Nationals get Span from Twins for minor leaguer

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Washington Nationals acquired Denard Span from the Minnesota Twins for minor league pitcher Alex Meyer on Thursday, giving the reigning NL East champions a natural center fielder and leadoff hitter ? and setting off a chain reaction in the lineup both offensively and defensively.

A career .284 hitter with 90 steals and a .357 on-base percentage during five seasons with the Twins, Span comes to the Nationals with a set of talents the team has been seeking since it moved to Washington in 2005.

"He's going to bring a dimension to the club that we haven't had before," general manager Mike Rizzo said, "a fast-moving, exciting guy that makes contact and moves the guy around and can fly around the field."

Span's arrival allows the Nationals to move 20-year-old Bryce Harper to a corner outfield spot ? probably left field, with Jayson Werth staying in right. Michael Morse could then move to first base ? the position played by free agent slugger Adam LaRoche.

Rizzo said the team is still in talks with LaRoche and has entertained some trade queries about Morse, so either player could end up at first next season.

"It gives us some options in dealing with our roster," Rizzo said.

Harper, a converted catcher, had some adventures in center field this season but was also a sparkplug, doing enough with his bat and glove to win the NL's Rookie of the Year award.

"He's a terrific young center fielder," Rizzo said. "But we felt for his long-term development and his career path that we wanted to move him out of a taxing position of center field, both mentally taxing and physically taxing. We've accomplished that."

The trade also allows the Nationals to move Werth, an unconventional leadoff hitter, down in the lineup. Werth batted in the top spot this year essentially by default.

"I think his best skillset is farther down," Rizzo said, "in a run-producing type of spot."

Span's name has surfaced in trade rumors for much of the past two years, including some interest from the Nationals in 2010. He asserted himself as one of the Twins' building blocks in 2009 and 2010, emerging as a quality leadoff hitter and versatile outfielder.

Span will be entering the fourth year of a $16.5 million, five-year contract with a $9 million club option for a sixth year. His deal was considered quite a bargain for the Twins given Span's production in the first two seasons, but he only played in 70 games in 2011 because of issues with concussions and migraines, then worked to revamp his diet and workout regimen to try to better manage the situation.

"Hearing trade talks and going through a concussion wasn't easy for me," said Span, who was born in Washington but has never lived in the city. "But fast-forward to today ? and I'm definitely ready. ... I'm ready to be coming to a team that is already in a place to win, and I just hope that I can come here and not get in the way."

Span played in 128 games this year, hitting .284 with four homers and 41 RBIs. He missed time late in the season due to a strained right collarbone, allowing Ben Revere to showcase his speed both in the outfield and at the plate.

"He took a step forward last year in our minds," Twins general manager Terry Ryan said of Revere. "He played well. He played with a wealth of energy. This should fit."

The Twins are coming off back-to-back last-place finishes in the AL Central and were in desperate need of starting pitchers. Scott Diamond is the only proven starter on the roster right now and there is a dearth of power arms in the farm system to help fill the need.

The one area of strength the Twins had to deal for pitching was outfield, with Span and Revere with the big league team and promising prospects such as Aaron Hicks in the minor leagues. So while Span was a valuable player on the field and one of the respected veterans in the clubhouse, he was a natural candidate to be dangled in a trade.

Meyer should help, but not in the short-term. The 6-foot-9 flamethrower went 10-6 with a 2.86 ERA splitting time at Class A Potomac and Hagerstown this year.

"He's a starting pitcher, which we need" Ryan said. "He's got the stuff, he's got the frame, he throws it over the plate. ... He played in two different A-ball leagues last year. On the surface that means he's not as close as you'd like, but we'll let him dictate his pace and see exactly how he responds to it."

___

AP Sports Writer Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

___

Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-11-29-BBO-Twins-Nationals-Trade/id-da223b656fc04ab48070a5114f345f7a

william daley truffles truffles alabama vs lsu alabama vs lsu bcs championship game beyonce baby

The Ongoing Distortion Of Soaring US Manufacturing Productivity ...

You?ve heard and read the stories. They say that US manufacturing productivity has continued to rise over the past 15 years, accounting for the loss of manufacturing ?jobs. They tout these immense productivity gains ? most often attributed to automation ? as the direct result of our industrial & intellectual superiority.

These are great stories. And they?d be so much better if they were true.

I recently spoke at IMTS on the overall conditions of US manufacturing and to share my belief that a comprehensive industrial policy is our best way to begin building our way back to prosperity. As part of this presentation, I laid out the general reasons for, and impact of, the distortion of US productivity numbers. Here?s what I had to say:

The fact is that the productivity numbers reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) count production performed overseas that is ?owned? by US-based companies as US production. And at the lower wages AND with the increased profits that those lower wages have created. This mis-measurement is known as ?import price bias.?

If the BLS productivity numbers were all we had to worry about, that?d be one thing. But many organizations and news outlets use those import price biased figures as a basis for other important reports or materials. For example, the Federal Reserve uses BLS productivity performance measurements predominantly in their monthly manufacturing regional reports. These faulty BLS numbers also factor into many trade or economic policy and projection decisions made by government entities or companies.

Garbage in, garbage out.

It?s like preparing for a battle, and having totally inaccurate data regarding?adversary?troop strength and location. That wrong data could get your head handed to you. And these BLS data are likely having the same impact on us as we construct a way out of our manufacturing malaise.

An excellent explanation of the full impact of these miscalculations can be found in a presentation by Michael Mandel, called ?The Cheshire Cat Economy:?Why We Are Underestimating The Impact Of Trade.?

In this presentation, Mandel presents the ?country? of Brickland as an analogy for the US:

But then, he introduces the fictional low-cost country ?LowCostia? into the supply chain equation, and what it brings (brought?) to the productivity party:

With LowCostia now in the equation, some basic changes occur:

• GDP drops slightly, from $1,000,000?to $990,000.
• Employment falls from 1000 to 500.
• Measured productivity almost?doubles, from $1000 per worker to?$1980 per worker.

The result of measuring this production shift by ownership rather than location means that measured productivity nearly doubles ? but as a result of offshoring, not automation or greater productivity through efficiency.

The cause of this perpetual charade, in a nutshell, is that the BLS continues to use formulae that were created to measure our production in a continental economy, long after we?ve entered a global manufacturing economy. Despite some band-aids applied to correct these discrepancies, they can?t begin to present a clear picture that tells us what has actually happened, nor what is really happening today.

As Mandel concludes, we need to return to ?production economics? to accurately measure not just our progress (or lack thereof), but also the ?multiplier effect? of manufacturing jobs on the overall economy.

In all fairness, the BLS is underfunded and understaffed. Worse, even if new fomulae were developed to offset import price bias, it couldn?t possibly accurately account for the performance and shifts in foreign employment,?fluctuating?materials & logistics costs, labor, and governmental subsidies. And while the Federal Reserve has tried to create a formula that offsets import price bias (see page 30 of this report), it is wildly?insufficient?to bring clarity to this issue.

