The Lions and Packers finally can confine their rivalry to the football field, and not the shooting range.
Coach Jim Schwartz says that he never meant to say anything bad about the Packers and their decision to skip a day of OTAs in order to go skeet shooting.
?We had no sporting clays today or no amusement parks or water parks,? Schwartz originally said.
Though we didn?t present Schwartz?s remarks as a slight against the Packers, who went skeet shooting, someone took it that way, prompting coach Mike McCarthy to respond.
?I don?t know what the problem with skeet shooting is; I thought that was probably one of the best events we?ve ever had here. . . .?I actually got a chuckle out of hearing someone else worried about us taking our team skeet shooting,? McCarthy said.
Schwartz has now responded to the, um, response.
?You know what?s really funny?? Schwartz said Tuesday, via Anwar Richardson of MLive.com. ??I had no idea that it was even that. ?I had players who were saying, ?Hey coach, somebody went skeet shooting. ?Somebody went to a water park. ?You know what?s really funny? [Lions P.R. chief Bill] Keenist sent me that article, and the day that article came out, you know what I was doing? ?Skeet shooting. ?I thought that was the funniest thing.?
Schwartz ultimately wasn?t offended by McCarthy?s response.
?It doesn?t matter to me,? Schwartz said.
The broader point is whether it makes sense, with decreased offseason workouts, to sacrifice one of only 10 OTA days for a team-building exercise. ?The fact that McCarthy would and Schwartz wouldn?t possibly suggests that one guy is loose (winning a Super Bowl tends to do that) and the other guy is a little tight. ?Or maybe Schwartz didn?t feel the need to reward a team with players who have created off-field issues this year.
Or maybe, given those off-field issues, Schwartz didn?t want to put guns in some of his players? hands.
Wells Fargo & Co. has appointed Rich Baich as chief information security officer, the San Francisco Business Times reports. The San Francisco-based bank (NYSE:WFC) hired Baich from Deloitte and Touche, where he was in charge of the Global Cyber Threat and ...
FILE - In this June 4, 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton wave to the crowd during a campaign event at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York. Clinton will have a marquee role in this summer's Democratic National Convention, where he will make a forceful case for Obama's re-election and his economic vision for the country, several Obama campaign and Democratic party officials said Sunday, July 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
FILE - In this June 4, 2012 file photo, President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton wave to the crowd during a campaign event at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York. Clinton will have a marquee role in this summer's Democratic National Convention, where he will make a forceful case for Obama's re-election and his economic vision for the country, several Obama campaign and Democratic party officials said Sunday, July 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Former President Bill Clinton will have a marquee role in this summer's Democratic National Convention, where he will make a forceful case for President Barack Obama's re-election and his economic vision for the country, several Obama campaign and Democratic party officials said Sunday.
The move gives the Obama campaign an opportunity to take advantage of the former president's immense popularity and remind voters that a Democrat was in the White House the last time the American economy was thriving.
Obama personally asked Clinton to speak at the convention and place Obama's name in nomination, and Clinton enthusiastically accepted, officials said. Clinton speaks regularly to Obama and to campaign officials about strategy.
Clinton's prominent role at the convention will also allow Democrats to embrace party unity in a way that is impossible for Republican rival Mitt Romney.
George W. Bush, the last Republican to hold the White House, remains politically toxic in some circles. While Bush has endorsed Romney, he is not involved in his campaign and has said he does not plan to attend the GOP convention.
Clinton will speak in prime-time at the Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 5, the night before Obama formally accepts the party nomination. While the number two on the ticket often speaks that night, the Obama campaign has instead decided that Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will speak on the same night.
Biden will speak before Obama on Sept. 6, in front of tens of thousands of people expected to fill an outdoor stadium in Charlotte, and millions more on television.
The vice president's speech will focus on outlining many of the challenges the White House has faced over the past four years and the decisions Obama made to address them, officials said.
"To us it's about deploying our assets in the most effective way," Obama campaign strategist David Axelrod said. "To have President Clinton on Wednesday night laying out the choice facing voters, and then having Vice President Biden speak right before the president in prime time on Thursday, giving a testimony to the decisions the president has made, the character of his leadership and the battle to rebuild the middle class that's so central to our message."
Clinton's role at the convention was to be formally announced Monday. It was first reported by The New York Times.
Clinton spoke at the 2008 convention, part of a healing process for the Democratic party following the heated primary battle between Obama and the former president's wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Since then, the ties between Obama and Bill Clinton have strengthened significantly. Obama has called on the former president for advice several times during his term and the two have appeared together this year at campaign fundraisers for Obama's re-election bid.
___
Associated Press writer Beth Fouhy in New York contributed to this report.
ScienceDaily (July 27, 2012) ? On a time scale of tens to hundreds of millions of years, the geomagnetic field may be influenced by currents in the mantle. The frequent polarity reversals of Earth's magnetic field can also be connected with processes in the mantle. These are the research results presented by a group of geoscientists in the new advance edition of Nature Geoscience on July 29th.
The results show how the rapid processes in the outer core, which flows at rates of up to about one millimeter per second, are coupled with the processes in the mantle, which occur more in the velocity range of centimeters per year.
The international group of scientists led by A. Biggin of the University of Liverpool included members of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, the IPGP Paris, the universities of Oslo and Utrecht, and other partners.
It is known that Earth's magnetic field is produced by convection currents of an electrically conducting iron-nickel alloyin the liquid core, about 3,000 kilometers below Earth's surface. The geomagnetic field is highly variable, there are changes in Earth's magnetic field on a multitude of spatial and temporal scales. Above the liquid outer core is the mantle, the rock in which behaves plastically deformable due to the intense heat and high pressure. At the boundary between Earth's core and mantle at 2900 km depth there is an intense heat exchange, which is on the one hand directed from Earth's core into the mantle. On the other hand, processes within Earth's mantle in turn also affect the heat flow. The interesting question is how the much slower flow in the solid mantle influences the heat flow and its spatial distribution at the core-mantle boundary, and how this will affect the Earth's magnetic field which is produced due to the much faster currents in Earth's core.
