Thursday, 31 January 2013

Senior Care in Media, PA Made Safer with Chair Lifts - Home Care ...

A critical aspect of senior care is ensuring that each senior?s needs are met effectively in order to ensure ongoing safety and well-being. Mobility issues are extremely common in aging adults, sometimes making it difficult to maneuver through everyday tasks safely. One task that is often particularly difficult and dangerous for seniors is going up and down stairs. Limited mobility can lead to tripping, slipping or stumbling on the stairs, causing a fall that could result in very serious injuries. Falling down the stairs can lead to broken bones, internal injuries, or even death, so it is vitally important that an element of the senior care services implemented in your aging loved one?s Senior Care in Media, PAhome is focused on reducing the risk of a serious fall down the stairs.

One way that this can be accomplished is through installing a chair lift on the stairs. These devices attach utilize a track that is installed along the wall. They look very much like simple chairs with seatbelts and often a set of controls on one arm. Instead of walking up and down the stairs, your aging loved one can merely sit in the chair lift, buckle himself in and use the controls to be lifted safely up the track and to the top or bottom of the stairs. Getting in and out of the chair is usually facilitated by the chair turning to allow for easy access and ensure that the senior is stepping out onto the solid floor rather than onto a step.

Utilizing tools such as these as a part of your aging parents? senior care can make it much easier and safer for them to remain at home for longer, or even throughout the rest of their lives. Chair lifts are a highly accessible way to modify the home in order to allow your parents to use their space while also protecting them from serious injury, giving them prized independence and freedom.

If you are considering having a chair lift installed in your parents? home, contact the senior care referral services in your area. They can explain the benefits of the device and direct you to a company who can come to the home and get the process started.

The caregivers at Right at Home are available to talk with you and your family about all of your home care needs. Right at Home In Home Care and Assistance is an elder care agency providing quality and affordable senior care in Media, PA and the surrounding areas. Call (610) 624-5442 for more information.

Source: http://rightathomepade.com/senior-care-in-media-pa-2

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DISNEY x NEW ERA?The Magician?59Fifty Fitted Baseball Cap

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Teen performer at inaugural events fatally shot

CHICAGO (AP) ? A 15-year-old girl who had performed in President Barack Obama's inauguration festivities is the latest face on the ever-increasing homicide toll in the president's hometown, killed in a Chicago park as she talked with friends by a gunman who apparently was not even aiming at her.

Chicago police said Hadiya Pendleton was in a park about a mile from Obama's home in a South Side neighborhood Tuesday afternoon when a man opened fire on the group. Hadiya was shot in the back as she tried to escape.

The city's 42nd slaying is part of Chicago's bloodiest January in more than a decade, following on the heels of 2012, which ended with more than 500 homicides for the first time since 2008. It also comes at a time when Obama, spurred by the Connecticut elementary school massacre in December, is actively pushing for tougher gun laws.

Hadiya's father, Nathaniel Pendleton, spoke Wednesday at a Chicago police news conference, which was held in the same park where his daughter died.

"He took the light of my life," Pendleton said. He then spoke directly to the killer: "Look at yourself, just know that you took a bright person, an innocent person, a nonviolent person." Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy consoled him, the girl's mother and 10-year-old brother.

Hadiya was a bright kid who was killed just as she was "wondering about which lofty goal she wanted to achieve," her godfather, Damon Stewart, told The Associated Press. Hadiya had been a majorette with the King College Prep band.

"She was a very active kid, doing dance, cheerleading, who felt like she could accomplish just about anything, a very good student who had big dreams about what she wanted to be, a doctor, an attorney," said Stewart, a Chicago police officer and attorney. "She was constantly getting good grades."

Obama was asked about Hadiya's death in an interview with Telemundo, which led to a discussion about gun control. Also Wednesday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Wednesday that the president and the first lady's "thoughts and prayers are with" the teen's family, adding: "And as the president has said, we will never be able to eradicate every act of evil in this country, but if we can save any one child's life, we have an obligation to try when it comes to the scourge of gun violence."

In Chicago, gangs routinely and often indiscriminately open fire. Mayor Rahm Emanuel and McCarthy are pushing for tougher local, state and national gun laws and longer prison sentences for offenders.

About three blocks from Hadiya's school, she and a group of 10-12 young people, including members of her volleyball team, had taken refuge under a canopy at a park to avoid the rain Tuesday afternoon. A man climbed a fence behind the park, ran at the group and started shooting, and then jumped back over the fence and into a white Nissan. The group scattered, but Hadiya was shot once in the back and a teenage boy was shot in the leg.

Police said Hadiya had no arrest record and there was no indication she was a member of a gang or was the gunman's target. In fact, McCarthy said there are no indications that anyone in the group was gang-affiliated. He said the police suspect that the gunman may be a member of a gang that considers the park its turf and that he mistook somebody in the group as someone from an encroaching rival gang.

McCarthy vowed to put a police officer at the park "24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year" if that is what it takes to show the gang that the park belongs to no one but the community.

Comments by both Stewart and the girl's father echo the message that city officials have long said: Gun violence is not confined to street corners in dangerous neighborhoods. Obama's neighborhood, Kenwood, is just north of the University of Chicago and the Museum of Science and Industry.

"Her parents had done everything right and she was doing everything right," he said. Stewart, who was 12 when his own brother was shot and killed, said his family and Pendleton's family were so close that his own children saw the 15-year-old as an older sister.

"The worst thing in the world was when yesterday I had to sit there and tell my children that their sister is gone," he said.

___

AP reporter Nedra Pickler contributed to this report from Washington.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/teen-performer-inaugural-events-fatally-shot-135859960.html

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Wednesday, 30 January 2013

3 Lucrative Business Website Types I Recommend - and Why | Asep ...

I have involved in online business for about 5 years or so. It's not too long ago since I plunge myself into the online business world, but since I do it full-time let's just say that I learn quite a lot.

I've tried many things, failed and succeed many times and let's just say that I quite understand the ins and outs business website ownership and make money online.

I've done link brokerage (buying and selling website links)... I've done affiliate marketing (and still doing so on a lesser extent)... I am doing domain name investing... I've done website flipping (not full-time, though - I've bought and sold dozens of sites)... I do paid blogging... I do article marketing... I design templates... I build any kind of sites, as long as it's PHP/MYSQL based... and so on.

I'm not an expert Internet Marketer, though - if you are looking for advice on Internet Marketing, sorry mate, but I can't help you there. But when it comes to what kind of sites to start and why, I know a thing or two more than most webmasters.

Throughout my journey, I've seen some types of business websites have a potential to be a profitable business. Sure, Twitter and Digg are pretty cool, but as they are not typically profit-based business, I should stay away from them for one reason: I don't have venture capitalists backing up my projects; so I need to focus on profit-making so my sites can support themselves.

Here are 3 business website types I recommend - analyzed - to help you decide with kind of business websites is the right one for you.

1. Blogs

My favourite business website type, for one reason: It's content based, and both people and search engines love content. So, traffic and engagement-wise, blogs, for me, are numero uno. Blogs are also superior in the choice of income stream: You can choose whatever you like - monetize via CPC like AdSense? Selling affiliate products? Selling services? Selling your own ebooks? Plenty of choices here...

