Saturday, January 26, 2013

NJ high school teacher accused of having sex with student

By Pat Battle, NBCNewYork.com

A New Jersey high school teacher has been arrested for allegedly having a sexual relationship with a student, authorities said.

Jennalin Garcia-Calle, a 28-year-old algebra teacher at Plainfield High School, was arrested Thursday in Davie, Fla., and charged with second-degree sexual assault and fourth-degree child abuse.

According to prosecutors, Garcia-Calle began the relationship with the 16-year-old boy in December. Prosecutors allege that at least three sexual encounters occurred in a classroom inside the school.

"The boy is not at a stage in his life where he's able to make that type of legal and quite frankly mature enough decision," said Union County Prosecutor Theodore Romankow.

Authorities became aware of the alleged relationship after the student told a family member what had happened. Students at the high school said the boy also bragged about the relationship to classmates.

"They both knew what they were doing, they both knew they were wrong," said senior Imani Campbell.

Prosecutors said Garcia-Calle realized her relationship with the boy had been discovered, prompting her to check into a rehabilitation center in Florida, as well as send the boy messages asking him to erase certain evidence. U.S. marshalls traced those messages and arrested Garcia-Calle.

For more visit NBCNewYork.com

She is being held without bond in Florida, awaiting extradition to New Jersey.

The Plainfield Board of Education has placed Garcia-Calle on an administrative suspension.

Information on an attorney for Garcia-Calle was not immediately available.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/26/16711719-nj-high-school-teacher-accused-of-having-sex-with-student?lite

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Revolutionary theory of dark matter

Jan. 24, 2013 ? The universe abounds with dark matter. Nobody knows what it consists of. University of Oslo physicists have now come up with a mathematical explanation that could solve the mystery once and for all.

Astrophysicists have known for the last 80 years that most of the universe consists of an unknown, dark matter. The solution to the mystery may now be just around the corner.

"We are looking for a new member of our particle zoo in order to explain dark matter. We know that it is a very exotic beast. And we have found a plausible explanation," reports Are Raklev, an associate professor in particle physics in the University of Oslo's Department of Physics to the research magazine Apollon. ?He is the university's leading theorist in astroparticle physics and has launched a model that explains what dark matter may consist of and how one can discover the invisible particles experimentally.

Even though dark matter is invisible, astrophysicists know it exists. Without this dark matter it is impossible to explain how the visible things in the universe hang together.

An 80-year fight

The world famous, Swiss physicist Fritz Zwicky was speculating on what dark matter might be as early as the 1930s.

Astrophysicists have calculated that 80 per cent of all the mass in the universe is dark, invisible matter. Thanks to gravity this dark matter clumps together as ordinary matter.

Dark matter can explain why stars move like they do. Dark matter may also explain the rotation speed of galaxies.

"Even though we can calculate how much dark matter there is in the universe, we still know little about what dark matter is. The particles in dark matter must either have a lot of mass, or there must be very many of them. Neutrinos meet all the requirements of dark matter. But there is one big difficulty. They have far too little mass."

Are Raklev is now trying to prove that dark matter consists of gravitinos. This is a particle that has been unfairly treated for years.

And just what are gravitinos? Hold tight: gravitinos are the supersymmetric partner of gravitons.

Or, to be even more precise:? "The gravitino is the hypothetical, supersymmetric partner of the hypothetical particle graviton, so it is also impossible to predict a more hypothetical particle than this," laughs Raklev, who writes on his web pages that he is looking for dark material both under his sofa and other places.

In order to dig deeper into why Raklev believes dark matter consists of gravitinos, and have any chance at all of understanding the theory behind gravitinos, Apollon has to take a couple of steps back:

Step 1: Supersymmetry

Physicists want to find out whether or not nature is supersymmetric. Supersymmetry means that there is a symmetry between matter and forces. For each type of electron and quark there is a corresponding heavy, supersymmetric partner. The supersymmetric particles were created in the instant after the Big Bang. If some of them have survived to today, they may be what dark matter is made of.

The supersymmetric partner of the gravitino is, as Apollon said, the graviton.

"A graviton is the particle we believe mediates gravitational force, just like a photon, the light particle, mediates electromagnetic force. While gravitons do not weigh anything at all, gravitinos may weigh a great deal. If nature is supersymmetric and gravitons exist, then gravitinos also exist. And vice versa. This is pure mathematics."

But there is a small but. Physicists cannot demonstrate the relationship between gravitons and gravitinos before they have managed to unify all the forces of nature.

Step 2: The forces of nature

One of the biggest things physicists long to do is to unify all the forces of nature in a single theory. In the middle of the last century physicists discovered that electricity and magnetism were part of the same force of nature. This force has since been called electromagnetism. Two of the other forces of nature are the strong nuclear force and the weak nuclear force. The weak nuclear force can be seen in, among things, radioactivity. The strong nuclear force is ten billion times as strong and binds together neutrons and protons.

In the 1970s, electromagnetism was unified with the strong and weak nuclear forces in what physicists call the standard model.

The fourth force of nature is gravity. Even though it is unbelievably painful to fall down stairs, gravity is the weakest of the four forces of nature.

The problem is that physicists have not yet been able to unify gravity with the three other forces of nature. The day physicists gain a unified understanding of all four forces of nature, they will gain a unique understanding of the world. This will make it possible to describe all imaginable interactions between all possible particles in nature. Physicists call this the ToE Theory (Theory of Everything).

"In order to unify gravitational force with the other three forces of nature we have to understand gravity as quantum theory. This means we need a theory in which the particle graviton is included in the atomic nucleus."

Researchers are now looking for signs of both supersymmetry and the ToE Theory. Discovering the graviton would be an enormous step in this direction.

Reveals dark matter

As the reader may have understood, it is very difficult to research dark matter. This is because dark matter has no electromagnetic relationships to terrestrial particles at all. One example of dark matter is the aforementioned neutrino. Unfortunately, neutrinos make up only an imperceptibly tiny part of dark matter.

Even though it has not been possible to observe dark matter, several billion neutrinos race through your body every second. However, their speed is somewhat limited. The particles move just as slowly as the speed the solar system moves around the galaxy. In other words, a mere 400 kilometres a second.

"When there are no electromagnetic relationships with visible particles, the particles can pass right through us without any measuring instruments detecting them. This is where supersymmetry comes in. If supersymmetry is right, physicists can explain why there is dark matter in the universe. That is what is fun about my job," laughs Raklev.

He is now asserting that dark matter mostly consists of gravitinos.

"Supersymmetry simplifies everything. If the ToE Theory exists, in other words if it is possible to unify the four forces of nature, gravitinos must exist."

The gravitinos were formed right after the Big Bang.

"A short time after the Big Bang we had a soup of particles that collided. Gluons, which are the force bearing particles in the strong nuclear force, collided with other gluons and emitted gravitinos. Many gravitinos were formed after the Big Bang, while the universe was still plasma. So we have an explanation of why gravitinos exist."

Changed life span

Physicists have up to now viewed gravitinos as a problem. They have believed that the theory of supersymmetry does not work because there are too many gravitinos.

"Physicists have therefore strived to eliminate gravitinos from their models. We, on the other hand, have found a new explanation that unifies the supersymmetry model with dark matter that consists of gravitinos. If dark matter is not stable, but just very long lived, it is possible to explain how dark matter consists of gravitinos."

In the old models dark matter was always everlasting. This meant that gravitinos were a bothersome part of the supersymmetry model. In Raklev's new model, their life span is no longer endless. Nonetheless, the average life span of gravitinos is very long and actually longer than the life span of the universe.

However, there is a big difference between an unending life span and a life span of more than 15 billion years. With limited a life span, gravitinos must be converted into other particles. It is precisely this conversion effect that can be measured. And the conversion explains the model.