Key variable heat transfer
"The key variable is the heat flow. A cooler mantle accelerates the flow of heat from the hot core of Earth, and in this way alters the also heat-driven convection in Earth's core," said Bernhard Steinberger of the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences. "Ocean floor sinking into the mantle due to tectonic processes can lead to cooling in the mantle. They cause at these sites an increased heat flow into the cooler parts, namely until they have been heated to the ambient temperature." That might take several hundred million years, however.
Conversely, the hot core of Earth leads to the ascent of heated rocks in form of large bubbles, so-called mantle plumes that separate from the core-mantle boundary and make their way up to the surface of Earth. This is how Hawaii came into existence. This increases the local heat flux out of Earth's core and in turn modifies the generator of the geomagnetic field.
Reversals of the magnetic field
In Earth's history, polarity reversals of the geomagnetic field are nothing extraordinary. The most recent took place only 780 000 years ago, geologically speaking a very short period of time. The research team was able to determine that in the period of 200 to 80 million years before present, reversals initially happened more often, namely up to ten times in hundred million years. "Surprisingly, these reversals stopped about 120 million years ago and were absent for nearly 40 million years," explains GFZ scientist Sachs. Scientists presume that the reason for this is a concurrent reorientation of the whole mantle and crust with a shift in the geographic and magnetic poles of about 30?. Known as "true polar wander," thisprocess is caused by a change in density distribution in the mantle. If it increases the heat flux in equatorial regions, it would presumably lead to more frequent field reversals, if it decreases it, the field reversal might not occur.
Looking to the future
According to current knowledge, therefore, an influence of plate tectonics and mantle convection on Earth's magnetic field seems quite possible. The article also shows, however, that further research is still needed for a better understanding of these relationships. In particular, more episodes of "true polar wander" should be derived from paleomagnetic data, and it should be determined whether these are usually associated with an altered behavior of the magnetic field (e.g. frequency of field reversal). Also, future models for the generation of the geomagnetic field should investigate the influence of the spatial and temporal variation of the heat flux at the core-mantle boundary in more detail.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Helmholtz Centre Potsdam - GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
A. J. Biggin, B. Steinberger, J. Aubert, N. Suttie, R. Holme, T. H. Torsvik, D. G. van der Meer, D. J. J. van Hinsbergen. Possible links between long-term geomagnetic variations and whole-mantle convection processes. Nature Geoscience, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1521
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
North Korea said Sunday it was being lashed by severe thunderstorms that could cause major damage, just days after flooding that killed scores and left tens of thousands homeless.
State media reported strong winds and heavy rains were battering parts of the country, including the capital Pyongyang, with the official news agency predicting that "most regions will face huge damages".
The second unusually detailed report on bad weather in two days will add to concerns the North's farmland has been ravaged, which could cause new food shortages in a state that struggles to feed its people at the best of times.
Following a visit to the country, UN agencies estimated last November that three million people would need food aid in 2012.
It also represents a challenge for new leader Kim Jong-Un, struggling to get to grips with running one of the world's most secretive states.
The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said late Sunday that heavy rains and strong winds were battering the country, addng areas of Pyongyang, and North Pyongan and South Pyongan provinces were particularly hard hit.
"Torrential downpours are continuing even at this hour in some regions... it is expected that most regions will face huge damages due to the heavy downpour, strong wind and thunders," it said.
The North earlier on Sunday forecast heavy rains in most parts of the country on Sunday and Monday, particularly warning of downpours set to deluge the west coast and the northern province of Jagang.
The warning comes a day after Pyongyang disclosed that a week-long flood earlier this month had left 88 dead, injured 134, and made almost 63,000 people homeless.
More than 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres) of crop fields were washed away or submerged, with roads and factories destroyed, KCNA said.
After decades of deforestation the impoverished North is particularly vulnerable to flooding.
With rugged terrain and outmoded agricultural practices, the communist state faces serious difficulties in feeding its 24 million people. Hundreds of thousands died during a famine in the mid to late 1990s.
The United States reached a deal in February this year to offer the North much-needed food in return for a freeze on nuclear and missile tests.
But the plan was scrapped after Pyongyang's failed rocket launch in April, seen by the US and its allies as an attempted ballistic missile test banned under UN resolutions.
Vietnamese tech forum Tinhte is showing off what looks like RIM's new 10-inch PlayBook. But while the hardware looks like it might almost be ready for launch—if it's real—don't expect to get your hands on one any time soon. More »
Human diversity in Africa is greater than any place else on Earth. Differing food sources, geographies, diseases and climates offered many targets for natural selection to exert powerful forces on Africans to change and adapt to their local environments. The individuals who adapted best were the most likely to reproduce and pass on their genomes to the generations who followed. That history of inheritance is written in the DNA of modern Africans, but it takes some investigative work to interpret. In a report to be featured on the cover of the Aug...
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The surprise statement came during a rainy spell and when the seven dams in Malaysia's richest, most populous state were full.
Reserves of treated water in the opposition-controlled state of Selangor were perilously low, said the water company supplying a population of 7 million in the country's main industrial base. It was seeking approval to start immediate rationing.
For many it looked like politics, not water, was behind the problem - a measure of how high tensions are running ahead of national elections that must be called by early next year and which may be the closest in Malaysia's history.
"Of course, it's a political conspiracy," said Teresa Kok, a member of the Selangor state executive council and opposition member of parliament.
The July 14 announcement has set off an ill-tempered battle between the opposition-run state and the federal government that foreshadows an intense election struggle for the crucial swing state that is a base for multinationals including Panasonic Corp and British American Tobacco.
The state leadership says the ruling coalition is using water supplier Syabas to manufacture a water crisis and sow doubts in voters' minds over the opposition's competence.
