Thursday, June 28, 2012

PR Jobs Created by Perfect Storm of Social Media, Business ...

Posted by Admin on June 27, 2012

Vancouver, BC (PRWEB) October 12, 2011

A ?perfect storm? of social media, business hiring to stay competitive and retirements has created new public relations job opportunities said the author of a new book ?PRoactive: The Public Relations Job Hunters Guide.?

?The PR profession is showing strong job growth but PR job hunters need to adopt proactive new social media search strategies if they?re going to find the hidden jobs in this economy,? said Jeff Domansky, CEO of Peak Communications Inc and author of the new job seeker?s guide.

He said PR job opportunities are growing despite the challenging US economy:

24% growth in PR jobs forecast by 2018
93% increase in PR job listings (Nov 2009 May 2011)
307% more ?social media marketing? job listings (Nov 2009 June 2011)
34% of PR professionals will reach retirement age in the next four to seven years.

?PR job hunters must source these difficult-to-find job openings and must also make a special effort to be found easily in social media,? Domansky said. ?This requires a whole new approach to using social media, managing online profiles and responding quickly to job openings in a very competitive environment.?

According to Domansky, many businesses downsized their PR and marketing too severely during the recession. Now they are hiring and trying to regrow and remain competitive by adding new PR talent to manage their new social media programs.

Several factors define the new reality faced by job seekers in public relations, marketing and other professions:

the average time to find a job in the US is now 39.7 weeks
52% of new graduates found their first job through social media
60% of new hires are made through personal connections and 37% of jobs are found through networking and not in job listings
91% of employers check online profiles as part of their hiring process
69% have rejected a candidate based on their social media profiles for a variety of online sins.

Domansky said his new book will help PR job hunters find the best PR industry job sites, learn how to create more effective resumes and online portfolios, network better online and offline and navigate new social media channels to find more job opportunities. The book also includes a 14-day blueprint and guide for PR job hunting strategies.

His best advice for job hunters? Keep using traditional PR job search strategies and add in the powerful advantages of social media.

?That?s really a touchstone for the PR profession today. The PR pros in biggest demand have a foundation in traditional PR and the knowledge and skills to manage social media and attract employers and recruiters,? he added.

?PRoactive: The Public Relations Job Hunters Guide? (ISBN 978-0-9877408-0-9) was written by Jeff Domansky, an APR-accredited PR agency CEO and consultant with more than 25 years experience. He is also editor of the popular The PR Coach blog. The 165-page book is now available in downloadable eBook format through ThePRCoach.com website and will be available in Kindle and print in November 2011.

Reference:

Jeff Domansky, Editor, ThePRCoach.com and CEO, Peak Communications Inc.

Tel: (604) 880-8569 Email: prcoach(at)gmail(dot)com

Media materials: fact sheet, Infographic, photos, book cover visual, author bio available at http://www.theprcoach.com/pr-job-hunters-guide/media

###

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The Next Generation of Video Game Consoles

This Christmas we will reach 7 years since the launch of the Xbox 360 and 6 since the launch of the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii. Now since it?s clear that Nintendo are going in a completely different direction, we will concentrate on Microsoft and Sony who are likely to do something a little more radical in their development of their next generation consoles. Here are the key points that both Microsoft and Sony will have to cover:

Going Digital

Retail stores are still a major part of sales for the video game industry but the recent problems with UK retailer Game have exposed their vulnerabilities. Ultimately the major companies in the video game industry would benefit from no longer relying upon retailers, as a digital copy of a game cannot be traded in and resold as a second hand game. For example, a game which is purchased and downloaded direct from a console?s marketplace benefits from a lack of manufacturing costs, no disc, case or manual needs to be produced. This also cuts out the retailer, who would normally take a share of the sales, increasing the profit margin for both the developer and publisher. Perhaps the biggest reason why digital downloads are the future of the industry however, is the fact that a digital copy cannot be traded in and resold as a second hand game. When a second hand game is sold by a retailer, the publisher and developer does not get any money from the sale, this cuts into their profit margin and is especially harmful to small-medium sized companies.

Keeping up with PC Gaming

The big advantage that a PC still has over a console is the ability to keep up with modern advances in graphics and PC power by swapping graphics cards in and out. Games such as Battlefield 3 and Crysis just look better and run smoother on high end PC?s.? If Sony or Microsoft can find a way to keep their hardware up to date, then that could be a major selling point for their next console. It?s unlikely that there will be as big an improvement in visuals as there was between the PS2 and the PS3 for example, but there is going to have to be some sort of improvement if consumers are going to be tempted to upgrade to new hardware. Game developer Epic games has become one of the first companies to show what they might be able to do in terms of visuals in the future, showing off their next version of the Unreal Engine at E3 2012.

The price point

Sony made a big mistake when they released the PS3 with a ?500 RRP just a year after Microsoft had launched the Xbox 360 for ?280. Sony?s initial struggles were largely a result of their failure to convince consumers that their console was significantly better than Microsoft?s. As a result they lost out on a number of exclusives due to the 360?s much larger install base. While sales of the PS3 have since picked up pace, especially in Europe, Sony would have been in a much healthier position if their launch had been stronger. It is then, vitally important for both companies to get the price point right first time round or risk failing to entice consumers to invest in new hardware.

