Friday, November 30, 2012

Eagle Idaho Real Estate Market Statistics | October 2012

Foreclosures have dropped once again in the Eagle Idaho real estate market.? October 2012 posted the second lowest numbers we?ve seen all year at 9.6%.? As you can see in the graph below, the numbers for foreclosures in Eagle are varied this year, anywhere from 8.8% to 46.4%.? However, they have consistently stayed under 20% since April and they?ve steered clear of last year?s numbers.? The only month this year where Eagle Idaho real estate saw lower foreclosure numbers than October was July (8.8%).

Eagle Foreclosure Rate 2011 vs. 2012

Short sales are the predominant type of foreclosure sale in Eagle.? So far this year, there have been 50 short sales in Eagle ID compared to 23 bank-owned homes.? Banbury Meadows and Brookwood subdivisions have had the highest number of short sales thus far, with 6 and 7 respectively.? No other subdivision had more than 3.? The chart below shows the makeup of the type of sales so far this year in the Eagle Idaho real estate market.? And, given the numbers on the chart, the foreclosure market share for Jan. ? Oct. is about 18.3%.

Eagle ID Real Estate Sales by Type 2012 Stats

Overall, home sales in the Eagle Idaho real estate market are strong.? With a few exceptions, when compared to the same months, this year has outperformed the previous two years.? As a whole, so far this year there have been 399 homes sold in Eagle.? At this time last year there were 343 home sales.? In 2010 there were only 324, showing real estate in Eagle has become increasingly popular over the past couple of years.

Eagle ID Real Estate Sales

Disclaimer

Related posts:

  1. Boise Real Estate Market Stats | Oct. 2012
  2. Meridian Real Estate Market Update | October 2012
  3. Boise Idaho Real Estate Market Improving | 7.20.2012
  4. Boise Idaho Real Estate Trends | March 2012

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Source: http://www.boiserealestateplus.com/eagle-idaho-real-estate-market-stats-oct-2012

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Brief interventions can help college students return to a healthy lifestyle

ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2012) ? The weight gain commonly known as the "Freshman 15" is a negative aspect of the college experience for many college freshmen who are independent for the first time, most making lifestyle decisions about eating and exercise. Researchers say it's no surprise freshmen experience one of the largest weight gains in their lifetimes when they attend college. A new study from the University of Missouri has found that a brief intervention, sometimes as little as 30 minutes, can help put students back on the right track to a healthy lifestyle -- a change that can impact the rest of their lives.

"What we found in our study was that getting personalized feedback about health issues is important," said Matt Martens, associate professor of counseling psychology in the College of Education. "It may not matter how long or short that intervention is; what seems to be important is getting the feedback. These simple interventions can be used at a doctor's office prior to an appointment, possibly while the individual is sitting in the waiting room. The idea behind these methods is to open the conversations, identifying the unhealthy lifestyle decisions and setting goals for the future."

Brief interventions can be delivered in many forms. In the current study, participants were asked to complete a 10-minute questionnaire. They were then given a feedback sheet based on their responses, which they discussed with a clinician for approximately 25 to 30 minutes. After one month, those who received the intervention reported engaging in significantly more exercise compared to those who did not receive the intervention.

While it could be difficult to do this during every doctor visit, Martens said that health care providers could alter these suggestions to fit their patients. If providers can begin to include these intervention strategies, they could see their patients making better decisions about their lifestyles, Martens said.

Current federal activity guidelines recommend that individuals participate in 75 minutes of vigorous, physical activity per week or 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. Martens said that, prior to the intervention, the study participants fell far short of those recommendations.

Another benefit of this intervention is the low cost that is associated with this type of strategy. Potentially not much time, if any, is needed between the patient and the health care provider, but it could save a lot of money in prevention costs.

"The whole point of all these studies on exercise, interventions and lifestyle decisions is to keep people from getting sick," Martens said. "In the end, it comes down to individuals making good lifestyle decisions, but sometimes it's important for healthcare providers to bring certain decisions that do not contribute to a healthy lifestyle to the attention of the patient."

The study was published in the Journal of Physical Activity & Health.

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

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Martens, M. P., Buscemi, J., Smith, A. E., & Murphy, J. G. The short-term efficacy of a brief motivational intervention designed to increase physical activity among college students. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2012

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/consumer_behavior/~3/rYOInU3AGJ4/121129162147.htm

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Tapping supermodels and sex, again, to sell ... - Automotive News

LARRY P. VELLEQUETTE

November 29, 2012 - 11:25 am ET

LOS ANGELES -- Most everyone agrees that sex sells.

Chrysler Group will soon find out whether sex tinged with bawdy humor sells Fiats.

The automaker premiered a series of new short films for its launch of the Fiat 500e electric, 500 Abarth Cabrio, and 500L wagon Wednesday at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The spots might make their way to TV, just as the brand's sex-soaked "Seduction" commercial did during the 2012 Super Bowl.

If they do, they should come with the following warning label: Like the Fiat 500's back seat, this commercial is not suitable for children or prudes, but it's sure fun to watch.

The film touting the 500e starts out with a shot of a helmeted woman zipping up the top of a racing suit with nothing on underneath and climbing into the subcompact's passenger seat for an official test of the 500e's 80-mile range and acceleration.

The "test" lasts all of 10 seconds before the car spins out and stops. As crews race to see what's wrong and fling open the door, they spot the woman passionately kissing the now-shirtless male driver.

Likewise, the 500 Abarth Cabrio spot features the return of "Seduction" star Catrinel Menghia, a Romanian supermodel, sunbathing on a beach while a black scorpion crawls over her backside and up her back. The scorpion, the image of Fiat's Abarth performance brand, cuts the string of Menghia's string bikini, making her topless, like the new Abarth Cabrio. It ends with the scorpion dragging her black bikini top across the sand as a backlit, topless Menghia leaves the beach.

Perhaps the funniest and sexiest marketing efforts, however, were left for the 500L, a cavernous five-passenger wagon. The series of spots tell a story of a young American man who falls in love with an Italian woman and meets her parents. They ultimately get married.

The spots are bawdy and hilarious and drew laughs among several hundred journalists gathered for Fiat's reveal.

Fiat global brand chief Olivier Francois makes no secret of the tack that his marketing efforts would take for the new Fiats, saying that Chrysler is trading in labels like eco-friendly in favor of eco-sexy and showing an image of a Viagra pill as part of his presentation.

