parathyroid doppler: January 2013

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Europe's 'Clean Fuel Strategy' Gains Support From Automotive ...

It looks like the European Commission?s ?clean fuel strategy? is welcomed and well seen by Europe?s automotive industry players.

Yesterday the European Automobile Manufacturers? Association (ACEA) voiced its support of the European Commission?s proposals to expand infrastructure for alternative fuels that were announced last week as part of its ?clean fuel strategy.?

In particular, the ACEA welcomes the commission?s clear acknowledgement that there is no one single solution to the challenges of sustainable transport, but that there must be a whole range of options available.

The association stated that with the right framework conditions, alternative fuels have the potential to play a key role in improving air quality and reducing CO2 emissions.

The ACEA declared in a release sent out today that ?the auto industry has put forward a number of solutions through its investments in cleaner technologies. It will only be possible for these solutions to bear their fruit if there is full cooperation between utility providers, infrastructure companies, the energy sector, standardization bodies and the automotive industry ? with the full support of national governments and the European institutions. This proposal takes a step in the right direction in fostering such synergies.?

The ACEA also declared that standardizing the connection between the electricity grid and electrically-chargeable vehicles is one of the prerequisites to help e-mobility gain a viable market share. The industry therefore welcomes the Commission?s proposal to unify the plug system for recharging electric vehicles in Europe.

?The existence of a single common plug across the different member states will help kick start a stronger market uptake of electric vehicles, and gives clear direction for the future,? said ACEA Secretary General, Ivan Hodac. ?This represents a real break-thorough in current discussions on the harmonization of charging.?

Per the ACEA, gas powered vehicles (both LNG and CNG) also have a strong role to play in bringing down CO2 emissions.

In the very end of its press release, the ACEA stated that ?the industry is pleased to note that, as well as proposing a broader network of filling stations, the Commission has underlined the necessity of ensuring the appropriate quality of gas for use in future vehicles.?

Source: http://www.hybridcars.com/europes-clean-fuel-strategy-gains-support-from-automotive-industry/

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Cats kill billions of creatures every year according to new study

Cats kill billions:?According to new research, cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds and between 6.9 billion and 20.7 billion small mammals, such as meadow voles and chipmunks.

By Tia Ghose,?LiveScience Staff Writer / January 29, 2013

Tuxedo Stan, a cat who ran for mayor of Halifax, Nova Scotia, sits in his front yard. Cats kill billions of creatures every year, according to new research published this week.

Hugh Chisholm via The Canadian Pres/AP

Enlarge

Cats kill billions of birds every year and even more tiny rodents and other mammals in the United States, a new study finds.

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According to the research, published today (Jan. 29) in the journal Nature Communications, cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds and between 6.9 billion and 20.7 billion small mammals, such as meadow voles and chipmunks.

Though it's hard to know exactly how many birds live in the United States, the staggering number of bird deaths may account for as much as 15 percent of the total bird population, said study co-author Pete Marra, an animal ecologist with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Staggering toll

Marra and his colleagues are looking at human-related causes for bird and wildlife deaths in the country, from windmills and glass windows to?pesticides.

But first, Marra and his team looked at the impact of the feline population, one of the biggest putative causes of bird demise in the country. ? ? ??

While past studies had used?critter cams?or owner reports to estimate the number of birds killed by cats, those studies were usually small and not applicable to the entire country, Marra told LiveScience.

For this broader analysis, the team first looked at all prior studies on bird deaths and estimated that around 84 million owned-cats live in the country, many of which are allowed outdoors. [In Photos: America's Favorite Pets]

"A lot of these cats may go outside and go to 10 different houses, but they go back to their house and cuddle up on Mr. Smith's lap at night," Marra said.

Based on an analysis of past studies, the researchers estimated that each of those felines killed between four and 18 birds a year, and between eight and 21 small mammals per year.

But the major scourges for wildlife were not those free-ranging, owned-cats, but instead feral and un-owned cats that survive on the streets. Each of those kitties ? and the team estimates between 30 million and 80 million of them live in the United States ? kills between 23 and 46 birds a year, and between 129 and 338 small mammals, Marra said.

And, it seems, the small rodents taken by felines aren't Norway rats or apartment vermin, but native?rodent species?such as meadow voles and chipmunks, he added.

No easy answers

One obvious step to reduce the mass wildlife death is to keep kitties indoors, Marra said.

Perhaps seeing their furry friends bring in a meadow vole or a cardinal will spur cat owners to say, "Listen,?Tabby, we're going to have a heart-to-heart talk about how much time you spend outside," he said.

Wild cats pose tougher questions, because capture and sterilization approaches have varying levels of success depending on the community, said Bruce Kornreich, a veterinarian at Cornell University's Feline Health Center, who was not involved in the study.

While keeping owned-cats indoors is the best way to benefit both kitties and wildlife, a?complete cat ban, like the one recently proposed in New Zealand, is probably not the answer, he said.

For one, it's not clear how?completely removing cats?from outdoors would affect the ecosystem.

"It may be in some cases that cats may also be keeping other species that may negatively impact bird and other small mammal populations in check," Kornreich told LiveScience.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter?@livescience. We're also on?Facebook?&?Google+.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/OvecYYflCDM/Cats-kill-billions-of-creatures-every-year-according-to-new-study

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Microsoft retools Office for touch screen, Web use

This image provided bu Microsoft shows the company's newersion of its Office software. The software became available to consumers as an online subscription service for the first time in an attempt to extend one of the company?s key franchises beyond personal computers on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Microsoft)

This image provided bu Microsoft shows the company's new version of its Office software. The software became available to consumers as an online subscription service for the first time in an attempt to extend one of the company?s key franchises beyond personal computers on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Microsoft)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Microsoft is selling a retooled version of its Office software to consumers as an online subscription service for the first time in an attempt to extend one of the company's key franchises beyond personal computers.

Tuesday's release comes six months after Microsoft previewed the new-look Office, which includes popular word processing, spreadsheets and email programs.

"This is a fundamental shift in our business that began a several years ago," Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wrote in a blog post.

The revamped Office boasts touch controls, just like the redesigned version of the Windows operating system that Microsoft Corp. released three months ago. The company, which is based in Redmond, Wash., is trying to ensure that its products retain their appeal at a time when people increasingly rely on smartphones and tablet computers instead of PCs.

To tap into that trend, Microsoft is promoting Office 2013 as a program tailor made for using over the Internet. All information is automatically stored in Microsoft's data centers, allowing for access to the same material on multiple devices. The content also can be stored on the hard drives of devices.

Yet Microsoft still isn't trying to get Office on the largest number of devices possible. Office 2013 doesn't include an option that works on Apple Inc.'s iPhone and iPad or smartphones and tablets running the Android software made by Google Inc. That leaves out the majority of smartphones and tablets sold in the past two years.

Microsoft is offering Office 2013 in a $100 annual subscription package, called 365 Home Premium, which includes online access on up to five Windows devices or Apple's line of Mac computers.

The company believes Office 2013 is currently best suited for Windows devices, said Chris Schneider, Microsoft's senior public relations manager for Office. Microsoft is limiting Office's reach as it tries to grab a bigger piece of the mobile market with its own operating system for smartphones and tablets.