"We believe that almost all dark matter is gravitinos. The explanation lies in very hard mathematics. We are developing special models that calculate the consequences of these theories and we predict how the particles can be observed in experiments."

The measurements are underway

Researchers are now trying to test this experimentally and explain why these new particles have not yet been seen in the CERN experiments in Geneva in Switzerland.

"On the other hand, it should theoretically possible to observe them from a space probe."

The simplest way of observing gravitinos could be studying what happens if two particles collide out in the universe and are converted into other particles such as photons or antimatter.

Even though the collisions occur very rarely, there is still so much dark matter in the universe that a significant number of photons should be able to be produced.

The big problem is that gravitinos do not collide.

"At least it happens so rarely that we could never hope to observe it."

Nonetheless there is hope

"Luckily for us, gravitinos are not one hundred per cent stable. They are converted into something else at some point. We can predict what the signal looks like after gravitinos have been converted. The conversion will send out a small electromagnetic wave. This is also called a gamma ray."

NASA's Fermi-LAT space probe is currently measuring gamma rays. A number of research groups are now analysing the data.

"So far we have only seen noise. But one of the research groups claim they have observed a small, suspicious surplus of gamma rays from the centre of our galaxy. Their observations may fit our models," says the man behind the very difficult mathematical model for dark matter, associate professor in theoretical particle physics, Are Raklev.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Oslo. The original article was written by Yngve Vogt.

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


Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/astronomy/~3/2iHRvfSSIB0/130124091545.htm

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Friday, January 25, 2013

Twitter ordered to ID anti-Semitic tweeters

2 hrs.

PARIS ???A French court on Thursday ordered Twitter to help identify the authors of anti-Semitic posts or face fines of the?equivalent?of?$1,300?a?day, as the social network firm comes under renewed pressure to combat racist and extremist messages.?

The order, requested by a Jewish student union and rights groups, concerned anti-Semitic material but could open the floodgates to legal pursuit of Twitter users who post a wide range of messages deemed illegal or offensive.?

"This is an excellent decision, which we hope will bring an end to the feeling of impunity that fuels the worst excesses," said Stephane Lilti, lawyer for the groups who sought the ruling.?

The anti-Semitic messages started appearing last October, and have since been deleted.?

The Paris court gave privately?held Twitter, whose general policy is that it does not control content posted on its network, 15 days to hand over data identifying people who have published messages judged anti-Semitic.?

The court also ordered Twitter to set up a system in France that helps people draw attention to illegal content. Under French law, people found guilty of inciting racial hatred can be jailed for a year and fined.?

Twitter's lawyer in France, Alexandra Neri, declined to comment.?

Failure to comply would expose the firm, founded in 2006 and now boasting 140 million monthly active users worldwide, to daily fines of 1,000 euros if the groups who sought the order request it, which Lilti said they would not hesitate to do.?

A rights group involved in the case was quick to point out that the injunction, while limited to a case of anti-Semitic traffic, set a precedent that could also have a wider impact.?

"This marks a decisive step forward in the battle against racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic offences on the Internet," the International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA) said in a statement.?

"Nobody can ignore French law, not even the giants of the American digital economy."?

For a first time, Twitter deployed a new message-blocker in Germany last October to jam the posting of messages by a neo-Nazi group banned by police.?

A tool Twitter calls "country withheld content" allows it to censor tweets considered illegal in a given country.?

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/twitter-ordered-id-anti-semitic-tweeters-france-1C8103590

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Numark iDJ Live II DJ controller hands-on (video)

Numark iDJ Live II DJ controller hands-on

If there's one company that comprehensively caters to the entry-level and intermediate DJ, there's a good chance it's Numark. While the firm has released a whole bunch of stuff at NAMM this year, perhaps its most mainstream offering is the iDJ Live II. If you remember the original, it was a lightweight controller (both physically, and metaphorically) designed for use with Djay on iOS. This time around the little fella gets a redesign, and a few functionality tweaks. Most notable, is that while the first iteration only gave you the option of iOS connectivity -- via the 30-pin adaptor -- this time you have the choice of Lightning, 30-pin, or straight up USB. Thus, you can now bring the iDJ Live II out to work with your Mac or PC, too. Once again, it's built with Algoriddim's Djay in mind, be it the desktop or iOS version, and we got our hands on it to take it for a spin. Head past the break for the lowdown.

First things first. This is very much a fun, consumer product. It would be unfair to call it an accessory, but it's definitely meant for casual use at parties etc. The unit itself is very light, made entirely of plastic, and feels very different to the heavier DJ controllers you might be used to. The iDJ Live II, however, does look much better than the first iteration, with the slightly squared design and the lower-profile platters at least making it look a little less toy-like than before. The plastic finish still feels the same, as does the action and resistance of the platters, knobs and faders (which is serviceable). The controls available give you everything you need to perform all the mixing basics, with high and low-frequency EQ, channel volume control, a crossfader, and even rudimentary scratching (though it really is more of a novelty). If you've ever used Djay for any amount of time though, you'll know that this is plenty enough to get a set going, and having the physical controller there just makes it all that more enjoyable / easy. While purists and old hands might see products such as these as over simplified, the ease of use, and broad appeal makes them ideal for the curious, and that can only be a good thing. Sadly there is no word on price or availability at this time, but we'd be surprised if it wasn't comfortably under $100 when it does finally make its way onto shelves. Check the video below for the hardware tour.

Billy Steele contributed to this report.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/SV502XTMWcA/

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504 Loan Keeps St. Augustine Landmark on Ice | Florida First ...

January 2013

Borrower Profile

504 Loan Keeps St. Augustine Landmark on Ice

The historic Ice Plant building in St Augustine, Florida, has seen a lot of changes in its time.? Originally constructed in the early 1900s as a production facility to house the city?s ice supply, the 14,863 square-foot art deco style building is now undergoing a transformation into a unique restaurant/bar concept as well as a craft liquor distillery of small batch spirits.

The Ice Plant Restaurant and Bar St Augustine FloridaAn innovative division of the property into two parcels has allowed Ice Plant LLC to purchase half of the building for the restaurant/bar and bottle shop with financing for the $1.1 million project provided by Florida First Capital and the Small Business Administration (SBA) 504 Loan Program.

The other half of the building was purchased by a separate, non-related entity and will house the new St. Augustine distillery, which will also serve as a tourist attraction and help to compliment the restaurant/bar.

Not only did the Ice Plant LLC restaurant/bar project benefit from the great cost saving rates and terms of the 504 Loan Program but it also took advantage of the new 504 Bridge Loan Program, which is part of Florida?s State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) Program and is aimed at making make more capital available for Florida?s small businesses.

With SBA 504 loans, first mortgage lenders are permitted to finance owner-occupied real estate and equipment purchases up to 90% of the total project cost. The first mortgage lender makes the loan with the expectation that the portion above 50% will be ?taken-out? by a SBA-guaranteed note/second mortgage lender (Florida First Capital).

However, there is often a gap between initial closing and that take-out.? As a key sub-component to Florida?s SSBCI Program, the 504 Bridge Loan Program addresses this timing difference. Therefore, by removing this interim 90% financing risk for lenders, the 504 Bridge Loan Program will ultimately make more capital available for Florida?s small businesses.? For specifics about the mechanics of the 504 Bridge Loan Program, lenders should contact a Florida First Capital loan officer.

?This is a win-win for both the borrower and the first mortgage lender,? said Kristen Tackett, Florida First Capital Vice President and Loan Officer for Northeast Florida. ?The borrower received the best possible terms under the 504 Loan Program, which allowed for the creation of new permanent jobs in the community, and the first mortgage lender is able to limit their risk exposure during the critical build-out phase.?

