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Friday, April 26, 2013

Chiefs take OT Fisher of Central Michigan 1st

NEW YORK (AP) ? The Kansas City Chiefs took offensive tackle Eric Fisher of Central Michigan to begin the NFL draft Thursday night, then Jacksonville went for Texas A&M's Luke Joeckel.

It was the first time since the 1970 merger that offensive tackles went 1-2.

Fisher became the first player from the Mid-American Conference taken to open the draft. He is the third offensive tackle picked No. 1 overall since the merger, joining Orlando Pace in 1997 and Jake Long five years ago.

Fisher is the first selection by new Chiefs coach Andy Reid and general manager John Dorsey, who entertained trade offers before selecting the 6-foot-7, 306-pound Fisher over All-American Joeckel.

After Commissioner Roger Goodell paid tribute to the first responders at the Boston Marathon bombings and the victims of the West, Texas explosion, he announced Fisher's name. It broke a string of four straight quarterbacks taken first: Matthew Stafford, Sam Bradford, Cam Newton and Andrew Luck.

This is considered a QB-weak draft.

Online: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chiefs-ot-fisher-central-michigan-1st-002252020--nfl.html

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Politics on hold at the dedication of Bush library

President Barack Obama, and former presidents, from second from left, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter arrive for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center ,Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/The Dallas Morning News, Tom Fox) MANDATORY CREDIT; MAGS OUT; TV OUT; INTERNET USE BY AP MEMBERS ONLY; NO SALES

Former president George W. Bush, wipes a tear after his speech during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. Left is President George H.W. Bush. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

From left, President Barack Obama, former president George W. Bush, former president William J. Clinton former President George H.W. Bush and former president Jimmy Carter arrive for the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Former president George H.W. Bush, left, applauds with Laura Bush after former president George W. Bush's speech during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Former President George W. Bush, center, shares a laugh with his wife, former first lady Laura Bush and father, former President George H.W. Bush during the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, Thursday, April 25, 2013, in Dallas. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

DALLAS (AP) ? George W. Bush shed a sentimental tear. Barack Obama mused about the burdens of the office. Bill Clinton dished out wisecracks. Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush chimed in, too, on a rare day of harmony at the dedication of the younger Bush's presidential library that glossed over the hard edges and partisan divides of five presidencies spanning more than three tumultuous decades.

"To know the man is to like the man," Obama declared of his Republican predecessor, speaking Thursday before a crowd of 10,000 at an event that had the feel of a class reunion for the partisans who had powered the Bush administration from 2001 to 2009. Dick Cheney was there in a white cowboy hat. Condoleezza Rice gave shout-outs to visiting dignitaries. Colin Powell and Karl Rove were prominent faces in the crowd.

On this day, there was no mention of Iraq or Afghanistan, the wars that dominated Bush's presidency and so divided the nation. There were only gentle references to the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. And praise aplenty for the resolve that Bush showed in responding to the 9/11 terror attacks.

Clinton joked that the dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Center was "the latest, grandest example of the eternal struggle of former presidents to rewrite history." But he also praised Bush for including interactive exhibits at the center that invite visitors to make their own choices on major decisions that he faced.

Bush, 66, made indirect reference to the polarizing decision points of his presidency, drawing a knowing laugh as he told the crowd: "One of the benefits of freedom is that people can disagree. It's fair to say I created plenty of opportunities to exercise that right."

He said he was guided throughout his presidency by a determination "to expand the reach of freedom."

"It wasn't always easy, and it certainly wasn't always popular."

It was a day for family and sentimentality, Bush choking up with emotion at the conclusion of his remarks.

The 43rd president singled out his 88-year-old father, another ex-president, to tell him: "41, it is awesome that you are here today."

The elder Bush, wearing jaunty pink socks, spoke for less than a minute from his wheelchair, then turned to his son and quipped, "Too long?" He has a form of Parkinson's disease and has been hospitalized recently for bronchitis.

Just as the public tends to view presidents more kindly once they've left office, ex-presidents, too, tend to soften their judgments ? or at least their public comments ? with time.

Obama once excoriated Bush for his "failed policies" and "disastrous" handling of the economy, for expanding budget deficits, and for drawing the nation into war in Iraq.

On Thursday, he took a detour around those matters and instead praised Bush for his strength after 9/11, compassion in fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa, bipartisanship in pursuing education reforms and restarting "an important conversation by speaking with the American people about our history as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants."

If the country is eventually able to enact immigration changes this year, Obama added, "it will be, in large part, thanks to the hard work of President George W. Bush."

Obama said the living presidents make up an exclusive club ? but it's more like a support group for the men who have held the position.

"No matter how much you may think you are ready to assume the office of the presidency, it's impossible to truly understand the nature of the job until it's yours," Obama said. "And that's why every president gains a greater appreciation for all of those who served before them."

The other presidents struck a similar tone.

Clinton praised Bush for his efforts to combat AIDS in Africa, his work on global health and even for the paintings he's doing in retirement. And he said he'd gotten so close to the Bush family that there were jokes that "I had become the black sheep son."

Carter praised Bush for his role in helping secure peace between North and South Sudan in 2005 and the "great contributions you've made to the most needy people on earth."

Bush has kept a decidedly low profile since leaving office four years ago with an approval rating of just 33 percent. That figure has been gradually climbing and now is at 47 percent ? about equal to Obama's own approval rating, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released ahead of the library opening.

If politics was absent from the podium on Thursday, it was still a prominent subtext.

Those in attendance included a number of potential candidates for president in 2016 ? another Clinton (Hillary) and Bush (Jeb) among them.

George W. Bush in recent days played up the idea of his younger brother, the former governor of Florida, seeking the White House, telling C-SPAN, "My first advice is: Run."

Their mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, did the opposite.

"We've had enough Bushes," she said Thursday on NBC's "Today" show.

The presidential center at Southern Methodist University includes a library, museum and policy institute. It contains more than 70 million pages of paper records, 200 million emails, 4 million digital photos and 43,000 artifacts. Bush's library will feature the largest digital holdings of any of the 13 presidential libraries under the auspices of the National Archives and Records Administration.

