Thursday, February 28, 2013

Surface RT coming to six more countries in late March, Pro in the 'coming months'

Surface RT coming to six more countries in late march

Microsoft's Surface is continuing its global retail rollout, expanding its reach well beyond the western hemisphere. In late March the RT model of Redmond's in-house tablet effort will begin popping up in Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore and Taiwan, (though, not necessarily at the same time) adding to the pile of European nations where it's already launched. Meanwhile, the Surface Pro will finally be leaving the Americas and heading for Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand and the UK sometime in the coming months. Unfortunately Microsoft isn't getting any more specific about when its full-blown Windows 8 machine will appear in countries other than the US and Canada. All we can do now is await the promised follow up post on the Surface blog for more details about availability. If you're a fan of press materials (even those that don't provide a ton of information) you'll find some after the break.

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Source: Surface Blog

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/28/surface-rt-coming-to-six-more-countries-in-late-march/

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Dialogic Fuels Networks, Augments WebRTC

Having covered Dialogic for about two decades I can tell you they were an integral player in the converging world of communications and technology. When you leave a voicemail, call into a call center or benefit from a telecom advancement quite often a Dialogic product is involved by providing an interface and performing some sort of processing behind the scenes.

After rolling up much of the competitive space and other telecom vendors as well, the company found itself in a situation where much of its core business was being eliminated as many of the tasks you once needed proprietary boards to handle could be taken care of through software on ever-more powerful Intel CPUs.

If this challenge wasn't enough of an issue, Asterisk made it easy to have a standardized base of solutions to build on top of when looking to solve the problems you once had to rely exclusively on Dialogic to provide.

In response to this pressure the company has relaunched itself with a new branding campaign titled "Network Fuel" which is designed to remind carriers the company can help it solve a myriad of networking challenges for them.

Andrew Goldberg, Dialogic Senior VP of Strategy & Marketing proudly stands in front of signs depicting thee company's rebranding efforts

Andrew Goldberg, the company's Senior VP of Strategy & Marketing took me through the company's new reorganized product line but started by saying the goal of the company is to make networks better. The three pillars of the Network Fuel paradigm are as follows:

Any to any networking/interconnection which includes gateways, control switch, SBCs, session-management, signaling management which allows for roaming, etc.

Network congestion - which is a rebrand of bandwidth optimization. They refer to this new area as "amplifying capacity" which includes VoIP, video and more recently, data. He explains that Dialogic has new products coming which will sit in network core and backhaul, optimize and amplify capacity - even if the data is currently optimized. He says carriers can build more network or deploy the company's technology and amplify what they have. He says the ROI gets even better in developing markets where backhaul is handled by satellite and microwave. "Capacity is at a premium," he emphasized. He continued to say their solutions are a better CAPEX and OPEX solution.

Finally there is application enablement which as you may recall harkens back to the company's long-history of being the underlying technology of the app-gen business of the 1990s which allowed developers for the first time to use a GUI to write telecom applications. Sure, this seems like its no big deal now but when you consider PBXs and central office switches of the time wouldn't imagine the concept of open APIs on their systems, you see why Dialogic's entry into the open telecom space was a game-changer.

Speaking of game-changing this is what he said about WebRTC - the company knows this is a huge area of opportunity and envisions having its PowerMedia solutions be the integration layer allowing additions like voicemail, video-mail, collaboration, multi-party-conferencing, call recording and more. He said in fact PowerMedia as a software media server fits in the middle and turns WebRTC into something people want "beyond a novelty."

The reason this is interesting has to do with the IP telephony space which first emerged in the late 1990s. As some of you recall, in 1997 I went to the then-prevalent COMDEX trade show to tell people my company, TMC was about to launch a magazine called Internet Telephony. The reaction was unanimous - why do we need a magazine on a hobbyist toy? They may as well have called it a "novelty" right?

What most didn't see coming was a thriving IP telephony/VoIP gateway business enabled by companies providing boards and software such as Dialogic. It turns out, it only took a fe modifications to adapt current boards used in voicemail systems to handle real-time IP communications. From there, the calling card market started to adopt VoIP and we soon saw IP-based PBX and ACD solutions emerge. Amazingly this simple concept of transporting communications over IP is responsible for the FCC discussing the sunsetting of the PSTN or traditional telephone network later this decade.

The point is WebRTC as Goldberg describes it sounds exactly like the VoIP market when it emerged more than 15 years ago. Will it be as big? Bigger? No one knows for sure but Dialogic is once again positioning itself to be in the middle of the action - "fueling" not only your network but development efforts as investors, developers, carriers, web portals and start-ups try to strike it rich in this new and exciting market.

To learn more about WebRTC see the recent TMC webinar Dialogic recently held on the matter and visit them live at WebRTC Conference & Expo in Atlanta, June 25-27, 2013.

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Source: http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/rich-tehrani/conference/dialogic-fuels-networks-augments-webrtc.html

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Shazam Is Driving $300 Million In iTunes And ... - Business Insider

It's a long time since Shazam was just that useful app to identify (or "tag") music playing in the real world. In 2013, the company has a burgeoning business based around people tagging TV shows and adverts too.

Shazam recently announced a major milestone: 300m users. That's all the people who've ever tagged something using the company's app. An impressive figure, but not one that reveals what Shazam's current active userbase is.

In an interview with The Guardian at Mobile World Congress, Shazam's executive vice president of marketing David Jones shared some more useful stats on that front, as well as on where Shazam is making its money in 2013.

Starting with the active users ? or audience, as Shazam's TV partners may see it. "We don't publish our monthly actives, but I can say that weekly actives are in the tens of millions, and monthly actives are many tens of millions," says Jones.

"20% of all iPhones in the US used Shazam last month, and in some European countries like France, Germany and the UK we're seeing closer to 30% or 40%. And we're currently adding at least 2m new users a week, and more than 3m some weeks."

It's this scale that's important to Shazam's expansion into the second-screen TV space, where apps designed to complement TV viewing like Zeebox and GetGlue are still counting their downloads in millions.

Shazam says its users are currently tagging 10m songs, shows and ads a day. They're also tapping through to buy the content they tag from download stores like iTunes and Amazon MP3 ? to the tune of a run-rate of $300m of sales a year. The vast majority is music, but TV shows, films and apps are a small but fast-growing percentage.

It's that second-screen TV business that holds the key to Shazam's future, though. Starting in the US, which accounts for 90m of those first 300m users of the company's app. Shazam creates content within its app for every programme on 160 American TV channels, serving it up when viewers tag the show.

Content? That's a mixture of episode descriptions, quizzes, tweets, cast information and playable clips of every song on the soundtrack, with links to buy song downloads, TV episodes and merchandise ? the latter through a partnership with e-commerce firm Delivery Agent.

