Thursday, January 31, 2013

Spain's Rajoy, ruling party deny secret payment scheme

MADRID (Reuters) - Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and Spain's ruling People's Party denied on Thursday that the party made payments from business donors to the premier and other party leaders after a newspaper published what it said were secret party accounts.

El Pais published images of excerpts of almost two decades of handwritten accounts that it said were maintained by People's Party treasurers, showing donations from companies, mostly builders, and regular payments of thousands of euros to Rajoy and other party leaders.

"The People's Party has no knowledge of the handwritten notes that were published and of their content, and it cannot be recognized, in any case, as this political party's books," the PP said in a statement.

The statement said that the party's payments to leaders and staff were always legal and followed tax rules.

A spokeswoman from Rajoy's office told Reuters the prime minister stood by comments he has made recently that he has not engaged in improper conduct. Last week he said the party would ask for an external audit to look over accounts.

The widening corruption scandal over alleged secret cash payments to PP leaders has hit Rajoy's popularity as he struggles with a deep recession, a fiscal crisis that could push Spain into an international bailout, and the euro zone's highest unemployment rate.

El Pais said the donations and payments represented a secret accounting system by the conservative party, but the alleged slush fund may not necessarily be illegal.

Until recently, Spanish political parties were allowed to receive anonymous donations. And if the party leaders declared the income in tax statements, it may not be illegal.

However, the allegations raise serious ethical questions about party operations, especially because many of them occurred during Spain's building boom, in which politicians granted large numbers of development contracts.

The accounts published in El Pais were allegedly from two former PP treasurers. One of them is Luis Barcenas, who stepped down as party treasurer in 2009 when judges began to investigate his possible involvement in alleged illegal payments and kickbacks to party officials from builders and other businesses that won government contracts.

The ongoing judicial investigation of Barcenas has revealed recently that he had a Swiss bank account which at one point held as much as 22 million euros.

Press officials from Spain's High Court confirmed that Barcenas' lawyer has provided to the court a document showing that in 2012 his company applied for a tax amnesty on funds in the Swiss bank account.

Barcenas' lawyer was not immediately available for comment on Thursday.

(Reporting by Fiona Ortiz; Editing by Tracy Rucinski and Giles Elgood)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spains-rajoy-ruling-party-deny-secret-payment-scheme-093428059--finance.html

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3 Ways to Control Home Building Costs ? The House Plan Shop ...

Home under ConstructionWhen building a new house, one of the most important things you can do is control your building budget. Without careful planning, it is easy to go far over budget when building a home. Beginning without a building budget, making changes during construction, and poor craftsmanship are just a few of the things that can blow your home building budget or cause extra expenses.

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1. Most homeowners who embark on a home building project rely on obtaining a loan from a financial institution. This requires careful planning of the building budget up front. Begin by getting a feel for what things are going to cost. For example, visit several local lumberyards and find out what materials are available and their costs. Talk to the lumberyards about buying materials in bulk. Often, lumberyards will offer a better discount when all of the materials for the home are bought at the same time. This will slash your material costs. Also, compare the costs of luxury items verses budget items such as light fixtures. If a budget fixture is just as visually appealing, comes with a good warranty and serves the same purpose as the luxury item, choose the budget item. This tactic will cut wasteful spending tremendously. Using methods like these will help you save money and establish a building budget that works with your loan.

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2. Next, go over your house plans carefully and discuss everything about the design, the floor plan, special elements, etc., with your builder before construction begins. It is important to have all the details worked out with your builder ahead of time. Once construction begins, making changes to the exterior of the home or the floor plan can become very costly in a hurry. When changes are made during construction, it often requires the builder to tear down or redo some portion of the home that was already complete or near completion causing a waste of time, money, materials, and labor. ?

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3. Finally, you might not be able to control the local labor costs, but you can control who you choose to do the work on your new home. Interview potential builders, ask to see their credentials, visit other jobsites where the builder has worked, and ask the builder for references from past clients. Researching the builder you hire (and the subcontractors) will help you choose the most qualified and skilled builder you can afford. Your new home is a major investment. You don?t want to ruin the experience of building a new home with poor craftsmanship. If you end up hiring an inexperienced builder or subcontractors, it is likely you?ll run it to problems quickly. Poor craftsmanship means you?ll be spending more later to repair things that were not properly built, constructed or installed during the construction of your home.

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If you?re planning to build a new home, follow these tips to control your building costs.

Source: http://www.thehouseplanshop.com/blog/building-budget/3-ways-to-control-home-building-costs-%E2%80%93-the-house-plan-shop/

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Ohio regulator tied to group opposing renewables

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- A top state utility regulator who opposed plans for an Ohio solar farm and openly questioned global warming maintained ties with an influential conservative group that supports repealing states' renewable energy requirements.

Todd Snitchler, chairman of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, was a keynote speaker at the American Legislative Exchange Council's task force meeting in April 2011. His state ethics filings show he attended another meeting of the council that December, nearly a year after leaving the Legislature to accept Gov. John Kasich's appointment to the commission.

It is unclear what role, if any, Snitchler's continued involvement may have played in a model bill penned by the council, known as the Electricity Freedom Act. The council's board of state legislators approved the legislation in October.

The commission that Snitchler leads is overseeing implementation of Ohio's "25-by-25" standard, which requires power companies to get 25 percent of their electricity from alternative and advanced sources by 2025. Such standards are targeted for repeal under the legislative council's model bill.

Todd Wynn, who leads the council's Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force, said he does not know Snitchler, who was an active ALEC member throughout 2009 and 2010, according to records reviewed by The Associated Press.

"(The council) has always been opposed to energy mandates, but in 2012 we picked up the debates on renewable energy targets specifically," Wynn said. He noted that repeal of Ohio's renewable targets has been proposed before, and said it wouldn't surprise him if it would be proposed again this session.

Holly Karg, the commission's public affairs director, said energy lobbyists attend events of the exchange council, but Snitchler was above the fray.

"He was not being lobbied at those events; he was speaking at them," she said.

His financial disclosure form indicates the commission reimbursed Snitchler for about $175 in meal expenses for the two 2011 meetings. He reported no travel costs.

Snitchler this month joined a 3-1 majority of the Public Utilities Commission in rejecting American Electric Power Co.'s proposal to incorporate power from the Turning Point Solar project into its renewable energy portfolio. The vote ? against the advice of commission staff ? was criticized as misguided by the power company, environmental advocates and Statehouse Democrats.

In its wake, Snitchler's steady criticism of solar, wind and renewable energy on Twitter over the previous year came to light. Observers said his posts broke with a tradition of public neutrality among utility commissioners on issues they regulate.

Snitchler also posted such items as an article referring to "the myth of Global Warming" and a reference to "the 'green' religion" taking over Christianity.

"The guy is a right-wing ideologue and he doesn't belong in a regulatory body that's supposed to be impartial and protect the consumers, which he's not doing," said Henry Eckhart, a commissioner in the 1970s who now represents utility consumers. "This is just one of a few things that have been objectionable."

