Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/295285913?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Saturday, March 30, 2013
Friday, March 29, 2013
However court rules, gay marriage debate won't end
NEW YORK (AP) ? However the Supreme Court rules after its landmark hearings on same-sex marriage, the issue seems certain to divide Americans and states for many years to come.
In oral arguments Tuesday and Wednesday on two cases involving gay couples' rights, the justices left open multiple options for rulings that are expected in June. But they signaled there was no prospect of imposing a 50-state solution at this stage. With nine states now allowing same-sex marriages and other states banning them via statutes or constitutional amendments, that means a longer spell with a patchwork marriage-rights map ? and no early end to bruising state-by-state battles in the courts, in the legislatures and at the ballot box.
A decade ago, opponents of same-sex marriage were lobbying for a nationwide ban on gay nuptials. They now seem resigned to the reality of a divided nation in which the debate will continue to splinter families, church congregations and communities.
"It's a lot more healthy than shutting off an intense debate at the very moment of its greatest intensity," said John Eastman, chairman of the National Organization for Marriage and a law professor at Chapman University in Orange, Calif.
By contrast, supporters of same-sex marriage believe a nationwide victory is inevitable, though perhaps not imminent. Many of them see merit in continuing an incremental hearts-and-minds campaign, given that many opinion polls now show a majority of Americans supporting their cause.
"No matter what the Supreme Court decides, we are going to be in a stronger place in July than where we before," said Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry.
"We have the momentum and we have the winning strategy," Wolfson said. "We are going to win the freedom to marry, whether in June or in the next round, when we go back to the court with more states, more public support and perhaps new justices."
Even if the Supreme Court shies away for now from any broad ruling in favor of marriage rights for gay couples, its decisions in June could produce major gains for gay-rights activists.
In one case, the justices could strike down a section of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act that denies legally married same-sex couples a host of federal benefits available to straight married couples. In the other, concerning California's Proposition 8 ballot measure banning same-sex marriage, the Supreme Court could leave in place a lower court ruling striking down the ban. That would add the most populous state to the ranks of those already recognizing gay marriages: Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Washington, plus the District of Columbia.
With California included, that group would account for about 28 percent of the U.S. population.
Meanwhile, legislative efforts to legalize same-sex marriage are under way in Illinois, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Delaware, and lawsuits by gay couples seeking marriage rights have been filed in several other states. In Oregon, gay-rights activists hope to place a measure on next year's ballot that would overturn a ban on gay marriage approved by voters in 2004. Legislators in Nevada are debating a bill that could lead to repeal of a similar ban there.
In advance of the Supreme Court hearings, gay-marriage backers mustered support from a broad array of interest groups, including labor and religious leaders, major corporations, even dozens of prominent Republicans who co-signed a brief filed with the high court. In the past few weeks, a parade of politicians have publicly endorsed same-sex marriage for the first time, including Republican Sen. Rob. Portman of Ohio and Democratic Sens. Kay Hagan of North Carolina, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana and Mark Warner of Virginia.
Former President Bill Clinton chimed in, too, writing that he now regretted his decision to sign the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and urging that it be struck down. President Barack Obama's administration also asked that DOMA be declared unconstitutional and that Proposition 8 be struck down.
For gay-marriage opponents, it's been an occasionally daunting period as they watch a steady stream of prominent politicians and institutions join the rival side.
The conservative American Family Association's website, for example, listed some of the many well-known corporations that are now supporting same-sex marriage ? including Google, Microsoft, Citigroup, Apple, Nike, Facebook and Starbucks. The website suggests that Americans opposed to gay marriage should boycott these companies, but the president of the Mississippi-based association, Tim Wildmon, acknowledges that would be impractical.
"There's too many of them to effectively boycott," he said in a telephone interview.
Wildmon expects the U.S. to remain divided over gay marriage for a long time and hopes neither Congress nor the courts try to interfere with the right of states to set their own policies.
"That's just the way it's going to be," he said. "If you want to be a homosexual married couple, move to a state that accepts it."
Such interstate moves could indeed occur, but with a potential cost for the states being forsaken, said gay rights lawyer Jon Davidson of Lambda Legal. "Maybe that's what some states want, but the outpouring of business support for us indicates a lot of businesses don't want that to happen," he said. "It creates all sorts of problems."
Among some conservatives, there's been frustration at the frequent exhortation from gay-rights activists that the Supreme Court should be "on the right side of history" by endorsing same-sex marriage.
"It requires no courage, at this point in history, to side with gay marriage advocates," Maggie Gallagher, a co-founder of the National Organization for Marriage, wrote in a commentary. "Respecting the rights of the millions of Americans who disagree, and respecting the boundaries of our Constitution, is staying on the right side of history."
Conservative radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, on his show Wednesday, suggested the spread of same-sex marriage was indeed inevitable. He cited signs of increasing divisions among Republicans on the issue.
"Whether it happens now at the Supreme Court or somehow later, it is going to happen," Limbaugh said. "It's just the direction the culture is heading. ... The opposition that you would suspect exists is in the process of crumbling on it."
In any case, it's unlikely that some of the most conservative states ? those that adopted gay-marriage bans by overwhelming margins ? will recognize same-sex marriages unless forced to by the courts.
A likely result is a steady stream of state-level lawsuits by gay couples, according to Boston-based lawyer Mary Bonauto, whose work with Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders helped legalize same-sex marriage in several New England states.
"There are committed gay couples in every state who want to stand up and make that legal commitment to marriage," Bonauto said. "They're not going to go away. ... They believe our national promise of equal protection under the law applies to them, too, not just to the East and West coasts and Iowa."
Depending on how such lawsuits fare, Bonauto said, "I think this issue could be back at the Supreme Court in a number of years."
___
Follow David Crary on Twitter: http://twitter.com/CraryAP
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/however-court-rules-gay-marriage-debate-wont-end-065436742--politics.html
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Wildfire threatens ecological zone in southern Brazil
Lauro Alves / Agencia RBS via AFP - Getty Images
An aerial view of the Taim Ecological Station on fire, in Rio Grande do Sul state, southern Brazil, on March 27, 2013.
A wildfire that started on Tuesday has consumed around?1,400 acres of a protected ecological station in southern Brazil. The fire at the?Taim Ecological Station is at risk of spreading further, Agence France-Presse reports,?since there is limited access to water.?