For big events like the Super Bowl, Grammys and Oscars in the US ? and recently the Brit Awards in the UK ? Shazam builds what Jones calls "custom experiences", with polls, predictions, and video highlights for 2012's Olympic Games, with official US broadcaster NBC.

"We are going to roll out support for television programming in other countries," says Jones, although he declines to give an exact date. "The UK will be next, and then Western Europe."

The custom experiences side of Shazam's business has just been boosted by Fox Broadcasting Company's launch of an initiative called Fox Now, in partnership with a firm called Watchwith. The scheme involves providing second-screen apps companies with extra material to synchronise with shows as they air.

The idea: Fox will provide behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, interactive content and ads to a range of third-party apps. Shazam is one of four launch partners in the US, alongside Viggle, ConnecTV and NextGuide.

"We think this is going to be empowering," says Jones. "It's inclusive, fostering the development of the entire TV companion-app space, and it lets more people have access to this content. It's going to be good for creators and good for the network."

Fox's second-screen content won't be exclusive to Shazam, though. Jones is nevertheless bullish on the threats posed by these rivals and others including Zeebox and GetGlue.

"They're all struggling to get downloads. If they're getting a couple of million downloads, they're lucky. And while it's great that they're trying different things, they haven't nailed the experience: nothing has taken off," he says.

"But we've been at this a couple of years building custom experiences. We have millions of people Shazaming television every month in the US already."

How does that translate into money? Sponsorships and ad-tagging. In the former case: "We get six-figure sponsorships for single-night events, and some seven-figure sponsorships over a broader spread of time," says Jones.

In the latter case, brands pay Shazam to make their TV adverts interactive: they include a call-to-action in the ad to get people to tag it, and then Shazam provides second-screen content relating to their campaign.

The company has run more than 200 campaigns for over 140 brands, according to Jones. "The minimum price is $75k, but most cost between $75k and $200k for a campaign that runs for a couple of months," he says.

"So with 200 campaigns where we're getting paid low-six-figures on average, this is already a double-digit million business on its own. Shazam for TV advertising is going to become our primary revenue stream very quickly, and that's the way we're going to grow to being a multi-billion dollar company."

Or get bought, of course. Shazam's openness about its revenues and growth is clearly partly about drumming up interest from broadcasters and brands outside the US, but it won't hurt any long-term ambitions for the VC-backed company to find its exit.

In the meantime, Shazam is continuing to bulk up its salesforce, plot global expansion for its TV business, and steering clear of some of the pitfalls that lie in wait.

For example, Jones says Shazam won't get sucked into letting networks or advertisers target their rivals through its app ? for example, enabling Coca-Cola to pay Shazam to show its content when someone tries to tag a Pepsi ad.

The company isn't abandoning music ? it recently inked an exclusive deal with dance-music downloads store Beatport to bolster its database of electronic music, and has been building second-screen content for music videos by Ellie Goulding, Lil' Wayne and Mariah Carey / Justin Bieber, for example.

Shazam is also releasing a new version of its iPad and Android tablet apps, with an emphasis on discovery. People can see which shows and songs are being tagged most by Shazam's users around the world, and drill down by country, city and town through a map interface.

"The whole idea here is to build a better experience on your lap," says Jones, while showing off the new app, which will be released in the coming weeks. Shazam is hoping that beefing up its tablet experience will boost its longer-term ambitions to make second-screen advertising an even larger business.

"For the time being, second-screen is supporting the ads on the first screen, but there will come a time when second-screen revenues start to become significant enough that the television networks and advertising sales groups will really start to take notice," says Jones.

"While we're making a ton of money now, compared to the billions of advertising that the networks sell, it's a smaller thing. That's the opportunity."

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/shazam-is-driving-300-million-in-itunes-and-amazon-sales-2013-2

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Carrie Fisher: Hospitalized After Bipolar-Related Cruise Ship Performance

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/carrie-fisher-hospitalized-after-bipolar-related-cruise-ship-per/

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Michael Moore, "5 Broken Cameras" director hit back at BuzzFeed LAX story

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Michael Moore and Palestinian director Emad Burnat are hitting back at a recent BuzzFeed story that questioned their accounts of an incident with U.S. Customs and Border Protection last week at Los Angeles International Airport.

Last week, Burnat, the Oscar-nominated director of "5 Broken Cameras," said he was detained by officials and threatened with deportation when he could not produce proof that he had been invited to the Academy Awards. Moore said he intervened on Burnat's behalf and enlisted lawyers from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to help clear up the misunderstanding.

Moore later told TheWrap that Burnat would not have been subjected to that kind of questioning had been white.

"If he'd been a white guy he wouldn't have to go through that in our 'post-racial' America," Moore said.

But BuzzFeed's Tessa Stuart writes that a source at LAX called Burnat's claims "baloney" and accused the two men of using the incident to drum up publicity.

Burnat and Moore claimed that the incident lasted roughly an hour, but Stuart's source questioned their timeline, telling her that it took no longer than 25 minutes. The source claims that after Burnat could not produce an invitation to the ceremony, he was taken to another inspection area where he found his ticket and was allowed to proceed with his visit.

"He was not racially profiled," Stuart's source said. "It is being used as political stunt, and a publicity stunt for the movie."

The article irked Moore, who quickly took to Twitter to question Stuart's reporting and accused her of lying.

"One lousy unnamed source at Homeland Security (apparently unnamed because, um, the Oscars are a national security threat?) fed BF some BS," Moore tweeted.

He went on to say that Stuart's story was factually inaccurate because Burnat could not have produced a ticket as her source claimed. Moore said the Academy had not issued invitations yet.

Moore told TheWrap he thinks "...Buzzfeed probably regrets all this."

He also shared a statement from Burnat on his website that questioned BuzzFeed's claims that the incident was shorter than the director originally asserted.

"I was so shocked that I didn't keep track of time but I can tell you this - the 'secondary' inspection that people seem to be focusing on was definitely just that - secondary," Burnat said.

"What the whole experience added up to seemed like forever to me and my family, and I don't understand why I'm being asked whether it was 23 minutes (it definitely was not) or more."

He went on to add that Stuart's piece misses the point of his ordeal by focusing on the length of his detention.

That is the wrong question. And I think Americans should be proud that there are people like Michael Moore and so many others I met in LA who are willing to ask the right question: why was I held in the first place?," Burnat said

In an exchange with TheWrap, Moore echoed Burnat's comments and said he hoped to change the way foreign Oscar nominees were greeted next year.

"How many other Oscar nominees last week who came from foreign countries were detained like this?" Moore asked. "When I and other filmmakers go to festivals or awards ceremonies in other countries, we are often met and welcomed - sometimes with presents or bouquets of flowers! - at the airport by a government official, someone from their culture ministry. It's the red carpet treatment all the way."