A full-scale replica of the Oval Office as it looked during Bush's tenure sits on the campus, as does a piece of steel from the World Trade Center and the bullhorn that Bush used to punctuate the chaos at ground zero three days after 9/11. In the museum, visitors can gaze at a container of chads ? the remnants of the famous Florida punch card ballots that played a pivotal role in the contested 2000 election that sent Bush to Washington.

Laura Bush led the library's design committee, officials said, with a keen eye toward ensuring that the family's Texas roots were conspicuously reflected. Architects used local materials, including Texas Cordova cream limestone and trees from the central part of the state, in its construction.

___

Follow Josh Lederman on Twitter: http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP .

___

Associated Press writer Nancy Benac contributed from Washington.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-25-Bush%20Library/id-79e93f347f4a473781d6eee4af000555

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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Ricin Investigation: Authorities Continue Probe Of Poisoned Letters After Charges Dropped Against First Suspect (VIDEO)

TUPELO, Miss. ? Charges of sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and others were dropped Tuesday against an Elvis impersonator from Mississippi who has said since his arrest last week that he had nothing to do with the case.

Meanwhile, in Tupelo, numerous law enforcement officers converged on the home of another Mississippi man, Everett Dutschke, including some in hazmat suits. No charges have been filed against him and he hasn't been arrested. Both men say they have no idea how to make the poisonous ricin and had nothing to do with sending them to Obama, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and a state judge.

Referring to officials' questions for him about the case, "I thought they said rice and I said I don't even eat rice," 45-year-old Paul Kevin Curtis said after he was released from custody Tuesday afternoon. "I respect President Obama. I love my country and would never do anything to pose a threat to him or any other U.S. official."

A one-sentence document filed by federal prosecutors said charges against Curtis were dropped, but left open the possibility they could be re-instated if authorities found more to prove their case. Prosecutors were not immediately available for comment.

The dismissal is the latest twist in a case that rattled the country already on edge over the Boston Marathon bombing last week.

Curtis was well-known to Wicker because he had written to the Republican and other officials about black-market body parts he claimed to have found while working at a hospital ? a claim the hospital says is untrue. Curtis also wrote a book called "Missing Pieces" about his claims and posted similar language on his Facebook page and elsewhere. The documents indicate Curtis had been distrustful of the government for years.

He told The Associated Press Tuesday that he realizes his writings made him an easy target.

"God will get the glory from here on out. It's nothing about me. It's nothing about my book. It's nothing about the hospital. After 13 years of losing everything I have turned it over to God. After all these years God was the missing piece," Curtis said.

The two men the FBI are investigating are not strangers. Dutschke said the two had a falling out and that the last contact they had was in 2010. Dutschke said he threatened to sue Curtis for saying he was a member of Mensa, a group for people with high IQs.

Since his arrest at his Corinth home on April 17, attorneys for Curtis say their client didn't do it and suggested he was framed. An FBI agent testified in court this week that no evidence of ricin was found in searches of his home.

Dutschke (DUHST'-kee) said in a phone interview with the AP that the FBI was at his home for the search connected to the mailings. Dutschke said his house was also searched last week.

"I don't know how much more of this I can take," Dutschke said just before 7 p.m. CDT, as investigators continued to comb his house.

Curtis attorney Hal Neilson said the defense gave authorities a list of people who may have had a reason to hurt Curtis.

"Dutschke came up," he said. "They (prosecutors) took it and ran with it. I could not tell you if he's the man or he's not the man, but there was something there they wanted to look into."

An FBI intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press said the two letters to Obama and Wicker said: "To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance." Both were signed, "I am KC and I approve this message."

Multiple online posts on various websites that could be seen by anyone under the name Kevin Curtis refer to the conspiracy he claimed to uncover when working at a local hospital from 1998 to 2000. In one post, Curtis said he sent letters to Wicker and other politicians. He signed off: "This is Kevin Curtis & I approve this message."

Curtis attorney Christi McCoy said she doesn't know what new information prosecutors have and that the plot to frame her client was "very, very diabolical."

Curtis, dressed in a black suit, red shirt, necktie and sunglasses, said he met Dutschke in 2005 but for some reason Dutschke "hated" and "stalked" him. "To this day I have no clue of why he hates me."

Dutschke has maintained his innocence and says he doesn't know anything about the ingredients for ricin. Ricin is derived from the castor plant that makes castor oil. There is no antidote and it is at its deadliest when inhaled. It can be aerosolized, released into the air and inhaled. The Homeland Security handbook says the amount of ricin that fits on the head of a pin is enough to kill an adult if properly prepared.

Dutschke said agents asked him about Curtis, whether Dutschke would take a lie detector test and if he had ever bought castor beans, which can be used to make the potent poison.

"I'm a patriotic American. I don't have any grudges against anybody. I did not send the letters," said Dutschke, who was a Republican candidate for the Mississippi House of Representatives in 2007 but lost.

After charges were dropped against Curtis, he said: "I'm a little shocked."

Dutschke said his attorney wasn't with him and he didn't know whether he was going to be arrested.

Tuesday's events began when the third day of a preliminary and detention hearing was cancelled without officials explaining the change. Within two hours, Curtis had been released, though it wasn't clear why at first.

FBI Agent Brandon Grant said in court on Monday that searches last week of Curtis' vehicle and house in Corinth, found no ricin, ingredients for the poison, or devices used to make it. A search of Curtis' computers found no evidence he researched making ricin. Authorities produced no other physical evidence at the hearings tying Curtis to the letters.

All the envelopes and stamps were self-adhesive, Grant said Monday, meaning they won't yield DNA evidence. One fingerprint was found on the letter sent to a Lee County judge, but the FBI doesn't know who it belongs to, Grant said.

The experience, Curtis said, has been a nightmare for his family. He has four children ? ages, 8, 16, 18 and 20. It also has made him reflect deeply on his life.

"I've become closer to God through all this, closer with my children and I've even had some strained relationships with some family and cousins and this has brought us closer as a family," he said.