Lauro Alves / Agencia RBS via AFP - Getty Images
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Thursday, March 28, 2013
Showpad Raises $2M Series A From Hummingbird Ventures To Hawk Its Sales Software For iPads To More Enterprises
Riding the consumerisation of IT trend that's blowing the cobwebs off enterprise software, Belgian startup Showpad -- which makes iPad software for sales teams -- has raised a $2 million Series A funding round from early stage European VC firm, Hummingbird Ventures. Showpad said it plans to use the funding to grow its own sales and marketing team, and to "invest heavily" in platform development.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/BbM1wJ74eZI/
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Pope washes feet of young detainees in ritual
In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis washes the foot of an inmate at the juvenile detention center of Casal del Marmo, Rome, Thursday, March 28, 2013. Francis washed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention center in a Holy Thursday ritual that he celebrated for years as archbishop and is continuing now that he is pope. Two of the 12 were young women, an unusual choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his male disciples. The Mass was held in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women currently are detained. Many of them are Gypsies or North African migrants, and the Vatican said the 12 selected for the rite weren't necessarily Catholic. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho)
In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis washes the foot of an inmate at the juvenile detention center of Casal del Marmo, Rome, Thursday, March 28, 2013. Francis washed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention center in a Holy Thursday ritual that he celebrated for years as archbishop and is continuing now that he is pope. Two of the 12 were young women, an unusual choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his male disciples. The Mass was held in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women currently are detained. Many of them are Gypsies or North African migrants, and the Vatican said the 12 selected for the rite weren't necessarily Catholic. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho)
In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis kisses the foot of an inmate at the juvenile detention center of Casal del Marmo, Rome, Thursday, March 28, 2013. Francis washed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention center in a Holy Thursday ritual that he celebrated for years as archbishop and is continuing now that he is pope. Two of the 12 were young women, an unusual choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his male disciples. The Mass was held in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women currently are detained. Many of them are Gypsies or North African migrants, and the Vatican said the 12 selected for the rite weren't necessarily Catholic. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho)
In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis, with back to camera at right, washes the foot of an inmate at the juvenile detention center of Casal del Marmo, Rome, Thursday, March 28, 2013. Francis washed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention center in a Holy Thursday ritual that he celebrated for years as archbishop and is continuing now that he is pope. Two of the 12 were young women, an unusual choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his male disciples. The Mass was held in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women currently are detained. Many of them are Gypsies or North African migrants, and the Vatican said the 12 selected for the rite weren't necessarily Catholic. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho)
In this photo provided by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Pope Francis washes the foot of an inmate at the juvenile detention center of Casal del Marmo, Rome, Thursday, March 28, 2013. Francis washed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention center in a Holy Thursday ritual that he celebrated for years as archbishop and is continuing now that he is pope. Two of the 12 were young women, an unusual choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his male disciples. The Mass was held in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women currently are detained. Many of them are Gypsies or North African migrants, and the Vatican said the 12 selected for the rite weren't necessarily Catholic. (AP Photo/L'Osservatore Romano, ho)
Pope Francis waves from his car as he arrives at the juvenile detention center of Casal del Marmo to celebrate the rite of the washing of the feet, in Rome, Thursday, March 28, 2013. Previous popes have celebrated the Holy Thursday ritual, which re-enacts Christ's washing his disciples feet before being crucified, but they have done so washing the feet of priests in one of Rome's most ornate basilicas, St. Peter's Basilica, not a jail. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)
ROME (AP) ? Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention center in a Holy Thursday ritual that he celebrated for years as archbishop and is continuing now that he is pope. Two of the 12 were young women, a remarkable choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his male disciples.
The Mass was held in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women currently are detained. Many of them are Gypsies or North African migrants, and the 12 selected for the foot-washing rite included Orthodox and Muslim detainees as well, news reports said.
Because the inmates were mostly minors ? the facility houses inmates aged 14-to-21 ? the Vatican and Italian Justice Ministry limited media access inside. But Vatican Radio carried the Mass live, and Francis told the detainees that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion in a gesture of love and service.
"This is a symbol, it is a sign ? washing your feet means I am at your service," Francis told the youngsters. "Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us. This is what I do. And I do it with my heart. I do this with my heart because it is my duty, as a priest and bishop I must be at your service."
Later, the Vatican released a limited video of the ritual, showing Francis washing black feet, white feet, male feet, female feet and even a foot with tattoos. Kneeling on the stone floor as the 12 youngsters sat above him, the 76-year-old Francis poured water from a silver chalice over each foot, dried it with a simple cotton towel and then bent over to kiss each one.
As archbishop of Buenos Aires, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio would celebrate the ritual foot-washing in jails, hospitals or hospices ? part of his ministry to the poorest and most marginalized of society. It's a message that he is continuing now that he is pope, saying he wants a church "for the poor."
Previous popes would carry out the foot-washing ritual on Holy Thursday in Rome's grand St. John Lateran basilica and the 12 people chosen for the ritual would always be priests to represent the 12 disciples.
That Francis would include women in this re-enactment is noteworthy given the insistence of some in the church that the ritual be reserved for men only: The argument is that Jesus' disciples were all male, and the Catholic priesthood that evolved from the original 12 disciples is restricted to men.
"The pope's washing the feet of women is hugely significant because including women in this part of the Holy Thursday Mass has been frowned on ? and even banned ? in some dioceses," said the Rev. James Martin, a Jesuit priest and author of "The Jesuit Guide."
"It shows the all-embracing love of Christ, who ministered to all he met: man or woman, slave or free, Jew or Gentile," he said.
After the Mass, Francis greeted each of the inmates and gave each one an Easter egg.
"Don't lose hope," he said. "Understand? With hope you can always go on."
Italian Justice Minister Paola Severino, who has made easing Italy's woefully overcrowded prisons a priority, attended the Mass.
___
Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield
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Genetic Markers For Cancer Risk Identified In Huge International Effort
NEW YORK -- A huge international effort involving more than 100 institutions and genetic tests on 200,000 people has uncovered dozens of signposts in DNA that can help reveal further a person's risk for breast, ovarian or prostate cancer, scientists reported Wednesday.
It's the latest mega-collaboration to learn more about the intricate mechanisms that lead to cancer. And while the headway seems significant in many ways, the potential payoff for ordinary people is mostly this: Someday there may be genetic tests that help identify women with the most to gain from mammograms, and men who could benefit most from PSA tests and prostate biopsies.
And perhaps farther in the future these genetic clues might lead to new treatments.
"This adds another piece to the puzzle," said Harpal Kumar, chief executive of Cancer Research U.K., the charity which funded much of the research.
One analysis suggests that among men whose family history gives them roughly a 20 percent lifetime risk for prostate cancer, such genetic markers could identify those whose real risk is 60 percent.
The markers also could make a difference for women with BRCA gene mutations, which puts them at high risk for breast cancer. Researchers may be able to separate those whose lifetime risk exceeds 80 percent from women whose risk is about 20 to 50 percent. One doctor said that might mean some women would choose to monitor for cancer rather than taking the drastic step of having healthy breasts removed.
