EPA faces legal battles, might take easy confirmation road

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Regardless of who takes the reins, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will likely face continued legal battles in President Barack Obama's second term as it tries to finalize pollution rules for power plants, analysts said.

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, who spearheaded the Obama administration's regulation of carbon emissions, said on Thursday she will step down after almost four years.

Her tenure was marked by opposition from industry groups and Republican lawmakers to the EPA's first-ever crackdown on carbon emissions, as well as other anti-pollution measures.

Analysts said whoever succeeds Jackson will probably face a spate of lawsuits to challenge rules that the EPA will finalize governing power plants, industrial sources and oil and gas production.

"This is shaping up to be four years of litigation," said Christopher Guith, vice president for policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Energy Institute.

Given the partisan divide, Guith said, legislators would struggle to draft laws that could serve as alternatives to the EPA's pending suite of carbon and air regulation.

"As we look to an even more divided Congress, the action will be in the federal courts," he said.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit, which hears most challenges to federal environmental rules, is likely to be busy as industry groups and states bring their cases against the EPA's rules after they are finalized.

The court sided with the agency in most of the recent challenges, most notably upholding its decision to use the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.

David Doniger, policy director of the National Resources Defense Council's Climate and Clean Air Program, said this could bolster the EPA as it tackles rules that may be more controversial than those rolled out under Jackson.

"The agency has a very good batting record on the clean air side. Carbon and climate (regulations) have come through completely unscathed," he said.

CARETAKER ADMINISTRATOR?

After the EPA was a political lightning rod during the first Obama administration, the president is likely to seek out a safe, possibly internal choice as Jackson's successor, or to avoid the confirmation process altogether.

"There are just so many arrows pointed at this agency," said Susan Tierney, managing principal and energy and environment specialist at Boston-based Analysis Group

Bob Perciasepe, deputy EPA administrator, will take over on an interim basis and could continue in that role indefinitely.

He previously worked at the EPA during the Clinton administration, specializing in water and air quality. Before rejoining the agency, Perciasepe was a top official at the National Audubon Society, a major conservation group.

Tierney said she expects the EPA to stay the course on its current agenda, especially as the agency faces some court-ordered deadlines to finalize rules, such as for coal ash, industrial waste from coal-fired plants and ozone standards.

PRIORITY ON CLIMATE CHANGE?

Some environmentalists have criticized Obama for being too timid on climate issues during his first term. But in his acceptance speech on election night in November the president gave a nod to climate change, raising hopes for more activism.

The White House may lean on the EPA to tackle one of the largest sources of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, the current fleet of power plants, said Jeremy Symons, senior vice president at the National Wildlife Federation.

"The president has made clear that climate change is one of his top three priorities for the second term, so that means EPA needs to do its job," Symons said.

This, he said, means the agency needs to finalize the rules for new power plants and the standards for limiting carbon emissions from existing power plants.

The NRDC's Doniger said once the EPA meets an April 2013 legal deadline to finalize the greenhouse gas rules for new power plants, it will then have to address standards for existing plants.

The EPA has to start promptly in the beginning of the second term, said Doniger, because the rulemaking process is "a multistep process that will take time."

The controversial task will almost certainly trigger lawsuits because the rules will target a large number of domestic power plants and could jeopardize electric reliability.

"It's high stakes litigation when you are talking about bringing 40 percent of generation under regulations. That's disastrous," the Chamber's Guith said.

Guith said that while the EPA does have the authority to regulate carbon dioxide using the Clean Air Act, its rules are too difficult for industry - forcing the litigation.

"This EPA has been so aggressive in pushing the envelope by way of the compliance timeline that it has made itself more vulnerable to lawsuits," he said.

The EPA may also face legal challenges from environmental groups and certain states. The NRDC, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Sierra Club joined a group of nine states led by New York that threatened to sue the EPA last year to propose air pollution standards for oil and gas drilling.

They said that the drilling, transportation and distribution resulted in a significant release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is not regulated by federal rules.

Doniger said the group is trying to negotiate a timeline with the EPA to set a rule but could sue the agency if it doesn't agree a schedule by February.

(Additional reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Gary Hill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/epa-faces-legal-battles-might-easy-confirmation-road-101014043--finance.html

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KC Small Businesses React To Looming 'Fiscal Cliff' - Fox 4

Posted on: 9:19 pm, December 29, 2012, by Barrett Tryon

KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? People right here in the metro are bracing for what the ?fiscal cliff? could mean to them.

FOX 4?s Sharita Hutton talked to small business owners in Brookside to get their reaction.

Source: http://fox4kc.com/2012/12/29/kc-small-businesses-react-to-looming-fiscal-cliff/

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First goat genome sets a good example for facilitating de novo assembly of large genomes

Dec. 23, 2012 ? In a collaborative study published online today in Nature Biotechnology, researchers from Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, BGI, and other institutes, have completed the first genome sequence of domestic goat by a robust approach integrated with next-generation sequencing (NGS) and whole-genome mapping (WGM) technologies. The goat genome is the first reference genome for small ruminant animals and may help to advance the understanding of distinct ruminants' genomic features from non-ruminant species. This work also yields a valuable experience for facilitating the de novo assemblies of large, complex genomes in the future.

Goats are recognized as an important member of the world livestock industry, and with many unique biological features. They are an important economic resource in many developing countries around the world, especially in China and India. However, despite their agricultural and biological importance, breeding and genetic studies of goats have been hampered by the lack of a high quality reference genome sequence. The goat genome sequence will be useful for facilitating the identification of SNP markers for marker-assisted breeding, and improving the utility of the goat as a biomedical model and bioreactor.

With the availability of next-generation sequencing (NGS), draft assemblies are easy to generate nowadays. However, to finish a sequence to the chromosome level remains a hard nut to crack. In this study, the results show that a single NGS platform, when combined with whole-genome mapping technology, could produce a finished assembly much faster and with high quality than other currently available mapping strategies such as BACs or FISH. Through this integrated approach, researchers obtained the ~2.66 Gb goat reference genome from a female Yunnan black goat.

Transposable elements (TEs) are major components of mammalian genomes and contribute to gene and/or genome evolution. The TEs in goat genome are similar to those of cattle, and contain large numbers of ruminant-specific repeats, such as SINE-tRNA and SINE-BovA. It is reported that SINE-BovA repeat expanded primarily in the cattle genome. However, in this study, researchers found the SINE-tRNA repeat expanded specifically in the goat genome.

Through constructing a phylogenetic tree among goats, cattle, horses, dogs, opossums and humans, researchers found the goat shared a common ancestor with cattle about 23 million years ago. Further comparison analysis revealed 44 rapidly evolving genes under positive selection, seven of which are immune-related genes and three are pituitary hormone or related genes. The immune-related genes identified also exist in cattle. The findings suggest that the rapid evolution of pituitary hormones may be related to the different features between goat and cattle in milk production, development rates of the fetus and/or hair variation.