___

Wagster Pettus reported from Jackson. Associated Press writers Holbrook Mohr in Oxford, Jack Elliott in Jackson and Pete Yost in Washington contributed to this report.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/24/ricin-investigation_n_3143854.html

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Gut bacteria byproduct predicts heart attack and stroke

Apr. 24, 2013 ? A microbial byproduct of intestinal bacteria contributes to heart disease and serves as an accurate screening tool for predicting future risks of heart attack, stroke and death in persons not otherwise identified by traditional risk factors and blood tests, according to Cleveland Clinic research published today in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The research team was led by Stanley Hazen, M.D., Ph.D., Vice Chair of Translational Research, Chair of the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine for the Lerner Research Institute and section head of Preventive Cardiology & Rehabilitation in the Miller Family Heart and Vascular Institute at Cleveland Clinic, and W.H. Wilson Tang, M.D., Department of Cardiovascular Medicine in the Miller Family Heart and Vascular Institute and Lerner Research Institute.

The current study is an extension of Dr. Hazen's previous work, in which he found that a chemical byproduct called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is produced when intestinal bacteria digest the nutrient phosphatidylcholine, commonly known as lecithin. The prior research showed that TMAO levels in the blood were associated with heart disease. Dr. Hazen and colleagues have now confirmed that gut flora are essential in forming TMAO in humans and demonstrated a relationship between TMAO levels and future cardiac events like heart attack, stroke, and death -- even in those with no prior evidence of cardiac disease risk.

To demonstrate the role of gut flora in forming TMAO, human subjects were asked to eat two hard-boiled eggs (a common dietary source of lecithin) and a capsule of labeled lecithin (as a tracer). After ingestion, TMAO levels in the blood increased. However, when these same subjects were given a brief course of broad-spectrum antibiotics to suppress their gut flora, their TMAO levels were suppressed, and no additional TMAO was formed, even after ingesting lecithin. These results demonstrated that the intestinal bacteria are essential for the formation of TMAO.

In the second phase of the study, the researchers measured TMAO levels in a large, independent, clinical cohort -- consisting of more than 4,000 adults undergoing cardiac evaluation at Cleveland Clinic -- over a three-year follow-up period. They found that higher TMAO blood levels were associated with higher future risks of death and nonfatal heart attack or stroke over the ensuing three-year period, independent of other risk factors and blood test results. These results complement those of another recent study of Dr. Hazen's linking gut flora metabolism of a structurally similar nutrient found in animal products, carnitine, to TMAO production and heart attack risk.

"Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer, and while we know how to reduce cholesterol, treat blood pressure, and reduce cardiac risks through diet and other interventions, a substantial residual risk still remains," Dr. Hazen said. "We need to find new pathways to attack heart disease, and these findings strongly suggest that further research into the involvement of gut microbiome in the development of cardiovascular disease could lead to new avenues of prevention and treatment of heart disease."

Dr. Hazen further suggested, "These studies show that measuring blood levels of TMAO could serve as a powerful tool for predicting future cardiovascular risk, even for those without known risk factors. More studies are needed to confirm that TMAO testing, like cholesterol, triglyceride or glucose levels, might help guide physicians in providing individualized nutritional recommendations for preventing cardiovascular disease. Our goal is not to suggest dietary restrictions of entire food groups. Eggs, meat and other animal products are an integral part of most individuals' diets. Our work shows, however, that when digesting these foods, gut flora can generate a chemical mediator, TMAO, that may contribute to cardiovascular disease."

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

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

Journal Reference:

W.H. Wilson Tang, Zeneng Wang, Bruce S. Levison, Robert A. Koeth, Earl B. Britt, Xiaoming Fu, Yuping Wu, Stanley L. Hazen. Intestinal Microbial Metabolism of Phosphatidylcholine and Cardiovascular Risk. New England Journal of Medicine, 2013; 368 (17): 1575 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1109400

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/D14BpEQC7uQ/130424185211.htm

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Deeia Beck confirmed as public insurance counsel | Trail Blazers Blog

Deeia Beck, who represents consumers in insurance matters, was reappointed to her post in a unanimous Senate vote Wednesday despite a rocky confirmation hearing.

In that hearing, Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, wanted to know why Beck had stood up Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, for a meeting. She said no such meeting had been scheduled. Fraser said that?s not what Hancock told him. Beck said she?d take a lie detector test.

Some of the questions involved her involvement in politics in her once hometown of Fort Worth and if she had contributed to a rival of Hancock.

Her confirmation had been held up for more than two months.

Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, said that Beck was able to communicate with senators during that lapsed time and apparently worked out any misunderstandings.

Source: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/04/deeia-beck-confirmed-as-public-insurance-counsel.html/

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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Pakistan won't have Musharraf to kick around anymore

General Musharraf was a somewhat benign autocrat who wanted to be like Ataturk; but his return from exile to get elected in the top job, smacks of miscalculation.

By Robert Marquand,?Staff writer / April 18, 2013

Pakistan's former President and military ruler Pervez Musharraf leaves the High Court in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday. Musharraf and his security team pushed past policemen and sped away from a court in the country?s capital on Thursday after his bail was revoked in a case in which he is accused of treason.

B.K. Bangash/AP

Enlarge

Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan?s former Army chief and national ruler today escaped a set of judges and an Islamabad arrest order, climbed in a black bullet proof SUV, and sped red-faced away for the protection of home.

Skip to next paragraph Robert Marquand

Staff writer

Over the past three decades, Robert Marquand has reported on a wide variety of subjects for?The Christian Science Monitor, including American education reform,?the wars in the Balkans, the Supreme Court, South Asian politics, and the oft-cited "rise of China." In the past 15 years he has served as the Monitor's bureau chief in Paris, Beijing, and New Delhi.?

Future of Pakistan

Pakistan may be just about rid of Musharraf, but in a country where judicial authority has been distorted so often, it remains unclear what kind of future leadership Pakistan will see.

The nation is fractured, faces a need for more IMF bailouts, has an uncertain but powerful military influence, grudges are rife in every direction. ?

