umucoge's Space http://umucoge.posterous.com Most recent posts at umucoge's Space posterous.com Wed, 12 Sep 2012 22:56:34 -0700 South Africa's rand hits fresh one-month high http://umucoge.posterous.com/south-africas-rand-hits-fresh-one-month-high http://umucoge.posterous.com/south-africas-rand-hits-fresh-one-month-high {ttle}

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Wed, 12 Sep 2012 21:00:31 -0700 Fortissimo EXX//Akkord http://umucoge.posterous.com/fortissimo-exxakkord http://umucoge.posterous.com/fortissimo-exxakkord Fortissimo EXX//Akkord

In a post-war mangrove surrounded island, there exist a magical ritual, one that requires a sacrifice between twelve selected magi before thirteen hours elapsed every occurrence of the I-Space: a world that resembles the real world, yet only magi can go.

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Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:08:04 -0700 Serious games could be integrated into surgical training subject to validation http://umucoge.posterous.com/serious-games-could-be-integrated-into-surgic http://umucoge.posterous.com/serious-games-could-be-integrated-into-surgic [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 11-Sep-2012
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Contact: Annette Whibley
annette.wizard@gmail.com
Wiley

Serious gaming can be used to enhance surgical skills, but games developed or used to train medical professionals need to be validated before they are integrated into teaching methods, according to a paper in the October issue of the surgical journal BJS.

Researchers from The Netherlands reviewed 25 research studies covering 30 serious games published between 1995 and 2012.

"Many medical professionals may still have a rather out-dated view of the average gamer as being someone who is too young to vote, afraid of daylight and busy killing mystical dwarves in their parent's basement" says co-author Dr Marlies Schijven from the Department of Surgery at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam.

"However, the reality is that the average game player is 37 years-old and there are almost three times as many women using games as boys aged 17 years or younger.

"Although game-based learning is becoming a new form of healthcare education, scientific research on its effectiveness is limited. The aim of this review was to identify the value of serious games for training professionals in medicine and, in particular, surgery."

Nineteen articles discussing 17 serious games specifically developed for educational purposes were identified by Dr Schijven and co-author Dr Maurits Graafland. Many of these covered team training in acute and critical care and dealing with mass casualty incidents, including nuclear events and hazardous materials. Others covered more specific areas of healthcare, such as training for coronary artery bypasses and knee joint surgery and assessing and resuscitating patients with burns.

Six studies assessed 13 commercially available games associated with, but not specifically developed for, improving skills relevant to the medical profession. They included sports, action, adventure and shooting games and were used to help surgeons improve their laparoscopic psychomotor skills.

The authors have made a number of observations as a result of their review. These include:

  • Serious games form an innovative approach towards the education of medical professionals and surgical specialities are eager to apply them for a range of training purposes.
  • Further research should define valid performance parameters and formally validate programmes before serious games can be seen as fully fledged teaching instruments for medical and surgical professionals.
  • Although a serious game does not necessarily have to be developed for an educational purpose to be an educational tool, such games cannot be seen as fully completed training resources.
  • Serious games allow multiple professionals to train simultaneously on one case and allow one professional to train multiple cases simultaneously. These skills are recognised as critical in reducing medical errors in dynamic high-risk environments, such as the operating room or emergency department.
  • Serious games can provide crisis resource training, with a large variety of cases, in a relatively cheap, readily available environment that provides a viable alternative to expensive simulators. Serious games also provide training environments for disaster situations and mass casualty incidents, including combat care.
  • Games need to be designed to fit into residency teaching programmes if they are to be used as a way of preventing medical errors.
  • Simulation and serious gaming represent ideal teaching methods to optimise the knowledge and skill of residents before they are entrusted with procedures in real patients. Educators and games designers should develop serious games that train professionals in order to maximise patient safety.
  • Although the cost of developing serious games can run into millions, this investment can be justified in terms of delivering better patient care and preventing errors and insurance companies could play a key role.

"Our review clearly shows that serious games can be used to provide surgeons with training in both technical and non-technical skills" says Dr Schijven. "However, games developed or used to train medical professionals need to be validated before they are integrated into surgical teaching programmes."

###

The paper can be read free online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.8819/pdf

Note to editors

Systematic review of serious games for medical education and surgical skills training. Graafland et al BJS. 99, pp1322-1330. (October 2012). DOI: 10.1002/bjs.8819

With an impact factor of 4.606, BJS is the premier surgical journal in Europe and one of the top six surgical periodicals in the world. Its international readership is reflected in the prestigious international Editorial Board, supported by a panel of over 1200 reviewers worldwide. BJS features the very best in clinical and laboratory-based research on all aspects of general surgery and related topics. Developing areas such as minimally invasive therapy and interventional radiology are strongly represented. http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/BJS

Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit www.wileyblackwell.com or our new online platform, Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), one of the world's most extensive multidisciplinary collections of online resources, covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 11-Sep-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Annette Whibley
annette.wizard@gmail.com
Wiley

Serious gaming can be used to enhance surgical skills, but games developed or used to train medical professionals need to be validated before they are integrated into teaching methods, according to a paper in the October issue of the surgical journal BJS.

Researchers from The Netherlands reviewed 25 research studies covering 30 serious games published between 1995 and 2012.

"Many medical professionals may still have a rather out-dated view of the average gamer as being someone who is too young to vote, afraid of daylight and busy killing mystical dwarves in their parent's basement" says co-author Dr Marlies Schijven from the Department of Surgery at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam.

"However, the reality is that the average game player is 37 years-old and there are almost three times as many women using games as boys aged 17 years or younger.

"Although game-based learning is becoming a new form of healthcare education, scientific research on its effectiveness is limited. The aim of this review was to identify the value of serious games for training professionals in medicine and, in particular, surgery."

Nineteen articles discussing 17 serious games specifically developed for educational purposes were identified by Dr Schijven and co-author Dr Maurits Graafland. Many of these covered team training in acute and critical care and dealing with mass casualty incidents, including nuclear events and hazardous materials. Others covered more specific areas of healthcare, such as training for coronary artery bypasses and knee joint surgery and assessing and resuscitating patients with burns.

