales History for August 2012) and, as predicted, it was a very active month ? 40 sales for a total of $103 million compared to 29 for $46 million in 2011.? The number of sles increased 37.93% and the dollars represented by those sales increased 123%.? The average price of a property on Nantucket is now $1,614,000 an increase of 12.75% from one year ago.? The market is firmly turning.

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This entry was posted on Friday, September 7th, 2012 at 10:20 am and is filed under Nantucket Real Estate News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.nantucketrealestate.com/NantucketRealEstate/?p=5347

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"Isaac offspring" storm spins in Gulf of Mexico without moving or strengthening

MOBILE, Alabama -- The so-called ?Isaac offspring? disturbance that drifted back into the open Gulf of Mexico remained there Thursday without gaining strength, the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm, which soaked south Alabama Thursday night and Wednesday morning as is rolled south from the Midwest, sat 60 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River Thursday evening.

The nearly stationary storm?s heavier rain field was to the south of the circulation center, with strong upper level winds and dry air preventing significant development.

The hurricane center Thursday evening reduced the likelihood the system could become a tropical storm, dropping the probability to 30 percent from 50 percent earlier in the day.

The end result was a dry and sunny day across greater Mobile Thursday ? one of the few pleasant days the area has seen in the last week and a half.

The disturbance was a break-off of Hurricane Isaac, which struck southeastern Louisiana and south Mississippi Aug. 28-29, causing considerable damage as far east as coastal Alabama.

The system spun from Isaac after the storm had reached the Midwestern states. It traveled south and re-entered the gulf Wednesday morning.

Should the system strengthen and become a tropical storm, it would get a new name. Nadine and Oscar are the next two names on this year?s Atlantic hurricane list.

Far to the east in the Atlantic Ocean, Hurricane Leslie, with winds topping out at 75 mph, began moving north Thursday, with a probability that it would pass east of Bermuda on Sunday.

Well to Leslie?s east, in open Atlantic Water, Hurricane Michael reached Category 2 status with top sustained winds at 110 mph. There was no land in Michael?s immediate sights, however.
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Source: http://blog.al.com/live/2012/09/isaac_offspring_storm_spins_in.html

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The Way To Find Window Air Conditioner F ... - IdeaMarketers.com

Whenever you are searching to get a slender ac unit, whether it is for any restroom or for any side to side sliding window, you need to take a look for casement windows Air conditioning units.

Casement ac unit, or perhaps a sliding window air conditioner is appropriate for sliding windows, as narrow as 15 in . wide, and can be used as an extra ac unit to augment a central ac unit, or it may be utilized as the standalone unit.

When Looking For The Best Horizontally Sliding Window Air Conditioning Units, You'll Need To Pay Particular Attention To The Following

Above all, it's the width of the window opening that you need to evaluate very carefully. As long as it really is broader than 15 in ., you should be alright. But take measurments two times.

The cooling capacity of the casement air conditioner is the second most important feature to pay attention to when getting an air conditioning unit for sliding windows. A basic estimate will go by the square footage of the living space that you must cool down.

Search for handheld remote control feature in the event you window is inside a challenging to get to place. Most modern side to side sliding window air conditioning units include digital remotes today.

Our New Best Two Choices For A Horizontally Sliding Window Ac Unit

1. Frigidaire FRA084KT7

2. Haier 10000 BTU Slider Window Air Conditioner HWVR10XCK

Which Slim Window Air Conditioner Did We Pick And Why?

The option of slider air conditioner will always depend on several considerations.

Number 1, for areas which are more than 400 square feet, going with the 10000 BTU device will be less risky. When you live in a mild climate and/or your home is under 400 sq ft, go ahead with the weaker ac unit.

Question two, how brand name faithful are you currently? We found that, in general, Haier customers are somewhat less happy in relation to their choices than the Frigidaire users.

Our Selection Based Primarily On Outstanding Buyers Evaluations.

http://3tonairconditioner.net/ has a lot more information concerning Haier 10000 BTU Slider Air Conditioner And Frigidaire 8000 BTU Casement Air Conditioner.