Though today it is a different world than when he last held power, it is worth remembering that at one point Musharraf may truly have been within striking distance of peace with India over the jewel of Kashmir. Steve Coll asked Musharraf about it in an interview he wrote up in 2009 the New Yorker:

"I've always believed in peace between India and Pakistan," [Musharraf] replied. "But it required boldness on both sides. . . . What I find lacking sometimes is this boldness ? particularly on the Indian side." He then reviewed a long negotiating session he had had, many years before, with former Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee, in which the pair had tried and failed to agree on a particular joint statement. As he recounted the incident, the pitch of Musharraf's voice rose slightly; he seemed to be reliving his frustration.
He returned to the subject of the 2007 talks. "I wasn't just giving concessions ? I was taking from India as well," he said, a touch defensively. Then he calmed. He fixed his gaze and added, "It would have benefitted both India and Pakistan."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/yPYfUqKfw50/Pakistan-won-t-have-Musharraf-to-kick-around-anymore

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Weak durable goods orders point to sluggish economy

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods recorded their biggest drop in seven months in March and a gauge of planned business spending rose only modestly, the latest signs of a slowdown in economic activity.

Durable goods orders slumped 5.7 percent as demand fell almost across the board, the Commerce Department said on Wednesday. The drop in orders for these goods - items from toasters to aircraft that are meant to last three years or more - followed a 4.3 percent rise in February.

"We have seen a considerable loss of momentum in the economy and that has been obvious in the round of data we had over the last four weeks or so," said Jacob Oubina, a senior U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets in New York.

The drop, which was double what economists had expected, provided a fresh indication of cooling at factories that had played a central role in the economy's recovery from recession.

It also joined a range of other data covering items from employment to retail sales that have shown the economy lost a step at the end of the first quarter.

The slowdown, which economists have dubbed the spring swoon, has been largely blamed on belt-tightening in Washington as the government tries to slash its bloated budget deficit.

Uncertainty over the impact of deep government spending cuts, known as the sequester, could be making businesses more cautious about rolling out capital projects.

Last month, non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, edged up 0.2 percent. Orders for these so-called core capital goods had dropped 4.8 percent in February and economists had expected a 0.4 percent increase last month.

"There's clearly rising near-term caution in capital spending plans by businesses as fiscal tightening hits and global growth slows," said Ted Wieseman, an economist at Morgan Stanley in New York.

WEAK BUSINESS SPENDING AHEAD

Financial data firm Markit said on Tuesday its preliminary factory purchasing managers' index hit a six-month low in April, and other regional factory surveys have also exhibited weakness this month.

Against the backdrop of a tame inflation environment, the soft durable goods data strengthened the argument for the Federal Reserve to maintain its monetary stimulus. The U.S. central bank meets next week and is widely expected to keep purchasing bonds at a pace of $85 billion a month.

U.S. Treasury debt prices squeezed higher, while stocks on Wall Street were little changed after the data. The dollar weakened against the yen.

Shipments of core capital goods - which the government uses to calculate equipment and software spending in its gross domestic product report - rose 0.3 percent in March. However, shipments for February were revised to show a 1.2 percent rise rather than the previously reported 1.9 percent increase.

That suggests growth in business spending in the first quarter slowed sharply from the fourth quarter's 11.8 percent annual pace. Indeed, some economists lowered their January-March gross domestic product estimates.

JPMorgan cut its first-quarter GDP forecast by two-tenths of a percentage point to 2.9 percent, while Barclays said there was a downside risk to its 3.0 percent estimate.

The government's report on GDP on Friday is expected to show the economy grew at a 3.0 percent annual rate in the first quarter, according to a Reuters survey, rebounding from a paltry 0.4 percent gain in the final three months of 2012.

Economists, however, look for expansion of only around 1.5 percent or so in the April-June period. Even that forecast is a bit optimistic, some have warned.

"The recent weak tone of the data, along with the anticipated fiscal drag, poses clear challenges," said Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.

"Nonetheless, we believe the fall in energy prices and the apparent resiliency of housing should provide important ballast to prevent the economy from capsizing."

A second report on Wednesday underscored the firming housing market tone. Applications for loans to purchase homes rose for a second straight week last week as mortgage rates declined further.

While the fall in durable goods orders last month was led by a 15 percent plunge in demand for transportation equipment, other segments of the report, including primary metals and electrical equipment, were also weak.

There were gains only in orders for motor vehicles and computers and electronic products. Unfilled orders fell, showing declining backlogs at the nation's factories.

The absence of an overhang of unsold goods was a hopeful sign as factories will be able to ramp up production once orders pick up. However, economists said any boost to production was unlikely to come in the second quarter.

(Editing by Andrea Ricci and Dan Grebler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/durable-goods-orders-fall-broadly-factories-cool-123254119--business.html

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Italian president begins talks on new coalition

By Philip Pullella

ROME (Reuters) - Italy's president launched urgent talks that could lead to the naming of a prime minister on Tuesday after two months of post-election stalemate that has weighed on a stagnant economy and alarmed Rome's partners in the euro zone.

After an angry and emotional blast on Monday at the very parliament that handed him an unprecedented - and unwanted - second term as head of state at the weekend, 87-year-old Giorgio Napolitano began a rapid round of consultations on Tuesday.

No party leaders were invited to the meetings with the Senate and house leaders of all the parliamentary groups, which Napolitano wants to wrap up within the day, suggesting that a government could be in place by the weekend.

Hopes that a government can be formed quickly gave a further boost to financial markets on Tuesday, with the yield on 10-year Italian government bonds dropping below 4 percent and the spread, or risk premium over German bonds, narrowing further.

Having threatened to resign if the parties continue with what he called their "irresponsibility" after the inconclusive parliamentary election of February 24 and 25, Napolitano seems determined to force the pace, and could even designate a prime minister to form a grand coalition government within the day.

One leading name is Giuliano Amato, a veteran from the center-left, who has been prime minister twice but no longer sits in parliament.

There has also been speculation that Matteo Renzi, the 38-year-old mayor of Florence, who is seen as a likely future leader of the center-left Democratic Party (PD), could be asked to head a government. He arrived in Rome on Tuesday.

Whoever is named is likely to forge a multi-party cabinet to take over from the technocrat government of outgoing Prime Minister Mario Monti, who was appointed in late 2011.

Though there is scant appetite among the leaders for a new election, any new administration might struggle for stability or the parliamentary backing needed for economic and political reforms seen as vital to revive Italy's competitiveness.

The center-left narrowly won a majority in the lower house but failed to win control of the Senate, and its inability since February to cut a deal with either Silvio Berlusconi's center-right or the shock new third force of Beppe Grillo's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement has left the country in limbo.