The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) plays an important role in the immune system. In this study, the goat MHC was found to be located on chromosome 23 and contains two regions with length of 2.25 Mb and 360 kb, respectively. With the high quality genome assembly, further understanding of the goat MHC will be useful for immunological studies and vaccine development.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of mammals is the protective growth known as hair. It is produced by hair follicles within the skin, which could provide either protection (guard hairs) or insulation (underfur). The two major hair follicles include the primary hair follicle that produces only coat hair in all mammals, and the secondary hair follicle that can produce the cashmere or "fine hair" in certain mammals, including goats and antelopes. Despite a 2,500-year history and the extent of raw cashmere production, people are lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cashmere formation and development.

Researchers conducted transcriptomic analysis on the primary and secondary follicles of a cashmere goat, revealing 51 genes that are differentially expressed between the two types of hair follicles. Keratin and keratin-associated proteins are the main structural proteins of hair fibers, determining the quality of fiber together. In the study, 29 keratin genes and 30 keratin-associated protein genes were detected in both types of follicles. Interestingly, they found two keratin genes and ten keratin-associated protein genes were consistently differentially expressed between primary and secondary hair follicles, suggesting that the keratin-associated protein genes may be more important in determining the structure of cashmere fibers. In addition to the keratin genes and keratin-associated protein genes, researchers also found several enzymes of amino acid biosynthesis, with implications in regulating primary hair growth and hair cycle.

Xun Xu, Deputy Director of BGI, said, "The goat reference genome is an important stepping stone in the molecular breeding of cashmere goats, and will help to advance the comparative studies on ruminants. The transcriptomic analysis on the primary and secondary follicles will open a new way for better improving the quality cashmere wool."

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Journal Reference:

1. Yang Dong, Min Xie, Yu Jiang, Nianqing Xiao, Xiaoyong Du, Wenguang Zhang, Gwenola Tosser-Klopp, Jinhuan Wang, Shuang Yang, Jie Liang, Wenbin Chen, Jing Chen, Peng Zeng, Yong Hou, Chao Bian, Shengkai Pan, Yuxiang Li, Xin Liu, Wenliang Wang, Bertrand Servin, Brian Sayre, Bin Zhu, Deacon Sweeney, Rich Moore, Wenhui Nie, Yongyi Shen, Ruoping Zhao, Guojie Zhang, Jinquan Li, Thomas Faraut, James Womack, Yaping Zhang, James Kijas, Noelle Cockett, Xun Xu, Shuhong Zhao, Jun Wang, Wen Wang. Sequencing and automated whole-genome optical mapping of the genome of a domestic goat (Capra hircus). Nature Biotechnology, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2478

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/most_popular/~3/CNn97tXK9DU/121223152629.htm