The next time you see or read a report that cites BLS productivity numbers directly or indirectly, don?t just be suspicious ? be downright skeptical. Because they?re working from a faulty premise. And as a result, these faulty data mean that:

• US manufacturing output is overestimated
• US worker productivity is overestimated
• Trade deficit is underestimated
• Global growth is underestimated

To do nothing about this means we?ll continually make decisions and form opinions based on inaccurate data that could lead to even more?disastrous?results than we?ve already seen. These discrepancies are serious, and we must call it for what it is ? inaccurate at best, deceptive at worst.

But I?m afraid we don?t want to deal with this, or we already would have. We?re happy to just accept it, and move onto the next thing. It?s easier to whistle in the dark, and just tell ourselves that everything will work out OK.

After all, it has up until now, right? Right?

Source: http://ajsweatt.com/the-ongoing-distortion-of-soaring-us-manufacturing-productivity/

taylor swift taylor swift katy perry Chad Johnson Twitter Helen Gurley Brown Kathi Goertzen Johnny Pesky

2013 Sundance Film Fest: Returnees Jehane Noujaim and Kim ...

While the US doc lineup is leaning hard-nose, the international competition is looking a lot more varied, with eight of the twelve slots being filled with world premieres. Running with this year?s international headlines and coming partially from the source itself, Mike Lerner and Maxim Pozdorovkin?s Pussy Riot ? A Punk Prayer will make its debut running between art and politics. Profiling the life and challenges of individuals, The Stuart Hall Project by helmer John Akomfrah (who two years ago released The Nine Muses) and Andy Heathcote The Moo Man. Long a contributor to the non-fiction filler of Entertainment Tonight and Dr. Phil, Marc Silver?s directorial debut, Who is Dayani Cristal? delves into pure cinematic mystery. A trio of IDFA preemed titles in Tinatin Gurchiani?s The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear, Qi Zhao?s Fallen City, and Dylan Mohan Gray?s Fire in the Blood. Among the returnees to Park City we find Control Room?s Jehane Noujaim (with The Square) and Rough Aunties? Kim Longinotto (with Salma). All 12 in the running below:

Fallen City / China (Director: Qi Zhao) ? Fallen City spans four years to reveal how three families who survived the 2008 Sichuan earthquake to embark on a journey searching for hope, purpose, identity, and to rebuild their lives in a new China torn between tradition and modernity. North American Premiere

Fire in the Blood / India (Director: Dylan Mohan Gray) ? In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Western governments and pharmaceutical companies blocked low-cost antiretroviral drugs from reaching AIDS-stricken Africa, causing 10 million or more unnecessary deaths. An improbable group of people decided to fight back. North American Premiere

Google and the World Brain / Spain, United Kingdom (Director: Ben Lewis) ? In the most ambitious project ever conceived on the Internet, Google has been scanning the world?s books for 10 years. They said the intention was to build a giant digital library, but that involved scanning millions of copyrighted works. World Premiere

The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear / Georgia, Germany (Director: Tinatin Gurchiani) ? A film director casting a 15-23-year-old protagonist visits villages and cities to meet people who answer her call. She follows those who prove to be interesting enough through various dramatic and funny situations. North American Premiere

The Moo Man / United Kingdom (Directors: Andy Heathcote, Heike Bachelier) ? A year in the life of heroic farmer Steve, scene stealing Ida (queen of the herd), and a supporting cast of 55 cows. When Ida falls ill, Steve?s optimism is challenged and their whole way of life is at stake. World Premiere

Pussy Riot ? A Punk Prayer / Russian Federation, United Kingdom (Directors: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin) ? Three young women face seven years in a Russian prison for a satirical performance in a Moscow cathedral. But who is really on trial: the three young artists or the society they live in? World Premiere

A River Changes Course / Cambodia, U.S.A. (Director: Kalyanee Mam) ? Three young Cambodians struggle to overcome the crushing effects of deforestation, overfishing, and overwhelming debt in this devastatingly beautiful story of a country reeling from the tragedies of war and rushing to keep pace with a rapidly expanding world. World Premiere

Salma / United Kingdom, India (Director: Kim Longinotto) ? When Salma, a young girl in South India, reached puberty, her parents locked her away. Millions of girls all over the world share the same fate. Twenty-five years later, Salma has fought her way back to the outside world. World Premiere

The Square (El Midan) / Egypt, U.S.A. (Director: Jehane Noujaim) ? What does it mean to risk your life for your ideals? How far will five revolutionaries go in defending their beliefs in the fight for their nation? World Premiere

The Stuart Hall Project / United Kingdom (Director: John Akomfrah) ? Antinuclear campaigner, New Left activist and founding father of Cultural Studies, this documentary interweaves 70 years of Stuart Hall?s film, radio and television appearances, and material from his private archive to document a memorable life and construct a portrait of Britain?s foremost radical intellectual. World Premiere

The Summit / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Nick Ryan) ? Twenty-four climbers converged at the last stop before summiting the most dangerous mountain on Earth. Forty-eight hours later, 11 had been killed or simply vanished. Had one, Ger McDonnell, stuck to the climbers? code, he might still be alive. International Premiere

Who is Dayani Cristal? / United Kingdom (Director: Marc Silver) ? An anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for its identity leads us across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo. World Premiere.

About the author: Eric Lavallee View all posts by Eric Lavallee

Eric Lavall?e is the founder, editor-in-chief and film critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric splits his time between his home base in Montreal, NYC, and is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. Top Films From Contemporary Film Auteurs: Almod?var (Talk to Her), Coen Bros. (Fargo), Dardennes (La Promesse), Haneke (Cach?), Hsiao-Hsien (Three Times), Kar-wai (In the Mood for Love), Kiarostami (Taste of Cherry), Lynch (Mulholland Dr.), Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho), von Trier (Breaking the Waves)

Source: http://www.ioncinema.com/news/film-festivals/2013-sundance-film-fest-returnees-jehane-noujaim-kim-longinotto-world-cinema-docu-comp

84th annual academy awards beginners 2012 oscars the shore meryl streep oscar wins sasha baron cohen oscars oscar winners

Video: Fighting Rice: what the GOP is saying about Benghazi

Kacsmar: What parity? Familiar faces dot NFL playoff chase

Kacsmar: The NFL loves to sell parity. Teams can turn things around quickly, and anyone can go on a Super Bowl run. Fans are so used to picking five or six new playoff teams each season, because that is what history says will happen. But not this year.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/50000684#50000684

instagram for android dallas news dallas fort worth dfw 1930 census nike new nfl uniforms nfl uniforms

A Few Math Questions That US College Students Can?t Answer

If you can do basic subtraction, you might just be more math-savvy than a lot U.S. college students. A new research paper looks at the mathematical prowess of the roughly 50 percent?of community college students in remedial math and finds our national math IQ lacking [DOC]. Below are a few questions that a disturbing number of students could not answer.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/RBqz3onF-20/

sports illustrated swimsuit 2012 aretha franklin whitney houston paul williams paul babeu kevin costner budweiser shootout animal house

Stressed Over the Holidays? Exercise Triggers a Chemical ...