Release date

For Microsoft, releasing a whole year earlier than the PlayStation 3 proved to be a big advantage. When they released the Xbox 360 they had no competition, with the PlayStation 2 nearing the end of its life cycle, this meant that consumers only had one choice to make, whether to buy an Xbox 360 or buy nothing at all. For Sony this caused many issues when they released the PS3, many gamers had already invested in an Xbox 360 and were not willing to spend a significant amount of money on yet another console. On top of this, Microsoft had already built up a solid library of games and had many more ready for release, making their product far more attractive. Something that they will both have to also keep in mind when deciding upon a release date is when making sure that there are no major current generation games being released around the same time, as this would devalue the need for buying a new console altogether. If Rockstar release the next Grand Theft Auto on current systems, it could be argued that they still have plenty to offer.

Games

Having an attractive selection of games is a big selling point for a console, if you give gamers titles which have unique features which can only be run on a new console then you give them a reason to go out and buy it. Making existing games for current gen consoles compatible with next gen machines is also important. If consumers know that they can still play the games they already own on the new system, there will be less hesitation in moving on. Shortly after Microsoft launched the Xbox 360, they had big games like Halo 3 and new franchises like Gears of War available to consumers. On the other hand Sony had several great games, such as Resistance: Fall of Man and Motorstorm, but didn?t have any major titles to drive sales.

So it is clear that both Sony and Microsoft are going to have to make sure they consider a number of different factors when releasing new hardware. They will need to ensure that they have a unique selling point to make their products attractive to the consumer. Sony especially simply cannot afford to get it wrong a second time round as the company is already struggling to cope with slumping sales in its other product lines. While Microsoft will be desperate to continue the momentum gained by the Xbox 360.

VN:F [1.9.18_1163]

Rating: 5.0/5 (1 vote cast)

The Next Generation of Video Game Consoles, 5.0 out of 5 based on 1 rating

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Apple wins sales ban on Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet

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Happy 28th Birthday, Khloe Kardashian!


Khloe Kardashian turns 28 years old today, and the reality star has reportedly started the process of getting herself the most beautiful birthday present possible: a baby!

Yes, folks, Khloe has started fertility treatments, according to multiple reports.

Khloe Image

Aside from that major step, Khloe's life is relatively calm when compared to her sisters. She isn't dating the world's most famous rapper or battling with ex in court.

She isn't pregnant, nor is she dating Scott Disick, a man who constantly makes John Mayer look UN-douchebag-like.

Instead, Khloe just appears on her family's scripted reality show, poses on many red carpets and appears genuinely happy in her marriage to Lamar Odom. Those two certainly showed us!

So on a day where Ed Westwick turns 25 and Tobey Maguire 37, we choose to single out Khloe Kardashian for being the least irritating of all Kardashians. And we honor her with the following photo montage:

Kardashians in UnderwearKhloe Kardashian Promo PictureKhloe Kardashian Cosmo CoverKhloe Kardashian, Yo!Kardashian Kollection Lingerie Ad

Shot of Khloe KardashianKim, Kourtney and Khloe ToplessNot a Kardashian?!?A Kiss from KhloeLamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian Together

Khloe Kardashian Us Weekly CoverKhloe and Lamar on the Red CarpetKardashians in LingerieKardashian Kollection Premiere PicKhloe Kardashian Lucky Cover

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California Condors face 'epidemic' lead poisoning, finds study

Ammunition left in animal corpses is the primary cause of lead poisoning among California Condors, whose numbers have remained low but stable thanks to conservation efforts.?

By Stephanie Pappas,?LiveScience Senior Writer / June 25, 2012

There are fewer than 300 California condors living in the wild.

Photo courtesy of Daniel George

Enlarge

Despite three decades of conservation efforts, the endangered California condor is still on the brink of extinction, new research finds.

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Without continued intensive work by humans, there could be as few as 22 of these enormous scavengers in California in as few as 11 years ? the same low that the population reached in 1982, triggering emergency conservation measures. The culprit, scientists report Monday (June 25) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, remains the same as it did 30 years ago:?lead poisoning from leftover ammunition.

"The three main things we found were that condors are continually exposed to harmful levels of lead, the principle source of that lead is ammunition, and that lead poisoning from ammunition is preventing the recovery of the condor population," said study researcher Myra Finkelstein, a research fellow at the University of California, Santa Cruz. [10 Species You Can Kiss Goodbye]

Lead poisoning epidemic

Since 1982, the?California condor?(Gymnogyps californianus) population has grown to 400 birds. As of May 31, 2012, 236 of these condors were living in the wild in California, Arizona and Utah, with 131 in California alone. But even wild condors are subject to intensive management, from GPS tracking to vaccination and semiannual health checkups. Conservation officials also provide food near nesting sites and do periodic cleanups of nesting areas.