Ultimately, the best answer to whether sex will sell Fiats may be left to Yiddish philosophers: It couldn't hurt.

You can reach Larry P. Vellequette at lvellequette@crain.com.

Source: http://www.autonews.com/article/20121129/BLOG06/121129861/tapping-supermodels-and-sex-again-to-sell-fiat-s-expanding-line

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Top 5 North Island Beaches | BeCleanLiveGreen

Posted by Travel-and-Leisure:Destination-Tips Articles from EzineArticles.com on November 29, 2012

As the name suggests the North Island of New Zealand is just that, an island. It has an extensive coastline and no city less than 3 hours from a beach. With the Tasman Sea on the west coast and the South Pacific Ocean on the east, the options are as endless when it comes to recreational pursuits. Below are five of the top North Island beaches to visit during your vacation in New Zealand......

Click to read the complete article

Source: http://www.becleanlivegreen.com/?p=92189

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Microsoft selling four times as many Windows Phones as a year ago, won't say what that means

Microsoft selling four times as many Windows Phones as last year, won't say what that means

It's no secret that Windows Phone sales have been in the doldrums for much of the platform's existence. If we believe Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer's talk at the annual company shareholder meeting, however, the mobile OS has turned a corner. He tells investors that Windows Phone sales are about four times what they were at the same point last year, and that demand has been strong enough for initial sellouts in "many countries;" that may be an allusion to reported Lumia 920 shortages in Germany and Nokia's native Finland, among other regions. Ballmer is quick to point to more competitive hardware as triggering the sales spike. The news is certainly positive on the whole, although we'd warn that Microsoft is pulling an Amazon -- that is, declining to offer the shipment numbers that would give its grandiose claims some context. It's easy to tout record growth when you're starting from a small point, so we'll refrain from calling Windows Phone the Comeback Kid until market share estimates show otherwise.

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Source: Bloomberg


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/1dZdta1ffOw/

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Discover the Joys of a Naples, Florida Family Vacation

WEBWIRE ? Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Naples, FL - Florida is a great place to go on vacation.? Every year, young and old people alike flock to this sunny state to enjoy the sights and attractions.? One of the most popular Florida family vacation destinations is Disney World, but there are plenty of great opportunities to enjoy yourself and make lasting memories with your family in other parts of the state as well.
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On the northern end of the state, both Amelia Island and St. Augustine are considered great locations.? Known for their Old-World feel, unique attractions, resorts, and quaint shopping districts, they allow you to feel like you have been transported in time while still enjoying the luxury of a vacation.? On the southern end of the state, the Keys are another highlight of vacation destinations - you can enjoy a nice day at the beach or, if you are more of an adventure enthusiast, you can go snorkeling, scuba diving, or even deep see fishing.? Make sure to head to Duval Street for some shopping and great dining and drinking as well.
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More in the middle of the sunshine state, you can find Naples.? Located on the beach, it is the perfect place for a Florida family vacation where you can get away and relax for awhile.? One fun attraction is the boat cruises that run along Naples? historic waterfront during the week, which allow you to enjoy some wildlife watching, as dolphins play in Naples Bay and bald eagles as well as coastal birds soar overhead.
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If you are interested in learning more about what fun Naples, Florida family vacations await you, or start planning your activities for an already planned vacation, visit the Naples CVB website to learn more about everything this city has to offer to you.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Bioengineered marine algae expands environments where biofuels can be produced

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Biologists at UC San Diego have demonstrated for the first time that marine algae can be just as capable as fresh water algae in producing biofuels.

The scientists genetically engineered marine algae to produce five different kinds of industrially important enzymes and say the same process they used could be employed to enhance the yield of petroleum-like compounds from these salt water algae. Their achievement is detailed in a paper published online in the current issue of the scientific journal Algal Research.

The ability to genetically transform marine algae into a biofuel crop is important because it expands the kinds of environments in which algae can be conceivably grown for biofuels. Corn, for example, which is used to produce ethanol biofuel, requires prime farmland and lots of fresh water. But the UC San Diego study suggests that algal biofuels can be produced in the ocean or in the brackish water of tidelands or even on agricultural land on which crops can no longer be grown because of high salt content in the soil.

"What our research shows is that we can achieve in marine species exactly what we've already done in fresh water species," said Stephen Mayfield, a professor of biology at UC San Diego, who headed the research project. "There are about 10 million acres of land across the United States where crops can no longer be grown that could be used to produce algae for biofuels. Marine species of algae tend to tolerate a range of salt environments, but many fresh water species don't do the reverse. They don't tolerate any salt in the environment."

"The algal community has worked on fresh water species of algae for 40 years," added Mayfield, who also directs the San Diego Center for Algae Biotechnology, or SD-CAB, a consortium of research institutions in the region working to make algal biofuels a viable transportation fuel in the future. "We know how to grow them, manipulate them genetically, express recombinant proteins?all of the things required to make biofuels viable. It was always assumed that we could do the same thing in marine species, but there was always some debate in the community as to whether that could really be done."

That debate came to a head last month when a National Academy of Sciences committee examining the future potential of algal biofuels for the U.S. Department of Energy published a report pointing out that the production of algal biofuels might be limited by fresh water because no published research study had demonstrated the feasibility of using engineered marine species of algae.

"But now we've done it," said Mayfield. "What this means is that you can use ocean water to grow the algae that will be used to produce biofuels. And once you can use ocean water, you are no longer limited by the constraints associated with fresh water. Ocean water is simply not a limited resource on this planet."

The UC San Diego biologists focused their study on a marine species of alga, Dunaliella tertiolecta, which had been earlier targeted by scientists for potential biofuels production because of its high oil content and ability to grow rapidly under a wide range of salinity and acidic conditions. To demonstrate that it could be used in commercial biofuel production, they introduced five genes into the alga that produced five different kinds of enzymes that could be used in an industrial setting to not only convert biomass to fuel, but also increase nutrient availability in animal feed. Some of these enzymes, for example, came from a fungus that degrades plant material into simple sugars.

The scientists said in their paper that "we hope to eventually determine whether whole algae, post-oil extraction, may be used as a feed additive to improve animal feeds. Animal feed is a relatively high volume market that may be able to benefit from algae-produced proteins as a feed additive."

