Kyle Orton: Dallas Cowboys' Insurance Policy - Blogging The Boys

Quarterback Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys is getting knocked around again this season. The acquisition of Kyle Orton as his backup is looking more and more like a very prudent move.

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league. Passing is king, and if you don't have at least a capable player to drop back and throw for you, the chances are your team is not going to do very well.

The Dallas Cowboys are fortunate to have Tony Romo as their starting quarterback. He is a very talented player who is either hovering just outside the small group of elite NFL quarterbacks, or who just needs enough help from his supporting cast to prove he belongs with the best. He also is having to play this season behind a rather suspect offensive line that has not exactly been putting an impenetrable wall in front of him. He has already taken some jaw-rattling hits, particularly against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

And now who is coming to town? The Chicago Bears. Also known as the NFL sack leaders, with 14 in the first three games of the 2012 season (which is exactly twice as many as Dallas has accumulated). With players like Julius Peppers bringing the pressure, the Cowboys need to get better performance on the offensive line, or it could be a long day for Tony.

Nobody wants to really think about having to bring in the backup quarterback, but with this matchup coming on Monday night, it is a contingency that unfortunately has to be considered. Dallas acquired Kyle Orton in the offseason to replace the retiring Jon Kitna. He not only brought experience as a starter and much younger legs, he made third stringer Stephen McGee expendable.

Orton also has a very significant Chicago connection, since da Bears drafted him in the fourth round of the 2005 draft. He accumulated a 21-12 record as a starter for them, but did not satisfy the team, it would seem. He was traded to the Denver Broncos for Jay Cutler, with the Bears throwing in enough draft picks to make it clear who they thought was the more valuable player.

Now Orton is going to be facing his old team. All the Dallas fans hope fervently that he faces them strictly from the sidelines, because no matter how much faith the team has in him, the Cowboys' best chance is with Romo at the helm. However, you cannot blame Kyle for having a few daydreams about getting a little revenge on the team that threw him into the Mile High Circus that developed when a certain Tim Tebow was drafted by Denver in 2010.

Of course, Orton's familiarity with the Bears is another way he is valuable this week, as Romo observed.

Romo said he's picked Orton's brain a little this week to help prepare for the Bears.

"Kyle's good," Romo said. "I've been lucky enough to be around a few guys who have helped. You need a good mind and a guy who understands the position, and Kyle is one of them."

But the real value Orton has is as that backup. He will be of value no matter what, since any NFL player can miss time due to injury or illness at any time, but he is especially needed during a week like this.

The fact is, based on recent history, at some point during the season Orton will be called on to at least finish out a game. Nobody wants to see it, unless it is because the game is such a lopsided Cowboys win the coaches decide to give Tony a rest and protect him, but it is still likely. Making it through an NFL season requires an ability to manage injuries, as we have already seen.

Orton gives Dallas one of the best situations at quarterback in the league. Wade Wilson, the Cowboys' quarterback coach, thinks Orton is the best backup in the NFL. I am not knowledgeable enough to say whether that is likely true or not, but it hard to think of a better situation. In Seattle, the Seahawks have what looks like a good backup in former Aaron Rodgers understudy Matt Flynn, but this guy from my neck of the woods is largely riding on one admittedly phenomenal game. The Miami Dolphins have Chad Henne, who may be sort of equivalent to Orton in some ways. However, I can't point to any NFL backup that is clearly superior to Orton. I also like the idea that Wade Wilson also worked with him in Chicago, and would almost certainly have thrown up a red flag if he saw any issues. The idea with the backup is to have as small a dropoff in performance as possible, and Kyle does seem to minimize that.

There is little doubt that Orton is going to be one of the most interested spectators at Cowboys Stadium for Monday Night Football. Let's just hope that he finishes the game like he begins it, as an onlooker.

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Source: http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2012/9/29/3426178/dallas-cowboys-insurance-policy-kyle-orton-tony-romo-chicago-bears

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How I Create: Q&A With Career Coach Michelle Ward - Psych Central

What do you want to be when you grow up? That?s the question Michelle Ward, the When I Grow Up Coach, helps her clients answer. Ward is certified by the International Coach Federation. She?s spent over 750 hours coaching hundreds of creative people to devise the career they think they can?t have ? or discover it in the first place.

She?s also a musical theater actress with her BFA from NYU/Tisch. And she?s one of the most creative and passionate people I?ve had the pleasure of meeting online. Ward infuses everything she does with creativity and her enthusiastic one-of-a-kind approach.

Below, in our monthly series, Ward shares the behind-the-scenes of her creative process, how she overcomes the comparison trap, her powerful advice for readers and much more.

Ward also has served as an expert source and contributor for publications such as?Newsweek and Forbes and websites such as Yahoo!?and?AOL Jobs. She?s spoken at?SXSW, The World Domination Summit?and?Etsy Success Symposium.

She?can be found coachin?, bloggin? & givin? away free stuff at whenigrowupcoach.com.

1. ?Do you incorporate creativity-boosting activities into your daily routine? If so, what activities do you do?

You might wanna slap me for saying this, but I feel like everything I do centers around doing it creatively. I?ve built my business on writing and making videos and speaking and playing my pink ukulele?so every time I decide to work on something, I think about what I want to express and how. I wrote/filmed/edited a music video for?my communty site.

When I put my career change exercises into?workbook?form, I decided to make the whole freakin? thing (yes, all 50+ pages) rhyme.

When I offered?An Effective Escape: Leaving Your Day Job Without Living in Your Parents? Basement?for the first time, it was as a virtual workshop. I?m usually doing something around speaking, singing, or writing? but not in a do-a-creative-exercise-every-day way.

2. ?What are your inspirations for your work?

It depends on what I?m working on, but the things that are popping into my head? Dr. Seuss,?Cee Lo Green,?Garfunkel & Oates, Cee Lo Green, stuff from my childhood (I so wanna write a Choose Your Own Adventure Book!), Jessica Swift, Color Me Katie, Danielle LaPorte, Alexandra Franzen, my clients, Broadway?.oh, I?ll stop there now.

3.?There are many culprits that can crush creativity, such as distractions, self-doubt and fear of failure. What tends to stand in the way of your creativity?

The Comparison Vampire! Oh, I call the voices we have in our heads that suck the good stuff outta us Vampires, and The Comparison Vampire tends to be the worst of all.

Look at how professional?her?videos are. Look at how perfect?his copy is. Blech. It makes you wanna just throw in the towel and never write another word or speak another sentence or pluck another tune ever again.

4.?How do you overcome these obstacles?

I think a big part of it is being confident and authentic in what you?re doing. Sure, his copy might be ?perfect? and her videos might be ?professional,? but mine are 100 percent Michelle at all times, and I?m proud of what I produce.

I?m all there, singing or speaking or writing my heart out, and I?m confident that what I put out into the world represents my uniquity, my perspective, and my knowledge. Let?s face it: They?re not better than you, They?re?different. Two separate things.

5. ?What are some of your favorite resources on creativity?