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GOP

http://www.rssmicro.com/?q=GOP&f=0 RSS feed search results for GOPThu, 20 Dec 2012 11:24:26 GMThttp://www.rssmicro.com/images/rssmicro_logo3.gifhttp://www.rssmicro.com 1440http://www.kvue.com/home/Tax-credits-for-private-school-scholarships-among-GOP-school-reform-goals-184174621.html <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.kvue.com --- Thursday, December 20, 2012</font><br />Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and State Sen. Dan Patrick (R-Houston) roll out preview of <b>GOP</b> education reform package. ...</p>http://www.kvue.com/home/Tax-credits-for-private-school-scholarships-among-GOP-school-reform-goals-184174621.htmlThu, 20 Dec 2012 11:13:24 GMThttp://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Fiscal-Cliff/2012/12/20/id/468469 <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.newsmax.com --- Thursday, December 20, 2012</font><br /> ...</p>http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/Fiscal-Cliff/2012/12/20/id/468469Thu, 20 Dec 2012 10:40:30 GMThttp://www.sify.com/news/new-gop-polling-firm-goal-catch-up-with-democrats-news-international-mmurkpbdjjf.html <p><font color="Gray">Source: sify.com --- Thursday, December 20, 2012</font><br />The Republican polling community is about to get a shake-up. ...</p>http://www.sify.com/news/new-gop-polling-firm-goal-catch-up-with-democrats-news-international-mmurkpbdjjf.htmlThu, 20 Dec 2012 10:40:00 GMThttp://www.app.com/article/20121219/NJNEWS/312190166/1004/NEWS01&amp;source=rss <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.app.com --- Thursday, December 20, 2012</font><br /><img src="http://cmsimg.app.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Avis=B3&Dato=20121219&Kategori=NJNEWS&Lopenr=312190166&Ref=AR" & width="150" & height="104" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" />WASHINGTON ? Senate Republicans on Wednesday proposed cutting more than half of the $60.4 billion in a Hurricane Sandy emergency spending bill in an attempt to address only immediate repair needs. Republican Sen. ...</p>http://www.app.com/article/20121219/NJNEWS/312190166/1004/NEWS01&amp;source=rssThu, 20 Dec 2012 08:16:35 GMThttp://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsWebMD/~3/-reVxujObHs/ <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.cbsnews.com --- Thursday, December 20, 2012</font><br />While Democrats seek $60.4B in Sandy aid for N.Y., N.J. and others, Senate Republicans propose giving $24B ...</p>http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsWebMD/~3/-reVxujObHs/Thu, 20 Dec 2012 07:19:18 GMThttp://www.democraticunderground.com/1014343219 <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.democraticunderground.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br />Source: [b]NBC[/b] Saying that Republican opponents should "take me out of it," President Barack Obama appealed Wednesday for compromise on the "fiscal cliff," urging <b>GOP</b> House members to put aside personal and political concerns after a week marked by the Newtown shooting tragedy and con... ...</p>http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014343219Thu, 20 Dec 2012 06:36:30 GMThttp://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/usa/~3/6LZrBLe_oaQ/GOP-Senators-vow-to-trim-superstorm-Sandy-aid-to-23.8-billion <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.csmonitor.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br />Senate Republicans have proposed an alternate disaster relief plan for states affected by superstorm Sandy, which would use $23.8 billion- rather than President Obama's proposed $60.4 billion- to fund initial relief. ...</p>http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/usa/~3/6LZrBLe_oaQ/GOP-Senators-vow-to-trim-superstorm-Sandy-aid-to-23.8-billionThu, 20 Dec 2012 06:33:07 GMThttp://www.azfamily.com/news/Two-days-after-Birther-comments-leader-of-AZ-GOP-says-hes-quitting--184194671.html <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.azfamily.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br />A couple of days after breathing new life into the conspiracy theory that Barack Obama is not eligible to be president, the chairman of the Arizona Republican Party says he's not running for another term. ...</p>http://www.azfamily.com/news/Two-days-after-Birther-comments-leader-of-AZ-GOP-says-hes-quitting--184194671.htmlThu, 20 Dec 2012 05:30:30 GMThttp://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x65616757/Bernard-Schoenburg-Illinois-GOP-chairman-Brady-says-party-needs-to-broaden-appeal <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.sj-r.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br /><img src="http://d2om8tvz4lgco4.cloudfront.net/archive/x449147382/g082082000000000000b6cf42c0ef2b3448579ab65bf477c85ae272c475.jpg" & width="93" & height="130" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" />PAT BRADY, chairman of the Republican Party of Illinois, says a repeat of 2010 isn?t the way for his party to win the governor?s race in 2014. ...</p>http://www.sj-r.com/opinions/x65616757/Bernard-Schoenburg-Illinois-GOP-chairman-Brady-says-party-needs-to-broaden-appealThu, 20 Dec 2012 05:10:37 GMThttp://theiowarepublican.com/2012/schickel-makes-bid-for-iowa-gop-chairman-official/ <p><font color="Gray">Source: theiowarepublican.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br />DES MOINES?Republican Party of Iowa (RPI) co-chairman Bill Schickel today announced his candidacy for RPI chairman by outlining a plan to boost early voting by 40%, increase Republican voter registration and brand the Republican party as the ?party of conservative ideas and solutions.? ?Republicans suffered terrible defeat on November 6 th . There is no sense in pretending otherwise,? said Schickel. ?I agree with Senator Rand Paul and others who say that the Republican Party is in danger of becoming a dinosaur unless we change.? Schickel pledged to work with all Republicans and unite the party. ?Republicans must rally around that which unites us,? said the former mayor and state representative. ?Lincoln?s words about a ?house divided? are as important today as when they were spoken.? The party also needs to ?reach out in new ways to Independents and Democrats,? he said. ?Bringing Republicans together is only the first step. No election can be won with Republicans alone.? ?And perhaps most importantly we must be the party of conservative ideas and solutions, not negative campaigning and politics as usual,? said Schickel, a Christian broadcaster. The party does not need to be less conservative, but it does need to get much better at communicating a message of opportunity for all Iowans, said Schickel. ?It?s time for a new era in Iowa politics in which conservative ideas and solutions are used to help middle class Iowans achieve the ...</p>http://theiowarepublican.com/2012/schickel-makes-bid-for-iowa-gop-chairman-official/Thu, 20 Dec 2012 04:49:46 GMThttp://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/priebus-rnc-gop-future/2012/12/19/id/468453 <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.newsmax.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br /> ...</p>http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/priebus-rnc-gop-future/2012/12/19/id/468453Thu, 20 Dec 2012 04:26:05 GMThttp://www.tnr.com/book/review/family-values-robert-self-archie-bunker <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.tnr.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br />All in the Family: The Realignment of American Democracy Since the 1960s ( by Robert O. Self ) IN JANUARY 1971, a new sitcom called All in the Family appeared on CBS television. Its central figure was Archie Bunker, a white, working-class, World War II veteran from the Astoria section of Queens. The show?s humor derived from Bunker?s poorly articulated bigotry and resentment against the social changes of the 1960s?feminism, the counterculture, youth and antiwar activism, legalized abortion, expanded roles for minorities, open homosexuality?and his confrontations with those new forces in his own family and neighborhood. The sitcom was one of the first to deal openly with such controversial topics, and it struck such a chord with American viewers that it was the number-one rated show for the first five of its eight years on the air. Robert O. Self?s book doesn?t mention the sitcom but offers a detailed recounting of those same battles and transformations that provided fodder for the show. Self argues that the ?explosive issues surrounding gender, sex, and family? were not peripheral ?culture war? matters, but were central to the political struggles over power, equality, and economics during the past five decades. In his view, the politics of the period were, ultimately, all about the left-wing challenges to liberalism?s vision of the idealized nuclear family, followed by a conservative backlash against the supposed moral threat to ...</p>http://www.tnr.com/book/review/family-values-robert-self-archie-bunkerThu, 20 Dec 2012 04:00:00 GMThttp://dailycaller.com/2012/12/19/mark-levin-to-gop-there-will-be-a-political-backlash-for-selling-out-on-fiscal-cliff-audio/ <p><font color="Gray">Source: dailycaller.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br />Conservative talker advises House Republicans against voting for Boehner's 'Plan B' ...</p>http://dailycaller.com/2012/12/19/mark-levin-to-gop-there-will-be-a-political-backlash-for-selling-out-on-fiscal-cliff-audio/Thu, 20 Dec 2012 03:58:43 GMThttp://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/19/rep-cohen-assault-weapons-ban-cant-survive-in-gop-led-house/ <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.rawstory.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br />During an appearance on Current TV, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) said Wednesday that Democrats would probably not be able to pass an assault weapons ban in the House of Representatives. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has vowed to introduce the assault weapons ban on the first day that Congress reconvenes in January. The law would prohibit civilians from owning certain military-style semi-automatic firearms. Cohen noted that about 20 Republicans would need to support the legislation in order for it to survive in the House. He also predicted the Republican leadership in the House wouldn?t schedule the bill to be voted on. Though the NRA was relatively weak in general elections, Cohen explained they were powerful in many Republican districts and could easily pressure lawmakers into opposing the bill. ?I think the Republican caucus now, both on this issue and on taxing the people whose income is a quarter of a million to a million dollars have become imprisoned by their own success,? he said. ?They are showing how much of a minority party they are.? Watch video, courtesy of Current TV, below: ...</p>http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/19/rep-cohen-assault-weapons-ban-cant-survive-in-gop-led-house/Thu, 20 Dec 2012 03:49:47 GMThttp://freedomslighthouse.net/2012/12/19/krauthammer-obama-invoking-massacre-of-children-to-pressure-gop-fiscal-surrender-a-sacrilege-video-121912/ <p><font color="Gray">Source: freedomslighthouse.net --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br />Charles Krauthammer says it about as well as it can be said. He reacts to President Obama today suggesting that in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut Elementary School Massacre, Republicans should essentially just cave in to his terms on the ?Fiscal Cliff? negotiations ? as if the one has anything to do with the other. I think the president invoking the massacre of children to essentially say the Republicans need to accept his terms of surrender in the negotiations is not just a non-sequitur. I think it?s sacrilege. And it?s of a piece with the whole tone of his News Conference and this is the way he conducts them generally, which is, he is excessively self-righteous. He talks about the other side of being unprincipled, not interested in the national interest, slaves of ideology which he says makes no sense. And as you mention, invested in opposing him to the point they are willing to let the country suffer. So it?s a combination of self-righteousness and narcissism. It?s just a very unpleasant tone and there is no reason he can?t either avoid that, or give some credit to the other side for sincerity in just seeing a different way to approach the crisis the country has. ...</p>http://freedomslighthouse.net/2012/12/19/krauthammer-obama-invoking-massacre-of-children-to-pressure-gop-fiscal-surrender-a-sacrilege-video-121912/Thu, 20 Dec 2012 03:25:24 GMThttp://www.digitaljournal.com/article/339456 <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.digitaljournal.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br /><img src="http://www.digitaljournal.com/img/5/8/5/9/5/0/i/6/8/0/p-small/tea_party.jpg" & width="150" & height="100" style="margin: 5pt 10px 0px 0px; float: left;" border="1" align="left" alt="" />Mainstream media is to democracy what sexual diseases are to public health- Selectively ignorant excuses for morality, however ridiculous and misleading. MSM is a medium which wouldn?t understand a message if it got pregnant with one. ...</p>http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/339456Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:56:19 GMThttp://www.facebook.com/rhrealitycheck/posts/469904003055939 <p><font color="Gray">Source: www.facebook.com --- Wednesday, December 19, 2012</font><br />A <b>GOP</b> lawmaker is looking to make Texas the latest state to restrict the use of abortion medications in a way that some experts warn could increase the drugs? side effects while making them more expensive. Texas Abortion Drug Bill Could Mean More Side Effects and Higher Costs www.rhrealitycheck.org Published in partnership with The American Independent. A <b>GOP</b> lawmaker is looking to make Texas the latest state to restrict the use of abortion medications in a way that some experts warn could increase the drugs? side effects while making them more expensive. ...</p>http://www.facebook.com/rhrealitycheck/posts/469904003055939Thu, 20 Dec 2012 01:22:55 GMT