Source: http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=3545469

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Federal Video Privacy Law Could Cover Internet StreamingTrade

This posting was written by Thomas A. Long, Editor of CCH Privacy Law in Marketing.

Viewers of Internet video streaming website Hulu.com could go forward with purported class-action claims that Hulu violated the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) by disclosing their video viewing selections and personal information to third-party ad networks and data-tracking companies, the federal district court in San Francisco has determined. A motion by Hulu to dismiss the lawsuit for failure to state a claim was denied.

According to the court, the VPPA could cover Hulu?s business model and data practices, and the site?s viewers could have standing to sue as ?consumers? under the statute. In an earlier decision (CCH Privacy Law in Marketing ?60,779), the court had ruled that the viewers? allegations satisfied the requirements of Article III standing by stating an injury-in-fact.

Video Privacy Protection Act

The VPPA protects from disclosure certain personal information of individuals who rent, purchase, or otherwise receive video materials. Consumers whose ?personally identifiable information? was knowingly disclosed by a ?video tape service provider? to third-parties may bring a private cause of action. ?Personally identifiable information? includes information that identifies a person as having requested or obtained specific video materials or services. Potential remedies include actual damages (but not less than liquidated damages of $2,500), punitive damages, attorney?s fees and litigation costs, and preliminary and equitable relief that the court determines is appropriate.

Video Tape Service Provider

The VPPA defines ?video tape service provider? as ?any person, engaged in the business, in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, of rental, sale, or delivery of prerecorded video cassette tapes or similar audio visual materials.? Although Hulu did not deal in prerecorded video cassette tapes, Hulu could be considered a ?video tape service provider,? for purposes of the VPPA, the court said. Contrary to Hulu?s contention, the phrase ?similar audiovisual materials? included digital content delivery.

Disclosures ?Incident to the Ordinary Course of Business?

Disclosures of personal information are not prohibited if they are ?incident to the ordinary course of business? of the video tape service provider. The VPPA defines ?ordinary course of business? as ?debt collection activities, order fulfillment, request processing, and the transfer of ownership.? The plaintiffs alleged that Hulu?s disclosures?done for purposes including unauthorized tracking?did not fall within this ?ordinary course of business? exception.

Hulu contended that disclosure of viewers? data to online market research, ad network, and web analytics companies all involved Hulu?s use of third-party vendors providing services like internal research, advertising, and analytics that Hulu could do on its own and thus permissibly could outsource in the ?ordinary course of business.? The factual issue could not be resolved on the pleadings, the court said, so the claim survived Hulu?s motion to dismiss.

?Consumers?

The viewers could qualify as ?consumers,? for purposes of the VPPA, according to the court. The VPPA defined ?consumers? as ?any renter, purchaser, or subscriber of goods or services from a video tape service provider.?

Hulu contended that the viewers were not ?subscribers? because they did not rent or purchase content or otherwise pay Hulu for services or products. However, the viewers did more than visit Hulu?s website. The website?s ?resurrection? of cookies previously deleted from the viewers? computers allegedly allowed their data to be tracked ?regardless of whether they were registered and logged in.? Hulu allegedly disclosed the viewers? ?Hulu profile identifiers? to third parties and linked the identifiers to their ?individual Hulu profile pages that included name, location preference information designated by the user as private, and Hulu username.?

Moreover, while the terms ?renter? and ?buyer? necessarily implied payment of money, the term ?subscriber? did not, the court said. Hulu cited no authority to the contrary. If Congress wanted to limit the VPPA?s definition of ?subscriber? to ?paid subscriber,? it would have said so, the court reasoned.

The decision is In re Hulu Privacy Litigation, CCH Privacy Law in Marketing ?60,789

Source: http://traderegulation.blogspot.com/2012/09/federal-video-privacy-law-could-cover.html

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Caroline Kennedy calls on women, young to rally for President Obama

By Matt Viser, Globe staff

CHARLOTTE, N.C. ? Caroline Kennedy, joining a parade of others in her famed political family, addressed the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night and reaffirmed the influential endorsement she gave Barack Obama four years ago.