Office will still be sold under a one-time licensing fee that allows the software to be installed on a single machine. Prices for that option start at $140 and range up to $400. People who don't need the entire Office bundle can buy individual programs such as Word, Excel and Outlook for $109 apiece. Microsoft outlines its pricing options in its online store, http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/buy/ .

Office 2013 is the first overhaul of the software suite in three years.

The bundle of programs has become a staple on desktop and laptop computers, providing a rich vein of revenue for Microsoft.

The company has reaped most of its Office sales from licenses allowing buyers to install the suite of programs on individual machines, a very lucrative strategy. The Microsoft division anchored by Office generates about $24 billion in annual sales, accounting for nearly one-third of Microsoft's total revenue.

Revenue in the Office division fell from the previous year during the three months ending in December, partly because many prospective buyers have been awaiting the latest version.

Microsoft's stock dipped a penny to $27.90 in Tuesday's afternoon trading. The shares are stuck around the same price as when the company released Windows 8 to great fanfare three months ago. Meanwhile, the benchmark Standard & Poor's 500 has climbed by about 7 percent.

Besides getting access to the suite's programs, 365 Home Premium subscribers receive 20 additional gigabytes of storage on Microsoft's SkyDrive to supplement the 7 gigabytes that the company gives away to accountholders for free. Subscribers also will get 60 minutes of free international calls on Microsoft's Skype service for Internet phone calls and video chats.

College students and teachers will be able to buy Office 2013's online product for $80 for four years, which works out to about $1.67 per month. This option requires proof of student status. A variety of Office subscriptions are also being offered, with monthly fees ranging from $6 to $20 per user. More information can be found at: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/compare-plans.aspx .

The online push reflects Microsoft's recognition that people want access to documents and email on whatever Internet-connected device they might have, wherever they may be, whether it's at work, home or a store while running errands.

"The technology needs to be able to move with you," Schneider said.

It's the first time that Microsoft has tried to persuade consumers that a recurring online subscription is the best way to buy and use Office. Microsoft had previously sold online Office subscriptions primarily to small businesses.

"Over time, the majority of the billion plus people using Office will be using the Office 365 service," Ballmer predicted in his blog post.

The attempt to sell online Office subscription to consumers comes nearly seven years after Google unveiled its own Internet bundle of word processing, spreadsheet and email programs. Google gives away a basic version of those applications, and charges subscriptions for more sophisticated packages aimed primarily at small businesses.

Microsoft's decision to reshape Office into an online service makes sense, although it may take customers a while to embrace the concept, said Edward Jones analyst Josh Olson. He suspects major companies that rely on Office probably will be among the last users to make the switch.

"This is a good innovation, but the uptake may be slow to begin because it is so different," Olson said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-01-29-Microsoft-Office/id-cc15bc39def64417b963852b6f1f40fe

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Government gets initial 340 million pounds from Swiss tax deal

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain has received an initial 340 million pounds from the Swiss government as part of a deal to tackle tax evasion that the government expects will net it some 5 billion pounds over the next six years.

Switzerland agreed with Britain last year to impose a one-off levy on money in Britons' secret Swiss bank accounts and to tax future interest payments, with effect from the start of 2013. Germany rejected a similar deal.

Switzerland has been under pressure from the United States, Germany and Britain to clean up its private banking system, which has allowed many wealthy foreign nationals to avoid tax due to its tradition of bank secrecy.

"Last night HMRC (UK tax authorities) received 340 million pounds from the Swiss government, in the first instalment of a deal we have struck," Chancellor George Osborne told parliament. "(This is) the first time in our history that money due in taxes has flowed to this country from Switzerland, rather than the other way round," he added.

Osborne was facing criticism in parliament about his fiscal plans, which are already two years behind on their original goal of eliminating the country's structural budget deficit by 2015. Borrowing in the 2012/13 tax year is forecast to total 108.5 billion pounds, equivalent to 6.9 percent of economic output.

The 340 million pounds is a shade over the 330 million pounds pencilled in to come from this source during the 2012/13 tax year. Some 3.12 billion pounds is expected in the next tax year, and total tax receipts out to 2017/18 are seen at just over 5 billion pounds.

Britain has made tackling tax avoidance by companies as well as individuals a priority for its presidency this year of the G8 group of major advanced economies.

(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/government-gets-initial-340-million-pounds-swiss-tax-142021690--business.html

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Friday, January 25, 2013

Cold snap causing travel nightmares for Northeast

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Frozen cash machines and canceled classes marked another day of a cold snap gripping large swaths of the United States on Friday, with a winter storm threatening the Northeast's evening commute.

A rapidly moving storm glazed the Midwest and South and headed east, threatening to bring snow and ice to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast for the evening rush hour, forecasters said.

"It's the type of conditions that cause extreme travel nightmares because things just get so slippery," said meteorologist Evan Myers on Accuweather.com.

Because the storm is dumping ice and no more than an inch of snow, it was difficult for plows to clear the roadways, he said.

"It's so cold out that all the anti-skids and things that they use on a highway (are) really not very effective," the meteorologist said.

In upstate New York, authorities considered charging a father who left his 1-year-old son strapped in a car seat for 8 hours while he went to work on Thursday, when temperatures never got above 15 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 9 Celsius).

He had forgotten to drop the child at day care and became aware of the error when his wife called to ask about the child, said Lieutenant Robert Winn of the Colonie Police Department.

"Luckily the car was parked in a spot that received sunlight through the day," said Winn, noting the child was examined at a local hospital and released.

After a week of frigid temperatures in New York City, chilled residents seeking cash for a warming cup of hot cocoa were frustrated to find their assets frozen as some automated teller machines stopped working in the cold.

In Indiana, ice-slickened roadways were blamed for more than 50 crashes, and sections of Interstates 69 and 64 were shut because of accidents, Indiana State Police said.

Treacherous travel conditions in Tennessee, caused by freezing rain, caused pileups on roads and led to canceled flights at Nashville airport. Classes at most schools in the middle of the state were closed or delayed.

In North Carolina, public schools announced early closures in anticipation of worsening weather conditions.

Forecasters said the cold would continue on Saturday and temperatures would start creeping up on Sunday.

(Additional reporting by Tim Ghianni in Tennessee, Susan Guyett in Indiana, Colleen Jenkins in North Carolina; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Sofina Mirza-Reid)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cold-hangs-wintry-storm-takes-aim-northeast-commute-191229722.html

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Christian Bale calls a young cancer patient just to talk about Batman

Christian Bale calls a young cancer patient just to talk about Batman WARNING: If you are capable of having emotions, the above video will likely make you cry. It's of 8-year-old leukemia sufferer Zach Guillot, who just happened to receive a lengthy phone call from actor Christian Bale, who wanted to discuss Zach's favorite superhero, Batman, with him. They compare Bat-costumes, discuss what makes Batman so special, and Bale thanks Zach for enjoying The Dark Knight Rises and promises to pass along Zach's love for the film to Chris Nolan, Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy. It's impossibly sweet and kind, and just another reminder that Christian Bale is awesome.

It's worth mentioning that, like most of Christian Bale's good deeds ? he's visited ill children before, flown one to Disneyland, and met with victims of the Aurora shooting ? Bale has never once publicized these things. He doesn't call the press. He doesn't set up photo shoots. He just tries to do people some good. The only reason we know Bale called Zach is because Zach's family filmed it and put it on YouTube. Otherwise we'd have no clue.