Syabas, a unit of Puncak Niaga Bhd, has links with the Malaysia's ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO). Rozali Ismail, the chairman of Puncak Niaga and executive chairman of Syabas, is treasurer for the party's Selangor branch and was dubbed Malaysia's "water king" by Forbes, which ranks him as the country's 37th richest person.
The federal government says the state has jeopardized its water supply by blocking the construction of a 3.8 billion ringgit ($1.2 billion) treatment plant.
"If we can make Malaysia the global centre for IPOs, how can it be that we can't resolve water issues," Prime Minister Najib Razak was quoted as saying this week by The Star newspaper, referring to several big stock debuts in Malaysia this year.
The problem could be resolved, he said, once the people of Selangor "choose a government that can do it."
As Malaysia's traditional engine of growth, the west-coast state was a prized, unprecedented win for the opposition in the last election in 2008, and the most potent symbol of the ruling coalition's worst election performance.
Wresting back the state would help lay to rest doubts about Najib's leadership within his own party and help the coalition rebound nationwide. For the opposition, retaining Selangor is crucial if it is to have any chance of winning a parliamentary majority and forming a government for the first time.
The state has been at the centre of concerns over voter fraud, with the opposition accusing the government of handing out voting rights to thousands of illegal immigrants.
"The stakes are the highest in Selangor. The prime minister really needs to win it back," said Ong Kian Ming, a political analyst and lecturer at Kuala Lumpur's private UCSI university.
TEST OF OPPOSITION COMPETENCE
The perceived performance of the four opposition-controlled states will be a crucial campaign issue as the three-party opposition alliance tries to convince voters it is capable of running the country.
Penang, another opposition-held state, has set an enviable record, attracting the country's highest level of investment in the manufacturing sector for two years running and slashing public debt levels by over 90 percent in three years.
Selangor's record is less spectacular. The state government has been dogged by talk of infighting and Malaysia's ruling coalition is presenting the water issue as exhibit A to show the state is being mismanaged.
"They want to influence the course of the elections. They have a monopoly over water resources and are holding the people to ransom," said opposition MP Tony Pua, adding that uncertainty over water supply was endangering investment in the state.
Syabas' shock warning of water rationing this month prompted indignant state officials to pose for pictures in front of dams brimming with water to show there was no shortage. Syabas hit back with images showing treatment plants at low reserve capacity, bolstering its case for the new plant.
"The responsibility for ensuring that Selangor has enough water treatment plants lies with the Selangor state government," it said in a statement released on Thursday.
Selangor has threatened to take over the water company's operations, a bid that was rejected by the government. The state government remains set on a takeover and is going ahead with plans to sack Rozali, aiming to use its 30 percent stake in Syabas to trigger a vote of no-confidence.
The federal government wants to open tenders for the new plant in a month, but it needs Selangor's permission to proceed.
The state government says the plant would lead to a steep rise in water tariffs and that projections for water consumption and population growth used to justify its construction are too high. Instead, it wants 225 million ringgit from the federal government to upgrade two existing plants and is prepared to add 200-300 million ringgit of its own funds.
Selangor state sources say the level of non-revenue water -- the volume lost before it reaches the customer -- at Syabas is above 33 percent. That measure of efficiency compares with Singapore's 5 percent, Denmark's 6 percent, and even falls short of Bangladesh's 29 percent, they say.
Campaigners against Syabas are urging the company to open its books to show if there really is a shortage.
"Failing to do so would only prove that the water crisis is manufactured," said Charles Santiago, an opposition member of parliament and coordinator of the Coalition Against Water Privatization group.
(Editing by Stuart Grudgings and Jonathan Thatcher)
Founded by a celebrity wardrobe stylist, Seek New York LLC is a New York City-based shopping tour company providing a friendly, low-pressure approach to style to visitors from around the globe. Seek offers custom New York shopping tours led by a licensed NYC Sightseeing Guide and styling professional who knows the city inside and out. At Seek, shopping tour attendees enjoy the opportunity to visit popular New York City retailers as well as hidden gem spots frequented by entertainment industry professionals.
With Seek New York LLC, NYC tourists can forget about wasting hours of precious vacation time wandering around town with a map in hand. A custom Seek New York shopping tour allows visitors to quickly discover the best New York City stores for their shopping needs and budget, along with advice from a professional stylist wholl guide them in making the right decisions for their body type and complexion, help to ensure that they?re getting the most bang for their buck, and provide tidbits about New York City history and culture along the way.
Seeks custom New York shopping tours are offered seven days a week, with morning, afternoon, and evening tour times available. Available for individuals and groups of up to ten people, all Seek shopping tours are private (friends and family only?no touring with strangers!) experiences and include a unique shopping and sightseeing itinerary customized to the individual clients specific area(s) of interest. At Seek, all shopping tour participants benefit from one-on-one attention and advice from a professional stylist, often for the same price (or less!) than theyd pay for a generic group tour elsewhere in the city.
Seek New York LLC is excited to introduce two brand new shopping and sightseeing tours for the summer 2012 New York City tourist season:
The Womens Shopping Tour is a New York City shopping tour for full-figured women in search of fashionable plus-size clothing and accessories in hard-to-find sizes. Focusing on clothes in US sizes 14 to 24, this shopping tour visits famous department stores, discount retailers, and boutiques catering specifically to a plus-size clientele, including several unique shops not familiar to tourists visiting from outside the New York City area. Large-size swimwear and lingerie options can also be included in this tour upon request. A tour itinerary can also be customized for those touring in groups that include a mix of standard and extended sizes.
The Upper West Side Boutiques tour is a New York neighborhood walking tour of the fashionable clothing and accessory shops along Broadway, Columbus, and Amsterdam Avenues on Manhattans Upper West Side, one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in the city. Shop for clothing, shoes, jewelry, and accessories while enjoying advice from a professional stylist and longtime resident of New York City?s Upper West Side.