###

University of California - San Diego: http://www.ucsd.edu

Thanks to University of California - San Diego for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125493/Bioengineered_marine_algae_expands_environments_where_biofuels_can_be_produced

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Rice concession on Libya fails to mollify 3 in GOP

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice told lawmakers Tuesday that her initial explanation of the deadly Sept. 11 raid in Libya was wrong, but her concession failed to mollify three Republican senators who signaled they would try to block her possible nomination to be secretary of state.

In a closed-door meeting that Rice requested, the ambassador answered questions from Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Kelly Ayotte about her much-maligned explanations about the cause of the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans. She was joined by acting CIA Director Michael Morell.

"The talking points provided by the intelligence community, and the initial assessment upon which they were based, were incorrect in a key respect: There was no protest or demonstration in Benghazi," Rice said in a statement after the meeting. "While we certainly wish that we had had perfect information just days after the terrorist attack, as is often the case the intelligence assessment has evolved."

Rice's unusual visit to Capitol Hill ? typically only nominees meet privately with lawmakers ? reflects the Obama administration's campaign for the current front-runner to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton against some strenuous GOP opposition.

"We are significantly troubled by many of the answers that we got and some that we didn't get concerning evidence that was leading up to the attack on the consulate," McCain told reporters after emerging from the hour-plus session that he described as candid.

Said Graham: "Bottom line I'm more disturbed now than I was before that 16 September explanation." He said in a later interview that Rice went "far beyond the flawed talking points" and should be held accountable.

"I'm more troubled today," said Ayotte, who argued that it was clear in the days after the attack that it was terrorism and not a spontaneous demonstration prompted by an anti-Muslim video.

The White House remained defiant in its support for Rice, arguing that she was relying on an assessment from the intelligence community and had no responsibility in compiling the information on the cause of the attack. It dismissed what it characterized as a fixation on her national television appearances five days after the raid.

"The focus on, some might say, obsession on comments made on Sunday shows seems to me and to many, to be misplaced," spokesman Jay Carney told reporters at a White House briefing.

House Democrats, including female members of the Congressional Black Caucus, have suggested that the GOP opposition to Rice is sexist and racist. Senate Democrats, who will increase their advantage to 55-45 in the next Congress, said Rice could win confirmation if Republicans recognize the unfairness of penalizing her for the intelligence community's talking points.

"The personal attacks against Ambassador Rice by certain Republican senators have been outrageous and utterly unmoored from facts and reality," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said in a statement. "I am shocked that senators would continue these attacks even when the evidence ? including disclosures from the intelligence community about the information she presented ? have made it clear that the allegations against Ambassador Rice are baseless, and that she has done absolutely nothing wrong."

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., told reporters that "it is so unfair to hold her responsible for something that she didn't produce and which the intelligence community has specifically stood by."

Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who met separately with Rice and Morell, said the ambassador told him that she based her Sunday show appearance on material from the intelligence community and the White House neither provided briefings nor additional talking points.

Lieberman said she made clear she was following the talking points, and her account on Sept. 16 should not disqualify her from any appointment.

A recurring issue is whether changes were made to the intelligence material at the request of the White House or for political reasons. Lieberman said Morell told him that was not the case.

"The acting director of the CIA said whatever changes were made in the original talking points before they were given in unclassified form to the House Intelligence Committee and to Ambassador Rice were made within the intelligence community," Lieberman said.

In a statement late Tuesday, McCain, Graham and Ayotte said Morell told them the FBI had removed references to al-Qaida in the talking points to prevent compromising ongoing investigations. Hours later, the CIA contacted the three senators to say Morell had misspoken and that the CIA had deleted the references.

Despite lingering questions over her public comments after the Benghazi attack, Rice has emerged as the top candidate on a short list of possible successors to Clinton, with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, D-Mass., seen as her closest alternative.

The strong statements from the three senators clouded Rice's prospects only two days after Republican opposition seem to be softening. Rice planned meetings on Wednesday with Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who is in line to become the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Corker said Tuesday that he had concerns with a possible nomination.

"When I hear Susan talk she seems to me like she'd be a great chairman of the Democratic National Committee," Corker said. "There is nobody who is more staff supportive of what the administration does. That concerns me in a secretary of state."

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who had indicated late Monday that Rice perhaps had been unwittingly used by the administration, said in a statement Tuesday that Rice is unfit for the top diplomatic post.

"It is now clear that she willingly misled the American public five different times in the days after the attack," Inhofe said. "And for months after the attack she failed to acknowledge, until today, that her account of what happened was deeply and fundamentally flawed."

A senior Senate aide said the administration was sounding out moderate members of the Foreign Relations Committee, such as Corker and Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga. Assessing the prospects for Rice before Obama makes any announcement would avoid the embarrassment of a protracted fight with the Senate early in the president's second term and the possible failure of the nominee.

On talk shows the weekend following the attack, which took place on the 11th anniversary of 9/11, Rice was given talking points that described the attack as a spontaneous protest of the film, even though the Obama administration had known for days that it was a militant assault.

Republicans called her nomination doomed, leading to a vigorous defense of her by Obama in his first postelection news conference. Since then, GOP lawmakers have appeared to soften their views. McCain, who said earlier this month that would he do everything in his power to scuttle a Rice nomination, had said Sunday that he was willing to hear Rice out before making a decision.

Rice, who at 48 is relatively young, has been known to covet the job for years, but was passed over for Clinton in 2009.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Edith M. Lederer in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rice-concession-libya-fails-mollify-3-gop-210457410--politics.html

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Research project at NC State could save lives of troops overseas

Updated?11/27/2012 02:38 PM

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

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FBI uses Twitter, social media to look for securities fraud

(Reuters) - The FBI sees social media as a potential breeding ground for securities fraud, and has agents scouring Twitter and Facebook for tips, according to two top agents overseeing a long-running investigation into insider trading in the $2 trillion hedge fund industry.

April Brooks, a special agent in charge of the New York field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and David Chaves, a supervisory agent, said it is hard to predict the next wave of securities fraud, but they add that it will have a lot to do with advances in technology and social media.

"I will tell you technology will play a huge part, social media, Twitter. Any kind of technology that is new and doesn't exist today, if there is any way to exploit it, these individuals will exploit it," Brooks told Reuters TV in an interview for the Reuters Investment Outlook 2013 Summit.