Stuart referred questions to a BuzzFeed spokeswoman, who said the site stands by its reporting.

Stuart did update her article on Tuesday to clarify that she was citing a single source, not multiple sources as the story originally stated.

She followed up with a separate piece that referenced a handwritten log she had obtained from LAX officials that confirmed that Burnat's secondary inspection lasted for 23 minutes.

"While there is nothing in the log to contradict Burnat's account or his gratitude to Moore for leaping to his aid, the document does suggest that Moore overstated, at least, the length of the incident," Stuart writes.

Stuart went on to write that the ticket in question was not a physical copy, but a digital one that Burnat accessed on his phone.

In a blog post on his personal site, Moore criticized Stuart for not pressing her sources for more information.

"I don't think Tessa Stuart and BuzzFeed want to become the Judy Miller/New York Times of 2013," Moore wrote. "So I wish they had been able to take a step back and be skeptical of the 'official story.' What's hilarious is that the Feds and BuzzFeed seem to find it unthinkable that a Palestinian and his hijab-wearing wife would be held and harassed by Homeland Security! It's so unlikely that Michael Moore and his Arab buddy would have to make the whole thing up!"

In an interview with the Atlantic, Moore backed away from his initial claims that Burnat's LAX ordeal lasted for an hour and a half. Moore said his text and email history indicated that 40 minutes elapsed from the time that Burnat first contacted him to the moment he let him know he was out of customs.

In an update, BuzzFeed writes that Moore admitted to the Atlantic that he "exaggerated" the timeline, but the director disputed that characterization.

He said that the 40 minutes that passed between his initial contact with Burnat to the moment he was told the questioning was over, does not include the time the director spent in the first interrogation area or at the customs desk where he was first stopped. He said when those factors are taken into account Burnat's claims that he was held for roughly an hour stand up to scrutiny.

"No one exaggerated the length of time Emad was held," Moore said. "He was trying to avoid being put on a plane and sent back. That must've felt like hours. I'm sure he didn't set his timer on it."

"5 Broken Cameras" centers on a Palestinian farmer who lives on the border of an Israeli settlement, and the abuses and oppression his West Bank community suffers. It lost the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature on Sunday to "Searching for Sugar Man.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/michael-moore-5-broken-cameras-director-hit-back-191554726.html

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Moonbattery ? Food Stamps for Pets

Feb 26 2013

The Obama Regime excels in one area that is crucial to Democrats? long-term prospects: expanding the number of government dependents. Particular success has been seen with food stamps, where Obama has increased the number of supplicants from 32 million in 2009 to 48 million in November 2012. But even here, the private sector is out front of sluggish Big Government:

Pet Food Stamps is a New York-based nonprofit that helps pet owners who can?t afford to support their animal friends.

?The Pet Food Stamps program ? has been created to fill the void in the United States Food Stamp program which excludes the purchase of pet food and pet supplies. In these rough economic times, many pet owners are forced to abandon their beloved pet to the ASPCA, North Shore Animal League or other animal shelters due to the inability to pay for their basic food supply and care,? the organization?s website explains.

For now the assistance comes from independent retailer PetFoodDirect. But once free pet food comes to be seen as an entitlement, funding will be put on a coercive basis. There?s always more money, so long as the printing presses keep churning.

Stingy Republicans won?t want the government to feed this dog.

On tips from Stormfax, Wiggins, Ummah Gummah, and Lyle.




Source: http://moonbattery.com/?p=26209

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AP Newsbreak: Drop in Taliban attacks incorrect

A security official stands guard the scene of a suicide car bomb attack which killed and injured several people at the National Directorate of Security in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb 24, 2013. A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A security official stands guard the scene of a suicide car bomb attack which killed and injured several people at the National Directorate of Security in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb 24, 2013. A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

A U.S. soldier, right, photographs the scene where an insurgent was shot to death near an Afghan intelligence office in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

A security official stands guard at the scene of a suicide car bomb attack which killed and injured several people at the National Directorate of Security in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, Sunday, Feb 24, 2013. A series of early morning attacks hit eastern Afghanistan Sunday, with three separate suicide bombings in outlying provinces and a shootout between security forces and a would-be attacker in the capital city of Kabul. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

(AP) ? The U.S.-led military command in Afghanistan incorrectly reported a decline last year in Taliban attacks and is preparing to publish corrected numbers that could undercut its narrative of a Taliban in steep decline.

After finding what they called clerical errors, military officials in Kabul said Tuesday that a 7 percent drop in "enemy initiated attacks" for the period from January through December 2012 reported last month will be corrected to show no change in the number of attacks during that span.

The 7 percent figure had been included in a report posted on the coalition's website until it was removed recently without explanation. After The Associated Press inquired about the missing report, coalition officials said they were correcting the data and would re-publish the report.

"During a quality control check, ISAF recently became aware that some data was incorrectly entered into the database that is used for tracking security-related incidents across Afghanistan," said Jamie Graybeal, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition known officially as the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF.

Graybeal said a subsequent audit determined that portions of the data from unilateral Afghan military operations were "not properly reflected" in the trends ISAF had reported in its monthly updates on security and violence.

"After including this unilateral ANSF (Afghan National Security Force) data into our database, we have determined that there was no change in the total number of EIAs (enemy initiated attacks) from 2011 to 2012," Graybeal said.

"This was a record-keeping error that we recognized and have now corrected," he added.

The coalition defines enemy initiated attacks as attacks by small arms, mortars, rockets and improvised explosive devices, or IEDs. But it does not include IEDs that are found and cleared before they explode.

Trends in Taliban attacks are one yardstick used by ISAF to measure war progress. Others include the state of security in populated areas, the number of coalition and Afghan casualties, the degree to which civilians can move about freely, and the performance of Afghan security forces.

Graybeal said that even though the number of 2012 Taliban attacks was unchanged from 2011, "our assessment of the fundamentals of campaign progress has not changed. The enemy is increasingly separated from the population and the ANSF are currently in the lead for the vast majority of partnered operations."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-26-US-Insurgent-Attacks-Error/id-4212db88a38d40f384b35f197ce89bc7

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Monday, February 11, 2013

Ally's resignation spares German chancellor drawn-out scandal

BERLIN (Reuters) - German Education Minister Annette Schavan has done her friend Angela Merkel a good turn by quitting, sparing the chancellor months of distraction in an election year that has already got off to a bad start.

Having been stripped of her doctorate over allegations she copied parts of her thesis 33 years ago, Schavan stepped down on Saturday, saving Merkel the prospect of her friend's fate overshadowing more than seven months of election campaigning.

The scandal had already begun to hurt the popularity of Merkel, which has survived earlier high-profile resignations. A poll conducted on Thursday - two days before Schavan's exit - indicated 62 percent of Germans felt the affair was damaging Merkel and her party; among CDU supporters it was 68 percent.