All of this work keeps the population of condors in California roughly stable, Finkelstein and her colleagues found. But conservationists are working against the specter of an "epidemic" level of?lead poisoning, the researchers reported. A tally of 1,154 blood samples taken from 150 birds between 1997 and 2010 found that each year 50 percent to 88 percent exceed the "safe" threshold for blood lead levels.

Worse, 20 percent of the birds each year had levels so high that they required immediate treatment to prevent serious illness or death. Between 1997 and 2010, 48 percent of condors tested required treatment, and many were poisoned several times during the study period.

Even if condors don't die of lead poisoning, sub-lethal levels can interfere with their health and potentially their reproductive abilities, Finkelstein told LiveScience.

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New hormonal gel combination shows promise as reversible birth control for men

ScienceDaily (June 25, 2012) ? Male hormonal contraceptives applied daily to the skin reduce sperm production, finds a new study presented June 25 at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

Very low sperm counts resulted for about 89 percent of men using a new combination of hormones, the authors reported. They combined a transdermal (skin) gel containing the male hormone testosterone and a gel containing a new synthetic progestin called Nestorone.

"This is the first time that testosterone and Nestorone have been applied to the skin together to deliver adequate amounts of hormones that suppress sperm production," said principal investigator Christine Wang, MD, professor, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed). "Men can use transdermal gels at home -- unlike the usual injections and implants, which must be given in a health care provider's office."

Prior studies of male contraceptives that combined testosterone and progestin used progestin pills, implants or shots, according to Wang. In men, progestin increases the contraceptive effectiveness of testosterone. Both testosterone and progestin work together to turn off production of reproductive hormones controlling the production of sperm, she said. Furthermore, Wang said, unlike other progestins studied as male contraceptives, Nestorone has no androgenic (male hormone) activity. Androgenic activity may cause side effects such as acne and changes in good and bad cholesterol.

In this preliminary study, the investigators randomly assigned 99 healthy men to use one of three unidentified transdermal treatments every day for six months. The assigned treatment was either a gel containing 10 grams of testosterone plus a placebo ("dummy") gel, or the same testosterone gel plus a gel containing either 8 or 12 milligrams (mg) of Nestorone.

Fifty-six men completed at least 20 weeks of treatment and adhered to the study protocol, according to the abstract. Only 23 percent of men who received testosterone alone obtained a sperm concentration less than 1 million sperm per milliliter, "a level that is compatible with very low pregnancy rates," Wang said. For the testosterone-progestin combinations, sperm counts reached that level in 88 to 89 percent of men, depending on the progestin dose.

In addition, complete absence of sperm occurred in significantly more men receiving combined testosterone and progestin than testosterone alone: 78 and 69 percent (8 and 12 mg of progestin, respectively) versus 23 percent for testosterone only.

"The combination of testosterone with Nestorone had few adverse effects," Wang said. "It warrants further study as a male contraceptive."

Nestorone is an investigational new drug being developed by the Population Council, a nonprofit organization in New York City, which supplied this drug for the study. Besins Pharma provided the testosterone gel. Grant funding came from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development through the Contraceptive Clinical Trials Network. The University of Washington, Seattle, also participated in this study.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Endocrine Society, via Newswise.

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


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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Motherhood and the Myth of Having it All | Toddler Times

6059789551 3e23fd2c98 Motherhood and the Myth of Having it AllSince I read Anne-Marie Slaughter?s piece Why Women Still Can?t Have it All last week I?ve been pondering the idea of what it means to truly ?have it all.?

I?m not new at this mommy gig. With a nine-year-old, an almost-five-year old, and a three-year-old, I?m in the trenches, so to speak, but I have a few years of parenting under my belt.

This adds up, roughly, to: 700 time outs, 4,000 spilled sippy cups, 20 car seat installations, and 1,456,792 poopy diapers.

Nevertheless, I know better than to say that I know what I?m doing.

We?ve been through a lot as a family. At least once a week I marvel at the fact that I?ve been able so far to keep the wheels on this bus moving forward and cling to my sanity at the same time. As a mom, I?ve worked full time and part time outside the home. For two years I was a stay-at-home mom with no job, and if you?d asked me back then I?d have told you it was going to stay that way. Then suddenly I found myself working again, very part-time teaching one night a week. And now I?m home full time but also working. Full time? Part time? I haven?t done the math.

All I know is this: in each of these arrangements I?ve failed to achieve it ?all.? If it exists, it has eluded me these past nine years. Here?s the thing, though. I?ve never gone out seeking ?it all.? It?s a myth, like the American Dream or the perfect bra or a brand of nonfat ranch dressing that still tastes good.

There is no such thing as ?it all.?

In Slaughter?s article she describes leaving her position at the State Department in search of that elusive work-family balance, her ?desire to be with my family and my conclusion that juggling high-level government work with the needs of two teenage boys was not possible.?

I?ve never been a high-level government official. I?ve never even been a low-level government official. Come to think of it, I?ve never been any kind of official (unless you count that time I got to hold the flag at the Girl Scouts regional meeting in 5th grade) but do have an understanding about what it means to work hard and do the best by your family at the same time. I don?t think this is an issue that we can isolate to the ranks of the power elite. I know women who work in insurance offices and hospitals and in elementary school libraries who struggle with these same issues.