The Ice Plant restaurant?s farm to table menu will showcase foods from nearby farms and farmer?s markets.? Attention will be paid to the smallest of details with three different kinds of ice offered, including a nod to the building?s original use as an Ice Plant, with an oversized block of ice and custom cut cubes.

The bottle shop will feature hard to find liquors, cocktail kits and small batch craft spirits made on site by the St. Augustine Distillery.? Classes and workshops such as Whiskey 101 & 201 and Rum 101 & 201, themed mixology classes such as ?The Drinks of Boardwalk Empire? and ? An Evening with Hemmingway?s Spirits? as well as celebrity speakers and tastings will also be offered.

Check out the Ice Plant at www.iceplantbar.com.

For more information about SBA 504 loans or the 504 Bridge Loan Program, lenders should contact a Florida First Capital loan officer.? Email: info@ffcfc.com.? Phone: 850.681.3601 or toll-free at 888.320.5504.

Source: http://www.ffcfc.com/2013/01/23/504-loan-keeps-st-augustine-landmark-on-ice/

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Wolfram Alpha's new Facebook analysis tool feeds your self-obsession

32 min.

As uncomfortable as it can be to admit, odds are that you occasionally really enjoy poring over information about ... yourself. It's OK, most of us secretly obsess over social media analytics and statistics ??and tools like?one offered by Wolfram Alpha don't exactly discourage those moments of narcissism.

Wolfram Alpha's Personal Analytics Tool for Facebook has been around for a while, but it received a significant update on Wednesday. "There?s much more to analyze, see, and do,"?John Burnham, a research and development fellow at Wolfram Alpha, explained on the answer engine's official blog.

To take a peek at your own analytics, you need to grant Wolfram Alpha access to your Facebook account and fork over your email address along with a couple of other details. Once you've done that, you'll have a few moments to twiddle your thumbs as Wolfram Alpha parses your Facebook. And then you'll be overloaded with so much information about things you never even wondered about before.

How are all your friends connected? Do certain individuals have a lot of friends in common with you ("social insiders")? Does someone have almost no friends in common with you (a "social outsider")??How would it look if all your friends were color-coded by relationship status, age, sex, and so on? Who comments on your posts the most? Are all your hometown friends married? Who is your most popular college friend?

Take a deep breath! There are far more questions to explore.

Who is your most distant friend, geographically speaking? Which of your friends lives nearest to the equator? When do you post photos most frequently? Which English words do you use the most in posts? Who is your oldest friend?

The stream of details provided by Wolfram Alpha's?analytics tool is?seemingly endless and, thanks to the way Wolfram Alpha structures data, you can click around and explore things from plenty of angles, zooming in on whichever specifics draw you in the most. If you like what you see,?you can even give the answer engine permission to periodically collect information "to be able to show you an evolution of your Facebook profile over time."

Silliness aside, Wolfram Alpha's tool can be quite revealing. Using it, I discovered that I'm significantly more prone to posting links in the early afternoon and photos in the evenings (likely because I tend to share stories I've written while at work).?I also learned that I have a habit of using the words "folks," "man," "now," "love," and "actually" far more than I realized.

Man, folks! I actually love how much I now know about myself thanks to this tool.

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/wolfram-alphas-new-facebook-analysis-tool-feeds-your-self-obsession-1C8091334

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Kerry to field questions from panel he chairs

(AP) ? Democratic Sen. John Kerry, on a smooth path to confirmation as secretary of state, is likely to face friendly questioning when he testifies before the committee that he's served on for 28 years and led for the past four.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman will sit at the witness table Thursday when he appears before the panel, a month after President Barack Obama said he wanted him to succeed Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton is stepping down.

The five-term Massachusetts senator is widely expected to win overwhelming bipartisan support from his colleagues, and that notion was reinforced by the list of people who will introduce him: Clinton, Massachusetts freshman Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Republican Sen. John McCain.

McCain and Kerry are friends who have worked closely on national security issues. They're also decorated Vietnam War veterans and former presidential candidates who know the sharp sting of defeat.

At the conclusion of a Capitol Hill news conference Tuesday, McCain joked about Kerry's hearing and the tough tactics that won't be employed.

"We will look forward to interrogating him at his hearing ? mercilessly," McCain said to laughter. "We will bring back, for the only time, waterboarding to get the truth."

The hearing is the first of three for Obama's national security nominees and the least controversial.

Former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel, nominated for defense secretary, will face tough questions about his past statements on Israel, Iran, nuclear weapons and defense spending at his confirmation hearing next Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee. John Brennan, the president's choice for CIA director, will be quizzed about White House national security leaks and the use of unmanned drones at his hearing next month.

The job of the nation's top diplomat would be the realization of a dream for Kerry, whom Obama passed over in 2008 when he chose Clinton. When Joe Biden became vice president, Kerry replaced the former Delaware senator as chairman of the committee. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., the incoming chairman, will preside at Kerry's hearing.

Obama nominated Kerry after Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, removed her name from consideration following criticism from Republicans over her initial comments about the attacks on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.

Kerry, 69, is the son of a diplomat and has served as Obama's unofficial envoy, using his skills of persuasion with leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Although a rough hearing is unlikely, Kerry will be pressed about the civil war in Syria and other hot spots, foreign aid and the Keystone XL oil pipeline, about which he'll have a major say.

More than half the Senate has urged quick approval of the pipeline, increasing the pressure on Obama to move forward on the project despite concerns from environmentalists.

"We urge you to choose jobs, economic development and American energy security," wrote 53 senators, who added that the pipeline "has gone through the most exhaustive environmental scrutiny of any pipeline" in U.S. history.

The $7 billion project would carry tar sands oil from Canada to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The Obama administration has twice thwarted the 1,700-mile pipeline, which Calgary-based TransCanada first proposed in late 2008. The State Department delayed the project in late 2011 after environmental groups and others raised concerns about a proposed route through environmentally sensitive land in Nebraska.

The State Department said this week it does not expect to complete a review of the project before the end of March. The State Department has jurisdiction over the pipeline because it crosses a U.S. border.

In the past, Kerry has played a major role on climate change legislation and has warned of the environmental dangers.

In advance of his hearing, Kerry said he plans to divest holdings in dozens of companies in his family's vast financial portfolio to avoid conflicts of interest if he is confirmed.

He notified the State Department earlier this month that within 90 days of his confirmation he would move to sell off holdings in three trusts benefiting him and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry. In the Jan. 8 letter to the department's Office of the Legal Adviser, Kerry said he would not take part in any decisions that could affect the companies he has holdings in until those investments are sold off.

Kerry is the wealthiest man in the Senate, worth more than $184 million, according to a 2011 Senate disclosure.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Stephen Braun contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-24-Kerry%20Nomination/id-683831f8f8fb402f900623bbaf09c2ed

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Internet abuzz after first lady seemingly rolls her eyes at Boehner

Monday?s post-inaugural luncheon was a case study in body language--and nearly all of the physical evidence centered on House Speaker John Boehner. One interaction in particular already became an Internet meme: Michelle Obama rolling her eyes after listening to a comment from the Ohio Republican congressman.

Tumblr blogger ?Mattyrab? was the first to capture the eye roll in action, sharing video of the exchange in a display described as a ?historical moment in shade throwing.? The video has already been shared thousands of times across social media sites with viewers speculating on what sparked the First Lady?s facial expression.

We don?t have audio of their exchange so, for now, it?s impossible to know exactly what Boehner had said. In fact, it?s entirely possible that Michelle Obama's eye roll was simply a reaction to an innocuous joke from Boehner.

