Wednesday, August 29, 2012

IBM debuts new mainframe computer as it eyes a more mobile Watson

IBM debuts new mainframe computers as it eyes a more mobile Watson

Those looking for a juxtaposition of IBM's past and future needn't look much further than two bits of news out of the company this week. The first comes with IBM's announcement of its new zEnterprise EC12 25 mainframe server -- a class of computer that may be a thing of the past in some places, but which still serves a fairly broad range of companies. In addition to an appearance that lives up to the "mainframe" moniker, this one promises 25 percent more performance per core than its predecessor and 50 percent more capacity. The second bit of news involves Watson, the company's AI effort that rose to fame on Jeopardy! and has since gone on to find a number of new roles. As Bloomberg reports, one of its next steps may be to take on Siri in the smartphone space. While there's no indication of a broader consumer product, IBM sees a range of possible applications for a mobile Watson in business and enterprise -- even, for instance, giving farmers the ability to ask when they should plant their crops. Before that happens, though, IBM says it needs to give Watson more "senses" in order to respond to real-world input like image recognition -- not to mention learn all it can about any given subject.

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IBM debuts new mainframe computer as it eyes a more mobile Watson originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 12:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Walls of lunar crater may hold patchy ice

ScienceDaily (Aug. 29, 2012) ? Small patches of ice could make up at most 5 to 10% of material in walls of Shackleton crater. Scientists using the Mini-RF radar on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) have estimated the maximum amount of ice likely to be found inside a permanently shadowed lunar crater located near the moon's south pole. As much as 5 to 10 percent of material, by weight, could be patchy ice, according to the team of researchers led by Bradley Thomson at Boston University's Center for Remote Sensing.

"These terrific results from the Mini-RF team contribute to the evolving story of water on the moon," says LRO's deputy project scientist, John Keller of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Several of the instruments on LRO have made unique contributions to this story, but only the radar penetrates beneath the surface to look for signatures of blocky ice deposits."

These are the first orbital radar measurements of Shackleton crater, a high-priority target for future exploration. The observations indicate an enhanced radar polarization signature, which is consistent with the presence of small amounts of ice in the rough inner wall slopes of the crater. Thomson and his colleagues reported the findings in a paper recently published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

"The interior of this crater lies in permanent shadow and is a 'cold trap' -- a place cold enough to permit ice to accumulate," says Mini-RF's principal investigator, Ben Bussey of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. "The radar results are consistent with the interior of Shackleton containing a few percent ice mixed into the dry lunar soil."

These findings support the long-recognized possibility that areas of permanent shadow inside polar impact craters are sites of the potential accumulation of water. Numerous lines of evidence from recent spacecraft observations have revised the view that the lunar surface is a completely dry, inhospitable landscape. Thin films of water and hydroxyl have been detected across the lunar surface using several space-borne near-infrared spectrometers. Additionally, orbital neutron measurements indicate elevated levels of near?surface hydrogen in the polar regions; if in the form of water, this hydrogen would represent an average ice concentration of about 1.5% by weight in the polar regions.

The Shackleton findings are also consistent with those of the recent LCROSS spacecraft's controlled collision with a nearby permanently shadowed polar region near the lunar south pole, which revealed evidence for water in the plume kicked up by its impact. A radar instrument flown on India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in 2009 found evidence for ice deposits in craters at the lunar north pole. Measurements of the albedo (surface reflectance) inside Shackleton crater using LRO's laser altimeter and far?ultraviolet detector are also consistent with the presence of a small amount of ice.

"Inside the crater, we don't see evidence for glaciers like on Earth," says Thomson. "Glacial ice has a whopping radar signal, and these measurements reveal a much weaker signal consistent with rugged terrain and limited ice."

The radar measurements of Shackleton crater were made during three separate observations between December 2009 and June 2010. Radar illuminates shadowed regions and can detect deposits of water or ice, which have a distinctive radar polarization signature compared to the surrounding material. In addition, radar penetrates the terrain to depths of a meter or two and can measure water or ice buried beneath the surface. Radar measurements of Shackleton crater place an upper bound on the ice content of the uppermost meter of loose material of the crater's walls at between 5 and 10% ice by weight.

"We are following up these tantalizing results with additional observations," says Bussey. "Mini-RF is currently acquiring new bistatic radar images of the moon using a signal transmitted by the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico. These bistatic images will help us distinguish between surface roughness and ice, providing further unique insights into the locations of volatile deposits."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Boston University College of Arts & Sciences, via Newswise.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. B. J. Thomson, D. B. J. Bussey, C. D. Neish, J. T. S. Cahill, E. Heggy, R. L. Kirk, G. W. Patterson, R. K. Raney, P. D. Spudis, T. W. Thompson, E. A. Ustinov. An upper limit for ice in Shackleton crater as revealed by LRO Mini-RF orbital radar. Geophysical Research Letters, 2012; 39 (14) DOI: 10.1029/2012GL052119

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/RifdeT6hrDo/120829151153.htm

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Firefox 15 Goes on a Memory Diet

Better management of memory and updates highlight the latest release of the Mozilla Foundation's Web browser, Firefox 15. Firefox's development team has steadily improved the browser's memory management over recent months, but with this release of the program, it's targeting a major contributor to the software's piggish memory ways: add-on applications.