Schavan said she would take legal action against the university that voided her title but did not want to do damage to her ministry.

"Whatever the outcome of such proceedings, (Merkel) would (have been) confronted with these allegations throughout the whole election campaign," political scientist Gero Neugebauer said before Schavan stepped down.

Merkel had already got off to a bad start to 2013. Her Christian Democrats (CDU) lost control of Lower Saxony in January despite fielding a popular candidate, who, like Merkel herself, was seen as his party's greatest electoral asset.

Opposition politicians say Lower Saxony marked a turning point in polls. Since then, the Social Democrats have climbed slightly towards 30 percent while the Christian Democrats are inching down towards 40 percent.

Merkel's problems also include poor poll results for her junior coalition partner, the Free Democrats, and a budget row in Stuttgart over a planned new train station.

DIGNIFIED EXIT

Media poke fun at Merkel for the five cabinet reshuffles in her second four-year term, saying that expressing "full confidence" in a minister - a term used by Merkel's spokesman on Wednesday - usually meant he or she would step down within days.

But the dignity Merkel allowed Schavan in her exit is likely to have helped the chancellor herself.

Merkel faced the press together with her friend, unlike in previous resignations, and appeared unusually emotional, praising Schavan and not mentioning the plagiarism charges.

Even opposition politicians lauded Schavan's achievements as minister and there was widespread agreement that Schavan's move was "unfortunately right", according to one newspaper headline.

"Schavan is a highly decent and competent colleague whose fate I am exceptionally sorry about," SPD leader Sigmar Gabriel was quoted as saying.

On Sunday, Berlin's chattering class had already turned its attention to the next political scandal.

Prosecutors have opened preliminary proceedings against Gregor Gysi, a key figure in the Left Party's campaign, over allegations he lied about links to the former East German secret police, a claim he has fought repeatedly over two decades.

In the end, Merkel's biggest concern may be "plagiarism hunters" investigating her own thesis. The founder of internet platform "SchavanPlag" has said he has been offered money if he finds mistakes in Merkel's doctoral thesis.

(Reporting by Annika Breidthardt; Editing by Jason Webb)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/allys-resignation-spares-german-chancellor-drawn-scandal-204127990--business.html

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Lydia Ko Wins New Zealand Women's Open: 15-Year-Old Golfer Ko Captures Third Pro Title

By Beth Ann Baldry, Golfweek

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand ? It was a remarkable display of poise and precision. Lydia Ko, the 15-year-old Kiwi who isn?t old enough to know what failure feels like and wins national opens the way most girls her age win club championships, made the locals proud on Sunday at Clearwater Golf Club. Ko won the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women?s Open by one stroke over American Amelia Lewis, who three-putted the 54th hole. Lewis took home the winner?s paycheck, but not the trophy.

?I didn?t cry at the Canadian Open,? said Ko when asked about her teary walk off the 18th. ?I guess (this tournament) meant more.?

Ko missed only one green on Sunday, hitting it long on the third hole out of the rough. That, incidentally, was her only bogey of the day. Ko closed with a 4-under 68 for a 10-under 206 total. This marks her third professional victory, including the 2012 CN Canadian Women?s Open (youngest in LPGA history) and the NSW Open, which she won at age 14.

Ko, the first Kiwi to win the NZ Women?s Open, said she doesn?t have a ?trophy holder place.? Judging by the way she handles herself down the stretch at big events, she might want to invest in a trophy case.

It wasn?t the smoothest start for Ko this morning, who left her yardage book back at the house where she was staying. Her mom delivered the book 10 minutes before she arrived at the first tee, where she shared the lead with another young Korean, Seon Woo Bae, heading into the final round.

A birdie for Ko on the first set the tone for the day. Bae held steady with Ko throughout the front nine, while Aussie Stacey Keating and Lewis charged hard on the back. Lewis took a one-shot lead with an eagle on the par-5 10th hole followed by birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. A birdie from Ko on the 15th brought her level with Lewis, who was playing in the group ahead.

On the 18th, Lewis hit the green short left of the flag and ran her birdie putt 5 feet past the hole. A miss there gave Ko a one-shot lead while standing just off the 18th fairway. She hit her approach to 30 feet and two-putted for the home victory.

?I don?t play for the money,? said Lewis, who took home Ko?s winner?s check of $30,000. ?But I guess it does soften the blow.?

Ko went to celebrate at the Japanese restaurant where she started the week. It won?t be a long night out as she must leave for the airport at 4 a.m. to catch her Monday morning flight to the ISPS Handa Australian Women?s Open.

Several LET players were on hand to watch Ko finish on the 18th, including last year?s Order of Merit winner Carlota Ciganda. The Spanish star played alongside Ko the first two rounds and was impressed with every aspect of her game.

?I think because she?s 15 she doesn?t realize what she?s doing,? Ciganda said.

To be sure, there are certain benefits that only youth can provide. But that shouldn?t take away from what the young player has accomplished. She might not realize now the significance of her achievements, nor how difficult this game can be at times. That doesn?t change the fact that she?s making history.

And her year is just getting started.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/10/lydia-ko-wins-new-zealand-womens-open_n_2658070.html

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Sunday, February 10, 2013

A Vegan Valentine Libido Boost. | elephant journal

Shadow Lovers

If you?ve lost that lovin? feeling, it?s worth examining your diet.

The food of love is all about taking pleasure in what you eat while ensuring your body receives all the nutrients essential for an optimum sex drive and healthy sex organs.

The benefits of a healthy sex life are numerous. Sex strengthens the immune system. Orgasms release hormones beneficial to immunity. DHEA is one of them. It fights against colds and flu. Greater sexual activity in older men helps reduce the risk of prostate cancer while regular sex encourages longevity in both men and women. It?s a great natural stress reliever, and heaven knows we can?t have too many of those in our modern lives!

Instead of consuming that box of chocolates this St. Valentine?s day, why not treat your lover to a day of sexy vegan recipes instead?

Eat, drink, sleep, make love. Repeat.

Morning:

Almond Banana Bliss-ified Smoothie

This drink is simple, sexy and smooth ? not unlike your sweetheart.

What you need:

? cup raw almond butter
4 Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in 2 cups water
2 frozen bananas
? t pure vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon

What to do:

Soak pitted dates in water for at least 30 minutes. Place all ingredients in your blender (including date soak water) and combine until smooth. Sip mindfully and with great pleasure.

Midday:

Spicy 13-Bean Soup13 bean

Every ingredient in this warming bowl of goodness has properties to support your sex organs.