Anything that Keri Smith puts out is worth picking up and working through. It looks easy on the surface to follow her exercises (i.e. smear food on this page of the book, tie a string around the book and take it for a walk, etc.), but actually confronts our Vampires and can be a great (yet scary!) learning experience.

I also recommend the Right Brain Business Plan?to any and all creative entrepreneurs (I have one!), aspiring or otherwise. The Artist in the Office is also a must for those of us barely surviving our day jobs, and nothing beats The Artist?s Way for tapping into your inner creative.

6. ?What is your favorite way to get your creative juices flowing?

For writing, I keep tons of images with inspiring sayings on a Pinterest board, and that?ll be my first stop if I need something to write about. For my songs, I tend to have an idea as to what I wanna sing about (it?s recently been about my?boob cancer, oddly enough), and then rhymes come to me on the subway, when I?m about to fall asleep, or in the shower. I always have my iPhone handy to take notes.

7. ?What?s your advice for readers on cultivating creativity?

Don?t wait for lightening to strike or the perfect moment where inspiration knocks you over ? because it often doesn?t happen that way. Instead, show up to do the work and start wherever feels easiest.

Sometimes I start a blog post in the middle because the beginning just won?t come to me. Sometimes I write a song with the chorus leading the way because the verses are elusive. Do something every day for a small bite of time (yes, you can?get a lot accomplished in 15 minutes a day, thankyouverymuch) and you?ll be able to have a tangible product in no time.

Also, don?t be married to the format. Sometimes I know I need to write a blog post, but writing feels hard in that moment?so I make a video instead. Pay attention to what feels fun and easy at the time, and know if you move forward with that it?s not cheating.

8. ?Anything else you?d like readers to know about creativity?

Wanna know a secret? You?re creative. You might not believe me, but it?s true! We all have it in us?just start believing that I?m talking to you when I mention ?creative people,? start exploring in a fun and easy way, and you?ll be able to own that title more than you think!

Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. is an Associate Editor at Psych Central and blogs regularly about eating and self-image issues on her own blog, Weightless.

Like this author?
Catch up on other posts by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. (or subscribe to their feed).

????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 29 Sep 2012
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Tartakovsky, M. (2012). How I Create: Q&A With Career Coach Michelle Ward. Psych Central. Retrieved on September 30, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/09/29/how-i-create-qa-with-career-coach-michelle-ward/

?

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/09/29/how-i-create-qa-with-career-coach-michelle-ward/

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AEV to absorb Cebu based property affiliate - Property Management

MANILA - (UPDATED 10:11 a.m.) Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. is set to gain full ownership of a Cebu-based property affiliate.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, AEV said its board of directors approved a proposal to purchase 100 percent of Aboitiz Land Inc. for P3.2 billion.

The transaction is targeted for completion within two months upon the execution of the share purchase agreement and other collateral contracts.

?We are looking at expanding AEV?s earning capacity in business sectors that have scale, amid a growing domestic economy and Filipinos' improved earning capacity,? Erramon Aboitiz, AEV president and chief executive officer, said in a statement.

?AboitizLand is an ongoing business with strong recurring income from its industrial estates as well as from its many existing projects. It also has a backlog of prospective innovative projects,? he said.

He said AboitizLand has a land bank "valued at attractive valuations? and a management team ?we have confidence in.???

AboitizLand has investments in residential, commercial and industrial developments, and property management.? It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aboitiz & Company Inc., a major shareholder in AEV.

AboitizLand, through its unit Cebu Industrial Park Developers Inc., develops and operates two economic zones in Cebu: the Mactan Economic Zone II in Barangay Mactan, Lapu Lapu City; and the West Cebu Industrial Park in Balamban.

Aside from real estate development, the Aboitiz Group is involved in power generation and distribution, banking, food production, construction, and shipbuilding.

http://www.interaksyon.com/business/44241/aev-to-absorb-cebu-based-property-affiliate

Source: http://www.fpdglobal.com/component/content/article/57-business--investment/786-aev-to-absorb-cebu-based-property-affiliate

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Feds to investigate fire at Vallejo mayor's law office

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Source: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=8829819&rss=rss-kgo-video-8829819

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Loop the loop, DNA style: One- or two-way transcription depends on gene loops

ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2012) ? Scientists at EMBL and Oxford University discovered that, by forming or undoing gene loops, cells manipulate the path of the transcription machinery -- which reads out instructions from DNA -- controlling whether it moves along the genetic material in one direction or two.

In certain toy racecar tracks, sneaky players can flip a switch, trapping their opponents' vehicles in a loop of track. Cells employ a less subtle approach: they change the track's layout. In a study published online September 28 in Science, scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and Oxford University discovered that, by forming or undoing gene loops, cells manipulate the path of the transcription machinery -- which reads out instructions from DNA -- controlling whether it moves along the genetic material in one direction or two.

"We found that gene loops can turn bi-directional promoters into one-way systems," says Lars Steinmetz, who led the work at EMBL.

Three years ago, Steinmetz's lab discovered that when the transcription machinery lands on most genes' promoters -- the sequences that mark where transcription should start -- it moves not only along the gene, but also in the opposite direction, along the other 'lane' of DNA. But they were somewhat surprised that this didn't happen everywhere: some genes, it seemed, had promoters that worked only one-way.

Nicholas Proudfoot's group at Oxford University, in the meantime, discovered that genes can bend into a loop, so that when the transcription machinery reaches the end of the gene, it finds itself back at the beginning and starts again, like a trapped toy car. Proudfoot's group also found that inactivating a specific protein prevented these gene loops from forming.

Looking throughout the whole genome of yeast cells, Steinmetz, Proudfoot and colleagues have now found that when genes with 'one-way' promoters can't form loops, transcription from those promoters becomes bi-directional. It seems that with no transcription 'cars' trapped in a loop, more are free to move in the opposite direction. And by doing so, they can affect other genes. So by forming or undoing gene loops, cells can control not only what happens to the looping genes themselves, but also adjust the spread of regulation throughout the genome.

The researchers would now like to understand how and when loops form, for instance in response to changes in a cell's environment, and how unlooping affects the transcription of short DNA sequences within the gene. And Steinmetz has another burning question: what happens in cases where a promoter activates transcription of two genes? "Are they each in a loop? What's going on there?" he wonders.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Tan-Wong, S.M., Zaugg, J.B., Camblong, J., Xu, Z., Zhang, D.W., Mischo, H.E., Ansari, A.Z., Luscombe, N.M., Steinmetz, L.M., Proudfoot, N.J. Gene loops enhance transcriptional directionality. Science, 27 September 2012 DOI: 10.1126/science.1224350

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/JrWhWlbPpjI/120928085218.htm

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Town Hall Drug Drop - WestportNow.com - Westport, Connecticut's ...