Scientists have found risk markers for the three diseases before, but the new trove doubles the known list, said one author, Douglas Easton of Cambridge University. The discoveries also reveal clues about the biological underpinnings of these cancers, which may pay off someday in better therapies, he said.
Experts not connected with the work said it was encouraging but that more research is needed to see how useful it would be for guiding patient care. One suggested that using a gene test along with PSA testing and other factors might help determine which men have enough risk of a life-threatening prostate cancer that they should get a biopsy. Many prostate cancers found early are slow-growing and won't be fatal, but there is no way to differentiate and many men have surgery they may not need.
Easton said the prospects for a genetic test are greater for prostate and breast cancer than ovarian cancer.
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide, with more than 1 million new cases a year. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men after lung cancer, with about 900,000 new cases every year. Ovarian cancer accounts for about 4 percent of all cancers diagnosed in women, causing about 225,000 cases worldwide.
The new results were released in 13 reports in Nature Genetics, PLOS Genetics and other journals. They come from a collaboration involving more than 130 institutions in the United States, Europe, and elsewhere. The research was mainly paid for by Cancer Research U.K., the European Union and the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Scientists used scans of DNA from more than 200,000 people to seek the markers, tiny variations in the 3 billion "letters" of the DNA code that are associated with disease risk.
The scientists found 49 new risk markers for breast cancer plus a couple of others that modify breast cancer risk from rare mutated genes, 26 for prostate cancer and eight for ovarian cancer. Individually, each marker has only a slight impact on risk estimation, too small to be useful on its own, Easton said. They would be combined and added to previously known markers to help reveal a person's risk, he said.
A genetic test could be useful in identifying people who should get mammography or PSA testing, said Hilary Burton, director of the PHG Foundation, a genomics think-tank in Cambridge, England. A mathematical analysis done by her group found that under certain assumptions, a gene test using all known markers could reduce the number of mammograms and PSA tests by around 20 percent, with only a small cost in cancer cases missed.
Among the new findings:
_ For breast cancer, researchers calculated that by using all known markers, including the new ones, they could identify 5 percent of the female population with twice the average risk of disease, and 1 percent with a three-fold risk. The average lifetime risk of getting breast cancer is about 12 percent in developed countries. It's lower in the developing world where other diseases are a bigger problem.
_ For prostate cancer, using all the known markers could identify 1 percent of men with nearly five times the average risk, the researchers computed. In developed countries, a man's average lifetime risk for the disease is about 14 to 16 percent, lower in developing nations.
_Markers can also make a difference in estimates of breast cancer risk for women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations. Such women are rare, but their lifetime risk can run as high as 85 percent. Researchers said that with the new biomarkers, it might be possible to identify the small group of these women with a risk of 28 percent or less.
For patients like Vicki Gilbert of England, who carries a variation of the BRCA1 gene, having such details about her cancer risk would have made decision-making easier.
Gilbert, 50, found out about her genetic risk after being diagnosed with the disease in 2009. Though doctors said the gene wouldn't change the kind of chemotherapy she got, they suggested removing her ovaries to avoid ovarian cancer, which is also made more likely by a mutated BRCA1.
"They didn't want to express a definite opinion on whether I should have my ovaries removed so I had to weigh up my options for myself," said Gilbert, a veterinary receptionist in Wiltshire. "...I decided to have my ovaries removed because that takes away the fear it could happen. It certainly would have been nice to have more information to know that was the right choice."
Gilbert said knowing more about the genetic risks of cancer should be reassuring for most patients. "There are so many decisions made for you when you go through cancer treatment that being able to decide something yourself is very important," she said.
Dr. Charis Eng, chair of the Genomic Medicine Institute at the Cleveland Clinic, who didn't participate in the new work, called the breast cancer research exciting but not ready for routine use.
Most women who carry a BRCA gene choose intensive surveillance with both mammograms and MRI and some choose to have their breasts removed to prevent the disease, she said. Even the lower risk described by the new research is worrisomely high, and might not persuade a woman to avoid such precautions completely, Eng said.
___
AP Medical Writer Maria Cheng contributed to this report from London.
___
Online:
Nature Genetics: http://www.nature.com/ng
PLOS Genetics: http://www.plosgenetics.org
Breakthrough Breast Cancer: http://www.breakthrough.org.uk/
Also on HuffPost:
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/genetic-markers-cancer-risk_n_2964287.html
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Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Internet Borked? The Amazing Jellybean Resets It All In The Right Order With One Button Press (Or Over Bluetooth)
A few years ago, I received a panicked phone call from a friend I hadn't heard from in months. His Internet connection was on the fritz, and he had a huge project due the next morning. He'd called his ISP, and they were no help. As his only friend that, as he said, "knew computers and stuff"*, I was bound by International Homie Law to fix his crap.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/m_ClJz9exHk/
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Rebelfone International SIM Card
Traveling data hogs rejoice. Rebelfone has the best data rates yet for roaming SIM cards, and its voice and text rates are competitive with rivals like Maxroam and Telestial. If you're traveling to one of the 13 countries it covers, and you want to bring lots of data with you, it's an excellent choice.
Like other roaming SIMs, Rebelfone's rental SIM works with unlocked GSM phones. The card will work in AT&T and T-Mobile phones as long as they're world-compatible (and you ask your carrier to unlock your handset), as well as in Sprint's and Verizon's slim selection of "world phones." The card will fit in the iPhone 4S but not the iPhone 5, as Rebelfone offers full-sized and "micro" SIMs, but not yet the unique nanoSIM used by the iPhone 5.
Of course, you'll get the lowest rates of all by buying a prepaid SIM on the ground at your destination. But that isn't possible for a lot of travelers stymied by language barriers, confusing local rules, or just unfamiliarity with a city. Getting a SIM in advance also lets you tell your friends your new number before you leave.
We used Rebelfone in Spain with no complaints. The SIM came with a red instruction booklet with our phone number and PIN inked in the front. We popped the SIM into a Samsung Galaxy Nexus?(MicroSIMs are also available for $5 extra) and the phone automatically set itself up with the right APN for data services. Online customer support is available 24/7 if you can't get the APN set up.
Since the SIM is actually a local SIM, you have a local phone number and there's no callback rigamarole?it's just straight dialing. I'd very strongly recommend monitoring both your voice and data usage, though as data overage is generally a dollar per megabyte. The free app Onavo Count?can help with that.
Pricing and Plan
Rebelfone takes a unique approach: rather than selling you a prepaid SIM, it prefers to rent you a postpaid SIM. That gives it access to very low data rates, although you need to mail back the SIM at the end of your trip.
Rebelfone's best plans only apply to 13 countries scattered around the world: Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, the UAE, and the UK. Texting and calling rates are variable and competitive; typically you'll get free incoming calls, with outgoing calls and texts costing from 20-40 cents per minute.