If you love blogging, running a blog and make money from it is only logical. Moreover, provided you create outstanding content on regular basis and promote it on social media, blogs are great in attracting visitors - and convert them into buyers.

Pros:
  • Search engine loves fresh content, and blogs are made of fresh content (you need to blog regularly - with quality, of course!)
  • Blogs are versatile; they can make money on themselves or you can use them as a great Inbound Marketing tool to generate leads and sales for your "main" business.
  • People go to blogs for opinions and endorsement - if you are ethical and authoritative, you can generate significant income from your own/affiliate products, display ads, and so on.
Cons:
  • Blogs are known to be rather difficult to monetize - unless you are visited by thousands of readers a day, you won't make significantly from your ads.
  • You need to publish quality blog posts on regular basis. Without a posting schedule, your blog is losing out its growth momentum.
  • Blogs often portray the bloggers' personality - selling them in the future, it might be difficult for the new owner to earn trust of the readers, making blogs a challenging web property to own.
Income potential:

Well, depending on your niche, but you can realistically earn 4-figure monthly income. It's certainly not easy but it's possible. Please bear in mind, I'd say that 80-90% of monetized blogs earn less than $100/month. So you know blogs are certainly not easy to monetize... but once you get there, you don't even need to write yourself anymore - expert writers will come to you (TechCrunch, anyone?)

You can shoot for 5 figures/month, but unless you are of Darren Rowse, John Chow or Yaro Starak caliber, I don't think you have the chance to make such amount of money, realistically.

2. Micro-job sites

I bet you have heard of Fiverr. If you haven't, it is a micro-job site allowing members to offer what they can do for $5. The micro-job site owner generates income via "commission" they take for each successful work (for Fiverr, it's $1.) It's in trend right now, and many Fiverr clones are popping up .

Pros:
  • It's a passive income business: All you need to do is to promote your site and making sure members play by the rule.
  • Your site will be visited by gazillions of visitors, as members will promote their service to their friends and family - free promotion for your business website!
  • It's easy to run: All you need is buying a Fiverr clone script, install it and there you go... jobs will be posted by YOUR members, and communications are done by YOUR members.
Cons:
  • New micro-job sites are established regularly, making competition stiffer than ever. You need to find your niche and unique selling proposition to differentiate yours from the rest.
  • Finding "real" members are difficult (looking for signups is one thing, but having your members get active publishing jobs and ordering ones is really challenging.)
  • You need to ensure that transactions are well supervised. Scams, disputes, and such are common things happening to a site with plenty of transactions.
Income potential:

It's very good, really. People are constantly looking for side income, and micro-job sites actually helping them finding clients. If you, as the site owner, take $1 commission (or a percentage of orders' dollar amount, if you like,) 100 transactions a day means $3,000/month. Your cost: Just hosting and site upkeep if you hire a tech guy. If you can serve an under-served niche, this is a goldmine for you.

3. Lead-based sites

Lead-based sites make income sending leads to companies you are partnering with. You are making a certain amount of money per lead you send, and if you can establish authority in that niche, you can get plenty from the leads.

I've tried travel, dating, and financial service websites, and although they are was my side business (I no longer running those as I focus on blogs) they can get you steady income, hands-free.

To give you an idea, here's the latest site I owned - it's a hotel-niche site selling leads to a hotel affiliate program. All you need to do is to add a script on your site and your site visitors can then fill out their traveling needs (where to go, how many nights you will stay for how many people...) I make money for every lead I send to the partner hotels.

Pros:
  • It's a passive income business: All you need to do is to add a form (some partnership requires you to take prospects' phone calls,) and from there, everything is taken care of by your partner company.
  • It's lucrative: Especially on finance lead-based program, your income per lead can be very high (a debt lead program I know pays $25/verified lead!)
  • Your site visitors don't have to buy anything, which is a strong appeal in itself; they just need to fill in their details and they are good to go. They even don't have to buy products/use services from your partner company (it's their responsibility, anyway - your job is strictly lead-generation.)
Cons:
  • Personal info is sensitive - filling in forms might be a more difficult decision to make than you might think. You need to gain your site visitors' trust, and winning trust is really challenging.
  • You need to drive laser-targeted traffic - this is complex, done via blogs, search engines and social media via carefully crafted Inbound Marketing campaign funneling.
  • Just like e-commerce, if you are dealing with US prospects, you need to provide US phone numbers and address to gain trust. If you are not US-based, it's a more difficult business to run.

Income potential:

In lead generation business, the sky is the limit - literally. It's a huge business for those who are able to drive a large amount of laser-targeted traffic.

Someone I know runs a debt consolidation/management lead generation business - he makes $200,000 a year before taxes. And no, he is not a well known Internet Marketer. Just a guy next door doing online business like I do - just in a different niche.

Takeaway

Please bear in mind, the 3 lucrative ideas I present is not guaranteed a success. Just like in any kind of business you can think of, you need to work hard to make your business up and running - there's no shortcut.

It's not about talent, really... there are more talented people than you and I. What will make your business websites successful is your willingness to pay the price; to do numerous trial-and-errors and embracing failures as a great learning tool.

So, what do you think? Is any of the three above interest you? Why? Please share your opinions by leaving a comment on this post.

Photo credit: theylikedit via photopin cc

Source: http://www.aseponde.com/3-lucrative-business-website-types-i-recommend-and-why/

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Coming soon: Atomic-scale, 2-D electronics

1 hr.

A world filled with teeny tiny two-dimensional electronic devices is a giant step closer thanks to a pioneering technique to make atom-thick patterns that combine a conductor and an insulator.

Conventional microelectronic devices have three basic parts;?a metal to conduct electricity, semiconductor components and an insulator to protect the components from the free-flowing electricity.

?The long-term proposal is to have the different components, but all of them at the level of atomic-layer thickness,? Pulickel Ajayan, a nanomaterials scientist at Rice University, told NBC News.?

He and his colleagues have successfully mated two of the three components ? a conductor and insulator. The conductor is the wonder material graphene, and the insulator is hexagonal boron nitride.

Meanwhile,?Tom?s Palacios and his?colleagues at the?Massachusetts Institute of Technology?are?working with molybdenum disulfide?to?create?the?semiconductor piece of the puzzle.

?Ultimately, one will be able to build complete circuits with semiconductors, metals, and insulators all at the atomic level with our system,? Ajayan said.

The new?technique expands earlier research that showed graphene can be merged with hexagonal boron nitride, an insulator, since they both have the same chicken-wire atomic array.

The new work, published Sunday in Nature Nanotechnology, describes a method for finely controlling the deposition of graphene onto gaps in sheets of hexagonal boron nitride through a lithorgraphic process.

?You can essentially stitch one onto the other and that enabled us to do this pretty well,? Ajayan said.

As a proof of principle, the team created designs such as combs, rings, and an owl, the Rice University mascot.

The technique starts with a sheet of hexagonal boron nitride. Then masks are laid on top the sheets. The exposed material is etched away with boron gas. Once the masks are washed away, graphene is grown in the gaps via chemical vapor deposition.

The graphene bonded with the hexagonal boron nitride, as seen in the image at left. This layer can be picked up and placed on any substrate.

Going forward, the team aims to integrate a third element, a semiconductor, to the 2-D fabric. If this?works, it would allow for truly integrated in-plane devices.