?When times get crazy, the thing people give up is exercise, and that?s the key thing a person needs. When a person is excitable from stress, the burst of energy that you get from exercise can help burn the adrenaline off and calm you down,? said Erica Christ, RD, CDE, an exercise physiologist at?Greenwich Hospital?s Weight Loss & Diabetes Center. ?Exercise allows you time to focus, and gives you a sense of mindfulness that makes the other pieces of your life fall into place,? added Christ.

Physical activity also stimulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, which has been linked to post-exercise mood improvement more effectively than antidepressant medications.

It?s commonly understood that physical activity is an essential part of any overall health plan. For the Center, Erica Christ uses Pilates, a form of exercise that incorporates graceful movement to build flexibility, muscle strength and endurance while supporting the body?s core abdominal and lower back area.

?The physical benefit of Pilates goes beyond strengthening the abs, back, shoulders and buttocks. There is also the importance of concentration and mind-body awareness. Plus there are no pressure joints. It?s a very safe, very powerful workout,? explained Christ.

Being tri-credentialed as an exercise physiologist, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator, Erica Christ understands the intricate dance that goes on between food, motion and metabolism. She helps clients learn how to fuel their bodies with energy for their specific lifestyle needs.

?The biggest goal is to teach people how to use exercise as a way to de-stress from the outside world. It?s the ability to use an hour to turn off the rest of the world and focus on the task at hand. You become empowered while you?re doing it, and that empowerment is motivation for overall self-improvement,? said Christ.

Holiday Healthy Eating Reminders
1. Don?t try to lose weight during the holidays. Maintaining your current weight is more realistic.
2. Create an environment that supports your weight goal. Keep healthy foods in your home.
3. Keep up with a regular exercise routine.
4. Eat when you are hungry. Stop when you are full.
5. Understand why you eat. Is it boredom? Is it just because the food is there? Drink water instead.

Edited article via?Greenwich Hospital.

Source: http://www.alternavox.net/17845/stressed-over-the-holidays-exercise-triggers-a-chemical-response-to-help-you-relax/

bachelor pad bachelor pad Green Coffee Bean Extract september 11 adam levine 9/11 Memorial jessica simpson

Post free classified ads - denver braces - Health & Fitness : Dental ...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://hot-classifieds.info/viewad.asp?id=50154907916147857

babe ruth new jersey nets nba playoff schedule rondo morris claiborne mothers day gifts clippers

Egyptians gather in Tahrir to protest president's decree

A protester runs to throw a tear gas canister back to riot police during clashes in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Tuesday. President Mohammed Morsi's declaration last week of new powers for himself has sparked days of demonstrations.

By The Associated Press

CAIRO ? Egyptian protesters and police clashed in Cairo on Tuesday just hours ahead of a planned massive rally by opponents of the country's Islamist president demanding he rescind decrees that granted him near-absolute powers.

Police fired tear gas and hundreds of protesters pelted them with rocks at a street between the U.S. Embassy and Tahrir Square, birthplace of the uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak's authoritarian regime nearly two years ago.

The protesters have been staging a sit-in at the square since Friday night to demand President Mohammed Morsi revoke his decrees.

---

?

By midday, hundreds were starting to gather in Tahrir, chanting against Morsi's decrees and the Brotherhood. A new banner in the square proclaimed, "The Brotherhood stole the country."

"We are here to bring down the constitutional declaration issued by Morsi," said one protester at Tahrir, Mahmoud Youssef.

Egypt's Morsi, top judges compromise to defuse soaring tensions over decree

Hundreds of lawyers meanwhile gathered outside their union building in downtown Cairo ahead of their march to Tahrir. "Leave, leave," they chanted, addressing Morsi.

The rally planned for later Tuesday, with marches from various parts of Cairo to converge on Tahrir, is to be a significant test of the opposition's ability to bring out supporters and the public against Morsi's edicts issued last week.

The opposition says the decrees give Morsi near dictatorial powers by neutralizing the judiciary at a time when he already holds executive and legislative powers. Key parts of the judicial system have denounced the measures.

After encountering a wave of protests in response to a decree from Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi that would have raised his edicts above judicial review, Morsi moved quickly to contain the damage. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports.

Morsi, in office since June, says the decrees are necessary to protect the "revolution" and the nation's transition to democratic rule. His declaration made all his decisions immune to judicial review and banned the courts from dissolving the upper house of parliament and an assembly writing the new constitution, both of which are dominated by Islamists. The decree also gave Morsi sweeping authority to stop any "threats" to the revolution.

Morsi's supporters canceled a massive rally they had planned for Tuesday, citing the need to "defuse tension" after a series of clashes between the two camps since the decrees were issued Thursday.

But a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood, the fundamentalist group from which Morsi hails, said demonstrations supporting the president could go ahead outside the capital and that supporters would form human chains in some provinces to protect Brotherhood offices. Morsi's supporters say more than a dozen of their offices have been ransacked or set ablaze since Friday.

President within his rights?
On Monday, Morsi met with the nation's top judges and tried to win their acceptance of his decrees. But the move was dismissed by many in the opposition and the judiciary as providing no real concessions.

Riot police use tear gas on protesters during clashes in Tahrir Square on Tuesday.

Presidential spokeman Yasser Ali, said Morsi told the judges that he acted within his rights as the nation's sole source of legislation, assuring them that the decrees were temporary and did not in any way infringe on the judiciary. He underlined repeatedly that the president had no plans to change or amend his decrees.

According to a presidential statement late Monday, Morsi told the judges that his decree meant that any decisions he makes on "issues of sovereignty" are immune from judicial review.

The vaguely worded statement did not define those issues, but they were widely interpreted to cover declaration of war, imposition of martial law, breaking diplomatic relations with a foreign nation or dismissing a Cabinet. Morsi's original edict, however, explicitly gives immunity to all his decisions and there was no sign it had been changed.

Photoblog: Protesters in Tahrir Square hold funeral for activist killed in clashes

The statement Monday did not touch the immunity that Morsi gave the constitutional assembly or the upper chamber of parliament, known as the Shura Council. It also did not affect the edict that the president can take any measures he sees as necessary to stop threats to the revolution, stability or public institutions. Many see that edict as granting Morsi unlimited emergency powers.

The Shura Council does not have lawmaking authorities but, in the absence of the more powerful lower chamber, the People's Assembly, it is the only popularly elected, national body where the Brotherhood and other Islamists have a majority. The People's Assembly was dissolved by a court ruling in June.

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

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

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/27/15482293-leave-leave-egyptians-gather-in-cairos-tahrir-square-to-protest-presidents-decree?lite

barista university of kentucky ncaa oakland news alec baldwin alec baldwin college basketball

Shrubs lend insight into a glacier's past

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2012) ? The stems of shrubs have given researchers a window into a glacier's past, potentially allowing them to more accurately assess how they're set to change in the future.

Their findings have been published 27 November in IOP Publishing's journal Environmental Research Letters, and show how a glacier's history of melting can be extended way past the instrumental record.