It's the data that really matters here. In those 13 countries, Rebelfone has "data packs" where you pay up front for giant data buckets, anywhere from 500MB to, in some cases, 5GB. In exchange for paying between $30-100 up front for your data, you get rates that competitors can't come anywhere near. Most other SIMs charge by the megabyte, and OneSimCard's 250MB EU data package, at $49, is considerably more expensive than these rates. That makes Rebelfone the best choice we've seen for travelers to these 13 countries who want to use large amounts of data.
If you're traveling to several countries within Europe, you can also get a pan-European voice or data SIM, although strangely, you can't get a SIM with both voice and?data for multiple countries.
One of Rebelfone's other services is noteworthy: It offers very cheap rental phones, at 49 cents per day. The phones are simple flip-phones with no data access, but if you don't have your own world phone, calling rates are once again quite competitive here and this is a very good option. Rebelfone offers five rental devices: The Nokia C2-01, Blu Deejay, Unnecto Eco, Samsung GT3600, and Samsung C3050. They're all older, basic phones, but I'd go with the Nokia C2-01, as it has the nicest screen and camera.
If you don't want your friends to have to call a foreign number, you can rent a U.S. number for $2/month plus $0.49/minute for incoming calls.
As with all of these roaming solutions, Rebelfone makes it very difficult to figure out what the overall cost of your trip will be. You have to factor in the cost of the SIM (free to about $20), expected usage, any data bundles or prepaid credit you buy in advance, and $25 for round-trip shipping.
With, say, 20 minutes of outgoing local calls, 100 text messages, and a 500MB data bundle, a weeklong trip to Italy would cost you about $91. On a competitor like Maxroam, the same total price would only get you about 100MB of data, although you'd be able to take the Maxroam SIM to multiple countries (which you can't do with Rebelfone's single-country voice-and-data SIMs.)
Conclusions
There's no one best SIM for every trip. For single-country trips, the best choice is often a local SIM purchased in that country, but that may be too difficult for tourists. For heavy data users heading to one of the 13 countries listed above, Rebelfone's data packs are an unbeatable deal. Heavy data users should also consider XCom Global's International MiFi Hotspot, which offers unlimited data in some countries. That device can connect not only your phone, but also your tablets and PCs. Here at PCMag, we take one to every overseas trade show.
On the other hand, if you're roaming across borders but not using much data, OneSimCard has free incoming calls in 150 countries (as opposed to Rebelfone's 75 countries) with lower per-megabyte data rates than competitors. Outside of Europe, Telestial's regional Passport SIMs give you free incoming calls in a few countries OneSimCard doesn't cover, such as Bolivia, Honduras, and Iran, although data rates are pretty hideous.
I've stopped handing out Editor's Choice awards to these SIM cards because they're all the best for specific kinds of trips. If you've been frustrated with the data options for your next trip to its 13 key countries with data packs, Rebelfone's SIM will solve your problem.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/xPjeZFv7g6E/0,2817,2416856,00.asp
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Idol groups take Japan by storm
Publication Date : 25-03-2013
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Boom in female idol groups, led by AKB48, shows no sign of stopping
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The boom in female idol groups, led by AKB48, shows no sign of stopping. Recently, many of these groups are emerging from regional areas outside Tokyo, with some local groups capturing the hearts of fans nationwide.
LinQ, a 29-member idol group based in Fukuoka Prefecture, released a single on an independent label in January, ultimately reaching fifth on Oricon's weekly chart. The group plans to make its major label debut in April with the release of the single "Chime ga Owareba" (When the chime ends).
The audience roared as soon as LinQ members appeared on stage at a Tokyo concert on March 2. So many people yelled at exactly the same time, it was almost as if the fans had practised it.
LinQ members responded with energetic dancing and singing. To call for an encore, members of the audience shouted, "Kaedama mo ippai!" (Another helping of noodles) over and over.
This is how customers at restaurants or yatai open-air stalls ask for more noodles in the Hakata area of Fukuoka city, which is famous for its Hakata ramen.
The concert venue was small, and the fans were so close to the group's members they could hear them breathing. The LinQ members' hard work made the audience want to support them.
Such feelings on the part of fans make it clear why AKB48 is such a success--AKB48 has its own special theatre in Tokyo's Akihabara area and has focused on live concerts.
LinQ members expressed their passion for their fans, and their special affection for Fukuoka and other prefectures in the Kyushu region, in a recent interview. "I wanted to become an idol to revitalise local communities," one member said when asked why she joined LinQ.
Another said, "I enjoy the times when we're creating a live concert together with our fans."
Perhaps the key to idol groups' success is close proximity between the audience and idol group members.
Idol groups fuel production
Recording production in 2012, including CDs, LPs and cassettes, was up from 2011, the first year-on-year increase in 14 years. While one reason was strong sales of greatest hits albums for veteran singers, such as Yumi Matsutoya, another was the idol group boom.
On Oricon's yearly singles chart for 2012, AKB48 had all the top spots from first to fifth. The sixth to 10th rankings were all filled by singles from Arashi of boy-band producer Johnny's Office and SKE48, the sister group of AKB48.
"Idol groups remain strong, so it's natural for record firms to bring more such groups on the market," a representative of a record company said.
In this environment, idol groups based in local areas have garnered attention. Some existed before AKB48 became a sensation, while others were formed amid the recent idol group boom.
Team Shachihoko, an idol group based in Nagoya, was named after a golden shachihoko statue--a mythical fish with a lionlike head, dragonlike sharp scales along its back--on top of the roof of Nagoya Castle.
Team Shachihoko belongs to the same entertainment agency as female idol group Momoiro Clover Z, which appeared on NHK's Kohaku Utagassen (Red and White New Year's Eve Song Festival) in 2012.
Negicco is an idol group based in Niigata Prefecture. Its name means onion girls, and refers to a kind of negi, or long green onion, that is a local speciality in Niigata Prefecture. The group releases its songs on T-Palette Records, a label of Tower Records Japan Inc.
"Even if an idol group is based in a regional area, it can easily release information through the Internet," said Hiroko Katsuragi, managing editor of Original Confidence entertainment business magazine.
"First, such groups hold live concerts to win over local fans, and then strategically promote themselves nationwide through the Internet," Katsuragi said. "If they can attract public attention this way, the mass media will soon follow," she added.
According to Ikuo Minewaki, president of Tower Records Japan, "Even if an idol group appears on TV repeatedly, it won't become popular unless it gives good live concerts."
"Many fans enjoy seeing their idols succeed as a result of their support," Minewaki added. Local idols are becoming popular because their fans can directly see the process by which they become big stars.
The success of other members of the AKB48 group--including SKE48 in Nagoya, NMB48 in Osaka and HKT48 in Fukuoka--which are deeply rooted in local areas, has been a great boost to other regional groups.