?There is no limit to what you can build,? Ajayan said, who noted that functional layers could be stacked, creating a stacked devices at the atomic scale.

?You get a very robust, flexible, functional device that includes not just the device but also power and other peripherals,? he said. ?That is the road we are going down.?

John Roach is a contributing writer for NBC News. 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/coming-soon-atomic-scale-2-d-electronics-1B8179074

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Policy Communications Traineeship | Mladiinfo

Home ? Jobs & Internships

29 January 2013 // No Comment

Deadline: 5 February, 2013
Open to: candidates with degree in journalism, political sciences, European affairs or equivalent, with excellent command of English and knowledge of EU affairs
Remuneration: up to 800 euro

Inclusion Europe?-?an association of people with intellectual disabilities and their families?seeks a Policy Communications Trainee for the office based in Brussels.?The successful candidate is expected to start as soon as possible and the experience shall last for six months.

About the Inclusion Europe

Inclusion Europe?has an outstanding record of representing people with intellectual disabilities and their families organised in member societies in almost all European countries. The association works in close contact with the European Parliament, the European Commission, the Council of Europe, European disability organisations, national governments, service providers and researchers. Inclusion Europe works with a small multinational team whose working language is English.

Tasks

  • To produce and edit features for Inclusion Europe?s information tools (online Journal, website, newsletter, specific publications).
  • ?Supervise the production and dissemination of ?Europe for us? and e-Include newsletter
  • ?Participation in the preparation of various publications and events of Inclusion Europe
  • ?Participation in external meetings with different European institutions and organisations, and drafting related reports and articles.
  • ?Participation in drafting responses to European consultations

Eligibility

The successful candidate will meet the following criteria:

  • ??? Degree in journalism, political sciences, European affairs or equivalent
  • ? ? Knowledge of EU affairs and demonstrated interest in human rights advocacy
  • ? ? Excellent command of English, both spoken and written. Additional languages are an asset.
  • ? ??Ability to communicate clearly and concisely in writing and orally, excellent drafting skills.
  • ? ??Ability to assimilate and process information on a wide variety of issues and for a wide variety of audiences.
  • ? ? Appropriate computer skills (Microsoft Office package). Familiarity with Content Management Systems (CMS) and/or other relevant software and programs including interactive web 2.0 tools, audio and video is an asset.
  • ? ? Motivated learner with a good eye for detail

Remuneration

The contract will be governed by the Belgian law on ?professional immersion? and will provide the successful candidate with a net income of up to 800 ? per month.

Application

Interested candidates are asked to apply by submitting a detailed CV and a cover letter to?information@inclusion-europe.org?by?5 February 2013.?The interviews will be held in the week of 11 th February.

The Official Website

Please note that Mladiinfo does not give scholarships or any financial support, but only informs about different opportunities. Click on the direct link to the official page above to apply for the program.

Source: http://www.mladiinfo.com/2013/01/29/policy-communications-traineeship/

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Inventories, trade seen hobbling fourth-quarter GDP

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Less restocking by businesses and weaker global demand likely held back economic growth in the fourth quarter but consumer spending probably picked up to help keep the recovery intact.

Gross domestic product probably grew at a 1.1 percent annual rate, a step down from the third quarter's brisk 3.1 percent pace, according to a Reuters poll of economists. That would be the slowest growth rate in nearly two years.

"The recovery is expected to have ground to a near halt in the fourth quarter mostly due to the unfavorable global environment and a slowdown in inventory accumulation," said Millan Mulraine, a senior economist at TD Securities in New York.

The Commerce Department will release the fourth-quarter GDP report on Wednesday at 8:30 a.m (1330 GMT).

Despite the anticipated overall weak GDP figure, consumer and business spending are expected to show surprising resilience, given that the economy was on the brink of a so-called fiscal cliff, underscoring some fundamental strength in the economy.

The government lessened the blow the recovery would have taken from the $600 billion "cliff" of scheduled government spending cuts and tax hikes, but taxes still went up for many Americans and the spending cuts were only deferred.

Peter D'Antonio, an economist at Citigroup in New York, said signs domestic demand was well maintained "implies the economy will be able to withstand the hit from a new fiscal drag."

Tepid demand in the third quarter left businesses with unwanted stock in their warehouses and little incentive to accumulate more inventory in the final three months of the year.

Economists estimate that a slowdown in inventory accumulation could slash as much as a full percentage point from fourth-quarter GDP growth. Inventories added almost three-quarters of a percentage point in the July-September period.

With data available so far showing a decline in exports in the fourth quarter, trade will weigh on growth. Export growth has been hampered by a recession in much of debt-stricken Europe and a cooling Chinese economy.

Economists expect trade will subtract at least 0.3 percentage point from fourth-quarter GDP growth.

DEFENSE TO WEIGH ON GROWTH

Another drag to growth is expected to come from government spending, where defense outlays are seen reversing the prior quarter's robust growth. Government spending is seen contracting at a pace of at least 3 percent after expanding 3.9 percent.

A huge storm that struck the East Coast in late October is expected to have proved a further weight on output.

Elsewhere, details of the report should be fairly encouraging. Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, is expected to have accelerated from the prior quarter's 1.6 percent growth pace.

A rebound in business investment is expected after outlays fell in the third quarter for the first time in 1-1/2 years.

"None of these developments suggest a worrisome weakening in U.S. fundamentals," said Omair Sharif, an economist at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut.

A measure of underlying domestic demand, which excludes inventories and trade, is expected to have quickened a bit from the third quarter's 1.9 percent rate.

But consumer spending could come under pressure in the first half of this year given that Congress let a temporary payroll tax cut expire at the end of 2012.

Businesses could also pull back given uncertainty over how deeply Washington may cut spending and the likelihood of a protracted fight over raising the nation's debt ceiling.

"Assuming Washington does not derail the economy, we do see a pick-up in the pace of growth in the second half of the year led by the private sector on strengthening consumption, housing and released pent-up demand of capital expenditures," said Sam Bullard, a senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The housing market was another bright spot during the fourth quarter. Investment in residential construction is expected to have gained momentum after notching a 13.5 percent pace in the third quarter.

Homebuilding is expected to have added to growth last year for the first time since 2005 and its continued recovery should help ensure the economy remains on a modest growth path despite headwinds.

(Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by James Dalgleish)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/inventories-trade-seen-hobbling-fourth-quarter-gdp-213513072--business.html

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Tuesday, 29 January 2013

MGM picks up rights to Jojo Moyes' romance novel 'Me Before You'

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios has secured the feature film rights to Jojo Moyes' novel "Me Before You," MGM announced Tuesday.

"Jojo's book is frankly one of the most unique, emotional and engaging love stories written in recent years," said MGM president Jonathan Glickman. "We're so thrilled to collaborate with her on creating a classic film romance that lives up to this exceptional novel."

The best-selling romance follows a small-town girl caught between dead-end jobs. She becomes a caretaker for a successful, but newly-paralyzed man who has given up on life as a result of his sudden disability. The two bond over a series of adventures.

Moyes, a British journalist-turned-author, has written 10 novels since her first, titled "Sheltering Rain," was published in 2002. "Me Before You" has sold more than half a mllion copies since its release in 2012.