Source: http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/22dc6846/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C760A340Bhtml/story01.htm

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Families of Colo. theater victims question fundraising

AURORA, Colo. (AP) ? Families of some of the 12 people killed in the Colorado theater shooting are upset with the way the millions of dollars raised since the tragedy are being distributed.

At an emotional news conference Tuesday in Aurora, group spokesman Tom Teves, whose son was killed, criticized fundraisers for not giving victims a voice in how the money is distributed, even though it was raised using the pictures and names of "our murdered loved ones."

So far, just over $5 million has been raised and $450,000 distributed. Of that, $350,000 went to the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance in order to provide $5,000 each going to the families of 70 victims to meet their immediate financial needs. The other $100,000 has gone to 10 nonprofit groups, according to the Community First Foundation website.

With victims and their families crowded on the platform behind him, Teves accused fundraising groups of being unresponsive and unsympathetic to victims' needs and also questioned the commitment of Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper to helping the victims, noting that the governor had attended the funerals of those who died in the shooting.

"You pledged 12 times, 'We will remember.' Are you a man of your words? Or were they just words?"

Hickenlooper was not immediately available for comment.

Some dabbed their eyes as Teves spoke. One man was using a cane with a splint up to his knee.

Teves said anyone in the theater or in the suspect's apartment building who was affected by the "coward's acts" should be eligible to receive help.

The suspect in the July 20 shooting, 24-year-old James Eagan Holmes, is charged with murder and attempted murder and two other counts.

Only a handful of family members of the slain victims have spoken publicly, and most of their comments came in the first few days after the shooting.

A spokeswoman for the Aurora Victim Relief Fund, Kim Stuart said the group expects to identify who will lead the group in the near future and determine how the money will be spent.

Marla J. Williams, president and CEO of the Community First Foundation, charged by Hickenlooper to operate relief fund, told KUSA-TV that the nonprofit organization had problems contacting victims and the committee plans to add a representative of the victims' families. She said police secrecy and a court order sealing documents hampered efforts to help the families.

"In this case, there were some challenges in communication because of the gag order," Williams said.

She didn't immediately return a telephone call.

Police said Holmes was heavily armed and wearing body armor and a gas mask when he opened fire on the audience in a packed theater in the Denver suburb of Aurora during a showing of the latest Batman movie.

In addition to the 12 killed, 58 were injured.

Holmes is being held without bail and has not entered a plea. Defense lawyers have said he is mentally ill.

Holmes was a first-year Ph.D. student in a neuroscience program at the University of Colorado, Denver. He told university officials about six weeks before the shootings that he was withdrawing.

Prosecutors have said Holmes failed an oral board exam June 7, at about the same time he began buying weapons and ammunition.

Prosecutors are seeking the university's records on Holmes and also want to see a notebook that Holmes reportedly sent to university psychiatrist Lynne Fenton. Fenton is expected to testify at a hearing Thursday.

Defense lawyers are fighting prosecution attempts to see the material.

Investigators, attorneys on both sides and the university have said little about the case outside court hearings, citing a gag order imposed by Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester.

Many court documents have been kept secret as well.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/colo-theater-victim-families-fundraising-180417041.html

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All About Forecasting the Future Value of Your Roth-IRA or Roth-401(k

About Leon Williams

As a financial strategist and money coach, Leon is able to apply tried and tested systems and wealth strategies, which enable his students and clients to improve their financial and personal lives.

Those who plan and those who dont pictureCurious about how much money you?ll accumulate in your Roth retirement account?

If you?ve got Microsoft Excel (or just about any other popular spreadsheet program) running on your computer, you can use its FV function to forecast the future value of your Roth IRA or Roth 401(k).

The FV function calculates the future value of an investment given its interest rate, the number of payments, the payment, the present value of the investment, and, optionally, the type-of-annuity switch. (More about the type-of-annuity switch a little later.)

The function uses the following syntax:

=FV(rate,nper,pmt,pv,type)

This little pretty complicated, I grant you. But suppose you want to calculate the future value of an individual retirement account that?s already got $20,000 in it and to which you are contributing $400-a-month. Further suppose that you want to know the account balance?its future value?in 25 years and that you expect to earn 10% annual interest.

To calculate the future value of the individual retirement account in this case using the FV function, you enter the following into a worksheet cell:

=FV(10%/12,25*12,-400,-20000,0)

The function returns the value 771872.26?roughly $772,000 dollars.

A handful of things to note: To convert the 10% annual interest to a monthly interest rate, the formula divides the annual interest rate by 12. Similarly, to convert the 25-year term to a term in months, the formula multiplies 25 by 12.

Also, notice that the monthly payment and initial present values show as negative amounts because they represent cash outflows. And the function returns the future value amount as a positive value because it reflects a cash inflow you ultimately receive.

That 0 at the end of the function is the type-of-annuity switch. If you set the type-of-annuity switch to 1, Excel assumes payments occur at the beginning of the period (month in this case), following the annuity due convention. If you set the annuity switch to 0 or you omit the argument, Excel assumes payments occur at the end of the period following the ordinary annuity convention.

?