?Back then, I was inspired by the promise of Barack Obama?s presidency,? she said. ?Today, I?m inspired by his record.?

Citing issues of ?social justice? and ?economic fairness,? she said Obama had lived up to the ideals of her father ? President John F. Kennedy ? and her uncles, the late senators Edward M. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy.

Referencing her gender and her Catholic faith, she said Obama deserved to be reelected.

?When it comes to what?s best for women, there is only one candidate in this race who is on our side: Barack Obama,? she said. ?As a Catholic woman, I take reproductive health seriously, and today, it is under attack.

Kennedy also made a direct appeal to young voters, a group whose energy was crucial to Obama?s 2008 coalition.

?Let me say to the young ? and the young at heart ? Barack Obama is only president because you worked for him,? she said. ?Because you believed in him. Because you convinced your parents to vote for him. ? If you show the same spirit in this election as you did in the last, I know that we?ll make history again.?

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.

Source: http://feeds.boston.com/click.phdo?i=2ada70698ab37d0e842b015867f9a1e0

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termite control,termite inspection - 10 Interesting Facts About Termites

Before battling the termites in your home, it's very important that you get to know your wood-eating enemy. Learning everything you can about termites will help you understand these creatures so you can formulate better strategies to eradicate them completely from your property. Below are some interesting facts about the termite species:

1. The termites do not sleep. They eat all day long, every single day. This 24/7 operation makes them very efficient in getting rid of decaying wood in the forest, but this activity is deemed very destructive when the food they are foraging on are the wooden parts of the home.

2. The lifespan of the termites can vary. The termite queen can survive anywhere from 20-50 years. The non-reproductive members can survive for only a couple of years. The individual termite colonies have been known to exist for up to one century.

3. There is one king and queen in the termite colony. This pair secretes pheromones that inhibit the reproductive development of their other termite members. The queen lays eggs every 15 seconds.

4. Worker and soldier termites are both male and female. They are usually wingless and majority of them are blind. They are also sterile due to the inhibitory pheromones released by the king and queen termites. There are special soldiers and workers whose function is to care for the eggs and the young.

5. Worker termites are chiefly foragers and feeders so these are the ones that eat and cause destruction to the wooden structures. Another role they play is being the nest builders and repairers. They are also tasked as groomers of other colony members.

6. Soldier termites are mainly the defenders of the colony. The use their big mandibles to decapitate intruders such as ants. For some termite species with no soldier termites, the nymphs and workers act as the defenders of the colony.

7. There are approximately 2,300 termite species worldwide. If all the termites on the planet are weighed, their combined total weight will be far greater than the combined weight of all humans on Earth.

8. Termites have a trophallaxis behavior wherein they feed other colony members through anus-to-mouth (proctodeal) feeding. This behavior also serves a form of communication for them.

9. Termites digest wood through the bacteria and protozoans present in their intestinal tracts. The young termites were able to acquire these digestive microorganisms during feeding time from worker termites.

10. In the United States, there are 41 species of termites identified. The termites are found on all states, except in the state of Alaska.

Emily Taylor is a kindhearted individual who loves the outdoors; she spends most of her time lately working in her yard and tending to her garden if she isn?t writing for termite treatment is a family owned business in Birmingham, AL specializing in getting rid of those unwanted house guests.