Much like the rings on a tree stump indicate how old it is, measuring the width of rings on the stem of a shrub can give a good indication of how well it has grown year on year. Under extreme environmental conditions, such as those close to a glacier, a shrub's growth relies heavily on summer temperatures, meaning the ring-width of a shrub can be used a proxy for glacial melting, which also relies heavily on summer temperatures.

Lead author of the study, Allan Buras, said: "In warm summers, shrubs grow more compared to cold summers. In contrast, a glacier's summer mass balance is more negative in warm summers, meaning there is more melting compared to cold summers.

"Big rings in shrubs therefore indicate comparably warm summers, and thus a strongly negative summer mass balance -- in other words, more melting."

The researchers, from the University of Greifswald, tested this theory on a local icecap in the Scandic Mountains of southern Norway. They took 24 samples of shrubs from a site close to the glacier and analysed their ring-widths.

Monthly precipitation and temperature data from a local climate station were retrieved from the Norwegian Meteorological Office, and the summer mass balance of the glacier, from 1963 to 2010, was retrieved from the existing literature.

Each of these data sets was then statistically tested to see if there was a correlation between them. The results showed a robust and reliable correlation between the ring-width of shrubs and the summer melting of the glacier.

"Our results show that it is possible to reconstruct glacier summer mass balance with shrub ring-width series and it is therefore theoretically possible to extent records of summer mass balance into the past," Buras continued.

The shrubs that were collected in the study were relatively young, only allowing for reliable reconstructions over the past 36 years, meaning they could not be used to extend the record of the glacier; however, the researchers are confident that this could have been achieved if longer-lived shrubs were selected.

Most of the available data on the mass balance of glaciers only spans several decades and there is some data missing, mainly because most glaciers are situated in hard-to-reach arctic and alpine areas.

With the possibility to extend the instrumental records of summer mass balance, researchers may gain a better understanding of how glaciers behave in the summer, which they can use to calibrate and verify their existing models.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Institute of Physics.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Allan Buras, Martin Hallinger, Martin Wilmking. Can shrubs help to reconstruct historical glacier retreats? Environmental Research Letters, 2012; 7 (4): 044031 DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/7/4/044031

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/OBMn89C92Ik/121126192759.htm

etch a sketch the host hoodie hoosiers temperance world bank kim kardashian flour bomb

Business Management Consultant (Senior Tender Writer and Sales ...

Job Summary

Regenesys is a leading and fast growing business school in South Africa. We are looking for Business Management Consultant to help grow the business through sales of training solutions within both the private and public sector. The consultant must be experienced in writing high level tenders, client liaison, business development and will be managing the sales team responsible for submitting tenders and proposals. The consultant must be able to work in a fast paced environment.

Duties and Responsibilities

Identify business opportunities in delivering training and education to the private and public sectors.

Manage the projects sales department (tenders and proposals) including allocation of work, ensuring high standards of submissions, and accurate reporting.

Writing tender submissions for large tenders.

Represent Regenesys when presenting tenders.

Business development

Client liaison.

Developing a strategy and driving project sales through the Business Development Executives.

Conducting analysis in order to determine opportunities and to inform strategy.

Perform other relevant job functions as requested and directed by Management

Education and Qualifications

Minimum Three-year Degree. Ideally and Honours Degree or Postgraduate Diploma from an accredited institution.

5 years consultancy/management experience

Skills and Experience

Advanced writing and editing skills

Advanced skills in MS Word, Outlook, and Excel

Experience of working in the Higher Education sector

Experience in sales and business development

Experience in managing a team

Ability to make effective decisions under pressure

Salary: Commensurate with qualifications and experience

Email CV?s to hr@regenesys.co.za or fax to 011 669 5001

Source: http://regenesys.co.za/2012/11/business-management-consultant-senior-tender-writer-and-sales-manager/

Missy Franklin Hunter Pence NBCOlympics Danell Leyva Ye Shiwen OJ Murdock Olympics Live

Doubting Readiness for Marriage | Ask the Therapist

I?ve been dating my boyfriend for 6 months, during the first month we talked about marriage. I have been married before at 19 for only 3 months and I thought I was over it and didnt care. Now that I?m seeing my boyfriend and the thought of marriage came up I developed a generalized anxiety disorder and have been dealing with it. He is so good to me and sticks by my side no matter what but lately I?ve been having doubts if he is the one for me, or if I?m ready for marriage and basically just panicked.

I cant seem to just go with the flow of the relationship, it?s like I need an answer now. Also we are long distance and have yet to spend more than 4 days at a time together. I feel maybe if we got engaged the doubts would go away but if they didn?t this would only cause him more hurt. Im completely honest with him and only want the best for both of us, I just don?t want to regret leaving someone I love just because of doubts. I can?t think of a better guy, I could be more attracted to him but looks aren?t important to me but I also want to be able to love him back the way he deserves and not feel this pressure to move on to marriage or either move on to someone else, I just want to see where it goes but my head it constantly telling me I need to leave him or that I love him and he is amazing and great and that he is the one for me.

A: Listen to your instincts. They are good. Talking about marriage in the first month of dating and pursuing the issue when you?ve never had more than 4 days together makes no sense at all. Of course you?re anxious. What?s the rush? I don?t think the problem is that you?re ?gun shy? from a short marriage 7 years ago. I think your system is trying to slow you down.

I?m also concerned that you aren?t more attracted to him. Yes, he may be wonderful. But attraction does matter. It shouldn?t be the only factor in your decision but it certainly should be considered.

I think you should take a big step back. Put the marriage question on hold until you?ve had some quality and quantity time together. Give yourself time to get to know how you two click when you aren?t in ?visit? mode. You need some time to get into daily routines and see how it works. If your boyfriend pressures you to move faster, there?s something amiss. A decision as important as who you?ll spend the rest of your life with deserves time and attention. If he truly loves you, he can slow down too.

There?s a sweetness to the time of courtship. It?s a time to explore each other on many, many levels. It?s a time to learn everything from what kind of toast a person prefers to how to please each other physically. It?s a time to enjoy being the full focus of someone else?s love and attention. It?s a time to meet each other?s family and friends to see if there?s a good fit. It?s a time to talk about the endless possibilities that go into making a life together, from your personal goals to your hopes and dreams for a life together. Don?t shortchange yourselves. Enjoy the romance.

I wish you well.
Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie is licensed as both a psychologist and marriage and family counselor. She specializes in couples and family therapy and parent education. Check out her website at ParentAdvisor.net, follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

?

Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 25 Nov 2012

APA Reference
Hartwell-Walker, D. (2012). Doubting Readiness for Marriage. Psych Central. Retrieved on November 25, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/2012/11/25/doubting-readiness-for-marriage/

Source: http://psychcentral.com/ask-the-therapist/2012/11/25/doubting-readiness-for-marriage/

richard cordray shannon de lima joe torre west virginia university tim howard west virginia rob roy

Gabby Giffords' brother-in-law to spend year in orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? A former space shuttle commander whose twin brother is married to former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords will attempt the longest spaceflight ever by an American.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko will spend an entire year aboard the International Space Station beginning in 2015.