'There's no place like home'
Idol trio Negicco, based in Niigata Prefecture, released the single "Ai no Tower of Love" in February.
The group was formed in 2003 with three women who had attended a local entertainment school. It holds live concerts mainly in Niigata Prefecture, as well as in Tokyo and other areas.
The following are excerpts from an interview with the members.
Nao
"At first, we were told that we'd only perform for one month, to promote negi onions from the prefecture. However, our office thought it would be a waste to disband the group right after the campaign ended, so we've continued.
It was decided to release a CD, but at that time we just did what we were told, without knowing anything concrete.
After that, we started singing songs provided by the composer connie, who's been a fan of Negicco since the start of our activities. At first, I was concerned about the future, but gradually our songs have spread all over Niigata Prefecture."
Kaede
"We were gradually invited to various events in Niigata Prefecture. I fell over once while singing on a stage made out of compressed snow, but I kept going until the end. I feel bad when people say Negicco has forgotten its Niigata fans because the group has more opportunities to work in Tokyo."
Megu
"Some fans tell us they like Negicco because of our relaxed, warm-hearted manner cultivated in a local area, not Tokyo. We always have strong affection for Niigata. We want to carry Niigata on our shoulders as we advance to the national stage."
?
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Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
North Carolina tops Villanova 78-71 in NCAAs
North Carolina coach Roy Williams yells to his team during the first half of a second-round game against Villanova in the NCAA college basketball tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, March 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
North Carolina coach Roy Williams yells to his team during the first half of a second-round game against Villanova in the NCAA college basketball tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, March 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
Villanova guard Tony Chennault, front, gathers a loose ball while covered by North Carolina guard Marcus Paige (5) during the first half of a second-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, March 22, 2013. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
North Carolina forward James Michael McAdoo (43) puts up a shot during the first half of a second-round game against Villanova in the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 22, 2013, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
North Carolina guard/forward Reggie Bullock (35) gets past Villanova guard James Bell (32) to put up a shot during the first half of a second-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 22, 2013, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
North Carolina forward James Michael McAdoo (43) gets past Villanova forward JayVaughn Pinkston (22) to put up a shot during the first half of a second-round game in the NCAA college basketball tournament Friday, March 22, 2013, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ? First his North Carolina players gave Roy Williams a tough, hard-fought, milestone victory.
Then they surprised their coach with a specially made gift to help him commemorate the occasion.
As soon as the Tar Heels got into the locker room after beating gritty Villanova 78-71 in the second round of the NCAA tournament Friday night, they gave Williams a jersey with the number 700 emblazoned on the front. It was his 700th career win, a plateau he had been downplaying all week but a moment his players had said they all wanted to be a part of.
"It was special because Coach didn't even know we had the jersey for him," said P.J. Hairston, who led North Carolina with 23 points. "He wasn't expecting it at all. He is proud, but he wasn't even thinking about the 700."
Now he's surely thinking about what comes next.
North Carolina's win set up a dream matchup Sunday in the third round of the South Regional between the eighth-seeded Tar Heels (25-10) and top-seeded Kansas, where Williams coached for 15 years and rang up 418 wins.
The Jayhawks (30-5) struggled to put away scrappy Western Kentucky in a 64-57 victory Friday night.
Kansas fans have been jamming the Sprint Center in downtown Kansas City, about 30 minutes from the Jayhawks' campus. Now, they get the game they've been waiting for.
By beating Villanova, Williams extended his NCAA record of consecutive tournament appearances with at least one win to 21.
"I love the mental toughness of our team the last eight or nine minutes," he said.
The never-say-die Wildcats (20-14) have plenty to be proud of as well.
They erased a 20-point deficit that North Carolina built in the first half and then nearly climbed out of a nine-point hole in the final minutes after the Tar Heels hit three consecutive 3-pointers and once again appeared to take control.
"I'm proud of this team. I'm proud of their effort," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "They're tough guys. They've got faith in what we do."
Picking on a season-long weakness for the ninth-seeded Wildcats, North Carolina shot 11 of 21 from 3-point range while getting outrebounded 37-28.
JayVaughn Pinkston had 20 points and Darrun Hilliard scored 18 for Villanova.
After UNC took a seemingly comfortable 65-56 lead on Hairston's 3-pointer and James Michael McAdoo's jumper, Ryan Arcidiacono answered with Villanova's second 3, cutting the lead to 65-59. But Marcus Paige dropped in a short jumper that put the Tar Heels on top 67-59 before a media timeout with 3:03 to go.
A pair of foul shots by Arcidiacono, James Bell's 3-pointer and Pinkston's two free throws sliced the lead to 67-66. Paige then drilled a 3 and Hairston completed a three-point play a little while later for a 76-68 lead with 42 seconds left.
"I thought earlier in the game it was all happy and smooth and the ball was going in the basket," Williams said. "Then all of a sudden they started competing a little harder than we did."
Earlier, trying to protect a precarious 54-50 lead over the plucky Wildcats, North Carolina went to its strongest weapon and unleashed 3-pointers on three straight possessions by Hairston, Reggie Bullock and Hairston again.
Shooting from long range, the Tar Heels were openly exploiting a season-long weakness for Villanova, which had struggled with perimeter defense.
"We worked really hard on trying to prevent them from getting 3s," Wright said. "They do a great job. They know you're trying to stop their 3s."
Paige had 14 points and Bullock added 15 for UNC.
Mouphtaou Yarou scored 17 points and Arcidiacono had 10 for Villanova.
A 15-0 run midway through the first half led to a 32-12 North Carolina lead and Williams appeared poised to comfortably cruise to victory No. 700. A jumper by McAdoo gave North Carolina its biggest lead with 7 minutes to go in the half.
But after going without a field goal from the 10:56 mark to 5:16 showing on the game clock, the Wildcats regrouped, pounced on some sudden sloppiness by North Carolina and closed out the half on a 14-3 spree to go into halftime trailing only 37-29.
Then, opening the second half on an 11-3 spurt, they finally caught up when Hilliard's layup tied it 40-all at the 16:04 mark.
"We just couldn't make a shot," Hairston said. "We took some crazy shots, we rushed some shots, we turned the ball over and at the same time Villanova was coming down and getting chip-ins and easy two-point plays."
Hilliard's bucket and Pinkston's putback gave Villanova a 44-42 lead, its first since it was 4-3. But at the 12:06 mark, Bullock's third 3-pointer gave North Carolina a 47-45 advantage.
Paige, Hairston and McDonald all hit 3-pointers while the Wildcats were committing five turnovers during North Carolina's first-half run. After Leslie McDonald took a pass from Bullock and moved in for a layup, Hairston scored on an underhand scoop and McDonald drilled a 3 to put North Carolina on top 28-11.