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Town Hall Drug Drop

The Westport Police Department, in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), today collected potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs in what has become known as ?Take Back Day? on the steps of Westport?s Town Hall. The 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. event at 110 Myrtle Ave. was different than prior collections which took place in the Town Hall rear parking lot. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Page 1 of 1 pages

Note: WestportNow Publisher Gordon F. Joseloff is also First Selectman of Westport

Source: http://www.westportnow.com/index.php?/v2/40203/

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Describing My Stories | Jamie Todd Rubin

Posted on 28 September 2012

Every once in a while, I?ll get into a conversation about being a science fiction writer and during these conversations, it is inevitable that someone will ask, ?What books have you written?? I think it is natural for someone to assume that a writer produces books, so I gently explain that I don?t write book. I am a short fiction writer. I write stories. I may list some of the stories I?ve sold and usually one of the titles will result in the question, ?Oh, that sounds interesting. What is that story about??

And I always find myself fumbling to describing what the story is about.

I was thinking about this on my short commute home yesterday and I decided there are two reasons for this:

First, unlike a novel, which can be made to sound interesting in a paragraph or two, it is much more difficult to compress the description of a short story. A short story is already compressed; all of the fat has been cut out of it. Each and every word more the story along to its ultimate conclusion. The story itself is its own description, and trying to spend a few sentences describing it in specific terms is difficult (for me at least) because the story is designed to be self-describing. Read it and you know what it is about. For my technology friends, I liken this to file compression. Compress a large text file and you often get a much smaller, more compact file. This is the ?description? of a novel. But compress an already compressed file, and you don?t get a much smaller file. Indeed, on occasion, you will get a larger file. The file is already as compressed as can be and the description doesn?t help.

Second?and for me this is a more recent phenomenon?once I?ve written the story, I?ve moved on. Indeed, by the time a story I?ve written sees print, it?s likely that I?ve written two or three other stories. Everything I had to say about the story, I said?in?the story. About the only interesting detail to add may be the genesis of the story, which is not really about the story itself at all. I find it difficult to talk about a story that I?ve written months or years ago because my mind is always on the story that I?m working on now. It reminds me of Harlan Ellison?s response to the question, ?Of all your stories, which is your favorite???to which he would respond: ?The one I?m working on now.?

The best I can do, therefore, is to try to come up with snappy one-liners that are much more about generating interest than describing the story. So, for instance, when people ask me what my?Analog story ?Take One for the Road? was about, I?d tell them, ?It?s a murder mystery set on Mercury.? It doesn?t?really describe the story. The story is both more and less than that. To describe the story you need to?read the story. But it?s the best that I can do. One positive result of this is that I?ve never even considered trying to describe a story in a cover letter, as I understand some novices do. The best way to find out what one of my stories is about is to read it.

So I?m curious, do my writer-friends have this problem with their stories? Do you have difficulty describing them? Do you even care to describe them, or do you?as I do?prefer the stories to speak for themselves?

Source: http://www.jamierubin.net/2012/09/28/describing-my-stories/

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Cowell encourages 540-pound 'X Factor' hopeful

By Bruna Nessif, E! Online

Fox

This was the last episode of auditions! Things kicked off with following the health of 13-year-old Trevor Moran, who had collapsed at the end of Wednesday night's episode right before his audition. It turned out that Trevor was suffering from dehydration, and although they skipped over him and continued with other contestants, Trevor got back on his feet and went out on stage to show the judges what he had to offer.

So how'd he do?

Read the last "X Factor" recap here!

Awesome! Especially for a guy that was about to go to the hospital.

The young boy that was bursting with life sang the (what Simon Cowell mentioned may not be age appropriate) song "Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO. There was so much personality during that audition that none of the judges could possibly give him a no. "You were so much fun to watch," Demi Lovato told him.

Owen Stuart, 16, was so lovesick about his girlfriend back in New York that we almost didn't think he'd make it through his audition. But the cutie -- who dedicated his performance of "Airplanes" by B.o.B to his girl Tory -- impressed the judges with the fact that he could rap and sing.

Have you seen Britney's new hair?

Well, almost all of the judges. Britney Spears' said Owen didn't "wow" her, but Simon said, "I really, really like you." Stuart earned three yeses, moving him forward to boot camp.

One of the most inspirational acts came from 40-year-old Freddy Combs, who used to weigh 920 pounds and has worked his way down to 540 pounds. Taken to the stage in a wheelchair by his wife, Combs belted a beautiful rendition of Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings."

L.A. Reid gave the disclosure that his remarks would not be based off of sympathy for what Combs has gone through, but purely based on his audition. And all Reid had to say was that Freddy's voice was "heavenly." The other judges agreed and Simon made a deal with him to help get Freddy singing that song standing up. "I'll back you, if you back yourself, " he said, and gave him his fourth yes.

You're that behind?! Here's another recap

Sixteen-year-old Lauren Jauregui's mature voice was quickly noticed by the panel when she performed Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You." Once she was finished, Jauregui got an immediate thumbs-up from Cowell, who told her, "And that, Lauren, is how you do it." Yep, you guessed it -- she easily got four yeses.

And then there was Jordyn Foley. This 12-year-old pranced onstage in pigtails, high socks, a skirt, vest, tie--basically a modern-day version of Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time" outfit. Foley was full of energy, but unfortunately sang Cowell's least favorite song, "Tomorrow" by Annie. In all honesty, Foley's voice wasn't up to par with the others who had passed through, but her stage presence was undeniable, and she even gave everyone a motivational quote in between her song! Simon gave her a no, but the other three gave her a yes!

Related content:

More in The Clicker:

Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2012/09/28/14140950-simon-cowell-to-540-pound-x-factor-hopeful-ill-back-you-if-you-back-yourself?lite

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Plane going to Everest region crashes, killing 19

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) ? A plane carrying trekkers to the Mount Everest region hit a bird and crashed just after takeoff Friday in Nepal's capital, killing the 19 Nepali, British and Chinese people on board, authorities said.

The pilot of the domestic Sita Air flight reported trouble two minutes after takeoff and appeared to have been trying to turn back, said Katmandu airport official Ratish Chandra Suman. The crash site is only 500 meters (547 yards) from the airport, and the wrecked plane was pointing toward the airport area. Suman said the plane hit a vulture just after it took off, causing the crash.

Suman said he could not confirm whether the plane was already on fire before it crashed. Cellphone video shot by locals showed that the front section of the plane was on fire when it first hit the ground and that the pilot apparently had attempted to land the plane on open ground beside a river.

The fire quickly spread to the rear, but the tail was still in one piece at the scene near the Manohara River on the southwest edge of Katmandu. Villagers were unable to approach the plane because of the fire, and it took some time for firefighters to reach the area and bring the fire under control.

Soldiers and police sifted through the crash wreckage looking for bodies and documents to help identify the victims. Seven passengers were British and five were Chinese; the other four passengers and the three crew members were from Nepal, authorities said.

Large numbers of local people and security forces gathered at the crash site. The victims' charred bodies were taken by vans to a hospital morgue.

Relatives of the Nepalese victims cried as they gathered at the Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital in Katmandu, where all the victims' bodies were taken.