That moment was only one of several interactions involving the House speaker. For example, after Boehner?s brief and gracious remarks during the luncheon, he shook hands with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. Anyone watching the two exchanges closely would notice a distinct difference: While Boehner and Obama look friendly enough in the actual handshake, at no point do they appear to make eye contact; in contrast, Biden and Boehner appear to share a warmer greeting, smiling at each other and pulling in close.

Of course, any analysis is inevitably colored by one?s own estimation of these three men. But it certainly appears to correlate with the understanding that Biden has far more amicable relations with Congress than Obama.

Interestingly, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor even appeared to have a warmer exchange with Obama after his remarks than the president had with Boehner, as the two men looked each other in the eyes and traded what appeared to be firm, but friendly, greetings. If that indeed is the case, it?s noteworthy since Cantor is viewed as being even more ideologically opposed then the House speaker to Obama?s political agenda.

What do you think? Are political audiences overreacting to Michelle Obama?s facial expression? Or was it a candid moment captured on film showing that even during the most benign of political events, personality conflicts and personal feelings rise to the surface?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/michelle-obama-rolls-eyes-john-boehner-sets-internet-222930624--politics.html

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Monday Motivation - Tips For Dealing With Financial ... - Quizzle.com

motivationmondaysm ?We plan, God laughs.?

Nearly all of us have heard this Yiddish proverb, usually when our perfectly planned evening/party/workday or what-have-you has gone to pot and a well-meaning friend is trying to comfort us. Disappointments are a part of life, but one of the most stinging types of let-down is the financial disappointment, the feeling of defeat that comes from constructing a perfect financial plan, only to have it fouled up by an unexpected vet bill or a flat tire.

But there are ways to cope with financial disappointments so that a setback doesn?t send you spiraling into a fiscal abyss:

Keep the setback in perspective

So you?re plugging along with your accelerated debt repayment plan, when your transmission goes out. This is a major disappointment, because you could have put that $3,000 on your credit card. But it won?t be your financial undoing if you view the setback as temporary. Sure, you?ll have to push pause on your debt payoff plan for a few months, but then you?ll be right back at it. What?s a few months in the grand scheme of your financial life?

Find the positive

Let?s say you?re doing really well with saving up an emergency fund when your dog dives into your leftover Christmas chocolate, landing him in the doggie hospital and you with a $500 bill. Of course, you have to dig into your emergency fund to pay for it. It stinks that you?ve experienced a $500 setback, but look at the positive: at least you have the $500, which means you don?t have to rely on credit cards to cover this unexpected expense. Putting a positive spin on your financial disappointment is a sure-fire way to get back in the savings saddle.

Don?t misconstrue the setback as a ?sign? that there?s no point in trying to turn your finances around

When you?re in the first stages of trying to improve your finances, it?s easy to look at your first financial setback and think: ?see, there?s no use even trying!? Don?t fall into this trap. A financial disappointment is just that ? a disappointment, not a signal that your finances are irreparably doomed.

Try to see the humor

Making silly mistakes ? like leaving your headlights on overnight and killing your car battery, for example ? is part of being human. Pay the $150 to replace the battery, take a moment to laugh at yourself a little, then get back to your financial plan. Beating yourself up over every costly slip up will eventually backfire ? you?ll begin to resent your newfound financial responsibility instead of embracing it. So keep a sense of humor about your foibles ? it?ll keep you moving forward.

The bottom line: disappointments are inevitable on the path to a healthy financial future, so pick yourself up, put the setback behind you, and keep working towards your financial goals. If you do, you?ll get to financial independence eventually ? no matter how many bumps you encounter along the way!

Have your own success story you feel would make for a good Monday Motivation story? Get in touch! Email us at blog@quizzle.com and tell us your story!

Quizzle.com is the easiest way to get a complete understanding of your credit. Visit Quizzle.com to get your free credit report and score. No credit card or social security number necessary!

Source: http://www.quizzle.com/blog/2013/01/monday-motivation-tips-for-dealing-with-financial-disappointments/

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Healing the Brain with Snail Venom

cone snail, conotoxins, pharmacopoeia Image: COURTESY OF STEW ELLINGTON

  • Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...

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Conotoxins?the chains of amino acids found in the venom of a cone snail?are medical marvels. In 2003 psychiatrist and environmentalist Eric Chivian of Harvard University described these sea creatures as having ?the largest and most clinically important pharmacopoeia of any genus in nature.? Scientists believe conotoxins could help treat epilepsy, depression and other disorders by interacting with the nervous system.

Why do neuroscientists care about cone snails?

Cone snail venom contains neurotoxins that can target specific locations in the brain and spinal cord. For example, some species of cone snail possess a compound that can act on the same receptors as nicotine. These receptors, located on the surface of neurons, help to govern signaling in the brain.

Neuroscientist J. Michael McIntosh of the University of Utah has found that selectively blocking some of these receptors with a cone snail compound can decrease the use of addictive drugs (so far, just in laboratory animals). Blocking a different subset of those receptors can trigger more consumption of a drug instead. Other compounds have been found to interact with receptors that influence feelings of pain or the growth of tumors.

How dangerous is a cone snail's venom?

The cone snail uses a toxin-filled tooth to harpoon its prey, injecting chemicals that can paralyze, stun or kill an unfortunate fish. Attracted by their colorful shells, divers occasionally collect the snails and make the mistake of stowing them in their swim trunks. The results range from a nasty sting to painful lesions and, in a few cases, death.

Tales of the calamitous cone snail have crept into fiction: the toxin was featured as a murder weapon in the 1970s television show Hawaii 5-O, and in the more recent film Jurassic Park 2 only cone snail venom was powerful enough to fell a Tyrannosaurus rex. Most of the more than 700 species of cone snail, however, are not toxic to humans.

How do people collect these poisonous sea creatures?

The mollusks are typically found in warm and tropical waters, such as in the Caribbean and near the Philippines. ?We can collect snails using a deepwater submersible, scuba diving, deepwater dredging, or simply bending over in the water and picking them up,? says Frank Mari, a biochemist at Florida Atlantic University, one researcher who collects and studies the venom of cone snails.

But the loss of coral reefs and overzealousness of shell collectors have made finding certain species increasingly difficult, which could curtail our access to and understanding of this natural pharmacy. Once researchers have a cone snail, however, they can keep milking it for years in a lab.

How do you milk a cone snail?

Neuroscientist Baldomero Olivera of the University of Utah was faced with this puzzle in the 1980s. One enterprising undergraduate tried inflating a condom and rubbing it against a goldfish. He then set the fish-scented latex into the cone snail's tank. Almost immediately the snail struck, lodging its tooth into the faux fish.

?The sight of an inflated condom floating at the [water's] surface, with a tethered snail swinging like a pendulum below it, was one of those moments that should have been recorded with a camera,? Olivera wrote in the journal Toxicon in 2000.

Today researchers use real fish bait with a latex-topped tube to collect venom. Some scientists now clone genetic material to produce a specific toxin.

What do you do with the venom?

Every cone snail species has easily 1,000 peptides of medical interest, which means cone snails offer millions of research possibilities. Some cone snail toxins show promise as muscle relaxants during surgery and as fast-acting interventions after a stroke or heart attack.


Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=5a924bceeb9a60b3eb909e9da2000529

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Monday, January 21, 2013

Enzyme helps cancer cells avoid genetic instability

Jan. 21, 2013 ? Cancer cells are resourceful survivors with plenty of tricks for staying alive. Researchers have uncovered one of these stratagems, showing how cells lacking the tumor suppressor BRCA1 can resume one form of DNA repair, sparing themselves from stagnation or death. The study appears in the January 21st issue of The Journal of Cell Biology.