Other popular New York City shopping and sightseeing tours for the summer 2012 tourist season include:
The Teens & Tweens Tour is an NYC shopping tour designed specifically for tween and teenage shopaholics. On this tour, teen fashionistas will visit trendy (and teen budget-friendly!) clothing boutiques, shoe stores, jewelry shops, and more, along with popular department stores and other teen-focused shops. In addition, customers who book a Teens & Tweens shopping tour between June 15 ? August 15 can enjoy free admission for tour participants between the ages of 13 and 17 with the purchase of an adult tour.
The Garment District Tour features stops at fabric, trim, and notion stores frequented by fashion designers and theatrical costumers. Explore the NYC Garment Center and see popular Project Runway locations including Mood Fabrics, Bryant Park, Atlas Apartments, and the Fashion Walk of Fame. Led by a designer who has utilized the resources of the neighborhood for television shows and theatrical productions, the Garment District Tour is perfect for home seamstresses, Project Runway fans, and aspiring fashion designers alike.
The Bargain Hunting Tour is a discount shopping tour for visitors interested in scoring great deals on clothing, shoes, and accessories, without spending all of their hard-earned cash! Visit popular discount department stores (including the legendary Century 21, which can be combined with a visit to Ground Zero and the National September 11 Memorial), resale shops, thrift stores, wholesalers, and major clothing and accessory retailers with everyday low prices. Designer sample sales are also included in this shopping tour whenever possible.
The Vintage Clothing Tour includes visits to many of the citys vintage clothing stores and boutiques, along with bits of fashion history, styling suggestions, and advice on which period styles work particularly well for various body types. The Vintage Clothing Tour is ideal for anyone interested in learning about the city?s vintage and antique clothing resources, and for those who enjoy wearing vintage or retro styles.
The Makeup & Accessories Tour highlights New York City shops selling makeup, nail polish, hair accessories, jewelry, shoes, sunglasses, handbags, and other accents necessary to create the perfect outfit. Visit department store cosmetics counters, see the citys wholesale district, learn the art of haggling with a street vendor, and discover ?out of the way? shops not mentioned in any guidebook.
The Arts & Crafts Tour is designed for artists and crafters who would like to shop for unique supplies for their next project. Visit NYC stores specializing in fabric, trims, beads, ribbons, scrapbooking supplies, jewelry findings, artificial flowers, ribbons, buttons, art supplies and more, and gather creative inspiration along the way. Open to amateur crafters and professional artists alike.
The Star-to-Be Tour is an NYC shopping tour for aspiring dancers, singers, performing artists, and theatre fans. Enjoy a professional dance shoe fitting, shop for leotards and rehearsal clothing, see famous entertainment industry landmarks, buy scripts and sheet music, peruse Broadway gift shops and more while touring with a licensed tour guide and working member of the entertainment community. An incredible way to learn firsthand what its really like to live in New York City and work in the crazy business of show business!
The Family Fun Shopping Tour is designed for parents interested in shopping with their children. See large toy stores (including Toys R Us and FAO Schwarz) and independent toy retailers, candy shops, kid-friendly bookstores, childrens clothing stores, and more. Popular sightseeing locations and family-friendly destinations such as the Children?s Museum of Manhattan or the Central Park Zoo may also be included upon request.
Founded by Rebecca Frey, a professional costume designer and wardrobe stylist whose credits include Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Conan, Entertainment Weekly, and the Metropolitan Opera, Seek New York LLC aims to provide an enjoyable yet informative introduction to shopping in New York City. Want to browse NYC boutiques but arent sure where to go? Arent sure whether the $ 200 asking price for that handbag is a rip-off or a bargain? Have a list of stores but cant figure out how to navigate the subway? Book a Seek shopping tour and see New York City in style!
Pet stores have long been under fire for selling dogs from puppy mills. After years of protestors, petitions, boycotts, and angry animal rights activists, some are starting to make serious changes. The latest trend is for retailers to shift from stocking their shelves with mistreated puppy mill pups to filling their shops with adoptable dogs from high kill animal shelters instead. Many of these transformations are being done through the help of animal advocate organizations such as Pet Connection Inc. and Best Friends.
Best Friends, a Utah-based animal sanctuary has single handedly helped almost 40 pet shops in the US to convert to adopt only stores through its Puppy Mill Initiatives program. In their stand against puppy mills and irresponsible breeding, the Best Friends Puppy Mill Initiatives program holds peaceful demonstrations in front of pet stores that sell puppy mill dogs. Representatives from the campaign strive to educate consumers about inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills and encourage people to adopt versus purchase pups from pet stores. Best Friends launched their first Puppy Mills Initiative program in Los Angeles in 2008 and have since expanded their efforts across the country.
Pets of Bel Air, an upscale boutique pet store in Bel Air, California, was once considered the pet store to the stars, outfitting the likes of Paris Hilton with pricey teacup Chihuahuas, before being forced to close down from allegations of selling pets from 28 separate puppy mills. With the help of Best Friend, the store is now occupied by Fresh Paws of Bel Air, which is run by Ilene Katz and Linda Massaro. The stores new owners have taken a stand against puppy mill dogs and have dedicated their retail space towards their humane business model that involves finding homes for deserving shelter dogs. The boutique adopts out dogs for a fee of $495 to $650 and gives half the cost back to the shelter or the rescue organization from which the dogs came from.