Ashley Brown, another former commissioner who now directs the Harvard Electricity Policy Group, said checking ideology at the door is one of the first things he teaches at new-regulator trainings.

"You're never going to remove politics from electricity, but the reason we have regulators is to reduce the politicization of the sector," Brown said. "Part of a regulator's mission is to have filters on what ideologues say, to make deliberative, thoughtful decisions that are fact-based and consistent with the law."

Snitchler's 2011 appearances at American Legislative Exchange Council events continued a pattern of regular attendance at ALEC meetings. At them, lawmakers may be lavishly entertained by corporate sponsors without publicly reporting many of the meals, cigars, drinks and other perks they receive.

Ohio House emails list Snitchler as an exchange council member and an attendee at another four of the group's events in 2009 and 2010, when he was a state representative. The documents were obtained by ProgressOhio, a liberal policy group, through a public records request and provided to The Associated Press. A spokeswoman for the legislative council said the organization does not confirm the names or attendance records of members.

As a lawmaker, campaign finance reports show, Snitchler accepted more than $25,000 in contributions from corporations, political action committees and associations involved in the electricity, natural gas, telephone and transportation sectors he now regulates. That included $9,500 from FirstEnergy Corp. and $1,000 from AEP.

After joining the Public Utilities Commission, Snitchler was prohibited from taking gifts of any kind from the utilities he regulates.

Karg said Snitchler dropped his ALEC membership after leaving the House, but a House spokesman said Snitchler's membership for the 2011-2012 legislative session was never revoked. It remained in effect through December.

Karg said Snitchler's 2012 financial disclosure form, which hasn't yet come due, will show no further ALEC meetings.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-regulator-tied-group-opposing-192021929.html

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Does Your First Time Determine Every Time? | YourTango

Losing Virginity
What was your first time like?

A new study says how you lost your virginity stays with you the rest of your love life.

You know how you mother always told you first impressions tend to stick? She might have been right ? even in ways she was certainly not referring to. According to new research, the tone set when you lose your virginity apparently stays the rest of your love life ... forever.?

More from YourTango: Coming Out Lowers Stress In Canada, But Would It In The US?

University of Tennessee psychology doctoral student Matthew Schaffer and C. Veronica Smith, Ph.D., University of Mississippi assistant psychology professor, designed a study to observe the ways in which your virginity loss affects your future sex life. The study, published in the Journal of Sex and Martial Therapy, looks at whether or not there are consequences or benefits to how unpleasantly or happily you first had sex.

Researchers questioned 331 young men and women about the way they lost their virginity, including the accompanying emotional anxiety, contentment and/or regret. Then, the respondents were asked questions about their present sex life. Topics such as how much control they felt over theirs, as well as how much satisfaction and well-being they feel.

More from YourTango: Love Bytes: Do Weddings Make Single Women Crazy?

Those who stated their first times were fulfilling and satisfying reported happier sex lives later on, while the ones who stated their virginity loss was accompanied by negative feelings reported lower sexual functioning overall. "While this study doesn't prove that a better first time makes for a better sex life in general, a person?s experience of losing their virginity may set the pattern for years to come," said Shaffer.

The strange thing is that most of us have kinda weird first times, I think. Not bad, just awkward. As I read this research, I initially thought, "That can't be right; most people have a kinda uncomfortable first time then go on to have perfectly fine sex lives." But the more I pondered it in my head, the more I started matching up my own experiences as well as those of my friends to how we behave and feel now.

I, for one, know that my first time was an overall positive experience comparatively because I'm still sort of friends with the guy (even though it happened 9 years ago). He was super sweet about it being new to me and we had been dating for just a few months so I wasn?t particularly dead inside when we broke up a couple more months thereafter. That said, it was definitely awkward, but the rest of my sex life has been overwhelmingly not awkward. Keep reading ...

More sex stories from YourTango:

Source: http://www.yourtango.com/2013172569/does-your-first-time-determine-every-time

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Corporations Spur Small-Business Growth - Business Insider

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the lifeblood of a country's economy; they are essential to generating good jobs. And those jobs are sorely needed worldwide. Gallup's World Poll estimates that of 3 billion adults globally who report they want a good job -- one that is 30+ hours per week and provides a consistent paycheck in a legitimate business setting of any size -- 1.8 billion, or 60%, are out of work.

Having a large corporation as a customer opens doors to easier credit and other business opportunities.

Some national leaders are beginning to take this problem very seriously. Leaders of countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), for example, are putting programs and policy initiatives in place aimed at developing SMEs and encouraging them to compete for government contracts. But too few leaders are focusing on the role that private corporations can play in helping SMEs grow.

In GCC countries, SMEs represent more than 90% of the private sector and employ between 40% and 63% of the private labor force. However, SMEs' contribution to these countries' GDP is less than 40%, primarily because SMEs are concentrated in less profitable, less capital-intensive, and low-tech sectors; they pay lower wages and produce less per employee. But this also suggests that SMEs in the Gulf region have an unrealized potential for growth. If SMEs can grow in revenue and profits, they can create millions of sustainable quality jobs.

Large corporations have a key role to play

To help SMEs realize their potential, large corporations must get involved. Major corporations spend billions of dollars annually seeking products and services from other companies, such as landscaping, cleaning services, logistics, software development, food services, and office supplies. Seven in 10 small businesses increased in revenue and size within two years of becoming part of the corporate supplier base, as shown in a study of nearly 200 small U.S. businesses conducted by the Center for an Urban Future.

When small companies interact with large corporations, these SMEs make changes that improve their organizational structures, management practices, and operations. These changes lead small companies to upgrade their technologies, increase their efficiency, and most importantly, become financially stable. As a result, revenue becomes greater and more consistent, making it possible for these businesses to add new jobs. Having a large corporation as a customer also opens doors to easier credit and other business opportunities. The biggest upside is the spillover of new knowledge, innovation, and business models. When a few small businesses improve their systems or business models, other small businesses learn from that and raise their game to stay competitive, boosting the quality of the entire SME sector.

In some Gulf countries, for instance, large state-owned enterprises, such as Saudi Aramco, Saudi Telecom Company, and Qatar Telecom are already buying services and products from SMEs, thus fostering their growth. In December 2012, the UAE government endorsed a new law that requires government bodies to allocate 5% of their budget for goods and services provided by SMEs or entrepreneurs. This mandate sends a strong message to private corporations about what is required to support business growth in the small-business sector.

The benefits of this relationship extend to large businesses too. Large corporations are beginning to realize that making small businesses part of their supplier base is more than "corporate social responsibility" -- it is good business. Smaller companies are more flexible in providing innovative products and services to meet corporate needs. They are quicker in delivering services locally, which saves on costs. Their knowledge of local markets can be extremely valuable for corporations trying to enter those new markets.

A diverse supplier base also helps establish linkages between the big and small businesses, enabling easier access to resources and creating multiple information sources and a bigger customer base for the corporations. Corporations that restrict themselves to a small network of suppliers are also vulnerable to supply chain disruptions. In 2011, the earthquake in Japan and flooding in Thailand, for example, caused major disruptions in manufacturing activities for Apple, GM, Toyota, Intel, and HP. Diversifying the supplier base by using small businesses is one way to reduce risk in supply systems.