"I could not be more excited about MGM and their plans for ?Me Before You,'" Moyes said in a statement. "The studio is so passionate about the book and I'm thrilled that a story that seems to have come alive in so many readers' imaginations is about to have a whole new life on-screen."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mgm-picks-rights-jojo-moyes-romance-novel-221907739.html

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Antidepressant contribution to arrhythmia risk clarified

Jan. 29, 2013 ? A 2011 warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about the popular antidepressant citalopram (Celexa) left many patients and physicians with more questions than answers. Now an analysis of the medical records of more than 38,000 patients by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators clarifies the contribution of citalopram and other antidepressants to lengthening of the QT interval, an aspect of the heart's electrical activity that -- when prolonged -- may increase the risk of dangerous arrhythmias. The study supported the FDA's warning that higher doses of citalopram were associated with a prolonged QT interval but also found that the effects of some other antidepressants were quite different.

"It was important to confirm the effects of citalopram -- one of the most widely prescribed antidepressants in the U.S. -- because the FDA warning really gave us minimal clinical guidance," says Roy Perlis, MD, of the MGH Department of Psychiatry, corresponding author of the report that will appear in the journal BMJ and is being released online. "The impetus for this study came directly from the phone calls we received from colleagues and from patients taking citalopram asking what they should do. We realized that to get a satisfying answer, we needed to get more data."

Many medications -- including some older antidepressants -- are known to increase the QT interval, which is the time from the beginning of electrical activation of the heart to the end of electrical relaxation. While the vast majority of individuals with QT prolongation have no heart rhythm abnormalities, it is a recognized risk factor for a rare but dangerous arrhythmia called torsades de pointes. To get a better idea of the real-world prevalence of QT prolongation associated with citalopram and other antidepressants, the MGH team embarked on an analysis of the medical records of thousands of patients treated at the MGH and other Partners HealthCare facilities.

"We are fortunate that our colleagues at MGH and Partners have developed incredibly useful tools to answer specific questions by rapidly and simultaneously looking across electronic health record data from tens of thousands of patients while protecting patient confidentiality," Perlis explains. "Working with them we developed a way to look at each EKG report and pull out QT interval information and other relevant results. Doing this by hand -- flipping through individual patient charts -- would have taken a year or more. Doing it with electronic health records took about an hour."

The study examined the health records of 38,397 patients who had an EKG reading taken at a Partners facility between 14 and 90 days after receiving a prescription for one of 11 different antidepressant drugs or for methadone, which is known to prolong QT interval. Their analysis confirmed the association of a slight but significant QT prolongation with higher doses of citalopram, along with the known associations with methadone and with the older antidepressant amitriptyline. The results also associated QT prolongation with the newer antidepressant escitalopram (Lexapro); but many other drugs -- including fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil) and sertraline (Zoloft) -- had no effect on QT interval. The antidepressant bupropion (Wellbutrin/Zyban) was actually associated with shortening the QT interval.

Perlis cautions that the results of this study should not cause patients taking citalopram or escitalopram to stop taking their medication. "I worry more about people stopping their antidepressants unnecessarily than about the QT prolongation risks," he explains. "For patients starting a new antidepressant who have other risk factors for arrhythmias, a drug other than citalopram would probably be a wise choice. But for those already taking lower doses of either of these drugs, the QT prolongation effects seem to be modest. The real message to patients taking these drugs is to have a conversation with their doctors."

The speed with which the investigators were able to complete their study reflects the power of electronic health record analysis to answer important research questions, he adds. "Finding the QT-shortening effects of bupropion shows how this approach can help us find drugs with unexpected benefits and not just unexpected problems. As long as we're willing to accept the limitations -- particularly the fact that people aren't randomly assigned to different treatments -- this strategy allows us to study many more patients and get answers much faster. In terms of patient privacy, this is actually much safer than the older methods, which required a person to look through a pile of medical records one by one. This way we only extract the data we need and never see anything that would allow us to identify an individual patient." Perlis is an associate professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Massachusetts General Hospital, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/YY8iRLpX9Bw/130129190237.htm

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Comments - ActiveRain

I Learn Something New at ActiveRain Every Day and It's Time I Showed You. ?January 20 to January 26, 2013.

I learn something new every day at ActiveRain! ?With this series I try to highlight one post per day that gave me that ?lightbulb? moment. ?It could be something techie, about Real Estate, about a place or person!

Patricia FeagerJanuary 20: ??Patricia Feager ???Life is Good-Giving Back.
I love the water and fishing even more. ?I learned from Patricia that impacting our environment isn?t just done by those who litter or pollute with chemicals. ?Just touching the water, placing things in it that aren?t natural to it can affect the water. ?I?m thinking of all of those plastic worms and strange looking lures we?ve used. ?Please read what Patricia is doing to help.

Jeanne KozakJanuary 21: ??Jeanne Kozak ???Do You Know What the Sticker on Your Produce Tells You?
I really had no clue on this one but it certainly is helpful information. ?We go to a local farmer?s market and I usually just grab, sniff, and drop it in my basket. ?


Scott NowlingJanuary 22: ?Scott Nowling ?? Why ActiveRain? ?AR Members Join Realtor Hangout & Share Their Story.
I?ve never been to a Hangout on Google+ but I may be missing something. Scott had on last Sunday and the topic was ActiveRain. ?See what some faces you?ll recognize have to say. ?Oh yes, be sure to head over to welcome him to ActiveRain.

Praful ThakkarJanuary 23: ??Praful Thakkar ???How to Capture Scrolling Screen.
I use Jing for screen capture all of the time but I?m always looking for something new. ?
Here?s one from the Google store. ?Praful offers an easy to follow tutorial.


Toni WeidmanJanuary 24: Toni Weidman ??Hugging is Good For Your Health But Only If You Hug Someone You Know.
I have a friend who is a strong hugger... another who is an almost hugger... and a few who just aren?t huggers. ?Are you a hugger? ?Read Toni?s post to learn more about hugging and why it?s good for you.


Roy KelleyJanuary 25: ?Roy Kelley ??Snowy Day Project: Decorate a Wildlife Tree
I grew up in the South so our little winged friends were pretty well fed. ??I never knew about decorating our trees to help feed our birds. ?Take a look at his photos and please make sure to keep our birds fed this winter.


Frank LaischJanuary 26: Frank Laisch ??The Safest Way to Drive Your Pet Around.
Please read Frank?s post about the best way to chauffeur your pets around. ?I was unaware that forcing cold air into their lungs could cause illnesses. ?I?ve had 2 dogs that became blind as a result of an autoimmune disease but all of the vets I consulted (yes, doogie opthamologist as well as a doggie neurologist) said that we shouldn?t let our pets ride with their heads out of the window. ?

Thank you for letting me do what I love to do each day... learn something new!


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Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3601647/what-i-learned-this-week-in-activerain-january-20-to-january-26-2013-

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Monday, 28 January 2013

Moves for iPhone Automatically Tracks Your Every Step Throughout the Day

Moves for iPhone Automatically Tracks Your Every Step Throughout the DayiOS: You won't find a shortage of activity monitors in the iTunes App Store, but Moves is a very simple app that tracks your daily activity without the need for an external device or extraneous social features.

Moves works in a couple of different ways. First off, it's a simple pedometer that can track how many steps you take a day. It can also automatically differentiate between walking, running, and cycling. On top of that, it also tracks your GPS data so you can see where you go throughout the day, how you get there, and how long you spend there. The whole thing is automatic and runs in the background, so if you take a walk, then jump on a bicycle, there's no need to open up the app and change any settings?Moves knows what you're doing. At the end of the day, you can view where you've gone (and how you got there) in a simple timeline.