Leon C. Williams, Financial Strategist LUCA Financial Services Leon@lucafinancial.com

Source: http://leonsblog.leonwilliams.me/all-about-forecasting-the-future-value-of-your-roth-ira-or-roth-401k/

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Gladiatorial Destiny

Gladiatorial Destiny

You're a gladiator in Ancient Rome. How will you do in this world of pain and suffering?

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"It's not that I believe people are generally bad in nature, it's that..I know it with every fiber of my cold dark being."

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CussingChild
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So wait...we have no real say on the outcome of combat?

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Noxize
Member for 1 years



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Monday, August 27, 2012

Vietnam Swans write to AFL Chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick regarding ...

The Vietnam Swans have written to AFL Chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick, proposing a Vietnam Vets Day Match. And he is said to find the proposal ?interesting?.

Last month, on 20 July 2012, Vietnam Swans National President, Phil Johns, wrote to AFL Chairman, Mike Fitzpatrick, proposing that the AFL? host a match dedicated to the Vietnam Veterans on Vietnam Veterans? Day, Sunday, 18 August, 2013 (18 August commemorates the anniversary of the Battle of Long Tan in 1966).

Next year is particularly significant because 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam ? a milestone that the Australian Government is reportedly keen to recognise and celebrate.

Mike Fitzpatrick is reportedly ?interested? in the proposal but that any decision would need to be taken by AFL CEO, Andrew Demetriou. Below is an edited extract of the email to the AFL Chairman.

Would a Vietnam Veterans? Day Match detract from the ANZAC Day Blockbuster?

  • The ANZAC Day blockbuster is super successful and its premiere status must be preserved. But a growing number of AFL clubs are questioning why they cannot share the financial and non financial returns of this occasion. A Vietnam Veterans? Day match could potentially complement and help to preserve the status of the ANZAC Day Match by easing the building pressure.
  • 25 April and 18 August are virtually the book ends of the home and away season. These two anniversaries are separated by four months. Playing the Last Post on 25 April confirms that the new AFL season is well and truly underway. The second time in the season that the Last Post is played, it also announces that we have entered the home straight to the AFL Finals.

The man under the spotlight, AFL CEO, Andrew Demetriou, is reportedly the person who would need to make a decision on the 2013 Vietnam Veterans? Day match proposal.

Can a Vietnam Veterans? Day Match be a stand alone event?

  • Australia recognises Vietnam Veterans? Day by a service at the Long Tan Cross at 3.30pm local time. This is 6.30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time ? which opens up the possibility of a live telecast of the minute?s silence at Long Tan. On ANZAC Day at the MCG, 100,000 people speak of hearing nothing more than the Australian and New Zealand flags flapping in the breeze. At (approx) 6.45pm on 18 August, a crowd at an AFL stadium could share a similar experience ? while watching live images of the minute?s silence at the Long Tan Cross on the scoreboard against the darkness of the night?s sky.
  • Sherrin footballs have travelled to armed conflicts before. In Vietnam, the Diggers actually played a thriving competition from 1966-71 that was known as the VFL (Vietnam Football League). These Diggers remain organised and plentiful. They are available for interviews and have numerous photos and records of those times (click here for actual photographs).

Examples of existing connections between the AFL and Vietnam Veterans Day

  • A month ago, the AFL inducted a number of players into its Hall of Fame including Graham Cornes and Glenn Archer. The former is a Veteran. The latter is the son of a Veteran.
  • Nathan Buckley, Lenny Hayes, Chad and Kane Cornes are all sons of Veterans.
  • Glenn James is a Veteran who also played in the Vietnam Football League.
  • Kevin Sheedy?s brother in law, Kenny Earney, is a Veteran.

Examples of high profile, non AFL, Veterans who could potentially support this proposal and bring exposure

  • Former Governor General, Michael Jeffery.
  • Former Deputy Prime Minister, Tim Fischer.
  • Former Head of the Defense Forces and current Qantas Board member, Peter Cosgrove.

Nathan Buckley?s father, Ray (front left) is a Vietnam Veteran. Photo, Swannies? footy clinic with Nathan Buckley and Garry O?Donnell, RMIT University, Saigon, March 2010).

Who would potentially support the proposal?

  • The Australian Government is looking for vehicles to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Australia and Vietnam.
  • The Vietnam Veterans remain hungry for recognition of their contributions and sacrifices. Such an event could provide a significant healing opportunity of national significance.
  • The Defense Department needs living war heroes to help support its current recruitment campaigns ? and the numbers of WWII veterans are dwindling.
  • There is an assumption that issues haven?t quite been resolved for the Vietnam Veterans. A dedicated football match would open the discussion and the public could feel like they were doing something positive just by attending the match or watching it on the television.
  • Businesses with interests in Vietnam could be supportive; eg Stock and Land newspaper reports that ?AWI is hoping to kickstart promotion (of a new office in Vietnam) when the Australian government coordinates celebrations of 40 years of trade and diplomatic relations with Vietnam next year.?