Six studies assessed 13 commercially available games associated with, but not specifically developed for, improving skills relevant to the medical profession. They included sports, action, adventure and shooting games and were used to help surgeons improve their laparoscopic psychomotor skills.

The authors have made a number of observations as a result of their review. These include:

  • Serious games form an innovative approach towards the education of medical professionals and surgical specialities are eager to apply them for a range of training purposes.
  • Further research should define valid performance parameters and formally validate programmes before serious games can be seen as fully fledged teaching instruments for medical and surgical professionals.
  • Although a serious game does not necessarily have to be developed for an educational purpose to be an educational tool, such games cannot be seen as fully completed training resources.
  • Serious games allow multiple professionals to train simultaneously on one case and allow one professional to train multiple cases simultaneously. These skills are recognised as critical in reducing medical errors in dynamic high-risk environments, such as the operating room or emergency department.
  • Serious games can provide crisis resource training, with a large variety of cases, in a relatively cheap, readily available environment that provides a viable alternative to expensive simulators. Serious games also provide training environments for disaster situations and mass casualty incidents, including combat care.
  • Games need to be designed to fit into residency teaching programmes if they are to be used as a way of preventing medical errors.
  • Simulation and serious gaming represent ideal teaching methods to optimise the knowledge and skill of residents before they are entrusted with procedures in real patients. Educators and games designers should develop serious games that train professionals in order to maximise patient safety.
  • Although the cost of developing serious games can run into millions, this investment can be justified in terms of delivering better patient care and preventing errors and insurance companies could play a key role.

"Our review clearly shows that serious games can be used to provide surgeons with training in both technical and non-technical skills" says Dr Schijven. "However, games developed or used to train medical professionals need to be validated before they are integrated into surgical teaching programmes."

###

The paper can be read free online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.8819/pdf

Note to editors

Systematic review of serious games for medical education and surgical skills training. Graafland et al BJS. 99, pp1322-1330. (October 2012). DOI: 10.1002/bjs.8819

With an impact factor of 4.606, BJS is the premier surgical journal in Europe and one of the top six surgical periodicals in the world. Its international readership is reflected in the prestigious international Editorial Board, supported by a panel of over 1200 reviewers worldwide. BJS features the very best in clinical and laboratory-based research on all aspects of general surgery and related topics. Developing areas such as minimally invasive therapy and interventional radiology are strongly represented. http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/BJS

Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit www.wileyblackwell.com or our new online platform, Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), one of the world's most extensive multidisciplinary collections of online resources, covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-09/w-sgc091112.php

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Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:54:51 -0700 Playroom September 10 2012 | Bonbon Break http://umucoge.posterous.com/playroom-september-10-2012-bonbon-break http://umucoge.posterous.com/playroom-september-10-2012-bonbon-break

?2012 Bonbon Break Media, LLC -- All text, images, design, titles, recipes, and other matter appearing on Bonbon Break ("BonbonBreak.com Material") are copyright of Bonbon Break, LLC and / or it's contributors unless otherwise specified and may not be transferred or copied - digitally or otherwise - in any manner without written permission of BonbonBreak, LLC. No alterations or modifications whatsoever may be made to BonbonBreak.com Material including to any of its images, graphics, designs, or recipes without written permission. Violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Source: http://www.bonbonbreak.com/2012/09/09/playroom-september-10-2012/

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Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:58:58 -0700 Science helps Spain's natural cork industry pop back http://umucoge.posterous.com/science-helps-spains-natural-cork-industry-po http://umucoge.posterous.com/science-helps-spains-natural-cork-industry-po

Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:59am EDT

(Reuters) - For three generations Antonio Gorgot's family have carried axes into the mountainous forests of northern Spain to cut slabs of bark off their cork oaks. A few years ago their livelihood was under threat as the cork business lost its buoyancy.

Sales of Spanish cork plummeted between 2008 and 2010 as plastic wine stoppers or metal screw tops made headway globally alongside declining wine consumption.

But now the traditional cork business has recovered, rescued by unlikely saviors: cutting-edge laboratory researchers in white coats who are demonstrating why nature's stopper may still be one of the best ways of preserving and serving bottled wine.

"We're totally in debt to the labs. It's great for our market that they have shown that cork has advantages over other competitors," said Gorgot, 53.

Now natural wine cork production is back at levels of its best times, a bright spot in a Spanish economy that is mired in its second recession in just three years.

Cork cutters and wine producers say the turnaround is largely due to scientists helping them boost the quality of cork production by introducing a strict new European protocol to certify quality corks.

Spain's cork-producing regions of Catalonia, Andalucia and Extremadura have set scientists the task of ensuring corks don't have any infamous "cork taint" - a musty odor caused by the chemical trichloroanisole (TCA).

The Catalan Cork Institute (ICC) in Girona, the largest research institute of its kind, has had its public funding cut but continues its work due to contracts with cork producers and wine bottlers wanting improved standards to give them an edge.

The laboratory tests wine corks and bottles of wine from producers to see which stoppers perform best. It tests whether corks emit smells or contaminating molecules, does a microbiological analysis and also checks out torque and extraction to see how strong the cork is.

Results, which include comparisons with plastic stoppers, are used by bottlers to make buying decisions.

The result is higher quality corks being used for wine, driving out poor quality offerings.

MARKETING PUSH

The testing has also shown that sometimes wine tasters have wrongly blamed corks. Juan Pablo Orio, director of research and development at winemaker Bodegas Riojanas remembers: "At a wine tasting in England a client complained that a wine tasted of cork but when we checked on it, it had a plastic stopper."

That kind of scapegoating is becoming less common thanks to cork producers implementing stricter protocols.

The research has also helped cork producers to better market themselves, particularly targeting the more lucrative export market beyond crisis-rattled Spain.

Spain has exported cork since the 19th century and is now the second largest cork exporter in the world, last year selling 300 million euros ($384.03 million) of cork abroad. Spain each year sells 3 billion corks, making 1.3 billion for sparkling wines and 1.7 billion for ordinary wines.

While many mid- to low-range wines are increasingly bottled with plastic or metal corks in big wine drinking countries like Britain and Germany, Spain's producers are now pushing the advantages of traditional cork.

