Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Rope a Dope: Drug Testing in Sports Enters a More Aggressive Era

Features | Health

Unusual variations in an athlete's blood could determine guilt, even if no illegal substances are found


doping in sportsCAT AND MOUSE: Will regulatory agencies ever be able to get ahead of dopers and drug cheats? Image: ? Sezer Yadigar/iStockphoto

Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...

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For thousands of world-class athletes, a passport is something they can't forget to pack before heading off to London for the summer Olympic games. But for a few athletes, a different kind of passport is keeping them out of competition entirely.

A new anti-doping program known as the athlete biological passport (ABP), which looks for indirect evidence that an athlete has cheated, is being implemented by several international sports authorities. Already the testing scheme, developed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), has ensnared world-class athletes?and survived a challenge to its validity.

The London Olympics mark the first summer games in which the ABP will be in use alongside traditional drug screenings. And for competitors in sports that have taken up the program, such as cycling and track and field, dreams of Olympic glory will depend on their test results?past and present.

Rather than screening an athlete's blood or urine samples for traces of banned substances right before or after a competition, testers using the ABP scheme compare samples with an athlete's baseline profile, as determined by multiple tests over time. In the absence of a legitimate physiological explanation, such as an illness or a natural response to changing altitude, variations in an athlete's biological samples can reveal wrongdoing even if the specific doping agent or process remains undetected. For instance, a sudden change in the number of reticulocytes, or immature blood cells, might provide indirect evidence that an athlete has used erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that stimulates the generation of red blood cells and boosts the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. Similar tests can assess levels of the respiratory pigment hemoglobin, which can also reveal instances of blood manipulation to enhance oxygen transport.

"In this way, the athlete becomes his own reference point," says WADA medical director Alan Vernec. "Otherwise you're forever chasing after new types of substances or agents that are being developed."

So far the biological passport has been applied primarily to detect instances of blood doping, but the same strategy could be used on urine samples to identify users of anabolic steroids. Nevertheless, the ABP is unlikely to supplant conventional testing schemes that detect prohibited molecules, such as steroids or human growth hormone, in blood and urine. Anti-doping experts view the passport approach as a complement to such tests, which continue to catch athletes breaking the rules.

Indeed, conventional testing still plays a significant role in cycling, the first major sport to sign on to WADA's passport approach. In the highest-profile recent case, Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador was issued a two-year suspension and stripped of his 2010 Tour de France win after a sample that year tested positive for clenbuterol, which WADA classifies as an anabolic agent.

The International Cycling Union (UCI), suffering from a severe credibility problem, adopted the ABP in 2008, collecting about 10 blood samples each from more than 800 riders over the course of the year. But implementation of the ABP has not been without twists and turns. Cyclist Franco Pellizotti, who raced for Italy in the 2008 Olympics, was suspended in 2010 for irregularities in his blood profile that indicated "enhancement of oxygen transfer." But the rider was soon exonerated by the Italian Olympic committee, which held that the evidence against Pellizotti was insufficient to prove his guilt.

The cycling union appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Switzerland, which last year overturned the Italian committee's decision and reinstated Pellizotti's two-year ban from cycling. The court also upheld a two-year ban for Italian rider Pietro Caucchioli; the cyclist's variations in hemoglobin concentration over a span of several months, the court ruled, "could not be considered as physiological" and hence demonstrated doping to enhance the blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=c1404154737b17319b09954c2a520643

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Pierogie board - Family Woodworking

I had never heard of a pierogie board, but my neighbour's wife, who is of Ukrainian descent, asked me last year if I could make one. She showed me a picture, and I slowly got started on it. You wouldn't think it would take that long, but with work, other projects, winter, health issues and necessities for SWMBO, as well as my inexperience with rabbett joints, I wrapped it up today, finished it with mineral oil, and took it over to her. She was over the Moon about it. Thinks it's wonderful. Her husband says that I got more hugs and kisses from her than he'd had all week. Anyway, next time I have to make a rabbett joint, it will go quickly. I have a feeling some of her relatives are going to ask me for one.

The board is a birch panel that I purchased ready made. The cleats at the end, which keep the board against the counter, are cherry.Glued together, no hardware.

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Lessons learned: use a good router bit, not a cheap one; think really hard about the reason the joint isn't fitting, it may not be what you assume is wrong; relax, you can do it over if it doesn't come out right the first time.

Source: http://familywoodworking.org/forums/showthread.php?28091-Pierogie-board

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Monday, July 30, 2012

10 cheap ways to increase your home's resale value

Cleaning up, finding the right real estate agent, and updating small things? like light fixtures will help your home sell fast without expensive staging.

By Ross Boissoneau,?Contributor / July 28, 2012

In this June 2012 file photo, real estate agent Jim Klinge hosts an open house in San Diego. Finding the right real estate agent for your specific needs is one essential step in selling your home quickly.

Gregory Bull/AP/File

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Mortgage rates have been falling lower and lower.? So why can?t I sell either of my houses?

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That?s right, I have two homes to sell: the house I live in now and the house I grew up in. My current home has been on the market for more than a year, and my family home since a month after my mother?s death. But despite showings, open houses, and those historically low mortgage rates, neither has sold.

But I?m confident that will change ? because I recently consulted professionals whose advice should help me sell faster. Implementing some of their advice would cost hundreds, but some could be cheap or free?

1. All the world?s a stage

Let?s start with the potentially most expensive. Staging a home is just about making it more like an uncluttered luxury hotel suite and less like your family?s home. Do it on the inside and outside and your home will probably sell faster and for more.