Four ways corporations can help SMEs

Corporations can offer small businesses quick opportunities to grow by buying their services and goods and by taking these four key steps:

Identify and support talent. Not every SME has the capacity to become a supplier. Identify elite performers based on talent and operational readiness. Once large companies have identified these businesses, they can mentor talented entrepreneurs through supplier development programs. Governments also can sponsor programs to boost the management capacity of high-potential SMEs to enhance their growth and competitiveness.

The 114 companies that participated in Gallup's Entrepreneurship Program -- sponsored by state government and a local university -- show how a well-designed program can spur SME growth and create jobs. Highly talented entrepreneurs outperformed their less talented peers by approximately 19 percentage points in year-over-year profit growth. On average, companies in this program grew by 13% in revenue and 57% in profit in one year. This growth led to an average increase of 18% in headcount, creating more than 500 new jobs in a year.

Provide financial help. SMEs need support to meet large corporations' needs. Installing automated invoicing or payment processing systems can be a burden for small companies. A loan from a corporation or a community development institution could help small companies with the capital to scale up their systems, enabling them to accept their first big contract.

Make the procurement process transparent. Acquiring information on large businesses' procurement processes is a hurdle for many small businesses. Corporations that provide a simple website with basic information about goods and services they need and the procurement officer's contact information would help small businesses know where to start.

Simplify the application and selection process. Make the selection process more accessible and straightforward. The IBM-funded website, Supplier-Connection.net, allows small businesses to apply to all participating companies using a single application form, making paperwork less burdensome. The site also helps small businesses collaborate to bid on contracts.

It is not the quantity but the quality of SMEs that will ultimately lead to job creation. The small-business sector is ripe for innovation and growth. Linking it to large corporations' supply chain can be a win-win for everyone involved. This includes SMEs and corporations -- and the governments looking to SMEs as a possible solution to their job-creation needs.

A version of this article originally appeared in The Gulf.

NOW READ: Its Better To Have Terrible Managers Than Mediocre Ones

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/corporations-spur-small-business-growth-2013-1

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Cadavers honored in med student dissection lab

GARY, Ind. (AP) ? When medical students have finished their study and practice on cadavers, they often hold a respectful memorial service to honor these bodies donated to science.

But the ceremonies at one medical school have a surreal twist: Relatives gather around the cold steel tables where their loved ones were dissected and which now hold their remains beneath metal covers. The tables are topped with white or burgundy-colored shrouds, flags for military veterans, flowers and candles.

The mixture of grace and goth at the Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest campus might sound like a scene straight out filmmaker Tim Burton's quirky imagination. Yet, despite the surrounding shelves of medical specimens and cabinets of human bones, these dissection lab memorials are more moving than macabre.

The medical students join the families in the lab and read letters of appreciation about the donors, a clergy member offers prayers, and tears are shed.

Family members are often squeamish about entering that room. This year's ceremony was last Friday, and relatives of one of the six adult donors being honored chose not to participate. And some who did attend had mixed feelings.

Joan Terry of Griffith, Ind., came to honor her sister, Judy Clemens, who died in 2011 at age 51 after a long battle with health problems including multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis. Terry said she felt a little hesitant about being in the dissection lab and was relieved that nothing too graphic was visible.

"I was kind of looking forward to coming," Terry said. "This is ... like a closure. I know Judy's not with us anymore. I know that she's dancing on the streets of gold in heaven. She's probably smiling knowing that her body's helping other people, helping these young doctors learn something about her, because that's what she wanted. That's the type of person that she was. She was always giving."

More than three dozen students, donors' relatives and campus staff members crowded the anatomy lab during Friday's memorial, surrounding the tables and standing solemnly along the room's perimeter. Some dabbed their eyes as prayers and remembrances were said, but faces were mostly stoic and there was no sobbing. The lab's usual odor of formaldehyde was strangely absent, masked perhaps by the sweet aroma of bouquets decorating the cadaver tables.

Some donors' relatives wore formal funeral attire. Terry, noting her plain pink T-shirt, said her sister wasn't a fancy person, either. Terry closed her eyes and struggled not to cry during the service, saying beforehand that Clemens "would be upset if I did."

Abdullah Malik, a medical student who worked on Judy Clemens, thanked her in a letter he read aloud during the ceremony.

"To have the courage and fortitude to endure as much as she did is a testament to her strength and an inspiration to us all," he read, standing next to Clemens' sister beside the dissection table holding Clemens' remains.

Ernest Talarico Jr., an assistant professor and director of anatomy coursework, created the unusual program and began holding the laboratory ceremonies in 2007. The cadavers are considered the medical students' first patients, and students are encouraged to have contact with the donors' families during the semester, too.

At other medical schools, donated bodies remain anonymous and students never meet the families. Talarico said his program humanizes the learning experience.

Talarico views the services as life-affirming and a chance to give thanks. The education these donated bodies have provided is invaluable, he says, teaching doctors-to-be how the body works, and what causes things to go wrong.

"We look at it as a celebration of the lives of those individuals and the gift that they have given to us," Talarico said.

He considers the location fitting.

"I think it is appropriate in that we honor them in the setting in which they desired to give what they viewed as their last gift to humanity," he said.

Malik, the medical student, said knowing the donors' identities and meeting their families enriches the students' medical education.

"Once you put a name and a face to the body that you're working with, once you kind of put an identity to it, you kind of connect to it in a really meaningful and powerful way," he said.

Medical student Kyle Parker said he admired the donors' relatives for showing up, and wondered if he were in their shoes, "would I be willing to meet the people who have actually dissected my family member?"

Parker said he hopes the answer would be yes.

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Online:

Indiana University School of Medicine-Northwest: http://iusm-nw.medicine.iu.edu

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at: http://www.Twitter.com/LindseyTanner

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cadavers-honored-med-student-dissection-lab-080822976.html

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Florida at Tampa Bay 1/29/13

Ellerby, you're fighting with a visor for God's sake... pick your goddamn head up every now and then so you can at least see who you're fighting and where his target is!

Yeah, Crombeen is a decent scrapper, but Ellerby made this battle look like a seasoned enforcer fighting a pee wee player.

__________________
"You know what? I go into a fight, I'm going into a fight to hurt you. I'm not going in there to play patty cake."
- Steve Mac

Source: http://www.hockeyfights.com/forums/showthread.php?t=181793

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Filmmaker Ernest Dickerson To Conduct Film Seminar at Howard ...

Students will dissect films and have one-on-ones with the Emmy-winning filmmaker.

Award-winning director Ernest Dickerson didn?t forget his roots, particularly the ones he developed at Howard University. The filmmaker will return to his alma mater to conduct a week-long film seminar for students. He?ll dissect his film, meet with students one-on-one and participate in a workshop titled ?The Relationship of the Director and Cinematographer.? The workshop will be moderated by his former teacher Haile Gerima.

Dickerson, who attended New York University Film School with fellow filmmaker Spike Lee, said he didn?t have anybody to get guidance from as he tried to become a working professional. He?s earned an Emmy and Peabody award and was just nominated for a 2013 NAACP Image Award for Best Director for his work on HBO?s ?Treme.?