The weather in Katmandu and surrounding areas was clear Friday morning, and the plane was one of the first of the day to take off from Katmandu's Tribhuwan International Airport. Other flights reported no problems, and the airport remained open and operated normally after the crash.

The plane was heading for Lukla, the gateway to Mount Everest. Thousands of Westerners make treks in the region around the world's highest peak each year. Autumn is considered the best time to trek the foothills of the Himalayan peaks.

Airline officials identified the British crash victims as Raymond Eagle, 58, Christopher Franc Davey, 51, Vincent Kelly, 52, Darren Kelly, 45, Timothy Oakes, 57, Stephen Holding, 60, and Benjamin Ogden, 27.

The Nepalese passengers were identified as Kumar Marshyangdi Magar, Lakpa Noru Sherpa, D. Rai and M.K. Tamang. The crew members were pilot Bijay Tandukar, co-pilot Takashi Thapa and hostess Ruju Shakya.

China's government-run Xinhua News Agency identified the Chinese victims as Wu-Hui, Qian-Mingwu, Wu-Lin, Wang-Jhihua and Yang-Chen.

Nepal, with its poor-quality mountain roads and network of little airports, has a long history of small plane crashes. Including Friday's crash, there have been at least six crashes of small planes since October 2008.

The crash follows an avalanche on another Nepal peak Sunday that killed seven foreign climbers and a Nepali guide.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/plane-going-everest-region-crashes-killing-19-040304213.html

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Video: More on September 26: Get real

Angry pet owners take jerky treat fight to stores

??Grieving pet owners have started warning other consumers with fliers, cards and posters about potentially dangerous chicken jerky treats from China. After the death of her German shepherd, one Illinois woman gathered 60,000 signatures demanding retailers stop selling the treats.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49185843#49185843

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Postively Autistic: The Teen Scene With Cassidy Eden - Internet Radio

Visit with Mario Martinoli from Mario?s Cooking for Friends,? the fondly remembered Beverly Boulevard Italian restaurant, caf?, deli and gathering spot in Hollywood. Mario is a professional chef with over thirty years of hands-on experience which has taken him some very interesting and unexpected places!

Robby Benson joins Flashback With Carey Fisher. Robby is an accomplished actor, singer, director and author. He will be discussing his book "I'm Not Dead...Yet!" and what he was told by the publishing industry that made him decided to go the independent route!

Part two: The Scarlet Woman; Jet Noir Interview. Jet has a haunting and powerful voice and is an amazing instrumentalist, having studied guitar, violin and piano. Jet Noir's musical style is very eclectic and popular in the Goth scene.

Enjoy this dramatic thirty-minute suspense and mystery series, The Clock, written by Lawrence Klee. The Clock was first broadcast in November 1946. The story always began the same; ?Sunrise and sunset, promise and fulfillment, birth and death.

Toni Gibson joins Kenneth Hieber LIVE from New Zealand tonight. Toni will be talking about her upcoming new album and her passion for the Classical-Crossover genre of music.

Melissa Bel is an up and coming Indie artist with a soulful voice that is rich and deep like that of a seasoned veteran. She has been compared to Janis Joplin and Joss Stone, she has amassed a huge throng of fans from all over the world. Tune to hear about her new album.

Jammin Jukebox Radio welcomes Nathin Butler! Nathin, who plays Dr. Ewen Keenan on General Hospital, will be talking about his band "The Sugar" and discussing their newest self-titled release, tour dates and a little General Hospital too.

Actress and Fashionista LisaRaye McCoy stops by to chat with Olivia Wilder about her hit VH1 show, "Single Ladies," and her role as "Keisha," plus her many entrepreneurial endeavors.

IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and Mr. Olympia competitor Mark Alvisi speaks about his career, his new product line- Pro Sports Nutrition & his journey to date as he reaches for the Olympia title

E GEMZ Radio welcomes X Factor contestants Willie Jones, Panda Ross, Jeff Gutt and Julia Bullock! They will be speaking about their life, music, and their X Factor experiences. Fan calls will be taken during the interview.

Visit with Samsung Global Blogger Armando Pizzutigot his first big job in the 2006 Italian blockbuster movie "Notte Prima DegliEsami (The Night Before The Exams), and its sequel the following year, Notte Prima DegliEsami OGGI (The Night Before The Exams TODAY).

Contemporary author Christine Nolfi stops by Best Ever You to talk about her third book, Second Chance Grill.

Worried about that upcoming meeting or conversation? Collaboration Soup co-author Delia Horwitz explains why effective collaboration is as simple to accomplish as making soup on the Conversation Crossroad radio program.

Current Cleveland Browns Running Back Chris Ogbonnaya will be joining Weigh In Sports for an in depth interview on his career playing for coach Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns and also his current season with the Cleveland Browns.

Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/positivelyautistic/2012/09/27/postively-autistic-the-teen-scene-with-cassidy-eden

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The Do's And Don'ts Of Cover Letters

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Chemist's inflated resume gives lawyers new doubts

David Meier, right, special consul to the Governor appointed to lead the review of drug convictions which might have been compromised by a State Police drug testing lab, leads a meeting at the Department of Public Safety in Boston, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012. Prosecutors, defense attorney's along with representatives from the District Attorney's office, the U.S. Attorney's office, the State Police and the Department of Public Safety were in attendance. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

David Meier, right, special consul to the Governor appointed to lead the review of drug convictions which might have been compromised by a State Police drug testing lab, leads a meeting at the Department of Public Safety in Boston, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012. Prosecutors, defense attorney's along with representatives from the District Attorney's office, the U.S. Attorney's office, the State Police and the Department of Public Safety were in attendance. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

David Meier, right, special consul to the Governor appointed to lead the review of drug convictions which might have been compromised by a State Police drug testing lab, leads a meeting at the Department of Public Safety in Boston, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012. Prosecutors, defense attorney's along with representatives from the District Attorney's office, the U.S. Attorney's office, the State Police and the Department of Public Safety were in attendance. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

BOSTON (AP) ? Revelations that a chemist at the center of a scandal at a Massachusetts drug lab might have lied about her educational background have given defense attorneys new grounds to challenge her credibility.

Annie Dookhan, whose alleged mishandling of drug samples at the lab has thrown thousands of criminal cases into question, testified under oath that she holds a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts and also listed that degree on her resume. But school officials say they have no record of her receiving an advanced degree or taking graduate courses there.

Defense attorneys say that raises even more doubts about her work at the lab.

"If, in fact, she falsified her education or qualifications, we are even more deeply concerned about what she might have done in terms of testing the drugs," said Anne Goldbach, forensics services director for the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the state's public defender agency.

State police say Dookhan tested more than 60,000 drug samples submitted in the cases of about 34,000 defendants during her nine years at the lab. She resigned in March amid an internal investigation by the Department of Public Health.

After state police took over the lab in July as part of a state budget directive, they said they discovered her alleged violations were much more extensive than previously believed and went beyond sloppiness into "malfeasance" and "deliberate mishandling" of drug samples.