What you need:

1 ? cups Bob?s Red Mill 13-bean soup mix, soaked in water, overnight.
2 T coconut oil
7-10 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups yellow onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 T fresh ginger root, sliced
2 cups broccoli stalks, chopped
pinch cayenne
dash of cumin
a bit of turmeric
pinch garam masala
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 t soy sauce
juice of half a lemon
sea salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
handful fresh parsley
nutritional yeast, to taste

What to do:

In a large stockpot, heat coconut oil over medium heat.?Saute garlic cloves, onion, carrots, celery, ginger and broccoli stalks for 5 minutes. Add spices. Cook another 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, drained beans, water, soy sauce and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Let simmer, partially covered for about an hour. Add salt and pepper. Serve and garnish with parsley. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Bon app?tit!

Evening:

Spicy Sweet Potato Bitessweet potato

Sweet potatoes are great for your sex life due to their vitamin A content, which helps produce sex hormones while keeping the vagina and uterus in optimal shape.

What you need:

4 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes
1 T coconut oil, melted
pinch garam masala
pinch cumin
dash of cayenne
pinch of ginger powder
a bit of sea salt
a little ground black pepper

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a baking sheet, toss all ingredients. Bake for 35 minutes. Bon app?tit!

Arugula Quinoa Salad

Arugula was born in the Mediterranean, one of the most fertile and romantic strips of land on earth. It is considered to support male and female sex drive, increase fertility and alleviate anxiety in the bedroom.

What you need:

1/2 cup quinoa
4 cups arugula
1 avocado, seeded and cut into chunks
1 medium tomato, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T lemon juice
sea salt and pepper, to taste

What to do:

Cook quinoa as you normally would. (I usually use a little more than twice as much water to quinoa, bring to a boil and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.)?Place arugula, avocado, tomato, garlic and 1 T of the lemon juice in a large bowl. Add in the cooked quinoa and remaining lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper and basil. Toss to combine. Serve in your two favorite vessels.

Simply Raw Banana Pudding with Rosewater

Rosewater, like chocolate, contains phenylethylamine (that chemical that produces the feeling of post-coital bliss). What?s more, it?s great to use on your body (think refreshing rosewater facial splash).

What you need:

? cup raw cashews, soaked
2 large bananas
ground cardamom, to taste
splash of rose water

What to do:

Drain the cashews of water and blend the cashews and banana together. Spoon into two dishes and splash a little rosewater on each, then sprinkle with cardamom.

Happy Valentine?s Day, Lovers!

aimee flamencoAimee Hughes. World traveler, freelance writer, francophone, degree in naturopathy, former flamenco dancer, yogi, lover.?More sexy vegan recipes here.

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~

Asst. Editor: Edith Lazenby

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Source: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/02/a-vegan-valentine-libido-boost-aimee-hughes/

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NRA's LaPierre: wonk with million-dollar megaphone

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Wayne LaPierre would just as soon read a book as fire a gun.

That's right, the National Rifle Association's fire-breathing defender of gun rights is more academic than marksman.

"A policy wonk," says Joseph Tartaro, president of the pro-gun Second Amendment Foundation. "He is more professorial than you would think."

"Wayne is a Washington-type person," says John Aquilino, a former NRA spokesman who worked with LaPierre. "He is best characterized as an absent-minded professor."

A professor, that is, with a million-dollar megaphone and a well-honed ability to dish apocalyptic warnings about a tyrannical government angling to grab people's firearms.

"It's about banning your guns ... PERIOD!" LaPierre wrote in a January email to the NRA's 4 million-plus members.

For decades, LaPierre, 63, has been serving up heated us-vs.-them rhetoric to rally the NRA faithful. Usually it works; sometimes it backfires.

There was his 1995 reference to federal law enforcement agents as "jack-booted government thugs." (He later apologized.)

And his 2000 declaration that President Bill Clinton was "willing to accept a certain level of killing to further his political agenda." (No apology.)

And his 2002 complaint that tougher airport screenings after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks signaled that "I guess it's OK to wand-rape someone's daughter in public."

A week after the December school shooting in Newtown, Conn., LaPierre gave a fiery speech calling for armed guards in every school. He blamed violence on a culture that celebrates gory video games and "blood-soaked slasher films" and rewards killers with fame.

"Gun nut!" the New York Post screamed on its front page.

"The most revolting, tone-deaf statement I've ever seen," tweeted then-Rep. Chris Murphy, now a Democratic senator from Connecticut.

"Call me crazy," LaPierre retorted on NBC's "Meet the Press." ''I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it," referring to armed school guards.

In fact, a Washington Post/ABC News poll conducted in January found that 55 percent of Americans said they would support a law "placing an armed guard in every school in the country."

In the weeks since Newtown, LaPierre has been the ever-present public face of gun-rights forces, shuttling between speeches, hearing rooms and TV studios to forcefully reject proposals for tighter gun controls as misguided ideas that will do nothing to stop criminals and everything to tangle law-abiding citizens in a bureaucratic nightmare.

Jimmy Carter was president when LaPierre first went to work for the NRA in 1977, and for the past 22 years LaPierre has been the organization's executive vice president, steering it through a transformation from a clubby marksmanship group into a political movement adept at beating back efforts to tighten firearms regulations.

Along the way, says Josh Sugarman, head of the pro-gun-control Violence Policy Center, LaPierre's tenure has been marked by a willingness to push the envelope with over-the-top language that casts the government as the enemy and stokes "fear-driven paranoia."

LaPierre has been richly rewarded for his efforts: NRA tax returns show he earned $835,000 in salary and $126,000 in other compensation in 2010.

For all of LaPierre's tough talk, friends and former colleagues describe a soft-spoken man who's a little scattered.

Aquilino, the former NRA spokesman, remembers his former colleague oversleeping and missing a golf outing with Vice President Dan Quayle. Leaving a trail of dropped notebooks and papers on the path from his office to a cab. Sitting head in hands in an airport terminal, unable to remember what flight he was booked on.

Aquilino says he once asked LaPierre what he wanted to do eventually and was told, "To tell the truth, I'd like to run an ice cream parlor in Maine."

How does all of that square with LaPierre's combative reputation?

"It's all done on purpose," says Grover Norquist, an anti-tax crusader and member of the NRA's board. "It's hard to say: 'The Second Amendment's in danger' and say it in a shy, soft-spoken way."

Or, as LaPierre himself put it in a 2000 interview: "When I used less strong words for the last three years, everyone dozed off."

No one snoozed in 1995 when LaPierre signed an NRA fundraising letter that accused the Clinton administration of empowering police to "murder law-abiding citizens" at will and described the ban on semi-automatic weapons as a law giving "jack-booted government thugs more power to take away our constitutional rights, break in our doors, seize our guns, destroy our property, and even injure or kill us."

Even some NRA members were aghast. Former President George W. Bush very publicly quit the group. LaPierre at first defended the letter then offered a qualified apology.

He'd slipped over the line from hard-nosed to incendiary in an episode that will always brand him.