Brooks and Chaves oversee what the FBI calls "Operation Perfect Hedge," which has led to more than 60 convictions of hedge fund traders, analysts and industry consultants.

Last Tuesday, a day after the Reuters TV interview, the government charged a former employee of Steven A. Cohen's SAC Capital, Mathew Martoma, with a $276 million insider trading scheme that prosecutors called "the most lucrative" ever.

While Cohen, whose $14 billion hedge fund is one of the most successful and best known on Wall Street, was not charged with any wrongdoing, the complaint says he signed off on trades in Elan Corp and Wyeth in July 2008 ahead of bad news about a clinical drug trial the companies were working on.

Brooks and Chaves gave no hints about the SAC case in the interview, and declined to talk about active investigations.

"Some view insider trading as reaching this crescendo, and we have reached a top. I would suggest we have not," Chaves said.

INVESTORS EMBRACE TWITTER

Hedge funds, big institutional investors and investment research firms, such as Muddy Waters (@muddywatersre), have embraced Twitter as a platform for sharing their ideas and investment strategies.

On November 20, PIMCO's Bill Gross tweeted via @PIMCO: "Bernanke confirms PIMCO's New Normal after 3 years! 2% economic potential at least for a time. Probably lower & longer Mr. Chairman."

Gross was referring to Ben Bernanke, chairman of the Federal Reserve, and PIMCO's portfolio positioning for what he calls a "New Normal" developed world economy - 2.0 percent real growth and 2 percent inflation.

"People have used Twitter as a powerful distribution mechanism, occasionally with meaningful market impact," said independent analyst Daniel Yu, who is an avid user of Twitter under the handle @LongShortTrader.

Studies and research reports have shown that Twitter can be used as an early indicator of changing investor sentiment around particular stocks and commodities. This allows Twitter data to be used to predict price fluctuations in the market.

One report, authored by academics Johan Bollen, Huina Mao and Xiao-Jun Zeng, says the degree of "calmness" of the Twitterverse can predict - with 87.6 percent accuracy - how the Dow Jones industrial average will move two to six days ahead of time.

Some hedge funds and other investors have criticized U.S. authorities for cracking down on insider trading to distract attention from the fact that law enforcement has not been able to bring any prosecutions against Wall Street bankers over the financial crisis.

Brooks and Chaves acknowledged the criticism. They said there is a desire to prosecute, but the laws are not there to criminalize actions that some think deserve to be punished.

"I wouldn't say we have missed opportunities," Brooks said, commenting on the 2008 financial crisis. "There may be others who are responsible, but who don't necessarily violate the federal statutes."

The two agents, who both work in the securities division of the New York branch of the FBI, said that when they meet with people on Wall Street, they explain there is no vendetta or campaign against the hedge fund industry. The insider trading investigation is simply part of an effort to make the markets more fair for everybody.

"The message is we are out there, and we are going to continue to be out there," Brooks said. "This type of violation, this type of crime impacts everyone."

To see the Reuters TV interview with FBI agents Brooks and Chaves, click here http://www.reuters.com/video/2012/11/23/reuters-tv-fbi-only-reached-tip-of-iceberg-on-insid?videoId=239362127&videoChannel=117851

(Reporting by Matthew Goldstein and Jennifer Ablan; Editing by Tiffany Wu and Jan Paschal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-uses-twitter-social-media-look-securities-fraud-120320043--sector.html

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The Board Game Family Top 10 Best Board Games - Caleb ? The ...

CalebCaleb is our ?go to? board game player. If you?re ever in the mood to play a board game or a card game, you?ll find an eager player in Caleb. Mention playing a game and he?ll be right there. In fact, if you delay even a bit after mentioning playing a game, chances are good that he?s already got a game out, set up, cards dealt out and ready to play.

And if others are playing a game, he?ll sniff it out and quickly be pegged to the table asking to join in or challenging the winner to the next game.

But even with how much he loves playing all types of games, he also has his favorites.

After playing hundreds of games, here?s the list of board games that Caleb (currently age 9) thinks are the best. (Don?t be surprised when you see half of them also on Jaden?s list. When brothers love the same games, I call that a success.)

Thunderstone

Thunderstone Advance card gameCaleb liked Thunderstone right from the start. I?m pretty sure the fantastic artwork has a lot to do with it. Great graphics have a way of pulling players into the theme and spirit of a game. And the art in Thunderstone definitely does it?s job well. Add to that the fact that you get to recruit and level-up cool heroes, equip them with awesome weapons and send them off to battle a wide variety of monsters in the dungeon and you?ve got a young boy thoroughly wrapped up in the game. He doesn?t care that the box says ages 12+, he loves Thunderstone. This was an easy pick for Caleb.
See our full review of Thunderstone.

Small World

Smallworld board gameLike his older brothers, I knew that Small World would be on Caleb?s list. With the random combinations of races and abilities every time you play, it?s no surprise they all love Small World. Of course, it goes without saying that they also like attacking each other. They also like trying to get everyone to gang up on someone other than themselves. They can plead their case pretty convincingly as they try to expand without hindrance. I can?t imagine a game of Small World ever being turned down by any of them. This board game will be easily accessible on the game shelf for a very long time.
See our full review of Small World.

Fastrack

Fastrack board gameCaleb loves to challenge Jaden playing Fastrack. Since Jaden has crowned himself the ?King of Fastrack?, Caleb feels the constant need to seek to de-thrown him. Occasionally he gets a win in. And when he does, you?ll hear the hootin? and hollerin? throughout the house. Aren?t brotherly challenges grand?
Of course, Caleb?s quick finger flicking can beat most others on a regular basis, so it shouldn?t be a surprise to see this quick-playing game on his list.
See our full review of Fastrack.

Dominion

Dominion card gameThough similar to Thunderstone, Dominion doesn?t have the dripping theme of heroes and monsters. But that doesn?t stop Caleb from loving Dominion as well. Dominion is the first of the deck-building games published and is still the king. Many games have come after trying to copy the success of Dominion. But the simplicity of the original is hard to beat. It?s also so addicting and hugely expandable that it?s hard to get tired of it. And Caleb?s a very formidable opponent in Dominion so don?t be thrown off by his age, he knows what he?s doing.
See our full review of Dominion.