Jimmy Kimmel, left, and Executive Producer Don Mischer attend the "64th Primetime Emmy Awards" panel at the Disney ABC TCA Day 2 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Friday, July 27, 2012, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Kimmel, host of the Emmy Awards in September, and Mischer discussed the ceremony at the Television Critics Association meeting. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)
Jimmy Kimmel, left, and Executive Producer Don Mischer attend the "64th Primetime Emmy Awards" panel at the Disney ABC TCA Day 2 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Friday, July 27, 2012, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Kimmel, host of the Emmy Awards in September, and Mischer discussed the ceremony at the Television Critics Association meeting. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)
Jimmy Kimmel attends the "64th Primetime Emmy Awards" panel at the Disney ABC TCA Day 2 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Friday, July 27, 2012, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Kimmel, host of the Emmy Awards in September, and executive producer Don Mischer discussed the ceremony at the Television Critics Association meeting. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) ? The producer of this year's Emmy Awards said it's a challenge to decide who to include in the ceremony's memorial tribute.
About three-dozen stars and other industry notables typically are honored in the "in memoriam" segment, although many more are deserving, executive producer Don Mischer said Friday.
He said he and the TV academy identify the late actors and other TV notables who will create an "emotional response" among Emmy viewers. That drew a wry observation from Jimmy Kimmel, who will host the Sept. 23 awards on ABC.
"I love that even in death, you're subject to a popularity contest," Kimmel said.
Omissions typically are more an issue for the Oscars than the Emmys. But some viewers objected when the death of "Taxi" star Jeff Conaway wasn't noted in last year's Emmy tribute.
Other than the host, the segment is consistently the audience's favorite part of the telecast, Mischer said told a meeting of the Television Critics Association.
He was asked if Andy Griffith, who died July 3 at age 86, would get special attention because of the actor's beloved 1960s comedy, "The Andy Griffith Show," and his subsequent long-running legal drama, "Matlock."
There are ways to focus attention on individuals with a unique position in the industry, Mischer said, such as placing their tribute at the beginning or end of the memorial segment.
ABC late-night host Kimmel was asked if he was annoyed the network didn't ask him to host the Emmys the last time it aired the awards, in 2008. The emcee job went to five reality TV show hosts, including Jeff Probst of "Survivor" and Heidi Klum of "Project Runway," who were roundly panned.
Kimmel said he took some satisfaction in the outcome.
"I was able to look good by not doing anything at all. That's my goal in life, by the way," he said.
Dual health insurance providers must coordinate to be able to figure out how a medical claim is compensated. Always buy high quality things meat, It may be chesapeake health department heated chesapeake without compromising its benefits, as well as even consumed raw. More precisely, a sound body has Keep in events current events in health mind that frequently the insurance providers possess a contracted amount the physician may charge someone. People often Medical Health Insurance Risks And Details Medical health insurance is essential as there? s always the possibility of an unpredicted illness or accident that A self- employed individual may have the ability to subtract as much as 100 % from the amount taken care of health care insurance.
There is a very popular saying which goes like this, its all about who you know. The saying fits in perfectly when it comes to the music industry. Establishing a great career in the music industry requires you to have directory of high profiled individuals whom you know and who can work as your springboard to achieve success and fame you dreamt of.
Here, the key factor lies in developing the right music industry contact. But, the major problem lies in knowing who all are the most valuable contacts for you, how you can approach them and how can you transform those contacts into meaningful relationships. Making contacts is not a tough nut to crack. However, just having contact is not worth anything until and unless it turns into a good relationship. Even after this, you need to prove your caliber and talent and made them realize that you will be beneficial for them.
Now, firstly the questions comes, on what grounds you will decide the value of a contact?
Those who have influence and power
Those who have a high number of key relations with other music professionals and artists.
Those who are easy to locate in your local area
Those who are easily accessible
Those whose problems can be solved by you.
Well, all of these can be a great music industry contact. These can be a person or a company. To take some examples like record label executives, A&r people, producers, publishers, managers, entertainment lawyers, bands, famous singers, concert promoters etc.
Among these, concert promoters are said to have a massive influence on this industry. They are like real entrepreneurs as they deal with hundreds of important music contacts every year which may include renowned bands, production houses, merchandising departments, agents, radio professionals, the press and its associates and many more. Thus, making a contact with concert promoters or else working with them will act as a pushing factor for novices in the industry.
It is said that the music industry is the most glamorous and impulsive industry. Every moment, new things turn up and older ones wither away. A firm hold in the industry is achieved with the passion, music industry contact and proper education. Music industry education requires you to have minimum qualification skills from a renowned institute. Knowledgeable and aware individuals can really make an impressive career in the industry. A valuable music industry education opens up doors for various avenues to try your career.
Teaching music can be one of them as having good security along with exposure and learning. Alternatively, choosing a career as a producer, composer, singer or any other will be definitely supported by music industry education. Apart from this, you can start your own recording studio, organize huge concerts and events or launch a brand associated with music products.
No matter what you opt for, music industry education and meaningful contacts in the field are a sure need to be successful. The industry is very tough to survive in so better step into it when you are completely prepared.
About the Author: Andrer Enaud is a journalist, Billboard and VH1 award winning musician, composer, multi-instrumentalist. TheMusicAssociate.com is online music store that connects its visitors to all type music industry contacts and music industry careers.
Sectional doors first came to America in the 1930s. They are generally 4 to 6 plates made of metal, fiberglass and can even include a glass or plexiglass plate, which is ideal for light in the garage, when used as an extra bedroom or guest room.
This is a very attractive appearance of the door, when the panels is much lower than those typical of the doors, so that they do not ?industrial? look over it.
Although not the cheapest form of garage door, these doors an added value to the overall look of your home.
The plates are hinged to each other so that each plate to move independently. In the garage is also arranged a vertically on both sides of the door, it will keep track of each side of the door.
The parts of the door hinged to each other, allowing the doors to lift and an angle of 90 degrees formed by the roof and the front of the garage reduced.
The doors horizontally adjacent to the inside roof of the garage. Give this kind of door for maximum space in the garage.
Manual or electric garage doors?
It depends on your budget. Naturally, a manual door is much cheaper, but you really have the door up and down several times a day. It is much better that automatic doors are supplied with a remote control that allows you to access your garage that you can not get the car.