Now if you'll excuse me, my eyes seem to have sprung two massive leaks.

[Via E! Online]

Source: http://io9.com/5978732/christian-bale-calls-a-young-cancer-patient-just-to-talk-about-batman

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Follow Cagewriter on Twitter for the latest on UFC on Fox 6

With UFC on Fox 6 in Chicago this week, I will be at the open workouts, press conference and weigh-ins to cover everything going on with John Dodson's title bout with Demetrious Johnson, and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's fight with Glover Teixiera. Follow Cagewriter on Twitter for the latest on what is happening at all of fight week's events.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/cagewriter-twitter-latest-ufc-fox-6-153702024--mma.html

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Mister Cartoon's Sanctiond Collabos With Warner Bros. For ...

Mister Cartoon's car care brand, Sanctiond, announced this week that it has collaborated with Warner Bros. Pictures on a customized car for the newly release film, Gangster Squad.

Toons tricked out a 1939 Chevy Master Deluxe with hand-painted murals depicting images inspired from the movie, as well as produced a limited edition product line featuring Spray Detailer and Tire Glaze with label art designed by Mister Cartoon.

"It's a great experience to be able to attach my brand to another piece of art, such as the film Gangster Squad," said Mister Cartoon. "It's artistic filmmaking and I'm honored to be involved. These are some of my favorite actors and I treat this as a collaboration with them."

The Gangster Squad vehicle features Candy Cobalt Blue flacked fenders, Bentley Black paint for its exterior and white gold leafing with Candy Blue accents, as well as Mister Cartoon's movie-inspired murals.

It's slammed to the ground via custom airbags and rides on handmade 72-spoke Zenith 14-inch wire wheels. The custom interior features Aston Martin suede diamond pattern inserts, hand-woven floor mats, Japanese leather seats with a suede headliner. And... the audio system was provided by Rockford Fosgate and includes custom-molded TVs added in the dash.

The classic Chevy was unveiled at the Los Angeles VIP film screening after-party and displayed at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, as well as the Hollywood premiere. It also traveled the country on an exclusive film screening tour where guests were invited to select theaters for advanced screenings of the movie.

"This high-profile car and its priceless paint job deserves only the best care, which is why we sent the Sanctiond Mobile Detail Unit with the customized Gangster Squad car to each stop, giving away free product and car detailing services to guests. Ten VIP kits were also gifted to winners fromlocal radio station contests," added Sanctiond CEO Atticus Firey.

Gangster Squad is in theaters nationwide now.

For more information on Mister Cartoon's Sanctiond, visit Sanctiond.com, or follow @SanctiondAuto on Twitter.

Source: http://www.ballerstatus.com/2013/01/24/mister-cartoons-sanctiond-collabos-warner-bros-custom-gangstersquad-ride/

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Thursday, January 24, 2013

Mustachioventures: More of Marshall's Irish Pub

I am dogged by the luck o' the Irish (bad luck) when it comes to getting invited to food tastings and freebies all these bloggers I read about get to enjoy, but then again I never was and never will be a food blogger. I just like to eat (and write about it if and when the food, whether good or bland, induces some inspiration), that is all. And so I have abandoned all freeloading hope.

Then out of nowhere (not exactly nowhere, but by some six-degrees-of-separation kind of luck) I get to take part in an Irish Pub's food tasting. Like a leprechaun who has found a pot of gold, I leap with glee. Woohoo!

At Marshall's Irish Pub, a long table was set up with green-capped bottles of water and flutes of champagne waiting for the tasters.

It started off on a high note (who wouldn't be excited to taste Irish Pub fare for free?) with Larry Marshall, evidently the owner of Marshall's Irish Pub, taking the singer's seat by the entrance with a microphone in hand (the pub has live acoustic music every night at nine). Not to sing but to welcome the invited guests and to talk about how the pub came to be and what is served here.

So how did the pub come to be? Larry found there was only one Irish pub in Cebu and it was located in the edge of the city. Too far for all you urbanites. To bring Irish fodder closer to the city dwellers, in June 2012 Larry opened his gastropub at Century Plaza Commercial Complex in uptown Cebu.

Marshall's Irish Pub possesses a 75-item menu featuring the many ways you can have your potatoes (the Irish equivalent to rice) and some not-your-everyday restaurant food, such as crocodiles and ostriches. We don't normally encounter crocodiles and ostriches in menus around Cebu, but at Marshall's Irish Pub it is also proudly announced on each table.

The pub's food tasting extravaganza, which we later on realized really was an extravaganza in the true sense of the word, started off with the appetizers. Five appetizers served dish by dish.

Hot N Spicy Platter

Buffalo shrimp, jalape?o poppers, Buffalo wings

?Potato Platter

Potato skins, chili cheese fries, spiced potato wedges

Seafood Platter

Fried shrimp, fish sticks, calamari

Crocodile Bites

Shrimp Cocktail

The platters were tasty. I like spicy food so the Hot N Spicy platter (Php 665), especially the jalape?o poppers, is my favorite of the batch. Then it's a tie between the Potato Platter (Php 340) and Seafood Platter (Php 685).

The Pub boasts of serving fries that come from the US. It does taste better than the fries you get from fast food?restaurants here.?Although I?don't?mind what country the fries come from, one thing's for sure, my appetite?isn't?xenophobic.?Moving on, the potato skin was a fairly new twist to potatoes. I'm liking the idea that the cheese and ground meat made it look like a slice of pizza. The chili cheese fries tasted less spicy, or maybe because my taste buds tolerated the sting since I had jalape?o spiciness still lingering in my mouth. The wedges were also good, but I can't rave about it now for I have tasted the Pub's potato wedges a couple of times before.

The Seafood platter did get a lot of good murmurs from the other tasters. The fish sticks were soft, and the fried shrimp was tasty crunchy. I hesitated to try the calamari since I'm not fond of?munching hard rubbery food. But theirs was soft and chewy. The only negative comment I heard was that the calamari was "near raw".

My first time to eat croc meat. The crocodile bites (Php 395) taste like fish but with a consistency nearer to pork minus the grease. I overheard that the best part of crocodile meat is its tail. Before I forget, the calamari and crocodile bites were beer-battered using the famous Irish?Guinness Beer.

I like shrimp. I love shrimp. Unfortunately, the shrimp cocktail (Php 345) did not appeal to me. Enough said.

Wait! There's more. After the appetizers, came...

Irish Stew (beef)

Shepherds Pie

Baby Back Ribs (full rack)

I found the Irish stew (Php 495) very peppery but it worked for me. The lamb in shepherds pie (Php 695) was tough...or maybe I was just lucky? Lucky to have picked the tough piece. I was never fond of lamb so I might be biased here. The baby back ribs (Php 990 for a full rack, Php 495 for half) was...okay. By that I mean I've had better.

When Larry announced there was more on the way, the high note slowly dwindled to a less enthusiastic murmur from the bloggers around me, not because the food was unpleasant but because it was too much. Stomach gauge needles were now dangerously near the full mark, and the pub was barely halfway thru with serving the main courses (they were serving us ten main courses on top of the five appetizers!). Larry, the owner, should have warned us a day or two before, and we could have skipped breakfast and lunch on food tasting day.