Yinsh

Yinsh board game boxI was surprised to see Yinsh on Caleb?s Top 10 list. It?s not that he doesn?t enjoy it, but he hasn?t hit his stride with it yet. He does love looking ahead a few moves to plan out how he?s going to get 5 in a row. But he hasn?t quite understood the need to adjust his strategy as the game progresses and the other player sets up their own move. But I think with every play he?s beginning to watch out a little more. It?s great to see his thought process develop as he plays this great 2-player abstract strategy game.
See our full review of Yinsh.

Ninja Versus Ninja

Ninja versus Ninja board gameIt?s time to depart from some of the games on Jaden?s favorites list and get to one of the games Caleb uniquely loves. Ninja Versus Ninja is another 2-player board game that matches players in a head-to-head battle. The playing pieces are fantastic and it?s hard to find cooler dice in a kids board game. Players try to sneak into their opponent?s dojo and get safely back. The deeper they go into the dojo and make it out again, the more points they?ll get. Of course, players can also win by eliminating all their opposing ninja ? which is perhaps Caleb?s favorite way of winning.
See our full review of Ninja Versus Ninja.

Pirate Versus Pirate

Pirate Versus Pirate board gameRemember what I said about it being hard to find cooler dice in a kids board game. Well, Pirate Versus Pirate is right on par with Ninja Versus Ninja. The difference being a bone sticking through the dice (if you can call them dice) rather than a sword. The two games are similar but different enough to present their own challenges. Pirate Versus Pirate is a 3-player game and best played with exactly that. The board is also split into triangle spaces which makes moving around and landing on the other player pieces to eliminate them a bit tougher. It also has the unique 3-player dynamics of either targeting one player or two people battling while the 3rd sneaks away with the treasure almost uncontested. Makes for some good strategy with a bunch of luck in the dice rolls.
See our full review of Pirate Versus Pirate.

Knock Your Blocks Off

Knock Your Blocks Off board gameIt?s easy to see why Caleb loves Knock Your Blocks Off ? he gets to destroy things. When given a game that has a main objective of destroying an opponent?s structure, you can be sure to count him in. The twist on the destruction portion of the game is that players roll a die to see how they get to attempt the destruction. But destroying isn?t the only part of the game. Players have to first build something as quickly as they can. If they?re the first to build their structure, they also get a point. And Caleb?s pretty quick.
See our full review of Knock Your Blocks Off.

7 Wonders

7 Wonders card game7 Wonders is another game where the suggested age on the box is no match for Caleb. With all the different card types and symbols and the various paths to score victory points, there?s a lot to keep track of in the game. Perhaps that?s why he likes it so much ? it keeps his mind moving the whole time thinking through his strategy and deciding which cards to choose each turn. He?s also good at keeping an eye on his neighbors, their goods, and their military might so he knows when to strike and when to keep a card from passing on. No going easy on him.
See our full review of 7 Wonders.

The Big Fat Tomato Game

The Big Fat Tomato Game board gameThe Big Fat Tomato Game is a relatively new entry into our board game collection, yet has won over Caleb enough to put it in his Top 10 list. It?s a very straight forward game about harvesting tomatoes while defending your patch from a garden variety of intruders like weeds, varmints, and even the tomato zombie. There?s a wide variety of cards in the game that either help you gather tomatoes, protect your stash of tomatoes, or attack the other players. And the tomatoes in the game are little fuzzy balls that you smash into your basket. This may be one of the draws of the game for Caleb, but I think he loves it mostly because he gets to cause havoc on the other players.

With young kids, their favorites are often dictated by what they?re doing at the moment. If you ask them what their favorite food is while eating corn dogs, they?ll probably says it?s corn dogs.

So with Caleb?s list, I made sure to question him well on it in order to eliminate this type of bias. I also let the list simmer a bit and went back to it with him a few days later to make sure. And with all that, these are his definite Top 10 Best Board Games and Card Games (at least for this year).

What board games and card games do your boys love to play?

?

Source: http://www.theboardgamefamily.com/2012/11/top-10-best-board-games-caleb/

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Inrix Now Collects Traffic Data From 100M Drivers, Shows Black Friday Congestion Up 32.5% Despite Ecommerce

Inrix_Traffic_Icon_512pxBlack Friday online shopping sales were up 26% this year, the number of people driving to brick and mortar stores increased even faster says Inrix. Congestion was up 32.5% this year according to the?traffic data Inrix now pulls from over 100 million drivers. This and another report about Thanksgiving traffic show the quiet giant is intent on raising its profile before its planned 2013 IPO.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/E1m0x84Y2Q8/

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4th Franchise UAE exhibition enlists support of world's largest sign ...

Plan Ahead Events and Signarama are part of the US-based United Franchise Group (UFG) which has under its umbrella a number of award-winning business-to-business brands and franchise development services.

The UFG, with over 30 years of franchising experience, is a $500m franchising giant, with more than 1400 franchise locations in over 50 countries.

"The support of Plan Ahead Events and Signarama elevates Franchise UAE to a new level," said Mr. Gaurav Marya, Managing Director at Franchise Middle East.

"The United Franchise Group, with its global operations, will provide an international perspective to the show. The group's participation demonstrates the rising importance of the Middle East as an ideal marketplace for entrepreneurship. It is worth noting that the Arab World is ranked third fastest place in the world to start a business. In Dubai, SMEs now account for over 90% of private enterprises," he added.

As the largest sign franchisor in the world, Signarama has been successfully helping entrepreneurs launch full-service sign centers for nearly 25 years, and has nearly 900 stores in more than 50 countries. It provides franchisees with training, consulting, equipment and support to run successful Signarama stores.

Plan Ahead Events, with growing presence in almost 100 locations across the U.S., Canada, Australia, Spain and Mexico, opened a Dubai office earlier this year. Plan Ahead Events offers franchise opportunities, along with training and expertise to potential franchisees. It is a full-service event management company providing creative and customized solutions for corporate meetings, conventions, special events, trade shows, expositions and incentive travel.

The 4th Franchise UAE exhibition is being organized by Franchise Middle East, the overseas arm of Franchise India Holding Ltd, Asia's leading integrated franchise and retail solution company, supported by Indian Franchise Association (IFA).