Across the country there are clerks at Dollar Generals and cashiers at Krogers who fight the rough waters of work and home harmony and who go under every day.

We?re not doing women any favors by promoting this myth that it?s possible to ?have it all.? Can someone please tell me what that even means? My suspicion is that the headline of the article (which was a fascinating and well-written and thought-provoking read) was intended to bait women into another tussle in the Mommy Wars. The cover photo on the issue of The Atlantic in which the article appears depicts a toddler in a briefcase like a cast-off file folder, a minor inconvenience, or the working woman?s latest must-have accessory.

I?ve yet to meet a working mom who regards her child in that way.

I?d be happy if we could stop promoting myths like ?having it all? as a mom because it ends up making us all feel like failures if we don?t measure up. For me, though, for now, a forward-moving bus driven by a mother who?s clinging to her sanity is the best I can do.

I?m not in pursuit of ?having it all,? and maybe that?s why I?m happy with what I have.

Photo Credit: Kate Hiscock/Flickr

Mary Lauren Weimer?is a social worker turned mother turned writer. Her blog,?My 3 Little Birds, encourages moms to put down the baby books for a moment and tell their own stories. Connect with her on?Facebook?and?Twitter.

More by Mary Lauren:

Why Putting Yourself First is Impossible

The Measure of a Mom

Giving My Daughter the Gift of Time

 Motherhood and the Myth of Having it All

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Arizona governor calls immigration ruling "victory" for rule of law

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Monday, June 25, 2012

Meatless Monday: Zucchini Parmesan Subs Recipe | Devour The ...

zucchini parmesan subs
Meatless Monday is a global movement, a way of life. It?s not a campaign to turn everyone in the world vegetarian or vegan; in fact, many involved are meat-lovers. Eating less meat has been proven to reduce the risk of disease, curb obesity and has important environmental impacts, too. Will you join us in giving up meat, just for one day a week?

I?m kind of over Eggplant Parmesan. In the 15 or so years since I gave up meat, I?ve probably eaten it 300 times. It?s the default vegetarian option at almost every wedding or banquet I?ve ever been to. It?s often the only meatless meal on restaurant menus, and my family members ? those who don?t try to convince me that poultry is vegetarian ? make it for me at nearly every family event.

But just like chicken isn?t the only meat that can get the Parmesan treatment, eggplant isn?t the only vegetable that can get Parmesan-ed. Zucchini Parmesan is just as good as, if not better than, Eggplant Parmesan. The hearty vegetable (is it actually a fruit? I think so.) holds up well to the breading, frying and cheese-topping. You can substitute zucchini for eggplant in the traditional casserole, or make Zucchini Parmesan subs, topped with fresh tomato sauce and provolone cheese.

The zucchini are breaded in panko, Japanese breadcrumbs ? they?re coarser and a bit more crisp than regular breadcrumbs and you can find them in most grocery stores, near the regular breadcrumbs.

Zucchini Parmesan Subs With Tomatoes and Basil

3 medium zucchini (about 2 pounds)
Kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds mixed shapes and sizes tomatoes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, smashed into a paste
About 12 fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
2 tablespoons whole milk
3 large eggs, beaten
Oil, for deep frying (we love a mix of pure olive oil and corn oil)
Four 7 to 8 inch-long hoagie rolls or baguettes, split
20 thin slices provolone cheese (about 11 ounces)

Cut the zucchini in half crosswise and then into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. If the center slice is very seedy, discard it. Arrange the slices on a paper towel-lined pan and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt, turning so you get both sides. Cover with another paper towel and set aside about 1 hour, letting the excess liquid weep from the zucchini.

Meanwhile, dice, halve or chunk the tomatoes, depending on their size and your whim. Put in a bowl with the olive oil, vinegar and garlic. Tear the basil into pieces and add to the bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate.

Mix together the panko, Parmesan, thyme and oregano and season with 1 tablespoon salt and some pepper in a broad, flat bowl or pan. Put the flour in a lipped plate or bowl. In a third bowl, whisk the milk and eggs together. (Have a bowl of water for dipping your fingers to keep them clean while breading.)

Blot the zucchini very dry with paper towels. Dredge the zucchini slices in the flour, then dip in the egg and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture, turning as needed to coat completely. Shake off excess breading and transfer to a baking sheet.

Pour about 3/4-inch oil in a medium straight-sided skillet; heat over medium heat until it registers 365 degrees F on a deep-frying thermometer. Working in batches, fry the zucchini slices, turning once, until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towels and season with salt. (The zucchini can be fried up to 2 hours before serving.)

Preheat the broiler. Arrange the rolls, split-side up, on a baking sheet and drizzle some of the juice from the tomatoes over the bread. Cover the bottom roll with the zucchini and top with the provolone, then toast under the broiler to melt. Add the tomatoes and cover with the roll tops. Slice and serve.