We plowed on.

?Country Fried Steak

Ostrich Steak

Grilled Lamb Chops

Ostrich Burger

Shamrock Cheeseburger

The Ireland Dip Sandwich

Chicago Chili Dog

By this time I could only take in one-inch square of each. First, the one-inch square of country fried steak (Php 695). I liked its gravy and the wheat bread was wonderfully fluffy. As for the supposed star of this dish, the beef tenderloin steak, hmmm...it wasn't too tender if you ask me. At this point, please do not trust my judgment. I am near the full mark and cannot fully relish the bounty before me.

The ostrich steak (Php 695) and the ostrich burger (Php 425) made me appreciate ostrich meat, but my pockets, if I get ostrich meat cravings, will hate me for this. It is expensive. The lamb chops (Php 695) were fine; I liked it better than their baby back ribs, though I shouldn't compare pork and lamb.

The last four dishes served were sandwiches, all paired with potatoes. The shamrock cheeseburger's (Php 395) a hefty 1/3 pound of ground beef. The dip of the Ireland dip sandwich (Php 595) is beef broth. Chicago chili dog's (Php 245) hotdog is pure Angus beef.

There were some hits and some misses in terms of taste. For the price, the Pub's not for me, an average-earning worker. I found everything too expensive. But, hey, the servings are huge! Platters, of course, were meant to be shared among four persons. The stew, shepherd's pie, and full rack of ribs looked like it could feed up to four. The rest can be shared by two.

Lastly, since this is a pub we are talking about, I should mention that Marshall's Irish Pub has more than a dozen imported beers on the shelf. If you're one who doesn't stray from local beer, those are available too. Drop by for happy hour from 4PM to 7PM for discounts on selected local beers. If beer isn't your drink of choice, the pub's got your back. Would you like a cocktail, mixed drink, liquor, or wine, lad?

Marshall's Irish Pub
Unit 41, Century Plaza Commercial Complex
Juana Osme?a St., Cebu City
(032) 412 6418 / 0917 631 2413
Daily 10AM to 3AM

How Larry Marshall generously fed fourteen people:

Zero. Nada. Nil. Thank you Marshall's Irish Pub for the colossal treat. According to my calculator, for the hefty food alone (10 appetizers and 20 main courses for the entire party), it would have cost about Php 18,500 including the 10% service charge.

Source: http://mustachioventures.blogspot.com/2013/01/marshalls-irish-pub-cebu.html

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

New Zealand Environmental Activist Wants to Ban Cats as Pets ...

New Zealand is home to great natural beauty and wildlife, and economist Gareth Morgan has launched a campaign to keep it thriving. One of the pillars of his campaign? Making sure that the cat you own will be your last.

"That little ball of fluff you own is a natural born killer," he writes. "Every year cats in New Zealand destroy our native wildlife. The fact is that cats have to go if we really care about our environment." His campaign is called Cats to Go.

Cats to Go aims to slowly phase out the cat population through effective neutering and a mandatory cat registry.

Uh oh. What do YOU think about Mr. Morgan's environmental endeavors? You can read the full article HERE.

Source: http://cheezburger.com/6994288640

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Signs of Brain Damage Show Up in Scans of Living ... - Health.com

seau Signs of Brain Damage Show Up in Scans of Living, Retired NFL Players

By Lisa Esposito
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Jan. 22 (HealthDay News) ? Until now, scientists could only identify a sign of brain damage ? called tau protein tangles ? during an autopsy. Considered a hallmark of Alzheimer?s disease, tau tangles also occur in a devastating brain condition caused by head trauma.

In a new study, researchers describe how they pinpointed signs of tau in five former National Football League players who are still alive. The issue of sports-related concussions and brain injuries ? particularly among football players ? has generated headlines recently, especially after star NFL linebacker Junior Seau died by suicide last year.

The hope is that early identification of signs of brain injury in athletes would enable doctors to alert players to the possibility of devastating long-term damage before it occurs.

For the new study, researchers gave the ex-players a radioactive chemical that binds to tau tangles in the brain so that affected areas light up on PET scan imaging tests.

?All the players had high signals in the brain in areas that other studies of autopsy in chronic traumatic encephalopathy patients have found high concentrations of tau,? said lead study author Dr. Gary Small, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Seau, who died by suicide last May at age 43, was found to have tau tangles in his brain during an autopsy, according to a Jan. 10 statement from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The NIH concluded that he had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a condition associated with multiple hits to the head and concussions.

The new UCLA study appears online Jan. 22 in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. Because of the study?s small size and design, it?s far from definitive and will have to be verified by more extensive research, Small noted.

The study participants, who included a linebacker, a quarterback, a guard, a center and a defensive lineman, were ?what we call a convenience sample,? Small said. ?We reached out to contact the [NFL] players? association and other groups to find individuals who had cognitive [thinking] or mood symptoms.? All the players had suffered at least one concussion and had symptoms including depression, dementia and problems with memory and thinking ability.

One of the five players, who is in his 60s, just has signs of normal aging, Small said.

All the study participants received an intravenous injection of a radioactive chemical called FDDNP, which binds to tau protein in the brain. UCLA holds a patent on FDDNP.

?It?s a very small chemical that has a radioactive label attached to it and the PET scanner acts as Geiger counter and measures its radioactivity,? Small explained.

Dr. Howard Derman, medical director of the Methodist Concussion Center/Nantz National Alzheimer?s Center in Houston, who was not involved in the study, discussed the implications of the new research.

At present, he said, ?In terms of what we can do for patients, it?s not much. We can use more sophisticated imaging. We use PET scanning all the time, but PET scanning with an isotope that binds to brain plaque and tangles ? it?s the isotope that adds a new dimension.?

Derman said that if proven to work by further research, the method ?might be useful to give athletes guidance. If you took an athlete and followed him sequentially after each concussion and then [the brain area] lights up, you might want to say it?s time? to think about retiring.

?I?m more than cautiously optimistic ? but it?s [only] five players,? Derman said.

Study author Small said that ?there?s a lot of overlap between Alzheimer?s disease, brain aging and traumatic brain injury. We know NFL players have a fourfold greater likelihood of dying from Alzheimer?s disease than people in the general population.?

He said the ability to detect tau in living players ?offers us the hope that we can identify individuals before there?s a lot of symptoms and try to protect the healthy brain rather than try to repair damage once it?s done.?

However, with little effective treatment available to treat Alzheimer?s, the value of having that early knowledge might be unclear.

?While we?re waiting for science to catch up, we?ve done a lot of research in the area of healthy lifestyles to protect the brain ? physical and aerobic conditioning, proper diet, stress management,? Small said. ?For people with memory problems, learning ways to compensate for their cognitive decline is very important.?

More information

Visit the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy to learn more about chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

Source: http://news.health.com/2013/01/22/signs-of-brain-damage-show-up-in-scans-of-living-retired-nfl-players/

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AT&T To Acquire Alltel Network Assets, Retail Business - TechCrunch

As Verizon?s brass is busy discussing the company?s recent earnings release, AT&T and the little-known Atlantic Tele-Network Incorporated have just gone and stolen some of their thunder. The two companies have just announced that they have inked a deal that will see AT&T acquire ATNI?s rural Alltel wireless business for a grand total of $780 million.