By those standards, his words have been generally more measured since. But when LaPierre speaks, those who watch him wonder what undercurrents he's tapping.

The NRA's website describes LaPierre as "a skilled hunter, from Chesapeake waterfowl to African Cape buffalo." Online, there are lots of suit-and-tie photos of LaPierre, and a couple of hunting shots, including a picture of him next to a downed buffalo in Botswana.

The NRA declined to make LaPierre available for an interview or to answer questions about him.

But former colleagues say LaPierre did not show great interest in shooting. And they're hard pressed to recall any LaPierre hobbies beyond devouring nonfiction. LaPierre is married but does not have children.

"There was an opportunity for him to learn about firearms, and he certainly knows about them," says Tanya Metaksa, who hired LaPierre at the NRA and later worked under him. "But he's more the intellectual in his understanding of the history of the issue and the philosophical underpinnings of what it means to uphold the Second Amendment."

LaPierre's path to the top of the NRA began with an interest in politics, not guns.

Richmond attorney Tom Lisk grew up across the street from LaPierre in Roanoke, Va., and remembers him as an avid bowler, passionate about hockey and politics. As a teenager, LaPierre would take his young neighbor along to the bowling alley on Saturday mornings, and he'd hang out at Lisk's house to talk government with Lisk's father, who was on the city council.

The NRA executive who's worked against many a Democratic presidential candidate over the years actually cut his teeth working for Democrat George McGovern's campaign in Roanoke back in 1972, when LaPierre was 22. LaPierre, who has a bachelor's degree from Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y., and a master's from Boston College, got a job early on as an aide to Vic Thomas, a pro-gun Democratic state legislator in Virginia. He worked on gun legislation for Thomas, and that led to his hiring by the NRA in 1978.

Lisk, whom LaPierre later recommended for an NRA job, remembers LaPierre as "a person that people gravitated toward" at the organization.

"Wayne wanted to be liked," says Lisk, noting that he'd send out for ice cream as the group's lobbyists met to decide which candidates would get campaign contributions.

Richard Feldman, who worked with LaPierre at the NRA but later had a falling out and now runs the Independent Firearm Owners Association, says LaPierre's success as a lobbyist came in part from never saying "no" to those he might need.

"Wayne's approach would be, 'That's a good idea. Yeah, I'm with you on that,'" says Feldman. "Meanwhile, he's doing everything around your back to kill it."

After a surprisingly long run as the NRA's executive vice president, surviving insider plots along the way, LaPierre remains the hero to many a gun lover and villain to opponents.

The sharpened battle lines since Newtown have made it easier for LaPierre to pitch his uncompromising message that gun owners must band together to fight liberal elites out to take their firearms.

LaPierre has been here before.

When he went before the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, one of the questioners was Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., his longtime nemesis on the subject of banning assault weapons.

Feinstein welcomed the witnesses and made a point of saying, "Even you, Mr. LaPierre. It's good to see you again. I guess we tangled, what was it, 18 years ago? You look pretty good, actually."

___

Associated Press news researcher Monika Mathur and AP writer Calvin Woodward contributed to this report.

___

Online:

NRA: http://home.nra.org/# and http://home.nra.org/#/nraorg/text/biography,32

___

Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nbenac

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nras-lapierre-wonk-million-dollar-megaphone-130419426--politics.html

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Yen gains after comments from Japan official - Currencies ...

By William L. Watts and Myra P. Saefong, MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) ? The yen climbed sharply versus the dollar and euro Friday after Japan?s finance minister said the currency?s fall had caught the government by surprise ? a remark the ministry later described as a misstatement.

The dollar /quotes/zigman/4868099/sampled USDJPY -0.9940% traded at 92.75 yen in recent action, down from ?93.41 in North American trade late Thursday. The dollar had bought as much as ?93.70 early Friday. For the week, the greenback is little changed versus the yen.

The euro /quotes/zigman/4868097/sampled EURJPY -1.2491% fetched ?123.93, down from around ?125.32. For the week, the euro has lost more than 2% versus the yen.

Week ahead: Currency wars at G-20

Currency wars are likely to dominate the G-20 meeting in Moscow even if most countries will try not to make any explicit accusations. .

On Friday, during a parliamentary session, Japan Financial Minister Taro Aso said the dollar had ?abruptly risen to the ?90 level from the previous ?78-?79 level in a manner we didn?t anticipate.?

Later, however, a finance ministry official said Aso had meant to say the yen?s drop had been ?fast paced? rather than unexpected. See: Japan: Aso meant to say yen's fall 'fast-paced' .

Combined with indications Japanese exporters are starting to re-emerge as yen sellers, Aso?s comments were ?sufficient to drive a stop run down to a low of ?92.17 before a partial retracement,? said Adam Cole, currency strategist at RBC Capital in London.

/conga/story/2013/02/rotation.html 248995

Aso?s remarks certainly don?t imply the yen?s fall is unwelcome, ?but does call into question the ?95-100 range [versus the dollar] that many were beginning to talk of? as a government objective, Cole said.

Taking a look at the bigger picture, seasonals are ?in favor of yen strength,? with March representing the end of Japan?s fiscal year, and the yen typically strengthening from mid-February through late-April,? said Christopher Vecchio, currency analyst at DailyFX, in an emailed note.

Given that, ?we very-well may be on the verge of the next bout of risk-aversion if political concerns stemming from Italy and Spain boil over,? he said. ?A drop back to ?120 in EURJPY can?t be ruled out at [the] present time.?

Euro falls vs. dollar

The euro, meanwhile, moved lower against the dollar.

European leaders reached an agreement Friday on a seven-year budget plan for the European Union, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy announced on Twitter without providing details after a final set of negotiations that stretched to around 24 hours. See: European leaders agree on 7-year EU budget deal.

?The EU budget deal, which confirms the EU?s appetite for austerity, provides continued support for the euro bears to bet against the euro based on a weak growth outlook,? said Richard Hastings, a macro strategist at Global Hunter Securities. ?But the market already understands this, so it looks like the budget conversation is a small catalyst in the same general direction.?

The euro had taken a tumble Thursday after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said policy makers would watch the currency?s appreciation for any sign it is affecting the euro-zone inflation outlook. Draghi also said the euro?s recent rise is a sign of confidence in the shared currency.

He emphasized repeatedly that the ECB was maintaining an ?accommodative? monetary policy. Read Draghi: Euro reflects confidence, but eyeing rise.

The euro /quotes/zigman/4867933/sampled EURUSD -0.2686% , which pushed above $1.37 earlier this week, changed hands at $1.3365 in recent trade, down from $1.3392 in late North American action Thursday. For the week, its down about 2%.

Although down about 2% just this week, the currency is still up nearly 4.9% against the greenback compared with three months ago.