Benefits to the AFL

  • The creation of a blockbuster of national significance.
  • Irrespective of preference to particular sporting codes, a match on Vietnam Veterans? Day could resonate with all Australians ? opening up a dialogue between the AFL and supporters of rugby, soccer etc. This type of blockbuster could be particularly good for the new clubs in the northern states.
  • The Vietnam War is an important and troubled piece of Australian history. A dedicated match could help with the understanding and healing of this period. It would further consolidate the AFL?s pre eminent position in the country of using Australia?s Signature Sport to tackle issues of national significance.
  • By hosting the match in 2013, the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the AFL would be taking the stage on an international issue. That stage could then be used to talk about and explore further the AFL?s international initiatives. While the modern day Australia/Vietnam relationship is dynamic and current, ANZAC Day, is overwhelmingly about Gallipoli and a different era. It?s not about current international relationships and initiatives (I am not saying that Vietnam needs to be the focus of the AFL; rather, it?s just a vehicle to make ?international? more relevant).

Could this be the SCG on Vietnam Veterans? Day, Sunday, 18 August, 2013?

Playing the match

  • The AFL will have an exhaustive list of criteria as to which teams should play and the venue to be used. And, if the concept was repeated in subsequent years, whether venues and teams should be rotated or fixed like the ANZAC Day match. All I suggest is that the pre match formalities would commence at approximately 6.30pm AEST and I would presume that the focus of the match would be outside Victoria, probably focusing initially at least on the rugby states.

Timing, risk and the potential for success

  • If the idea is to fly, it must be 2013 ? the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations. That allows the AFL to safely ?test the waters? by promoting it as a one off event.
  • Next year, 18 April will fall on a Sunday ? so the AFL will already have matches scheduled for that day.
  • After the inaugural match was played, an informed assessment could then be made as to whether the event could be repeated in 2014 and beyond.
  • In 2013, Vietnam Veterans can be recognised while they are still relatively young and plentiful. If done properly, they would become great ambassadors for the event for many years to come giving it the legitimacy that would allow it to grow into a blockbuster.
  • Anecdotally, based upon the way that the three Vietnam Swans? ANZAC Friendship Matches have been received, I have considerable confidence that the concept has enormous potential. Of course, our event is based upon a very small sample ? but it?s of the right people. To read some comments from Veterans and non Veterans, click here. Or view the (low budget) documentary we have just placed on You Tube (eg 16mins where it refers to the VFL competition before leading into an interview three veterans on the couch talking about their experiences).

I think this is an extraordinary opportunity of quite profound significance in terms of Australia?s history. I think that in 2013, the planets are in alignment. And I think the AFL would be a big beneficiary. And all I can do is raise the idea with the decision makers.

Vietnam Swans upodate: Some feedback being received by the Vietnam Swans is that perhaps the AFL match ? still held on 18 August ? could be more inclusive by honouring all veterans regardless of the war/conflict they served in. This would broaden its relevance and recognise the contributions made by diggers in theatres such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Rawanda etc. So, while the ANZAC Day match tends to focus on those who did not return home, a Veterans? Match could focus on those who have returned home.

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Source: http://vietnamswans.com/2012/08/26/vietnam-swans-write-to-afl-chairman-mike-fitzpatrick-regarding-proposal-for-vietnam-veterans-day-blockbuster-in-2013/

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Obese and overweight women face increased risk of recurrence of most common type of breast cancer

ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2012) ? Extra pounds -- even within the overweight but not obese range -- are linked to a higher risk of recurrence of the most common type of breast cancer despite optimal cancer treatment, according to a new study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. The study's results suggest that extra body fat causes hormonal changes and inflammation that may drive some cases of breast cancer to spread and recur despite treatment.

Women who are obese when they are diagnosed with breast cancer have an increased risk of dying prematurely compared with women of normal weight. In this new study, Joseph Sparano, MD, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's Montefiore Medical Center, in Bronx, NY, and his colleagues across the US cancer cooperative groups compared the health outcomes of obese and overweight patients with others in a large group of women with stage I-III breast cancer who had participated in three National Cancer Institute-sponsored treatment trials led by the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (now part of the ECOG-ACRIN Cancer Research Group). All of the trials (E1199, E5188, and E3189) required participants to have normal heart, kidney, liver, and bone marrow function, thereby excluding patients with other significant health issues. As a result, researchers were able to disentangle the influence of obesity from other factors affecting cancer recurrence and survival.

The researchers found that increasing body mass index -- a measure of the body's fat content -- significantly increased women's risk of cancer recurrence and death, despite optimal treatment including chemotherapy and hormonal therapy. There was a stepwise relationship between increasing body mass index and poor outcomes only in women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, the most common type of breast cancer that accounts for approximately two-thirds of all breast cancer cases in the United States and worldwide.

"We found that obesity at diagnosis of breast cancer is associated with about a 30 percent higher risk of recurrence and a nearly 50 percent higher risk of dea

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Braves rough up Lincecum, boost wild-card spot

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:09 p.m. ET Aug. 26, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Tim Hudson suggested Jason Heyward should move to San Francisco. Then, after a pause: "But still play for us."

Hudson pitched seven strong innings for his seventh consecutive victory and Paul Janish tripled home two runs to help the Atlanta Braves beat the San Francisco Giants 7-1 on Sunday.

Heyward, Freddie Freeman and Juan Francisco homered for the Braves, who won their second straight after losing six of seven. Martin Prado and Brian McCann also drove in runs for the NL wild-card leaders.

"It's good to salvage a series going down 0-2 against a team that's hot," McCann said.