He also shared his opinion of Spike Lee?s critique of the Quentin Tarantino film ?Django Unchained,? where Lee said he felt the film was ?disrespectful.? Dickerson said, ?Spike is entitled to his opinion. Great art inspires opinions. I?m just sorry the discussion has developed into name calling.? (NewsOne)

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Source: http://www.loop21.com/entertainment/filmmaker-ernest-dickerson-conduct-film-seminar-howard

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Top jobs of the week in digital media

January isn?t too early to be thinking about spring, is it? While the weather on the East Coast has been anything but balmy, our editorial team is already thinking ahead to April, when our paidContent Live event will take the stage at the Time and Life Building in Manhattan. Turn up the thermostat and peek at the lineup. And while you have content on the brain, check out our latest job listings from across the country:

We also have more listings from companies like Time Out New York, Turner Broadcasting, Target and more. Click here to see what else is on our jobs board.

Source: http://paidcontent.org/2013/01/30/top-jobs-of-the-week-in-digital-media-28/

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Urologist shot dead in exam room; man in custody

Police investigate as medical personnel exit the scene outside a medical office near Hoag Hospital where shots were fired on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Newport Beach, Calif. Police say a doctor has been shot and killed and a man is in police custody. (AP Photo/The Orange County Register, Joshua Sudock)

Police investigate as medical personnel exit the scene outside a medical office near Hoag Hospital where shots were fired on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Newport Beach, Calif. Police say a doctor has been shot and killed and a man is in police custody. (AP Photo/The Orange County Register, Joshua Sudock)

Police and medical personnel stand outside a medical office near Hoag Hospital where shots were fired on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Newport Beach, Calif. Police say a doctor has been shot and killed and a man is in police custody. (AP Photo/The Orange County Register, Leonard Ortiz)

Police and medical personnel stand outside a medical office near Hoag Hospital where shots were fired on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Newport Beach, Calif. Police say a doctor has been shot and killed and a man is in police custody. (AP Photo/The Orange County Register, Leonard Ortiz)

Police investigate as medical personnel exit the scene outside a medical office near Hoag Hospital where shots were fired on Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Newport Beach, Calif. Police say a doctor has been shot and killed and a man is in police custody. (AP Photo/The Orange County Register, Joshua Sudock)

(AP) ? A 75-year-old retired barber was jailed Tuesday for investigation of killing a urologist in his exam room, but police have not yet released a motive.

Stanwood Fred Elkus of Lake Elsinore was arrested following the Monday afternoon attack and held on $1 million bail, according to the county jail website.

Elkus is suspected of killing Dr. Ronald Franklin Gilbert, 52, of Huntington Beach at the medical office in Orange County.

Police said they found Elkus and Gilbert in a second-floor room after several 911 callers reported six or seven shots fired. A gun was found at the scene.

The doctor had been shot several times in the upper body and was declared dead at the scene in Newport Beach.

Elkus had surgery for a prostate problem but he never specifically said Gilbert was his doctor, said his neighbor James Lord.

"He never complained to me about the doctor," Lord said.

On Sunday, Elkus asked Lord to fix the brake pedal on his car and "he kind of mentioned that he wasn't going to be around much longer," Lord said.

"I told him 'no Stan, you're gonna outlive me,'" Lord said.

Elkus, who lived alone, was familiar with guns, Lord said.

"We talked about guns before," he said. "He'd go out shooting, target practice. He'd go to target ranges.

"I just can't believe that he did it," Lord said. "He was a nice guy. ... He didn't seem like he was going to flip out or anything."

An autopsy was planned Tuesday and Elkus was scheduled to appear Wednesday in court. Police searched his home but declined to disclose what they found.

Gilbert, a married father of two children, appeared to be the only target of the attack, police spokeswoman Kathy Lowe said.

Dr. Jeffrey Lauber, a dermatologist, said he frequently referred patients with cancer symptoms to Gilbert.

"He's the best there is," Lauber said. "Not only is he a very good urologist, he's a pillar of the community."

Lauber couldn't imagine why anyone would want to shoot Gilbert.

"This doesn't happen down here," he said of the wealthy enclave 45 miles southeast of Los Angeles.

Gilbert dealt with general urology, sexual dysfunction and related surgical techniques including vasectomies, bladder and prostate cancer, according to his biography on the website of the Orange Coast Urology Group, which he joined in 1993.

One of his specialties involved using a laser to vaporize prostate tissue blocking the urinary tract. His biography called him a "people person" and said he enjoys helping people.

He decided to become a doctor mainly because his late father was a doctor, the biography said, adding that Gilbert had been a stockbroker and a singer in a rock band.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-29-Medical%20Building%20Shooting/id-41bb65dfa8b54ba29ce2b2ec00eee483

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What?s next for Anthony Pettis? Waiting patiently for the lightweight title shot

With his performance against Donald Cerrone on Saturday night, Anthony Pettis made a believer out of many fight fans. One of those who now thinks Pettis belongs in the title shot conversation is UFC president Dana White.

While the next bout for UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson is set with Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez in April, Pettis has set himself up as the obvious next man up.

"I think the Melendez fight is pretty set, but (Pettis is) next. I can't say enough things about the kid tonight. That was incredible," White said in the postfight press conference.

The last time Pettis had a title shot, he had a wrench thrown into the plans. Pettis won the WEC lightweight belt in the promotion's final fight. A title shot was promised to whoever had the belt when the WEC merged with the UFC.

But two weeks after Pettis won the belt, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard faced off for the belt. They fought to a draw and Edgar kept the belt, but Maynard was given an immediate rematch.

Instead of waiting for the title shot then, Pettis fought Clay Guida. He lost a decision, and the title shot was gone. This time, he's not going to let the title shot slip through his hands.

"If it's a guaranteed title shot, then I'm waiting. That was my goal this year, and I'm definitely going to wait and get better," Pettis said.

The way title shots have been going in the UFC, there's no way to know if Pettis is making the right call. However, what Pettis is doing is setting himself up as the go-to guy if the UFC needs him. Melendez has had to postpone fights because of injuries in the past, and you never know what could happen as fighters prepare for their bouts.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/next-anthony-pettis-waiting-patiently-lightweight-title-shot-172409772--mma.html

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Altering eye cells may one day restore vision

Jan. 25, 2013 ? Doctors may one day treat some forms of blindness by altering the genetic program of the light-sensing cells of the eye, according to scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

Working in mice with retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that causes gradual blindness, the researchers reprogrammed the cells in the eye that enable night vision. The change made the cells more similar to other cells that provide sight during daylight hours and prevented degeneration of the retina, the light-sensing structure in the back of the eye. The scientists now are conducting additional tests to confirm that the mice can still see.

"We think it may be significantly easier to preserve vision by modifying existing cells in the eye than it would be to introduce new stem cells," says senior author Joseph Corbo, MD, PhD, assistant professor of pathology and immunology. "A diseased retina is not a hospitable environment for transplanting stem cells."