PRESIDENT'S FRANKNESS

The otherwise largely ceremonial presidency plays a key role in the process of forming coalitions, and the coincidence of Napolitano reaching the end of his seven-year term while that deadlock was unresolved led to a series of failed attempts by parliament to elect a new head of state last week.

In the process, the PD fractured, and its leader, Pier Luigi Bersani, resigned, adding to the complex landscape Napolitano must now navigate.

The near-implosion of the PD could add to the difficulties in forming a government as sections of the party have refused to contemplate joining forces with their historic enemy Berlusconi.

Berlusconi in turn has insisted he would only accept a coalition government led by politicians who would give it a share of power with the PD, ruling out a repeat of the kind of technocrat government led by Monti.

The scandal-mired media tycoon Berlusconi was obliged to step down as prime minister in 2011 in favor of Monti amid fears of financial meltdown. But he and his People of Freedom (PDL) have emerged strengthened by the turmoil in the PD.

The PDL is expected to be part of the coalition, but 5-Star, which won a quarter of the vote and speaks for millions of Italians disillusioned with an entire political class, says it will sit in opposition in parliament.

It will be joined by the leftist Left Ecology Freedom party, the former partner of the PD, which said it would also refuse to take part in a grand coalition government.

The instability of the political landscape was underlined by the results of the first local election to be held since the national vote, which saw the center-left candidate take a narrow win in the northern region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.

Grillo's 5-Star Movement saw its score drop to less than 14 percent, around half the total it won in the national election in February.

(Editing by Barry Moody and Will Waterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irate-italian-president-begin-talks-coalition-025956448--business.html

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Michigan School Chief: End Project By Secret Group

Detroit News:

East Lansing-- Michigan's school chief on Monday urged the disbanding of a work group that has been secretly developing ways to lower the cost of public education through technology and a funding mechanism that resembles vouchers.

Mike Flanagan, state superintendent of public instruction, said he was pulling a Department of Education employee off the work group on the same day Gov. Rick Snyder began distancing himself from the project started by his administration's chief information officer, David Behen.

Read the whole story at Detroit News

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/23/michigan-school-chief-end_n_3138227.html

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Stocks gain on earnings; fake tweet rattles market

NEW YORK (AP) ? The stock market climbed Tuesday following strong earnings across a range of U.S. industries.

Coach, Lockheed Martin, DuPont and Travelers all rose after they reported results that were better than analysts expected.

Markets swooned briefly, then quickly recovered, shortly after 1 p.m. when The Associated Press' Twitter account was hacked and a fake tweet was posted about an attack at the White House.

Major indexes rose about 1 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average increased 152 points to 14,719.

The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 16 points to 1,578 and the Nasdaq composite rose 35 points to 3,269.

The gains were broad. Four stocks rose for every one that fell on the New York Stock Exchange. Volume was average at 3.5 billion shares.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-gain-earnings-fake-tweet-rattles-market-201754129--finance.html

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Realogy Announces Proposed Offering of Senior ... - Franchising.com

MADISON, NJ - (Marketwired - Apr 23, 2013) - Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) (the "Company") announced today that its indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary, Realogy Group LLC ("Realogy Group"), together with a co-issuer, is proposing to issue approximately $450 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2016 (the "Notes") in a private offering that is exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). The Notes will be guaranteed on an unsecured senior basis by each of Realogy Group's domestic subsidiaries (other than the co-issuer of the Notes) that is a guarantor under its senior secured credit facility and certain of its outstanding securities. The Notes will also be guaranteed by the Company on an unsecured senior subordinated basis. The Notes will be effectively subordinated to all of Realogy Group's existing and future senior secured debt, including its senior secured credit facility and its outstanding senior secured notes, to the extent of the value of the assets securing such debt.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering of the Notes (without giving effect to the initial purchasers' discounts and commissions) of approximately $450 million, along with borrowings under its revolving credit facility, to redeem all of the $492 million aggregate outstanding principal amount of 11.50% Senior Notes due 2017 at a redemption premium of 105.75%, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date. The proposed offering of the Notes is subject to market and other conditions, and may not occur as described or at all.

The Notes and the related guarantees will not be registered under the Securities Act or any state securities law and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The Notes and the related guarantees will be offered in the United States only to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act and outside the United States under Regulation S of the Securities Act.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer buy, any securities, nor shall there be any sales of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This press release is being issued pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135(c) under the Securities Act.

About Realogy

Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) is a global leader in residential real estate franchising with company-owned residential real estate brokerage operations doing business under its franchise systems as well as relocation and title and settlement services. Realogy's brands and business units include Better Homes and Gardens? Real Estate, CENTURY 21?, Coldwell Banker?, Coldwell Banker Commercial?, The Corcoran Group?, ERA?, Sotheby's International Realty?, NRT LLC, Cartus and Title Resource Group. Collectively, Realogy's franchise system members operate approximately 13,600 offices with 238,900 independent sales associates doing business in 102 countries around the world. Realogy is headquartered in Madison, N.J.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" relating to the offering of the Notes and the anticipated use of net proceeds therefrom. Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "projects", "estimates" and "plans" and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "will", "should", "would", "may" and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. Any statements that refer to expectations or other characterizations of future events, circumstances or results are forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties related to economic, market or business conditions and satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the private offering. No assurance can be given that the offering of Notes discussed above will be consummated on the terms described or at all. Except for our ongoing obligations to disclose material information under the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements, to report events or to report the occurrence of unanticipated events unless we are required to do so by law.

Contacts:

Investor Relations

Alicia Swift
(973) 407-4669
alicia.swift@realogy.com

Jennifer Pepper
(973) 407-7487
jennifer.pepper@realogy.com

Media

Mark Panus
(973) 407-7215
mark.panus@realogy.com

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Social Reach:

Viewer Response:

Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20130423_realogy_announces_proposed_offering_of_senior_note.html

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Minka Kelly Blonde Hair: Love It or Loathe It?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/minka-kelly-blonde-hair-love-it-or-loathe-it/

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Food and Environmental Virology adds society affiliation

Public release date: 23-Apr-2013
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Contact: Joan Robinson
joan.robinson@springer.com
49-622-148-78130
Springer

Journal to team up with the International Society for Food and Environmental Virology

Springer's journal Food and Environmental Virology is now the official publication of the International Society for Food and Environmental Virology. The new affiliation takes effect immediately. The journal, founded in 2009 by Springer, was accepted in January 2013 by Medline, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's bibliographic database.