The BRCA1 protein helps to mend double-strand DNA breaks by promoting homologous recombination. Without it, cells can amass broken, jumbled, and fused chromosomes, which may cause them to stop growing or die. Although cells lacking BRCA1 seem like they should be vulnerable, loss of the protein instead seems to boost abnormal growth.

Recent studies have shown that cells lacking BRCA1 compensate by cutting back on 53BP1. This protein helps orchestrate a different DNA repair mechanism, nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ), and it thwarts a key step in homologous recombination. Researchers think that, in cells without BRCA1, 53BP1 spurs excessive NHEJ that can cause fatal chromosomal chaos. But with 53BP1 out of the way, the cells are able to resume homologous recombination. That might explain why cells that lack BRCA1 and eliminate 53BP1 can withstand traditional chemotherapy compounds and PARP inhibitors, a new generation of anti-cancer drugs that are in clinical trials. But how do cancer cells turn down 53BP1?

Researchers previously found that certain mutant fibroblasts increase production of cathepsin L, a protease that destroys 53BP1. BRCA1-deficient cancer cells take advantage of the same mechanism, according to a team of researchers led by Susana Gonzalo from the Washington University School of Medicine. When they cultured breast cancer cells that were missing BRCA1, the cells stopped growing. After two weeks of lethargy, however, some cells, which the researchers dubbed BOGA cells (BRCA1-deficient cells that overcome growth arrest), began to divide again. These cells showed increased levels of cathepsin L and reduced amounts of 53BP1. Eliminating cathepsin L from BOGA cells or dosing them with vitamin D, a cathepsin L inhibitor, prevented the decline in 53BP1 abundance.

To find out whether boosting cathepsin L levels enabled the cancer cells to restart homologous recombination, the researchers monitored sites of DNA damage tagged by RAD51, a protein that helps promote homologous recombination. The cells that had stopped growing did not display RAD51 foci, but these foci were prevalent in BOGA cells with reduced 53BP1. Removing cathepsin L from BOGA cells increased 53BP1 levels and diminished the number of RAD51 foci.

If cells can't perform homologous recombination, they turn to repair mechanisms such as NHEJ that can lead to jumbled chromosomes. However, after DNA-breaking doses of radiation, BOGA cells exhibited few chromosome defects. The number of these flaws climbed after the researchers stabilized 53BP1 levels by inhibiting cathepsin L or trimming its abundance.

The team then analyzed tumor samples from breast cancer patients. Researchers suspect that cathepsin L attacks 53BP1 by entering the nucleus. Samples from patients with BRCA1 mutations or with triple-negative breast cancer -- an aggressive form of the disease -- showed high levels of nuclear cathepsin L and reduced quantities of 53BP1. That suggests tumors in these patients hike the amounts of cathepsin L in the nucleus to break down 53BP1 and restore homologous recombination.

"It's a new pathway that explains how breast cancer cells lose 53BP1," says Gonzalo. How cancer cells boost nuclear cathepsin L levels is unclear, she notes.

Triple-negative breast cancers are currently identified by their lack of Her2 and the estrogen and progesterone receptors. The work suggests that another trio of measurements -- the amounts of 53BP1, cathepsin L, and vitamin D receptor in the nucleus -- might help identify patients that are resistant to current breast cancer treatments. These people might respond to cathepsin inhibitors, some of which are undergoing animal testing. These compounds might steer the cells away from homologous recombination and leave them vulnerable to other therapies.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Rockefeller University Press, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. D. A. Grotsky, I. Gonzalez-Suarez, A. Novell, M. A. Neumann, S. C. Yaddanapudi, M. Croke, M. Martinez-Alonso, A. B. Redwood, S. Ortega-Martinez, Z. Feng, E. Lerma, T. Ramon y Cajal, J. Zhang, X. Matias-Guiu, A. Dusso, S. Gonzalo. BRCA1 loss activates cathepsin L-mediated degradation of 53BP1 in breast cancer cells. The Journal of Cell Biology, 2013; 200 (2): 187 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.201204053

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/yzxjZotL_ng/130121122940.htm

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Four More Years Begin Today (The Note)

By MICHAEL FALCONE ( @michaelpfalcone )

NOTABLES:

WHAT OBAMA WILL SAY: President Obama will use the first major speech of his second term to try to reset the tone of debate in the country and turn the page on the political battles of the past, hoping for something of a fresh start, ABC's Devin Dwyer notes. He will "talk about the challenges that face us and what unites us as Americans," Obama campaign manager Jim Messina told ABC News. "Monday is an American moment: the swearing-in of the President of the United States - everyone's president," Messina said. "You're going to see a president who wants to work across party lines to get things done, that's what the country wants." He will acknowledge that we won't "settle every debate or resolve every difference" but that we "have an obligation to work together," said a senior administration official, who asked to remain anonymous in order to speak freely about the speech. Obama will not discuss specific policy prescriptions in his address, though he may broadly allude to issues of war, immigration, climate change and environment, and gun control, officials said. The details will be saved for the State of the Union address on Feb. 12. http://abcn.ws/10xPEcO

WHAT'S ON HIS MIND? Obama has been working on his inaugural address since mid-December, officials said, working through drafts of the text on yellow legal pads that he's been spotted carrying through the West Wing. He also hosted a dinner with presidential historians at the White House last week, looking for insights on how to make his speech memorable and impactful. In a video message to his supporters reflecting on the moment, Obama said two historical figures would be especially on his mind today: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Abraham Lincoln. "Their actions, the movements they represented are the only reason it's possible for me to be inaugurated," Obama said. "It's also a reminder for me that this country has gone through very tough times before, but we always come out on the other side." For the ceremonial oath-taking, Obama will place his left hand on the stacked personal Bibles of Lincoln and King. http://abcn.ws/10xPEcO

OPPORTUNITY AND OBSTACLES: ABC News Political Analysts Matthew Dowd and Donna Brazile spoke with George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America" this morning about what President Obama is likely to say in his second inaugural address and what's ahead for the next four years. WATCH: http://abcn.ws/VUX9aT

THE ROUNDTABLE:

ABC'S RICK KLEIN: An inauguration is a moment for, yes, hope. The fact that that's a change in this post-reelection period - that this is the first moment where those on either side of the political arguments of the day can even catch their breath - speaks to the stakes today for President Obama. The sense of optimism that surrounded the president's first election was broken not long after that bitter cold afternoon four years ago yesterday. Today, he seeks to restore some poetry to his mission, while bringing the public on board in new ways. The expectations and possibilities of his first term will take this second term to play out - if they're feasible at all. If they're not, well, today will be just word

ABC's MICHAEL FALCONE: At a pre-inaugural reception at the National Building Museum last night, both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden took a moment to express their appreciation to supporters who, as the president said, "invested so much heart, soul, time, money, energy" to put him in the White House for another four years. But the vice president reminded everyone that after the last champagne cork is popped at the inaugural balls tonight, all that will be left is a towering workload. "In the weeks and months ahead, we're going to reduce gun violence here in America. We're going to pass comprehensive immigration reform. And we're going to put this nation's economy on a sustainable path to the future." That's no small order, especially at a moment of deep political division. But President Obama's parting words last night remind us that, regardless of party, it's also a moment for new beginnings: "After we celebrate," he said, "let's make sure to work as hard as we can to pass on an America that is worthy not only of our past but also of our future."

ABC's DEVIN DWYER: After a bruising campaign, and unusually contentious post-election period, Barack Obama wants his second Inauguration Day to be a brief respite from the storm, a moment to take a breather and celebrate "our shared history." It's also for him a personally "gratifying moment," one administration official said, marking the final oath after the final campaign. But with his address from the Capitol's west front, Obama has much work to do to rekindle broad enthusiasm for his leadership and confidence he can deliver more than words. In 2009, two operative elements commanded attention to his speech - the history-making of the nation's first black president, and a growing alarm over chaos in the U.S. economy. Today, those novelties are all but gone, raising the stakes - and an opportunity - for Obama and his rhetoric to break through the din.