The two-day show will offer huge opportunities in exploring all facets of franchising, retailing and licensing. It will feature over 100 international and local brands, unique business and financial solutions companies, and participation of over 5000 business buyers.

Alongside the exhibition, Franchise UAE 2012 will host a two-day Entrepreneurship Summit 2012 focused on identifying and selecting emerging business opportunities for regional collaboration for entrepreneurship development between India and Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The event's media partners are Infobahn Consultancy, AZ Franchising Italy, BeMyDealer.com - Turkey, Buybrand- Russia, FDS Franchise.com- UK. The show is being supported by Franchise Association of New Zealand, Lebanese Franchise Association, Heels & Deals - Women Entrepreneur Association, and Indian Franchise Association (IFA).

Franchise UAE will see the presence of high-profile exhibitors such as Second Cup, Japengo, Charley's Grilled Sub, Enny Monaco, Medicine Shoppe, Beebay, London Fish & Chips, The Frozen Yogurt Factory, The Chocomelt, Esperanza India, Halwa Gahwa, Colori -Woman's Clothes Shop of Greece, Tsagarakis, FFS Brands Group UK, EDO Caf?, Linguaphone group UK, New York Fries, Yogurberry, The SPUD, Tealand, Burger World, Fun City, Atishya, ADHI, Donut Factory, Tea Time, Kimchikin, Heritage for Henna and many more international brands.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/4th-franchise-uae-exhibition-enlists-support-320153

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Divisions persist as climate talks open in Doha

By The Associated Press

DOHA, Qatar -- U.N. talks on a new climate pact resumed Monday in oil and gas-rich Qatar, where negotiators from nearly 200 countries will discuss fighting global warming and helping poor nations adapt to it.

The two-decade-old talks have not fulfilled their main purpose: reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say are warming the planet.

Attempts to create a new climate treaty failed in Copenhagen three years ago but countries agreed last year to try again, giving themselves a deadline of 2015 to adopt a new treaty.

A host of issues need to be resolved by then, including how to spread the burden of emissions cuts between rich and poor countries.

Focus on Kyoto Protocol, raising money
That is unlikely to be decided in the two-week talks in the Qatari capital of Doha, where negotiators will focus on extending the Kyoto Protocol, an emissions deal for industrialized countries, and trying to raise billions of dollars to help developing countries adapt to a shifting climate.

EPA

South African Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana Mashabane speaks during the opening of the climate talks in Doha, Qatar, on Monday.

Activists hope storm-struck US will deliver at Doha climate talks

"We all realize why we are here, why we keep coming back year and after year," said South Africa Foreign Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who led last year's talks in Durban, South Africa. "We owe it to our people, the global citizenry. We owe it to our children to give them a safer future than what they are currently facing."

The U.N. process is often criticized, even ridiculed, both by climate activists who say the talks are too slow, and by those who challenge the scientific near-consensus that the global temperature rise is at least partly caused by human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil.

The concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide has jumped 20 percent since 2000, according to a U.N. report released last week. The report also showed that there is a growing gap between what governments are doing to curb emissions and what needs to be done to protect the world from potentially dangerous levels of warming.

The goal of the U.N. talks is to keep the global temperature rise under 3.6 F, compared to pre-industrial times.

The Maldives, the lowest-lying nation on Earth, is at risk of disappearing from the world map, scientists say.

Obama: 'I won't go' for climate action that hurts jobs, growth

The threat 'today'
But efforts taken so far to rein in emissions, reduce deforestation and promote clean technology are not getting the job done. A recent projection by the World Bank showed temperatures are expected to increase by up to 7.2 F by 2100.

"Climate change is no longer some distant threat for the future, but is with us today," said Greenpeace climate campaigner Martin Kaiser, who was also at the Doha talks. "At the end of a year that has seen the impacts of climate change devastate homes and families around the world, the need for action is obvious and urgent."

Dangerous warming effects could include flooding of coastal cities and island nations, disruptions to agriculture and drinking water, the spread of diseases and the extinction of species.

Many scientists also say that extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Sandy's onslaught on the U.S. East Coast, will become more frequent as the Earth warms, although it is impossible to attribute any individual event to climate change.

The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, is the most important climate agreement reached in the U.N. process so far. It expires this year, so negotiators in Doha will try to extend it as a stopgap measure until a wider deal can be reached.

Ex-climate change skeptic: Humans cause global warming

For thousands of years, permafrost has trapped Siberia's carbon-rich soil, a compost of Ice Age plant and animal remains. But global warming is melting the permafrost and exposing the soil, causing highly flammable methane to seep out. NBC's Jim Maceda reports.

Divisions
The problem is that only the European Union and a handful of other countries -- that together are behind less than 15 percent of global emissions -- are willing to put down emissions targets for a second commitment period of Kyoto.

The United States rejected Kyoto because it did not impose any binding commitments on major developing countries such as India and China, which is now the world's No. 1 carbon emitter.

Climate-changing methane 'rapidly destabilizing' off East Coast, study finds

The United States and other Western countries insist that the firewall in the climate talks between developing and developed countries must be removed so that the new treaty can apply to all nations.

China and other developing countries want to maintain a clear division, saying climate change is mainly a legacy of Western industrialization and that their own emissions must be allowed to grow as their economies expand, lifting millions of people out of poverty.

The Inuit, who survived for centuries by hunting seals and whales, are watching their way of life disappear.

Complete Environment coverage on NBCNews.com

That discord scuttled attempts to forge a climate deal in Copenhagen in 2009 and risks a relapse in Doha as talks begin on a new global deal that is supposed to be adopted in 2015 and implemented in 2020.

The rich-poor divide is also deepened by arguments over climate aid meant to help developing countries convert to cleaner energy sources and adapt their infrastructure to rising sea levels and other effects of global warming.

More world stories from NBC News:

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

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/26/15448838-splits-between-rich-poor-nations-persist-as-climate-talks-open-in-doha?lite

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Saturday, November 3, 2012

What I Read in October 2012 | Jamie Todd Rubin

Posted on 02 November 2012

I?m a little behind getting this post out, but part of the reason is that I have now partially automated the process of generating these posts?something which I will discuss in my Going Paperless tips post next week. Remember that items in bold are recommended. And a (^) indicates a re-read.

It is also worth noting that Jack McDevitt and Mike Resnick?s?The Cassandra Project was the 500th book I?ve read since 1996.