"With the alternative corks people lost sight of the fact that real cork works very well," said Manel Pretel, director of the ICC. "(Synthetic corks) generated problems such as the loss or gain of oxygen which weren't issues with real cork."

Cork can be compressed on bottling lines and then instantly revert to 85 percent of its original size to form an airtight seal for the bottle.

SYNTHETIC EDGE

Rival synthetic cork producers have noticed the improvement in natural corks but say there are still many poor quality corks on the market.

The most expensive natural corks are cut from a slab of bark in one piece, but "agglomerated" corks are made from the offcuts glued together.

"Those corks have a chemical that's a lot more aggressive and complex than the plastic we use," said Carlos Valero, manager of ExcellentCork, a synthetic maker in Alicante.

Spain's cork industry says, however, that developments from laboratories like the ICC have led to an improved quality in agglomerated corks.

Increasingly, environmentally aware consumers are also drawn to the fact that growing cork trees helps the planet since forests of cork-oak trees, Quercus suber, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Also, cork is a renewable resource, since the bark of the tree grows back.

"It's (the) green economy: respecting natural regeneration cycles and respecting the ecosystem," said the ICC's Pretel.

Gorgot and his crew of between four and seven men harvest the cork in the thick forest of Alt Emporda, bordering France, between May and August, searching for the trees planted in higgledy-piggledy formations, rather than rows. An experienced cork cutter can earn 100 euros a day during the harvest season.

A cork tree must grow 25 years for the first harvest, and then it's another eight to 14 years until the next bark has been formed. And the bark is not good enough for corks until the third harvest.

"You don't learn to cut cork in one or two years," said Gorgot. "You need a lot of skill with the axe. You need to leave behind the lower layer of bark that regenerates the next harvest of cork."

($1 = 0.7812 euros)

(Writing by Sarah Morris; Editing by Fiona Ortiz)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/scIjIYTr0Uw/us-spain-wine-corks-idUSBRE8890IX20120910

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Mon, 10 Sep 2012 22:48:29 -0700 Childhood Obesity's New Frontier -- Shapewear http://umucoge.posterous.com/childhood-obesity39s-new-frontier-shapewear http://umucoge.posterous.com/childhood-obesity39s-new-frontier-shapewear

Argo gold mine

It?s a traditional American clich? ? ?Thar?s gold in them thar hills!? There certainly is gold in the mountains of fat that encumber so many people, as proven by billionaire Sara Blakely, the inventor of Spanx shapewear. A lengthy profile of the billionaire entrepreneur, written by Clare O?Connor, was the cover story of the March issue of Forbes magazine.

In her younger days, Blakely worked for a while at Disney World as a ride attendant, buckling the customers in. Maybe even then, her subconscious was storing up images of the hundreds of bulging bellies and hefty thighs that she must have come into contact with every day.

Later, she sold fax machines door-to-door and became that company?s national sales trainer. Unable to buy the exact kind of slimming underwear she wanted, she was struck by the inspiration to start manufacturing it. A lot more inspiration came from a series of cassette tapes by motivational speaker Wayne Dyer, titled ?How to Be a No-Limit Person.?

Over a two-year period, Blakely demonstrated the American DIY spirit, writing her own patent application, designing the product?s packaging herself, and overcoming stage fright and fears of both heights and flying. She personally sold the first Spanx from a folding table at the Neiman Marcus department store, and ran a mail-order business from her apartment, doing all the customer service, marketing, and public relations herself.

Other major department stores came on board, and Blakely scored a major coup by getting Oprah Winfrey into the figure-smoothing underwear. And then:

In November 2000 Winfrey named Spanx her favorite product of the year.

The company made $4 million the first year of its existence, and more than double that the second year. Now, it offers a couple of hundred different products that are manufactured in 15 counties and sold in 40 countries. Currently, the journalist reports:

Blakely owns 100% of the private company, has zero debt, has never taken outside investment and hasn?t spent a nickel on advertising.

Blakely is married to a multi-talented fellow named Jesse Itzler who has several glamor-fitness-related business interests including coconut water and low-calorie vodka. At some point in the past, the Spanx mogul tried out stand-up comedy, and her husband describes her as ?50% Lucille Ball, 50% Einstein.? Nowadays, she is a motivational speaker, tirelessly inspiring women to follow their own entrepreneurial dreams.

Over the last several decades, women have rejoiced at being freed from girdles. Now, they?re paying top dollar for undergarments that are, basically, girdles. Driven by the obsession to be firm, even East Coast intellectuals admit to wearing multiple layers of Spanx undergarments to ensure the restraint of any free-wobbling flab.

In one of her TV appearances promoting the tight undershirts that hold men?s stomachs in place, Blakely remarked, ?It looks so much cleaner under suits.? If thin is clean, then fat must be dirty, and this is the kind of unthinking linguistic habit that makes so many obese people more ashamed and alienated than they otherwise would be.

The Huffington Post recently posted a video about why these garments could be detrimental to the health of teenagers, mentioning ?bladder infections, gastro-intestinal problems and nerve damage that can result in numbness and burning in the thighs.? An online comment by Melissa Parker, who works in a clothing department, says:

The worst reasoning of all I see in young women when it comes to the purchasing/wearing of shapewear is when it is at the urging of their hyper-critical, judgmental moms? I spent most of prom season in fitting rooms with crying girls who looked perfectly lovely with no shapewear or push up bras, but were made to feel so inferior by the criticism from their own mothers.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: ?Undercover Billionaire: Sara Blakely Joins The Rich List Thanks To Spanx,? Forbes, 03/07/12
Source: ?Teen Spanx: Shapewear May Be Bad For Their Health (VIDEO),? The Huffington Post, 08/02/12
Image by Michelllaurence?(modified).

-->

Source: http://childhoodobesitynews.com/2012/09/10/childhood-obesitys-new-frontier-shapewear/

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Mon, 10 Sep 2012 20:45:18 -0700 AP PHOTOS: Scenes from final days of US Open http://umucoge.posterous.com/ap-photos-scenes-from-final-days-of-us-open http://umucoge.posterous.com/ap-photos-scenes-from-final-days-of-us-open

NEW YORK (AP) ? After a weather-challenged week, the U.S. Open wraps up Monday when defending champion Novak Djokovic and Olympic gold medalist Andy Murray meet in the men's final.