ABC'S SHUSHANNAH WALSHE: Inauguration Day, a time when Americans from all over the country come to the nation's capitol to, at times, see the peaceful transfer of power and on other occasions (like today) to mark the second term of a president. Perhaps on this day members of Congress from both sides of the aisle can remember how unique this country is, and how lucky we are to live here, and make a pledge to work with their political opponents. Working together, compromise, and bipartisanship can only make this country better and there is a long list of things that need to get done. ABC NEWS' SPECIAL COVERAGE OF THE INAUGURATION. ABC News will provide extensive coverage of the second Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama on the ABC Television Network, its digital platforms including ABCNews.com and ABC's mobile apps, Yahoo!, and radio.

-At 9:30 a.m., ET Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos will anchor special coverage of Barack Obama's second Inauguration on the ABC Television Network from the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue. Coverage will include all events from the swearing-in ceremony and Obama's Inaugural Address to the Inaugural Procession as well as reaction from around the nation. Plus, Sawyer and Stephanopoulos will speak with former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Sawyer and Stephanopoulos will be joined by a team of ABC News anchors, correspondents, and analysts throughout the day.

-Coverage will continue on Monday evening with a special edition of "World News" from the Newseum at 6:30 p.m., ET. A special edition of "Nightline" will look back on the events of the day and will take viewers inside the Inaugural Balls. "Nightline" airs at 12:35 a.m. ET.

-ABC News Digital and Yahoo! News will jointly produce live-streamed coverage of the 2013 Presidential Inauguration on Monday from 9:30a.m. - 5:00p.m. ET. Coverage will be anchored by ABC News' Dan Harris along with Yahoo! News reporter Olivier Knox. Evening coverage will continue with a live feed from both inaugural balls. ABC News and Yahoo! News will also stream a special post-inaugural show "After: The Second Inauguration of President Barack Obama" on Tuesday at 10:00a.m.ET, anchored by ABC News' Dan Kloeffler and Yahoo! News' Phoebe Connelly.

-ABC News Radio will provide live coverage of the inaugural ceremony anchored by Aaron Katersky between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., ET. ABC News Radio's team of correspondents including Ann Compton, Vic Ratner, Steven Portnoy and Andy Field will contribute on-the-ground-reporting and analysis of the Inaugural ceremony and parade; Sam Donaldson will report on the swearing-in of Barack Obama from the steps of Capitol Hill; and Trey Hardin and Steve Roberts will provide insight from ABC News Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

VIDEO OF THE DAY: TAILOR TO THE PRESIDENTS. Tailor Georges de Paris is a Washington legend, a charismatic Frenchman with long, flowing gray hair who works out of a cramped shop two blocks from the White House. And he has tailored suits for every president since Lyndon B. Johnson. After all these years, he still uses the same scissors and thimble, notes ABC's Jonathan Karl who interviewed de Paris for the latest installment of "Power Players: Politics Confidential." The sartorial giant has tailored many an inaugural suit, but when asked if he is doing the next one, for President Obama on Monday, de Paris remains coy. "Well, we'll work for that," says de Paris. Photos of de Paris with all the presidents adorn the shop. Obama wore his suit to deliver his State of the Union address. Ford was buried in a brown, three-piece Georges de Paris suit. De Paris even made the suit Reagan wore when he was shot, had in fact hand-delivered it the day before. Later, Reagan told Larry King that one of his memories of that day was waking up on the hospital gurney, horrified that the doctors where cutting off his brand-new suit. Yet the pint-sized tailor remains humble and unfazed by the stature of his clients, saying he has been doing bespoke suits for 61 years and does not get nervous. Talking to the president while taking his measurements at the White House, says de Paris, is "no different than I talk to you now." http://yhoo.it/VjmGrY

A VISION FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS WITH JIM MESSINA AND VALERIE JARRETT. President Obama's 2012 campaign manager JIM MESSINA talks to ABC Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl about the transformation of the president's campaign apparatus into a new group called Organizing for Action. WATCH: http://abcn.ws/W5vAeh

And top Obama adviser and confidante VALERIE JARRETT sits down with ABC's Ann Compton to reflect on the accomplishments of the president's first term and the administration's goals for the next four years: "I think we are all more experienced. Isn't that what you say when you get older? It's just experience? A little grayer. We are all a little grayer," she said, laughing heartily during an interview in the West Wing. "The president's gray hair is very funny. Mine, not so much. And we are wiser. We're wiser." Jarrett said there have been lessons even in those small issues that were hard to settle during the first term. "On his desk he has a little plaque that says, 'Hard things are hard,'" she said of Obama. "You know what? They are." WATCH: http://abcn.ws/W551G5

BUZZ

A PRAYER FOR THE PRESIDENT. When the Rev. Dr. Luis Le?n delivers the benediction today at President Obama's inauguration, his message will focus on uniting a divided nation. "My sense is that as a country we're not talking to each other," Le?n told ABC News' Reena Ninan. "We don't trust each other. We've forgotten that we have more that binds us together than separates us. My prayer is that we capture that sense of being one nation." Le?n, an Episcopal priest at St. John's Church across from the White House in Washington, will do double duty on Inauguration Day. Leon will host President Obama for a prayer service before the inauguration, as well as giving the benediction. St. John's has held prayer services for U.S. presidents on Inauguration Day 11 times. Franklin Roosevelt started the tradition. "It doesn't get old," Le?n said. "We've never had any bloodletting as one government passes the baton except maybe during the Civil War after Lincoln was elected." http://abcn.ws/T9wA2s

OBAMA APPROVES OF MICHELLE'S NEW 'DO. President Obama used the first public remarks of his second term to address what he called the "most significant" event of this weekend: his wife's much-talked-about new haircut. "I love her bangs," Obama told supporters at an inaugural reception at the National Building Museum last night, ABC's Mary Bruce reports."She looks good. She always looks good." First lady Michelle Obama, wearing a black sequined cocktail dress and showcasing her new hairdo, also heaped compliments on her husband. "Let me tell you, it has just been a true thrill to watch this handsome, charming individual grow into the man and the president that he is," she said, as she reached out to playfully touch the president's face, sparking laughter from the crowd. Praising his compassion and courage, the first lady introduced the president as the "love of her life." Obama, who was sworn in for a second term in a small White House ceremony on Sunday, kept his remarks short, noting he has another big speech to deliver today. "There are a limited amount of good lines and you don't want to use them all up tonight," he joked. http://abcn.ws/VUcBUu

POTUS HAS POLLING ON HIS SIDE. Polls show Obama begins his second term with soaring popularity - the highest job approval rating in years - and strong backing on some of his top legislative priorities, notes ABC's Devin Dwyer. Fifty-five percent of Americans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll approve of Obama's job performance overall, the most since November 2009, with a small exception for the 56 percent spike shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011. Majorities in the survey also broadly favor Obama's position on the debt ceiling, gun control measures, and reforms for the immigration system.

