Smugglers' SUV gets stuck atop Calif. border fence

In this photo provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a silver Jeep Cherokee that suspected smugglers were attempting to drive over the U.S.-Mexico border fence is stuck at the top of a makeshift ramp early Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 near Yuma, Ariz. U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Yuma Station seized both the ramps and the vehicle, which stalled at the top of the ramp after it became high centered. The fence is approximately 14 feet high where the would-be smugglers attempted to illegally drive across the border. The two suspects fled into Mexico when the agents arrived at the scene. (AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

In this photo provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a silver Jeep Cherokee that suspected smugglers were attempting to drive over the U.S.-Mexico border fence is stuck at the top of a makeshift ramp early Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 near Yuma, Ariz. U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Yuma Station seized both the ramps and the vehicle, which stalled at the top of the ramp after it became high centered. The fence is approximately 14 feet high where the would-be smugglers attempted to illegally drive across the border. The two suspects fled into Mexico when the agents arrived at the scene. (AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

In this photo provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a silver Jeep Cherokee that suspected smugglers were attempting to drive over the U.S.-Mexico border fence is stuck at the top of a makeshift ramp early Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 near Yuma, Ariz. U.S. Border Patrol agents from the Yuma Station seized both the ramps and the vehicle, which stalled at the top of the ramp after it became high centered. The fence is approximately 14 feet high where the would-be smugglers attempted to illegally drive across the border. The two suspects fled into Mexico when the agents arrived at the scene. (AP Photo/U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

YUMA, Ariz. (AP) ? Suspected smugglers who tried to use ramps to drive an SUV over a 14-foot-tall border fence had to abandon their plan when the Jeep became stuck on top of the barrier, authorities said Wednesday.

Agents patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border near the Imperial Sand Dunes in California's southeast corner spotted the Jeep Cherokee teetering atop the fence early Tuesday, Border Patrol spokesman Spencer Tippets said. The vehicle was perched about five miles west of the Colorado River and the Arizona state line.

Two smugglers on the Mexican side of the border were trying to free the Jeep when the agents approached, Tippets said. They ran further into Mexico and escaped.

The Jeep was empty, but agents said it was probably filled with contraband like bales of marijuana before it got high-centered atop the fence.

The smugglers had built ramps to drive up and over the fence, something that has been tried at least once before. In April 2011, agents found a truck that had ramps built onto it and had driven up to the border fence. A pickup had driven up and over the fence, but it was spotted and its occupants were captured, Tippets said.

The agency's Yuma sector has seen a 95 percent reduction in human smuggling in recent years, freeing up agents to focus on drug smugglers.

"Because of how successful we are we don't have all the clutter like we had in years past," Tippets said. "Now that all the clutter is gone, we're able to focus on things that are bigger threats."

The terrain in western Arizona and eastern California has little vegetation and is much less rugged than the land in southeastern Arizona, so smugglers have a harder time making it into the U.S. without being spotted.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-31-Border-Smuggling%20Ramp/id-98aa47ba75764aa898e382f7a1b9d08a

coachella lineup coachella 2012 lineup school delays joran van der sloot honey badger critics choice awards 2012 colbert president

Jam Master Jay, 10 Years Later: Losing One Of Hip-Hop's 'Greatest'

Ten years after his death, Eric 'Shake' James remembers Run DMC's fallen DJ.
By Maurice Bobb

Jam Master Jay
Photo: Getty Images/Bob Berg

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1696458/jam-master-jay-run-dmc-ten-year-death-anniversary.jhtml

Snoop Lion London 2012 Table Tennis badminton Dominique Dawes Gabby Olympic Gymnast Robyn Lawley Gore Vidal

Film Review: Seven Psychopaths | Filmophilia

In Seven Psychopaths, Martin (Colin Farrell) is struggling with his screenplay titled ?Seven Psychopaths?. So far, all he?s got is one psychopath. Martin has a friend named Billy (Sam Rockwell) who steals dogs for a living (though he sees himself as more of a dog-borrower) for a guy named Hans Kieslowski (Christopher Walken). One day Billy steals a shit-zu that just happens to belong to a psychopathic mafioso (Woody Harrelson) and somehow Martin gets drawn into the whole messy affair. Along the way he starts getting more ideas for his screenplay.

As ridiculous as that plot description sounds it?won?t?prepare for you for how wonderfully batshit insane this movie is, a better way might be to describe it as Adaptation by way of Quentin Tarantino. No matter how you describe this movie, one things for sure: It?s terrific.

Writer-director Martin McDonagh has been a respected playwright since the 90s but with his directorial debut In Bruges he proved that he also knows how to make a good movie. With Seven Psychopaths he?s avoided the dreaded ?sophomore slump? and made a movie that?s even better than his excellent debut film.