2. Find the right professional

Sometimes you forget the obvious: The best, smartest thing a homeowner can do is find the right real estate agent for them. There are all kinds of pros out there, with all kinds of approaches and personalities. So how do you find the perfect fit? The easiest ways are also free:

  • Get referrals. Obviously, the easiest step is simply to ask friends and family. But be careful, because an agent who did well selling your sister?s fixer-upper isn?t necessarily the best one to sell your four-bedroom raised ranch. Agents can specialize not only in geography but also in price ranges.
  • Go to open houses. In this case, you aren?t checking out the home, but the agent. And don?t fret that you aren?t interested in the house ? smart agents know they?re also selling themselves at open houses.
  • Go online. If those first two options aren?t working for you, search sites like RealEstateAgent.com and Realtor.com. When you find a few agents you might like, check them out online before contacting them. Are their websites professional-looking and inviting? Do they promote their properties well? Then call them. If the conversation goes well, set up a meeting. But remember, you have to feel comfortable, because this individual is helping you sell your most expensive possession.

3. Clean and de-clutter

?Cleaning is obvious ? we shouldn?t even have to mention that a dirty kitchen or bathroom will cost you customers. But clutter is another matter. Step back and try to look at your home the way someone else would for the very first time. The half-dead philodendron? Toss it out. That old ratty hassock? Goodwill.

And what about the garage? If you use it to store everything but your car, clean it out so a prospective buyer can imagine pulling their own vehicle in there. (Although they?ll probably do just like you and use it for storage.)

4. Maximize your home?s curb appeal

Mow the lawn. Trim the shrubs. Buy a new welcome mat.?Add a hanging plant next to your entrance, or some large terra-cotta pots filled with colorful blooms. This is crucial - online pictures of your front door will likely be the introduction to prospective buyers.

5. Invest in a friend

If a professional home staging profession is too expensive, ask a friend or your real estate agent to come in and give an honest assessment of your home. Having someone objective look at what you see everyday can yield results regarding items or spaces you as a homeowner have become blind to.

6. Create rooms

Substituting one room?s use for another is a cheap way to transform a three-bedroom home with a den into a four-bedroom home. If it doesn?t have a closet, add an armoire. Or maybe your home has a formal dining room that?s never used. Add doors if it doesn?t have them and a freestanding wardrobe ? and you?ve got an instant main floor master bedroom.

7. Paint

Nothing can instantly transform a room like a new coat of paint. That?s especially true if you?re going from something dark and dingy (and scratched and dirty) to something light, bright, and white. Painting is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to change and improve a room?s appearance. Anyone can do it. I know, because I have. A bedroom upstairs and the kitchen and dining room in my main house, and two bedrooms in my parents? home. HUGE difference.

8. Bring the outdoors in and take the indoors out

Plant the decorative plants not just in the ground around the deck, but inside. Furnish your seating areas outside with things you would normally find indoors, like soft cushions. Bridging the inside and the outdoors expands the feel of your home.

9. Add storage

New homebuyers are always looking for storage space. Maximize what you have by adding a closet storage system, incorporating shelves, two-tiered hangers, and the like. Storage doesn?t have to be deep to be useful. Open up a space between studs and walls, install shelving, and you?ve got the perfect place for a series of small shelves to store CDs and DVDs.

10. Lights, camera, action!

Ceiling fixtures tend to get hung, then forgotten, which means they look dated before long. Inexpensive replacements from a home improvement store can brighten up the interior and make a room look more current.

Ross Bossoineau is a writer for?Money Talks News, a consumer/personal finance TV news feature that airs in about 80 cities as well as around the Web. This column first appeared in Money Talks News.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/-tUVZmKF__I/10-cheap-ways-to-increase-your-home-s-resale-value

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My fellow Americans: Essaouria is the Best ... - Morocco World News

By Nora P. Goodman

Morocco World News

Portland, Oregon, July 29, 2012

In July of 2009, I traveled to Morocco with my son Austin on a month?s vacation. It was not only my son?s first plane ride but his first trip out of the USA.

We arrived in Rabat Morocco and stayed at our friend Said?s family home. Our Moroccan friends were Berbers and spoke Berber, British English, French and Arabic. They greeted us with a lot of hospitality and gave us a bedroom on the lower level of their home. The first morning when we awoke, breakfast was already prepared for us in the sitting area. Breakfast consist of fruit, bread, butter, jam, laughing cow cheese, orange juice, coffee and milk. It was served on a round wooden table with clean linens, lovely plates and coffee cups. Said?s father, Brik was the family cook. He was a retired cook from the local sports stadium and continued his passion in cooking for his family while he and his wife prepared the family meals together. They were a lovely couple who had been married for over fifty years. I admired their faithfulness and commitment to their family and each other. After Brik prepared breakfast, he was off to the Mosque and a local caf? where he met with his lifelong friends to discuss life as usual in Morocco and Said?s mom, Saida began her routine cleaning house. My son and I relaxed for a few days from the long flight then Said and I took Austin to the local sites such as, King Mohammed V?s tomb and the Old Medina. Austin soon fell in love with Morocco as much as I did.