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Timbers take care of Sounders

Associated Press Sports

updated 7:34 p.m. ET June 24, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland Timbers vanquished their archrivals and took some pressure off their embattled coach.

Kris Boyd scored his fifth goal of the season, David Horst converted a header and the Timbers earned a much-needed 2-1 win over the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.

"I thought we showed an unbelievable amount of character," said Portland coach John Spencer, who had been dealing with reports he was on the hot seat. "When (people) say players are not playing for me, I didn't see anyone not playing for me today."

Portland (4-6-4) jumped ahead early and held off the attacking Sounders for its first win in the league series since joining the MLS last year.

The Timbers went up in the 16th minute when Boyd slipped past the defense and sent a cross from Steven Smith into the net. David Horst scored on a header nine minutes later for the 2-0 lead.

Seattle (7-5-4) saw its winless streak extend to seven games, the longest in its MLS history, now in its fourth season. Seattle was coming off a 1-1 draw with Sporting Kansas City and a 4-1 loss to Montreal. Still, the Sounders were favored against Spencer's unseasoned Portland squad.

The Timbers entered the match in last place in the Western Division and 16th in the league in goals with 12. Portland took its third shutout in five games last Sunday in a 1-0 loss to the L.A. Galaxy. The team's disappointing start to the season and flagging offense led to media reports this week that Spencer's job could be in jeopardy if the Timbers fell flat against Seattle.

The Timbers weren't flat but the early lead didn't feel permanent against the aggressive Sounders.

Eddie Johnson dribbled past Horst and fired a shot past straining keeper Troy Perkins into the far corner of the net in the 59th minute. Freddy Montero had a narrow miss in the 74th minute and Johnson narrowly missed a header in stoppage time.

As the Sounders kept up a desperate attack, the game became chippy, leading to several pushing and shoving incidents toward the end. Montero and Portland's Lovel Palmer were both issued red cards in the final minutes.

It was the third MLS meeting for the longtime Cascadia Cup rivals. Last year, in Portland's inaugural season, the teams played to a draw in Seattle before the Sounders won 3-2 in Portland.

While Boyd said the win served "to get everybody off our backs and show that we can play," Horst said things never seemed that dire. He saw the win as an opportunity to build.

"Last year, we had a turning point (in a 3-0 win over the league-leading Galaxy), where we had a little run," the defender said. "Hopefully, that's what this is - a turning point."

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


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Sunday, June 24, 2012

Tropical Storm Debby strengthens off Gulf

This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, June 23, 2012, shows shower and thunderstorm activity developing around an area of low pressure spinning in the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/NOAA)

This NOAA satellite image taken Saturday, June 23, 2012, shows shower and thunderstorm activity developing around an area of low pressure spinning in the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/NOAA)

A surfer rides a wave off Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., on Saturday, June 23, 2012. A storm system will bring more heavy showers and thunderstorms to southern Florida and the Gulf Coast. This system has a high chance of tropical cyclone development over the weekend. (AP Photo/Northwest Florida Daily News, Nick Tomecek)

A red flag flies on the beach at Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., indicating rough surf conditions on Saturday, June 23, 2012. A storm system will bring more heavy showers and thunderstorms to southern Florida and the Gulf Coast. This system has a high chance of tropical cyclone development over the weekend. (AP Photo/Northwest Florida Daily News, Nick Tomecek)

(AP) ? A tropical storm warning was issued Sunday for Alabama to the Florida Panhandle as Debby lashed parts of the Gulf Coast with wind and rain.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Sunday morning that Debby was about 190 miles (310 km) east-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It said the storm warning has now been issued from the Mississippi-Alabama border eastward to the Suwanee River in north Florida.

Debby's top sustained winds had increased to about 60 mph (95 kph). The storm was moving toward the northeast at 6 mph (9 kph).

Although a forecast track was still uncertain, the hurricane center said people from Texas to Florida should remain alert to Debby's movement.

At least one tornado linked to the storm touched down Saturday in southwest Florida, but no injuries were reported. Heavy squalls pounded parts of that state.

Forecasters said Debby could reach hurricane strength sometime over the next few days. Meanwhile, up to 10 inches of rain were possible along the coast, with isolated amounts possibly reaching 15 inches.

It was the first time four tropical storms have been recorded before July 1 during the Atlantic hurricane season since record keeping began in 1851. Alberto was the first storm this year. It formed off the South Carolina coast on May 19, almost two weeks before the hurricane season officially began June 1.

Debby forced the suspension of 8 percent of the region's oil and gas production.

The government reported that nine production platforms and one drilling rig were evacuated. The suspended crude production amounts to about 2 percent of U.S production and about 0.1 percent of global production. The reduced production is not expected to impact oil prices unless the storm strengthens and forces more production platforms to close.

A tropical storm warning was also in effect for part of the southeast Louisiana coast. Officials there have been monitoring the weather closely for the past several days. Some low-lying areas close to the coast flood easily in rough weather.

Near the mouth of the Mississippi southeast of New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said officials were making preparations to protect the main highway from tidal flooding.

A tornado touched down in Collier County in southwest Florida and forecasters warned other twisters were possible.