Heyward has six home runs and 12 RBIs in 10 career games at AT&T Park and is hitting .395 (15 for 38) there.

"He has to move out here, work on that home run swing during the offseason and then come hit in Turner Park," Hudson said.

Hudson (13-4) gave up five hits and beat the Giants for the sixth straight time. He walked one and struck out three. The right-hander has not lost since July 1.

"We were fortunate to get a couple of runs early and I was able to throw strikes," Hudson said. "You don't exactly see very well from a hitter's point of view and you have to pound the zone."

Tim Lincecum (7-14) lasted five innings, allowing three runs and seven hits. He walked two and struck out four.

"I was fighting myself a lot in that first inning to find a rhythm," Lincecum said. "My rhythm was just off in the first inning. I kind of got it back the next four innings but that was it. I was just getting behind batters 2-0 on pretty much everybody and wasn't really attacking the zone."

Brandon Crawford drove in the only run for the Giants, who dropped their second straight since winning five in a row. Hunter Pence had three hits and Buster Posey two.

Lincecum allowed two runs in the first inning and one in the fourth, his two worst innings of the season. He's given up 25 runs in the first and 24 in the fourth. Both of his walks came within the first four batters of the game.

Prado had an RBI groundout and McCann added a run-scoring single for one of his three hits.

Francisco's home run put Atlanta up 3-0 in the fourth and Janish's first triple of the year - the second of his career - made it 5-0 in the sixth.

"That was huge," Hudson said. "You feel comfortable with where the game is at that point."

Hudson also singled in his first two at-bats, the second on a pop fly that was lost in the sun.

"That's smart hitting," Hudson said. "You hit it where the sun is. I've done that before."

The Giants loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, scoring on Crawford's sacrifice fly.

"It could have been a different game if I don't make pitches," Hudson said.

Heyward and Freeman homered on successive pitches from Clay Hensley in the ninth. Heyward, who has connected in three straight games, has been involved in all three back-to-back home runs for the Braves this season.

NOTES: Braves 3B Chipper Jones received a standing ovation in what might have been his final at-bat at AT&T Park. He grounded out to shortstop. "Chipper is one of those guys around the majors that people respect," Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "It's nice to have San Francisco fans recognize an opponent." ... Prado started at 2B, his fourth position in as many games (also SS, LF, 3B). ... The Braves send LHP Paul Maholm (11-8, 3.47 ERA) to the mound Monday night in San Diego. He ended a four-game losing streak to the Padres in their previous meeting. ... Hudson is 134-3 when given at least three runs of support. ... RHP Matt Cain (13-5, 2.83) goes for the Giants at Houston on Monday. Cain is 2-0 against the Astros this season, which includes his perfect game. ... San Francisco RHP Eric Hacker was optioned to Triple-A Fresno following Saturday night's game. The Giants recalled C Eli Whiteside to take his place. ... Posey has reached base with a hit or walk in 34 of his 38 games since the All-Star break.

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


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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48797884/ns/sports-baseball/

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Sunday, August 26, 2012

Cancer Survivor: Livestrong Remains Strong

SIOUX FALLS, SD -

Lance Armstrong remains an inspiration to a two-time cancer survivor from South Dakota who's active in the foundation Armstrong started 15 years ago to help cancer patients around the world.

Matt Ellefson's battle with cancer began in 2009, when this non-smoker learned he had a rare form of lung cancer.

"And my prognosis wasn't good," Ellefson said.

After more than a year in remission, Ellefson's cancer returned.

"Unfortunately, my disease isn't curable, so it's something I'm going to have to continue to treat for the rest of my life," Ellefson said.

Ellefson has looked to Lance Armstrong's successful fight against testicular cancer as a guidepost along his own road to recovery.

"Because he not only beat the disease, he came out of it better than he went into it.? And that is so powerful.? I can't tell you how powerful that is," Ellefson said.

Now Ellefson is helping others facing cancer as a region leader for Armstrong's Livestrong organization.
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"I strongly believe that sometimes the best way to get through your worst is helping other people get through theirs," Ellefson said.

Ellefson says the global reach of Livestrong, with its trademark yellow wristband, won't be overshadowed by Armstrong's troubles in the cycling world.

"Lance Armstrong, to me is a survivor, a cancer survivor.? He's not a seven time Tour de France cyclist.? He's a cancer survivor and he is helping others affected by cancer every day," Ellefson said.

Ellefson says Armstrong should be able to help more cancer patients now that he's no longer distracted by fighting doping allegations.

To learn more about Livestrong, click here.

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? 2012 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/cancer-survivor-livestrong-remains-strong/?id=136303

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Heart Disease Runs in the Family | Men's Health News

Father and son outdoors

Spell "cholesterol." C, H, O, L . . .

Are you at risk for heart disease? Check your grandpa?s obit. Having a relative die of heart complications before age 60 doubles your own risk of premature heart disease, according to a new study published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology. Even more: if it?s a parent or sibling, your risk shoots up 72 percent. If there are two or more premature cardiovascular deaths, your risk increases two-fold compared to just one.

Researchers studied the family history of about 4 million people from a public health care database?the largest study to look at the matter?and found the risk to hold true independent of other heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, or diabetes.