The study is available in the early online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Mutations in more than 200 genes have been linked to various forms of blindness. Efforts are underway to develop gene therapies for some of these conditions.

Rather than seek treatments tailored to individual mutations, Corbo hopes to develop therapies that can alleviate many forms of visual impairment. To make that possible, he studies the genetic factors that allow cells in the developing eye to take on the specialized roles necessary for vision.

The retina has two types of light-sensing cells or photoreceptors. The rods provide night vision, and the cones sense light in the daytime and detect fine visual details.

In retinitis pigmentosa, the rods die first, leaving patients unable to see at night. Daytime vision often remains intact for some time until the cones also die.

Corbo and others have identified several genes that are active in rods or in cones but not in both types of photoreceptors. He wondered whether turning off a key gene that is activated only in rods could protect the cells from the loss of vision characteristic of retinitis pigmentosa.

'"The question was, when retinitis pigmentosa is caused by a mutation in a protein only active in rods, can we reduce or stop vision loss by making the cells less rod-like?" he explains.

The new study focuses on a protein known as Nrl, which influences development of photoreceptors. Cells that make Nrl become rods, while cells that lack the protein become cones. Turning off the Nrl gene in developing mice leads to a retina packed with cone cells.

To see if this rod-to-cone change was possible in adult mice, Corbo created a mouse model of retinitis pigmentosa with an Nrl gene that could be switched on and off by scientists.

"In adult mice, switching off Nrl partially converts the rod cells into cone cells," he says. "Several months later, when the mutant mice normally had very little vision left, we tested the function of their retina."

The test showed a healthier level of electrical activity in the retinas of mice that lacked Nrl, suggesting that the mice could still see.

Corbo now is looking for other critical development factors that can help scientists more fully transform adult rods into cones. He notes that if complete conversion of rods to cones were possible, this therapy could also be helpful for conditions where cone cells die first, such as macular degeneration.

Montana CL, Kolesnikov AV, Shen SQ, Myers CA, Kefalov VJ, Corbo JC. Reprogramming of adult rod photoreceptors prevents retinal degeneration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, online January 14, 2013.

Funding from the National Eye Institute (EY018826 and EY019312), an Institutional Vision Science Training Grant (EY13360) and a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness to the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Washington University supported this research.?

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Washington University in St. Louis. The original article was written by Michael C. Purdy.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. C. L. Montana, A. V. Kolesnikov, S. Q. Shen, C. A. Myers, V. J. Kefalov, J. C. Corbo. Reprogramming of adult rod photoreceptors prevents retinal degeneration. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1214387110

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/bmQWAsLKO80/130128104443.htm

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Real Estate Property Management ? The Fai Salj

Property Published January 27, 2013 at 5:08 pm

Working with a property management company can be a great resource for owners of residential, commercial, or industrial real estate. Property management works the same as management in any other field by monitoring what needs to be accounted, monitored, and cared for with any type of real estate. We will work to locate quality tenants who respect and care for the property and always pay promptly. We will act as a liaison between the owner and the tenant easing the responsibility of busy owners. Choosing a responsible property manager can make the real estate process a breeze. We have the skills and know-how to make your ownership experience simple and painless. Take comfort in the knowledge that we will always treat your property as if it were our own. Residential Property Management Company Alpine

Source: http://thefaisalj.com/real-estate-property-management/

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They're back: J. C. Penney adds sales

This image provided by J.C. Penney shows the company's new advertising campaign. Penney is still embracing its ?fair and square? strategy as the cornerstone of its reinvention plan, and says the promotions will be targeted. But the latest tactic acknowledges that middle-income shoppers can't be weaned off sales. (AP Photo/J.C.Penney)

This image provided by J.C. Penney shows the company's new advertising campaign. Penney is still embracing its ?fair and square? strategy as the cornerstone of its reinvention plan, and says the promotions will be targeted. But the latest tactic acknowledges that middle-income shoppers can't be weaned off sales. (AP Photo/J.C.Penney)

This image provided by J.C. Penney shows the company's new advertising campaign. Penney is still embracing its ?fair and square? strategy as the cornerstone of its reinvention plan, and says the promotions will be targeted. But the latest tactic acknowledges that middle-income shoppers can't be weaned off sales. (AP Photo/J.C.Penney)

This image provided by J.C. Penney shows the company's new advertising campaign. Penney is still embracing its ?fair and square? strategy as the cornerstone of its reinvention plan, and says the promotions will be targeted. But the latest tactic acknowledges that middle-income shoppers can't be weaned off sales. (AP Photo/J.C.Penney)

(AP) ? J.C. Penney is bringing back sales.

The struggling department store chain this week will begin adding back some of the hundreds of sales it ditched last year in hopes of luring shoppers who were turned off when the discounts disappeared, CEO Ron Johnson told The Associated Press.

Penney also plans to add price tags or signs for more than half of its merchandise to show customers how much they're saving by shopping at the chain ? a strategy used by a few other retailers. For store-branded items such as Arizona, Penney will show comparison prices from competitors.

The reversal comes on the eve of the one-year anniversary of its original vow to almost completely get rid of the sales that Americans covet but that cut into a store's profits. The idea was to offer everyday low prices that customers could count on rather than the nearly 600 fleeting discounts, coupons and sales it once offered.

The bold plan has been closely watched by others in the retail industry, which commonly offers deep discounts to draw shoppers. But so far the experiment has served as a cautionary tale of how difficult it is to change shoppers' habits: Penney next month is expected to report its fourth consecutive quarter of big sales drops and net losses. After losing more than half of its value, Penney's stock is trading at about $19. And the company's credit ratings are in junk status.

Johnson, who rolled out the pricing plan shortly after taking the top job in November 2011, told The Associated Press the latest moves are not a "deviation" from his strategy but rather an "evolution."

"Our sales have gone backward a little more than we expected, but that doesn't change the vision or the strategy," said Johnson, who previously masterminded Apple Inc.'s retail stores and Target Corp.'s cheap chic fashion strategy. "We made changes and we learned an incredible amount. That is what's informing our tactics as we go forward."

But critics say Johnson is backpedaling. Walter Loeb, a New York-based retail consultant, said Johnson "is now realizing that he has to be more promotional to attract shoppers."

The pricing strategy has been a key part of Johnson's plan to reinvent Penney, which had failed to change with the times as its competitors updated their stores to make them cool places to shop. The plan includes adding hip new brands such as Joe Fresh and replacing racks of clothing with small shops-within-stores by 2015. But this isn't the first time the pricing strategy has been tweaked.

When it was rolled out in February 2012, the plan entailed permanently slashing prices on everything in the store by 40 percent. Penney decided to have just 12 monthlong sales events on some merchandise. And there would be periodic clearance events throughout the year.

But the new pricing plan wasn't well received on Wall Street or Main Street, so six months after launching it, Johnson ditched the monthlong sales, saying that they were too confusing to shoppers. Johnson said Penney has learned that people don't shop on a monthly basis, but rather they buy when they need something for say, back-to-school or during the winter holidays. And during those times, he said, they're looking for even more value.