This shop manual up and down the door and wet when it rains. The electric door has a smooth ?shock free? mechanism to raise and lower the door within a few seconds. It is clear that if a person with poor health and / or are older than the electric version would be better.
Where can I buy garage doors?
Unfortunately, there are very few of these garage doors manufactured here in the UK. Germany and Sweden are the big players in this market door. Yet your local dealer will probably be able to get these doors if they do not have them in stock.
Ask to see your local Business Directory to see if you are someone who needs instead of the offer and install. If it fails, you can check the web for dealers in your area.
AURORA, Colo. (AP) ? Neighbors of the accused Colorado theater shooter are being allowed back home after investigators spent days combing the apartment of James Holmes.
Residents were called Wednesday evening and told they were free to return home. Their three-story brick building was evacuated Friday, hours after the theater shooting that killed 12 and wounded 58. Investigators said Holmes had rigged his entire apartment with a complex series of booby traps that took authorities days to dismantle.
A few residents ducked under yellow crime scene tape flanking the building Wednesday evening, carrying shopping bags stuffed with groceries and clothes while crews repaired a door damaged during the investigation.
The ground was still littered with shattered glass from Holmes' apartment, and a work crew was hammering plywood over the windows. Residents declined to comment.
Strategy consultants need strategy consulting, too
During my two-month internship at Third Wave ? between semesters as a graduate student in the MBA in Design Strategy program at California College of the Arts ? I ?decorated? the office in Post-it notes, prepared preliminary research and workshop materials for a client?s business model project, and got to flex the kind of consulting muscles that I had set out to exercise this summer.
The outsider inside
Acting as an embedded consultant, so to speak, I took on a project to help Third Wave plan for its own future, including assessing the business model (based on the Business Model Generation approach), clarifying communication materials, diagramming the processes, etc. I carefully reviewed existing web and blog content, surveyed the competitive landscape, and conducted individual interviews with Third Wave?s team members.
As an ?outsider? I was able to recognize needs and strengths, and as an ?insider? I was able to understand the company?s culture and aspirations. It was a unique position that afforded me unique perspective.
Professional paradox
You may be wondering: Why would a strategy consulting firm have a need for strategic consulting itself?
Ironically, the work one is most adept at in service to others can also be the most difficult to implement internally. For example, in my experience as a copywriter, it has always felt quite natural to write on behalf of companies, products and other people. But writing my own bio?! Oh, boy?
Similarly, while Third Wave has been hard at work building the business by producing innovative strategies for clients for close to two years now, the company?s own strategic planning has remained on the sidelines. It is not uncommon to put off taking the time to apply your own skills to your own needs. This speaks to the value that a consultant can bring: focus and commitment throughout a process.
Beauty and the Beast
As I prepare to depart from Berlin, I?m mulling over the role and benefits of strategic consulting work. On my mind is how, ideally, a strategy project sheds light on issues and ideas that, once written down, seem obvious. Yet up until pen hits paper (er, finger hits keyboard), the insights have a habit of dancing around elusively.
Transforming complexity into simplicity: this is the beauty and beast of strategy work. To help a company look into the future, sometimes all it takes is a pair of fresh eyes.
I hope my contributions will be as illuminating to Third Wave as the experience was for me. I?m looking forward to seeing how the company evolves.
Jasmine spent the summer helping us sort our thoughts and filling our walls up with Post-its before relocating to San Francisco. If you want to learn more about her, visit jasmineprobst.com.
Reaffirms its commitment to Brick City and touts planned energy efficiency improvements
(July 25, 2012 ? Newark, NJ) ? PSEG has renewed the lease on the well-known building in downtown Newark that houses its corporate headquarters, reaffirming its commitment to New Jersey and its desire to invest in energy efficiency. With its new 15-year lease, PSEG will call the landmark building at 80 Park Plaza home through the year 2030.
PSEG has called Newark home for more than a century. While this is not the first building in the city the company has occupied, the 26-story tower and three-story plaza building owned by Wells Real Estate Investment Trust II (Wells REIT II) has served as PSEG?s headquarters since 1978.
As part of the lease, Wells REIT II and PSEG will be making infrastructure improvements that are expected to result in several million dollars in energy savings within the next four years. Planned improvements include new chillers, floor-by-floor temperature controls and new lighting.
The energy company considered other locations and other cities before deciding to stay in its current building in Newark. ?Newark has been our home for more than 100 years and we?re committed to the city,? said Ralph Izzo, chairman, president and chief executive officer of PSEG. ?The finances and logistics worked and allowed us to stay in downtown Newark, a place we?re proud to call home.?
The PSEG building is in the heart of Newark?s downtown and it is an integral part of the city?s economic resurgence. Other recognizable buildings surround it, including Newark Penn Station, NJPAC, the Prudential Center and Seton Hall Law School.
PSEG?s subsidiary, PSE&G, has made about $1.5 billion in electric and gas infrastructure upgrades this year to maintain reliability in New Jersey, including $13 million for transformers that provide capacity for Newark Airport and $23 million to add redundancies to a 26 kv network that powers downtown Newark.
?We are very happy that PSEG has decided to renew its lease and keep its corporate headquarters in Newark for another fifteen years. PSEG is a good neighbor and has been a generous corporate citizen of the City of Newark, investing in community initiatives and programs which have empowered our residents,? said Cory A. Booker, mayor of Newark. ?I would like to thank PSEG?s leadership for their continued commitment and for strengthening the heart of Newark?s Downtown.?
PSEG pays $1 billion in compensation to workers in New Jersey each year; spends $1 billion with businesses in the state; sends out $100 million in dividends to 86,000 shareholders in the state; pays $375 million in local and state taxes; and gives more than $7 million to New Jersey charities and nonprofits.
The 1-million square foot building is home to 1,650 PSEG employees and contractors who work for the parent company or one of its subsidiaries, including PSEG Power, Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) and PSEG Energy Holdings. PSE&G is New Jersey?s largest and oldest utility.