?Whenever we see events that occur early in life clustering in families, we tend to think that there must be an underlying genetic contribution,? says Mattis F. Ranthe, M.D., Ph.D. student at Statens Serum Institut in Copenhagen, and researcher of the study. More specifically, bad genes are to blame, adds Eric Topol, M.D., director of the Scripps Translational Science Institute, and Men?s Health cardiology advisor.

The only thing is, doctors can?t yet pinpoint just which genes are the bad ones. ?I?ll have patients come in who know they have this issue in the family wondering if they?ll have the same fate,? says Dr. Topol. ?Hopefully in the future we can look at genes and determine which ones could be risk factors.?

Until then, if early death from heart complications runs in the family, it?s time to go into high gear prevention mode, says Dr. Topol. If you?re not sure, try to find out what you can about your family history by asking around or checking public death records, says Dr. Ranthe. And clean up your act?whether or not it runs in the family. Being overweight, smoking, drinking, and high blood pressure up your risk of heart problems, and are easy changes to make. (For tips on how to shed pounds, eat right, and change your life fast, sign up for our Daily Dose Newsletter?it?s FREE!)

If you liked this story, then you?ll love these:

Source: http://news.menshealth.com/do-you-know-how-youll-die/2012/08/25/

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India win U-19 World Cup as Chand-Patel overpower Australia (Lead)

Townsville (Australia), Aug 26

Skipper Unmukt Chand scored a spectacular hundred to help India upstage defending champions Australia by six wickets and win the Under-19 World Cup here Sunday.

Chand (111 not out) and Smit Patel (62 not out) anchored India's remarkable fightback, conjuring up an unbeaten 130-run stand for the fifth wicket to chase down a competitive 225 at the Tony Ireland Stadium. Chand saved the best for the last and enthralled the sizeable Indian supporters by smashing seven fours and as many sixes with some breathtaking stroke-play.

Patel hit a four over mid-wicket for the winning runs and ran hysterically towards his teammate for the victory celebration.

This is the third World Cup triumph for the Indian colts after 2000 and 2008 edition. This time, they overcame a team that entered the title clash unbeaten and which had not lost a final. They won the World Cup thrice.

The fact that Indian played all their matches at this picturesque venue helped them against the hosts and the presence of a fair sprinkling of vociferous expats to support them made them feel at home.

"I do not know what is happening right now. The win has not yet sunk in. The Aussies played very well but we came on top. Townsville has been amazing for us. I would like to thank the support staff, my team, we had a great time together, it is a very emotional moment," said man of the match Chand at the post-match presentation.

Patel joined Chand at a precarious moment with India 97 for four at the half-way stage, to be precise 24.2 overs, needing another 129 runs. It seemed a big ask against an Australian attack that had the upper hand.

But the talented Chand-Patel duo held their nerves and batted sensibly to first dig in and then overpower their formidable opponents. The highlight of their stand was the way they rotated the strike, complimenting each other with a boundary every now and then to make sure the asking rate is within reach.

Luck was also on India' side as Chand was dropped twice while Patel was lucky once. The skipper got the first lifeline in the 19th over when wicketkeeper Jimmye Peirson could not hold on to a regulation catch off fast bowler Gurinder Sandhu.

Chand's next let off came at a much more important time, he was on 84 and the team still required 49 off 42 balls. The Delhi player chipped one to mid-wicket off Alex Gregory and opposition captain William Bosisto could not fasten on to a straight-forward catch.

Chand cut loose thereafter, hitting Gregory for a straight six to enter the nineties and another one over the cover in his next over to bring up a remarkable century. There was no stopping the Indians from there on.

India faltered in the middle overs after the sizzling start provided by Chand and Baba Aparajith (33), who took the team to 60 for one in the first 10 overs. The run chase slowed down considerably when Aparajith was caught at cover off Sandhu in the 15th over.

Earlier, Australia did well to get to 225 for eight after losing the first four wickets for 38 runs. Bosisto (87 not out) played a captain's knock to bail the team out of trouble and got good support from Travis Head (37) and Ashton Turner (43).

India medium pacer Sandeep Sharma did the maximum damage, taking four wickets for 54 runs.

Source: http://www.prokerala.com/news/articles/a323345.html

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Saturday, August 25, 2012

Usher gains sole custody of two children

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An Atlanta judge on Friday awarded R&B singer Usher primary custody of his two sons with ex-wife Tameka Foster Raymond, according to a person with knowledge of the ruling.

Usher had been seeking sole custody of Usher V, 4, and Naviyd, 3, while his ex-wife wanted to maintain joint custody and receive an increase in child support payments.

The long custody battle had been marred with public mud-slinging on both sides as each party alleged the other was an unfit parent. Tragedy also struck in July when Foster Raymond's 11-year-old son Kile Glover - Usher's stepson - died after suffering a brain injury during a jet-ski accident.

One source who was not authorized to speak on the record confirmed the judge's ruling and said "it's been a long and difficult process for everyone."

Representatives for the "Yeah!" singer declined to comment on the ruling or the court proceeding.

Usher filed for divorce from Foster in 2009 after less than two years of marriage.