Djokovic leads the head-to-head series against Murray 8-6 but lost their most recent matchup in the semifinals of the London Games.

For the fifth straight year, rain forced the men's title match to be scheduled a day late.

The women's final between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka that was supposed to be played Saturday night was shifted to Sunday afternoon. Williams won for her fourth Open title.

Here's a gallery of U.S. Open photos.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-photos-scenes-final-days-us-open-231640769--spt.html

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Mon, 10 Sep 2012 18:52:08 -0700 House chairman visits AF base reeling from scandal http://umucoge.posterous.com/house-chairman-visits-af-base-reeling-from-sc http://umucoge.posterous.com/house-chairman-visits-af-base-reeling-from-sc

(AP) ? The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said the Air Force is diligently investigating a widening sex scandal at Lackland Air Force Base after he made a personal visit to the Texas installation on Sunday.

Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon spent three hours at the base, where he met with Gen. Edward Rice Jr., military officers, enlisted members and recruits. The base and the Air Force have been rocked by allegations that dozens of female recruits were sexually assaulted or harassed by their male instructors.

"Hundreds of investigators are following all kinds of leads," McKeon said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. In some cases, the investigators are going back two or three times, he said.

The California Republican, who made the stop in Texas on his way to Washington for Congress' return this week, said he received assurances from top military officers that they will do all they can to ensure the incidents don't occur again.

Military prosecutors have investigated more than a dozen instructors at Lackland and charged six with crimes ranging from rape to adultery. The most serious allegations involved an instructor sentenced to 20 years in prison in July after being convicted of raping one female recruit and sexually assaulting several others.

Lackland is where every new American airmen reports for eight weeks of basic training. About 35,000 graduate each year.

About one in five recruits are female, while most of the nearly 500 instructors are male.

McKeon's visit comes as the allegations at Lackland have prompted victims of sexual assault in the military to push for congressional investigations and hearings.

McKeon had an opportunity to meet with some 30 recruits, about half of them female, with few military officers in attendance. He described it as a unique situation.

"You can read about in the paper, watch it on TV or hold hearings, but you can't get 30 recruits to Washington," he said.

Last month, the military ousted the top commander over the basic training unit at Lackland. In addition, Texas Sen. John Cornyn held up the nomination of the White House pick for Air Force chief of staff while pressing for answers about the scandal. Cornyn finally ended his hold on the nomination of Gen. Mark Welsh after meeting with him to discuss the scandal.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-09-09-Air%20Force%20Sex%20Scandal/id-9ee4b4d2c2ad47d4ba715be80dcf3e6c

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Mon, 10 Sep 2012 00:04:42 -0700 Inspirational Online Business Stories from the Blogging ... - Feedgrids http://umucoge.posterous.com/inspirational-online-business-stories-from-th http://umucoge.posterous.com/inspirational-online-business-stories-from-th

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://feedgrids.com/source/famousbloggers/p80232

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Sun, 09 Sep 2012 20:21:49 -0700 Race may be down to a handful of unknowns (The Arizona Republic) http://umucoge.posterous.com/race-may-be-down-to-a-handful-of-unknowns-the http://umucoge.posterous.com/race-may-be-down-to-a-handful-of-unknowns-the
Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/246896391?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Sun, 09 Sep 2012 18:25:11 -0700 Suicide bomber kills 4 near NATO's Afghan HQ http://umucoge.posterous.com/suicide-bomber-kills-4-near-natos-afghan-hq http://umucoge.posterous.com/suicide-bomber-kills-4-near-natos-afghan-hq

By Reuters

KABUL, Afghanistan --?A suicide bomber detonated explosives near the heavily barricaded NATO headquarters in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Saturday, killing four civilians, NATO and local officials said.

The bomber, who was riding an explosives-laden motorcycle, blew himself up near the entrance of Camp Eggers, a NATO spokeswoman said, referring to a sprawling base that is home to 2,500 coalition trainers.


At least four civilians were killed and two more wounded, Kabul Police Chief Ayoub Salangi told Reuters.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for more details.

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/08/13741340-four-die-in-suicide-bomb-attack-on-nato-hq-in-afghan-capital-kabul?lite

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Sat, 08 Sep 2012 23:41:24 -0700 Mickelson surges into share of the lead with Singh http://umucoge.posterous.com/mickelson-surges-into-share-of-the-lead-with http://umucoge.posterous.com/mickelson-surges-into-share-of-the-lead-with

Phil Mickelson acknowledges the crowd with a thumbs-up after he birdied the 18th hole during the third round of the BMW Championship PGA golf tournament at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Phil Mickelson acknowledges the crowd with a thumbs-up after he birdied the 18th hole during the third round of the BMW Championship PGA golf tournament at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Vijay Singh of Fiji, watches his tee shot on the seventh hole during the third round of the BMW Championship PGA golf tournament at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Tiger Woods reacts after making birdie on the sixth hole during the third round of the BMW Championship PGA golf tournament at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Tiger Woods reacts after making birdie on the sixth hole during the third round of the BMW Championship PGA golf tournament at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Phil Mickelson, right, listens to Jim Macky during the third round of the BMW Championship PGA golf tournament at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

(AP) ? The best in golf returned to Indiana for the first time in more than 20 years, and based on the All-Star performance that broke out Saturday in the BMW Championship, this show might leave these golf-hungry fans even more mesmerized.

The last big event at Crooked Stick was the 1991 PGA Championship featuring an unknown rookie named John Daly who turned it into a one-man show of power golf.

There are no mystery guests this time.

Not with Phil Mickelson making 10 birdies, including a 6-iron on the par-3 17th that he described as a "salty little cut, back into the wind." He had a 64 and wound up tied for the lead with Vijay Singh, who has taken only 74 putts through three rounds, but had a three-putt on the 18th hole that gave him a 69 and cost him the outright lead.