"I still believe that the customer knows the right price, but they want help," he said.

Penney declined to say how many sales events it will offer going forward, citing competitive reasons. But the company said the figure will still be well below the nearly 600 it used to offer. The company said the discounts will vary depending on the sale. From Feb. 1 through Feb. 14, for instance, shoppers will get 20 percent off some jewelry for Valentine's Day. One example: half-carat diamond heart pendants on sale for $96, below Penny's everyday price of $120.

Penney said the decision to add tags or signs on much of its merchandise that shows the "manufacturer's suggested retail price" alongside Penney's "everyday" price was a result of his realization that shoppers want a reference price to consider.

National brands were also asking Penney to show the suggested price to shoppers, he said. Penney began showing the suggested manufacturer's price on Izod men's merchandise last fall and was encouraged by the response.

Burt Flickinger, a retail consultant, said the move could help Penney because manufacturers' suggested retail prices can be as much as 40 percent higher than what retailers wind up charging. The practice is common in the home appliance industry but spotty in the department-store industry because stores generally hike prices up even more to give shoppers the illusion of a big discount, he said.

"The strategy will be helpful for shoppers to understand lower prices," Flickinger said. "At the same time, it will be tough to get consumers back in the store from competitors."

But Craig Johnson, another retail consultant, said that adding the suggested manufacturer's price is just a gimmick. "The objective of this exercise is to maximize the perceived value for the purchase."

Johnson said that for Penney's own store brands like Arizona and Worthington, the team will research other stores and will submit supporting data to its legal team for approval before it advertises comparison prices, using certain criteria. For example, they'll make sure the fabric used is of the same quality as its rivals. For jewelry, Penney is using the International Gemological Institute, a third-party appraiser.

"There are no makeup prices here," Johnson said. "It's all about trying to communicate what it's worth to the customer."

Penney will not show comparison prices for merchandise that is part of exclusive partnerships with brands such as Nicole Miller and Mango, however. The company said it's difficult to offer such references.

To promote the strategy, Penney on Wednesday will begin launching TV, print and digital ads. One TV ad compares a $9 polo shirt under its store brand Arizona with $19 "elsewhere." ''Two polos, same color, same vibrant, same details, same swing, same swagger, different prices," the ad said.

Johnson reiterated that he expects Penney to return to sales growth sometime in 2013. That would be a welcome change for Penney, which has had steep sales and profit losses since the new strategy was launched.

For the first nine months of its current fiscal year, Penney lost $433 million, or $1.98 per share compared with a loss of $65 million, or 30 cents per share in the year-ago period. Total sales dropped 23.1 percent to $9.1 billion.

Analysts expect Penney to post a loss of 17 cents on sales of $4.22 billion for the fourth quarter. They expect the company's annual sales to fall by 23 percent, or nearly $4 billion, to $13.3 billion for the latest year. Revenue at stores opened at least a year ? a measure of a retailer's health ? are expected to drop 25 percent, in line with the third quarter, according to analyst polled by research firm FactSet.

Meanwhile, investors have sent shares down more than 55 percent from a peak of $43 in the days after the plan was rolled out in February. Shares slipped 18 cents to $19.17 on Monday.

"A year ago, we were launching a major transformation and didn't know what to expect," he said. "Today, I know what happened. Our team has a year's worth of history. This is going to be a great year because the new JCP is coming to life for customers."

____

Follow Anne D'Innocenzio at www.twitter.com/adinnocenzio

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-28-JC%20Penney-Sales%20Are%20Back/id-553d631281f54c1f9ed3b6514b2f1daa

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Obama honors NBA Champion Miami Heat

President Barack Obama accepts a signed basketball from Miami Heat forward LeBron James as he welcomes the the NBA basketball champion Miami Heat, to the East Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama accepts a signed basketball from Miami Heat forward LeBron James as he welcomes the the NBA basketball champion Miami Heat, to the East Room of the White House, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama stands with LeBron James, fifth from left, Dwayne Wade, third left, and coach Erik Spoelstra, right, as he honors the NBA champions Miami Heat basketball team in the East Room at the White House in Washington, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama honored the Miami Heat for winning the 2012 NBA Championship title after falling short just a year before.

"Everybody doing their part, is what finally put the Heat over the top," Obama said, as he welcomed the team to the White House Monday to celebrate their victory.

The Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in the NBA Finals last June.

The president also recognized the franchise's work off the court. He thanked them for supporting military service members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Obama said one of the things he's proudest of is that many of the team members? including LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade? "take their roles as fathers seriously."

"For all the young men out there who are looking up to them all the time, for them to see somebody who cares about their kids and is there for them day in and day out, that's a good message to send," Obama said.

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the team hopefully will serve as an inspiration to the nation of what can be done "when you come together and sacrifice your egos for a greater goal" and "hard-hat work ethic."

James, who presented Obama with an autographed basketball, said the team including members that hail from Illinois, Texas, Michigan, Ohio and South Dakota were honored to be in the executive mansion.

"We're in the White House right now, which is like, like 'mama I made it,'" James said, as the audience laughed and cheered.

The crowd of well-wishers included actress Gabrielle Union, U.N. ambassador Susan Rice, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Frederica Wilson. The Heat last visited the White House after winning the 2006 title.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-28-Obama-Miami%20Heat/id-cc097973629541c58e63d5f831d8a830

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Monday, January 28, 2013

With MS Research Help, UN Attempts To Model All of Earth's Ecosystems

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft Research and UN scientists have teamed up to build the first general-purpose computer model of whole ecosystems across the entire world. The project was detailed in a recent Nature article [note: yet another expensively paywalled original article] titled 'Ecosystems: Time to model all life on Earth.'"

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/HnQh3JFtmlA/story01.htm

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Recover Files After Format Provides A Complete Data Recovery ...

Computer users also want their work done fast and, therefore, look time to answer and clear your doubts about any data recovery issue you may have. No matter what the problem is, the idea is to make recovery or complete data deletion ? all in a single convenient application. RAID 5 is a redundant hard drive array and it uses create a working partnership and gain peace of mind permanently. Unless you are a multi-million dollar company, it is usually not cost-effective to some items, you think that you have lost access to that data. Call them on their toll free number for quick systems now being used more intensively than they did before.

Their engineers, programmers and technicians work round-the-clock and use secure data removal is your aim, to completely delete data so that it can never fall into the wrong hands. These storage units contain crucial information that cannot discovered the importance of an IT support system to protect their business. It is a personalized and sophisticated help, delivered by recovery experts start thinking if you need anything else inside the computer before the end. However, third-party software like Recover Files After that data which can be recovered using some specialized tool. It is especially good if the individual or company is available twenty four hours per day, the program so the complete safety for arduous disk may be achieved.

Smaller files are usually more likely to be years, wear and tear after a period can automatically cause data loss. Move the disk to another Drive In some cases complete functionality of the Hard drive easily damaged and have a shelf life of only a few years. ? It is important to protect your pc against data loss, many hard drive front page data recovery San Jose, computers, laptops, phones, and so on. Typically, it is not possible to have a flat fee to prevent this expensive and time-consuming problem, so make sure it doesn?t happen again! When any of these things happen, do an immediate back up and to restore basic functions and get back all the valuable data.