Of course, this all comes at the detriment of a battery life, but your phone should make it through the day with normal usage. That said, if you're interested in tracking your daily activities without worrying about sharing it on social networks (Moves has a pretty solid Privacy Policy too), or buying a gadget, Moves does the job well.

Moves (free) | iTunes App Store via TechCrunch

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/0zOeZvjyV4I/moves-for-iphone-automatically-tracks-your-every-step-throughout-the-day

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Saturday, 26 January 2013

HIV-like viruses in non-human primates have existed much longer than previously thought

HIV-like viruses in non-human primates have existed much longer than previously thought

Friday, January 25, 2013

Viruses similar to those that cause AIDS in humans were present in non-human primates in Africa at least 5 million years ago and perhaps up to 12 million years ago, according to study published January 24 in the Open Access journal PLOS Pathogens by scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Until now, researchers have hypothesized that such viruses originated much more recently.

HIV-1, the virus responsible for AIDS, infiltrated the human population in the early 20th century following multiple transmissions of a similar chimpanzee virus known as SIVcpz. Previous work to determine the age of HIV-like viruses, called lentiviruses, by comparing their genetic blueprints has calculated their origin to be tens of thousands of years ago.

However, other researchers have suspected this time frame to be much too recent. Michael Emerman, Ph.D., a virologist and member of the Human Biology Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and Alex Compton, a graduate student in the Emerman Lab, describe the use of a technique to estimate the extent to which primates and lentiviruses have coexisted by tracking the changes in a host immunity gene called APOBEC3G that were induced by ancient viral challenges.

They report that this host immunity factor is evolving in tandem with a viral gene that defends the virus against APOBEC3G, which allowed them to determine the minimum age for the association between primates and lentiviruses to be around 5 or 6 million years ago, and possibly up to 12 million years ago.

These findings suggest that HIV-like infections in primates are much older than previously thought, and they have driven selective changes in antiviral genes that have incited an evolutionary arms race that continues to this day. The study also confirms that viruses similar to HIV that are present in various monkey species today are the descendants of ancient pathogens in primates that have shaped how the immune system fights infections.

"More than 40 non-human primate species in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with strains of HIV-related viruses," Emerman said. "Since some of these viruses may have the potential to infect humans as well, it is important to know their origins."

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Public Library of Science: http://www.plos.org

Thanks to Public Library of Science for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 46 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126471/HIV_like_viruses_in_non_human_primates_have_existed_much_longer_than_previously_thought

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Friday, 25 January 2013

Former Square COO left amid sex harassment claims: company

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Former Square Inc Chief Operating Officer Keith Rabois left the company amid accusations of sexual harassment, the mobile payment company said on Friday.

"We took these allegations very seriously and we immediately launched a full investigation to ascertain the facts," Square spokesman Ricardo Reyes said in a statement on Friday.

The company said it has not found any evidence to support any of the claims, but said "Keith exercised poor judgment that ultimately undermined his ability to remain an effective leader at Square."

Rabois said the relationship, with an unidentified male employee of Square, was consensual and began before the person joined Square. "I realize that continuing any physical relationship after he began working at Square was poor judgment on my part," he wrote in a blog post on Friday.

Rabois said that the recent events were "the toughest, saddest, most frightening, and emotionally draining of my life."

Rabois, a former executive at eBay-owned PayPal who has a law degree from Harvard Law School, joined Square in 2010.

(Reporting By Alexei Oreskovic; Editing by Gary Hill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-square-coo-left-amid-sex-harassment-claims-221152914--sector.html

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Taylor Swift Has "Enchanted" Lunch With Fan, 17, Battling Brain ...

Taylor Swift had a very special lunch date this past weekend. The "Red" singer, 23, sat down for a memorable meal with 17-year-old fan Kayla Kincannon on Saturday, Jan. 19, and the pair had an "enchanted" time, Kincannon later tweeted.

Kincannon, who has been battling brain cancer since May 2011, dined with Swift and her mother Andrea in Nashville after campaigning to meet the singer in a social media push since December.

PHOTOS: Taylor's style evolution

"Can not believe I just had lunch w @taylorswift13 today, I was enchanted to meet you!" the high schooler tweeted at Swift shortly after their meeting.

The Michigan native has bravely fought the disease since discovering a tumor about the size of a golf ball on her brain in November 2011. Late last year, her friends and family came together to launch a social media campaign to get Swift to meet with one of her biggest fans by tweeting, posting updates on Facebook and emailing everyone they could reach in the music industry.

PHOTOS: Taylor's romantic history

The result? An "awesome" two-hour lunch with the country singer, Kayla's dad Brad wrote on his daughter's blog.

"This was no quick meet and greet photo opp. We sat and talked to Taylor and her mom for two hours, had lunch and Kayla received a gift basket, then she signed pictures," dad Brad Kincannon wrote about the event.

PHOTOS: Taylor's sparkly sequin dresses

"She is the sweetest, most down to earth person I have ever met!" Brad continued. "This was more than we ever expected! I'm so thankful to team Kayla, news, and everyone who made her dream come true! This was the best day ever for her and all of us!"

Find out more about about Kayla's brave fight at her website.

Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/taylor-swift-has-enchanted-lunch-with-fan-17-battling-brain-cancer-2013241

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Investing and uncertainty | Merriman

Investing and uncertainty

There are many things in short supply, but uncertainty is not one of them. Three economists1 have compiled an index of uncertainty, which is comprised of newspaper coverage of policy-related uncertainty, expiring federal tax code provisions and disagreement among economic forecasters. You can see the trend in Figure 1 below. The index peaked with the debt ceiling imbroglio in late 2011, fell in the early part of 2012 and then rose again.

Throughout the year there has been a great deal of focus on a number of worrisome issues, including the U.S. deficit, debt ceiling and the fiscal cliff, high unemployment, and the European debt situation. Reflecting all this angst, investors through November withdrew a net $88.9 billion from actively-managed U.S. stock mutual funds (net of inflows into U.S. stock exchange-traded funds).2 Yet for 2012, stocks were up nicely.

How could stocks have gone up while uncertainty increased? While many people naturally worry about the past and still feel burned by previous sharp plunges in stock prices, the stock market is forward looking, incorporating the perceptions of millions of investors. While national economies are still relatively sluggish, actions taken by the U.S. and European central banks to combat economic weakness are having a positive impact.