OBAMA ALREADY SWORN IN: 'I DID IT.' ABC's Mary Bruce and Devin Dwyer report: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday officially embarked on their second term, taking the Constitutionally mandated oath of office in two separate private ceremonies inside their homes. Shortly before noon in the Blue Room of the White House, Obama raised his right hand, with his left on a family Bible, reciting the oath administrated by Chief Justice John Roberts. He was surrounded by immediate family members, including first lady Michelle Obama and daughters, Malia and Sasha. As he hugged his wife and daughters, Sasha said, "Good job, Daddy." "I did it," he said. "You didn't mess up," she answered. ? Because Jan. 20 - the official date for a new presidential term - falls on a Sunday this year, organizers delayed by one day the traditional public inauguration ceremony and parade down Pennsylvania Avenue. http://abcn.ws/10xPEcO

PHOTO: OBAMAS AT HISTORIC BLACK CHURCH. Without announcing their stop to the press ahead of time, the Obamas visited a historically black church in Washington, D.C. on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day weekend, ABC's Ann Compton reports. PHOTO: http://bit.ly/VTfa9z

THE 5 BEST AND 2 WORST INAUGURAL ADDRESSES. Some presidents have it, and some don't. Inaugural addresses usually aren't very good, historians say, but a few have gone down as the most memorable speeches in American history. Lincoln and FDR earn high marks from the experts, as do Kennedy and Reagan; Harrison and Washington rank among the worst. See the full list: http://abcn.ws/UecphV

STATES ON GUN CONTROL: SOME OFFER NEW LAWS, OTHERS RESIST THE FEDS. ABC's Shushannah Walshe has a comprehensive list of where states stand: If you're thinking about the many ways this country is divided, look no further than the issue of guns. Since the president laid out his gun control proposals some states are proposing stricter laws while others say they won't enforce federal laws or the president's executive orders. Some are going a step further, aiming to make it a crime for a federal agent to try and enforce the law in their states. http://abcn.ws/WfXRNj

INAUGURAL PARTY GUIDE. ABC's Arlette Saenz writes: The Presidential Inaugural Committee is hosting just two official inaugural balls this year, compared to the 10 official balls in 2009. The two balls, which will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Monday, will be the fewest balls held by a president since Dwight Eisenhower's inauguration in 1953. One official celebration is the Commander-In-Chief's Ball to honor members of the military and their families. Tickets for the military ball, a tradition started by President George W. Bush in 2005, are free for invited attendees, which will include an estimated 4,000 active duty and service members, Medal of Honor recipients, and wounded warriors and their spouses. But the giant fete of Monday night will be the Inaugural Ball, which is expected to host an estimated 35,000 people across the 700,000-square-foot convention center, according to The Associated Press. http://abcn.ws/WiJw2v

"THIS WEEK" REWIND:

-DAVID PLOUFFE: REVENUE DEBATE NOT OVER. White House senior adviser David Plouffe told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that despite recent agreement on taxes, the White House still wants revenue to be part of the deficit-reduction solution. "We are goiing to require some more revenues," Plouffe said. "John Boehner himself said he thought there was $800 billion in revenue from closing loopholes. We've dealt with the tax rate issue. Now it's about loopholes." http://abcn.ws/VeFvQU

-EVA LONGORIA: IMMIGRATION SYSTEM IS 'BROKEN.' The actress, who served as co-chair of President Obama's reelection campaign, had this to say about immigration: "When people say, 'Oh, get in the back of the line and you didn't get in the back of the line,' people don't realize there's a hundred lines to get into, and if you're in that line, then you weren't supposed to be in that line, you got to go in that-I mean, it's a very broken system." http://abcn.ws/VG0wBs

-SANTORUM: OBAMA IS A 'SORE WINNER.' Former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum appeared on our "This Week" roundtable, criticizing how President Obama has handled himself after the election: "That's the problem with this administration. They don't-they're not very gracious winners. And I always said, you know, there's one thing worse than a sore loser, and that's a sore winner. And the president's a sore winner," Santorum said. http://abcn.ws/WvOM2F

-GEORGE WILL: NATIONALS ARE BEST NATIONAL LEAGUE TEAM 'ON PAPER.' In a "This Week" web exclusive, the veteran columnist and renowned baseball fan sized up the Washington Nationals' World Series chances in an interview with ABC's Kaye Foley: "Well, particularly with the new trades and acquisitions, and re-signing [Adam] LaRoche, great first baseman who was probably their most valuable player last year, the Nationals are on paper the best team in the National League. Unfortunately, they don't play the game on paper, they play it on grass and dirt. But even there the Nationals should be even better than last year. They'll play in October." WATCH: http://abcn.ws/UIiYIp

IN THE NOTE'S INBOX:

-HOUSE SPEAKER JOHN BOEHNER ON MLK DAY. House Speaker John Boehner issued the following statement in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: "Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. showed how much good a single life could do in a short period. Indeed, time itself was one of the many barriers he and his followers confronted. Dr. King said that time, if not seized upon as a fleeting gift, becomes 'an ally of the primitive forces of social stagnation.' He taught that overcoming such inertia and comfort requires 'the persistent work of dedicated individuals who are willing to be co-workers with God.' So it is appropriate that on the day we celebrate Dr. King, we gather from all walks at our Capitol, which welcomes visitors with the words 'In God We Trust.' No American proclaimed this truth more boldly, and lived it more deeply, than Martin Luther King Jr. Because he tapped into the capacity of love and the dignity of the human spirit, the path of opportunity and tranquility is wider, and we have the chance to widen it even further. Let us all take a moment today to bow our heads and pray for the courage to heed Dr. King's teachings and make the most of this moment God has given us."

WHO'S TWEETING?

@GStephanopoulos: Historic day-first time since FDR president has taken oath of office 4 times. On @GMA then joining @DianeSawyer for #Inaug2013coverage

@BeschlossDC: Lincoln's handwritten second Inaugural address, 1865: pic.twitter.com/UXPcRgjT

@nytjim: In their words? thoughts for a 2nd-term president. Nice audio feature: http://nyti.ms/10LQKma http://yfrog.com/nxrwgrnp

@davidaxelrod: Inspiring to see people streaming to the Capitol on this brisk, sunny Inaugural, as Americans have done for generations.

@mckaycoppins: On this inauguration morning, read @rubycramer's profile of Jim Messina, the man who got Obama here. http://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/obamas-campaign-manager-looks-for-another-act ?

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/four-more-years-begin-today-note-140430368--abc-news-politics.html

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Facebook Saved Your Searches: How To Delete Your Stalking ...

Facebook Stalking
Who have you been creeping on lately?

Have you been creeping on an ex? Find out how to erase your stalking history.

Not that you ever Facebook stalk exes or cute guys you met at the bar, but for the times you?accidentally?typed in their names, the social network has taken note and archived all of your searches. Thanks, Facebook!

More from YourTango: The New Flu Remedy: Get A Boyfriend

While the social network says these searches are only available to you, it's still may be unsettling to see how many times you've looked up your ex.

Feeling like a creep as you think about your most searches? Well, Facebook might be an even bigger creep for saving them, but luckily there's a way to delete them.

Head over to The Stir to erase your Facebook stalking history:?Facebook Saves All Your Creepy Stalker Searches, But Here's How to Delete Them.

More from The Stir:

Source: http://www.yourtango.com/2013171554/facebook-saves-your-searches-how-delete-your-stalking-history

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Sunday, January 20, 2013

Plouffe: What's on Obama's second-term to-do list? (CNN)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/278316942?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Big party for Democrats, quiet reflection for GOP

FILE - In this Dec. 21, 2012 photo, Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, joined by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., speaks to reporters about the fiscal cliff negotiations at the Capitol in Washington. Celebration doesn?t seem to be high on the agenda as House Republicans, their majority renewed by the voters last fall, lay the groundwork for another challenge to President Barack Obama over federal spending. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 21, 2012 photo, Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, joined by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., speaks to reporters about the fiscal cliff negotiations at the Capitol in Washington. Celebration doesn?t seem to be high on the agenda as House Republicans, their majority renewed by the voters last fall, lay the groundwork for another challenge to President Barack Obama over federal spending. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Graphic shows inauguration details and election results; UPDATES with additional seating details

(AP) ? For many Republicans, this is a good weekend to get away from it all.