Said decided to take us to the beaches in Agadir and stay at his sister?s home since they were traveling to the north, we traveled by an air conditioned train to Marrakesh to catch a bus to Agadir, as soon as we stepped off the train we gasped for air. The temperature was 51.7?C (125.1?F) and being a fair complexion girl from Portland Oregon, USA, where the sun only shines for three months out of the year, the only example I could give was that it felt like I had stepped into hell. My son and I had never experienced anything like that before. Everyone was panicking and some foreigners were actually crying. We could hardly catch our breath and there was hardly any shade and no building to find appropriate shelter. Everyone was exhausted from the long ride and people were crowding in the shaded corners of the depot. There was nowhere to escape the heat while we were waiting for our bus. Austin bought a soda to quench his thirst but to his surprise it was hot. I wondered why that bus depot did not have appropriate air conditioned shelter along with cold drinks since it was used by many people daily. We waited for about forty minutes for the bus, but it felt like hours. The bus ride to Agadir took about five hours. We thought for sure the weather by the beach would be better but it was just as hot.

When we arrived at the home of Said?s sister we found no air conditioning, no fan and all the hotels with air-conditioning were very expensive. Our first night in Agadir was unbearable. My feet swelled up and I spent most of my night in the shower under cold running water. My son fell asleep by 2:00 AM but tossed and turned most of the night. The next day I suggested we stay in the air conditioned mall to escape the heat. But even the air conditioning did not seem to work very well as the temperatures continued to rise. We were clearly caught in heat wave. That night we stayed at the beach with hundreds of others trying to escape the same torment. Then our taxi driver suggested we go to Essaouria, a small fishing village located on the Atlantic Ocean where the temperatures were much nicer. So the next day we purchased bus tickets to Essaouria and traveled another five hours north. When we stepped off the bus the weather was at least 40 degrees less. It was so refreshing. Austin and I felt so relieved and excited to see the fishing village our taxi driver had bragged about.

While we were unloading our bags and searching for a place to stay, I noticed a small baby kitten sitting in the corner outside the bus station. The kitten was only about three to four weeks old. He was very dirty. I walked slowly to him a picked him up. He barely moved. He was weak and I wondered where his mother was. I looked around but I didn?t see her. I gave him to Austin and helped Said carry our luggage. In the meantime, a few local Moroccan men offered to help us find an apartment and transport our luggage for us also. Morocco has very good hospitality. In less than thirty minutes, we found a nice two bedroom apartment.

As we walked through the16th century old city to our apartment, we didn?t feel the heat but only the breeze of the ocean on our faces. We were so relieved. After we unpacked our luggage, I focused on the kitten. He was so fragile dirty and his eyes were only barely open. Austin and I gave him a bath and cleaned his eyes. Said warned us of diseases and said the wild cats were considered unclean. It didn?t stop us from caring for him and to our surprise, the little fella even changed colors after his bath, he had beautiful white fur and a few black spots. We decided to name him Moses. Moses didn?t know how to eat food on his own or maybe he was too weak. I went to a local market and bought laughing cow cheese, a baby bottle and milk. I put some cheese on the tip of my finger, but he was too weak to eat. I then smeared a little on his mouth and once he got a taste of it he was soon licking it up. Later, he began drinking from the bottle of milk and within days he was running around the apartment playing with Austin.

The city of Essaouria is known by its Portuguese?name of?Mogador. The Berber name means?the wall, a reference to the fortress walls that originally enclosed the city. Austin and I agreed that the city should be nicked named ?the city of cats? because everywhere we went there were cats. There were cats under the tables at the restaurants waiting for scraps of food from the tourist and there were cats in all the shops being cared for by the shop owners. And as we walked along the walls of the city cats were lined up and patiently waiting as the fishermen were cleaning the fish and tossing the left overs to them. It was clear the people of the city loved cats.

The day came when we had to leave to go back to Rabat and then back to USA. No matter how much we begged, Said didn?t want to adopt Moses and bring him to Rabat, so Austin and I began looking for a suitable good home for him. We grew attached to Moses and hated to leave him behind. We even thought of carrying him in our suitcases and bringing him back to USA with us, but we knew it wouldn?t be allowed at the airport and Moses would be caught at the check point. So the only suitable person we could think of to adopt him was a very nice waiter at a local restaurant name Khalid. We shared with him about how we found and rescued Moses and how we thought his name was appropriate. Khalid assured us that he would keep the name and take good care of him.

It?s been three years since we left Essaouria and as far as we know, Moses is still living at the restaurant and being cared for by Khalid and feasting off Tagine and scraps of food from the tourist.

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/07/49673/my-fellow-americans-essaouria-is-the-best-place-to-be-in-morocco-during-the-summer/

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Friday, July 20, 2012

Signatures by Sarah: Business branding for Lisa, Smile Lounge ...

Lisa placed an order with me back in April, to work on re-branding her business, Smile Lounge Photobooth. ?She had a "sort-of" logo, but wanted something cohesive, classy and strong, but still elegant. ?She wanted a fun edge to the logo as well, as their photobooth is a very unique service! ?Lisa wanted her new branding in teal/tiffany blue and black, and include a motif drawing of their photobooth itself. ?Here's her final chosen designs, including a logo, business card, notecard, and letterhead! ?Thanks Lisa!
Business card:
?Notecard: ?Letterhead:
Here's a few that didn't make the cut!

Source: http://www.signaturesbysarah.com/2012/07/business-branding-for-lisa-smile-lounge.html

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Farmers tough on artificial limbs

ScienceDaily (July 19, 2012) ? When a farmer or rancher is injured on the job, there's an 11 percent chance that an amputation will occur. That's two and a half times more likely than in any other industry.

Most of these amputations involve fingers or toes. But the artificial hands, arms, legs, feet and other prostheses used by agricultural workers with a major limb amputation don't seem to be durable, affordable or adaptable enough for their lifestyles, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.

Published online in the journal Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, this is the first study to provide detailed information on the limitations facing farmers and ranchers with prosthetics.