And what exactly will AT&T be getting in exchange for all the money? According to the release, the shopping list includes ?wireless properties, including licenses, network assets, retail stores and approximately 585,000 subscribers.? Those of you hoping for improved LTE coverage in Manhattan will likely be disappointed by the results of this acquisition ? Alltel currently only operates in Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio and South Carolina, so there?s little reason for anyone outside of those states to celebrate.

The situation may be a little confusing to those that have been following the growth and decline of wireless carriers in the U.S. (it?s surprisingly riveting stuff), especially because of how Alltel has already been picked apart by another major telco in recent years. Alltel provided wireless access for 34 states before Verizon swooped in and acquired the regional carrier for $28.1 billion back in 2008. Curiously, Verizon effectively had to ditch 105 Alltel?s service markets as part of that deal, prompting rival AT&T to make a move of its own and snap up 79 of them. The remaining 26 were acquired by Atlantic Tele-Network which has been keeping the service alive under the Alltel name and will continue to do so until the FCC gives this transaction its blessing (expected to happen sometime later this year).

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/22/att-to-acquire-alltel-network-assets-retail-business-and-subscribers-for-780-million/

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Latinos take on bigger role in Obama inauguration

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Latinos are taking a more prominent role in President Barack Obama's second inauguration, from the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice swearing in the vice president to a star-studded celebration of Latino culture.

Eva Longoria, a co-chairwoman for Obama's campaign, is hosting a salute to the president Sunday evening. Antonio Banderas, Rosario Dawson, Marc Anthony and other entertainers are scheduled to appear in "Latino Inaugural 2013: In Performance at the Kennedy Center." The lineup also includes Prince Royce, Frankie Negron, Rita Moreno and Mario Lopez.

Vice President Joe Biden and his family appeared onstage to help open the concert. He said he wanted to thank Latinos for their support in last year's election.

Biden said something profound happened with the enormous Latino support for Obama, and he said the Latino community underestimates its power.

"You spoke in a way that the world ... could not fail to hear," Biden said. "This is your moment. America owes you."

Jose Feliciano opened the show by singing the national anthem.

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, who gave the keynote speech at last year's Democratic National Convention, will also address the audience.

Meanwhile, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, an Obama appointee who is the first Hispanic justice on the highest court, administered the oath of office Sunday morning to Vice President Joe Biden.

Latinos have a distinct presence at this inauguration after showing their growing political influence in the 2012 election. Hispanics voted 7 to 1 for Obama over his challenger, Republican Mitt Romney, whose Hispanic support was less than any presidential candidate in 16 years. Analysts said Romney's hardline stance on immigration was a factor.

San Antonio philanthropist and business leader Henry Munoz III, who is coordinating the Latino inauguration event with Longoria and other Obama supporters, said this is a special moment when the Latino community is positioned to take an expanded role in shaping the country's future.

"Without question, the presidential election of 2012 proves that Latinos are perhaps the most important influence from this point forward in the election of the president of the United States," Munoz said. "It's important that the leadership in Washington view us not as a narrow interest group but as a vibrant political force" that carries not just votes, but influence and financial resources.

Organizers planned a series of symposiums, dinners and events ahead of the inauguration to keep people talking about issues that matter to Latinos, from immigration reform to building a Latino history museum on the National Mall. Munoz led a presidential commission that called on Congress in 2011 to authorize such a museum within the Smithsonian Institution, but Congress has not yet passed such a bill.

Munoz said it's important to keep Latinos engaged in the nation's capital to push for their policy priorities through the inauguration and beyond.

"Our work is not done. It doesn't end," he said. "We have a tendency to look at this phenomenon as ending on Election Day, when the reality is now it's time to get to work."

Longoria said this is her first inauguration. She has taken on a new role as political advocate since her days on "Desperate Housewives," helping to push for a Latino museum and co-chairing Obama's re-election campaign.

Even though this is Obama's second inauguration, Longoria said there is still much to celebrate, including Sotomayor's role swearing in the vice president.

"I think there's something beautiful to a recommitment to the people of this great nation," Longoria told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday.

Longoria said she hopes to help influence policies, including immigration reform, and that Obama will make that his top priority as an economic issue.

"I'm trying to do my part as a citizen and my part as a Hispanic and as a woman and as an American," she said. "I think everybody should be civically engaged in a level that would affect policy. That's the point; that's how our government is set up."

___

Follow Brett Zongker at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/latinos-bigger-role-obama-inauguration-202248106--politics.html

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Seeking `Higher' Ground: The Dangers of Designer Drugs

Since ancient times, humans have been fascinated with ways to alter consciousness, and have gone to great lengths to reach a ?higher??ground.? From naturally occurring substances such as opium and betel nuts, to synthetic drugs like LSD, people have long experimented with mind-altering substances. This long history of experimentation with psychoactive substances even pre-dates the existence of the word ?drug.?

For example, Native Americans??use of mescaline, extracted from peyote cacti, began as long as 5,700 years ago. Use of the Betel nut ??the seed of a palm tree fruit ??to alter consciousness may not be well-known in the U.S., but this practice has existed for thousands of years. In fact, it is estimated that among intoxicants, only nicotine, alcohol and caffeine are more popular globally than chewing Betel nut extract.

But the latest wave of man-made drugs, or ?designer drugs,??carries new and very real dangers.? For both the individuals using them and the general public, so-called designer drugs like ?bath salts,???K2??or ?spice??quickly have become a public health crisis, and their use is on the rise.? Their danger is related to the potent effect these drugs can have on the human nervous system.? For example,? ?bath salts? (chemically known as synthetic cathinones) combine the dangerous properties of both a potent stimulant and a hallucinogen.? ?K2? is a type of synthetic marijuana (the active compound is THC) and is dangerous because it can be more potent than the naturally occurring plant.

These new designer drugs are proliferating because in many states they are sold ?legally.??This is possible because they are deliberately designed with an alteration to the molecular structure of an existing drug ? to avoid classification as an illicit drug.

Despite their recent proliferation, ?designer drugs?? are not really new ??the term was coined by law enforcement in the 1980s, and widely recognized drugs like LSD, ecstasy and methamphetamines fall into this category.? The latest generation of designer drugs includes synthetic cathinones (commonly labeled with harmless-sounding monikers like ?bath salts??or ?plant food?), which are structurally and pharmacologically similar to cocaine, methamphetamines and ecstasy (MDMA). Synthetic cannabinoids, often branded as ?Spice?? or ?K2,??are chemically engineered to mimic marijuana.? There are many other potent designer drugs with names like Europa and Smiles that are increasing in use. Many of these designer drugs are available legally in drug paraphernalia stores, convenience stores or even via the Internet.? That?s right, legally. Like many cyber sales, delivered to your door with free shipping.

Law enforcement officials are increasing efforts to monitor for and curtail the use of these dangerous drugs.?? For example, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) now includes three synthetic cathinones on its Schedule 1 list of controlled substances and several of the chemicals found in synthetic cannabinoids are banned under the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act of 2012. But many similar compounds are not yet classified as illegal and in some cases they have not even been identified. This is because the ?chemists? who produce designer drugs make incremental alterations to the drugs? chemical make-up, dodging Schedule 1 or illegal classification on a technicality, and thereby claiming to provide a ?legal? high.