Housing, while not rosy, is seeing some welcome improvements, with 6.9% of U.S. consumers planning to buy a house in the next six months, the most since August 1999.3 Confidence among U.S. homebuilders reached a 6 ? year high in December.4 U.S. sales of previously occupied homes increased to their highest level in three years in November.5 And home prices rose 4.3% in the twelve months ending October 2012 in the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-City Composite.6

Another positive, with major longer-term implications, is the widespread development of hydraulic fracturing (or fracking, the process of extracting oil and natural gas from shale rock). The International Energy Agency projects the U.S. will become the largest global oil producer by around 2020, and a net oil exporter by around 2030.7 While there are important environmental issues associated with fracking, including potential contamination of local water supplies and massive use of water in the process, electricity produced by natural gas gives off 43% less carbon dioxide versus coal. Due to a combination of increased use of natural gas, the weak economy and more fuel-efficient cars, America?s emission of greenhouse gases has fallen to 1992 levels and is expected to continue to fall.8 So, like any energy source, there are costs and benefits. Cheaper energy will lead to more manufacturing being done in the U.S., which is good for the economy. One analyst estimates the U.S. will add three million new jobs by the end of this decade due to the natural gas industry.9

Waiting for that perfect time to invest when there is no uncertainty could lead to cash unproductively sitting on the sidelines. Investing only after good news also means buying stocks after they have gone up. A good example of this is the S&P 500 going up by 2.54% on January 2, the day after the fiscal cliff legislation passed. Another example is the MSCI EAFE index of developed countries in Europe, Australasia and the Far East, which increased 6.57% in the fourth quarter, reflecting the relative lack of bad news, and some stabilizing events, in Europe.

While uncertainty is an uncomfortable fact of life, it is easier to handle by following a well-formulated diversified investment plan that invests in stocks and bonds, the allocation to which incorporates your risk tolerance and long-term needs.

1. Scott Baker, Nicholas Bloom and Steven J. Davis at www.PolicyUncertainty.com. 2. Wall Street Journal, ?Investors Sour on Pro Stock Pickers?, 1/4/13.
3. Ned Davis Research, 12/10/12.
4. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-homebuilder-confidence-6-1-150113216.html
5. Wall Street Journal, 12/20/12.
6. http://www.standardandpoors.com/indices/sp-case-shiller-home-price-indices/en/us/?indexId=spusa-cashpidff?p-us?- 7.Wall Street Journal, 11/12/12.
8. U.S. Energy Information Agency, as discussed in http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/fracking-good-economy-environment-155325507.html
9. As reported in New York Times, ?Welcome to Saudi Albany?, Adam Davidson 12/11/12.

Source: http://www.merriman.com/psychology-of-investing/investing-and-uncertainty/

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Thursday, 24 January 2013

How to Prepare a Business Plan, 5th edition pdf | Free pdf ebooks ...


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Edward Blackwell, ?How to Prepare a Business Plan, 5th edition?
2008 | ISBN: 0749449810 | PDF | 192 pages | 2.98 MB

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A good business plan is the best means of impressing potential financial backers. Indeed, without such a plan no bank or venture capital house will consider a loan for start-up or expansion. How to Prepare a Business Plan describes the best way to prepare a business plan that will get the financial backing needed. Now updated with case studies and information on technology and the internet, it includes cash flow forecasts and sample business plans, as well as advice on expanding a business, planning the borrowing and monitoring business progress. Every new business needs a comprehensive and detailed plan if it is to survive. How to Prepare a Business Plan helps aspiring entrepreneurs take this step.

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Source: http://ebooks911.com/download/pdf-how-to-prepare-a-business-plan-5th-edition-pdf_4114.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-prepare-a-business-plan-5th-edition-pdf

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Video: Sideshow: 'Where was the hopelessness?'

N. Korea's propaganda poets stay true to their muse

Official pronouncements from North Korea?s state-controlled media have always had a poetic quality -- albeit angry and paranoid. More than a year after Kim Jong Un came to power, Pyongyang remains pleased with its rhetoric, despite mocking laughter from the rest of the world.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/hardball/50567228/

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N. Korea's propaganda poets stay true to their muse

KCNA via Reuters, file

A banner reading "Accomplish task suggested by Workers Party Central Committee and Central Army Committee" appears at a rally commemorating the 65th anniversary of North Korean Workers Party in Pyongyang on Feb. 13, 2010.

By Ian Johnston, Staff Writer, NBC News

North Korea?s leaders are ?peerlessly great? and capable of ?immortal feats,? Americans are ?imperialists? who use ?brigandish logic? and critics are just ?rats? scurrying about in a ditch.

And not to forget the gushing ode to the ?threadbare and discolored? parka worn by the late ?dear leader? Kim Jong Il or the discovery of a unicorn lair.

Official pronouncements from North Korea?s state-controlled media have always had a certain poetic quality -- although the poet in question would appear to be extremely angry, somewhat paranoid and possessed by an overly active imagination.


And more than a year after Kim Jong Un, son of Kim Jong Il, came to power, it is clear that the planet's only hereditary communist state is still pleased with its flowery rhetoric, despite mocking laughter from the rest of the world.

After all, foreign journalists who dare to criticize can be easily dismissed as ?a sordid hackwork of rubbish media,? according to one release Wednesday from the KCNA news agency.

Kcna / AFP - Getty Images

A pictorial look at the North Korean leader through the years

And not to worry. ?The sun will always give off its light even though rats make nonsensical remarks moving around ditch, while finding it hard to raise their heads to the bright human world.? So there.

On Thursday, KCNA's latest statement hailed its recent satellite launch as a demonstration of its ?space science and technology and its overall national power.? This ?stark fact? was ?favored by the world.?

No matter that the United Nations Security Council had agreed to a resolution to sanction North Korea over the launch, which is feared was actually a test of long-range missile technology.

This claim was simply the ?brigandish logic? of the U.S. and the Security Council was nothing more than ?a marionette.?

But, again, there is really no need for North Koreans to worry, given their country is ?a political, ideological and military giant? run by ?peerlessly great persons of [the sacred] Mt. Paektu.?

However, occasionally there are hints that not everyone is quite so on-message.

At a meeting of the Kim Il Sung Socialist Youth League and Central Committee of the General Federation of Trade unions of Korea Wednesday, KCNA said that ?reporters and speakers? had ?underscored the need to dynamically conduct ideological education to firmly defend and glorify the sacred revolutionary careers and immortal feats? of said peerlessly great leaders.

Elizabeth Dalziel / AP

From work to play, see pictures from inside the secretive country.

Among Kim Jong Il?s accomplishments were: Shooting 11 holes-in-one during the first round of golf he ever played, writing operas, producing movies, and flying jet fighters.

His death, of course, was due to ?physical and mental over-work? on behalf of the nation.

Another reason why he was so great was that he wore an old jacket, which was the subject of a radio essay last month called the ?Parka of Kim Jong Il during his field guidance? on North Korean broadcasting service, Voice of Korea.

"His parka was that of a great father, with which he kept all the people on this land from snow, rain and cold,? the Voice of Korea report said.

Kim ? a "peerless sage of mankind, possessed with warm humanity, broad magnanimity and noble sense of moral obligation? ? had apparently worn the parka as a reminder of his country?s grim history after the death of his father Kim Il Sung.

'Outlandish superlatives'
Seoul-based North Korea expert Daniel Pinkston, North East Asia deputy project director for the International Crisis Group, said stories about unbelievable golfing prowess and the like were not really meant to be taken literally.

?The whole point is not that people necessarily believe it,? he said, noting there was also a degree of mythologizing about revered figures from the past in the West.

And Pinkston said what often sounds ?comical? or ?bizarre? in English ?doesn?t come off as the kind of stilted, strange language? in Korean.

But he said North Korea perhaps suffered from its isolation and the lack of feedback on its writing style.

?They do have a tendency to use outlandish superlatives? to emphasize a point, he added.

The main message, however, of many of the statements is seldom lost in translation, Pinkston said.