ECB's Draghi knocks euro back a bit

European Central Bank President Mario Draghi helped the euro to reverse some of its recent gains with slightly more dovish comments at his monthly news conference.

?What we note is that the latest data shows the euro-zone is stabilizing. More work is needed, however,? said Evan Lucas, a market strategist at IG Markets.

?Mario Draghi?s ?whatever it takes? comments that came [at midyear] last year was the flash point for the current rally and he is holding true to his word, meaning Europe is going to be a distraction, not a disaster,? Lucas said.

The ICE dollar index /quotes/zigman/1652083 DXY -0.02% , which measures the greenback against a basket of six major global currencies, rose to 80.234 from around 79.721 late in New York on Thursday. The index was about 1.4% higher for the week.

The WSJ dollar index /quotes/zigman/9625991 XX:BUXX -0.21% , a gauge that measures the greenback?s moves against a slightly wider basket of currencies, slipped to 71.53 from 71.66 Thursday.

Among other major currency pairs, the British pound /quotes/zigman/4867886/sampled GBPUSD +0.5416% climbed to $1.5794 from $1.5696, while the Australian dollar /quotes/zigman/4867876/sampled AUDUSD +0.3414% fetched $1.0317, compared with $1.0284.

/quotes/zigman/4868099/sampled

US : ICAP Currencies

Volume: 0.0000

Feb. 8, 2013 4:59p

/quotes/zigman/4868097/sampled

US : ICAP Currencies

123.8815

-1.5670 -1.2491%

Volume: 0.0000

Feb. 8, 2013 4:59p

/quotes/zigman/4867933/sampled

US : ICAP Currencies

Volume: 0.0000

Feb. 8, 2013 4:59p

/quotes/zigman/1652083

US : U.S.: ICE Futures U.S.

Volume: 0.00

Feb. 8, 2013 5:12p

/quotes/zigman/9625991

XX : WSJ Index

Volume: 0.00

Feb. 8, 2013 5:00p

/quotes/zigman/4867886/sampled

US : ICAP Currencies

Volume: 0.0000

Feb. 8, 2013 4:59p

/quotes/zigman/4867876/sampled

US : ICAP Currencies

Volume: 0.0000

Feb. 8, 2013 4:59p

William L. Watts is MarketWatch's European bureau chief, based in Frankfurt. Follow him on Twitter @wlwatts. Myra Saefong is a MarketWatch reporter based in San Francisco. Follow her on Twitter @MktwSaefong. V. Phani Kumar contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/euro-inches-up-versus-us-dollar-after-tumble-2013-02-08

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Saturday, February 9, 2013

Obama salutes Panetta as he prepares to retire

Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, left, and his wife Sylvia, center, applaud as they stand with President Barack Obama during Armed Forces Farewell Ceremony to honor Panetta, Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, left, and his wife Sylvia, center, applaud as they stand with President Barack Obama during Armed Forces Farewell Ceremony to honor Panetta, Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

President Barack Obama hugs outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta during a Farewell Tribute for Panetta, Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama attends an Armed Forces Farewell Ceremony to honor outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, left, Friday, Feb. 8, 2013, at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Va. Joint Chiefs Chairman Army Gen. Martin Dempsey is at right. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)

(AP) ? Calling it "the honor of my life," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said farewell to the U.S. military Friday, capping a venerated public service career that spanned four decades and included stints as a lawmaker, a top White House official and the spy chief who oversaw the killing of Osama bin Laden.

President Barack Obama, honoring his first-term Pentagon chief at a ceremony at a military base outside Washington, said Panetta would be remembered for welcoming more Americans into the military by opening combat roles to women and overseeing the repeal of a ban on gays serving openly ? "In short, for making our military and our nation that much stronger."

"Every decision he has made has been with one goal in mind: taking care of our sons and our daughters in uniform and keeping America safe," Obama said.

Panetta, the son of immigrants and self-described son of Italy, said he hoped in some small way to have helped to fulfill the dreams of his parents. As he spoke, row upon row of U.S. troops stood behind him, rifles and bayonets at their sides.

"It's been, for me, a hell of a ride," said Panetta, who served in Congress and in the Clinton administration before becoming Obama's CIA director and ultimately serving a brief but pivotal term as defense secretary.

"I will never forget the pride and exhilaration when I walked out of the White House after the president announced the success of the bin Laden operation," he recalled. "I could hear the chants of those people who were gathered around the White House and in Lafayette Park yelling, 'U.S.A. U.S.A.'"

Looming awkwardly over the formal farewell ceremony was the ongoing uncertainty about Panetta's replacement.

Obama has nominated former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, a Republican, to take over for Panetta, but Republicans have expressed deep misgivings about his previous statements about Iran, Israel and other issues. Days after postponing a vote on Panetta's confirmation amid GOP demands for more information, the Democratic chairman of the Senate's military panel said Friday he will press ahead with a vote.

Making no reference to the political hurdles, Obama said Hagel's mission would be to keep the U.S. military prepared and described Hagel as "a combat veteran with the experience, judgment and vision that our troops deserve."

Panetta has said he will remain on the job until the Senate confirms a successor. Then he will finally leave the Pentagon, returning home to his walnut farm in Carmel, Calif., after more than 40 years in Washington.

Panetta's tenure at the Pentagon was marked both by major milestones and a series of obstacles he and the military had to work to overcome. He oversaw the military's formal exit from Iraq and the start of the last drawdown of troops in Afghanistan, plus the end of a successful NATO campaign to rid Libya of Moammar Gadhafi.

But his attention was also diverted by prostitution scandals, spikes in sexual assaults and suicides, and ethical lapses by a handful of senior military leaders. An ongoing battle over spending cuts prompted Panetta to warn continually of the dire consequences of an underfunded military. Even as Panetta continued the efforts against al-Qaida, the threat from the terrorist group expanded in places like North Africa.

"We've overcome wars. We've overcome disasters. We've overcome economic depressions and recessions. We've overcome crises of every kind," Panetta said. "And throughout our history, the fighting spirit of our fellow Americans has made clear that we never, never, never give up."

___

Reach Josh Lederman on Twitter at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-08-US-Obama-Panetta/id-91212d74769342e9b74449ed4ee0feeb

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Apartment Careers: jobs, Forrest City jobs, Arkansas jobs, Business ...

About Pinnacle.

We invest in great people. That's why clients trust us with their real estate investments!
At Pinnacle, we consider our employees our most valuable asset. In fact, our number one key business objective is to attract and retain the best talent in the industry! At Pinnacle, the key to our continued success and competitive advantage is our people.

We offer a total compensation and benefits package to help with your needs today and build for your future tomorrow. We recognize that each employee is an individual with individual needs, lifestyles, and interests. Our benefits package was created with the flexibility to support employees who are at different places in their lives and careers.