For law enforcement officials and regulators, keeping up with these chemists is a game of cat-and-mouse, with potentially deadly consequences. Bath salts carry a high risk of overdose and addiction, chest pains, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, agitation, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, and delusions¹.? Reported side effects of K2 and Spice include paranoia, panic attacks, giddiness and psychotic episodes.² Despite these risks, their use is on the rise at an alarming rate.? In 2011, the National Poison Control Centers received more than 6,000 calls about synthetic cathinones (including bath salts), compared to only 300 in 2010³.? The American Association of Poison Control Calls reported a 58 percent increase in the number of calls related to synthetic marijuana and/or K2/Spice in just one year ? from 2,906 calls in 2010 to 6,959 calls in 2011.⁴

To make matters worse, the popularity of these drugs is fueled by the frequent claim that standard urine drug screens will not detect their presence. Luckily, there is a new solution that can detect these substances.

Sophisticated laboratory technologies using mass spectrometry assays of urine specimens can identify the vast majority of legal and illegal drugs ingested, since most small molecules have metabolites (i.e., break down products) that are excreted by the kidneys and into the urine. Mass spectrometry assays currently used to detect and monitor use of powerful pain medications (e.g. opioids) can be mobilized to help physicians and regulators, such as the DEA, detect these new designer drugs.

Specialty laboratories are using these advanced technologies to anticipate new chemical formulations and launch new tests to detect dangerous substances.? For example, long before bath salts were a problem in the U.S., the United Kingdom was struggling with increasing rates of overdose and death due to synthetic cathinones.? Reports from British physicians, and the laboratory scientists, prompted U.S.-based scientists to develop new tests that would detect multiple synthetic cathinones ? even variations that were not yet classified by DEA as Schedule 1 substances.

Because physicians are on the front lines ?? typically seeing the effects of designer drugs in the emergency room, office examination room, or hospital ??drug monitoring using mass spectrometry is a critical tool to identify and prevent the use of designer drugs.? Consequently, physicians are increasingly relying on specialty laboratories to help identify the compounds present in patients who are taking controlled medications who are at risk for drug misuse or abuse.

Tackling the threat to public health posed by the proliferation of designer drugs will require efforts from multiple stakeholders.?? Policymakers are beginning to take important action.? In addition to the national ban on several types of synthetic drugs signed this summer by President Obama, both New Jersey and Washington, D.C., have enacted similar bans in recent weeks.^5,6 But the new laws will not save lives without additional action and support.

Regulators and the DEA could make better use of advanced drug detection technologies to more quickly classify new designer drugs as illegal.? Insurance companies must be encouraged to support these efforts by ensuring reimbursement for specialty labs, so that doctors have access to the best technology available to detect and identify designer drug compounds. Data about drug use trends must be provided to the DEA and physicians to educate clinicians on any new dangerous drugs ? and physicians must be vigilant in testing patients who are at risk for drug abuse and misuse.? Finally, the public must be educated about this dangerous category of drugs ? especially because users commonly assume that if a drug is not technically ?illegal,? it is safe to use.