Dookhan has not responded to repeated requests for comments from The Associated Press. No one answered the door at her home in Franklin on Tuesday. Her husband and father did not respond to requests for comment on her claim that she received a master's degree.

Asked about her educational background when she testified under oath during the 2010 trial of Larry Blue, a Boston man charged with cocaine trafficking and weapons offenses, Dookhan said she had a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and a master's degree in chemistry, both from the University of Massachusetts.

DeWayne Lehman, a spokesman for UMass-Boston, confirmed that Dookhan received a bachelor of science in biochemistry from the school in 2001, but said there is no record of her receiving a master's degree in chemistry, as she listed on her resume and said in sworn testimony, according to a transcript.

"We have no record of her doing subsequent graduate work at our campus," Lehman said.

The registrar's office at UMass-Boston also said it had no record of her receiving a master's degree, as did officials at UMass campuses in Lowell, North Dartmouth and Amherst. The Worcester campus does not offer a master's degree program in chemistry.

A spokesman for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which had overseen the lab, said Dookhan deliberately misled officials about her qualifications. He said she was hired Nov. 3, 2003, for a Chemist I position after meeting the minimum entrance requirements and was reclassified a Chemist II two years later.

"While neither of the positions she held required a Master's Degree, it is now clear that she intentionally misled the Department about her education during the course of her employment," HHS communications director Alec Loftus said in a written statement.

Blue was convicted of trafficking between 14 and 28 grams of cocaine, a drug violation in a school zone, possession of marijuana and weapons charges. He was sentenced to 10 years and one day in prison.

Blue's trial lawyer, Arnold Abelow, said that if Dookhan lied about her education, it calls her testimony about the drugs into question.

"If she's fudging her qualifications as being an expert, then how can you trust her analysis of the drugs?" Abelow said.

State police have not said exactly what Dookhan allegedly did wrong at the lab.

But Max Stern, president of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said he was told in a meeting with Gov. Deval Patrick and other administration officials that Dookhan is accused of deliberately tampering with some drug samples, including the weight of the samples, which can affect the length of prison sentences given to people convicted of drug offenses.

Attorney General Martha Coakley is conducting a criminal investigation. Dookhan has not been charged.

Investigators have not described Dookhan's possible motive for mishandling drug samples.

It is also unclear why she would fabricate having a master's degree.

___

Associated Press writer Rodrique Ngowi contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-09-26-State%20Police%20Lab%20Shutdown/id-f3d7fa56d9c3438d96984fef04a5d5bb

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Houston Properties Provides Real Estate Services to Surrounding ...

Houston Properties provides individuals that are looking to move to the Houston area with a number of different benefits. They strive to provide excellent real estate services to individuals that are considering moving to the area, that make it much easier for you to understand the various neighborhoods and homes throughout the area, and also to help you with relocating. Moving to a new city can be difficult, but with the help of companies like Houston Properties yyou will feel much more comfortable moving to a new area. The information provided by Houston Properties includes an in-depth assessment of all of the homes for sale throughout the area, neighborhood information about the various neighborhoods, and relocating help them make it easy for you to make a decision when you are looking at moving to the Houston area.

Homes For Sale

The homes for sale section of the website does a good job of breaking down all of the different homes that are available into more than 500 pages. Their database includes houses, Houston Condos For Sale, and lofts throughout the Houston area, with more than 60,000 different homes for sale. Included on this page are a number of market insights, which can help you to make a good decision when you are considering what type of home to move into his well. They are page also contains information about leases, multi family homes, and high-rises throughout the area for families that are in a variety of different situations. Their website connects directly to the HAR database, which gives you excellent search features for all of the different locations. Additionally, you do not have to filter anything and can search all of the different property types it wants, to get a good overview of what is available, and what each type of property will cost you on a neighborhood by neighborhood basis. When looking for Condos For Sale in Houston, there are many things that need to be taken into account.

Neighborhood Information

Along with this, you are also provided with information about many different neighborhoods throughout the Houston area. This includes information about the schools in the area, the number of properties, population, price information, and information about things such as schools and hospitals. This gives you an excellent and easy way to evaluate the different areas throughout Houston, and find out which neighborhoods are going to shoot you and your family best. Depending on the type of foam that you are looking for, you can utilize the neighborhood information section of the website to narrow down your searches and find only the neighborhoods in counties that are going to be to your liking.

Relocating Help

Additionally, Houston Properties also provide you with information about relocating, to make this process as easy as possible and understand for you. relocating can be very difficult, and without the proper planning, moving into new condos for sale in Houston can be a long and painstaking process, especially if you are not able to appropriately researched all of the necessary information.

Related posts:

1. Looking for Houston condos for sale? Contact Houston Properties!
2. ManaUSA Provides An Excellent Outlook of Tallahassee Real Estate Market
3. Real Estate Options In The Tallahassee FL Area And How It Works
4. Why Condos For Sale In Houston Are Proving To Be Fashionable Today
5. Crawford Thomas Opens new Office in Houston TX

Source: http://www.eprsite.com/2012/09/25/houston-properties-provides-real-estate-services-to-surrounding-houston-area/

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Former MMA Fighter & Award-Winning Author Combats Human ...

Former MMA Fighter and Award-Winning Author

Cameron Conaway Combats Human Trafficking Abroad

BANGKOK, ??September 26, 2012 ? ?Cameron Conaway, an award-winning?author and former MMA fighter who once trained under Renzo Gracie, is?now fighting an epic battle that reaches far beyond the cage, the?battle to end human trafficking. More than 27 million men, women and?children are held as slaves, and UNICEF reports that each year nearly?2 million children are exploited in the global commercial sex trade.?Conaway has made it his mission to become their voice as he travels?throughout Asia and visits human trafficking conferences and refuge?shelters

Human trafficking is a truly global crime. It is not only happening in?places like Bangkok, even Los Angeles is a hub. Conaway has done extensive research on sexual and labor exploitation practices in the?U.S. and abroad and has seen its effects first hand.

According to Conaway, ?When you look into the eyes of a 5-year-old?Bangladeshi boy who now has HIV as a result of being used as a sex?slave, or of a handicapped 11-year-old Thai girl who has lived in the?back of a van for years as part of a mobile brothel, or even of the?father who was sold the fake promise of a better job and then beaten?into slavery ? these moments leave imprints on your being, they make?you realize what?s worth fighting for.?

Conaway, who is deemed by many as the ?MMA fighter who fights human?trafficking,? has participated in many human trafficking conferences?including the 2012 ?Slavery No More? Conference in Los Angeles, the?2012 ?Not For Sale? Asia Pacific Forum in the Philippines, and he was?the only American at the 2012 Human Trafficking Roundtable in?Chittagong, Bangladesh. Conaway was also invited to speak at the 2012?International Symposium on Combating Human Trafficking in Bandung,?Indonesia due to his advocacy work.