Several homes were damaged and tree limbs were down, smashing atop at least two cars, The Naples Daily News reported.

"This is quite common with this type of storm," senior hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart with the National Hurricane Center said of the twisters. "They tend to not be very large or long-lived, which can be difficult to detect on radar. So people need to keep an eye on the sky."

Out in the Gulf, Anadarko Petroleum removed all non-essential personnel and expected to close four facilities in the central and eastern Gulf. Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and Marathon Oil said non-essential personnel were being removed but production was not being affected. ExxonMobil reported that its operations were unaffected.

Associated Press

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Sandusky found guilty on 45 of 48 counts

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Saturday, June 23, 2012

Noisy stores spur creative shopping

By Linda Carroll , msnbc.com contributor

Forget about Muzak. If you want put customers in the mood to purchase your innovative new product, a new study suggest you try pumping some road noise or the sounds from a busy mall into your store or showroom.

Noise, if its not too loud, can spark creative thinking ? and that can lead to sales of inventive products, researchers reported in the study published in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Moderate noise?? around 70 decibels ? is enough to distract us from our normal thought patterns, said the study?s lead author Ravi Mehta, an associate professor in the Department of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Urban-Champaign.

And once we?re distracted, we tend to think in broader and more creative ways, which apparently allows us to better appreciate the value of innovative products.

Mehta and his colleagues conducted a series of experiments to investigate how various levels of noise impacted thinking and consumer behavior.

In one experiment, the researchers asked 65 college students to take a creativity test while seated in front of a set of speakers playing a mix of sounds that had been recorded in a busy restaurant and near a highway. The sound the volunteers heard was very much like what you would experience if you were seated near the street at an outdoor restaurant, Mehta said.

The study volunteers were divided into four groups. One heard the noise recordings turned up high, another heard the recordings at medium volume, another heard low volume and the fourth got silence.

The researchers found that the volunteers who heard a moderate level of noise did best on the test. Low noise and silence produced results that were similar to each other. Loud noise produced the poorest performance. That?s because it?s too distracting, Mehta said.

In another experiment, the researchers had 68 college students fill out a survey to determine their likelihood of buying one item out of each of eight pairs of products. In each pairing, one traditional product was matched with an innovative one. One pairing, for example, included a traditional mountain bike and a mountain bike that could be folded up so the rider could hike with it for a while and then ride it when he or she chose, Mehta said.

Once again, volunteers were exposed to different levels of noise as they filled out the surveys. Sure enough, people from the group who heard moderate noise in the background while they were filling out the surveys were more likely than those in the other groups to choose innovative products.

So, is the noise effect limited to innovative items?

?Maybe not, Mehta said.

In another experiment, the researchers asked 95 college students to come up with creative uses for a brick. Again, the students were divided into groups, some exposed to moderate noise and others exposed to low noise in the background as they wrote down their ideas.

When the researchers looked at the lists of ideas, they found no difference between the two groups when it came to the number of ideas originated by each group. But the group that heard moderate noise came up with much more creative ideas, Mehta said.

?Perhaps if you have a convertible in an auto showroom, potential customers will be able to think of more ways they might enjoy the car if they?ve got a moderate level of noise in the background ? as compared to the pin-drop silence usually heard in such establishments, Mehta said.?

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Home Improvement Can Be Difficult Without The Right Info

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Friday, June 22, 2012

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Samsung probes "exploding" Galaxy phone in Ireland

SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co said it was investigating reports that one of its flagship Galaxy S III smartphones exploded in a user's car in Ireland.

Samsung launched the phone, the strongest rival for Apple's iPhone, in Europe on May 29 and in the United States on Thursday. It plans to roll out the device in Samsung's lucrative home market in South Korea on Monday.

A Dublin-based consumer posted comments and photos on a web site on Wednesday (http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=79312161&utm_source), saying his Galaxy phone exploded while mounted on his car dashboard.

"There's no confirmation it was a fault with the phone. It may actually have been caused by a combination of my car mount and my car's heating system," the consumer wrote.

There have been other reports of Samsung smartphones overheating or exploding. In March, a Korean schoolboy reported that a spare battery for his Galaxy S II exploded in his back pocket. Samsung said then that massive external pressure or force caused the explosion.

"Samsung is aware of this issue (in Ireland)," the company said on its official blog. "Once the investigation is complete, we will be able to provide further details. We are committed to providing our customers with the safest products possible and are looking at this seriously."

A spokeswoman said on Friday the company was still looking into the matter.

Heat issues have been reported with other devices. In March, influential consumer watchdog Consumer Reports said Apple's latest iPad tablet threw off a lot more heat than the previous version, lending weight to complaints on Internet forums that the device could get uncomfortably warm after heavy use.

(Reporting by Miyoung Kim; Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Diabetes doctors: NYC big-soda ban is just a start

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Doctors treating the casualties of the global obesity epidemic say an unpopular proposal to limit soda portions in New York City should be just the beginning of stricter regulation of unhealthy foods.

Public opinion polls show a majority of Americans oppose New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to limit single servings of sugary drinks to 16 ounces (0.45 kilograms) at restaurants and other public venues.