Mickelson and Singh, both in the World Golf Hall of Fame, were at 16-under 200.

Right behind them were two-time major Rory McIlroy and former world No. 1 Lee Westwood, followed by the likes of Adam Scott and Dustin Johnson. And only three shots behind was Tiger Woods, who keeps getting the most out of a scrappy game and is very much in the mix going into Sunday.

"The cream has risen to the top, hasn't it?" Westwood said.

This follows the Deutsche Bank Championship in which McIlroy held off Louis Oosthuizen, Woods, Mickelson and Johnson. The opening week at The Barclays featured Nick Watney beating Ryder Cup pick Brandt Snedeker, Johnson and Sergio Garcia.

And now this ? perhaps the strongest leaderboard in golf all year going into the final round.

How strong?

The 16 players separated by five shots have won 29 majors and 21 World Golf Championships, and four of them have been No. 1 in the world over the last decade.

"The crowd is pretty rowdy, and it's an incredible leaderboard," Scott said. "It's going to be fun. I'm glad I put myself in that position."

Singh was the dominant figure throughout the day. The 49-year-old Fijian hasn't won on the PGA Tour in four years, and he was desperate to show that he could put four good rounds together and end that drought. He made enough birdies to offset a few silly mistakes ? mostly short putts that he missed ? and he held it together until the end. Singh was in trouble on the par-5 15th until he chipped in for birdie from 50 feet.

He followed that by missing a 4-foot par putt, only to answer with an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th. He was poised to take the outright lead until his approach to the 18th spun down a ridge, and he gunned the 45-foot putt some 5 feet by the cup and missed it coming back.

"I've one more to do," Singh said. "I've got to play a little better than what I did today. I've got to make less mistakes than I did today. I think I can do that."

Mickelson had his best score since he closed with a 64 to win at Pebble Beach in a final-round pairing with Woods. He has gone quiet since the Masters, however, but a change to a claw-style putting grip has coincided with improved play. Lefty felt his game turning around last week on the TPC Boston, where he put together four straight rounds in the 60s, and Saturday only affirmed it.

He finished the front nine with four straight birdies, caught Singh with a 10-foot birdie on the 13th, and then overcame a bogey on the 14th with three birdies in his last four holes. The most impressive was on the 17th, where he hit that soft cut with a 6-iron to a tight pin, gave it a little body English and saw it settle 6 feet away.

"It's taken me a little while to piece it back together, but I could tell last week that my game was back and I was ready to play at the highest level again," Mickelson said. "I came out Thursday and forced it a little too much the front nine. But after that, I've been able to settle down and play some good golf. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's shootout. It should be fun."

The shootout was made possible by drenching rain this week, allowing the players to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairway. Three more inches of rain fell overnight, delaying the third round by an hour to remove water from the bunkers and get the course ready.

Then, the best in the world tore it up.

Woods began flexing his left leg during the front nine after an awkward stance on the fourth hole, his feet planted in the grass with his golf ball well below in the sand. He winced occasionally and was tumbling down the leaderboard until he chipped in from 25 feet on the ninth hole.

Thus began four birdies in a five-hole stretch that kept him in the game. He had a 71, losing two shots on the lead, though it could have been worse.

"I'm within reach," Woods said. "I have to probably shoot 63 or 64 tomorrow to have a chance."

But at least he has one, along with a dozen others.

McIlroy didn't play particularly well, either, especially on the easy par-5 ninth when he pitched over the green, chipped to 6 feet and missed to make a bogey. He played the front nine in even par and fell three shots out of the lead until he rallied on the back nine.

"I'm delighted just to be one back going into tomorrow because the display of golf I put on out there from tee to green was not very good," McIlroy said. "I hung in there and made some putts on the back nine and was able to get myself back in the tournament."

If the opening two playoff events were any indication, the only predictable about Sunday might be a forecast of pleasant conditions.

The winners have come from two and three shots behind at Bethpage and Boston, including McIlroy rallying from a three-shot deficit last week. That should help ease the sting of a sloppy day that he turned into a decent score. At stake for Boy Wonder in the final round is a chance to win for the fourth time this year, and become the first player to win back-to-back on the PGA Tour since Woods in 2009.

Then again, it seems everyone has something at stake tomorrow, and everyone has a chance.

"It's the playoffs," Johnson said. "Guys come to play golf. In the big tournaments, it seems like all year the top guys are up there every time."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-09-08-BMW%20Championship/id-6437be30d948416db6227c6f1eade802

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Fri, 07 Sep 2012 21:27:22 -0700 Health-care system wastes $750B a year through waste, fraud http://umucoge.posterous.com/health-care-system-wastes-750b-a-year-through http://umucoge.posterous.com/health-care-system-wastes-750b-a-year-through

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The U.S. health care system squanders $750 billion a year ? roughly 30 cents of every medical dollar ? through unneeded care, byzantine paperwork, fraud and other waste, the influential Institute of Medicine said Thursday in a report that ties directly into the presidential campaign.

President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are accusing each other of trying to slash Medicare and put seniors at risk. But the counter-intuitive finding from the report is that deep cuts are possible without rationing, and a leaner system may even produce better quality.

"Health care in America presents a fundamental paradox," said the report from an 18-member panel of prominent experts, including doctors, business people, and public officials. "The past 50 years have seen an explosion in biomedical knowledge, dramatic innovation in therapies and surgical procedures, and management of conditions that previously were fatal ...

"Yet, American health care is falling short on basic dimensions of quality, outcomes, costs and equity," the report concluded.

If banking worked like health care, ATM transactions would take days, the report said. If home building were like health care, carpenters, electricians and plumbers would work from different blueprints and hardly talk to each other. If shopping were like health care, prices would not be posted and could vary widely within the same store, depending on who was paying.

If airline travel were like health care, individual pilots would be free to design their own preflight safety checks ? or not perform one at all.

How much is $750 billion? The one-year estimate of health care waste is equal to more than ten years of Medicare cuts in Obama's health care law. It's more than the Pentagon budget. It's more than enough to care for the uninsured.