Both countries' space agencies announced the names of the two veteran spacefliers on Monday. The extended mission was approved almost two months ago to provide a medical foundation for future missions around the moon, as well as far-flung trips to asteroids and Mars.

Both men already have lived aboard the space station for six months. NASA wanted experienced space station astronauts to streamline the amount of training necessary for a one-year stint. Officials had said the list of candidates was very short. They will begin training next year.

"Their skills and previous experience aboard the space station align with the mission's requirements," Bill Gerstenmaier, head of human exploration for NASA, said in a statement. "The one-year increment will expand the bounds of how we live and work in space and will increase our knowledge regarding the effects of microgravity on humans as we prepare for future missions beyond low-Earth orbit."

Kelly's identical twin brother, Mark Kelly, retired from the astronaut corps last year and moved to Tucson, Ariz., his wife's hometown. The former congresswoman was critically wounded in an assassination attempt in January 2011, while Scott Kelly was living aboard the space station.

Astronauts normally spend about four to six months aboard the space station. The longest an American lived there was seven months, several years back.

Russia, though, will continue to hold the world space endurance record.

Three cosmonauts spent at least a year aboard the old Mir space station. A Russian physician, Valery Polyakov, logged nearly 15 continuous months there in the mid-1990s.

Boris Morukov, head of the Moscow-based Institute for Medical and Biological Problems, Russia's main space medicine research center, told the Interfax news agency that communications and food rations for Kelly and Kornienko may be limited during their yearlong mission to better simulate interplanetary travel.

Kelly and Kornienko will launch aboard a Russian rocket from Kazakhstan. Americans must buy seats on Russian spacecraft now that NASA's shuttles have retired to museums, until private U.S. companies have vessels capable of carrying human passengers. That's still four or five years off.

Kelly is a 48-year-old, divorced Navy captain with two daughters. Kornienko, 52, a rocket engineer, is married with a daughter.

"We have chosen the most responsible, skilled and enthusiastic crew members to expand space exploration, and we have full confidence in them," Russian Space Agency chief Vladimir Popovkin said in the announcement.

___

AP writer Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.

___

Online:

NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-twin-astronaut-russian-spend-orbit-171859046.html

mls draft mark davis marine urination video cadillac ats bain capital marines urinating haley barbour

Video: Bloomberg celebrates Small Business Saturday with announcement

>> a lot of warmth, though, from this crowd.

>> a lot of warm smiles. people with strange mustaches. i'm carl quintanilla here with erica hill . lester has the morning off. coming up in this half-hour, have you ever gone to the mall planning to spend a certain amount of money and you walk out spending twice as much?

>> yeah, i do that at target a lot.

>> target, anywhere. coming up, we'll reveal what some of your favorite retailers are actually doing to get you to spend more of your crash. some interesting mind games going on.

>> obviously, that's their goal. ours is to save some. happy to have those hints coming up. also, we'll switch gears a little bit this morning when we introduce you to a young woman who has really become an inspiration for so many. she's battling cancer, diagnosed at just 22 years old when she was living what she thought was the perfect life . she turned the situation around and she's helping others.

>>> a bit later this morning, a legal uproar over a sentencing handed down by a judge in oklahoma who ordered a teenager convicted of causing a deadly car crash not to ten years of prison, but to a decade of church instead.

>> interesting legal bats on that front, too.

>>> meantime, today, as you know, small business saturday. a chance to give your favorite mom and pop store a boost of business. here in this area, badly needed in the wake of hurricane sandy. joining us more to talk more about that is new york city mayor michael bloomberg . welcome.

>> thank you. welcome to small business saturday.

>> good to be here. we all know what the city has been through over the past few weeks. you have an announcement regarding some of those businesses that even still can't open.

>> number one, small business saturday is the creation of american express . they've done a wonderful thing helping small businesses grow in this city. small businesses account for 98% of all businesses. they employ 50% of the people in this city. 2/3 of them have five employees or less. they really are the job creators for new york city . new york city has gotten back 200% of the jobs lost during the recession. the country has only gotten back 40% and it's really all been in small businesses . small businesses are the ones in your neighborhood that let you really find good values, get somebody that knows what you need , understands your culture, and it's very important, a lot of them, however, got very badly hurt from hurricane sandy.

>> this is something i know you helped spearhead in new york city , to help a lot of these with .

>> we've raised $40 million privately to match loans. our small business services can provide you with ways to get around the paper work. we have an exemption of sales tax. you have to buy things to get your business back going again. those kinds of things.

>> where are you shopping on small business saturday?

>> well, i've got a small business in my neighborhood. i eat in small restaurants. i'm going to get gifts for my daughters.

>> you run a small business . or at least it used to be small.

>> it started small anyway. thank goodness it's not anymore. that's how we pay the bills.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49947436/

nene dark shadows trailer nate mcmillan clooney arrested southern miss rod blagojevich rod blagojevich

Most WTF Notes From Annoyed Neighbors (PHOTOS)

(Warning: These notes include some NSFW language.)

Call it "analog trolling."

There's no denying that a perfectly crafted note to a neighbor steeped in passive aggression (and plain old aggression) is an art form, and it reminds us that people were anonymously jerks well before the Internet. Here are 31 such examples of neighbors passing along notes to remind their fellow man to stop having sex so loudly, pick up their dog's waste and other assorted annoyances.

• Just A Home Birth, NBD

  P.S. Please don't freak out.

• Presumably German Neighbors

  This writer has no idea if his neighbors are German, but the flag seems to point in the affirmative.

• Not-So-Threatening Letter

  A second letter?! Nooooo!!!

• A Detailed Account

  Those little hallway run-ins are about to get a lot more awkward.

• Ecstasy or.... MURDER!

  Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference on sound alone.

• "Have A Nice Day"

  The smiley face at the end just makes it more aggressive.

• "You'll See What Is Coming To You"

  This note will one day be called "Exhibit A."

• Passive Aggressive Note, Songified

  Carly Rae Jepsen would be proud.

• Wash Wars

  Something tells us there's going to be a fight in 301 later.

• Just Telling It Like It Is

  To be fair, maybe he should invest in some headphones.

• TP Crime

  Hell hath no fury like a rightful toilet paper owner scorned.

• Because Freedom

  You only get to write, "Now who's the terrorist?" on so many notes in your life.

• One Angry Elementary Student

  Based on "Dear neibors," we really want this girl to be able to get to school well-rested.

• That Escalated Quickly

  This writer is clearly hanging on by a string.

• 'Maybe I am An Ass...'

  We're guessing this guy doesn't get a lot of party invites.

• So Bubbly It Hurts

  The little hearts just add insult to injury.

• Best Use Of The Word "Whom"

  They should officially change the word "pound" to "kitty jail."

• Just Get To The Point Already!

  It's not their fault that all the best TV and radio shows start at 5:30 a.m.

• No Good Deed

  We really don't understand the scenario that would lead to this note.

• Lawn Troubles

  People just throw around the L word now, amirite?

• Stop Stealing Other People's Newspapers

  Oh burn on that Post joke.