(Reporting by Zorianna Kit; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and Jan Paschal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/usher-gains-sole-custody-two-children-222855279.html

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Glendale repels lawsuit filed by main city employee's union

Glendale successfully fended off a legal attempt this week by its largest employee union to reverse a 2010 contract that reduced pay and retirement benefits.

The preliminary victory means the city isn?t liable for hundreds of thousands of dollars in back wages ? for now.

The Glendale City Employees Assn. can still appeal the decision by a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge to throw out the union?s lawsuit that claimed Glendale engaged in unfair bargaining practices.

?This is a challenge to the city?s decision in 2010 to implement the terms in 2010,? City Atty. Mike Garcia said. ?If the court finds we didn?t act within the confines of the law, they?d be entitled to undo it.?

The legal battle is yet another example of tensions between Glendale and some employee unions. Three months before Glendale cut salaries for about 1,000 rank and file employees and scaled down retirement benefits for new hires, the city declared an impasse with the bargaining group for the first time in more than a decade.

The recent lawsuit by the Glendale City Employees Assn. is the first of its kind in at least seven years.

Meanwhile, Glendale has to come to terms over a new contract with a new union for electrical workers, who protested in front of City Hall in April.

The city is also grappling with the rising costs of medical benefits, yawning budget gaps and cutting authorized positions to the lowest level in more than a decade.

The Glendale City Employees Assn. filed its lawsuit in June, asking the court to force a state board to charge the city for engaging in alleged unfair bargaining practices in 2010. A negative finding by the Public Employee Relations Board could put the city on the hook for roughly $738,000 in back wages.

Even if down the line the city is ordered to fork over the back pay, there are intermediary steps ? such as informal resolution efforts ? to go through before money would change hands.

The lawsuit came about two months after the Public Employee Relations Board, which is in charge of fielding complaints from public employees, dismissed the union?s charges that the city broke state law at the bargaining table.

The union?s president and attorney did not respond to multiple requests for comment, but according to state and court records, the Glendale City Employees Assn. claims the city adopted a take-it-or-leave-it approach, retaliated against employees by imposing a salary decrease when they wouldn?t agree to a concession, and treated rank-and-file workers differently than those in the fire and police departments.

But state officials found that while the city may have driven a ?hard bargain,? the Glendale City Employees Assn. did not present enough facts to support claims of an unfair bargaining charge.

?It?s not something the city wanted to do, but felt necessary to do for economic reasons,? Garcia said of the 2010 reductions. ?At this point we?re just defending our legal right to do what we did."

-- Brittany Levine, Times Community News

Follow Brittany Levine on?Google+?or Twitter:@brittanylevine

Source: http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-818-0824-glendale-repels-lawsuit-filed-by-main-city-employees-union,0,4152875.story?track=rss

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Samsung loses in Apple trial

Apple Wins Samsung Lost

In what will no doubt be a?precedent?for the tech industry, a jury has found Samsung infringed on Apple?s patents in the Apple and Samsung trial. A nine person Jury is still reading the verdict. So far, Samsung has been found in violation of ?4 patents for most of the devices in question. Samsung has also been found guilty of?willful?infringement for most patents in question for most of the company?s devices, except for the Galaxy Tab. All of Apple?s patents were found valid as well, another big blow to Samsung. As far as damages, the jury has awarded Apple $1 billion and $51 million dollars for Samsung?s infringements. Samsung?s claims against Apple are all turning out to be found in Apple?s favor?

Developing?

Jonathan Geller is the founder of Boy Genius Report, now known as BGR. What began as a column on popular gadget blog Engadget quickly grew into one of the site?s biggest draws, and Jonathan soon detached the wildly popular column to create what has since become the biggest mobile news destination in the world.

MORE ARTICLES FROM JONATHAN ?



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheBoyGeniusReport/~3/8523s42EFCo/

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Daily Workout Routine, Obese Kids At Risk For Heart Disease! | Diet ...

Workout is a new fitness show to help YOU get in shape! Get fit with Laurince :-) Do you like it? Tell us in the comments below! Get more TGN! ? tgn.tv Music by Kevin MacLeod and Big Keyz Like me on facebook: facebook.com/laurincelovelife friend me @ facebook: facebook.com/laurince follow me on twitter: twitter.com/#!/LNLovelife
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Pink Rose on White Engagement Party Invite from Zazzle.com

Pink Rose on White Engagement Party Invite by loraseverson

He proposed and you accepted and said YES! You are now engaged to be married. Announce your recent engagement to friends and family and invite them to celebrate with you with the elegant Pink Rose on White Engagement Party Invitation. Personalize it with the names of the bride and groom and specific engagement party details. Feel free to change the text, font or paper type to suit your needs. It is shown here on metallic ice paper. This pretty custom botanical Engagement Party Invite features a floral photograph of a pink rose flower blossoms with a bridal veil and a white background.

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Airline industry woes chip away passenger choices

Air passengers face higher fares, fewer flight choices and crowded aircraft as European carriers trim seating capacity growth or cut routes altogether, as they battle to salvage profits and fend off the impact of rising fuel prices.

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With jet fuel prices near record highs at the same time as taxes and airport charges rise, airlines are curbing the growth of capacity - the number of seats they make available - and the frequency of some flights to lower costs and not drive away customers already spooked by rising fares.