Getting health care costs better controlled is one of the keys to reducing the deficit, the biggest domestic challenge facing the next president. The report did not lay out a policy prescription for Medicare and Medicaid but suggested there's plenty of room for lawmakers to find a path.

Both Obama and Romney agree there has to be a limit to Medicare spending, but they differ on how to get that done. Obama would rely on a powerful board to cut payments to service providers, while gradually changing how hospitals and doctors are paid to reward results instead of volume. Romney would limit the amount of money future retirees can get from the government for medical insurance, relying on the private market to find an efficient solution. Each accuses of the other of jeopardizing the well-being of seniors.

But panel members urged a frank discussion with the public about the value Americans are getting for their health care dollars. As a model, they cited "Choosing Wisely," a campaign launched earlier this year by nine medical societies to challenge the widespread perception that more care is better.

"Rationing to me is when we are denying medical care that is helpful to patients, on the basis of costs," said cardiologist Dr. Rita Redberg, a medical school professor at the University of California, San Francisco. "We have a lot of medical care that is not helpful to patients, and some of it is harmful. The problem is when you talk about getting rid of any type of health care, someone yells, 'Rationing.' "

More than 18 months in the making, the report identified six major areas of waste: unnecessary services ($210 billion annually); inefficient delivery of care ($130 billion); excess administrative costs ($190 billion); inflated prices ($105 billion); prevention failures ($55 billion), and fraud ($75 billion). Adjusting for some overlap among the categories, the panel settled on an estimate of $750 billion.

Examples of wasteful care include most repeat colonoscopies within 10 years of a first such test, early imaging for most back pain, and brain scans for patients who fainted but didn't have seizures.

The report makes ten recommendations, including payment reforms to reward quality results instead of reimbursing for each procedure, improving coordination among different kinds of service providers, leveraging technology to reinforce sound clinical decisions and educating patients to become more savvy consumers.

The report's main message for government is to accelerate payment reforms, said panel chair Dr. Mark Smith, president of the California HealthCare Foundation, a research group. For employers, it's to move beyond cost shifts to workers and start demanding accountability from hospitals and major medical groups. For doctors, it means getting beyond the bubble of solo practice and collaborating with peers and other clinicians.

"It's a huge hill to climb, and we're not going to get out of this overnight," said Smith. "The good news is that the very common notion that quality will suffer if less money is spent is simply not true. That should reassure people that the conversation about controlling costs is not necessarily about reducing quality."

The Institute of Medicine, an arm of the National Academy of Sciences, is an independent organization that advises the government.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-us-health-care-system-wastes-750b-140106406.html

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Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:45:42 -0700 El Paso Catholic church bulletin urges Obama defeat http://umucoge.posterous.com/el-paso-catholic-church-bulletin-urges-obama http://umucoge.posterous.com/el-paso-catholic-church-bulletin-urges-obama

A local Catholic church appears to have violated IRS rules -- and Catholic doctrine -- by endorsing a presidential candidate in a church bulletin.

St. Raphael Catholic Church on the city's East Side might have violated an Internal Revenue Service rule that prohibits tax-exempt churches from taking sides when it comes to candidates seeking political office in its Aug. 5 bulletin.

"I am asking all of you to go to the polls and be united in replacing our present president with a president that will respect the Catholic Church in this country," the end of the entry in the bulletin says. "Please pass this on to all of your Catholic friends."

The IRS won't comment on individual complaints, but its publication, "Tax Guide for Churches and Religious Organizations," says, "Churches and religious organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office."

The item in St. Raphael's bulletin clearly violates those rules, said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a Washington, D.C.-based group that argues that separation of church and state protects religion as well as government.

Lynn said the item encouraging parishioners to vote against President Barack Obama was an official communication of the church.

"What's more official than the church

bulletin?" he asked.

Monsignor Francis J. Smith, pastor of St. Raphael Catholic Church, couldn't be reached for this story.

But the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, which oversees St. Raphael, acknowledged in an email that the entry in the bulletin was inappropriate.

"Churches and other nonprofits are strictly prohibited from engaging in political campaigning/endorsement of a particular candidate," said Deacon Carlos Rubio, vice chancellor of the diocese. "The Diocese of El Paso is aware of this requirement from the IRS and mindful that it does not violate such norms."

The passage in the bulletin lists the number of employees of Catholic schools and hospitals in the United States, and it appears to be in response to Obama's mandate that health plans offered by those employers cover birth-control medication for women who want it. Catholic doctrine opposes artificial means of birth control.

The language that appeared in the bulletin also appeared -- verbatim -- in a July 10 post titled "Social Importance of the Catholic Church" on "Defenders of the Catholic Faith" -- a blog hosted by writer and lecturer Steve Ray. Political entries on the blog oppose Obama and what it says are his policies.

Contacted by email, Ray seemed unconcerned that the bulletin did not credit him for the passage, which he said he didn't remember writing.

"I am for the church and Catholics speaking their mind," he wrote. "We've been quiet too long."

Church rules say differently.

The primary U.S. church document on the Catholic Church's role in politics is called "Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship," issued by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. It says the role of bishops, priests and deacons is to teach fundamental moral principals that provide the framework for decisions such as how to vote.

"In fulfilling these responsibilities, the Church's leaders are to avoid endorsing or opposing candidates or telling people how to vote," the document says.

It also quotes Pope Benedict XVI: "The Church wishes to help form consciences in political life and to stimulate greater insight into the authentic requirements of justice as well as greater readiness to act accordingly, even when this might involve conflict with situations of personal interest. ? The Church cannot and must not take upon herself the political battle to bring about the most just society possible. She cannot and must not replace the State. Yet at the same time she cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice."

Rubio, the deacon of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, referred to the bishops' instructions in describing the steps the diocese is taking in response to the entry in the St. Raphael bulletin.

"The office of the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of El Paso has asked the pastor of St. Raphael Parish to re-address the article that appeared on August 5, 2012, in the parish bulletin in a manner that is consistent with the Guidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on 'Faithful Citizenship' and requirements of the IRS," he said.

St. Raphael's bulletin was one reaction to Obama's mandate over contraception coverage. It also aroused the anger of many Catholics -- including some bishops.