Conaway went on to say, ?We need penal reform, more sustainable?business models and education, deeper collaborations, more
psychologists and reintegration specialists?the list goes on. People?have referred to me as the fighter who fights human trafficking, but?the true warriors are the ones out there battling this each day. The?more involved I become, the more I see how my MMA training was?preparation for this battle.?

Conaway has spoken extensively on the topic of human trafficking in?villages throughout Bangladesh and has expressed in several media?interviews that his fight is now outside of the cage and for the?attainment of basic human rights for the world?s most vulnerable?populations.

The accomplished author also garners attention for the cause through?his writing. Conaway has written many features on the topic and was?even given rare access to the dangerous shipbreaking yards of?Chittagong for an essay titled ?Of Ships and Men? which was published?in July by The Good Men Project.

Cameron Conaway ? mixed martial artist, human rights activist and?acclaimed author, has come to be known as the ?Warrior Poet.? He?shares intimate details of his life?s struggles both in and out of the?cage in his compelling autobiography ?Caged: Memoirs of a Cage?Fighting Poet? and has championed many causes through his writing.

?Caged: Memoirs of a Cage Fighting Poet? has received numerous awards?including the ?2012 Reviewers Choice Award? and can be purchased at?Amazon.com. ?Famed MMA broadcaster Mauro Ranallo is the voice behind?the audio version of the book, which will be released in the coming?months. For more information on Cameron Conaway, his work and his?causes, please visit?www.cameronconaway.com.

About Cameron Conaway:

Cameron Conaway has come to be known as the ?Warrior Poet.? His?autobiography ?Caged: Memoirs of a Cage Fighting? has won numerous?awards, including the ?2012 Reviewers Choice Award. Conaway has taught?Shakespeare for Ottawa University, is an award-nominated teacher of?creative writing for Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. He has?received the Richard Russo Award for Creative Writing, is an?NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer and was the University of Arizona?s?2007-2009 Poet-in-Residence. He is currently the Poet-in-Residence at?Mahidol University?s Tropical Medicine Research Center where he is?working on a book about malaria, the killer of 2.7 million people each?year. Conaway?s debut collection of poems ?Until You Make the Shore?,?which highlight?s the need for penal reform based on his experience?teaching in an all-female juvenile detention center, will be released?in March of 2013.

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Source: http://alifeamongthepages.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/former-mma-fighter-award-winning-author-combats-human-trafficking-abroad/

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Xbox Challenged as Cable Plots to Make Consoles Obsolete ...

AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner Cable are gearing up for a push to deliver video games directly to TVs, said people with knowledge of the matter, a strategy shift that poses a threat to traditional consoles such as the PlayStation, Wii and Xbox.

Can cable companies go after the gaming business?

Trials of cloud-gaming services are likely to start later this year so carriers can test and tweak the technology before wider deployments that may begin as early as 2013, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. Other carriers are aiming for 2014, the people said.

If successful, web-based games could accelerate a shift away from consoles, the industry's main money maker for the past three decades. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo have helped to build a market worth $24.1 billion in the U.S. in 2011, according to NPD Group Inc. Consumers are already dumping consoles in favor of games on smartphones and tablets, leading to a 39% decline in video-game hardware sales last month from a year earlier.

Consoles have been busily adding streaming video and download services that could ultimately undermine cable companies' business. Now cable companies may be able to strike back. "Everybody has a TV," said Atul Bagga, a video-games analyst at Lazard Capital Markets in San Francisco. Cable and phone companies are "looking for new ways to monetize their users and gaming can be pretty compelling," he said.

By adding popular games to their TV, internet and phone packages, carriers can offer another service to their almost 50 million digital TV subscribers.

In addition to AT&T, Verizon and Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Cox are also in talks to offer video-gaming services, the people said. They're all looking to go beyond social games from Zynga and casual games such as "Tetris" and "Solitaire," with technology that can deliver the most advanced action games from top publishers such as Electronic Arts.

Alex Dudley, a spokesman for Time Warner Cable, which had 12.3 million subscribers as of mid-2012, and Jennifer Khoury, a spokeswoman for Comcast, which had 22.1 million subscribers, declined to comment.

Jan Rasmussen, a spokeswoman for AT&T, said in a statement the company is "exploring unique ways to offer cloud gaming services to our TV and broadband customers." AT&T had 4.15 million subscribers for its U-verse TV services as of June.

Deidre Hart, a spokeswoman for Verizon, said that while the company has the capability, it doesn't currently "offer anything regarding HD cloud gaming." Shana Keith, a spokeswoman for Cox, said the company is exploring a number of cloud-based broadband services, declining to provide specifics. Verizon had 4.47 million TV subscribers, while Cox had 4.66 million, according to the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.

With cloud gaming, consumers will be able to avoid buying Sony's PlayStation 3, Microsoft's Xbox 360 or Nintendo's Wii, and play using generic controllers connected to their set-top box or TV. Some carriers are looking at software that turns smartphones into controllers, the people said.

Carriers still have to get the technology in place. To stream games from remote servers to multiple devices simultaneously, they need to license virtualization technology. And to make the experience comparable to that of a console, they also must incorporate powerful graphics processors into their data centers, replacing chips used in consoles.

Putting all those pieces together proved too difficult for OnLive, a startup backed by units of AT&T and Time Warner, which went through a restructuring last month after failing to attract enough $9.99-a-month subscribers to its cloud-gaming system. Gaikai, a competitor in the market, agreed to be bought earlier this year by Sony for $380 million.

Large service providers have an advantage because they have deeper pockets, big data centers and an existing subscriber base. Still, delivering a cloud service with the same quality as game consoles and creating a profitable business will be a challenge, said Mitch Lasky, a partner at venture firm Benchmark Capital in Menlo Park, Calif., and an early investor in Gaikai.

"It makes perfect sense why they would want to go after this market," said Mr. Lasky, who was previously an executive at Electronic Arts. "Streaming games use a ton of bandwidth and really benefit from good networks. But it's a gnarly execution problem they're trying to solve."

~Bloomberg News~

Source: http://adage.com/article/media/xbox-challenged-cable-plots-make-consoles-obsolete/237399/

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Small-Business Lessons From Harley-Davidson's Turnaround

The New York Times:

This weekend, I read an article in the Wall Street Journal about how Harley-Davidson turned itself around using "lean" manufacturing strategies. Lean, or just-in-time, manufacturing is the Toyota production system, which started with W. Edwards Deming and his work with statistical quality control. Whenever I see this kind of article about a large company, I think about how the thoughts and principles can be applied to the smaller companies I work with.

As I read this one, three things occurred to me.

1. The idea behind lean is to create capacity -- not to reduce employee headcount. In this case, Harley-Davidson reduced its headcount by more than 1,000 people using lean techniques. Harley-Davidson probably can do this just once. If it continues to use lean strategies to reduce headcount, it will see employee enthusiasm for the program wane.

Read the whole story at The New York Times

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/25/small-business-lessons-fr_n_1912212.html

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Video: Cell death discovery suggests new ways to protect female fertility

Monday, September 24, 2012

Melbourne researchers have identified a new way of protecting female fertility, offering hope to women whose fertility may be compromised by the side-effects of cancer therapy or by premature menopause.