According to the Association of European Airlines, capacity among its member airlines eased by 4.6 percent in the first half of this year compared with the year-earlier period.

But that decline comes after an increase of almost 23 percent between 2004 and 2011, driven by new aircraft ordered by airlines when demand was much stronger than it is now.

"We have 10 to 20 percent overcapacity in Europe, based on the number of seats offered," Philipp Goedeking, managing director and airlines expert at consultancy AlixPartners told Reuters.

Deutsche Lufthansa for instance added more than 50 percent capacity between 2007, the airline industry's last peak, and 2011, according to Reuters data, boosted by the acquisition of carriers including Brussels Airlines and Austrian Airlines.

The low-cost segment has been growing even faster, with Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair adding 72 percent more seats and British peer easyJet growing by 59 percent.

Expansion has slowed dramatically this year, with Lufthansa adding only 2.3 percent capacity in the half of 2012 and British Airways owner IAG 2.6 percent. Easyjet added 5.9 percent more seats in the first nine months of its fiscal year.

Some airlines are now retiring older aircraft sooner than planned, delaying delivery of new planes or selling some smaller aircraft to shrink their fleet, but none want to be caught out with too little capacity when demand picks up again.

Australia's struggling flagship carrier Qantas Airways this week cancelled orders for 35 Boeing Dreamliner jets as part of a plan to cut costs at its loss-making international business.

The airline said it would eliminate loss-making routes and make cuts in jobs and spending, having posted its first annual loss in 17 years.

Most airlines saw profitability - in terms of revenue per seat offered - drop during the global financial crisis as demand for air travel fell faster than they could cut capacity. Since then they have regained ground, but there is concern a further deterioration of European economies will lead to a repeat.

SCRAPPING ROUTES

Spanish carrier Iberia's unit revenue, for instance, dropped to 5.05 euro cents in 2009 from 6.07 in 2007. IAG, the group created by the merger of Iberia and British Airways, had unit revenue of 6.72 euro cents in the first half of 2012.

Lufthansa still plans to grow this year but has cut its capacity expansion plans to 0.5 percent from 12 percent. Air France-KLM has also scaled down capacity growth, having already shrunk 20 percent before the crisis.

Many airlines are focusing on axing some of their less- profitable routes, especially short-haul services to secondary cities in Europe, hitting travelers who rely on regional airports - such as Britons with second homes on the continent.

Nicholas Blair, from Leicester in central England, bought a holiday home in the Loire region of western France five years ago, partly because Ryanair had regular flights to nearby Nantes from his local airport. However, the Irish carrier stopped services to Nantes late last year.

"It used to take us four hours door to door flying from East Midlands airport, but now we either have to fly to Dublin and change flights or go to Limoges, hire a car and drive, which makes it so much more inconvenient and much more expensive. One of the reasons we bought the property was because of the convenient and cheap travel to it," said Blair.

In Britain, regional airports have also had European services cut by airlines because higher airport charges that came into force this year have made it unprofitable for budget carriers to offer short flights to neighboring countries.

They have also been hit by the UK's air passenger duty (APD) and the winding down of low-cost carrier bmibaby after its parent was bought by IAG. It plans to scrap several Bmi routes - including to Amritsar in India and Casablanca in Morocco - after the summer, due to "poor revenue performance".

EasyJet recently announced plans to close its base at Madrid airport next year due to a combination of overcapacity, leading to low revenue per passenger, and rising airport charges.

FEEDER FLIGHTS

Ryanair routinely justifies route changes with the airport charges and taxes it pays, but it has shifted capacity in recent months from Spain and increased it in faster-growing Poland.

"The major driver is the deals they get from airports, but the economic environment and the nature of the destinations (if it is a sun or city destination) also plays a role," said Merrion Capital analyst Gerard Moore.

Legacy carriers like BA make most of their profit on long-haul flights and need to offer domestic and European flights to bring passengers to their hubs to fill long-haul seats.

"If 70 to 80 percent of an airline's passengers are transferring to other flights, you cannot do without feeder flights," AlixPartners' Goedeking said.

European airlines, stung by an economic crisis sweeping the continent, are also keen to add services to emerging markets in Asia and fast-growing nations in eastern Europe to tap into growing passenger numbers that can fill up bigger planes.

BA recently announced new routes from London Heathrow to South Korean capital Seoul and is competing with easyJet to win rights for 14 weekly flights from London Gatwick to Moscow, using slots formerly held by Bmi.

Data seems to show that airlines' efforts are paying off to some extent. The passenger load factor in Europe widened to 82.5 percent on international routes in June from 80.6 percent a year earlier, according to industry body IATA.

For domestic flights, the figure improved to 81.6 percent from 79.8 percent a year earlier, showing airlines are offering fewer seats that end up unused. But those figures do not take into account whether airlines are lowering ticket prices to lure more customers onto their planes.

Data from industry bodies IATA and ICAO show average fares globally increasing 1.4 percent between 2005 and 2010, during which time the price of oil - a key factor for airlines costs - rose by more than 40 percent.

Not everyone admits to viewing such trends in a negative light.

"I love price competition," Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said on a recent conference call. "It ... means the competition blow their brains out even faster than would normally be the case."

(Editing by David Holmes)

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

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48771057/ns/travel-news/

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