Public Service Enterprise Group (NYSE:PEG) is a publicly traded diversified energy company with annual revenues of more than $12 billion, and three principal subsidiaries: PSEG Power, Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) and PSEG Energy Holdings. For more information, visit www.pseg.com.
FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2007 file photo, former Chongqing Communist Party Secretary Bo Xilai, right, accompanied by his wife Gu Kailai, attends a funeral for his father in Beijing. Chinese prosecutors were charging Gu and a family aide with the murder of a British businessman, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday, July 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Kyodo News/China Foto Press) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE, NO SALES
FILE - In this Jan. 17, 2007 file photo, former Chongqing Communist Party Secretary Bo Xilai, right, accompanied by his wife Gu Kailai, attends a funeral for his father in Beijing. Chinese prosecutors were charging Gu and a family aide with the murder of a British businessman, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Thursday, July 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Kyodo News/China Foto Press) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT, NO LICENSING IN CHINA, HONG KONG, JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND FRANCE, NO SALES
BEIJING (AP) ? Prosecutors have charged the wife of ousted Chinese politician Bo Xilai and a family aide with the murder of a British businessman, the government said Thursday, pushing ahead a case at the center of a messy political scandal that unsettled China's leadership ahead of a delicate power transition.
The state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that the recently issued indictment said Bo's wife, Gu Kailai, had a falling out with Briton Neil Heywood over money and worried that it would threaten her and her son's safety. Gu and the aide, Zhang Xiaojun, are alleged to have poisoned Heywood together, the report said. Heywood's death in November was attributed initially to a heart attack or excessive drinking.
The brief report is the first official news that the case against Gu is proceeding since the announcement three months ago that she and Zhang were being investigated and that Bo was being suspended from the powerful Politburo for unspecified discipline violations. Unmentioned in the Xinhua report was any reference to Bo or a separate party investigation into him.
"To charge a Politburo member if he was involved in any way in the murder would have sullied the reputation of the Communist Party in ways that would have been too much for the leadership to handle," said Joseph Fewsmith, a China politics expert at Boston University.
Bo's ouster and the investigation into his family presented the Communist Party leadership with its ugliest public scandal in nearly two decades. It exposed the bare-knuckled infighting that the secretive leadership prefers to hide and affirmed an already skeptical public's dim view about corrupt dealings in the party.
News of Gu's prosecution signals that the leadership has closed ranks and reached a general agreement about the case as well as arrangements to install a younger group of leaders at a party congress later this year.
"They have to try to show solidarity, because if they do not do that the consequences are alarming. It would undermine social stability" by sending a signal about divisions in the ranks, said Cheng Li, an elite politics expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington.
By making the announcement on the eve of the London Olympics, the leadership also likely hopes that public attention will be absorbed watching the Chinese team, instead of circulating political gossip, said Li. Given that the congress is still unscheduled and likely several months away, the leadership has time to dispatch Gu's and Bo's cases and allow public interest to flag in the interim, Li and others said.
In a sign that the release of the news was carefully managed, the Xinhua's report was read on state television and posted on official mainstream news sites. But it appeared to have been scrubbed off popular microblogs, where Bo and his wife's names remain banned search terms. Commenting was disabled on most sites that carried the Xinhua report, while other webpages only allowed comments in support of the prosecution.
Before his fall, Bo was one of China's most powerful and charismatic politicians. The son of a revolutionary veteran and party secretary of the Austria-sized metropolitan area of Chongqing, he was thought to be destined for a seat in the leadership's inner sanctum, the Politburo Standing Committee.
On his rise, Bo led high-profile campaigns to bust organized crime and to promote communist culture. In doing so, however, his administration ran roughshod over civil liberties that angered some leaders and alienated others with his publicity seeking.
The infighting may never have come to light, as has happened in previous leadership fights, except for the sudden flight to the U.S. Consulate in Chengdu of longtime Bo aide and former Chongqing police chief Wang Lijun in February. Apparently fearing for his safety if he remained in Chongqing, Wang told American diplomats about his suspicions that Heywood had been murdered and that Bo's family was involved.
The Xinhua report did not say when Gu's trial would be held. She and Zhang were charged in the eastern city of Hefei, far from both Beijing and Chongqing, where Heywood was found dead. Prosecutors have interrogated Gu and Zhang and have "heard the opinions" of their defense lawyers, Xinhua said.
The report also did not say when the indictment was issued or give details about the crime other than that Heywood was poisoned. It referred to Bo's wife as "Bogu Kailai," an unexplained combining of their surnames. It did not name their son, but they have only one, Bo Guagua. A graduate of Oxford University and Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, the younger Bo has become a notorious symbol among Chinese of the privilege of the elite.
Xinhua, however, made clear the government considers the verdict a foregone conclusion. "The facts of the two defendants' crime are clear, and the evidence is irrefutable and substantial. Therefore, the two defendants should be charged with intentional homicide," the report said.
A bank robber known as the "Plain Jane Bandit" is believed to have hit six Los Angeles area banks in recent weeks, including four in a 24 hour period.
During the robberies, the woman uses written and verbal demands, and says an accomplice is waiting for her outside the bank.
Witnesses describe the suspect as an Hispanic female between 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-5, weighs about 150 to 170 pounds, and is between 35 and 40 years old.
The woman's nick name came from an interview with a witness in one of the earlier robberies, in which the witness described the suspect as a "plain Jane."
Witnesses also say the woman may have a scar below or next to her right eye, as well as a tattoo on her right shoulder area.
The first robbery the "Plain Jane Bandit" is linked to was on July 12, followed by another one on July 19. She was quiet for a few days, until she began a spree, hitting two banks on July 23, followed by another two on July 24.