Source: http://www.rssmicro.com/rss.web?q=GOP

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Video: Study of leaping toads reveals muscle-protecting mechanism

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Most people are impressed by how a toad jumps. UC Irvine biologist Emanuel Azizi is more impressed by how one lands.

An assistant professor of ecology & evolutionary biology who specializes in muscle physiology and biomechanics, Azizi found that nature's favorite leapers possess a neuromuscular response that's specific to the intensity of a landing ? a mechanism that protects muscles from injury upon impact.

The research is helping reveal how the nervous system modulates motor control patterns involved with jumping and landing. Azizi's findings on the underlying function of muscle control, he said, could one day improve rehabilitation programs for people with neuromuscular deficiencies.

In all vertebrates ? from toads to humans ? muscles contract to provide jumping power. Landing, however, requires that muscles stretch to dissipate energy and slow the body. But if muscles become overstretched during landing, injury can occur.

For a study appearing online today in Biology Letters, Azizi and UC Irvine graduate student Emily Abbott measured toads' muscular responses to leaps of different lengths. They discovered that during landing, toads' muscles adapt to the varying intensity of impact. As the creatures hop over longer distances, their landing muscles increasingly shorten in anticipation of larger impacts.

This pattern indicates that rapid and coordinated responses of the nervous system can act to protect muscles from injury, said Azizi, who added that future efforts will be aimed at understanding what sensory information is used to modulate these responses.

"Toads are ideal for studying jumping and landing because they're so good at it," he noted. "This work is providing the basic science on how muscles respond during high-impact behaviors like landing or falling."

###

University of California - Irvine: http://www.uci.edu

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School shootings: What we know and what we can do

Dec. 19, 2012 ? A new article explores what we have learned about these tragic incidents, and what can be done to prevent them.

Since the early 1970s school shootings at American elementary, secondary and higher education institutions have been a painful reality for American society. After each incident -- like the recent attack in Newtown, CT -- there is voluminous dialogue about what can be done to prevent the next, such tragedy. But can anything realistically be done to prevent these horrific crimes? A new article? by Dr. Daniel J. Flannery at Case Western Reserve University, and colleagues, scheduled to appear in the January issue of Springer's Current Psychiatry Reports, attempts to parse out what we have learned from past events, and what we can do about stopping the next attack.

The article conducts a thorough examination of past studies on the topic, focusing primarily on "targeted" and "rampage," or "spree," shootings. Targeted shootings are those where there is a specific target, individual group or institution, and rampage or spree shootings are those that involve multiple victims, either known or unknown to the assailant. What the article finds is that, while there are some characteristics shared by past shooters -- narcissism, depression, low self esteem and a fascination with violence -- there are not enough similarities to develop any distinctive profile of a potential shooter.

The authors conclude that the most effective way of trying to prevent these tragedies is through threat assessment, which requires fundamental testing of such traits as: suicide risk, homicide risk, thought processes, reality testing, mood and behavior as well as relevant social and developmental histories. Also helpful is to pay particular attention to any obsession with firearms or violence, and the presence of writings or drawings with violent themes. While this may seem obvious, unfortunately, the resources available to mental health workers in schools do not sufficiently provide for these assessments. The authors also conclude that mental health workers and adults must be socialized to take threats of interpersonal violence seriously, as they have been with threats of suicide.

Finally, Flannery and colleagues urge for a renewed focus on treatment for the victims of such crimes. Usually most of the focus in the aftermath of such events lies in trying to come up with a reason why someone would perpetrate such a crime, or in other words, trying to make some sort of sense out of these tragedies. While this is understandable, considerable care must be given to ensure that the victims of these crimes receive the mental health treatment they require.

"School shootings are not all the same and may require different approaches to prevention and treatment, especially with respect to identifying risk factors at the individual, school or community levels, and particularly with regard to examining the role that mental health issues may play to increase risk for perpetration," the authors conclude. "Community mental health providers and professionals, particularly psychiatrists, are essential partners and must continue to seek avenues for working with schools to conduct thorough threat assessments, to identify young persons with significant mental health needs and to develop protocols for identification, prevention, and treatment that will effectively support the social and emotional needs of our most vulnerable youth and communities."

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---

Journal Reference:

1. Flannery D et al. Violence and School Shootings. Current Psychiatry Reports, 2013; DOI: 10.1007/s11920-012-0331-6

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/mind_brain/child_development/~3/nCEmIMWiTns/121219152705.htm

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CM Storm Quick Fire TK Gaming Keyboard Review | Hardware Secrets

CM Storm Quick Fire TK Gaming Keyboard Review

Author: Andr? Gordirro Type: Reviews Last Updated: December 20, 2012 Page: 1 of 6

Introduction

Mobility is one of the current buzzwords. If a gamer wants to be part of a championship or an LAN party, the worst peripheral to transport is the keyboard, especially the mechanical ones, which are heavier. With this player in mind, CM Storm releases the Quick Fire TK, a compact version of the Quick Fire Pro that fits in a backpack. The model is also indicated for those who don?t have a lot of desktop space. Although it is small, the product features a complete numpad, multimedia and illumination controls. The only things it doesn?t do are macro recording and key configuring. Let?s describe the Quick Fire TK and then evaluate it. click to enlarge Figure 1: Quick Fire TK keyboard Just like the Quick Fire Pro, its kid brother also catches the eye with its sturdiness. The keyboard is like a black brick with Cherry MX mechanical switches. There are three types of switch options: Cherry MX Red, Brown or Blue. The packaging indicates which type of key is inside. Each has its own characteristics, as we?ll see later in this test. The illumination follows the key color: red LEDs for the Cherry MX Red, blue ones for the Cherry MX Blue, and white light for the Cherry MX Brown (brown light just wouldn?t work). The illumination is controlled by the F1-F4 function keys. For the body to be compact, the numpad absorbed the arrow keys plus the Insert, Home, Page Up, Page Down, Delete, End, Print Screen, Scroll Lock and Pause keys. They are incorporated into the numbers and can be engaged by pressing the Numlk key that switches the numpad from the regular numbers to these commands. That?s an ingenious solution. The multimedia controls also share space with the F5-F11 function keys, and the F12 blocks both Windows keys on each side of the space bar. Those extra commands are engaged when pressing the Function key next to the right Ctrl. click to enlarge Figure 2: Numeric keypad click to enlarge Figure 3: Function keys Page 1 of 6 ?|?Next?? Print Version | Send to Friend | Bookmark Article | Comments (0)

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Re: Custom Pedigree Charts? - Family Tree Maker software - Family ...