Keywords: termite control,termite inspection,termites treatment,termite pest control,termite companies

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Source: http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=3546451

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Russian Online Air Travel Booking Site OneTwoTrip Raises $9M After Big First Year

Moscow-based online air travel booking startup OneTwoTrip announced this morning that it has raised $9 million in funding from Phenomen Ventures fund in exchange for a minority stake. The site offers Russian?travellers?a way to book their flights online, providing price?comparisons?and choice of airline. OneTwoTrip has already managed to gain considerable traction in Russia, launching first in beta back in May 2011 and then graduating to a full release in September of last year, and growing to average daily ticket sales of 3,500, with projected bookings in the $400 million range (of which OneTwoTrip sees a 6-7 percent cut) by the end of the year. OneTwoTrip has succeeded in part because they launched with a solid product, with a website that definitely offers a more contemporary feel when compared to its competitors. The timing is also a big factor in its success, however, as online tourism in Russia is a fast-growing market ? Phenomen Ventures' partner Dmitry Falkovich, who also joins the OneTwoTrip board as part of the deal, said in a press release that Russia's online tourism is growing at a rate of roughly 70 percent per year, and scattered reports from various destinations including Bulgaria, Greece and Abu Dhabi put incoming the number of incoming Russian tourists on a rapid rise, sometimes up by as much as 128 percent this year over last.

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

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S.Africa's Aveng FY profit falls, order book up

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's biggest construction group Aveng reported a 58 percent decline in full-year earnings on Wednesday, reflecting an industry-wide slump at home and write-downs on contracts.

Aveng said diluted headline earnings per share totalled 119.8 cents in the end-June compared with 286.6 cents a year earlier.

Headline EPS, the main profit measure in South Africa, strips out certain one-time items.

South African construction firms avoided the 2008 global building slump thanks to the construction boom in the run-up to the 2010 soccer World Cup.

But they are now struggling to replenish their order books as the South African government delays rolling out its nearly 1 trillion rand infrastructure investment package.

Aveng said its two-year order book rose by 27 percent to 47 billion rand in the past 12 months, underpinned by strong demand from mining and energy sectors in Australia.

The group said it was awarded two renewable energy contracts -- a 75MW solar project and a 138MW wind plant -- in the second submission round.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/africas-aveng-fy-profit-falls-order-book-053724236--finance.html

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William Joyce's animated 'Rise of the Guardians' already snagging ...

Shreveport author and animator William Joyce's newest film, "Rise of the Guardians," doesn't hit theaters until Nov. 21, but it's already earning awards. The animated movie - based on the children's book series by Joyce, and directed by Peter Ramsey for DreamWorks Animation - will receive the Hollywood Animation Award at the 16th annual Hollywood Film Festival and Film Awards, it has been announced.

Joyce, whose Shreveport-based Moonbot Studios produced the Oscar-winning short film "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," earns executive-producer and writing credits on the film.

"Rise of the Guardians" joins such films as "Rango," "Ratatoullie," "Toy Story 3," "Up" and "Wall*E" as a recipient of the award, to be handed out Oct. 22 at the festival's gala in Beverly Hills.

Featuring the voices of Chris Pine, Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher and Jude Law, "Rise of the Guardians" is a fantasy adventure that sees that most benevolent of quintets -- Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, Jack Frost and the Sandman, all more powerful than you probably remember -- joining forces to fight a Bogeyman known as Pitch.

Source: http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2012/09/william_joyces_rise_of_the_gua.html

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Obama, on eve of convention, tours storm-hit Louisiana

LAPLACE, Louisiana (Reuters) - President Barack Obama toured hurricane-stricken Louisiana on Monday and promised federal recovery help as he sought to show his administration was on top of the disaster response on the eve of his Democrats' national convention in North Carolina.

Obama was preceded by his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, who diverted from the campaign trail to Louisiana on Friday to inspect the fallout from Hurricane Isaac a day after accepting his party's nomination for the November 6 election.

Flying into New Orleans on a hot, sunny day, Obama traveled by motorcade to nearby St. John the Baptist Parish, one of the hardest-hit communities, where he met federal, state and local officials and then surveyed the area.

He saw evidence of the storm's fury - twisted road signs, toppled trees, blown-down fences, debris piled high and pools of water beside the road. Stepping out of his limousine, he paused to comfort a few residents and hear their stories.