The study is part of a larger research project at the Northwestern University Prosthetics-Orthotics Center that aims to design educational materials tailored to the specific needs of farmers and ranchers with amputations and work with prosthesis manufacturers to develop and reengineer more robust products and components.

"We are also exploring how products created for people with amputations in developing countries may benefit farmers and ranchers here in the U.S.," said Craig Heckathorne, research engineer in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and second author of the study.

Results of this ongoing research could benefit people with amputations who work in other physically demanding professions such as the military, construction, forestry, commercial fishing, mining and manufacturing.

"There are lot of issues and challenges to farming with a prosthesis," said Stefania Fatone, research associate professor in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Feinberg and corresponding author of the study. "They often need to climb ladders and silos, lift bags of feed and seed and walk on uneven terrain, in all kinds of weather conditions. Also, a dairy farmer may have very different needs than a corn farmer or cattle rancher."

Heckathorne and Kathryn Waldera, research engineer in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Feinberg and lead author of the study, conducted intensive one-on-one interviews with 40 American farmers and ranchers with amputations to gather information about how current and past prostheses were used, prosthetic failures and their ability to complete farm tasks while using a prosthesis. They also interviewed 26 prosthetists, who provide services to farmers and ranchers. Prosthetists are trained health care professionals who design and fit prostheses to help people with limb loss function more fully.

The study found that the common problems farmers and ranchers face revolve around these themes:

  • Durability: Lack of durability and utility was the major theme identified by this study. Farmers report breaking bolts when jumping, lifting or performing other on-the-farm tasks. Many reported using their prosthesis as a tool to carry out work on the farm, too. Farmers' prostheses seem to deteriorate faster and fail more frequently than those of non-farmers with amputations, the study found.
  • Safety: Farmers reported many falls and secondary injuries due to use of their prosthesis. Researchers found that many safety problems may be related to durability issues.
  • Environment: Weather, dirt and rough terrain can be tough on prostheses, leading them to break more easily, according to the study. Farmers reported that prostheses sometimes get stuck in mud, caught in weeds and exposed to chemicals, rain, snow and extreme cold and heat. All farmers interviewed in this study avoided using myoelectric prostheses while on the job because of the risk of exposure to harsh environments.
  • Adaptation: Many farmers said they chose to use a prosthesis as an adaption to address the challenges of farming after an amputation. But, a modern-day prosthesis is not a complete replacement for an intact limb. Farmers reported having to make additional changes in routines, farm equipment and in attitude to successfully return to farming after an amputation.
  • Cost: Prostheses are expensive, and farmers and the prosthetists who work with them reported that medical insurance coverage for the devices is often inadequate. Some farmers report having no insurance or high deductable insurance because they are self-employed or a small business owner. The high cost of the devices may drive some farmers to repair their own prosthesis or go without a replacement, which could affect durability and safety. Some farmers in rural areas have to travel great distances to get to a prosthetist's clinic, which also adds to costs.
  • Education: Prosthetists are not typically trained about the needs and lifestyles of farmers and ranchers and may prescribe inappropriate prosthetic choices, according to the study. Some farmers indicated that they were not consistently educated and trained on the operation of their device. However, some prosthetists reported that farmers had unrealistic expectations of their prosthesis.

These findings have provided a framework for an even larger study on this issue, the researchers said. They are currently recruiting farmers and ranchers with amputations from across the United States to take part.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Northwestern University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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


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

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

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120719153301.htm

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Thursday, July 19, 2012

World's only undersea lab could shut down

Lack of funding has left the Aquarius Reef Base, an underwater laboratory in the Florida Keys, fighting for its survival.

By Mounira Al Hmoud,?Contributor / July 17, 2012

Nasa Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) aquanauts are seen at Aquarius Habitat in this NASA handout photo taken off the coast of Key Largo, Florida June 11, 2012. The NEEMO 16 crew has been simulating asteroid exploration on the ocean floor since June 11. They are scheduled to return to the surface June 22, after living for 12 days inside the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Aquarius Underwater Laboratory.

Mark Widick/NASA/Handout/Reuters

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The world's last undersea research laboratory, is running out of money.

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The Obama administration cut off funding for the 25-year-old?Aquarius Reef Base?located 63 feet underwater in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. If it cannot raise money on its own, it will be forced to shut down. The base is owned by the federal government and operated by scientists from the?University of North Carolina?Wilmington.?

Sylvia Earle, former chief scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and now explorer-in-residence at National Geographic, spoke with NPR?about the importance of undersea research facilities, especially of saturation diving, in which divers live for long periods under pressure to prevent illness associated with decompression.

"This difference in perspective you get when you don't have to bounce in and out ? you have the ability to stay for hours and hours and watch that fish do its thing," she told NPR's Greg Allen, "or conduct an experiment without constantly looking at your watch saying, 'I've got three minutes left, I've got to go.' "

Saturation diving was pioneered in 1950s by the underwater explorers Jacques Cousteau and Ed Link. In 1970, Earle led the first team of women on a saturation dive.

Saul Rosser, operation director of the Aquarius Reef Base, set up a weeklong saturation diving mission to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Conshelf I immersion by Cousteau off Marseille, a depth of ten meters.