Sandy

It would help if you explain why you want to remove someone from the pedigree chart.

One way to do this is to create a copy of your file. You can then detach or delete the person you want to remove from the chart. This will also remove all that persons ancestors.

Curt

Source: http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/topics.software.famtreemaker/9251.1/mb.ashx

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eCommerce Done Right: 20 Well-Designed Brand Blog Examples ...

If you sell a product or service on the Internet, luring potential customers is essential. It?s a challenging task given the sheer amount of stuff people are selling on the web. However, you can do yourself a huge favor by incorporating a blog into your brand?s?ecommerce?site. A blog helps in two major ways:?1) it allows you to show off your product in a fun and creative way and?2) it does so with SEO benefits.

For example, when people are searching for recipes or fashion tips or a host of semi-related topics online, a blog post featuring your product may show up in the search results, thus allowing you to capture top of the funnel keyword traffic that you otherwise might not receive. So, which?ecommerce?sites are doing it right? Unfortunately, not that many, but I did find a few hidden gems.?I tried my best to include a variety of fashion, food, and fun. Here?s a list, in alphabetical order, of 20 brands with well-designed blogs:

Blik

I begin my list with Blik, the world?s first removable wall graphic company. Blik?s blog (say that ten times fast) features a clean design, interesting stories, and great photography. Their posts almost exclusively feature their products and how their customers use them. It?s a great way of showing how good their products look in the real world without coming across as a blatant marketing play. After scrolling through the blog for just a few minutes, I became convinced my walls need some new decorations.

Bohemia Life

Browsing through Bohemia Life is like taking a trip through Zooey Deschanel?s brain. Cute, quirky, and whimsical, the Scottish online boutique does a great job of mixing fashion and culture with entertaining pictures and prose. Posts include articles about new products, fun contests, and the cultures that inspire the brand?s designs. They also do an excellent job of linking to the product pages just in case you?re inspired to make a purchase.

Bored of Southsea

Who says skater punks can?t blog? Actually, come to think of it, I can?t remember anyone ever saying that. But if they did, they would be wrong. Bored of Southsea is a British skateboard and apparel company. Their blog?s layout is simple and clean, prominently displaying the four most recent posts. As a copywriter, I will say the writing isn?t the best, but they totally make up for it with great action and product shots and awesome skating and music videos.

Brooks Brothers

When you think of Brooks Brothers, your mind might start to fill with images of yacht clubs and pastel-colored chinos. You may think of them as a little old-fashioned?a little stuffy perhaps. Well, though this clothing company is almost 200 years old, they?re quite contemporary when it comes to their online presence. And when it comes to the clothier?s blog,?Of Rogues and Gentlemen, the tagline?says it all: ?style advice, tips, and essentials for the modern man.?

Posts are meaty, helpful, and well-formatted ??a factor often overlooked when it comes to blogging. Think of it as your own personal English butler dispensing gentlemanly advice, all while helping you look fantastic (like Ask Jeeves but actually useful).

Di Bruno Bros.

What would this list be without at least one food blog? Incomplete, that?s what. Started by two Italian immigrants in 1939,?Di Bruno Bros. gourmet food store has become as much a symbol of Philadephia as Rocky and the Liberty Bell. The company?s blog has fantastic content and the passion for food really shines through with topics such as great goat cheeses, amazing recipes, and interviews with the cheesemongers.

WARNING: If you?re going to visit the website, cover your keyboard to avoid drooling on it.

Eartheasy

Eartheasy offers information and products for sustainable living. As far as content goes, Eartheasy is by far one of the most impressive blogs I?ve?encountered. Articles are informative, well-researched, and very comprehensive. My one minor criticism would be the long list of blog posts on the homepage. Showing fewer posts with larger pictures and more teaser text would create a much more visually pleasing layout.

Etsy

Celebrating independent businesses and artists, Etsy has built an incredible reputation by showcasing beautiful, handmade goods at reasonable prices. Part food, part lifestyle, part how-to, the company?s blog is just as much a mishmash of the cute and quirky products sold on the site. I have to say, I am extremely impressed by The Etsy Blog. The layout is clean, posts are consistent, and the content is varied and compelling. It has a very modern feel that contrasts well with the homemade products featured within it. They also get fantastic engagement, with blog posts receiving a plethora of comments.

Far Fetch

Far Fetch definitely has one of the most unique layouts of the blogs featured in this list. Modern and wonderfully weird is the best way I can think to describe it; and it perfectly matches the contemporary, hipster-ish fashion sold on the site. Posts are well-written and have a good dose of humor. Scrolling through the photos on the homepage, the scattered layout (frustrating for some, I imagine) is a fun user experience.

It almost feels like you?re discovering something secret when an interesting headline or picture catches your eye. Unfortunately, it?s spoiled a bit by a lazily placed Facebook widget.?Fortunately, that?s an easy fix for any web designer worth his or her salt. The blog would be much better served with a Like button placed higher on the page and out of the way of posts.

Forever 21

With shades of Tumblr and Pinterest, the Forever 21 blog is a fantastic example of a heavily visual blog done right. Clicking on any of the pictures opens up a related blog post. Each post has a great visual and short, fun text accompanying it. The blog posts are a feast for the eyes and easily digestible, much like a fashion magazine. Sharing is elegantly incorporated into the blog with grayed-out Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter logos that appear when you hover over a post. All-in-all, the blog is much like the brand itself: nice to look at and easily accessible.

Fred Perry

In the late 1940s, an Australian rugby player approached British tennis player Fred Perry to create an antiperspirant device known as the ?sweatband? for athletes. The brand known for its distinctive laurel wreath has come a long way since then, and a visit to the blog is evidence of a sleek, modern fashion company. Blog posts will treat you to photos of new store openings, product debuts, the inspiration behind the Fred Perry catalog, and more.

Johnny Cupcakes

A clothing brand very near and dear to my heart, Johnny Cupcakes was started in the early 2000s by a college dropout selling shirts out of the trunk of his car. It has since become an international, multi-million dollar business, and its blog is about as good as it gets. It features superb photography, entertaining videos, and a great mix of updates about products and events. Continuous recognition of the brand?s loyal fan base rounds out the content mix.