[Related: Is soda really that bad?]

Many view the measure as unwelcome government intervention in their daily diets.

But exasperated diabetes specialists say people need even greater protections from a food industry that keeps enticing them with ever-bigger portions, as more than two-thirds of the country's adults are now overweight or obese. Excess weight contributes to health problems from diabetes to hypertension.

"We're spending billions of dollars for drugs to cure the problem after the problem happens, instead of preventing the problem," said Dr. Bryce Palchick, a general practitioner in Pittsburgh.

"This goes beyond individual freedom; if you have diabetes and end up in the hospital, somebody else is paying for your bills if you're not paying for it yourself," Palchick said in an interview at the American Diabetes Association annual meeting in Philadelphia last week. "Not only are you endangering your own life, you're making everybody else pay for it."

[Related: Scientists unveil healthiest meal ever]

Obesity accounts for $190 billion in annual U.S. medical costs -- or almost 21 percent of the total, according to a recent Lehigh University study. On average, obese individuals incur $2,741 higher medical bills each year than other people do, the study said.

A report presented this week by the American Medical Association estimated that 46 percent of the nation's intake of added sugars came from beverages. It said increasing taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages to a penny per ounce would lead to a 5 percent drop in the prevalence of people who are overweight and obese, and cut medical costs by $17 billion within a decade.

Other medical experts predict the scope of the problem will lead to further restrictions on food portions, from oversized hamburgers to super-size servings of French fries. New York City may be one of the first major centers to adopt new rules and become a template for other regions across the United States, they said.

[Related: Diabetes may hasten mental decline]

"It wouldn't be unreasonable to consider other high-calorie and empty-calorie foods" for regulation, said Dr. Andrew Ahmann, a professor of endocrinology at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.

He did express concern, however, that such intervention would be most costly to lower-income people, who rely more on the cheaper fare of fast-food restaurants.

Bloomberg's soda proposal might seem a little over-reaching, but makes total sense from a health perspective, said Karen Weiland, a nurse practitioner from Ohio State University Medical Center in Columbus.

"The person gets a huge jolt of sugar, and there's no protein or fat in the soda to mitigate that, and the body's insulin is not equipped to deal with that," she said. "Plus it's adding a lot of calories nobody needs."

Weiland expects New York to regulate other high-fat or high-calorie foods within a year or two and for such restrictions to "go global," as other governments follow suit.

However, the proposed soda restrictions face stiff opposition.

Coca-Cola Co has called the Bloomberg proposal an insult to New Yorkers. And the American Beverage Association, which represents that company as well as PepsiCo Inc and other soda makers, is fighting the measure.

[Related: Pepsi offering 'salty watermelon' flavored soda]

The city's Board of Health is expected to vote on the measure by September, after a three-month public comment period. If approved, the regulations would take effect in March.

Even so, they could face a court challenge from opponents, including a coalition of the beverage association, the National Restaurant Association, the National Association of Theatre Owners and others.

"We're watching developments, but I can't tell you at this point what we will do" in terms of legal or other strategy, said Gary Klein, general counsel of the theater owners group.

GLOBAL PROBLEM

Bloomberg's proposal follows a series of failures by individual U.S. states and local governments to introduce new taxes on sugary drinks. Residents of Richmond, California, will vote in November on a proposed 1-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. The city would use the estimated annual proceeds of $2 million to $8 million for soccer fields, school gardens and health programs for children.

Governments abroad have already begun to embrace taxes and other regulation on foods that contribute to weight gain.

Denmark imposed a tax last year on foods containing more than 2.3 percent saturated fats -- lifting the costs of butter by 30 percent and a bag of chips by 8 percent. A year earlier, the country had raised excise taxes on chocolate, ice cream, sugary drinks and candy by 25 percent.

In 2011, Hungary started taxing prepackaged foods high in sugar, salt or caffeine -- including carbonated sugary drinks, cookies, jams and instant soups. Finland introduced a tax the same year on sweets, chocolates and ice cream, and raised its existing excise tax on soft drinks.

Belgium, Ireland, Romania, Italy and the United Kingdom have considered similar measures as obesity rates among their citizens catch up to the United States.

Even Tasmania, whose isolation has protected many animal species from extinction since the Ice Age, is succumbing to fast food, said Dr. Gary Kilov, a primary care doctor from the Australian state who attended the diabetes meeting.

"There has been a doubling of childhood obesity in the last decade, and this pretty much reflects what's happening in all the Western world," he said. "Food is cheap, and lives are busy, so we opt for convenience over activity."

Australia now has one of the world's lowest smoking rates after emulating Bloomberg's earlier ban on the practice in bars and restaurants, Kilov said. But the New York big-soda ban does not go far enough, he added.

"To select soft drinks as the sole target of obesity is laughable; it's just fiddling at the edges," he said. "A better option would be an empty-calories tax on sugary drinks and high-fat foods and putting that money back into health and education. Tax your french fries, your doughnuts and ice cream."