?Twenty-one years after my life was changed forever by Captain Cousteau, and 50 years after Conshelf I proved that saturation diving could work, thereby unlocking the ability to spend almost limitless time at home beneath the sea,? wrote Rosser on his blog

?With Dr. Sylvia Earle as our leader and the amazingly talented underwater cinematographer D.J. Roller of Liquid Pictures putting together an amazing media group, this mission is an unprecedented opportunity to bring the public beneath the waves to experience the wonder of living beneath the sea.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/h5W0Gbyi-jA/World-s-only-undersea-lab-could-shut-down

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Matt Damon On Rejoining 'Bourne': 'It's All About The Script'

Matt Damon might have been at Comic-Con to promote "Elysium," but he couldn't seem to get away from one major shadow from his past. The actor isn't starring in "The Bourne Legacy," though recently we found out that there might be room for him to return to the franchise that he made a hit. Now [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/07/18/matt-damon-rejoining-bourne/

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Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Wikipedia Is Running Out of Editors and Admins [Wikipedia]

Wikipedia is a wonderful resource, the kind of website that makes you marvel at what the internet can achieve. But it's only as good as its contributors and, while some are extremely committed, the sad truth is that the project is running out of editors and new admins. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/p4c8qETfmQ4/wikipedia-is-running-out-of-editors-and-admins

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Asian stocks fall as Bernanke warns on economy

(AP) ? Most Asian stock markets dropped Wednesday despite upbeat U.S. corporate earnings as the Federal Reserve chief warned another recession is possible without giving a hint at plans for stimulus.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng was down 0.8 percent at 19,305.26 and South Korea's Kospi dropped 0.7 percent to 1,810.05. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.5 percent to 4,156.30 while Japan's Nikkei 225 added 0.4 percent to 8,789.88. China's Shanghai Composite Index was little changed 2,161.77.

Investor sentiment was dampened as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave a bleak assessment of the U.S. economy in his testimony to the Senate. Without a congressional agreement, tax increases and deep spending cuts would take effect in the U.S. at year's end. Bernanke noted Tuesday what the Congressional Budget Office has warned: A recession would occur, and 1.25 million fewer jobs would be created in 2013.

The fed chief gave no signal on what steps that the Fed might take to support the economy and whether any action was imminent, disappointing investors who expected a more aggressive stance.

Intel's gloomy assessment of the global economic outlook after U.S. markets closed also dented sentiment. The world's largest chipmaker said its revenue for the current quarter is likely to come in below market forecasts.

Investors reduced their holdings of Asian tech exporters after Intel's results, which reinforced worries that the economic uncertainty is hitting global sales of consumer electronics products. Samsung Electronics edged 0.3 percent lower and SK Hynix, the world's second-largest maker of memory chips, tumbled more than 4 percent. LG Electronics and LG Display dipped nearly 2 percent.

Overnight gains in the U.S. markets failed to cheer investors in Asia. On Tuesday, stronger-than-expected earnings reports from big U.S. companies lifted Wall Street. Shares of the U.S. biggest toy maker Mattel and Coca-Cola climbed after reporting earnings that beat expectations.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6 percent and the Nasdaq gained 0.5 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 added 0.7 percent.

Investors are waiting for earnings releases and Bernanke's return to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to testify to the House Financial Services Committee.

Benchmark crude for August delivery was down 45 cents at $88.87 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract added 79 cents to end Tuesday at $89.22 per barrel in New York.

In currency markets, the dollar fell 0.1 percent to 79.02 yen and the euro was slightly lower at $1.229.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-07-18-World%20Markets/id-bca41871f1c145d588fd6109af094ae3

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A Consistent Golf Swing is Key to Playing to Your Full Potential!

Dishing out a little of cash into good quality golf training is going to be greatly worth your time and effort when you're learning golf. The suggestions and tips that they'll provide you with will end up being highly invaluable and you're simply sure to benefit from the time that you simply spend enhancing your abilities. Learning by yourself is definitely an excellent concept and idea, but for a task like learning golf, it's really a task that's virtually impossible. You're perfectly justified in looking around for further assets that will help you enhance your abilities, but a couple of training sessions go a long way toward setting you up to play the game of golf effectively.

For those who have begun to seriously consider learning golf by taking training from a professional instructor, you will be greatly aided in acquiring some key techniques and methods for standing properly and swinging the club correctly. You will also learn which types of clubs work for you. The info that the instructor can provide you with is invaluable. If you're simply not sure yet about utilizing an instructor, do some investigation yourself - search the web for tips and articles as well as videos that can provide you with advice and suggestions. Individuals that like to forgo the training with a decent instructor usually discover that they will be struggling more than they need to in trying to discover the fundamental concepts which are essential to a decent golf game.

Now the Stack and Tilt method is a golf swing that has worked for many and can replace the instructor - especially if you are the self learner type. If you are, you may want to consider it since DVDs are a cheaper alternative to sessions with a golf instructor and you can take the lessons over and over at your leisure.

The main downside of learning golf could possibly be the time it takes for training. You will find occasions when it's difficult to get a great qualified instructor, and in other cases the cost of training is really too expensive. Yet if you're thinking about really learning golf, it is necessary that you simply purchase good quality training, whether it's with a live instructor, the Stack and Tilt Method, or other golf training material. This will probably be among the occasions where you have to research several golf teachers as well as understand your learning style before committing to a certain training method.


If you've ever looked into a course and wanted to simply be able to play equally well with your professional buddies, or if you've ever found yourself watching TV wanting to go to the next level of play, then you know that some instruction will get you there much quicker. Golf is a sport that almost anybody can enjoy and it is right for any age and any gender. You will find professional levels, amateur levels, individuals who play for just fun, as well as youngsters still learning the ropes. Finding anyone to have fun with is usually no problem, but you will find those that mainly want to keep to themselves. Because of the incredible flexibility that golf offers it's no surprise that more and more people anticipate learning how to play golf.