Food and Environmental Virology publishes original articles, notes and reviews on research relating to the transmission of human, animal, and plant pathogenic viruses through the environment (water, air, soil, etc.) and foods. Topics include epidemiological studies, identification of novel and emerging pathogens, methods of analysis or characterization, studies on survival and elimination, and the development of procedural controls for industrial processes.

Nigel Cook, Editor-in-Chief of Food and Environmental Virology and Councilor of the society, said, "The society is delighted to work in partnership with Springer, which shares our vision of international cooperation and communication. This official journal will significantly further our aim of knowledge dissemination to address the ongoing challenges of pathogenic viruses in food and the environment."

Susan Safren, Senior Editor, Food Science at Springer, said, "We are grateful to Nigel Cook and commend him and the editorial board for building a successful journal in such a short period of time. I'm confident that our partnership with the newly formed society will not only strengthen the journal, but also enhance the society's mission in addressing critical issues in this field."

The International Society for Food and Environmental Virology aims to encourage research and knowledge exchange to improve the understanding of, and prevent diseases associated with, viruses transmitted via the environment and food. The society links researchers from academia with professionals from industry and policy decision makers, to promote research in the field and to cooperatively meet the ongoing challenges of food and environmental virology.

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Springer Science+Business Media is a leading global scientific, technological and medical publisher, providing researchers in academia, scientific institutions and corporate R&D departments with quality content via innovative information products and services. Springer is also a trusted local-language publisher in Europe especially in Germany and the Netherlands primarily for physicians and professionals working in healthcare and road safety education. Springer published roughly 2,200 English-language journals and more than 7,500 new books in 2012, and the group is home to the world's largest STM eBook collection, as well as the most comprehensive portfolio of open access journals. In 2012, Springer Science+Business Media S.A. generated sales of approximately EUR 981 million. The group employs more than 7,000 individuals across the globe.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Food and Environmental Virology adds society affiliation

Public release date: 23-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Joan Robinson
joan.robinson@springer.com
49-622-148-78130
Springer

Journal to team up with the International Society for Food and Environmental Virology

###

[ | E-mail |

Share ]

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/s-fae042313.php

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Help the planet and save some money with Timbuk2?s Earth Day offers

Timbuk2 wants to help you celebrate Earth Day by providing a 20% savings on some of their more eco-friendly bags like the ones shown above, which are made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. If none of those bags strike your fancy, customize one with your own specifications and choose from 2 eco-friendly materials at no [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/04/22/help-the-planet-and-save-some-money-with-timbuk2s-earth-day-offers/

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The Environment's New Math: How to Look at Earth Day, by the Numbers

The story of the environment can largely be told in data, various numbers that detail how the Earth is warming and how much pollution you're inhaling. Math is newly central to environmental considerations. Last summer, writer and activist Bill McKibben wrote an essay for Rolling Stone in which he outlined the mathematical argument for taking action on climate change. In short: To prevent a global temperature increase of 2 degrees Celsius, we need to hold our carbon dioxide emissions to 565 gigatons of by 2050.

RELATED: Celebrate Earth Day By Buying More Stuff

Perhaps ironically cold in their matter-of-factness, those numbers tells the story of the state of the climate in a way that is tangible. It allows us to create a thermometer of sorts, like those used for fundraising at suburban middle schools ??the goal being not to reach the line at its top. Earth Day is a similar sort of benchmark, a string tied around the finger of the country to remember to look at how we're doing. Here are the tools you need to make an assessment of the state of the Earth.

RELATED: You Can Pry My Lightbulbs From My Cold Dead Hands

Climate change

Data resources: The NOAA's monthly reports on climate

RELATED: 'Washington Totally Can't Handle Snow'

Last month, the temperature of the world's land and oceans was .58 degrees Celsius higher than the 20th century average. That alone seems innocuous. Here's another number: 337. For 337 straight months, the world has seen temperatures above the 20th century average. Meaning, as has been pointed out before, that anyone born after March 1985 ? anyone 28 or younger ? has never experienced a month during which global temperatures were below average for the century.

RELATED: Twitter Shudders as Storms Sweep DC

Map via NOAA.

RELATED: 8 Best Earth Day Ideas

That data comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's monthly "State of the Climate" recaps, which it does for the United States and the world at large. Each month, the reports outline the raw data: the XXth hottest month, YY degrees above the 20th century average. While the report includes broader trends in the warming, they tend to be a bit buried.

Which is why a report from The Economist last month made a bit of a splash: it suggested that global warming was actually happening more slowly than scientists expected. It didn't take long for reason to be offered. It wasn't because humans were producing less greenhouse gasses. Instead, blame volcanoes, eruptions of which emitted particles that helped diffuse sunlight in the stratosphere.

Global temperatures are never uniformly distributed, as the map above shows. If it's hot in Australia, that doesn't mean it will be here. According to the NOAA, March 2013 was tied for the tenth-hottest March in recorded history globally, matching March 2006. But after seeing its hottest year on record in 2012,?temperatures during March in the United States were below the 20th century average for the month.

Map via NOAA.

The surprising cold the United States experienced was primarily due to an Arctic oscillation, a shift in pressure patterns that moves Arctic air south. The NOAA notes that the oscillation index provided "the most negative value on record for March."

Arctic ice

Data resources: The Snow and Ice Data Center, Jim Pettit's Arctic ice graphs.

But there's some thinking that the Arctic ice melt played a role, too. ThinkProgress outlines the research in detail, but the key point: while "still not settled science," three recent studies suggest that dropping ice levels also lead to colder weather.

The level of ice in the Arctic always fluctuates. From its peak, usually in March, the amount of ice melts until it reaches its minimum extent, usually in September. Last year, the amount of ice at its lowest point was the smallest volume ever recorded.

Graph via Jim Pettit.

If scientists confirm a link between that melt and colder Springs, expect more Marches like the one we just experienced.