Pinnacle values diversity and is committed to equal opportunity in employment. We offer a safe, healthy work environment for employees through a commitment to maintaining a drug-free workplace.
Pinnacle has ongoing employment opportunities at our headquarters in Seattle, our more than 40 branch office locations nationally and our many managed communities throughout the country.

Pinnacle is the national leader in third-party fee management of investment real estate encompassing multi-family, commercial space, affordable housing and military housing. Pinnacle is built on four basic principles:

  • Quality people
  • Strong customer service
  • Solid market knowledge
  • Superior systems and support capabilities

    At Pinnacle, success is about more than having a healthy bottom line. Guided by our principles and values, we are committed to making Pinnacle an amazing and unique place to work for each member of our team.

    About the job..

    As a Business Manager at Pinnacle, youll put your outstanding leadership and savvy business skills to work at one of the most respected apartment companies in a management opportunity that offers real leadership, innovation and support.
    Our Business Managers are the cornerstone of our team. Theyre responsible for keeping our communities in the top-notch condition our residents have come to expect, building motivated and trustworthy teams who consistently deliver a notably higher level of service and maximizing the operating performance of our community. Be ready to be busy! This challenging position includes:

  • Operations. Ensuring the smooth running of our community in a fast-paced environment. Overseeing all operations including maintenance, capital improvements, lease administration, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, collections, evictions, vacancy anticipation, marketing, lease renewals, service contracts, expense control, audits, etc.
  • Customer service. Providing superior customer service and communication to our residents and prospects to enhance customer satisfaction and increase renewals, revenue, reputation and profitability.
  • People development. Developing, mentoring, leading, and managing a high-performing, cohesive team, including leasing, customer service, maintenance and management personnel, in order to maximize their engagement and minimize turnover.
  • Marketing. Driving revenues with your thorough understanding and analysis of competition and development of creative marketing programs.
  • Leading by example. Instilling, maintaining and modeling the Pinnacle mission to be the best national management company.

    Essential Responsibilities:

  • Supervise day-to-day operations of entire on-site team, ensuring that all Pinnacle policies and procedures are being followed.
  • Maintain effective on-site staff through interviewing, hiring, and terminating as necessary.
  • Maintain a positive living environment for community residents through prompt conflict resolution and consistent follow-up.
  • Manage and maintain all aspects of overall community budget and finances
  • Work with leasing staff to ensure that leasing/marketing goals are being met.
  • Maintain positive relations with all community vendors.
  • Coordinate special projects as requested by Investment (Regional) Manager.

    Personal Competencies:

  • A competitive spirit
  • High-energy
  • Demonstrated leadership and strategic thinking skills
  • Supervisory experience
  • Warm, friendly and service-oriented philosophy
  • High degree of flexibility and tolerance for change
  • Ability to train, develop, lead and mentor
  • Superior written and verbal communications skills
  • Extremely computer literate
  • Organized and detail-oriented
  • Customer-service driven
  • Able to multitask
  • Financials experience/experience working with a budget

    Qualifications:

  • Minimum of a high school diploma, Bachelors degree preferred
  • 3+ years of on-site property management experience
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Experience in supervisory role and managing staff
  • Experience in writing and maintaining budgets
  • Proficient in Yardi property management software or other similar property management software.
  • General office, bookkeeping and sales skills
  • Computer literate, including Microsoft Office Suite

    Pinnacle has grown to become America's largest apartment manager through many different successes. Yet, in today's ultra-competitive market, each success must fuel the next and speed is essential in the ongoing race to lead the industry.

    If you are ready to work hard and be empowered and encouraged to innovate, contribute ideas and discover solution to provide current and potential residents with unparalleled, world class customer service please click Apply Online.


  • Source: http://jobs.apartmentcareers.com/jobs/5128663/business-manager

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    Source: http://chintu7875.typepad.com/blog/2013/02/apartment-careers-jobs-forrest-city-jobs-arkansas-jobs-business.html

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    Scientists prevent development of deafness in animals engineered to have Usher syndrome

    Feb. 4, 2013 ? Hearing impairment is the most common sensory disorder, with congenital hearing impairment present in approximately 1 in 1,000 newborns, and yet there is no physiological cure for children who are born deaf. Most cases of congenital deafness are due to a mutation in a gene that is required for normal development of the sensory hair cells in the inner ear that are responsible for detecting sound. To cure deafness caused by such mutations, the expression of the gene must be corrected, a feat that has been elusive until recently.

    Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science (RFUMS) Assistant Professor Michelle Hastings and her team, along with investigators at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, Louisiana and Isis Pharmaceuticals in Carlsbad, CA, have now found a way to target gene expression in the ear and rescue hearing and balance in mice that have a mutation that causes deafness in humans. The results of the study are reported in the paper, Rescue of hearing and vestibular function in a mouse model of human deafness, which was published February 4, 2013 in the journal Nature Medicine.

    Dr. Hastings collaborated with research leaders across the country, including RFUMS colleagues Francine Jodelka and Anthony Hinrich, who were co-first authors on the study, as well as Dr. Dominik Duelli and Kate McCaffrey; co-first author Dr. Jennifer Lentz at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans, and Dr. Lentz's research team, including Drs. Hamilton Farris and Nicolas Bazan and Matthew Spalitta; and Dr. Frank Rigo at Isis Pharmaceuticals. The collaboration led to the development of a novel therapeutic approach to treat deafness and balance impairment by injecting mice with a single dose of a small, synthetic RNA-like molecule, called an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO). The ASO was designed to specifically recognize and fix a mutation in a gene called USH1C, that causes Usher syndrome in humans. The ASO blocks the effect of the mutation, allowing the gene product to function properly, thereby preventing deafness.

    Usher syndrome is the leading genetic cause of combined deafness and blindness in humans. Treatment of these Usher mice with the ASO early in life rescues hearing and cures all balance problems. "The effectiveness of the ASO is striking," states Hastings. "A single dose of the drug to newborn mice corrects balance problems and allows these otherwise deaf mice to hear at levels similar to non-Usher mice for a large portion of their life," she says.

    Validating ASO efficacy in the Usher mice is an important step in the process of developing the strategy for human therapy. Dr. Lentz, who has been studying Usher syndrome for almost 10 years and engineered the mice to model the human disease, states, "Successfully treating a human genetic disease in this animal model brings the possibility of treating patients much closer."

    The results of the study demonstrate the therapeutic potential of this type of ASO in the treatment of deafness and provide evidence that congenital deafness can be effectively overcome by treatment early in development to correct gene expression.

    "The discovery of an ASO-type drug that can effectively rescue hearing opens the door to developing similar approaches to target and cure other causes of hearing loss," says Dr. Hastings who has been awarded a grant from the National Institute of Health to further develop the ASOs for the treatment of deafness with Drs. Lentz, Rigo and Duelli.

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