For kids especially you should have some training by having an instructor just to make sure they understand the fundamentals. A few of the more complex concepts could be learned once they have mastered basic skills by practicing enough and being corrected early on before bad habits have a chance to form. This is an excellent method for saving money, however if you're fantasizing about your son or daughter becoming the next Tiger Woods it might be smart to carry on training for a more extended period. If you are an adult thinking about training you might want to purchase a couple of sessions which may permit you to really get a fundamentals down. The Stack and Tilt is fortunately easy to learn and many bad habits can be unlearned with practice.

When the fundamentals are in place, you don't have to stress as much about taking lessons as frequently. However if you're not always trying to maintain and enhance your abilities with the basic fundamentals you will find yourself frustrated and on the verge of giving up every time, but this need not be so. Just stick to it and develop some consistency and everything else will begin to fall into place.

Source: http://www.artipot.com/articles/1300161/a-consistent-golf-swing-is-key-to-playing-to-your-full-potential.htm

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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Hand-feeding an injured dragonfly (VIDEO)

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/handfeeding-injured-dragonfly-180758521.html

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Recommended Article: Why Small Businesses are Losing Out on ...

Federal agencies awarded a total of $91.5 billion to small companies in fiscal 2011, down 7 percent from $97.9 billion in fiscal 2010, according to?data?released this week by the?Small Business Administration. The contracts given to small firms in 2011 amounts to 21.7 percent of all government ones available?down from 22.7 percent in fiscal 2010 and even further short of the 23 percent annual goal Congress has set. (Missing out on 1.3 percent of contracts in fiscal 2011 meant small business was deprived of $3.8 billion.)

The government also failed to meet its procurement goals for women-owned small businesses (the goal was for 5 percent; the government hit 4 percent) and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses (the goal was for 3 percent; 2.7 percent awarded), plus those located in low-income areas known as HUBZones. That goal was 3 percent, but just 2.4 percent of government contracts went there in fiscal 2011?below the 2.8 percent the year before.

A Positive Spin

?Releasing the numbers at this point really highlights where there are opportunities for improvement,? John Shoraka, the SBA?s associate administrator for government contracting, told the media. ?This highlights the fact that we need to improve and highlights the agencies that need to focus on that improvement.?

Shoraka tried to put a positive spin on the news, pointing out that during the first three years of President Obama?s administration, small businesses received $32 billion more in contracts than they did the previous three years.

He blamed some of the shortfall on Congress's failure to approve agency spending bills on time, which meant procurement officers struggled to plan.

"When contracting officers don't plan, small businesses have headwinds in participating in the contracting process," Shoraka says.

Some agencies did much better by small businesses than others. The Department of Energy, the second-largest government buyer, received an F from the SBA, meaning it fell at least 30 percent short of its procurement goal. But the Department of Health and Human Services, the third-largest government buyer, earned an ?A? for awarding 24 percent of its contracting dollars to small businesses. The General Services Administration and the Treasury Department were the only agencies to receive A pluses, although the GSA awarded 2.3 percent instead of 3 percent of awards to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses, while Treasury awarded 2.6 percent instead of 3 percent of awards to HUBZone firms.

Sticking to the Goals

Currently, there are no penalties for agencies that do not meet their small-business contracting goals. But recently-introduced bills in both the House and Senate would either eliminate bonuses for department heads or reduce budgets for agencies that miss their goals. A bill introduced in May by Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., who chairs the House Small Business Committee, also would raise the government?s goal to 25 percent. That extra two percent could mean up to $11 billion in new small business contracts, Graves contends.

The White House has opposed the bill, saying 25 percent is ?overly ambitious." Graves thinks the higher target is within reach.

"Solutions to both of these problems can be accomplished at the same time," he says. "The goal hasn't been met, because there hasn't been an incentive for agency staff to do so."

What has been your experience with the government contracting process?

Photo credit: Thinkstock

Source: https://community.dynamics.com/product/rms/rmsnontechnical/b/ricksegel/archive/2012/07/16/recommended-article-why-small-businesses-are-losing-out-on-billions-of-dollars.aspx

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Monday, July 16, 2012

Heyward keys 3-run 8th, Braves win 6th in a row

By GEORGE HENRY

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 8:30 p.m. ET July 14, 2012

ATLANTA (AP) - Jason Heyward and the Atlanta Braves were patiently waiting to see if the New York Mets' bullpen would crack.

In the eighth inning, the Braves got their wish.

"Everybody's mind was mentally tough," Heyward said. "Just hanging in there. Not trying to do too much at the plate, just trying to do whatever we could to prolong the inning, prolong the game."

Heyward singled to cap a three-run rally and the Braves took advantage after the umpires reversed a call, beating the New York Mets 8-7 Saturday for their sixth straight win.

The Braves' comeback prevented a shaky R.A. Dickey from getting his 11th win in a row. Bobby Parnell (2-2) gave up RBI singles with two outs in the eighth to Michael Bourn, Martin Prado and Heyward.

Parnell had held opponents scoreless in his previous nine appearances, but his struggles caused New York's bullpen to drop to 11-18 this season, 15-37 when allowing a run.

"This team is going to battle you the whole nine," Heyward said. "It's great to get a win, and a team win at that."

Mets manager Terry Collins was ejected while disputing a call in Atlanta's two-run fifth.

With the score 3-all and Prado on first base with one out, Heyward hit a sinking liner that left fielder Jordany Valdespin charged. Third base umpire Dale Scott, the crew chief, initially ruled Valdespin made a diving catch and Prado, who had reached second, was trapped while retreating for an apparent inning-ending double play.

But after the umpires conferred, they ruled - correctly, as replays showed - that Heyward's ball bounced. The umpires then placed Prado safely on second.