There are other implications to the ice melt, of course. Cargo ships can now pass through the fabled Northwest passage, cutting shipment times between Asia and Europe. Last year, a major general in the U.S. Northern Command suggested that North America would soon have a new coast: the shoreline on northern Canada.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Data resources: The EPA has a map tracking greenhouse gas emissions. The Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration tracks energy use and production.

Even as the United States produces more oil than it has in decades, the amount of carbon dioxide it creates ? the most abundant type of greenhouse gas ? has dropped. This is in part due to the slower economy since 2009, in part to the increased use of renewable sources, and in part due to the transition away from the use of highly polluting coal in power plants to cleaner natural gas ??a transition spurred by low natural gas costs due, in part to fracking.

Graph via the EPA.

The most recent set of annual data from the EPA tracked emissions in 2011. That year, two-thirds of the country's emissions came from power plants, thanks in large part to old coal-burning plants that are old enough to have been grandfathered in under the Clean Air Act.

But there are two big question marks in the data. The first goes back to fracking ??the process of injecting fluid into shale rock to break it apart, releasing methane gas. Methane is a much more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, 21 times better at trapping heat. And it's not clear how much of that methane leaks into the atmosphere during the fracking process.

The second question mark is the growth of emissions in other countries. Greenhouse gas emissions don't only cause warming over the country that emits them, and still-growing economies like China's and India's are producing ever-larger precentages of global carbon emissions.

Air and water

Data resources: The EPA's large data set detailing various pollution.

We'll end on a positive note. Not all environmental issues are global, of course. Compared to the first Earth Day, in 1970, the United States has made great progress in curtailing pollution at the local level. Our air and water are far cleaner than they once were.

If you're curious about your local air and water quality, there are resources. The EPA has a robust tool providing a variety of data across the country. A bit easier to read is the agency's emissions map, allowing you to see the sources of a variety of pollution in your state. Here's the region around New York, showing certain types of fine particle emitters:

More helpful in a few months than it is now, the Natural Resources Defense Council offers an index of pollution at beaches across the country. The positive note here is this: There are lots of great beaches that are nearly free of the sorts of pollutants that can make you sick.

There is a downside. A draft report released last year indicates that the United States will soon see a lot more days during which seeking refuge in swimming will seem like a necessity, not a indulgence.

Graph via U.S. Global Change Research Program.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/environments-math-look-earth-day-numbers-154319609.html

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All About Franchising and Starting up a Successful Entrepreneurs

Apr 22, 2013

cctbeauty / Blog /

Summary:
If you are looking at getting involved in franchising and are wondering how to go about starting your own franchise business this article explores the possibilities.
Keywords:
Home business, franchise opportunities, candy franchise,?successful entrepreneurs
Article Body:
Copyright 2006 Peter Hayes

Franchise business opportunities are expanding rapidly. If you look at the most famous franchise in existence today is the McDonald?s corporation. McDonalds has established itself around the world and is one of the leading business organizations. Opportunities in franchising continue to develop as the franchise industry develops.

What is a franchise?

Information on the Franchise Business

A franchise is a mirror image of an original business idea. When a business has become successful the opportunity arises to duplicate the success in other locations. When an individual purchases a franchise opportunity, they are purchasing is the right to repeat the original business operations in another area. To help them achieve success a franchisee receives complete instructions on how to achieve the success achieved by the original business. They get an established and proven business plan and marketing plan on which to build their new business.

A franchise has been granted the authorization to sell or distribute a company?s goods or services in a certain geographical area. For example, a restaurant or coffee shop?s marketing area is limited, usually to people in the immediate local area. Therefore, creating another restaurant or coffee house based on the original business in a different area would be considered a franchise.

The original business developer determines the formula for producing the same result achieved by the original business and how this formula can be repeated in new locations. This formula is packaged and sold as a franchise. This package is sold to interested parties who can achieve success simply by following the proven formula.

Why Do Businesses Sell Franchises rather than Expanding their own Business?

What is the advantage of developing a franchise as opposed to simply opening the business in multiple locations? It is quite possible to open a number of restaurants in one city or county or even within a state. However, the time requirements and energy required to do this is extensive. Franchising offers th possibility to expand the business and have others on board to share the burden.

It would be impossible for someone like Roy Croc, who developed McDonalds, to run each individual McDonald?s restaurant around the world. To expand your business without running it into the ground, you need quality people who have an interest at your own bottom line.

Information on Buying a Franchise Business

Many people would like the freedom to start their own business. However, they may be new to the business world. Or they may not be confident of their ability to develop a business. Or they may not have a business idea that they are confident in.

The opportunity to start a business that has a proven success record and an established plan for achieving a similar success is what make franchising attractive to new business owners.

This is beneficial to both the original business developer and the entrepreneur. The business developer makes a profit by selling his system and the entrepreneur gains the knowledge from an experienced owner with a successful business. This increases the opportunities for the entrepreneur, which allows for a greater chance of success.

Source: http://entrepreneurslead.com/?p=1241

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Livable super-Earths? Two candidates among Kepler's latest finds.

Researchers unveiled a total of three planets Thursday, including two potentially livable super-Earths. The discoveries bring the Kepler team closer to its goal.

By Pete Spotts,?Staff writer / April 18, 2013

An artist drew (l. to r.) Kepler-22b, Kepler-69c, Kepler-62e, Kepler 62f, and Earth to scale to show the similarities in size. Scientists using NASA's Kepler space telescope have found the best candidates yet for potentially life-bearing worlds beyond our solar system, officials said Thursday.

JPL-Caltech / NASA Ames / Reuters

Enlarge

Two potentially livable super-Earths and an outsized version of Venus were unveiled Thursday, the latest in a string of remarkable discoveries from NASA's Kepler mission.

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Kepler is a space-based observatory whose unblinking gaze has rested on some 170,000 stars simultaneously since May 2009.

The three planets are the smallest the observatory has yet detected in stellar habitable zones. These zones represent distances where a planet receives enough light from its host star to harbor liquid water on its surface. Liquid water is essential for the emergence of organic life.

The discoveries bring the Kepler team tantalizingly close to its ultimate goal ? to find Earth-mass planets orbiting sun-like stars at Earth-like distances, while also taking a broader census to see how many planetary systems with an Earth-like planet the Milky Way may hold.