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State asked the IRS to investigate the Diocese of Peoria, Ill. Its bishop, Daniel R. Jenky, delivered a homily comparing Obama to Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin over the birth-control issue and then urged his listeners to go vote their consciences.

Last year, the organization complained to the IRS that El Paso's Word of Life Church was improperly involving itself in electoral politics by using its Tom Brown Ministries website to encourage voters to recall Mayor John Cook and city Reps. Steve Ortega and Susie Byrd.

Lynn, the executive director of Americans United, said IRS sanctions that are milder than revoking tax exemptions are often secret, so it can be impossible to know when -- or whether -- the agency takes action.

Even though the church cannot take sides, Rubio reminded El Paso Catholics to vote this presidential election season.

"The Diocese of El Paso cannot endorse any candidate for public office but reminds the Catholic faithful to exercise their civic duty to vote responsibly," he said. "It also reminds pastors and those who write in parish bulletins to respect copyright/published material guidelines for giving credit to original authors."

Marty Schladen may be reached at mschladen@elpasotimes.com; 546-6127.

Source: http://www.au.org/media/in-the-news/el-paso-catholic-church-bulletin-urges-obama-defeat

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Fri, 07 Sep 2012 17:42:46 -0700 What you can do to protect your business and employees from ... http://umucoge.posterous.com/what-you-can-do-to-protect-your-business-and http://umucoge.posterous.com/what-you-can-do-to-protect-your-business-and

By Cole Epley

Almost 2 million Americans report they have been victims of violence in the workplace each year, according to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

In the wake of recent acts of workplace violence on the national level, Betsy Weintraub, an associate attorney with the Memphis office of labor and employment law firm Fisher & Phillips LLP, lent her unique perspective as a former Assistant District Attorney to the following Q&A session. Her answers have been edited for clarity and space considerations.

Read through to find out how you can address workplace violence at your place of work ? and possibly even prevent it from occurring in the first place.

Q: From the Empire State Building shooting two weeks ago to the incident at The ServiceMaster Co. corporate headquarters in April, area employers may now be increasingly inclined to be more proactive in addressing safety issues in the workplace ? what should they be considering? Where can they turn?

A: It is certainly understandable that employers would have trouble maintaining a completely risk-free workplace. Some potentially violent issues in the workplace are reasonably foreseeable, however, which is why OSHA has issued specific guidelines for prevention of workplace violence in certain high-risk areas, such as late-night retail establishments, for health care and social workers and for taxi drivers.

?(But) if an employer does not already have policies and procedures in place to address workplace violence, they should consult with an employment attorney about what kinds of policies they should implement. Employers can also visit the OSHA website, where they can find a number of general recommendations for employers in all industries.

Q: What are some pitfalls employers can avoid in trying to address these issues for their employees? What difficulties might they face?

A: The important thing for employers to keep in mind is that they need to protect their employees, not just their property. If a jeweler brings in a security consultant, for instance, to get advice on how to secure his jewelry store for insurance purposes, the employer should also get advice on how to protect his or her employees in the event of a robbery or other hazardous situation.

Personal types of workplace violence are probably the most difficult hazards for employers to address. Considering the extremely high rate of domestic violence, an employer would probably be safe to assume that at least one of the employees has been a victim or perpetrator of domestic violence at some point. Employers can address personal threats to employees by maintaining an open environment where an employee feels comfortable reporting a personal threat to management or human resources.

Employers should also use extreme caution in listing names or photos of their employees on company websites. If an employer wants to list individual names, the employer should give all the employees the option to request that their names not be included on the website ? At the District Attorney?s Office, I saw firsthand how abusive partners and stalkers frequently use the Internet to find their victims.

Q: How important is it for not only employers but for employees, as well, to be aware of their legal rights in the workplace? What protections are they afforded by law on the federal and state levels?

A: Federal law grants employees the right to a safe workplace. Section 5(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970 (OSH Act) requires each employer to comply with its occupational health and safety standards and to ?furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.?

Employees have the right to work in a place that does not pose a risk of serious harm or death. If an employee feels that his or her safety is at risk, the employee can request an OSHA inspection at the work site or request information about the hazards and standards that apply in his or her work environment. The OSH Act also protects employees from retaliation and discrimination at work for asserting these rights ? employers can face serious consequences from fines to criminal prosecution if they are not aware of, or choose to ignore, their legal responsibilities concerning workplace violence.

Source: Memphis Business Journal



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Source: http://workplaceviolencenews.com/2012/09/06/what-you-can-do-to-protect-your-business-and-employees-from-workplace-violence/

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Thu, 06 Sep 2012 21:14:54 -0700 President Obama to stump in West Palm Beach http://umucoge.posterous.com/president-obama-to-stump-in-west-palm-beach http://umucoge.posterous.com/president-obama-to-stump-in-west-palm-beach
Barack Obams

Barack Obams (September 6, 2012)

3:48 a.m. EDT, September 6, 2012

President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit West Palm Beach for a free, grass roots campaign appearance on Sunday, according to campaign organizers.

It will be held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center at 650 W. Okeechobee Blvd.

The public is invited to attend but tickets are required.

One ticket per person will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets are available at several Organizing for America locations, including: 3008 S. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach; 3520 Broadway in Riviera Beach; 3200 S. Congress Avenue in Boynton Beach; 12785 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 8C in Wellington; 6020 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton.

Tickets become available beginning on Thursday at 6 p.m.

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-obama-visits-west-palm-beach-20120905,0,4702568.story?track=rss

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Thu, 06 Sep 2012 19:25:25 -0700 Two questions on renting/buying in Japan http://umucoge.posterous.com/two-questions-on-rentingbuying-in-japan http://umucoge.posterous.com/two-questions-on-rentingbuying-in-japan My wife really wants to buy an apartment or house in the suburbs of Tokyo, which I have some strong misgivings about.

One of her reasons is that apparently it is very difficult to rent places once you reach retirement age - estate agents are too worried about potential problems such as senility, unexpected deaths, low income of the tenants etc., to rent to elderly people. My view is that if you have the money, then estate agents want it and you can find somewhere to live. If things in Japan were really that strict, surely there would be a really large number of homeless people.
What is the situation in Japan?