With that out of the way, here is what I read in October

Short Fiction

  1. Overthrow by Cleve Cartmill (Astounding, November 1942) [10/2/2012]
  2. Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption^ by Stephen King (Different Seasons) [10/4/2012]
  3. Sojourn for Ephah by Marina Lostetter (InterGalactic Medicine Show, September 2012) [10/5/2012]
  4. My Mother?s Body by Christie Yant (Daily Science Fiction,?10/18/2012) [10/18/2012]
  5. A Handful of Glass, A Sky Without Stars by Damien Walters Grintalis (Daily Science Fiction, 10/26/2012) [10/26/2012]

In addition to those five stories, I also read 3 stories from fellow writers for critique and feedback.

Articles

  1. Editorial: Sneak Invasion by John W. Campbell (Astounding, November 1942) [10/2/2012]
  2. Art of Speculation: An Interview with Stanley Schmidt (Locus, October 2012) [10/3/2012]
  3. Inversions: An Interview with Kij Johnson (Locus, October 2012) [10/5/2012]
  4. America?s Science Problem by Shawn Lawrence Otto (Scientific American,?November 2012) [10/18/2012]
  5. To Track My Thief by David Pogue (Scientific American, November 2012) [10/18/2012]
  6. Death by Graham Lawton (New Scientist,?10/20/2012) [10/19/2012]
  7. Plight of the Living Dead by Dick Teresi (New Scientist, 10/20/2012) [10/19/2012]
  8. The Quest for Immortality by Stephen Cave (New Scientist, 10/20/2012) [10/19/2012]
  9. Earthly Remains by Caroline Williams (New Scientist, 10/20/2012) [10/19/2012]
  10. Don?t Fear the Reaper by Shelly Kagan (New Scientist, 10/20/2012) [10/19/2012]
  11. Taylor In Wonderland by Brian Hiatt (Rolling Stone,?10/25/2012) [10/20/2012]
  12. Rod?s Wild Years (Excerpt) by Rod Steward (Rolling Stone,?10/25/2012) [10/20/2012]
  13. A League of His Own by Josh Eells (Rolling Stone, 11/8/2012) [10/26/2012]
  14. The Value of Failing (From Someone Who Never Did) by Joanna Castle Miller (Writer?s Digest, Nov/Dec 2012) [10/29/2012]
  15. George R. R. Martin: At the Top of His Game by Rich Shivener (Writer?s Digest, Nov/Dec 2012) [10/29/2012]

Books

  1. The Cassandra Project by Jack McDevitt and Mike Resnick (Ace) [10/11/2012]
  2. Apollo?s Outcasts by Allen Steele (Pyr) [10/31/2012]

And as always, if you are looking for inexpensive entertainment, a subscription to one of the many terrific science fiction and fantasy magazines out there is cheaper than an evening out at the movies.

Get your short fiction fix:

My nonfiction subscriptions:

*?Denotes magazines to which I have an active subscription.



Source: http://www.jamierubin.net/2012/11/02/what-i-read-in-october-2012/

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Ralph Lauren 2Q net falls 8 pct; sees Sandy effect

NEW YORK (AP) ? Ralph Lauren says reduced wholesale shipments to Europe and a tax cost drove its fiscal second-quarter net income down by 8 percent, and the clothing company trimmed its revenue expectations for the year amid a global economic slowdown.

The company also said that Superstorm Sandy is affecting the current quarter, which runs through December, but it's too early to tell how much.

"At this point, we know we have lost a modest amount of revenue for the third quarter, but there are still some uncertainty with respect to the lingering impact the hurricane might have on future sales," Chris Peterson, Ralph Lauren's senior vice president and chief financial officer told investors during a call Friday.

Ralph Lauren said that about a dozen of the 81 stores that were closed Monday have been re-opened. Peterson also said Ralph Lauren's online sales were disrupted as many shoppers lost electricity.

The 45-year-old owner of the Ralph Lauren Collection and Polo by Ralph Lauren brands sells its products at department stores, its own shops and through other retailers.

In the three months through Sept. 29, net income fell to $213.7 million, or $2.29 per share, from $233.5 million, or $2.46 per share, last year. Analysts expected $2.15 per share.

Revenue fell 2 percent to $1.86 billion. Analysts expected $1.83 billion. A planned reduction in shipments to some European stores that carry its lines hurt revenue. The company's business has also been hurt by the phasing out of its American Living brand, which had been exclusively carried by mid-price department store chain J.C. Penney.

Ralph Lauren also says it plans to discontinue its Rugby brand to focus on more profitable brands.

Sales at Ralph Lauren's own stores, however, rose 5 percent to $901 million, as revenue at stores opened at least a year rose 3 percent.

Looking forward, the company expects that revenue will grow 2 to 3 percent in fiscal 2013. It had previously predicted revenue would grow in the mid-single-digits.

Shares rose $2.17, or 1.4 percent, to $161.21 in late trading Friday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ralph-lauren-2q-net-falls-8-pct-sees-192859476--finance.html

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Friday, November 2, 2012

Pets Take on Stairs in Adorable Videos

Aside from being ridiculously adorable, our pets offer up some pretty funny entertainment. For starters, they casually hang out for photo shoots?and?sneeze to the beat of Dubstep. Basically, if there?s a cute behavior to be documented, you can be sure we?re on it!

Well folks, we?ve stumbled upon a lesser-known realm?in the world of animal amusement? their attempts at going down stairs. Some are super skilled while others are extra weary of tackling the challenge.?There?s also those flat-out lazy few who just flop down the stairs, which bears a striking resemblance to us on Monday mornings. But regardless, all are adorably hilarious!

From aww-worthy pug puppies to miniature pigs named Hamlet, check out the best of animals vs. stairs.

Source: http://thefw.com/animals-vs-stairs/

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Cellular landscaping: Predicting how, and how fast, cells will change

ScienceDaily (Oct. 31, 2012) ? A research team at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a model for making quantifiable predictions of how a group of cells will react and change in response to a given environment or stimulus -- and how quickly. The NIST model, in principle, makes it possible to assign reliable numbers to the complex evolution of a population of cells, a critical capability for efficient biomanufacturing as well as for the safety of stem cell-based therapies, among other applications.