Led by William Borucki, a researcher at the National Aeronautic and Space Administration's Ames Research Center near Mountain View, Calif., the team has confirmed 115 extra-solar planets so far, and it has amassed a roster of more than 2,700 planet candidates.

Two of the new planets are part of a five-planet system orbiting a star some 1,200 light-years away in the constellation Lyra. The star, Kepler 62, is about two-thirds the size of the sun and has 70 percent of the sun's mass. It's also about 3 billion years older than the sun.

The system's three inner planets, one comparable in size to Mars, are too close to their sun to be livable. Kepler 62-e, the fourth planet out, however, falls within the habitable zone. Orbiting once every 122 days, the planet is about 60 percent larger than Earth.

The team speculates that the planet is covered with water, although the system is too far away to take the measurements needed to estimate the planet's mass. Researchers need that measurement to determine the planet's density, a major clue as to its bulk composition.

Instead, modeling studies have indicated that planets ranging from 1.5 to two times Earth's size tend to be far more watery than planets closer to Earth's size. Thus, while the nature of the planet remains speculative for now, "the fascinating idea is that we've actually found the first ocean planet, the first water world out there," said Lisa Kaltenegger, an astronomer with the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Mass., during a mission briefing Thursday afternoon.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/Bfe6a9VuJHU/Livable-super-Earths-Two-candidates-among-Kepler-s-latest-finds

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The Best Smart Playlists for Automatically Organizing Your Music Library

Smart playlists in iTunes have been around for a long time, but they're pretty easy to forget about if you don't use them on a regular basis. With that in mind, here are a few of our favorites for whipping your music library into shape.

The last time we visited smart playlists we walked you through some of the basics. Those are still fantastic and useful, but here are a few more uses for smart playlists you might not have thought of.

Automatically Create the Perfect Workout Mix

As we've pointed out before, the best music for exercise tends to be between 120-140 beats per minute. You can automatically generate playlists that fit that criteria. First things first, you need to get the BPM added because iTunes doesn't do it automatically. While it's pretty old software, we like Mixmeister BPM Analyzer as a free way to add BPM to your iTunes library automatically. Just drop your music library folder into BPM Analyzer and wait for it to do the work.

Once you're done, you can generate workout playlists easily. Make a new smart playlist (hit the big "+" in the bottom left corner and select "New Smart Playlist") with this rule: BPM is in the range of 120-140. It won't be a perfect list (some not-particularly energetic songs still fall in the 120-140 BPM rule), but it's a quick way to make a near perfect workout mix with no work.

Clean Out Old Podcasts

If you're anything like me, you're a podcast hoarder. These days, I just use Downcast to listen to podcasts, but at one point they all filtered through iTunes. How many? Well, in my case I had 1,239 podcasts?that's 27.28 GB of podcasts just sitting on my hard drive wasting space.

If you want to clear out all those old podcasts, just make a smart playlist with this rule: Media Kind is Podcast. Then hit the + sign and add this rule: Plays is 1. This means you're shown the podcasts you've already heard so you can quickly delete them without futzing about in the podcasts tab.

Reassess Your Ratings

This is an old one from 43 Folders, but it's especially helpful if you're the type to rate songs higher than you really mean. It checks your five star ratings against how many plays the track has to see if you were a little overzealous with the rating. Just set the smart playlist rules as: Skips is greater than 1. Then add a second rule: Rating is greater than three (or four) stars. You'll get a playlist of all your top rated tracks that you still skipped so you can better rate them. If nothing else, you might find a few hidden gems you forgot about.

Review for Deletion

If you're the type who downloads a ton of music, but doesn't end up actually liking half of it then you know how easy it is to end up with a bloated music collection. The best way to filter out that junk you don't really like is with a smart playlist.

You actually have a few ways to do this. Personally, I like the simple rules: Last played is [one year ago]. If you rate music a lot, you can also do: Rating is less than two stars. Or, if you really want to get into the songs you ended up hating: Skips is greater than three.

Keep You Music Library Fresh

Whether you sync iTunes to your smartphone, or you just want to make sure you actually listen to all that new music you're buying, then keeping a running list of your newest additions is an easy way to listen to the music you buy.

The rule here is really simple: Date added is after [whatever date you want]. If you check the "Live updating" box, this playlist will keep up to date with everything new you add. If you just want all that new music, reader Sudhir Khanger suggests just doing something like: Year is 2013.

Reveal Missing Metadata

Want to finally clean up your library and whip your metadata into shape? A smart playlist can help. Just make a new playlist with the missing data you want to clean up and leave the text box empty. For example: Genre is [blank]. You can do this with artists, albums, and pretty much everything else.

Automatically Make Topical Playlists

While you can't sort your songs by lyrics for some reason, you can at least do it by keywords in the song. This one's easy to do, just set the rule as: Name contains [whatever topical thing you want]. You can instantly make smart playlists of goofy love songs, seasonal mixes, and plenty more. While you're at it, you can also make specific mixes for people. Say, for Mother's Day, you could make a mix with the rules: Year is in the range 1960-1975 (or whatever years you were terrorizing your mother for).

Use Smart Playlists to Exclude Holiday Tracks from Genius Playlists

It's not all about making great smart playlists to organize, it's also about making it so other playlists work better. For example, if you want to keep holiday songs out of your genius playlists you simply need to make a smart playlist with this rule: Genre contains holiday. Then, hold down the command key and click a checkbox next to those songs to uncheck them all. This will keep them out of your genius playlists moving forward.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/kaFZ0I3Uhng/the-best-smart-playlists-for-automatically-organizing-y-476510080

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Friday, April 26, 2013

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Recent posts

Future of Pakistan

About Realogy

Forward Looking Statements

Contacts:

Investor Relations

Media

Social Reach:

Viewer Response:

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Journal to team up with the International Society for Food and Environmental Virology

Journal to team up with the International Society for Food and Environmental Virology

Climate change

Arctic ice

Greenhouse gas emissions

Air and water

Automatically Create the Perfect Workout Mix

Clean Out Old Podcasts

Reassess Your Ratings

Review for Deletion

Keep You Music Library Fresh

Reveal Missing Metadata

Automatically Make Topical Playlists

Use Smart Playlists to Exclude Holiday Tracks from Genius Playlists