The researchers, from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Monash University and Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research, made the discovery while investigating how egg cells die.

They found that two specific proteins, called PUMA and NOXA, cause the death of egg cells in the ovaries. The finding may lead to new strategies that protect women's fertility by blocking the activity of these two proteins.

Associate Professor Clare Scott from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute said the research showed that when the DNA of egg cells is damaged following exposure to radiation or chemotherapy, such as that received during some cancer treatments, PUMA and NOXA trigger the death of the damaged eggs. This egg cell death causes many female cancer patients to become infertile.

"PUMA and NOXA can trigger cell death, and have been found to be necessary for the death of many different cell types in response to DNA damage," Associate Professor Scott, who is also an oncologist at The Royal Melbourne and Royal Women's Hospitals, said. "This removal of damaged cells is a natural process that is essential to maintaining health but, for women undergoing cancer treatment, can be devastating when it leads to infertility."

Associate Professor Scott, Dr Ewa Michalak and Professor Andreas Strasser from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, together with Associate Professor Jeffrey Kerr from Monash University, and Dr Karla Hutt and Professor Jock Findlay from Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research, focused their studies on egg cells called primordial follicle oocytes, which provide each woman's lifetime supply of eggs. Low numbers of these egg cells can also be a cause of early menopause. Their findings are published online this week in the journal Molecular Cell.

Associate Professor Jeff Kerr said that when these egg-producing cells were missing the PUMA protein, they did not die after being exposed to radiation therapy. "This might ordinarily be cause for concern because you want damaged egg cells to die so as not to produce abnormal offspring," he said. "To our great surprise we found that not only did the cells survive being irradiated, they were able to repair the DNA damage they had sustained and could be ovulated and fertilized, producing healthy offspring. When the cells were also missing the NOXA protein, there was even better protection against radiation."

"We were very excited to see healthy offspring could be produced from these cells," Associate Professor Scott said. "It means that in the future, medications that block the function of PUMA could be used to stop the death of egg cells in patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Our results suggest that this could maintain the fertility of these patients."

A joint leader of the study, Professor Jock Findlay, head of the Female Reproductive Biology Group at Prince Henry's Institute, said the study could also have implications for delaying menopause. "We know that the timing of menopause is influenced by how many egg cells a female has," he said. "Interventions that slow the loss of egg cells from the ovaries could delay premature menopause. As well as prolonging female fertility, such a treatment could have the potential to reduce menopause-associated health conditions, such as osteoporosis and heart disease."

###

Walter and Eliza Hall Institute: http://www.wehi.edu.au/

Thanks to Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/123749/Video__Cell_death_discovery_suggests_new_ways_to_protect_female_fertility

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Los Angeles preps for 'Carmageddon II'

By NBC News staff and news services

Reed Saxon / AP

This July 16, 2011, file photo shows Interstate 405 free of traffic, seen looking south from the Skirball Drive bridge, as the demolition of two lanes Mulholland Drive bridge continue in Los Angeles at dawn. "Carmageddon II: The Sequel" is coming to one of the nation's most crowded freeways later this month.

LOS ANGELES -- "Carmageddon II" ? the sequel ? is coming to one of the nation's most crowded freeways, and authorities are hoping its subtitle won't be "The Traffic Strikes Back."

Transportation officials say what they would like to see during the last weekend of September is a rerun of last year's two-day closure, when hundreds of thousands of motorists dodged doomsday predictions by staying away until the busy, 10-mile stretch of Interstate 405 reopened. It was one of the lightest freeway traffic weekends anyone in Los Angeles could remember.

---

Hopes are high that next weekend will have the same happy result, as businesses and residents prepare to avoid the roadway that must close again so work can be completed on a bridge.

At Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, just outside the Carmageddon Zone, officials plan to house as many as 300 doctors, nurses and other staff members in dorms at nearby hotels so nobody will have trouble getting to work.

Some patients, including women in the latter stages of complicated pregnancies, are being encouraged to check in before the freeway closes at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 29.

"Everybody, including myself, will be here to man the entire event, just to make sure everything goes safely for our patients and staff," says Shannon O'Kelley, the hospital's chief operations officer.

A group of art enthusiasts, meanwhile, formed "Artmageddon," featuring activities at dozens of museums and art-house theaters and listing them on the website artmageddonla.com. People are encouraged to walk or bike.

The UCLA campus, with about 41,000 students, has emergency traffic diversion plans in place. In Santa Monica, just down the road, a new emergency operations center opened last month. Authorities say every major transit, law enforcement and emergency services agency in the area has been cooperating in making contingency plans.

In the meantime, just what should people do over the weekend when they will hopefully be too afraid to pull out of their driveways?

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The city of Santa Barbara has a proposed solution: Leave your car at home and come visit us.

The Car Free Santa Barbara Project?is offering Carmageddon II special discounts on train service to Santa Barbara as well as hotels, activities and restaurants, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Mary Boyd, manager of the program, which is sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution District , told the Times: ?We invite Los Angeles-area residents and visitors to use this freeway closure and traffic as a chance to think outside the car.?

Or stay put. "Eat, Shop and Play Locally," advises the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority, reciting its official Carmageddon II slogan.

The agency is partnering with hundreds of restaurants, tourists attractions and other venues to offer discounts to people who can show they used mass transit to get there.

If thousands of people hadn't stayed home on a mid-July weekend last year, authorities say they might have caused a traffic backup so massive it could have spread to connecting freeways, gridlocking the entire city highway system. The result, "Carmageddon," would have been miles and miles of idling cars filled with thousands and thousands of angry people.

"The risk factors are exactly the same as they were last year, so nothing has changed in terms of the heartburn that traffic agency people are feeling right now," says Dave Sotero, a spokesman for the transportation authority.

It's not just any freeway being shut down, but one that even on weekends, when traffic is relatively light, can carry a half-million vehicles. It's also the one that links the city's San Fernando Valley, where 1.7 million people live, to its dense, urbanized West Side and its beaches.

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As they did for the first Carmageddon, officials have been posting flashing freeway signs for weeks warning people all over the state to stay away. On Labor Day weekend, people driving in and out of the desert resort of Palm Springs, 100 miles to the east, began seeing the signs.

"We wanted to get that image of what the stakes were by frankly alarming the public, getting the public's attention, grabbing everybody by the lapels and saying, 'This is a real project that is going to cause a real disaster if we aren't prepared,'" says veteran Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who is credited with publicly uttering the term Carmageddon.

Although Yaroslavsky says he first heard the word from an aide, he jokes that it will be cited at the top of his obituary as one his greatest achievements.

The freeway is scheduled to reopen at 5 a.m. Monday, Oct. 1, just ahead of the morning rush hour.

Last year it opened 17 hours early, but Sotero says not to expect that again because there's more work this time.