"It was the right call," Collins said.

Scott said Valdespin's body blocked his view of the attempted catch, so he initially called Heyward out.

"Immediately, I saw my partners Bill Miller and Dan Iassogna coming at me, as we're instructed to do when we have something that's completely different from what happened," Scott said. "We got together as a crew. We definitely had the ball bouncing. That's no catch, and any time that we correct an error like that, we can put the runners wherever we think they should have gone. And that's exactly what we did."

Freddie Freeman's two-out, two-run double gave the Braves a 5-3 lead.

Dickey was furious after returning to the Mets' dugout, slamming his glove several times against the bench. His teammates bailed him out by scoring three runs in the sixth to give the Mets a 6-5 lead and put Dickey in line to earn the victory.

Dickey struggled for his second straight start. The All-Star knuckleballer allowed eight hits and two walks in five innings.

Anthony Varvaro (1-0) allowed one hit and struck out two in the eighth.

In the ninth, Braves closer Craig Kimbrel struck out Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy and pinch hitter Lucas Duda to convert his 19th straight save opportunity. Kimbrel has earned his 27 of 28 chances this season.

"Giving our closer the ball with the lead in the ninth is awesome," Heyward said. "He is. That's why it's awesome to give him the ball in the ninth inning with the lead and not have to waste him on a tie game."

Parnell gave up three hits while getting only one out. He was the third Mets pitcher of the inning, with Tim Byrdak and Pedro Beato also each being charged with a run.

Collins wasn't upset with Parnell's performance.

"He didn't make bad pitches," Collins said. "They just hit it. They hit it where nobody was standing."

Ike Davis hit his 13th homer and Andres Torres' RBI single tied it at 3 in the fourth. The Mets got RBI singles from pinch hitter Justin Turner, Ruben Tejada and Valdespin to take a 6-5 lead in the sixth. Tejada added an RBI single in the eighth to make it 7-5.

Braves starter Tommy Hanson gave up six runs on five hits and two walks in 5 1-3 innings.

Dickey's numbers didn't look good after his exit, but Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said nothing came easily against the Mets ace.

"He gave up some runs, but I don't know that we hit the ball particularly hard against him," Gonzalez said. "In the scorebook they count as hits. But the first two hits he gave up were an infield single by Heyward, then (Brian McCann) blooped one in there. But we battled him and got him out of there and got into their bullpen."

NOTES: Mets star David Wright went 0 for 5 with four strikeouts. He had reached base safely in 27 straight games, which was the longest active streak in the majors. ... Dickey is 0-1 with a 12.54 ERA in two starts at Turner Field this season. ... Hanson has allowed 17 homers this year. ... Chipper Jones went 0 for 5, ending his 14-game hitting streak. ... The Braves traded for Reds SS Paul Janish during the game, sending minor league RHP Todd Redmond to Cincinnati. ... Atlanta recalled SS Tyler Pastornicky, who struck out on an eighth-inning bunt attempt, from Triple-A Gwinnett and sent catcher J.C. Boscan back to the minors. ... Prado started at shortstop for the first time since May 4, 2008.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Cano, Granderson HRs lift Yankees

NEW YORK (AP) - Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson each hit two-run homers off Jerome Williams on Saturday, leading the New York Yankees to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48186675/ns/sports-baseball/

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Friday, July 13, 2012

web design & development company - Advantages of web design ...


by Ishu Shah
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web design & development company More Details about web design & development company here.

There are some specific reasons which earmarked India as one of the most important destinations for the web design commissioning. Certainly web design India has produced remarkable results with their research, skills and creativity in the world of web design.

The web design India constitute of services like website design, maintenance, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), Content, application development and other services which are basic requirements of a website today.

A website is the most important and dynamic tool in the virtual world which represents a brand, a business or an individual. A website is hence a virtual person or a company which effectively conveys the message and offer information on product and services.
Blueapple India one of the leading web design company in India offers its diverse web design services to the world. With an experience more than 10 years in the web design business, Blueapple has created a niche in the web design market for being different in terms of creativity and deliverance.
In pursuit to deliver worthy websites, the web design company is always looking and adapting new technologies and techniques to keep its clients ahead of its competitors.
It is evident that e commerce has grown rapidly and everyone wants to be a part of it, to benefit from the internet or online business. Web design India offers its expertise into the e commerce business by finding and delivering easier ways of online shopping.
Web design India professionals provide complete e-commerce solutions for an online business challenge and help their clients business grow. The web design India creates attractive websites with easy and user friendly navigation and easy shopping experiences for the online customers.
On a wider frame, today internet is the most prominent business space where businesses have started penetrating to reach out to the customers. It has high returns too which has given rise to development of websites and web presence to companies.
The web design India service offer most economical and highly competitive web designs to its clients. The idea behind putting up a business online is inexpensive in comparison to the returns meted out. A website gives a business the opportunity which they didn't have thought possible in the conventional form of advertising. It helps in building the brand and promotion of the company.
The website makes a business reach out to millions of customers around the globe. Moreover, it can be available to the customers on 24x7 365 days a year. It also gives the business an advantage of first hand dealing with its customers without the hands of intermediaries.

I believe in high value performance and professionalism to develop individual company, I am working with. I have written on several topics including website development & designing, Custom Web Design, web solutions, Web Application Development and internet marketing.

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Contact the Author

Ishu Shah

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More Details about web design & development company here.

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Saudi's Olympic opening to women 'small step'

CAIRO (AP) ? Across the world, word that Saudi Arabia would send women athletes to the Olympics for the first time immediately rocketed to the top of websites and broadcasts. In Saudi Arabia's official media: Not even a hint.