Two free throws by McAdoo made it 30-11, then Pinkston and Arcidiacono hit free throws before Pinkston dropped in a jumper to end the Wildcats' field goal drought.
Pinkston got open for a 12-footer and Hilliard followed with another short jumper, making it 37-23. After a Tar Heels turnover, Tony Chennault kept the spree alive with another bucket.
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Ex-Oklahoma teacher gets 45-year sentence for child exploitation
By Steve Olafson
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - A former third-grade teacher in Oklahoma was sentenced to 45 years in prison on Friday for taking lewd photos of her young students at the behest of a retired college professor.
Kimberly Crain pleaded guilty to 19 counts of sexual exploitation of a child under 12, possessing child pornography and lewd molestation, according to District Attorney Richard Smothermon.
Crain blamed much of her actions on retired Pennsylvania college professor Gary Doby, whom she described as an "online love interest" who urged her to provide him photos of her students at the grade school in McLoud, a small town 30 miles east of Oklahoma City.
Doby, 66, who had met Crain in the 1970s when he taught at Oklahoma Baptist University, was sentenced to life in prison in January.
In a letter to the court, Crain also cited depression, menopause and an inattentive husband for her actions.
Crain, 50, will not be eligible for parole until she is 87 because she must serve 85 percent of her sentence, said Smothermon.
"This literally shook the community to its core," Smothermon said. "She was trusted and beloved by the community."
(Editing by Corrie MacLaggan and Andrew Hay)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-oklahoma-teacher-gets-45-sentence-child-exploitation-231023249.html
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Friday, March 22, 2013
Blocking an inflammation pathway prevents cardiac fibrosis, study suggests
Mar. 21, 2013 ? New research from UC Davis published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that blocking an enzyme that promotes inflammation can prevent the tissue damage following a heart attack that often leads to heart failure.
Led by Nipavan Chiamvimonvat, cardiologist and professor of internal medicine, a team of researchers tested a compound that inhibits the enzyme soluble epoxide hydrolase -- or sEH -- one of the key players in the robust immune-system response that heals tissue following an injury. The enzyme, however, can become counterproductive after a cardiac event.
Chiamvimonvat explained that sEH increases proinflammatory lipid mediators, leading to long-term, heightened inflammatory conditions. It also causes cells, which typically link together and provide the foundation for heart tissue, to overwork. The outcome is scar tissue, or fibrosis, that results in an abnormal relaxation of the heart after each beat, taxing remaining heart muscle as it performs double duty and eventually leading to a decline in the heart's pumping action.
"We often see patients following a heart attack in clinic who initially respond well to current treatments, which address the initial causes of the cardiac event and try to preserve heart function," said Chiamvimonvat, whose research focuses on the biological mechanisms of heart disease. "Over time, though, heart function in some patients continues to worsen and can lead to heart failure. It would be ideal to have new approaches that target the cellular overproduction that leads to heart muscle stiffening and cardiac fibrosis."
Heart failure progressively limits oxygen throughout the body, reducing mobility, respiration and quality of life. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the condition affects 5.7 million people in the U.S. and costs the nation $34.4 billion in health-care services, medications and lost productivity. About half of people who have heart failure die within five years of diagnosis.
Previous research by Chiamvimonvat showed that an sEH inhibitor synthesized in the laboratory of entomology Professor Bruce Hammock can reduce the enlargement of heart muscle cells and associated arrhythmia. For the current study, she conducted a series of experiments to determine if it could also be a potential treatment for fibrosis.
Chiamvimonvat and her team tested the compound on a mouse model for heart attack. Because cardiac fibrosis can also be caused by other long-term cardiac diseases, the compound was also used on a mouse model for the chronic pressure overload commonly seen with hypertension. For both models, one group of mice was given the compound with their drinking water, while another group was not. The animals' heart functions were assessed using echocardiography.
The results showed that the mice receiving treatment had significant decreases in adverse cardiac muscle remodeling following a heart attack or due to chronic pressure overload. Their overall cardiac function also improved. Additional tests performed in Hammock's lab showed significantly reduced inflammatory factors in their systems.
"Our study shines new light on this inflammation pathway and identifies a potential therapeutic target that could greatly expand options for one of the biggest and most difficult-to-treat problems in cardiology," said Javier Lopez, cardiologist, assistant professor of internal medicine and study co-author who developed methods used in the study to quantify fibrotic cells.
The team hopes to test the compound next on a larger animal model as a precursor to human clinical trials.
"This project is part of a long-term, exciting collaboration between two labs dedicated to combining their strengths to benefit human health," said Hammock. "The translational value of our research is significant."
The study received major support from the National Institutes of Health (grant HL85727 and HL85844), a Veterans Administration Merit Review Grant, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Med-into-Grad Training Program, an NIH-funded Training Grant in Basic and Translational Cardiovascular Science (grant T32 HL86350), the American Heart Association, a Western States Affiliate Predoctoral Fellowship Award, a Fellow-to-Faculty Award from the Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Foundation and a Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Partial support was provided by the National Institute of Environmental Health (grant R37 ES01710), the NIEHS Superfund Basic Research Program (grant P42 ES04699), the NIEHS Center for Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention (grant P02 ES11269), a Technology Translational Grant from UC Davis Health System and the American Asthma Society. Hammock is a George and Judy Marcus Senior Fellow of the American Asthma Society. Chiamvimonvat is also affiliated with the VA Northern California Healthcare System.
Additional UC Davis study authors were Padmini Sirish, Ning Li, Jun-Yan Liu, Kin Sing Stephen Lee, Sung Hee Hwang, Hong Qiu and Siu Mei Ma. Author Cuifen Zhao is currently at Shandong University in China.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Davis Health System.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- P. Sirish, N. Li, J.-Y. Liu, K. S. S. Lee, S. H. Hwang, H. Qiu, C. Zhao, S. M. Ma, J. E. Lopez, B. D. Hammock, N. Chiamvimonvat. Unique mechanistic insights into the beneficial effects of soluble epoxide hydrolase inhibitors in the prevention of cardiac fibrosis. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1221972110
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
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For Israelis, Obama has finally arrived
President Obama hit all the right notes for winning over skeptical Israelis during his first state visit to the critical ally.?
President Barack Obama and Israeli President Shimon Peres are photographed through a window and the crowd as they are greeted by children waving Israeli and American flags upon their arrival at the Peres' residence, March 20, in Jerusalem.
Carolyn Kaster/AP
EnlargeLike Jerry McGuire, who won his wife back with a simple "hello," President Obama seemed to capture the hearts of Israelis with the first word of his speech upon touching down at Ben Gurion airport: Shalom.