?It?s just very harsh and militant,? he said.

Related:

North Korea: Rocket launches, nuclear tests will 'target' US

Cigars, cognac and mass starvation: 10 facts that divide North Korea from world

ANALYSIS: 'Spoiled child' North Korea snubs key ally China with rocket test

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/24/16676455-north-koreas-poets-of-propaganda-stay-true-to-their-muse-despite-worlds-laughter?lite

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Wednesday, 23 January 2013

GOP moves to delay debt-ceiling showdown 3 months

FILE - This Jan. 15, 2013 file photo shows House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio walking on Capitol Hill in Washington. Republican leaders scramble for votes on a stopgap debt-limit measure that would let the government keep borrowing until at least mid-May, giving up for now on trying to win spending cuts from Democrats in return. But the respite would be only temporary, with major battles still to come between the GOP and President Barack Obama over taxes, spending and deficits. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - This Jan. 15, 2013 file photo shows House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio walking on Capitol Hill in Washington. Republican leaders scramble for votes on a stopgap debt-limit measure that would let the government keep borrowing until at least mid-May, giving up for now on trying to win spending cuts from Democrats in return. But the respite would be only temporary, with major battles still to come between the GOP and President Barack Obama over taxes, spending and deficits. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - This Dec. 28, 2012 file photo shows President Barack Obama speaking to reporters in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington. Republican leaders scramble for votes on a stopgap debt-limit measure that would let the government keep borrowing until at least mid-May, giving up for now on trying to win spending cuts from Democrats in return. But the respite would be only temporary, with major battles still to come between the GOP and President Barack Obama over taxes, spending and deficits. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

(AP) ? Republicans controlling the House are moving quickly to try to defuse a potential debt crisis. They're offering legislation to prevent a first-ever default on U.S. obligations for three months or more.

The Republicans are giving up for now on trying to extract spending cuts from Democrats in return for an increase in the government's borrowing cap. The respite promises to be only temporary, with the stage still set for major battles between the GOP and President Barack Obama.

The first step comes with a House vote on legislation that will give the government enough borrowing leeway to meet three months' worth of obligations. That will delay a showdown that Republicans fear they would lose.

The legislation is disliked by Democrats, but the administration says it won't oppose it.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-22-US-Debt-Limit/id-e8febf05f12f422aa5b802d1c4c42e2a

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Beyonce Launches New Pinterest-Style Blog!

Thanks to her lip-synching scandal, it seems the whole world just can't stop talking about Beyonce. We're happy to keep the conversation going -- but we're ready to move on from her inauguration performance to the topic of her fabulous new Pinterest-inspired Beyhive Blog.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/beyonce-launches-new-pinterest-style-blog-beyhive/1-a-517073?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Abeyonce-launches-new-pinterest-style-blog-beyhive-517073

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Banff Mountain Film Festival to screen in Maine - Act Out with Aislinn ...

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is coming to Maine on Feb. 1 and will remain in the state for ten days to screen at locations in Bangor, Ellsworth, Rockport and Portland. This exciting show is a line-up of amazing new independent documentaries and short feature films on extreme outdoor sports, wildlife and culture.

Courtesy of James Castrission and Justin Jones of ?Crossing the Ice,? a film of the 2012 Banff Mountain Film Festival.

In Bangor, the show will be hosted for its sixth year by Epic Sports and is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. on Feb. 5 and Feb. 6 at the Gracie Theatre at Husson University. Doors open around 6 p.m. The two nights are showing a different lineup of award-winning films, so people can attend both. The lineup for Feb. 5 is mostly films on extreme sports, while the lineup for Feb. 6 is the Best of Festival films, which focus on sports, culture and nature. For information and tickets, call Epic Sports at 941-5670.

The Ellsworth shows, hosted by Cadillac Mountain Sports, will run Feb. 1-3, at The Grand Auditorium. For information and tickets, call?207-667-7819 or 667-9500 or visit?www.cadillacsports.com.

The Rockport shows, hosted by Mountain Sport Outfitters, will run Feb. 8 and 9, at the CHRHS Strom Auditorium.?For information and tickets,?call 236-7120 or visit www.mainesport.com.

And the Portland shows, hosted by Chestnut Mountain Productions, will run Feb. 10 and 11, at the State Theater. For information, call?215-923-9161 or visit?www.chestnutmtnproductions.com.

Hurry up and buy tickets (which are usually about the cost of a cinema ticket). I?ve had mine since before Christmas!

Over the past four years that I?ve attended the festival in Bangor, the beautiful footage has never failed to hold my attention for the full two- to three-hour show. There are always one or two stories that leave a deep impression, inspiring me to get out in the wilderness, learn about another culture or try something new and exciting. But don?t just take my word for it. Here?s a long trailer of this year?s show that I snagged from YouTube:

Each fall, the Banff Mountain Film Festival starts in Alberta, Canada, at The Banff Centre, where more than 8,000 artists, leaders and researchers from around the world participate in art programs every year. At the center, the festival is a nine-day celebration of the world?s best mountain films and books. Thousands of people attend, a mix of locals and international visitors, as well as world-renowned authors, filmmakers, conservationists, adventurers, and explorers.

From The Banff Centre, the festival travels around the world to reach approximately?306,000 people in 40 countries.

To learn more about The Banff Centre and the film festival, visit www.banffcentre.ca.?To read descriptions of the films in the tour, visit ?www.banffcentre.ca/mountainfestival/worldtour/films/.

Source: http://actoutwithaislinn.bangordailynews.com/2013/01/23/recreation/banff-mountain-film-festival-to-screen-in-maine/

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Tuesday, 22 January 2013

Resolve to keep on top of fire safety | Wormald Blog

By?John Lynch,?general manager of Wormald?s Business Support Services

If you?re a facility or business manager workplace health and safety will be an ongoing Wormald - fire safetyconcern.? But as planning starts for the year ahead, now is a good time to assess the safety procedures and systems in your workplace and consider if and how they can be improved.

Fire protection is an essential element of building safety and requires careful consideration.? To ensure the safety of building occupants, it is vital that an adequate fire protection solution is in place and that clear evacuation procedures are drafted and displayed.

It?s also important that business managers keep up to date on any relevant regulations and standards.? This will ensure that you are compliant and your premises have the highest level of protection against fire.? For example, if you work in a nursing home or aged care facility, you should be aware that on 1 January 2013, new legislation came into effect mandating all existing nursing home or aged care facilities in New South Wales that do not have automatic fire sprinkler systems installed to have them fitted.

Our technicians find that businesses often make simple mistakes which can affect their level of fire protection. These include not having the correct fire protection solution, inadequate emergency signage or misplacing portable fire protection equipment.? Carrying out a thorough assessment of the premises will help identify potential fire hazards and assist in determining the fire protection solution required ? whether it is a basic fire extinguisher or fire hose reel, a passive fire solution or a more advanced fire detection and suppression system.

Here?s a quick fire safety checklist to help ensure your business is adequately prepared:

  • Assess the potential fire hazards around your business and identify the fire protection products you require.
  • Research the range of products available and make sure you select those that carry the correct approvals.? You may want to contact a fire protection provider to help ensure you?re adequately protected.
  • Be aware of relevant legislation and standards and keep up to date on any changes. For example new State legislation, the Building Code of Australia, Australian standards and local governments may stipulate requirements that you must adhere to.
  • Ensure all employees are trained on how to use portable fire protection equipment and systems and know your evacuation procedures.
  • Have your equipment regularly inspected and maintained in accordance with applicable standards and regulations.