When all the work in the area is completed toward the end of next year, there will be a new, wider and seismically safer bridge crossing the freeway at the city's scenic Mulholland Drive.

The 405 itself will also be wider, making room for a carpool lane through the Sepulveda Pass over the Santa Monica Mountains, where traffic notoriously clogs almost all the time.

If the freeway doesn't reopen on time, that's when Carmageddon would really kick in.

While they insist they don't expect that to happen, officials say they will be ready if it does.

NBC News staff contributed to this report from The Associated Press.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/23/14048792-los-angeles-preps-for-carmageddon-ii?lite

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The Chinese Challenge :: ????: The 10 Best Free Anti-Virus ...

Many companies offer free versions of their popular antivirus programs for home users while offering versions with more advanced features as an upgrade option for professional and business users.

Important: There are no "on-demand only" (without constant virus protection), trial, or shareware antivirus programs in this list. These are the best antivirus programs that are completely free and work similarly to expensive programs from companies like Norton and McAfee.

1. AVG Anti-Virus Free

Anti-Virus Free from AVG is the best free antivirus software available. AVG Anti-Virus Free is a full-fledged antivirus and antispyware tool, includes an email scanner, link scanner, scheduled scanning options, automatic updates, and more. There is no need to pay for an antivirus program when the best free antivirus software in the world is just a download away.

AVG Anti-Virus Free works on Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000.

The huge number of premium features, frequency of updating, and install-it-and-forget-it aspect of AVG's Anti-Virus Free really do make it the best of the best free antivirus programs available today.

AVG Anti-Virus Free Review and Free Download

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2. avast! Free Antivirus

AVAST Software's avast! Free Antivirus most certainly deserves to be on any list of the best free antivirus programs. avast! Free Antivirus has fully functioning antivirus and antispyware engines protecting your PC from threats from the Internet, your files, emails, and even instant messages.

avast! Free Antivirus supports Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000.

One big reason I included avast! Free Antivirus as a best free antivirus program is because of its "heuristics engine" which can detect previously unknown viruses and other malware. I also like the fact that AVAST has been making this antivirus product since 1988 and is often cited as the most installed antivirus product.

Tip: During the avast! installation, you're asked to install the free Google Chrome browser. It's not required so if you're not interested just uncheck the box. Also, you are required to register avast! to use it more than 30 days but registration is free and pretty simple. You'll also have to reregister once per year - again, for free.

avast! Free Antivirus Review and Free Download

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3. Microsoft Security Essentials

Security Essentials from Microsoft is definitely one of the best free antivirus programs available right now. Microsoft is relatively new to the antivirus game but don't let that scare you - Security Essentials is a fantastic antivirus program that protects you from all sorts of malware, updates automatically, and is incredibly easy to use.

Microsoft Security Essentials supports Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Two of the biggest reasons I added Microsoft Security Essentials to this list of the best free antivirus software is because it's directly from Microsoft and also because it's very easy to see if you're computer is secure from threats: if the icon next to your clock is green, you're in good; if it's red, something is wrong.

Microsoft Security Essentials Review and Free Download

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4. Comodo Antivirus

Comodo Antivirus from Comodo Security Solutions is another excellent program, easily one of the best free antivirus options out there. As of this writing, Comodo Antivirus bills itself as the "Best Antivirus on the Market. Guaranteed." due to its proprietary Defense+ technology. Comodo Antivirus also protects you from several threat sources, just as most of the other best free antivirus programs on this list do.

Comodo Antivirus works on Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Comodo Antivirus is easily one of the best free antivirus solutions solely because of its Defense+ technology that, by default, assumes unknown files are threats instead of safe. That sounds like it might cause problems but Comodo Antivirus utilizes some other technologies to make the whole process silent but still very effective.

Comodo Antivirus Review and Free Download

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5. Avira AntiVir Personal

Avira AntiVir Personal protects you from viruses, Trojans, worms, spyware, adware, and various other kinds of malware, making it a fully functional antimalware tool and certainly one of the best free antivirus programs.

Avira AntiVir Personal works on Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP and Windows 2000. Avira also makes a version of AntiVir Personal for UNIX.

The scope of malware that Avira AntiVir Personal can keep you safe from is alone enough to make it one of the best free antivirus software programs but the heuristics and ease of use add to its value too. The only things I didn't like about Avira AntiVir Personal was the configuration you have to complete after installation which might be difficult if you're a computer novice.

Tip: You're asked to register during the Avira AntiVir Personal installation but it's optional. Just uncheck the box and continue with the install.

Avira AntiVir Personal Review and Free Download

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6. Panda Cloud Antivirus

Panda Cloud Antivirus protects you from several kinds of malware threats - viruses, worms, Trojans, adware, and more - just like all the other free antivirus programs in this list.

What makes Panda Cloud Antivirus one of the best free antivirus programs is that it does its job from "the cloud" meaning the hard antivirus work that typically slows down a computer is done on computers elsewhere on the Internet, freeing up your computer to work like it should and protecting you from malware even better.

Panda Cloud Antivirus supports Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

Tip: Panda Cloud Antivirus tries to install a toolbar and set Yahoo! as your browser's home page during the installation process so uncheck the boxes before continuing if you don't want them. Neither are required to use Panda Cloud Antivirus.

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7. Immunet Protect FREE

Immunet Protect FREE is a unique, cloud-based antivirus program, much like Panda Cloud Antivirus. Immunet Protect FREE protects your computer from bots, worms, viruses, Trojans, keyloggers, and spyware.

Immunet Protect FREE works on Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP. You must also be connected to the Internet at all times.

I think Protect FREE from Immunet is one of the best free antivirus programs for several reasons: you never have to update it, it has completely free telephone based support, and it can be run alongside some of the other best free antivirus tools like AVG Anti-Virus Free, Microsoft Security Essentials, and avast! Free Antivirus, increasing your overall protection!

Download Immunet Protect FREE for Free

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8. digital-defender Antivirus

digital-defender Antivirus isn't a popular antivirus program but it should be. It's certainly one of the best free antivirus software programs you'll find. It's a full antivirus and antispyware program and updates on a daily basis.

digital-defender Antivirus supports Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

The relatively small installation size, daily virus definition updates, and full antispyware features make digital-defender Antivirus one of the better tools in my collection of the best free antivirus programs.

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9. PC Tools AntiVirus Free

PC Tools AntiVirus Free offers basic protection against viruses and other malware. While not my favorite, AntiVirus Free is still one of the best free antivirus programs you'll find.

PC Tools AntiVirus Free works on Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP.

The biggest problems I have with PC Tools AntiVirus Free are the reminders throughout the program that there's a not-so-free version that you should upgrade to. To be fair, you probably won't notice it since the program runs silently in the background to protect you from viruses. I probably find it annoying because most of the features available in the upgrade are included for free in some of the higher rated best free antivirus programs above.

Download PC Tools AntiVirus Free for Free

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Source: http://the-chinese-challenge.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-10-best-free-anti-virus-programs.html

packages camila alves albrecht durer dan marino david lee roth joe bodolai ben nelson