Skip to next paragraph Christa Case BryantJerusalem bureau chief
Christa Case Bryant is The Christian Science Monitor's Jerusalem bureau chief, providing coverage on Israel and the Palestinian territories as well as regional issues.
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As Obama moved into a carefully scripted speech that swept back millenniums to recognize Abraham and Sarah as the ancient claimants to the land of Israel, Amir Mizroch, editor of the English edition of Israel Hayom, tweeted: "Stop it, stop it, you had me at Shalom."?
?Obama even trotted out a bit of Hebrew, telling his listeners:?tov l'hiyot shuv b'aretz ??It's good to be back again in "the land," the colloquial term for Israel. It was the first clip played in an unusually long evening news program about his visit.
To be sure, there were hiccups as well. Obama's "beast," the super-duper secure limo that ferries him around even on foreign visits, broke down when someone ? the Israelis insist it was the Americans ? put in the wrong kind of gas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's joke about preparing Obama a fake moustache so he could ditch his security people and secretly sample Tel Aviv's bars fell flat. And there were complaints that several ministers in the new government had asked Obama to free Israeli spy Jonathan?Pollard, to which he reportedly responded: "Nice to meet you," or "Nice to see you again."
Unlike a wedding, state visits have to be orchestrated without the benefit of the main actors rehearsing ? and sometimes it shows. Obama and Israeli President Shimon Peres, a Nobel laureate now in a largely ceremonial position, bumped into each other more than once as protocol officers pulled and prodded them into the proper formation and they tried to smoothly insert themselves into photo ops with cute kids waving the Star of David and the Stars and Stripes.?
But overall, Obama managed to sail right through the awkward moments and hit all the notes Israelis wanted to hear. He outlined his vision of a two-state solution as a strong?Jewish?state next to a sovereign Palestinian one, without mentioning anything about curbing Israeli settlements in the West Bank; promised continued foreign aid; insisted on calling Netanyahu by his nickname, Bibi; complimented his wife Sara, saying the Netanyahu boys must have gotten their good looks from her; and, in a more serious moment, recognized the sacrifice of Netanyahu's family, who lost his brother Yoni in the 1976 Entebbe operation to rescue more than 100 Israeli and Jewish passengers whose plane had been hijacked.
One senior Israeli official who was asked ahead of time about what Obama would have to do to make his visit a success, reportedly replied simply, "Land." Indeed, before Obama even addresses the Israeli public in a speech tomorrow; before he visits the Dead Sea Scrolls, thus implicitly acknowledging that Israel's right to exist here dates back thousands of years before the Holocaust; before he visits the grave of Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism ... in the eyes of many Israelis, his mission is already accomplished.
For the Palestinians, the feelings are quite the reverse. But more on that tomorrow.
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Thursday, March 21, 2013
Unique Finds ~ Elephant Walk Interiors & Antiques - Orlando Family ...
I had noticed that Elephant Walk had moved in close to the
neighborhood, so I thought I'd check them out. This is a pretty large space
with even more offerings outside.
When walking in it can be a bit overwhelming because there are a lot of antiques and such filling in every nook & cranny. As you wander the storeroom you see how they have grouped items together as if to show you what it could look like in your home.
neighborhood, so I thought I'd check them out. This is a pretty large space
with even more offerings outside.
When walking in it can be a bit overwhelming because there are a lot of antiques and such filling in every nook & cranny. As you wander the storeroom you see how they have grouped items together as if to show you what it could look like in your home.
Elephant Walk Interiors & Antiques has just about anything. I was fascinated looking at it all.? We were told the owner travels to Europe and brings back his finds, which may be why many of the items were pricey.
While we just came to scope out the place, I could see myself coming back to by some unique finds for my house.Source: http://orlandofamilystyle.com/2013/03/unique-finds-elephant-walk-interiors.html
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Appreciating Web Hosting Needs In Web Development | Content for ...
Word Count: 673 Date:
How rich can you get if you have all the information necessary to maximize your online profitability? Nobody can really be certain but it makes sense to take a look at every business expense you have, including the price of your web hosting. This article will provide you with the information you need to find a good hosting service for a great price.
Do your own research to determine how long your hosting provider has been in operation. A company that has been operating for a long period will generally be able to provide better support as they already have more time to learn from experience and through technological adjustments. If issues or problems surface, the provider will have the first-hand experience in dealing with it. For common problems, they would have already setup some standard procedures in response.
It is not a good idea to register your business domain name with your web hosting company you choose, if you desire to own that domain long term. You can lose your domain name in the process if something happens to your web hosting company. Instead, it would be better for you to try using an independent site too keep your domain name.
Mobile web designs became popular with the rise of mobile devices with impressive online capabilities. This gave rise to web hosting sites that cater to this segment of the cyberspace. However, businesses must be cautioned that just because you like a company's designs, it does not mean you have to tie yourself up with them. There are sites that will let you use their tools in exchange for ads and other things you may be uncomfortable with. If you have the means to fund a better site, don't hesitate to do so.
Several add-ons that web hosts offer actually are of little value to the web presence of a business. Items like unlimited storage are not only useless, but also typically restricted by many hidden rules. For many people, these additional features only give the web hosting company additional profits from fees for upgrades that are really are not needed.
There is a vast options of web hosting companies out there but don't be nauseated by them. Companies pop up constantly offering lower prices and attractive packages. Don't allow yourself to fall for any of this hype. Go with your gut and narrow your list to a few good middle-of-the road options, then compare their services before selecting from the.
Do not opt for a web host on cost alone. If you are trying to build a mobile web site, it best to determine pricing would look with your specification. Although it's always good to find a great deal, you shouldn't simply select a host because of their affordability. Low price could mean lousy customer support or useless features that would be of no help for you to run your site successfully.
Before signing a contract with a web hosting company, always read the fine prints. Be aware of add-on charges which are not apparent and hidden a contract that are often too long to bother reading. Such costs can add up to your web hosting fees without you being explicitly made aware of it.
Before you sign up to a web hosting company, look out for hidden cancellation fees that may be buried in the agreement. Hosting services may eventually become unacceptable to you. When you try to cancel your service, you will be surprised by these cancellation fees. This tactic is quite common, especially for bargain-priced web hosting providers. Make sure you know the relative provisions of your contract before ending it quickly.
As shown in this article, there are many factors involved in the cost of web hosting as it is in web development as a whole. Consider which options are right for your business and choose which hosting service can best address your web presence requirements.
Starting a home based business to earn income online takes a significant amount of time and energy upfront to get things going. Not seeing results immediately can be discouraging and cause people to give up too early. In this article, we look at the process of starting a home based business and working through the frustrations to be there when the sales come flowing in.
Being an entrepreneur and earning multiple streams of income is a dream that many have, but in reality it does take some initial hard work to achieve this. Earning multiple streams of income is the wave of the future, and here are some tips and advice for you when you are looking for ways in which to do this for yourself.