In summary, we have a new major public health threat that represents just the latest step in man?s creative pursuit of new ways to get high.? History tells us that we can?t completely eliminate this threat, but by pooling our knowledge and streamlining legal and regulatory processes, we can succeed in reducing the threat of designer drugs and enhancing public safety. It is the collective responsibility of public agencies, specialty labs, physicians, regulators, and health insurers to pool their knowledge and resources to help improve individuals??safety and the safety of the communities they live in.

~~~

¹http://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/directors-page/messages-director/2011/02/bath-salts-emerging-dangerous-products

² FLASHCARD: National Institute of Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse (2012, May). DrugFacts: Spice (Synthetic Marijuana).

³ American Association of Poison Control Centers, Synthetic Drugs Data and Fact Sheets, Bath Salts and Synthetic Marijuana (September 2012).

⁴ SLIDE DECK: http://www.aapcc.org/dnn/Portals/0/Synthetic%20Marijuana%20Data%20for%20Website%208.2012.pdf

⁵ Howell T.? D.C. joins states on synthetic drug ban.? Washington Times.? Nov 29, 2012. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/29/dc-joins-states-on-synthetic-drug-ban-first-appear/#ixzz2DjTy5B3k

⁶ Queally J.? N.J. permanently bans synthetic marijuana.? The Star-Ledger.? Nov 26, 2012.? http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/nj_permanently_bans_synthetic.html

Images: Ameritox

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=4671a18eaf7d9fa991cdc6f8956cfab4

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ASUS MeMo Pad 10 makes unexpected appearance, could become official at MWC (video)

It's been but a mere few days since ASUS quietly introduced that Jelly Bean-loaded, 7-inch Memo Pad, though if a recent video shown off on YouTube is to be believed, the company's got yet another, larger Memo Pad up its sleeve. Such tablet's said to be the MeMo Pad 10, which has yet to be officially unveiled by the Taiwanese firm but has somehow made its way to the folks over at MobileArena. Just like its smaller sibling, the MeMo Pad 10 is reportedly sporting a flavor of Android's latest, but, as its moniker would imply, a 10-inch (1280 x 800) display is among the highlights here -- other purported specs include a 1.2GHz Tegra 3 CPU, 1GB RAM and 16GB of built-in storage (which could be expanded via microSD). We'll have to wait and see if ASUS makes a MeMo Pad 10 announcement in a few weeks at Mobile World Congress; until then, however, there's a video after the break for anyone interested in getting an early peek at the slate.

Filed under: Tablets, ASUS

Comments

Via: Android Community

Source: MobileArsenaldotcom (YouTube)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/zDwzYnVxaS0/

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Monday, January 21, 2013

Red Moon Cafe: A Slow Embrace of Technology

Having reached middle age without having a computer or a cell phone, I don?t think of myself as a Luddite but simply someone slow to embrace new technology. One of my professors gave me a lesson in using WordStar in 1986 when I first entered graduate school to work on my MA. At that time, the computers in use by the English department had two 5.25 inch slots, one for the program disk and one for the disk containing one?s documents. All through graduate school, I continued to draft my essays in longhand first and then type up the final copy on my typewriter. Fortunately, my wife in 1989 helped me put my Master?s thesis on the computer so that it would be easier to make corrections. It took a few frustrating incidents before I mastered the use of the Insert key; something so simple could prevent me from losing text when making an addition or a correction.
By 1993, at the age of forty-two, I had my own computer, a 386, although it essentially was only good for WordStar, which by that time required the downloading of information from three or four 5.25 diskettes. Not having the Internet in my home office made it easier to devote attention to my writing. Taking my comprehensive exams for the PhD required that I learn to use Microsoft Word. Even so, I didn?t finally stop using WordStar until 1999 when my new computer at that time wouldn?t take the 5.25 diskettes containing the software for WordStar. Out of necessity, I had to become comfortable with Microsoft Word.
Despite this slow embrace of technology, I have learned much more about computers and word processing software. After getting tired of giving my money to computer repair people for minor upgrades and virus removal, I resolved about eight years to learn much more about computers and computer repair.
Accepting technology into my life hasn?t included a cell phone until more recently, however. I didn?t get my first cell phone until about 2001 when my wife insisted that I get one in case of an emergency during the lengthy commute to where I was teaching at the time.
About twenty-two years ago, when we briefly sold water treatment systems during a semester we didn?t get a teaching assignment, my wife and I used to admire the guy who had a phone in his car because it allowed him to get his assignments much quicker and to get directions when he couldn?t find the house where he was scheduled to make his sales pitch. We were forced to return to an area convenience store and to use the pay phone as we arranged our next appointment. Our time selling water treatment systems didn?t last. We sold two units but only got paid for one because the other buyer refused to disclose his regular income when the company wanted the buyer to sign a contract and to set up monthly payments. That $800 earned in commission, while not enough compensation for the time that we had invested in our training, helped to ease our poverty for a little while. The remainder of that semester was spent working temporary employment. We ended up moving to the Kansas City area during the following summer.
That Motorola 120C, my first cell phone, remained in use even after four or five years. I had no reason to update since I seldom used it and actually prefer not to use a phone because of my phone phobia, aka telephobia. I don?t know when I would have updated if Tracfone had not informed me that they would no longer service that phone in my area and sent me a replacement Nokia 1100 free of charge. Once again, that phone lasted several years until I replaced it with a Samsung T105G, which made it easier to send text messages even though it, too, didn?t have all of the features of a regular keyboard and made long messages difficult because of its inflexibility.
When we stopped paying for a landline last year, my wife bought a LG 500G as the house phone. After growing familiar with that phone from texting during those occasions when my wife drove, I discovered that it was possible to get my own LG 500G for $10. I can now say that I am much happier with my phone and use it frequently for texting when away from the house. I don?t think I have made an actual phone call in the month that I have been using this phone, however. This phone can be used as a mp3 player if one doesn?t mind using earbuds. It also offers a digital camera of something like 1.3 megapixels. These additional features may seem like bonuses although one has to consider the quality of the camera and the sonic capability of its single speaker. Nonetheless, I now more often make an effort to grab my phone when leaving the house instead of misplacing it and letting it go missing for days on end.
Having become more comfortable with a cell phone, I still don?t foresee a day when I will start acting like my relatives. While visiting them on Thanksgiving, and while trying to ignore the football game that was blaring from the television, I often glanced around the room and saw three or four of my relatives looking down at the screens of their iphones?either to play a game, to organize their pictures, or to send someone else one of their pictures. No one was talking. I hope I never will become that obsessed with technology.

Source: http://redmooncafe.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-slow-embrace-of-technology.html

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Artist's obsession with Twinkies spans 4 decades

This undated image shows "Never Forget,'' one of the most recent of dozens of pieces of art Nancy Peppin has created over the years using Twinkies and other Hostess products. A graphic artist by day for slot machine-maker International Game Technology, Peppin doesn't like to eat Twinkies. She uses them to depict popular culture similar to Any Warhol. (AP Photo/Courtesy Nancy Peppin)

In this Dec. 14, 2012, photo, artist Nancy Peppin poses with her artwork titled "The Last Snack," modeled after Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper,'' one of dozens of pieces of art she has created over the years using Twinkies and other Hostess products, in Reno, Nev. A graphic artist by day for slot machine-maker International Game Technology, Peppin doesn't like to eat Twinkies. She uses them to depict popular culture similar to the work of Andy Warhol. (AP Photo/Scott Sonner)

In this Dec. 14, 2012, photo, Artist Nancy Peppin holds one of her creations from her series "Day of the Dead Twinkies" one of dozens of pieces of art she has created over the years using Twinkies and other Hostess products, in Reno, Nev. A graphic artist by day for slot machine-maker International Game Technology, Peppin doesn't like to eat Twinkies. She uses them to depict popular culture similar to the work of Andy Warhol. (AP Photo/Scott Sonner)

In this Dec. 14, 2012, photo, artist Nancy Peppin poses with her artwork titled ``The Search for the Darwin Twinkie,'' one of dozens of pieces of art she has created over the years using Twinkies and other Hostess products, in Reno, Nev. A graphic artist by day for slot machine-maker International Game Technology, Peppin doesn't like to eat Twinkies. She uses them to depict popular culture similar to the work of Andy Warhol. (AP Photo/Scott Sonner)

This undated image shows artist Nancy Peppin's "The Last Snack," modeled after Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper,'' one of thedozens of pieces of art Nancy Peppin has created over the years using Twinkies and other Hostess products. A graphic artist by day for slot machine-maker International Game Technology, Peppin doesn't like to eat Twinkies. She uses them to depict popular culture similar to Any Warhol. (AP Photo/Courtesy Nancy Peppin)

RENO, Nev. (AP) ? Long before Hostess Brands' plan to shut down made Twinkies the rage, Nancy Peppin found something special about the cream-filled snack cakes.

No, she doesn't have a sweet tooth for them.

But she has featured Twinkies in hundreds of pieces of quirky, satirical artwork because of an obsession with what she calls the "ultimate American food icon."

The prolific Reno artist says she was first influenced to focus on Twinkies in 1975 by Andy Warhol, who demonstrated that even a Campbell's soup can could be an object of art.

"He showed you a new way of looking at a familiar object," said Peppin, who has sold and exhibited her artwork. "That's what I'm doing with Twinkies. I'm having people look at Twinkies in a brand new way and in an entertaining way."

Shortly after Hostess Brands Inc. announced plans to go out of business last year, Peppin was among those who joined the rush to stores to fill shopping carts with boxes of the spongy cakes.