With hundreds of thousands of Democrats traveling to nation's capital for President Barack Obama's inauguration activities, Republicans and supporters of last fall's GOP presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, are leaving town, or staying put and trying to avoid the crowds.

After failing to recapture the White House for a second straight presidential election, many are not exactly in a partying mood.

"It's a good time to lay low," said John Feehery, the president of Quinn Gillespie Communications and a former top congressional aide.

As Democrats prepare to mark Obama's second inauguration on Monday by bundling up along the parade route or dressing up for balls, Republicans are spending the long Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend with quick vacation getaways, quiet time at home or trips to the movie theater.

Few plan any "mourning parties" or "bawls" that have been the staples of past inaugural festivities for the party out of power. But invitations to parties tend to be scarce if your candidate lost, and watching television provides a constant reminder of November's elections.

"Invitations must have gotten lost in the mail!" former Romney adviser Ed Gillespie wrote in an email saying he had no major plans for the weekend.

Charlie Spies, an attorney and co-founder of the pro-Romney super political action committee Restore Our Future, was in Las Vegas for the weekend, hosting about 100 Republicans, including some former Romney campaign aides, at events in the Wynn Las Vegas and Venetian Resort Hotel Casino.

Spies held a similar gathering for about 20 friends and associates four years ago but said he was surprised by the amount of interest this time.

"I was expecting more than 20 but no place near this response," he said. "But I think people were excited to have an opportunity to be someplace other than D.C. and let President Obama and his supporters have their day in the sun."

Ron Bonjean, a former Bush administration and congressional aide who runs a public affairs firm, convened a small work retreat at a resort in Mexico and said he planned to use the time to prepare for new challenges in 2013.

"It's the perfect time for us to be productive and focused on the year ahead while Washington is consumed with swearing in the president," he said.

Republicans will be part of the inauguration ceremony, with members of Congress gathered on the west front steps of the Capitol for Obama's swearing-in. Many Republican lawmakers are attending state balls during the weekend to welcome their constituents.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and House Armed Services Chairman Howard "Buck" McKeon, R-Calif., were among the GOP leaders who planned to attend an inauguration-related ball on Sunday night honoring members of the military.

After the parties end, the work to win back the White House begins. The Republican National Committee is holding its winter meeting in Charlotte, N.C., in the coming week. A major topic of discussion will be finding ways to reach out to minority voters and win elections.

Next weekend in Washington, a robust lineup of Republicans, including Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Romney's running mate, and Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Scott Walker of Wisconsin, will address conservatives at a conference organized by the National Review Institute.

For Republicans, this is a season of introspection and planning for the future.

"When you're winning, you're thinking about the possibilities. When you lose, you're thinking about what went wrong," Feehery said. "When you're winning, you're thinking about your next job. When you lose, you're thinking about keeping your job."

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-19-Inauguration-Republicans/id-8bf666b5d36940ba95e82f77bd4db821

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Bellator?s ratings on Spike were a mixed bag

The ratings news for Bellator's heavily hyped debut on Spike TV Thursday was decidedly mixed. The average viewership of 938,000 made it the most-watched show in the promotion's four-year history, though it lost nearly half of its audience that was delivered by TNA Impact Wrestling.

Bellator's move to Spike was precipitated by the end of the UFC's seven-year relationship with Spike in 2011. The UFC broadcast the first season of "The Ultimate Fighter" on Spike in 2005 as a time buy, then stayed on the network for six more seasons.

When the UFC signed an exclusive seven-year deal with Fox in 2011 that put its live events and programming on Fox, FX and Fuel, Spike was without mixed martial arts content. But Spike parent Viacom owns a controlling interest in Bellator and not long after the UFC's departure, Spike and Bellator announced a broadcast relationship.

Spike had a non-compete clause with the UFC and could not air other promotions' MMA content in 2012, so it continued to air replays of UFC content through the year. But in January, Spike was free to air Bellator programming and quickly began, airing Bellator 360 on Jan. 3 and Jan. 10.

Both Spike and Bellator officials banked heavily on the fact that Spike's nearly 100 million television homes would dramatically improve Bellator's ratings. That, in fact, occurred.

The title doubleheader in Irvine, Calif., on Thursday that featured lightweight Michael Chandler defeating Rick Hawn and featherweight Pat Curran besting Patricio "Pitbull" Freire was nearly triple the greatest viewership in its history. Bellator drew 325,000 viewers to MTV2 for Bellator 44 on May 14, 2011. MTV2 is in about 81 million homes.

By that standard, Bellator MMA Live Thursday on Spike was a grand slam home run.

However, it failed significantly in several other categories. It had a strong lead-in from TNA Impact Wrestling, which averaged 1.82 million viewers, and failed to keep it. Bellator MMA Live shed 49 percent of the audience the wrestling show delivered. The number of males 18-34, which is MMA's primary demographic, was roughly the same for wrestling and Bellator. TNA Impact Wrestling drew 141,000 18-to-34-year-old males, while Bellator increased that slightly to 149,000.

The biggest concern for Spike and Bellator officials has to be its performance among 18-to-34 year-old males. Season 13 was the worst-perform year of The Ultimate Fighter, yet it still averaged 578,000 among men 18-34. That was 388 percent better than Bellator's performance Thursday among the same demographic.

The worst the UFC ever did on Spike among males 18-34 was at Ultimate Fight Night 22, when he it attracted 445,000 viewers in the demographic.

Bellator MMA Live also declined Thursday in six of its quarter hour segments, suggesting viewers turned away. A big reason likely is the time slot, given that it began airing live at 10 p.m. on the East Coast. Normally for fight cards on television, the final quarter hour segment or the final two quarter hour segments draw the highest viewership, because that is when the main event is airing. But in Bellator's case, the final two quarter hour segments were its lowest.

In the first 15-minute segment, Bellator hit its peak of 1.219 million viewers. That was still a 33 percent decline from the number Spike had watching wrestling. The show ran 12 minutes long, meaning there were nine quarter hour segments, and Bellator saw a drop from the previous quarter hour in six of them.

It averaged 1.219 million at the open, from 10 p.m. to 10:15 p.m., according to Nielsen numbers. That went to 1.025 million from 10:15 p.m. to 10:30, then ticked up slightly to 1.033 from 10:30 to 10:45. But it had a sharp decline from 10:45 to 11, dropping to 871 thousand viewers.

It also performed poorly against all 14 seasons of The Ultimate Fighter on Spike. The UFC's reality show had a high average viewership of 2.957 million viewers in Season 10, which featured Kimbo Slice. Its lowest-rated season was Season 13, which averaged just 1.38 million viewers.

It also didn't do as well as any of the 26 separate Ultimate Fight Night cards the UFC aired on Spike. The Fight Night cards were numbered Fight Night 1 through 25, with a special card called Ortiz-Shamrock as the 26th.

Those ratings ranged from an average of 4.169 for the third Tito Ortiz-Ken Shamrock fight to 1.151 million for Ultimate Fight Night 22 on Sept. 15, 2010.

It certainly wasn't a home run for Bellator and Spike, though it was not a disaster. The ratings were OK and need to go up to maintain advertiser interest. Significantly, Bellator is going to have to find a way to attract those 18-to-34 year-old males that advertisers covet for it become a long-term success.

The numbers it was attracting on MTV2 were genuinely disastrous, though the cards were aired in standard definition, not high definition. The first Bellator show on Spike was more like a single than a home run in terms of ratings performance, but there is at least room to grow.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/bellator-ratings-spike-were-mixed-bag-203745464--mma.html

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