Kate Spade New York

If you visit?Behind the Curtain, the blog from Kate Spade New York,?the design will most assuredly be different than the one I have below. The background changes more frequently than the latest fashion trends, giving their site a fresh, contemporary feel. The content is also updated at an incredible pace, with posts often going up several times each day. Normally, I would say that?s too much, but these blog posts are fun and easy to read.

Kipling?Brazil

Kipling, the maker of backpacks, totes, luggage, and other stylish carrying?accessories, has a great blog on their Brazilian ecommerce site. Reminiscent of a fashion magazine, it?s bright and colorful and features pictures of outfits paired with their products, along with the?occasional?recipe and lifestyle post. I can?t read?Portuguese?so I can?t say whether or not it?s well written, but I?m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Now, you might be wondering why I didn?t use the Kipling USA blog. Well, that?s because the Kipling USA site doesn?t have one (for shame). This marks a rare instance in which an American could emulate a Brazilian by adding more.

Loyal KNG

An indie t-shirt brand based out of Texas, the?Loyal KNG blog is an excellent example of making a blog an extension of your brand.?A fusion of skater punk and pop-culture parody, the Loyal KNG crew has done a fantastic job of linking their blog with the attitude and style of their clothing line. The blog features posts about video games, cartoons, hip-hop, skating, fashion, and more. Combine that with pictures of their products and the events they attend, and you?ve got just the right mix of fun and marketing.

NAU

NAU is an urban and outdoor clothing company based out of Portland, Oregon that focuses on style and sustainability. Its blog, The Thought Kitchen, is a fantastic mix of travel, culture, music, photography, and fashion ??all while showing the versatility?of their apparel.?While the content has a very nature-oriented, folksy feel to it, the blog design has a modern, minimalist, European vibe.?Think: Portlandia episode filmed in an IKEA. While not as quickly digestible as some of the other blogs on the list, it definitely rewards those willing to take a deep dive.

Peter Nappi

With stunning photography and a great vintage tone, Peter Nappi brings the same handmade feel of its products to its website. You can almost smell the leather while perusing this blog. Posts do an excellent job of giving the reader a glimpse into the life of an artisan. During the fall and winter, they?ve been posting a very interesting ?Our Family? series about all of the people that work at the company. It really shows the pride they have in their company and the appreciation for the effort put into quality, handmade goods.

Scotch & Soda

Much like the beverage, this Amsterdam-based fashion brand has a blog that is smooth and refined. When you visit The Latest From Scotch & Soda, you?ll find that?what you see is what you get, quite literally. At first glance, the blog homepage appears to have previews of all of the posts, but they are actually the posts in their entirety. Blog posts do have their own web pages, and as such, typing in the correct key words will bring the posts up in search results.

However, I can?t for the life of me figure out how you get to individual posts from the blog homepage. Although, it?s really not necessary because, as I said before, the entire blog post is right there. I imagine this type of site functionality might skew their bounce rate, but considering all of the posts are very short and the sites?s online shopping is so easily?accessible, it might not be something they care about.

That said, the Scotch & Soda blog is quite good. It offers sneak peeks at upcoming lines, interesting features on events and life in Amsterdam, and these fantastic ?shoppable? videos that allow you to pause at certain points and get a break down of what the models are wearing (and links to buy them, of course).

Threadless

If you?re a?connoisseur?of funny or stylish graphic tees, then you?re probably familiar with Threadless. Unfortunately, their blog is difficult to locate on the homepage, reserved to hyperlinks in a?drop-down?menu at the top of the site and in small text at the bottom. However, once you do get there, it?s quite entertaining. The great product shots with attractive, fresh-faced models make these affordable t-shirts look chic (like something Ryan Gosling might wear on a casual Friday). Graphic designers looking for some extra cash would be wise to frequent this blog. Threadless regularly hosts themed contests and handsomely rewards the winning t-shirt designs.

Visual Supply Co

Visual Supply Co, or VSCO, specializes in post-processing for pictures and video. They offer a variety of software to help you quickly edit and bring the most out of your films and photos, not to mention a pretty snazzy iPhone app. All due respect to the others, this blog is my favorite of the bunch. The design is so clean, and the content is so rich. And best of all, every blog post is an organic advertisement for how good their products make pictures look.?Although?many of the sites in this list do a fantastic job of blending their product into their blog, none do it as seamlessly as this one.

winestore

Star Wars fans may notice the logo of this online store bears a resemblance to a certain rebel force?s insignia. Fear not, wine?aficionados. This is not a trap. The aptly named?wineblog is a haven for any connoisseur of fermented fruit juice. Content features excellent advice, information about tastings, and some great deals on vino. It?s a treat for the literary?palate as well. Posts are well-written and quite?humorous.

So, there you have it! A sampling of ecommerce sites with great blogs. Which ones do you like? Share in the comments below.

?

Source: http://www.ignitesocialmedia.com/blogging/online-ecommerce-brand-blog-examples/

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Video: Herb's 3 Worst CEOs of 2012

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

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50240945/

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How to Install an Escalator on the 101st Floor of America's Tallest Building

Here we see an escalator being hoisted to the 101st floor of World Trade Center 1. (How did you think they got escalators up that high?) At first glance, the dizzying perspective of this photo will make your brain hurt. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/Fl8pc0vEQhQ/how-to-install-an-escalator-on-the-101st-floor-of-americas-tallest-building

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Marketing & Customer Contact Silos Prevent Smart Service Delivery ...

Our ?always on? society is putting more pressure on organisations to deliver good customer service.? Consumers are becoming increasingly frustrated by facing siloed organisations when they themselves are connected, whilst organisations are playing catch up with emerging channels in the social arena.

?

Our latest research into ?Smart Service?, in conjunction with KANA, reveals a pressing need for greater cross-department collaboration and better representation for customer service at board level in order to deliver a truly customer-centric service strategy.

?

For organisations to succeed in the future, closer collaboration between the rest of the organisation, and in particular between marketing and customer service functions, is necessary to deliver on customer promises, retain customer loyalty and attract new business.

?

A key finding from the research was that overall 47% of respondents do not regard marketing directors as having an increased role in customer service investment decisions. ?A further 16% perceive them as beginning to have a role but limited in scope and authority, with just 9% stating that the marketing director is on an equal footing with the customer service director and IT director when it comes to customer service investment decisions.

?

The research also uncovered dissatisfaction among customer service professionals as to the level of representation the contact centre has at board level, with almost one in 10 stating that the board is out of touch while a further 44% said these departments are only properly represented on some issues.

?

These are all issues that have been facing customer service professionals for a number of years but there is now an urgency to transform the role of the contact centre to become the cornerstone of an organisation?s customer service offering.? For businesses to succeed in the future will require to be agile, adaptable and flexible to their customer?s needs and expectations.? No mean feat for any business but a challenge organisations must face head on.

Click here to get a copy of the final paper.

?

Related posts:

1. Channels come, but they never seem to go?
2. Alignment, Make it around your Customers
3. An interview with KANA Chief Marketing Officer, James Norwood
4. Customer Service ? how is it for you?
5. Referee or contact center agent?