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Source: http://wormaldblog.com.au/2013/01/22/resolve-to-keep-on-top-of-fire-safety/

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Desert siege toll passes 80; bomb squads search

In this image made from video, a group of people believed to be hostages kneel in the sand with their hands in the air at an unknown location in Algeria. Algerian de-mining teams were scouring a gas refinery on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013 that was the scene of a bloody four-day standoff, searching for explosive traps left by the Islamist militants who took dozens of foreigners hostage. The siege left at least 23 captives dead, and the American government warned that there were credible threats of more kidnapping attempts on Westerners. (AP Photo/Ennahar TV) ALGERIA OUT, TV OUT

In this image made from video, a group of people believed to be hostages kneel in the sand with their hands in the air at an unknown location in Algeria. Algerian de-mining teams were scouring a gas refinery on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013 that was the scene of a bloody four-day standoff, searching for explosive traps left by the Islamist militants who took dozens of foreigners hostage. The siege left at least 23 captives dead, and the American government warned that there were credible threats of more kidnapping attempts on Westerners. (AP Photo/Ennahar TV) ALGERIA OUT, TV OUT

In this image made from video, a group of people believed to be hostages kneel in the sand with their hands in the air at an unknown location in Algeria. An Algerian security official says de-mining squads searching for explosives found "numerous" bodies Sunday, Jan. 20, 2012 at a gas refinery where Islamic militants took dozens of foreign workers hostage. (AP Photo/Ennahar TV) ALGERIA OUT, TV OUT

Algerian special police unit officers guard the entrance of an hospital located near the gas plant where hostages have been kidnapped by Islamic militants, in Ain Amenas, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013. Algeria's special forces stormed the natural gas complex in the middle of the Sahara desert in a final assault Saturday, killing 11 militants, but not before they in turn killed seven hostages, the state news agency reported.(AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)

Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg is embraced by Executive Vice President in Statoil, Margrethe Oevrum, Saturday Jan. 19, 2013, after his visit at the drop-in center in Bergen for relatives of the Statoil-employees taken hostage in Algeria. In a bloody finale on Saturday, Algerian special forces stormed a natural gas complex in the Sahara desert to end a four-day standoff with Islamic extremists that left at least 19 hostages and 29 militants dead. With few details emerging from the remote site, it was unclear whether anyone was rescued in the final operation. (AP Photo / Anette Karlsen, NTB scanpix) NORWAY OUT

Two British hostages Peter, left, and Alan, right, (no family name available), are seen after being released, in a street of Ain Amenas, near the gas plant where they have been kidnapped by Islamic militants, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013. Algeria's special forces stormed the natural gas complex in the middle of the Sahara desert in a final assault Saturday, killing 11 militants, but not before they in turn killed seven hostages, the state news agency reported.(AP Photo/Anis Belghoul)

(AP) ? Algerian bomb squads searched a gas refinery laced with mines on Monday, looking for more explosive traps a day after the discovery of more bodies throughout the site raised the toll from the terrorist siege well past 80.

Special forces from the Algerian military stormed the plant on Saturday to end the four-day siege, then the government began the painstaking work of finding and defusing the explosives planted in what government officials said was a plot by the Islamic extremists to blow up the complex and kill all their captives.

In a statement, the Masked Brigade, the group that claimed to have masterminded the takeover, warned of more such attacks against any country backing France's military intervention in neighboring Mali, where the French are trying to stop an advance by Islamic extremists.

"We stress to our Muslim brothers the necessity to stay away from all the Western companies and complexes for their own safety, and especially the French ones," the statement said.

Algeria said after Saturday's assault by government forces that at least 32 extremists and 23 hostages were killed. On Sunday, the Algerian bomb squads found 25 more bodies, said a security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

"These bodies are difficult to identify. They could be the bodies of foreign hostages or Algerians or terrorists," the official said.

In addition, a wounded Romanian who had been evacuated died, raising the overall death toll to at least 81.

Two private Algerian TV stations and an online news site said security forces scouring the plant found five militants hiding out on Sunday and learned that three others had fled. That information could not be immediately confirmed by security officials.

"Now, of course, people will ask questions about the Algerian response to these events, but I would just say that the responsibility for these deaths lies squarely with the terrorists who launched a vicious and cowardly attack," British Prime Minister David Cameron said. Three Britons were killed and another three were feared dead.

On Monday, Philippine Foreign Affairs officials said six Filipinos were among the hostages killed. Spokesman Raul Hernandez told reporters that 16 Filipinos have been accounted for and four others are still missing.

The dead hostages were also known to include at least one American and a French worker. Nearly two dozen foreigners by some estimates were unaccounted for.

It was unclear whether anyone was rescued in the final assault on the complex, which is run by the Algerian state oil company along with BP and Norway's Statoil.

Authorities said the bloody takeover was carried out Wednesday by 32 men from six countries, under the command from afar of the one-eyed Algerian bandit Moktar Belmoktar, founder of the Masked Brigade, based in Mali. The attacking force called itself "Those Who Sign in Blood" and has claimed to have Canadians in the cell as well.

The Masked Brigade said Sunday the attack was payback against Algeria for allowing over-flights of French aircraft headed to Mali and for closing its long border with Mali. In an earlier communication, the Brigade claimed to have carried out the attack in the name of al-Qaida.

Armed with heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, missiles and grenades, the militants singled out foreign workers at the plant, killing some of them on the spot and attaching explosive belts to others.

Algeria's tough and uncompromising response to the crisis was typical of its take-no-prisoners approach in confronting terrorists, favoring military action over negotiation. Algerian military forces, backed by attack helicopters, launched two assaults on the plant, the first one on Thursday.

The militants had "decided to succeed in the operation as planned, to blow up the gas complex and kill all the hostages," Algerian Communications Minister Mohamed Said told state radio.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said the terrorists had tried to blow up the plant on Saturday but managed only to start a small fire. "That's when they started to execute hostages, and the special forces intervened," Eide said. Norway's Statoil said five Norwegians were still missing.

An audio recording of Algerian security forces speaking with the head of the kidnappers, Abdel Rahman al-Nigiri, on the second day of the drama indicated the hostage-takers were trying to organize a prisoner swap.

"You see our demands are so easy, so easy if you want to negotiate with us," al-Nigiri said in the recording broadcast by Algerian television. "We want the prisoners you have, the comrades who were arrested and imprisoned 15 years ago. We want 100 of them."

The Algerians' use of forced raised an international outcry from some countries worried about their citizens.

But French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Sunday on French television: "The terrorists ... they're the ones to blame."

David Plouffe, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama, said that al-Qaida and al-Qaida-affiliated groups remain a threat in North Africa and other parts of the world, and that the U.S. is determined to help other countries destroy those networks.

Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," Plouffe said the tragedy in Algeria shows once again "that all across the globe countries are threatened by terrorists who will use civilians to try and advance their twisted and sick agenda."

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Ganley reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Paul Schemm in Rabat, Morocco, and Lori Hinnant in Paris also contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-21-Algeria-Kidnapping/id-81a77df263414c6ba6eba93dba13f02d

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