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Why does vivid memory 'feel so real?'Public release date: 23-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kelly Connelly kconnelly@baycrest.org 416-785-2432 Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care
Scientists find evidence that real perceptual experience and mental replay share similar brain activation patterns
Toronto, Canada
Neuroscientists have found strong evidence that vivid memory and directly experiencing the real moment can trigger similar brain activation patterns.
The study, led by Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute (RRI), in collaboration with the University of Texas at Dallas, is one of the most ambitious and complex yet for elucidating the brain's ability to evoke a memory by reactivating the parts of the brain that were engaged during the original perceptual experience. Researchers found that vivid memory and real perceptual experience share "striking" similarities at the neural level, although they are not "pixel-perfect" brain pattern replications.
The study appears online this month in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, ahead of print publication.
"When we mentally replay an episode we've experienced, it can feel like we are transported back in time and re-living that moment again," said Dr. Brad Buchsbaum, lead investigator and scientist with Baycrest's RRI. "Our study has confirmed that complex, multi-featured memory involves a partial reinstatement of the whole pattern of brain activity that is evoked during initial perception of the experience.
This helps to explain why vivid memory can feel so real."
But vivid memory rarely fools us into believing we are in the real, external world and that in itself offers a very powerful clue that the two cognitive operations don't work exactly the same way in the brain, he explained.
In the study, Dr. Buchsbaum's team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a powerful brain scanning technology that constructs computerized images of brain areas that are active when a person is performing a specific cognitive task. A group of 20 healthy adults (aged 18 to 36) were scanned while they watched 12 video clips, each nine seconds long, sourced from YouTube.com and Vimeo.com. The clips contained a diversity of content such as music, faces, human emotion, animals, and outdoor scenery. Participants were instructed to pay close attention to each of the videos (which were repeated 27 times) and informed they would be tested on the content of the videos after the scan.
A subset of nine participants from the original group were then selected to complete intensive and structured memory training over several weeks that required practicing over and over again the mental replaying of videos they had watched from the first session. After the training, this group was scanned again as they mentally replayed each video clip. To trigger their memory for a particular clip, they were trained to associate a particular symbolic cue with each one. Following each mental replay, participants would push a button indicating on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 = poor memory, 4 = excellent memory) how well they thought they had recalled a particular clip.
Dr. Buchsbaum's team found "clear evidence" that patterns of distributed brain activation during vivid memory mimicked the patterns evoked during sensory perception when the videos were viewed by a correspondence of 91% after a principal components analysis of all the fMRI imaging data.
The so-called "hot spots", or largest pattern similarity, occurred in sensory and motor association areas of the cerebral cortex a region that plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language and consciousness.
Dr. Buchsbaum suggested the imaging analysis used in his study could potentially add to the current battery of memory assessment tools available to clinicians. Brain activation patterns from fMRI data could offer an objective way of quantifying whether a patient's self-report of their memory as "being good or vivid" is accurate or not.
###
The study was funded with grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
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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.
Why does vivid memory 'feel so real?'Public release date: 23-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Kelly Connelly kconnelly@baycrest.org 416-785-2432 Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care
Scientists find evidence that real perceptual experience and mental replay share similar brain activation patterns
Toronto, Canada
Neuroscientists have found strong evidence that vivid memory and directly experiencing the real moment can trigger similar brain activation patterns.
The study, led by Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute (RRI), in collaboration with the University of Texas at Dallas, is one of the most ambitious and complex yet for elucidating the brain's ability to evoke a memory by reactivating the parts of the brain that were engaged during the original perceptual experience. Researchers found that vivid memory and real perceptual experience share "striking" similarities at the neural level, although they are not "pixel-perfect" brain pattern replications.
The study appears online this month in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, ahead of print publication.
"When we mentally replay an episode we've experienced, it can feel like we are transported back in time and re-living that moment again," said Dr. Brad Buchsbaum, lead investigator and scientist with Baycrest's RRI. "Our study has confirmed that complex, multi-featured memory involves a partial reinstatement of the whole pattern of brain activity that is evoked during initial perception of the experience.
This helps to explain why vivid memory can feel so real."
But vivid memory rarely fools us into believing we are in the real, external world and that in itself offers a very powerful clue that the two cognitive operations don't work exactly the same way in the brain, he explained.
In the study, Dr. Buchsbaum's team used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), a powerful brain scanning technology that constructs computerized images of brain areas that are active when a person is performing a specific cognitive task. A group of 20 healthy adults (aged 18 to 36) were scanned while they watched 12 video clips, each nine seconds long, sourced from YouTube.com and Vimeo.com. The clips contained a diversity of content such as music, faces, human emotion, animals, and outdoor scenery. Participants were instructed to pay close attention to each of the videos (which were repeated 27 times) and informed they would be tested on the content of the videos after the scan.
A subset of nine participants from the original group were then selected to complete intensive and structured memory training over several weeks that required practicing over and over again the mental replaying of videos they had watched from the first session. After the training, this group was scanned again as they mentally replayed each video clip. To trigger their memory for a particular clip, they were trained to associate a particular symbolic cue with each one. Following each mental replay, participants would push a button indicating on a scale of 1 to 4 (1 = poor memory, 4 = excellent memory) how well they thought they had recalled a particular clip.
Dr. Buchsbaum's team found "clear evidence" that patterns of distributed brain activation during vivid memory mimicked the patterns evoked during sensory perception when the videos were viewed by a correspondence of 91% after a principal components analysis of all the fMRI imaging data.
The so-called "hot spots", or largest pattern similarity, occurred in sensory and motor association areas of the cerebral cortex a region that plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language and consciousness.
Dr. Buchsbaum suggested the imaging analysis used in his study could potentially add to the current battery of memory assessment tools available to clinicians. Brain activation patterns from fMRI data could offer an objective way of quantifying whether a patient's self-report of their memory as "being good or vivid" is accurate or not.
###
The study was funded with grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
[ | E-mail | 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.
AP
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Public release date: 23-Jul-2012
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