• Scooter Thief

  What would be left of a scooter (or two, fine) that had $1000 worth of parts stripped of it? Also, why didn't this guy just take the whole scooters?

• Furniture Problems

  The stationary makes this note really pleasant.

• Definite Lawsuit Material

  For the full story (note: not worth it) go <a href="http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/2009/07/20/get-your-nozzle-off-my-hose/">here</a>.

• Meme Note

  Throw away your trash, guys, your neighbor is hilarious.

• Our Favorite Person

  Is this the start of a wonderful love story?

• Creative Anger

  Beautiful poetry.

• Note On The Door

  The bottom of a door on a post-it is clearly the best place to be aggressive.

• Coming Together

  This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

• Parking Enforcement

  Terri is going to park where she wants to park, thank you very much!

• Newspaper Wars

Also on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/25/most-wtf-neighbor-notes-from-annoyed-people_n_2188207.html

gsa keith olbermann andrew bynum the time machine michelin tires michelin tires rett syndrome

3 Surprising Things Smart Businesses Outsource - SgImpact.com

techipedia.com 25 Nov '12, 4am

If you are doing that, it sounds like you?ve embraced the DIY mantra, a legacy notion guaranteed to cause pain and suffering to your brand in the long term.??Granted, you?ve got a lot of good ideas, but you are afraid no one else can execute the way you do, right? I mean, not only are you possessed with inspiration and material that matters, but you also have all six hands controlling every aspect of your social media campaign?not to mention overseeing your day-to-day operations.??Let?s face it. Those who outsource are realizing a host of benefits across all of their social media platforms: their channels stream with updated material and fresh content, they are current and in-the-know all while sending conversion rates up into the wild-blue yonder, ?not into the wilderness.??In the ever evolving new media platforms, the wilderness is a lonely place to be, if you?re not mov...

Full article: http://www.techipedia.com/2012/business-outsourcing/

Source: http://sgimpact.com/pages/8808545-3-surprising-things-smart-businesses-outsource

p zynga Tropical Storm Sandy W S B H

Reference-and-Education Red Ribbon Week Time to Celebrate ...

ge the student Reference-and-Education Red Ribbon Week Time to Celebrate Freedom 20th September 2007 So many times when we celebrate Red Ribbon Week we only think about not taking drugs. Students get tired of the no, don't do that message. They want to hear something else. Well, if you think about it this should be a week to celebrate

freedom. If we don' Reference-and-Education PE Performance Programs Using PE Activities 20th September 2007 Most of the time when you have a program for parents in the elementary school it is comprised of speaking some lines and then singing a song. Or it might be speaking some liens and say a poem. Or it just might even be speak a few lines and sing a song and Reference-and-Education Red Ribbon Week is Almost Here, lxfumoner46789 Again 20th September 2007 Some people think that Red Ribbon Week is no longer important, but I disagree. I believe that the earlier moncler outlet we reach children the better. One of the best ways to reach school aged children with a message about saying no to drugs is through the use of plays Reference-and-Education Roses are Red Ribbon Week Poetry 20th September 2007 Sometimes the best thing to do for Red Ribbon Week is to have the students make their own poetry. Using the old Roses are red, violets are blue poem is easy for the students to make up their own rhyme. Below are some examples.Roses are red, Violets are bl Reference-and-Education So You Want To Teach Elementary School 29th August 2007 So you want to http://www.moncleroutleteshop.com/ teach. Let me give you a preview of what your life will be like if you succeed in becoming an elementary school teacher. If you become an elementary school teacher this is what you might expect. For nine months of the year your life will Reference-and-Education Fly Your Flag Proudly 29th August 2007 It is so reassuring to drive down the street and see our national flag flying proudly in the wind. The problem is most people only do it occasionally. So what are those days that are appropriate to

fly the flag? January 1-start the year out right, even Reference-and-Education Teaching Patriotism is a Growing Concern 24th August 2007 Patriotism is a growing concern in our nation today. One of the ways to teach children patriotism is to have them be in an informative play or program. Many schools and teachers are looking for programs to fit this description that are easy to put lxfunoricl495423 on and A vintage ladies cardigan in good repair can be a great find. But knitwear in general is rarely found in perfect condition, and will usually require some repairs, moncler sale and special care when storing and cleaning. If youe buying vintage ladies cardigans for the first time, here are some tips

for repairs and care that you can do yourself. It always best to avoid the expense of a specialist tailor if possible, and much more satisfying to restore an item to its original beauty without outside help. And it surprising easy to care

for most vintage clothes, including knitwear, as long as you are prepared to do a little by hand. If youe fallen in love with, and bought, a cardigan that worn or even holed, hopefully youl have looked at the necessary repairs before hand over your cash, and got yourself a good price that takes your valuable time into account. Depending on the kind of yarn the clothing is made from, you may be able to find a close match and darn through the existing yarn to make a relatively http://www.moncleroutletlstore.com/ invisible mend. If the damaged area is relatively unobtrusive, such as under the arm, where a lot of wear occurs, your repairs won be on show for close scrutiny anyway. If your item has a hole or has already been patched, the best alternative may be to simply cover up the area. Consider an appliqu?patch on shoulders or front panels, for example. If you pick the patch carefully, you can sometimes make it look as though it was part of the original design. Or, if the damage is lower down on the front, you could add a patch pocket or two in fabric or lace, or even knit a patch yourself in a contrasting or coordinating colour, to create a truly unique, yet still vintage piece. With a worn hem, collars, or cuffs, lace may again be your saving grace. A narrow lace edging stitched through the existing knitwear, and backed with
More From:
http://www.comunicati.net/comunicati/arte/musica/world_music/254845.html
http://cafekoob.com/members/profile/3236/blog-view/blog_49677.htm
http://www.leapzipblog.com/blog/read/86200/fame-concerning-keds-shoes-am...
http://www.apsense.com/article/the-camo-style-shorts-are-quick-becoming-...
http://247.libero.it/dsearch/michael+jackson+return/

Source: http://www.hubmesh.com/content/reference-and-education-red-ribbon-week-time-to-celebrate-freedom

sleigh bells meek sturgis sturgis whitney houston laid to rest daytona bike week amazing race

Pakistan cuts phones in hope of stopping attacks on Shi'ites

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan is suspending phone coverage in many cities this weekend, an important one in the Shi'ite Muslim calendar, after a series of bomb attacks on Shi'ites triggered by mobile phones.

Hardline Sunnis have threatened more attacks as the Shi'ite mourning month of Muharram comes to a climax. More than a dozen people have already been killed this week attending Muharram processions.

"All the blasts that occurred in the last 15 days were mobile phone-based," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters on Friday.

A suicide bomber killed himself and wounded two police officers near a Shi'ite procession in the northwestern city of Lakki Marwat on Friday.

Intelligence information indicates more attacks have been planned for the coming days in the capital city of Islamabad, Karachi and Quetta. Mobile phone service will be suspended for hours in the three cities and dozens of others over the weekend.

In Karachi, more than 5,000 police are expected to patrol the streets during Muharram events over the next two days, with hundreds more on alert.