Source: http://blog.kana.com/customer-service/marketing-customer-contact-silos-prevent-smart-service-delivery/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=marketing-customer-contact-silos-prevent-smart-service-delivery

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Hollywood hacker sentenced to 10 years in prison

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A federal judge sentenced a hacker to 10 years in prison on Monday after he broke into the personal online accounts of Scarlett Johansson, Christina Aguilera and other women and posted revealing photos and other material on the Internet.

U.S. District Judge S. James Otero sentenced Christopher Chaney after hearing from a tearful Johansson in a videotaped statement.

The case included the revelation that nude photos taken by Johansson of herself and meant for her then-husband Ryan Reynolds were leaked online.

"I have been truly humiliated and embarrassed," Johansson said. "I find Christopher Chaney's actions to be perverted and reprehensible."

Prosecutors said Chaney, 35, of Jacksonville, Fla., also targeted two women he knew, sending nude pictures of one former co-worker to her father. The judge noted the damage to the women was in some ways worse than what Chaney's celebrity victims endured.

The women, identified in court filings only by initials, wrote in letters to Otero that their lives have been irreparably damaged by Chaney's actions. One has anxiety and panic attacks; the other is depressed and paranoid. Both said Chaney was calculated, cruel and creepy.

"It's hard to fathom the mindset of a person who would accomplish all of this," Otero said. "These types of crimes are as pernicious and serious as physical stalking."

Prosecutors were seeking six years imprisonment, but Otero said he was concerned that Chaney would not be able to control his behavior and had shown a "callous disregard" for his actions.

Chaney, who could have faced a maximum sentence of 60 years under the law, apologized in court but denied that he had sent naked photos of women he knew to their relatives.

"I don't know what else to say other than I'm sorry," Chaney said. "I could be sentenced to never use a computer again and I wouldn't care."

Chaney previously pleaded guilty to counts that included wiretapping and unauthorized access to a computer.

Actress and singer Renee Olstead said in court Monday that she attempted to kill herself after Chaney leaked nude photos of her. She said she had never before considered suicide.

"I just really hope this doesn't happen to someone else," she said, crying. "You can lose everything because of the actions of a stranger."

Chaney looked up at her a few times as she spoke but kept his head low for most of Olstead's statement.

Chaney will be placed on three years of supervised probation when he is released and will have to notify officials of his online accounts. But the judge feared that wouldn't be enough and said he wished he could sentence Chaney to lifetime supervision.

The accounts of the cybervictims served as a cautionary tale for people ? even major celebrities ? who snap personal, sometimes revealing photos.

Aguilera said in a statement issued days before the sentencing that although she knows that she's often in the limelight, Chaney took from her some of the private moments she shares with friends.

"That feeling of security can never be given back and there is no compensation that can restore the feeling one has from such a large invasion of privacy," Aguilera said.

Prosecutors said Chaney illegally accessed the email accounts of more than 50 people in the entertainment industry between November 2010 and October 2011. Aguilera, Mila Kunis and Johansson agreed to have their identities made public with the hope the move would provide awareness about online intrusion.

Some of Aguilera's photos appeared online after Chaney sent an email from the account of her stylist, Simone Harouche, to Aguilera asking the singer for scantily clad photographs, prosecutors said.

Chaney was arrested in October 2011 as part of a yearlong investigation of celebrity hacking that authorities dubbed "Operation Hackerazzi." Chaney's computer hard drive contained numerous private celebrity photos and a document that compiled their extensive personal data, according to a search warrant.

He continued to pursue his victims after the FBI seized his computer, a factor Otero said warranted a harsher penalty.

___

Associated Press Writer Greg Risling contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hollywood-hacker-sentenced-10-years-prison-211959427.html

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In Mayan doomsday, marketers see $$$ opportunity

6 hrs.

Katie Little, CNBC.com

Where the Mayans saw the end of time, marketers see dollar signs.

As ancient doomsday predictions draw near, a number of hotels and restaurants are launching tongue-in-cheek promotions to profit from the fiery apocalypse forecasts surrounding Dec. 21, one Mayan Calendar's end date. The offers range from end-of-days themed vacation packages to restaurant menus encouraging customers to live it up one last time.?

Step one of apocalypse preparation is returning some of those holiday gifts to free up additional end-of-days capital because many hotel offers this doomsday require deep pockets (but what does money mean anyway when the world is ending?!).

For $79,000 per couple, the Rosewood Mayakoba in Riviera Maya offers "The Ultimate New Beginning" package, which includes a spiritual cleansing with a Mayan shaman priest along with a private helicopter ride to a tour of architectural sites led by an archaeologist. At the J.W. Marriott resort in Cancun, guests can visit the ancient ruins of Chichen Itza and indulge in Mayan-inspired spa treatments.

Stateside, hotels are also trying to cash in on the Mayan hype. For superstitious starting price of $666, The Keating in San Diego is selling the "End of the World" package complete with a last supper and fitness classes aimed at outrunning zombies. Christos Brooks, the Keating's standards and operations director, drew the idea for the promotion from Britney Spears's song "Till the World Ends."

"That was pretty much my anthem last year, and this year we were talking about promotion ideas for the end of the world," Brooks said. "It's always a slow time of the year for San Diego, and that's where it came about."

The package has sold well so far with 15 rooms booked, making it one of the year's most popular, Brooks said.

"The one thing that people really haven't been into is going to the gym the next day," he added. "No one's really given a reason for it, but the only thing that people have asked about is if the gym is required."

The Keating is also offering a post-doomsday special for guests.

"If you pre-pay for your room after the 21st, you get a 40 percent discount so it's kind of a gamble," he said. "You can pay for your room and if the world doesn't end, you get a great bargain. But if it does, you lose your money. Based on the booking we have seen so far the world's going to continue to go on."

For $12,021, The Curtis Hotel offered a "Party Like There's No-To-Maya" special that included rental of an entire floor of the Denver hotel along with Doomsday supplies including anti-radiation tablets, freeze-dried food and gas masks. A tattoo artist was also included if guests wanted to mark the end of the world with some fresh ink.?

Kate Thompson, the hotel's director of sales and marketing, said the package did not end up selling, but it did generate curiosity, which is often one of the main goals for an whimsical promotion like the Curtis'.

"It's a great coup to us to be able to get our name out there, and the more press we have the better it is and the more exposure we get, the better it is for us," Thompson said. "The exposure's worth just as much as actually selling that package."

The buzz surrounding the Mayan doomsday predictions allows marketers an opportunity to "piggyback" their offers on the highly publicized event, said Chekitan Dev, an associate professor of strategic marketing and brand management at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration.?

"With the media creating a lot of hype, a lot of the market preparation is already done for product and service marketers so it's then a matter of capitalizing on this media opportunity," Dev said.

Mayan-related promotions can be a positive move for brands, even luxury ones, if the offers are well thought out, offer consumers something special and target a market that is likely to respond, Dev said.