Cyber marketing has now become an indispensable segment of e-commerce as well as the internet and World Wide Web related topics. Cyber marketing simply refers to a technique of attracting potential customers by advertising your products or services through such means as websites, emails, and banners.
Businesses go to so much trouble when there is one sure-fire, simple, very inexpensive way to attract new clients to a business: Teach a free class. That is what article marketing is like. Your articles are just like free classes. You teach your target readers something helpful in your article. Your resource box then says, "If you enjoyed this article you can visit my website and apply what you have learned."
If you want your SEO to work you now need to concentrate on appeasing Google Panda, and to do this you need to know what Google Panda's spiders/bots will be looking for. Find out here how to search engine optimise your website for the latest Google Panda algorithm, and achieve the success you deserve.
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Survey: Low-wage workers gloomy about future
Chart shows AP-NORC poll on attitudes of low-wage workers
Chart shows AP-NORC poll on attitudes of low-wage workers
WASHINGTON (AP) ? America's lower-income workers have posted the biggest job gains since the deep 2007-09 recession ? but few are bragging.
As a workforce sector, those earning $35,000 or less annually are generally pessimistic about their finances and career prospects. Many see themselves as worse off now than during the recession, a two-part Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey of workers and employers shows.
The survey revealed that many people at the lowest rung in the workplace view their jobs as a dead end. Half were "not too" or "not at all" confident that their jobs would help them achieve long-term career goals. And only 41 percent of workers at the same place for more than a decade reported ever receiving a promotion.
Yet 44 percent of employers surveyed said it's hard to recruit people with appropriate skills or experiences to do lower-wage jobs, particularly in manufacturing (54 percent). While 88 percent of employers said they were investing in training and education for employee advancement, awareness and use of such programs among the lower-wage workers was only modest.
Although President Barack Obama made it a national goal to "equip our citizens with the skills and training" to compete for good jobs, the survey shows a U.S. workforce that has grown increasingly polarized, with workers and their bosses seeing many things differently.
Seventy-two percent of employers at big companies and 58 percent at small ones say there is a "great deal" or "some" opportunity for worker advancement. But, asked the same question, 67 percent of all low-wage workers said they saw "a little" or "no opportunity" at their jobs for advancement.
Through last month, the economy had recovered only about 5.7 million of the 8.7 million jobs shed in the deepest downturn since the Great Depression. Low-wage jobs are usually the first to come back following a recession. While the outlook clearly is improving, economic growth remains anemic and unemployment is a still-high 7.7 percent.
Ronald Moore, 48, of Lebanon, Ind., is among those who have seen their situation improve. He started his own home-inspection company three years ago after he couldn't find enough work as a truck driver. But "nobody was buying homes, so no one needed an inspection," he said. "It was pretty rough in the beginning." Now he operates a custom cabinet business, where business is starting to improve. Slowly.
To gauge the experiences and perspectives of lower-wage workers, the AP-NORC Center conducted two separate surveys. A sample of 1,606 workers earning $35,000 or less annually was surveyed last summer, while a companion poll of 1,487 employers of such workers was conducted from November through January.
Roughly 65 percent of the jobs the U.S. economy added since the recession officially ended in June 2009 have been lower-wage ones.
Despite those numerical gains, "lower-income households have been hit very hard and have not benefited as much from the recovery," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics. "Their real wages are going nowhere. And this is a group that has more debt, fewer assets, is less likely to own a home or stocks and with little capacity to absorb higher gasoline prices."
Economists also say low-wage workers were hit particularly hard by an increase in Social Security payroll taxes resulting from "fiscal cliff" negotiations late last year between Obama and Congress.
A degree of economic "self-righting" will happen as more middle-income and higher-income jobs come back and economic growth accelerates, said Robert Trumble, director of the Labor Studies Center at Virginia Commonwealth University. "But the situation we've been facing for the last half-dozen years or so has been tough. And the lower your income, the tougher it is."
"Some things are better. But there are still some things that are still hard," said Sarah Mueller, 33, of Palm Harbor, Fla., who found work as a Montessori teacher two years ago after working as a part-time and substitute teacher. "With student loans, people are still struggling ? I'm one of those people ? to pay back student loans that are astronomical," she said.
Seventy-four percent of lower-wage workers say it is "difficult" or "very difficult" for them and their families to get ahead financially. Half thought their financial situation was somewhat or much worse than in 2008.
Many worry a lot or some (71 percent) about being unable to pay their bills, unexpected medical expenses (70 percent), losing their job (54 percent) or keeping up with their mortgage or rent (53 percent).
Many reported stagnant (44 percent) or declining (20 percent) wages over the past five years.
Employers and workers tend to agree that employees themselves hold the bulk of the responsibility for helping workers to get ahead in their careers, but employers are more apt to place some of that responsibility on high schools and colleges.
Despite their many frustrations, 74 percent of low-income workers said they were very or somewhat satisfied with their jobs. Yet 90 percent of all workers said they were satisfied with their job, according to an AP-GfK poll conducted in September.
The surge in low-wage jobs seems to have escaped notice by employers, the survey suggests. Just 22 percent of them said their organization's lower-wage workforce grew over the last four years and only 34 percent expect it to increase in the coming four years.
Lower-wage workers are also pessimistic about the overall direction of the country, with 7 in 10 saying "wrong direction," above the 60 percent of all adults who said so in AP-GfK polling conducted at the same time.
"Lower-wage jobs are coming back first," said labor economist Heidi Shierholz of the Economic Policy Institute, a labor-leaning think tank. "But it's all bleak and it's all due to lack of demand for work to be done. We're still not getting more than just what we need to hang on," Shierholz said. "These last few months have looked better, but we cannot yet claim robust recovery by any stretch."
Lena Hughes, 31, of Indianapolis, a certified hospital nursing assistant, would agree.
"Everybody is struggling financially. It's hard to get jobs still," she said. "I don't think it's getting any better."
The surveys were sponsored by the Joyce Foundation, the Hitachi Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago. The Joyce Foundation works to improve workforce development and education systems to assist job seekers who may lack skills or credentials. The Hitachi Foundation aims to expand business practices that improve economic opportunities for less well-off workers while benefiting business.
The worker survey was conducted online using the GfK KnowledgePanel and by telephone by interviewers from NORC from Aug. 1 through Sept. 6, 2012. The employer survey was conducted online and by phone by NORC from Nov. 12, 2012, through Jan. 31, 2013. The margin of sampling error for the survey of workers was plus or minus 2.9 percentage points; for employers, it was 4.5 points.
___
Associated Press News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius and writer Stacey A. Anderson contributed to this report.
___
Follow Tom Raum on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tomraum
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