Dr. Saleem Qureshi, an endocrinologist from Islamabad, Pakistan, said he wholeheartedly supported Bloomberg's big-soda restriction and expected his country to follow suit.

"It is time for the government to interfere," Qureshi said. "It's not about the words 'sugar' or 'diabetes' -- it's about the heart attacks, the strokes, the kidney failure, the blindness and the amputations that come from diabetes. And it's hitting at a younger and younger age."

(Editing by Michele Gershberg and Lisa Von Ahn)

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Iran attacks world powers' 'dishonesty'

Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gestures as he poses for the group photo at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. The Earth summit runs through June 22.(AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gestures as he poses for the group photo at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, or Rio+20, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. The Earth summit runs through June 22.(AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano)

(AP) ? Iran's leaders have accused the West of "enmity" and "bullying" policies after recent nuclear talks with world powers in Moscow ended without progress, according to media reports Thursday.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke to U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the sidelines of "Rio+20" U.N. conference on sustainable development in Brazil, and called for the world powers to "return to the legal framework" in talks with Tehran on Iran's controversial nuclear program.

"Arrogant and domination-seeking parties should avoid enmity toward the Iranian nation," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying by Iranian state TV. Ahmadinejad defended Iran, saying it had offered "legal, constructive, fair and friendly proposals," during the Moscow talks.

Two days of intensive discussion in Moscow between Tehran and six world powers ended Tuesday, with both sides agreeing only to continue low-level talks in early July. The six ? the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany ? want Iran to stop enriching uranium to a level that is just steps away from its use as the core of nuclear warheads.

Iran says it does not seek atomic weapons and that it is enriching uranium only to make reactor fuel or medical isotopes, insisting it has a right to enrich under international law.

With neither side ready to accept what the other brought to the table in the form of inducements to compromise, the talks ended with no headway. The lack of progress in Moscow is sure to be seen by critics as a sign that talks are ineffective in persuading Iran to curb enrichment.

Meanwhile, the chief of the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog said Thursday the agency is still trying to gain access to a suspected nuclear testing site at an Iranian military base southwest of Tehran and that dialogue with the Iranians on that issue is ongoing.

The activities at the Parchin military base are a recent concern of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA last month showed member nations of its board satellite images indicating a cleanup of the site but Iran denied it was trying to remove evidence of nuclear testing. It insists Parchin is a conventional military base and has turned down IAEA requests to visit the site.

Yukiya Amano, director general of the Vienna-based IAEA, said the agency is aware that a cleanup at the base is ongoing, "and we have concerns that this will hamper our verification activities."

In Tehran, influential cleric and former president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, said world powers showed "bullying" policies and "dishonesty" in Moscow talks.

"The talks proved that the Western side is (not interested) in interaction and they are not honest. They have based their policy on bullying alone," Rafsanjani was quoted by several Iranian dailies. He also urged Iranian unity to thwart its enemies.

Rafsanjani heads an advisory body to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, who has final say on all state matters.

Along with recognition of the right to enrich, Iran seeks relief from growing U.N. and other sanctions, including spreading international embargoes on its oil sales. That is something the six world powers are ready to grant only if Tehran agrees to enrichment suspension and related measures.

Iranian state TV ran a commentary blaming the failure of the Moscow talks on the West's refusal to hold a round of preparatory technical discussions between experts beforehand. Iran says it repeatedly asked the West for these preparatory discussions but received no answer.

The newscaster said the West hoped Iran would concede its "nuclear rights" to avoid tightening U.S. and EU sanctions. An EU embargo on Iranian crude starts July 1.

Ali Reza Khamesian, an analyst in Tehran, believes the lack of any outcome from the Moscow talks has convinced Iranian leaders that "the West is trying to pin Iran in the corner of the ring in heavy fighting." Khamesian says that Iran sees the talks as "fruitless" but will continue them to lessen "threats."

Iran's arch-foe Israel says Iran is stretching out the talks to move closer to the ability to make weapons, and it has threatened to attack the Islamic Republic as a last resort. Israel may argue that the negotiations are turning into "talks about talks" ? something the U.S. and its allies have vowed they will not tolerate.

Earlier this month Khamenei warned any Israeli attack would be answered with a "lightning" response by the Islamic Republic and suggested Iran's nuclear program cannot be curtailed by Western sanctions.

___

Associated Press writer Pablo Gorondi in Budapest contributed to this story.

Associated Press

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This NYC Townhouse Comes With a 299-Person Theater - Thespian ...

Wednesday, June 20, 2012, by Sarah Firshein

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Regardless of the fact that having a tricked-out "private screening room" is officially a growing trend among the wealthy and famous, having an old-school place to put on plays?complete with a stage, lights, and speakers?is incomparably better. Imagine seeing your name in lights?at your own home! Getting post-performance flowers and accolades?and then raiding your own fridge! Luckily for a budding thespian who has $10M to spend, dreams of stardom can become a reality thanks to a newly listed Manhattan apartment with an honest-to-goodness 299-person theater. Curbed NY, who spotted the listing, has the floorplan.

? Unique Yorkville Townhouse Features 299Seats/4BA [Curbed NY]

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