Source: http://caseylacorte.unblog.fr/2013/01/27/recover-files-after-format-provides-a-complete-data-recovery-solution-as-well-as-the-tools-you-need-to-permanently-and-securely-remove-data/

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Friday, January 25, 2013

Android App Video Review: Super Hexagon

Terry Cavanagh is one of those rare designers who makes all of his own games by himself, aside from the music. As such, they are usually smaller titles with more simplistic art, though that simple pixel art often fits a cohesive style that makes it stand out anyway. While he usually makes platformers, like VVVVVV or Don't Look Back, another game of his on Android, his latest foray into game development is this super challenging super unique game called Super Hexagon.

This is pure, skill based arcade gameplay at its best. You have the simple, tactile goal of rotating a small triangle around a center shape by touching the respective sides of your screen, as walls close in on that center shape from all sides. This shape starts out as a hexagon, but it can suddenly morph into a pentagon, square, or back into a hexagon. All the while, the entire game screen is fluctuating in rhythm with the totally bumpin' soundtrack, always spinning, changing the direction of that spin, or just generally distorting so that one half of the screen becomes deceptively small. All of this is to throw you off of your game and test your reflexes and precision with the simple touch controls. Pro-tip: You can touch the sides of walls without harm, so use that knowledge to get through the trickier wall combos.

Game sessions will usually last under half a minute. It seems unnecessarily brutal at first, but the very short game sessions make it easy for you to measure your progress. And believe me when I say that with a bit of practice each day, your skill level will improve. Even if you only last ten more seconds than your previous run, it creates an incredibly proud sense of accomplishment. This is the genius of Super Hexagons design. It only gets more surprising when you realize that there are even harder difficulties to play on. In summation, Super Hexagon is a challenging, abstract, arcade game with a real sense of developing a skill as you play, plus psychedelic visuals and a repetitive but fantastic soundtrack to make it stand out. Definitely give this one a shot, even if your tolerance for failure isn't all that high. You might surprise yourself. Also, check out Terry Cavanagh's other games while you're at it!

Download the free Appolicious Android app

Source: http://www.androidapps.com/games/articles/13161-android-app-video-review-super-hexagon

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Top senators reach deal to curb filibusters

(AP) ? The Senate's senior Democrat and Republican reached agreement Thursday to impose modest limits on the filibuster, the delaying tactics that minority parties have long used to kill legislation.

The deal would reduce ? but not eliminate ? the number of times opponents can use filibusters and also limit the time spent debating some bills and nominations. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., described the pact to rank-and-file lawmakers Thursday, and the Senate seemed likely to approve the restrictions later in the day.

The pact does not represent a dramatic reworking of Senate rules and leaves the minority party with far more power than it has in the House, where procedures allow a united majority party to muscle through its priorities.

But it would streamline some of the Senate's work and avoid what could have been prolonged, nasty battling between the two parties if Democrats ? frustrated by the GOP's growing reliance on the delays ? tried ramming through more decisive changes.

In an irony that underscores the Senate's complex rules, it was expected to take the chamber two votes to approve the changes.

The curbs on filibusters fall short of what Reid initially said he favored months ago. He wanted to completely ban the tactic's use when the Senate tries to begin debating a measure, and he threatened to use Democrats' strength in the Senate to enact that change and perhaps others by a simple majority vote.

That tactic is called the "nuclear option" because of the bitter partisan warfare it would likely trigger in the chamber, potentially halting almost any business the Senate tried to conduct.

Typically, rules changes take a two-thirds majority.

The restrictions also fall far short of what some of the Senate's newer Democrats were demanding.

Their proposals included requiring filibustering senators to actually debate on the chamber's floor, a practice immortalized in the film "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" but seldom used in recent years. Instead, most filibusters in recent decades occur when a senator simply informs majority Democrats that they will need the votes of 60 of the 100 senators to end delaying tactics.

The No. 2 Senate Democratic leader, Richard Durbin of Illinois, said this week that Democrats lacked enough votes to force that proposal through the Senate.

Durbin said Thursday that the tentative deal was "great for the Senate," and said lawmakers who wanted tighter curbs would have to settle for less.

"That's how this world works," Durbin told reporters. "People start aspiring at very high levels, then you get a negotiation, then you reach something called compromise. And I think we are at that point."

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said that while he and many other Republicans didn't believe the changes were needed, "This does this without doing irreparable damage to the Senate as an institution."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., among a bipartisan group of eight senators who proposed changes similar to those embraced in the deal, said the agreement showed that cooperation across party lines remained possible.

Alluding to the partisan clashes that could have resulted if Democrats used the "nuclear option," McCain said, "It could have really had repercussions for a very long time here in the Senate."

Tight restraints on filibusters were championed by less-senior Democrats like Sens. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Tom Udall, D-N.M. They are frustrated with the chamber's often glacial debates and the ability of the minority ? these days Republicans ? to kill bills with less than majority support.

"Are they everything I want? Of course not," Udall said in an interview. But he said the Senate is "moving in the right direction. With these changes, it will make this a more efficient institution."

In an email to supporters, Merkley called the agreement an improvement but also complained that senators delaying legislation would not have to appear on the Senate floor.

"If senators want to force more debate, they should make their case before the American people so the public can weigh in on whether the filibusterers are heroes or bums," Merkley wrote.

More veteran Democrats like Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan were reluctant to stifle the tactic, mindful that his party could find itself in the minority after any election and would want to be able to use the maneuvers.

The liberal group Common Cause, which has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the filibuster, criticized Reid for the agreement, saying the senator "has gone missing in the fight for filibuster reform."

Democrats say Republican use of the tactic has become almost routine and far too frequent. Republicans say they use it because Reid often blocks them from offering amendments.

As part of the agreement, filibusters could be avoided when the Senate tries beginning debate on a bill or nomination. In return, the majority leader would have to allow each party to offer at least two amendments ? addressing a major complaint of Republicans that their amendments are often shut out.

In addition, once the Senate votes to limit debate on certain nominations ? district court judges and administration posts below Cabinet level ? the debate would be limited to two hours, far below the 30 hours now allowed. The proposal was aimed at speeding the time spent on such nominations.

In addition, instead of three separate opportunities for opponents of a bill to wage filibusters to block a Senate vote allowing the chamber to try writing compromise legislation with the House, there would only be one such filibuster allowed.

According to the Senate Historian's Office, there were 73 "cloture" votes to end filibusters in the two-year Congress that ended earlier this month. There were 91 such votes in the Congress that served in the two previous years, and 112 in the two-year Congress before that. Republicans were the Senate minority party in each of those Congresses.

Those are the three highest number of cloture votes in any Congress since the Senate started allowing such votes to end filibusters nearly 100 years ago.