The other question is on apartments. I pointed out to her that if we bought an apartment at the age of 40, then by the time we were 70, the apartment would be knocked down and we would be in the above situation. She said that when the apartment was knocked down, because the owner would own part of the land, they'd get some money back. Is this true?

Source: http://forum.gaijinpot.com/showthread.php?121516-Two-questions-on-renting-buying-in-Japan&goto=newpost

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Thu, 06 Sep 2012 17:32:25 -0700 Jackson estate, businessman settle copyright case http://umucoge.posterous.com/jackson-estate-businessman-settle-copyright-c http://umucoge.posterous.com/jackson-estate-businessman-settle-copyright-c

FILE - In a March 5, 2009 file photo US singer Michael Jackson announces that he is set to play ten live concerts at the London O2 Arena in July, which he announced at a press conference at the London O2 Arena. A trial scheduled to begin Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2012 will determine how much a businessman working with Katherine Jackson will have to pay her son?s estate for infringing some of its copyrights. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File)

FILE - In a March 5, 2009 file photo US singer Michael Jackson announces that he is set to play ten live concerts at the London O2 Arena in July, which he announced at a press conference at the London O2 Arena. A trial scheduled to begin Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2012 will determine how much a businessman working with Katherine Jackson will have to pay her son?s estate for infringing some of its copyrights. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File)

FILE - In this Monday, Feb. 28, 2005 file photo, Michael Jackson follows his mother, Katherine Jackson, as they arrive for court on the opening day of his child molestation trial at Santa Barbara County Superior Court in Santa Maria, Calif. A trial scheduled to begin Tuesday September 6, 2012 will determine how much a businessman working with Katherine Jackson will have to pay her son?s estate for infringing some of its copyrights. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

(AP) ? Michael Jackson's estate and a businessman working with the singer's mother settled a copyright infringement lawsuit for $2.5 million on Tuesday, shortly before a trial in the case was scheduled to begin.

The settlement also restricts Howard Mann and his companies from using Jackson's likeness without permission in the future. It ends a year and a half of legal fighting over Mann's use of Jackson's name and likeness on a website used to promote unreleased songs, photographs and a book written by Katherine Jackson filled with recollections of her superstar son.

Mann is the CEO of Vintage Pop Media, which operated the website www.michaeljacksonsecretvault.com until it was ordered shut down last month by a federal judge who ruled the site violated copyrights controlled by the singer's estate.

Under the terms of the settlement, announced in court by estate attorney Zia Modabber, Vintage Pop Media Group is responsible for $2 million of the judgment, while the entity Vintage Associates LLC is responsible for the remainder. Vintage Associates is the custodian of the items that were at issue in the case.

Mann's attorney, Lee Durst, declined comment after the hearing. "The estate is delighted this matter is behind us," estate attorney Howard Weitzman said.

Among the items that had been improperly used were images from Jackson's posthumous film "This Is It" and a silhouette of the singer dancing in "Smooth Criminal." The settlement also blocks the usage of materials from "Thriller" that had appeared on Mann's website.

A jury trial on how much Mann owes the estate had been scheduled to begin Tuesday, with an expert estimating a license for the works is worth between $5 million and $12 million.

Mann's attorneys rejected a settlement offer last week of $2 million. They sought to introduce evidence that they were given bad legal advice about having to license the works and have considered calling Katherine Jackson as a witness. The Jackson family matriarch is one of the beneficiaries of the singer's estate, along with his three children.

U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson has noted that Mann doesn't appear to have the resources to pay a large judgment. The defendants' ability to pay was not discussed in court on Tuesday.

__

Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-09-04-Jackson-Estate/id-8e44f44a2da24b469ab6fef8aedc551a

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Wed, 05 Sep 2012 22:42:31 -0700 JXD S602 Android 4.0 PSP Clone Gaming Console Unveiled For $66 http://umucoge.posterous.com/jxd-s602-android-40-psp-clone-gaming-console http://umucoge.posterous.com/jxd-s602-android-40-psp-clone-gaming-console

If you like the style of Sony?s PSP handheld gaming console, but would prefer something that runs Google?s Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) operating system.

A new upgraded from the older JXD S601 in the form of the JXD S602, is now available to purchase for just $66, with 4GB of onboard storage included. Watch the video after the jump to see the JXD S602?in action.

JXD S602 Android 4.0

The JXD S602 Android gaming console is powered by a ARM: GP33003, ARM Cortex A8 1GHz processor. Which is supported by 512MB DDR3 memory and fitted with a 4.3 inch 2 points resistive touch screen.

Software preloaded on the JXD S602 include emulators for the PS1, N64, SFC, GBA, MD, FC to name just a few. For more information jump over to the Willgoo website for fully specifications and to purchase for $66.

Source: Liliputing?:?Obscure Handhelds

Source: http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/jxd-s602-android-4-0-psp-clone-gaming-console-unveiled-for-66-video-04-09-2012/

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Wed, 05 Sep 2012 20:54:02 -0700 Police: Buffalo man tried to eat bogus $50 bills http://umucoge.posterous.com/police-buffalo-man-tried-to-eat-bogus-50-bill http://umucoge.posterous.com/police-buffalo-man-tried-to-eat-bogus-50-bill

(AP) ? Authorities say a 35-year-old man tried to swallow several counterfeit $50 bills after he was caught trying to use the bogus money at a western New York amusement park.

The Genesee (JEN'-uh-see) County Sheriff's Office says deputies were called to Darien Lake Theme Park and Resort on Sunday night after Larry Jones, of Buffalo, bought french fries with a $50 bill.

Deputies say a park employee determined the bill was counterfeit and called security. While being taken away, deputies say Jones stuffed five counterfeit bills into his mouth and tried to eat them.

Security officers retrieved the bills before Jones swallowed them.

Jones was charged with possessing a forged instrument and tampering with evidence and sent to the county jail with no bail. It couldn't be determined if he had a lawyer.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/apdefault/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2012-09-04-Eating%20Counterfeit%20Money/id-15b4479be49f41d59fe134ac40eff11d

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