The state-sponsored silent treatment was a lesson into the deep intricacies and sensitivities inside the kingdom as it took another measured step away from its ultraconservative traditions.

While Saudi rulers found room to accommodate the demands of the International Olympic Committee to include women athletes, they also clearly acknowledged that ? in their view at least ? this did not merit billing as a pivotal moment of reform in a nation that still bans women from driving or traveling without the approval of a male guardian.

"It does not change the fact that Saudi women are not free to move and to choose," said political analyst Mona Abass in neighboring Bahrain. "The Saudis may use it to boost their image, but it changes little."

Even the two athletes selected to compete under the Saudi flag ? 800-meter runner Sarah Attar from Pepperdine University in California and Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani in judo ? live outside the kingdom and carry almost no influence as sports figures. There is no other choice: Women sports remain nearly an underground activity in Saudi Arabia.

Ahmed al-Marzooqi, editor of a website that aims to cover women and men's sporting events in Saudi Arabia, viewed Thursday's announcement as mostly an attempt to quiet international pressure on the lone nation trying to stick with an all-male Olympic team. The other former holdouts, Brunei and Qatar, had already added women Olympic athletes ? with Qatar even planning to have a woman carry its flag in London later this month.

"We are still disappointed here," al-Marzooqi said from the Saudi city of Jiddah. "I should be happy for them, but this will do nothing for women who want to be in sport in Saudi Arabia."

Still, the opening is not without significance.

The Saudi decision must have received at least some nod from the nation's Islamic religious establishment, which hold de facto veto power over nearly all key moves by the Western-allied monarchy and gives the royal court its legitimacy to rule over a nation with Islam's holiest sites.

The inherent two-way tug ? change-resistant clerics and leaders sensing reform pressures from the streets ? has allowed enough slack for some slow-paced movement. King Abdullah has promised to allow women to run and vote in municipal elections in 2015. He also has tried to rein in the country's feared morality police while challenges to the established order are growing bolder from a population, nearly half of which is under the age of 30.

Saudi women activists have gotten behind the wheel to oppose the driving ban, and bloggers churn out manifestos about how the Arab Spring will one day hit Saudi shores.

"If Saudi does field women athletes, it is immensely interesting," said Simon Henderson, a Saudi affairs expert at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. "This flies against the traditions of having a woman not make a public display of herself or mixing with men. Now, the world could see women marching with men in the opening ceremony and ? even more ? women running in competition."

It's impossible to gauge the internal discussions before the Saudi Olympic decision, but Henderson speculated it could have influenced by Abdullah's daughter, Adila, who has been an outspoken advocate of reforms such as ending the driving ban on women. On the other end of the spectrum, senior Saudi clerics have issued a host of edicts against almost all types of sporting activities for women.

"Of course this will bring backlash from many religious leaders," said Ali al-Ahmed, director of the Washington-based Institute of Gulf Affairs that has been behind the "No Women No Play" campaign that called for an Olympic ban for Saudi Arabia if it resisted adding women. "This fight is far from over."

As recently as April, a Saudi newspaper quoted the head of the Saudi Olympic Committee as saying he did not approve of sending women to the Olympics ? suggesting instead they could compete on their own under a neutral flag.

A similar arrangement was made at the Youth Olympics in 2010 for Saudi equestrian competitor Dalma Rushdi Malhas, who won a bronze medal in show jumping.

"Allowing women to compete under the Saudi flag in the London Games will set an important precedent," said Christoph Wilcke, senior Middle East researcher at New York-based Human Rights Watch "But without policy changes to allow women and girls to play sports and compete within the kingdom, little can change for millions of women and girls deprived of sporting opportunities."

For the wider Muslim world region, the Saudi decision also is unlikely to have a transformative sweep since the kingdom trailed behind even Afghanistan in opening to women sports.

Increasing numbers are taking part in regional sports competition and there are few sports Muslim women aren't represented in ? with Afghanis boxing, Pakistanis playing cricket and Emiratis in the Arabian Gulf taking up football and weightlifting. Iran, too, is considered one of the growing powers in women rugby in Asia.

But most experts acknowledged this progress is fragile and vulnerable to age-old cultural pressures.

Weightlifters in the United Arab Emirates have been attacked on social media and the Kuwaiti soccer team was denounced several years ago on its return from a tournament by conservative lawmakers who want a ban on all international competitions. In Iraq, a women's wrestling club disbanded in 2009 after receiving death threats from religious groups.

Muslim women also face hurdles from the West as well. While rugby, volleyball and taekwondo federations allow head scarves, the football federation FIFA waited until this month to lift a ban ? standing by rules designed for safety but seen by Muslims as discriminatory.

"This is a first small step," said Raija Mattila, co-chairman of the Finland-based International Working Group on Women and Sport. "It's good for the international stage, but we hope that it opens up sports opportunities for women and girls inside Saudi Arabia. So this is just a small first step."

___

Associated Press writer Barbara Surk in London, Sports Writer Michael Casey in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Reem Khalifa in Manama, Bahrain contributed to this report.

___

Online: http://www.iwg-gti.org, http://www.shesports.net

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/saudis-olympic-opening-women-small-step-063556596.html

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Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Taliban commander says Taliban cannot win Afghan War: Report

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/taliban-commander-says-taliban-cannot-win-afghan-war-131208823--abc-news-topstories.html

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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Massachusetts man pleads guilty in plot to attack Pentagon, Capitol

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/massachusetts-man-pleads-guilty-plot-attack-pentagon-capitol-145259042.html

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