"Luxury hotels, not wanting to go for the macabre, can use this as a way to promote cultural tourism, a fast growing segment with a higher spend than average, by showcasing Mayan culture by having special attractions, speakers, events around this event," he added.

Dev cautions companies against using what he calls "soft-sell" offers, such as merely spa packages that give "the impression that they have not put a lot of thought into this."

It makes sense that marketers would use any opportunity they can to drum up business, but what makes consumer prone to bite at these playful promotions?

Jonah Berger, an assistant professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, has studied why certain products get more word-of-mouth exposure than others and why online content goes viral as some Doomsday-related coverage has.?

"We've done research that shows around Halloween, when you ask people to name products, they are more likely to name orange products around that time of year," Berger said.

Similar to this Halloween association, people's decision making may be affected when Mayan culture is top of mind, he added. Even with the publicity is negative, it can help boost sales.

"Just like in this case, you might find yourself at a Mexican restaurant and don't know that why, we find that negative publicity can sometimes increase sales because that makes that product top of mind," Berger said.

To capitalize on the occasion, restaurants are also hosting events around the country. T.G.I.Friday's restaurants will have a "Last Friday" menu that packs a caloric heavy-weight punch and urges consumers to make their last meals great and "go out with a full stomach" (because diets won't matter in the apocalypse, right?!).

At Margaritas Mexican Restaurant's "End of the World" party, there will be a "if you were the last man on earth" pick-up line contest and "sitting here in limbo" limbo competition. The company has also created an app that enables users to create postcards to share with friends and detail how they will spend their last earthly moments.

"It seems like a natural fit; in difficult times, bars tend to do well," said Patrick Dowling, the restaurant chain's marketing coordinator. "It stands to reason that if the world is going to end, we're going to have a pretty good apocalypse eve."

So far, about 100 messages have been created so far and posted on Facebook, including "The end of the world is coming. Repent and drink more margaritas" and "Kevin Youkilis on the Yankees? What more proof do you need the world is ending?"

Breweries are also getting in on the action. California-based Stone Brewing Company has released an "enjoy by 12.21.12" IPA that is "brewed to not last." A leading Canadian craft brewery Unibroue invites drinkers to pledge to raise their glasses at midnight on Dec. 20 "for one last toast to the end of the world."?

For consumers, the end-of-days prediction will offer a chance to indulge even if only a very small set of celebrants believe it is the last time to spoil themselves, Berger said.

"People want to go out to dinner," he added. "They want to take fun vacations. I don't think they really think the world's going to end, but it's a good excuse to behave like it will."

And so far, efforts to drive traffic to Mexico appear to be paying off.

In the tourism district of Riviera Maya, which contains ancient Mayan ruins, Expedia's hotel bookings are up 44 percent for the dates that include Dec. 21. Meanwhile, Cancun hotel bookings have risen 7.5 percent for the period.

Outside of Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador ? two other countries with Mayan roots ? have each seen hotel bookings surge more than 50 percent.

Priceline also reported a boost in sales compared to last year. During the last three months, sales have jumped 16 percent compared to the year-ago period.

Expedia added that Americans are continuing to book tickets and vacations for well after Dec. 21 so it appears that they are in fact confident that the end of times isn't imminent. But even if the Mayans do turn out to be wrong, one thing is certain ? marketers will be ready to profit from the next dire prediction faster than you can say "The Fiscal Cliff Cookbook."

More from CNBC:

Products for the Zombie apocalypse
Tips for the apocalypse

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/mayan-doomsday-marketers-see-opportunity-1C7608708

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Trey Songz Made It Rain A Little Too Hard At The Strip Club

Trey Songz Made It Rain A Little Too Hard At The Strip Club

Singer Trey Songz, whose real name is Tremaine Neverson, was arrested for assault after partying a little rough at the strip club. The “2 Reasons” singer was busted at a club in Queens, New York after he threw some money that whacked one stripper in the eye. The incident happened on August 22, but is ...

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Getting to the Grand Canyon by Bus

Grand Canyon motor coach trips are a less expensive alternative to costly plane and helicopter tours. They're also more convenient than driving your own vehicle or a rental car to this magnificent natural wonder. No matter how you look at it, a National Park bus tour is a sightseeing option that makes a great deal of sense.

Several Las Vegas-based tour operators offer high-quality bus tours that are very reasonably priced. Most of these motor coach trips offer very similar sightseeing experiences. The coaches are always modern and comfortable, and the drivers are polite and knowledgeable about the area. All of these bus tours include a tasty lunch as well as free pickup and drop-off service at Las Vegas Strip hotels.

The West Rim and the South Rim are the two most popular motor coach tour destinations. The West Rim is actually part of the Hualapai Indian Reservation. It's about a 2-hour drive from Las Vegas. The South Rim is about twice the distance. Many travelers think of the South Rim as the real Grand Canyon.

I'm often asked which rim is better. The answer depends on your circumstances and the type of experience you want. When it comes down to it, though, I usually suggest the South Rim to people who are mostly interested in the canyon's natural beauty. If someone's time is limited and they're seeking adventure and excitement, I suggest they head to the West Rim. The cost of a basic tour to either rim is about the same. Just remember that the price will go up if you add any side trips or other extras to your tour package.

I strongly urge you to book your Grand Canyon bus tour in advance. You'll save money that way because Grand Canyon bus discounts will be available. If you'll be visiting in the peak-season summer months, I suggest you book your bus tour early, during the off-season. Your tickets will be less expensive then. If you want a West Rim package that includes a chopper flight to the canyon floor, book in advance to make sure your travel party can all fly together (remember, though, that copters can only hold six people).

Always buy your tickets directly from the tour operator. You'll spend a lot more for your bus tour if you buy your tickets at a street kiosk or through a travel agent or hotel concierge. These third parties bump up the prices so they can make a profit.

Because Las Vegas has so many tour operators, you'll need to do some extensive research in order to find the best prices and Grand Canyon bus discounts. It's easiest to do this research online, and that's where you'll find the cheapest prices anyway. When you're looking into Grand Canyon motor coach trips, shop around and make sure you make an informed decision.

Book your tour tickets online. You'll be able to compare the prices on various tour operator websites before making your purchase. By visiting different websites, you'll be sure to find all the seasonal Grand Canyon bus discounts and other special deals. The best prices for these motor coach trips are on the Internet. Just make sure you complete the entire transaction online, or you'll lose the special Internet discount.

Tour operators are dedicated to making your canyon bus tour a spectacular experience. They have to be - or they'd go out of business! You don't want to run out of money during your vacation, so don't book a Grand Canyon tour that's beyond your budget. Enjoying yourself while you're visiting the magnificent Grand Canyon is the important thing.

Ready to hit the road? First, read these Grand Canyon bus reviews. Next, and before you purchase your trip, check out this list of bus tour coupons: http://www.grandcanyonbusdeals.com/grand-canyon-bus-deals.html

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/getting-to-the-grand-canyon-by-bus-307468

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