The behavior and fate of cells are only partially determined by their DNA. A living cell reacts to both its internal and external environment -- the concentration of a particular protein inside itself or the chemistry of its surroundings, for example -- and those reactions are inherently probabilistic. You can't predict the future of any given cell with certainty.

This inherent uncertainty has consequences, according to NIST biochemist Anne Plant. "In the stem cell area in particular, there's a real safety and effectiveness issue because it's very hard to get 100 percent terminal differentiation of stem cells in a culture," she says. This could be problematic, because a therapist wishing to produce, say, heart muscle cells for a patient, might not want to introduce the wild card of undifferentiated stem cells. "Or effectiveness may be dependent on a mixture of cells at different stages of differentiation. One of the things that is impossible to predict at the moment is: if you waited longer, would the number of differentiated versus nondifferentiated cells change? Or if you were to just separate out the differentiated cells, does that really remove all the nondifferentiated cells? Or could some of them revert back?" says Plant.

The NIST experiments did not use stem cells, but rather fibroblasts, a common model cell for experiments. The team also used a standard tracking technique, modifying a gene of interest -- in this case, one that codes for a protein involved in building the extracellular support matrix in tissues -- by adding a snippet that codes for a small fluorescent molecule. The more a given cell activates or expresses the gene, the brighter it glows under appropriate light. The team then monitored the cell culture under a microscope, taking an image every 15 minutes for over 40 hours to record the fluctuations in cell behavior, the cells waxing and waning in the degree to which they express the fluorescent gene.

Custom software developed at NIST was used to analyze each image. Both time-lapse data from individual cells and time-independent data from the entire population of cells went into a statistical model. The resulting graph of peaks and valleys, called a landscape, says Plant, "mathematically describes the range of possible cell responses and how likely it is for cells to exhibit these responses." In addition, she says, the time analysis provides kinetic information: how much will a cell likely fluctuate between states, and how quickly?

The combination makes it possible to predict the time it will take for a given percentage of cells to change their characteristics. For biomanufacturing, it means a finer control over cell-based processes. If applied to stem cells, the technique could be useful in predicting how quickly the cells differentiate and the probability of having undifferentiated cells present at any point in time.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

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


Journal Reference:

  1. D. R. Sisan, M. Halter, J. B. Hubbard, A. L. Plant. Predicting rates of cell state change caused by stochastic fluctuations using a data-driven landscape model. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1207544109

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/rF9NxZUfux8/121101100237.htm

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Balloon Juice ? Blog Archive ? Dessert Topping or Floor Wax?

By Tom Levenson November 1st, 2012

This morning, Bernard attempted the valiant intellectual feat?of trying to get inside the mind of one W. Mitt Romney. ?The question: ?what lies behind his pre-Sandy hate on FEMA? ?His answer:

When Romney talked about killing?FEMA?it wasn?t because he really thought the states could or should do it, nor did he think the private sector could or should. When Romney went after?FEMA?in the primary debates, it was all about letting?GOP?voters know that he sees the Black Helicopters too.

That?s plausible, certainly, and I?ve no doubt that when you?re betting on Romney?s combination of cynicism and opportunism, you?ll never lose taking the over. ?But at the same time, I think this particular stance was overdetermined?and that it?s worse, not better, that Romney?s views on federal involvement in any social good derive even in part ?from remnants of genuine belief.

Here I have just a hint of (one remove) personal insight to share. ?Y?all recall that among the Romney ?home states,? Mitt and his family did in fact live in Massachusetts for a lot of years. ?Which means he had friends here, people who knew?and liked him before ambition consumed his soul. ?As it happened, I had dinner with a couple of those folks last week?people who had ?met him in the context of (non-sectarian) social action and who had become personal friends over the years the they knew each other, beginning well before Romney embarked on his political career.

My friends barely recognizes their friend any more, which saddens them, but in talking about Mitt?s charitable interests, our dinner companions emphasized two things: ?the first is that Romney does recognize that there are people in need, those for whom a helping hand is both needed and likely to be effective.

The second: Romney possessed then, and presumably does now, an enduring commitment to the Mormon church?not just to the formal tenets of the faith, but to the institution as it saw itself, a kind of corporate entity integrated into all facets of its members? lives. ?That?s the context in which Mitt had no problem with the idea of a group responsibility to ensure individuals? well-being-in-extremis. ?But such social service properly takes place (in my understanding of my friend?s gloss on Mitt?s views) within the private sphere, in the settings that Mormons or others find themselves. ?The idea of state intervention was not just unnecessary; it was an unwarranted intrusion.

The virtue of such an approach is obvious, I think: ?within specific communities, there are real, kept, mutual guarantees. ?Its defects are equally plain: ?for one, the price you pay for such common cause is that the gentile?and we?re all gentiles to somebody?is not part of the deal; and for another, there?s the problem of scale. ?In a country of 310 ?million-plus folks of all kinds of origins and destinations, the moral and practical implications of that kind of approach are catastrophic. ?As Sandy illustrates with brutal clarity, if your approach to the problems of society within the nation we actually inhabit is a canned goods drive?well, were he actually in charge,?the consequences that would flow from what at least were once Romney?s beliefs would be pretty certainly disastrous.

And hence the real problem, IMHO. ?Throughout this election season, plenty of folks who should know better have floated the notion that the GOP candidate seen on the stump is a fake Mitt?thus enabling the fantasy of some pragmatic, moderate Mitt who would both seek and be able to govern from the sensible center. ?I think that?s pretty certainly hogwash on the face of it; the running mate choice, if nothing else, is the one actual Presidential decision a nominee gets to make before the election, and I think Mitt?s shows the direction of a putative Romney presidency pretty clearly.

But even if there still survives some real Mitt behind the facades we?ve seen to date, here?s the rub: ?to the extent that the archaeology of friendship exposes that person, we find a man who does not accept the implications of what it means to live in a heterogeneous nation and a pluralistic society.

So, that?s what you have to ask yourself: is it better if Mitt didn?t care what he said about FEMA before it became inconvenient to have uttered his wingnut-bait? ?Or should we prefer that he actually believed in the proposition?

To me, it?s the second option that truly terrifies.YMMV.

Image: ?Egbert van der Poel,?View of Delft after the Explosion of 1654,??1654.

Source: http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/11/01/dessert-topping-or-floor-wax/

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