But unlike others, she didn't buy 12 boxes with 10 Twinkies each to turn a profit on eBay or Craigslist.

"I needed art supplies," said Peppin, who uses Twinkies and their packaging to create some of her pieces. She also features renderings of the snack cakes in watercolor paintings, mixed media, prints and artwork.

Her works include her "Twinkies in history series," which portrays how scientists such as John James Audubon, Charles Darwin and Leonardo da Vinci would have sketched and written about Twinkies in journals or books.

Peppin, an Oakland, Calif., native who earned a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1966, conducted extensive research to make the series seem as authentic as possible.

Her Audubon series on the "North American Twinkie (twinkopus hostus)" includes illustrations of three "important subspecies ? Cream-bellied Twinkie, Strawberry-throated Twinkie, Golden-backed Twinkie" ? as well as writings describing the "birds" and explaining their migration patterns.

"Twinkies radiate out from the spring St. Louis breeding area to the summer nesting habitats throughout the world. Populations are heaviest in the North American 7-11 meridian," she wrote. St. Louis and 7-Eleven stores both share a long history with Hostess and its brands.

She updated the Audubon series after Hostess shut down operations in November: "It went from being the most popular snack cake in the world to sudden extinction due to consumption by raptors ? capitalist vultures (cathartes wallstreetidae)."

Her painting titled "The Last Snack" is a takeoff of da Vinci's "The Last Supper" featuring Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and other Hostess products at a table with the same arrangement and background as da Vinci's classic.

Her parody of a "girly" calendar from an auto body shop features a partially undressed "Miss Twinkie" standing next to her Harley.

The artwork reflects the offbeat sense of humor of a woman who by day creates special effects animation for Reno-based International Game Technology, one of the world's largest slot machine makers.

Steven High, executive director of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Fla., said he finds Peppin's artwork ? and use of Twinkies as a metaphor to explore various subjects ? clever, humorous and imaginative.

"In some ways, she takes this kind of silly item and treats it as a cultural artifact and imagines it as a subject of scientific studies," he said. "She's an excellent illustrator and the way she pulls these (works) together is amazing. They're fascinating and draw you in, even though the subject matter is unusual."

Peppin foresees no end to her obsession. With many potential buyers lined up for Hostess brands, she says, Twinkies will survive into the future.

Hostess is expected to announce a bidder for Twinkies and its other snack cakes this month. Other interested parties will be able to make competing offers once the top bid is announced.

"It'll become a mutation of the species, but it'll perpetuate the species," Peppin said. "There are all sorts of history applications that I haven't exhausted like Twinkies being found in the ruins at Pompeii."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-01-21-Twinkie%20Art/id-e5f8cd021b964580802d4784e5e67824

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Astronomy Teacher Finds Hubble Telescope's Hidden Treasure

A Connecticut astronomy teacher has uncovered a dazzling view of a satellite galaxy to the Milky Way while exploring the "hidden treasures" of the Hubble Space Telescope.

The new Hubble photo, released Thursday (Jan. 17), shows an intriguing star nursery dotted with dark dust lanes in the Large Magellanic Cloud about 200,000 light-years from Earth. The Hubble observation used to create the image was discovered in the telescope's archives by Josh Lake, a high school astronomy teacher at Pomfret School in Pomfret, Conn., as part of the "Hubble Hidden Treasures" contest that challenged space fans to find unseen images from the observatory.

Hubble officials also released an eye-popping video tour of the Large Magellanic Cloud, which zooms in on the region highlighted in Lake's photo.

Lake won first prize in the Hubble photo contest with an image of the LHA 120-N11 (N11) region of the Large Magellanic Cloud. Hubble officials combined Lake's image with more observations of the N11 region in blue, green and near-infrared light wavelengths to create the new view.

"In the center of this image, a dark finger of dust blots out much of the light," Hubble officials said in an image description. "While nebulae are mostly made of hydrogen, the simplest and most plentiful element in the universe, dust clouds are home to heavier and more complex elements, which go on to form rocky planets like the Earth." [Hubble Telescope's Hidden Treasures: Winning Photos

The interstellar dust in N11 is extremely fine, much more so than household dust on Earth. It is more similar to smoke, researchers explained.

The Large Magellanic Cloud, or LMC, is one of two small satellite galaxies of the Milky Way (the other is the smaller, aptly named Small Magellanic Cloud). Because of its relatively close proximity, the Large Magellanic Cloud has long been used as a sort of cosmic laboratory to study how stars form in other galaxies.

"It lies in a fortuitous location in the sky, far enough from the plane of the Milky Way that it is neither outshone by too many nearby stars, nor obscured by the dust in the Milky Way?s center," Hubble officials said in a statement. "It is also close enough to study in detail ? and lies almost face-on, giving us a bird?s eye view."

In addition to the N11 region, the Large Magellanic Cloud is also home to the spectacular Tarantula nebula, the brightest nearby star nursery, Hubble officials said.

The Hubble Space Telescope has been snapping spectacular photos of the universe since 1994 and is a joint project by NASA and the European Space Agency. This month, NASA officials said the long-lived space observatory could potentially last through 2018.

You can follow SPACE.com Managing Editor Tariq Malik on Twitter?@tariqjmalik.?Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter?@Spacedotcom?and on?Facebook.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/astronomy-teacher-finds-hubble-telescopes-hidden-treasure-142230710.html

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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Obama adviser optimistic on immigration overhaul

Gun-rights advocates gather outside the Utah Capitol during the National Gun Appreciation Day Rally Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, in Salt Lake City. Gun owners and Second Amendment advocates rallied in state capitals nationwide Saturday, days after President Barack Obama unveiled a sweeping package of federal gun-control proposals. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Gun rights advocates demonstrate near the Capitol building on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, in Nashville, Tenn. Supporters of gun rights held "Guns Across America" rallies across the country Saturday in response to President Barack Obama's plan to curb gun violence. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? A top White House adviser said Sunday the stars seem aligned for Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration overhaul this year, but he sounded less confident about prospects for toughening the nation's gun laws.

White House Senior Adviser David Plouffe made the rounds on Sunday talk shows, outlining the president's agenda for the months ahead. He said past presidents have been able to make significant progress during their second terms, noting that President Ronald Reagan pushed through more tax cuts and that President Bill Clinton helped transform budget deficits into budget surpluses.

He said Obama's focus will be on improving the economy, saying the president believes the best way to do that is to invest in education and manufacturing while also seeking what he called "balanced deficit reduction."

Republicans agreed to let tax cuts expire this year for those workers whose incomes exceed $400,000 a year, but Plouffe said that future negotiations on reducing the deficit will have to include more tax revenue as well as spending cuts and changes to entitlement programs.

"We've dealt with the tax rate issue. Now it's about loopholes," Plouffe said on ABC. "And I think the country would be well-served by tax and entitlement reform, because it'll help our economy."

Beyond the economy and the budget, Plouffe indicated that two social issues will be a focus at the outset of the president's second term: immigration and gun control.

On gun control, he mixed statements of optimism with an acknowledgement of political realities. Republicans control the House, and even some Democrats in the Senate have been extremely cautious in addressing the issue.

"It's going to be very, very hard," Plouffe said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming underscored that point. He said he doubted supporters could get 60 votes in the Senate for legislation allowing universal background checks for gun purchasers and for limiting gun magazines to 10 rounds and under.

"The debt and spending. That's where people are focused. That's the big anxiety of this country," Barrasso said on CNN.

Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., would not answer whether he could support background checks for every gun purchase. Without getting into specifics, he advocated for better information-sharing to prevent some people with mental health problems from buying guns.

"Let's do things that will make a difference here, rather than take one more opportunity to go at an old agenda," Blunt, a gun-rights advocate, said on Fox News Sunday.

When it comes to overhauling the nation's immigration laws, Plouffe said he believes there's broader support from Republicans nationally than there is from Republicans in Congress. Still, "the stars are aligned" for a bill to include beefing up border security as well as giving those already in the U.S. illegally a path to citizenship. He cited business organizations and religious leaders as key players backing a comprehensive immigration bill.

In leading up to Monday's inauguration, the White House has sought to leave the impression that the president will seek common ground with Republicans. It will also seek to undertake public campaigns to build pressure on Congress to act on the administration's legislative priorities.

The new mobilizing effort will be led by a tax-exempt group called Organizing for Action. The move represents the first time a sitting president has ever transformed his presidential campaign operation into an outside group with the express purpose of promoting his agenda. "We're also going to bring the American people more into the debate than we did in the first term," Plouffe said.

Blunt said the president should put forward proposals that a divided Congress can support rather than put in place an ongoing campaign effort designed to pressure Republicans into going along with his priorities.

"I don't think there's any reason to believe from looking at the last four years that that produces much of a result," he said. "It might produce a stalemate. It might get the president re-elected, but he's not running for a third term."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-20-US-Obama-Agenda/id-205e7abe07ef4b5ba787292d8291c6da

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