"There has been enormous devastation in St. John's Parish," Obama told reporters. He cited similar destruction in other parts of Louisiana as well as neighboring Mississippi and praised emergency officials for limiting the loss of life.

The White House has taken pains to depict Obama as deeply engaged in the government's handling of Isaac and its aftermath. His Republican predecessor, George W. Bush, was heavily criticized for the sluggish federal response to Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005.

Being cast in the role of consoler-in-chief could have political benefits for Obama, who is locked in a tight race with Romney and will accept his party's nomination in a prime-time speech on Thursday night in Charlotte, North Carolina. The convention begins on Tuesday.

"How y'all doin'?" Obama asked Trebor Smith, wearing shorts and high rubber boots, outside his storm-damaged house.

"Better now," Smith said.

One woman told Obama the water rose so fast that she and her family had to be rescued by boat.

Isaac was the first hurricane to strike the United States this year, hitting New Orleans almost exactly seven years after Katrina hit, causing an estimated 1,800 deaths.

But Isaac was a much weaker storm. It was blamed for six deaths in Louisiana and two in neighboring Mississippi, and both states suffered from widespread flooding.

ABOUT 125,000 STILL WITHOUT POWER

Even as the fading remnants of Isaac moved east, about 125,000 people remained without power in Louisiana, the governor's office said. With floodwaters not yet receded in some areas, about 2,600 people remained in emergency shelters. Obama has declared disasters in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Isaac's passage through the Gulf of Mexico last week forced cancellation of one day of the Republican convention in Tampa, Florida, and took some attention away from it.

Obama, staying away from the region while emergency officials were occupied with the height of the crisis, waited until Monday for his visit. He went ahead with a Labor Day rally with union workers in Ohio but freed up time in his campaign schedule by scrapping a second event in the battleground state.

Romney, a wealthy former private equities executive who has struggled to show that he can connect with ordinary Americans, detoured to the disaster zone the day after his convention.

Obama, overheard by news photographers allowed in for a few minutes while he was being briefed, said such presidential visits to disaster zones were "not just for photo-ops."

The White House sought to play down any political implications of the two visits at the height of election season, and highlighted the fact that Louisiana's Republican governor, Bobby Jindal, accompanied both of the men.

But White House spokesman Jay Carney, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, echoed Democrats who have pointed out that Romney's running mate, congressional fiscal hawk Paul Ryan, had earlier proposed sharp cuts in disaster relief spending.

"Our biggest priority is helping to house people who've been displaced ... to make sure they have the kind of support they need to get restarted," Obama said on the ground.

Carney's comments did not sit well with the Ryan camp, which expressed outrage that the administration would raise the subject of political differences during a disaster area tour.

"Apparently there's nothing the President's team won't politicize," said Ryan spokesman Brendan Buck. "Paul Ryan believes providing aid to victims of natural disasters is a critical obligation and should be treated as a high priority within a fiscally responsible budget."

Obama made a point of praising the Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying "in the past we haven't seen the kind of coordination that is necessary." FEMA was a focus of criticism for what was seen as the botched response to Katrina in 2005.

Obama also hailed the first successful test of New Orleans' new $14.5 billion flood defenses, a reinforced network of government-built levees. But he said flooding in St. John the Baptist Parish and elsewhere showed the need for further work and pledged federal efforts to find out what went wrong and expedite solutions.

Meantime, oil operations that had been interrupted along the Gulf Coast were coming back on line. The Energy Department said the Exxon Mobil Corp's joint-venture 192,500 barrel per day (bpd) Chalmette, Louisiana, refinery was restarting on Monday.

The department also said Exxon's 502,500 bpd Baton Rouge refinery has returned to normal production after reducing throughput because of Isaac. Only Phillips 66's 247,000 bpd refinery in Alliance, Louisiana, remained shut on Monday due to flooding and power loss from the storm, the agency said.

(Additional reporting by Ian Simpson; Writing by Matt Spetalnick; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-eve-convention-tours-storm-hit-louisiana-003719776.html

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