"The army is on standby. If any untoward incident occurs, we will call them, if need be," Malik said.

Muharram marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala, where the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad and his family members were killed.

Pakistani intelligence officials say extremist groups led by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi have intensified their bombings and shootings of Shi'ites in the hope of triggering conflict that would pave the way for a Sunni theocracy in U.S.-allied Pakistan.

(Reporting by Aisha Chowdhry and Mehreen Zahra-Malik; Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Andrew Roche)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49939942/ns/world_news/

49ers vs giants giants vs 49ers san francisco 49ers san francisco 49ers sf 49ers joe paterno died 49ers game

Walmart Strike Hits 100 Cities, But Fails To Distract Black Friday Shoppers

DALLAS and LOS ANGELES -- As she neared the entrance of a Dallas-area Walmart shortly before midnight on the eve of the shopping frenzy known as Black Friday, Tammy was both shocked and thrilled to encounter a group of more than 40 protesters.

Having worked for a dozen years as a cashier at another national retail chain, Walgreens, Tammy said she felt an immediate sense of solidarity with the Walmart employees.

"Walmart cuts hours and benefits to push people out," said Tammy, using her phone to capture video of the protest. "It's the same thing at Walgreens. The workers are suffering while billionaires make all the money."

But despite her professed anger at corporate greed, Tammy -- who declined to provide her last name lest she jeopardize her job -- was not deterred from entering Walmart to purchase a TV on a layaway plan. Her own low wages made her feel a sense of community with the striking Walmart workers, but those same wages also generated pressure to find and buy goods at low prices -- precisely the demand that Walmart has fed to turn itself into the world's largest retailer.

"You gotta go where the sales are," Tammy said. "Today at Walgreens every toy was half off. I had to work a 12-hour shift, and they didn't pay me enough. But I can't tell shoppers, 'Don't come in.' I'd lose my job."

Tammy wasn't the only passerby who felt sympathy for the Walmart strikers. In 100 cities across 46 states Thursday and Friday, the protesters were likely to be met by honks and fist pumps from cars as they waved signs and chanted outside Walmart stores. At the Walmart in Paramount, Calif., near Los Angeles, about 600 protesters, including an estimated 100 Walmart workers, turned out Friday morning. In Hanover, Md., 400 store employees, union workers, activists and other supporters showed up at a Walmart Supercenter Friday.

Click here or scroll down for photos from Walmart strikes across the country.

Given their goal of raising awareness among shoppers about low pay, lack of benefits and what they call Walmart's pattern of punishing workers who try to organize, strikers said their events were a success.

But whether deal-hungry shoppers will support the strikers' cause with more than just kind words is another question, and one that will be crucial in determining whether the actions have a real impact on America's labor conditions. While most shoppers interviewed in the Dallas area said they supported the strikers, many were not willing to acknowledge the crucial link between the discounted products they themselves were buying and Walmart's low-wage jobs.

"The strikers need to pick a day when people aren't counting on the sales," said Liz Brookings, who was pushing a cart overflowing with socks and underwear for her four grandchildren on Thursday evening. "A lot of people need this day. They save up for Black Friday all year, and this is all there is."

Brian Johnson, who was sorting through a bin of discounted CDs at a Paramount Walmart on Friday morning, said the strikers should speak out for what they believe in. "But I'm a teacher, so I also barely make anything, too," he said. "I have to shop here."

Walmart has long responded to critics by touting the insatiable consumer demand for its low-priced goods. In a release on Friday morning, the company noted that it had sold 1.3 million televisions, 1.8 million towels and 250,000 bicycles so far during its Black Friday sales. The first wave of protests Thursday evening were negligible both in size and influence, it said.

"Only 26 protests occurred at stores last night and many of them did not include any Walmart associates,? wrote Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., using the company's term for its employees. "We estimate that less than 50 associates participated in the protest nationwide. In fact, this year, roughly the same number of associates missed their scheduled shift as last year."

In another statement released Friday at noon, David Tovar, Walmart's vice president of communications, added that the "number of protests being reported by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union are grossly exaggerated."

OUR Walmart, the worker organization that is coordinating the protests backed by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, contests Walmart's estimates. Nationwide, there have been more than 1,000 individual actions and strikes so far, which is in line with what OUR Walmart projected, according to Dan Schlademan, director of the union's Making Change at Walmart campaign.

On a conference call Friday, Schlademan said his organization does not yet have a precise count of the number of workers who walked off, as the strikes are ongoing. There have been "hundreds" of workers and "thousands" of supporters so far, he said.

In the Dallas area, the protests were smaller than expected. While OUR Walmart had estimated there would be about 200 people in attendance, roughly 42 people (half of whom were Walmart workers) turned out for Thursday's event outside the Wheatland, Texas, store. Seventy-five people turned out for a demonstration Friday morning at the nearby Lancaster, Texas, store.

Other cities around the country, however, had higher-than-expected turnouts. At the Walmart in Paramount, where The Huffington Post counted 600 people at one point, organizers later said that a total of 1,500 people had shown up. Nine people were arrested for sitting in the street, which had been blocked off for the protesters. Those arrested included three Walmart employees, a father of a worker, a former worker, two clergy members and two other supporters, according to organizers.

According to strikers, one reason that so few of their colleagues among Walmart's 1 million hourly store workers came out with them is that the company intimidates anyone who considers joining a labor group. At the Paramount store, three workers who were not on the job and not participating in the strike told The Huffington Post that they share the strikers' concerns about low wages, lost benefits and retaliation for speaking up, but they did not strike for fear of losing their jobs. Walmart, for its part, says it never retaliates against workers.

One worker on the job, Alma, told HuffPost that there was a sign about the strike in a back area of the store. "It says something like, 'Don't throw your money away [on unions]. We open doors for you and take care of you,'" she said. "But the thing is that's not true."

Workers striking in Paramount who had been scheduled to work Friday said they may face retaliation but that the chance to take action was worth it. "People say I could just get a job elsewhere. But why?" said Victoria Martinez, who was scheduled to work Friday at the Pico Rivera, Calif., store. "It will just be the same, and Walmart will get away with this. We can't run away."

At Dallas-area demonstrations, protesters had a difficult time approaching the stores' entrances to talk to customers and ended up staging most of their action near the entrance to the stores' parking lots. Thursday evening in Wheatland, when the strikers attempted to approach the store, a dozen police officers and Walmart managers met them halfway and told them to "step back" to their original spot.

"In Texas, we own our parking lots," explained Jaime Durand, a Walmart human relations manager who was waiting for protesters to arrive outside the Lancaster store Friday morning. "We won't ask them to stop what they're doing, but we will be asking them to leave private property so we can maintain a safe area for our customers."

While the tactic did prevent strikers from disrupting the flow of money into Walmart's cash registers, many shoppers took the initiative to walk over to where the strikers were demonstrating. At one point, a group of supporters started an impromptu dance party at the parking-lot entrance, waving their arms and legs at cars as a striker beat a drum. Most of the drivers who stopped to watch had cars stuffed with bags of Walmart goods.