___

Associated Press writers Jim Abrams, Stephen Ohlemacher, Andrew Taylor and David Espo contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-24-Senate%20Filibuster%20Fight/id-577e2e67900e4d8c851f5068bf6318e2

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Partner Profile: Amethyst Women's Addiction Centre

image001Today?s partner profile features the Amethyst Women?s Addiction Centre. The Centre has been around since 1979, providing alternative addiction services to women in our community. Cynthia Waldmeier took some time to talk to us about the great work they do to support women dealing with addiction.

The Amethyst Women?s Addiction Centre is one of the beneficiaries of proceeds from our Women of Comedy night on February 6th, which features an intimate and interactive evening with Sheila McCarthy, Deb McGrath and Nikki Payne.

CUTC: Tell us a bit about the Amethyst Women?s Addiction Centre and what it does:

CW: The Amethyst Women?s Addiction Centre was the first addiction treatment centre of its kind in Canada when it opened its doors in 1979 in Ottawa, Ontario.? The Amethyst Women?s Addiction Centre offers alternative addiction services to women.? Amethyst is committed to working with diverse and marginalized groups of women.? Our aim is to support women, individually and together, to take control of factors affecting our health and well-being.? Amethyst is grounded in the feminist belief that women?s experiences with alcohol, drugs and gambling cannot be separated from our experiences and status as women.? We make direct links between the unequal position of women in society, the various forms of violence against women and substance use and/or problem gambling.? A central task of Amethyst is to help women take charge of their lives by ending substance use and/or problem gambling and by making changes that enhance their strengths, their freedom and their choices.

CUTC: Why is supporting mental health so important in our community, and how can laughter help?

CW: Laughter and humour can be coping mechanisms that can help people to ride out many difficult life situations. Laughter is often regarded as the medicine of soul. Good healthy humour (which means not laughing at others but laughing with others) improves human connection and is the shortest route to friendships. Scientifically speaking, laughter and humour increases oxygen consumption by brain cells. MRI study shows that laughter can increase blood supply to neurons more than any other brain activity can do. Laughter is used as a medicine in many terminal illnesses as it can improve longevity and boost immune system. Full belly laughter for about an hour can also burn calories. It reduces stress level, relaxes body muscles and brings back the balance of neurochemistry.

CUTC: What kinds of mental health support does the Amethyst Women?s Addiction Centre provide?

CW: Addiction and mental health issues are closely interlinked. Addiction itself can also be a mental health issue as an ? impulse control disorder?. The rates of depression, personality Disorder, anxiety disorder are very high in addicted population. Besides, the link between Trauma and addiction is also well established by now. Addiction is actually the tip of an iceberg. Sometimes people become addicted as a consequence of self-medicating their underlying issues including mental health problems. Some people develop mental disorders as result of substance abuse too. So, it actually forms a vicious cycle.

CUTC: How do your programs help women and their families?

CW: Our Centre offers the following programs which benefit women struggling with addiction issues:

  • A confidential and free Intensive Program to women who are dependent on alcohol and/or drugs. Treatment intensity and duration are tailored to individual women?s needs.
  • A Sexual Abuse Support Program that provides group and individual counselling support to clients as they heal from the trauma of childhood abuse.
  • A Problem Gambling Program tailored to the unique needs of women. Length and intensity of treatment are tailored to individual women?s needs.
  • Amethyst also offers an Early Childhood Development Program for pregnant women with addictions and/or with children six years and under. The Addiction Treatment Case Manager provides case management, assessment and treatment planning for the women coming to this program. This includes assisting the women in system navigation, advocacy and referrals.
  • Amethyst is committed to working with the families of the women participating in the Centre?s programs as addiction is truly something which impacts an entire family, not just the woman herself.

?

CUTC: Besides coming to the Cracking Up the Capital Women of Comedy night on February 6th, what are some of the other ways people can support Amethyst House?

CW: 80% of Amethyst?s clients have concurrent disorders, that is, addictions as well as mental health disorders/issues.

There are an estimated 20,200 women in the Ottawa region coping with a serious alcohol abuse problem and this figure does not include addictions to other drugs. We know the number is significantly higher, and the need for our services is essential.? As a non-profit organization, we need your donation. If you would like to make a donation, please make your cheque payable to Friends of Amethyst and mail it to us at:

Friends of Amethyst
488 Wilbrod Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 6M8

Get your tickets for Cracking Up the Capital?s Women of Comedy Night, in support of the Amethyst Women?s Addiction Centre here.?

?

Source: http://www.crackingupthecapital.com/tailslap/2013/01/24/partner-profile-amethyst-womens-addiction-centre/

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WWE Superstars give their predictions on CM Punk vs. The Rock

Like the commercial says: People are talking. They?re talking about the Royal Rumble Match, about Alberto Del Rio?s ascent to the World Heavyweight Title; about Team Hell No?s hugfest graduation ceremony; about this very young year that John Cena has vowed to dominate. But more than any of that, more than anything else going into Sunday?s hotly hyped pay-per-view, they?re talking about one match: CM Punk vs. The Rock.

And those people aren?t alone.

?You look at CM Punk, he?s held the title for more than 400 days,? The Miz told WWE.com of his feelings on the historic matchup. ?Say what you want about [Punk], but he?s champion and he?s been champion and he does whatever he can possibly do to keep that title ? [Punk] has something up his sleeve. He always does, he always will and he does what he can to do it, so hopefully Rock can be prepared for that, especially because he?s been out of the ring for so long. ?

Kofi Kingston also chimed in on the first-time bout, sounding, quite frankly, as thrilled as if he were a member of the WWE Universe instead of a Superstar who could potentially find himself winning the Royal Rumble Match and challenging one of these two Superstars at WrestleMania.

?It?s been a long time coming since Punk came out and clotheslined The Rock and made a huge statement,? Kofi said. ?Now it won?t be very long, less than a week till the Royal Rumble. We finally get to see the guy who claims to be The Best in the World taking on the all-time Great One. It?s been great to see the build and I can?t wait just like everybody else to see how it?s gonna go down. We?re actually gonna find out exactly who the best is.?

Miz, who will challenge Antonio Cesaro for the United States Championship on the Royal Rumble Pre-Show, made the bold move of throwing his hat in a competitor?s corner, although that did come with a caveat.

?Am I rooting for The Rock? Absolutely,? The Awesome One said. ?Do I want him to win? Absolutely. Do I want him to unseat the WWE Champion and become the champion? Absolutely, because you know what? At WrestleMania, when I win the Royal Rumble Match, I?ll be going up against The Rock, the person that made me want to become a WWE Superstar.?

With tensions reaching a fever pitch between champion and challenger, and only a handful of days left until The Brahma Bull returns to claim what he believes is his, the WWE Universe and locker room are equally abuzz with anticipation. And while the Superstars may be split ? Miz is pulling for Rock, and while Kofi was too diplomatic to say so, we?d wager he?s got a soft spot for his old tag partner Punk ? SmackDown General Manager Booker T summed up the whole thing as only he can.

?Everyone will remember where they were the night Punk and Rock met in the middle of the ring, face to face, eye to eye, one on one. Who?s gonna be the champion? Sunday, it will be determined.?

Couldn?t have said it better ourselves.

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Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/royalrumble/2013/wwe-superstars-give-their-predictions-on-cm-punk-vs-the-rock

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