"We're not going to attempt to go inside the store," said Colby Harris, a Walmart produce department worker from Lancaster who has become something of the public face of the workers' movement. "We know it would get nasty, and we don't think it would be smart."

The protesters will have many more opportunities to reach shoppers over the long holiday season, Harris noted over breakfast Thursday morning. "Walmart knows we're not going to stop."

Check out Walmart strike photos from cities across the U.S.:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/23/walmart-strike-black-friday_n_2177784.html

lint buenos aires train crash argentina train crash nancy pelosi nancy pelosi gop debate republican debate

Of Rice and men, part 2 (Powerlineblog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/265832214?client_source=feed&format=rss

buckeye west side story final four 2012 bridesmaids winning lottery numbers megamillions winner kansas jayhawks

Video: Blind patient reads words stimulated directly onto the retina

Friday, November 23, 2012

For the very first time researchers have streamed braille patterns directly into a blind patient's retina, allowing him to read four-letter words accurately and quickly with an ocular neuroprosthetic device. The device, the Argus II, has been implanted in over 50 patients, many of who can now see color, movement and objects. It uses a small camera mounted on a pair of glasses, a portable processor to translate the signal from the camera into electrical stimulation, and a microchip with electrodes implanted directly on the retina. The study was authored by researchers at Second Sight, the company who developed the device, and has been published in Frontiers in Neuroprosthetics on the 22nd of November.

"In this clinical test with a single blind patient, we bypassed the camera that is the usual input for the implant and directly stimulated the retina. Instead of feeling the braille on the tips of his fingers, the patient could see the patterns we projected and then read individual letters in less than a second with up to 89% accuracy," explains researcher Thomas Lauritzen, lead author of the paper.

Similar in concept to successful cochlear implants, the visual implant uses a grid of 60 electrodes?attached to the retina?to stimulate patterns directly onto the nerve cells. For this study, the researchers at Second Sight used a computer to stimulate six of these points on the grid to project the braille letters. A series of tests were conducted with single letters as well as words ranging in length from two letters up to four. The patient was shown each letter for half a second and had up to 80% accuracy for short words.

In this video, a patient reads words with the Argus II setup using the camera and not the direct braille stimulation. Credit: Second Sight

"There was no input except the electrode stimulation and the patient recognized the braille letters easily. This proves that the patient has good spatial resolution because he could easily distinguish between signals on different, individual electrodes." says Lauritzen.

According to Silvestro Micera at EPFL's Center for Neuroprosthetics and scientific reviewer for the article, "this study is a proof of concept that points to the importance of clinical experiments involving new neuroprosthetic devices to improve the technology and innovate adaptable solutions."

Primarily for sufferers of the genetic disease Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), the implant Argus II has been shown to restore limited reading capability of large conventional letters and short words when used with the camera. While reading should improve with future iterations of the Argus II, the current study shows how the Argus II could be adapted to provide an alternative and potentially faster method of text reading with the addition of letter recognition software. This ability to perform image processing in software prior to sending the signal to the implant is a unique advantage of Argus II.

###

Frontiers: http://www.frontiersin.org

Thanks to Frontiers 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 21 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125440/Video__Blind_patient_reads_words_stimulated_directly_onto_the_retina

north korea missile launch modesto st louis weather guinea bissau google stock google stock china gdp

Video: New site claims Obama won election by fraud

Don't be fooled! Great camera deals are harder to spot on Black Friday

While there are plenty of deals and discounts to be had on TVs, phones, laptops and other tech products, camera-wise, there aren't a lot of reasons to wait in line until midnight after Thanksgiving dinner. That's because the year's best cameras ? many of which are rounded up here ? simply aren't subject to fire-sale pricing.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49923344#49923344

doobie brothers jennie garth peter facinelli marques colston golden state warriors free agents nfl 2012 milwaukee bucks bear grylls

About Lung Cancer | Shannon Miller Lifestyle

Posted In: Health & Wellness : 11/21/2012

Author: Shannon Miller Lifestyle

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month

Are you aware of the current state of lung cancer in America? Do you fear that you may have lung cancer, or do you think that you do not have a chance at getting lung cancer?

You may be at risk of getting lung cancer if you have been exposed to:

• Radon
• Asbestos
• Tobacco smoke: first or second hand
• Dioxins used in wars and battles, such as Agent Orange
• Industrial chemicals
• Unusually high beta-carotene

1. Radon: Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is present in many areas of our country. In particular, Radon could be present inside your home. You cannot smell Radon. It may be in the materials of your house. The EPA can help you find out if your home has radon ? order a simple Radon test kit.? Also from the EPA ? if you find that you do have Radon gas in your home, contact a qualified Radon services professional right away to remove the source of the gas.

2. Asbestos: Exposure to asbestos at any time for any length of time can cause Mesothelioma, a highly deadly lung disease. When a company knows that it has had asbestos in its walls at any time, they are required to notify the people that worked there at that time. Most of the time, the company will order a free asbestosis test to determine if there is an asbestos scar on the lung. At that time, they will determine what the next step should be. In case of tumorous growth and cancer, there are a few very difficult treatments that are being tried in hospitals around the country. One of the newest treatments may be derived from the measles virus. There is also a new biomarker to make testing for mesothelioma easier for the patient. Previously, many tumors were not seen before open-chest surgery.

Mesothelioma is a horrible disease from which to suffer. Unfortunately, the law forbidding asbestos from the American market place was overturned 21 years ago. It is still possible for companies to use this toxic and deadly product, and expose people to it. For more information and to help, see curemeso.org.

3. Tobacco smoke: Most people know that tobacco smoke is dangerous to a person?s lung health. The deadly truth is that a smoker puts his or her family at risk every him they light up. There are 3000 cases of lung cancer due to second hand smoke every year.

4. Dioxins. Many military service members are at risk for lung cancer because of exposure to Agent Orange, kerosene, burning oil, and even possible uranium exposure. For help, see the Veterans? Health Council.

5. Industrial Chemicals. We are exposed to industrial chemicals daily, especially those who live in proximity to industrial plants. Other chemicals that may not be considered quite so often could be chemicals used in the beauty industry or even in painting.

6. ??Unusually high beta-carotene. A recent study shows that people who are already at risk for lung cancer actually increase their risk if they take an additional beta carotene supplement. Therefore, if you are at risk, do not take extra vitamin A outside of your normal food intake.

The bottom line: We are not safe from lung cancer. Even non-smokers can have lung cancer.

Lung Cancer is a terrible and dangerous disease.

To help protect you and your family from lung cancer:

• Refrain from smoking
• Become more aware of the chemicals that surround you and your family
• Get your home tested for Radon
• Avoid exposure to unnecessary chemicals

If you are concerned about your health, or the health of someone in your family, or have further questions about lung cancer, please talk to your doctor.

Tags: cancer, healthy tips

Leave a Reply

Source: http://shannonmillerlifestyle.com/health-and-nutrition/health-and-wellness/lung-cancer

missouri primary minnesota caucus knowshon moreno knowshon moreno sovereign citizen komen chrome for android