McDonagh has already proven that he has an ear for great dialogue and Seven Psychopath is seemingly stuffed with brilliant, often hilarious dialogue (example: ?You broke his nose!? ?I?didn?t?hit him in the nose, his nose just happened to be where I punched?). But the dialogue?isn?t?merely just clever and funny as McDonagh is playing with various things at once. First and foremost Seven Psychopaths is a very ?meta? and post-modern little crime-comedy (or whatever you want to call it) that plays with genre tropes and clich?s and gets philosophical about all kinds of things. The lead character is clearly based on McDonagh himself (being an Irish screenwriter named Martin) and most likely in some way based on his own experiences on trying to write. Is what we are seeing just what Martin is trying to write?

Even?Christopher?Walken can be cuddly.

The whole thing is a mess structurally speaking but that must be at least semi-intentional, reflecting the difficulty of writing a screenplay. The story has a feeling of being made up it as it goes along but that also means that the film constantly surprises you, freed from the constraints of convention and realism McDonagh seems to simply be doing whatever he damn well pleases and rarely goes about things the typical way.? This makes for a very pleasing viewing experience as it keeps the viewer constantly on his toes.

It?s hard to imagine a cooler cast for a movie. Walken, Waits and Rockwell are three of the coolest people on the planet and Harrelson and?Farrell?are well on their way to getting on that list as well. The standout here is clearly Sam Rockwell. No one is better than him at playing characters that are absolutely repulsive and yet you still fall in love with them. His character is borderline cartoonish at time but he manages to not just be cool, funny and likeable but also brings a bit of pathos and warmth to the character. Somebody give this guy an Oscar, pronto!

Woody Harrelson is also proving more and more how truly great of an actor he is, the goofy bartender from Cheers is long gone. Christopher Walken is his usual cool self but he?s a little more relaxed than usual, playing as sort of wise older guy who?s not all he seems.? Farrell himself may be the least showy here, even though he?s the lead character, and thus perhaps not as memorable as the others but he still does great things with his character. Then there?s Tom Waits whose role is actually quite small but still very memorable, not much of a stretch for Waits but he?s always the coolest of the cool. It?s also worth noting some very solid supporting performances from the likes of Zeljko Ivanek, Harry Dean Stanton, Michael Stuhlbarg and Gabourey Sidibe.

As for the women, they?don?t?get much to do even though two of them are on the poster. Basically, the mostly just serve as props, or plot devices. Abbie Cornish and Olga Kurylenko do what they can but there?s not much there. One female character is pretty much literally a plot device as she appears in one scene and her sole purpose it be killed so the plot can move forward. The movie points out that its female characters are secondary and flat by having a character read Martin?s screenplay and say it outright. Some might say McDonagh is just trying to get away with having female characters that are lacking but it can also be seen that he did this deliberately precisely to point out the problem with Hollywood. His female characters here are clearly secondary. At the very least it makes you think (Farrell says it reflects ?how hard it is for women?, he?s right in a way).

The filmmaking is not flashy here or calls much attention to itself, this is a movie very much about words and characters. Nonetheless it?s very impressive filmmaking. McDonagh fills the movie with gorgeous visuals and the movie looks lovely. He even manages to make a shot of a burnt corpse look somehow poetic. Carter Burwell?s music score also has a part in that.

But what is this movie really about? It throws many things at you and often just seems to be a big joke, or a series of big jokes. And that?s just fine as the movie is entertaining and funny as hell. But there?s definitely more. At the very least Seven Psychopaths can simply be seen as some sort of meditation on the nature of writing and creativity, what it means to tell a good story, and all the elements are simply examples of storytelling and how there?s really no limit to how wild you can go with your imagination. Or maybe it?s just a bunch of goofy wankery. Whatever it is, it works.

Final Verdict: A brilliant, hilarious, consistently clever and surprising crime-comedy with great performances from all the leads. Writer-Director Martin McDonagh avoids the sophomore slump and outdoes himself with a film that?s even better than his excellent debut film, In Bruges. Maybe a little too clever for its own good, and it?s not easy to tell what?s it?s exactly about, but it will be hard to find a more entertaining and funny movie this year.

Related posts:

Source: http://www.filmophilia.com/2012/10/30/film-review-seven-psychopaths/

jake owen oosthuizen louis double eagle bubba masters winner instagram facebook mike wallace

Biggby Coffee Earns Spot On Top Franchise Lists

Gourmet Coffee Retailer Ranked on Franchise Business Review and Franchise Times Annual Reports

EAST LANSING, MI, Oct. 25, 2012 ? East Lansing-based Biggby Coffee??has been included on not one, but two, top franchise lists this month! For the second consecutive year, the company earned a spot on Franchise Business Review?s Top 40 Food Franchises Report, and also claimed the 348 spot on Franchise Times Magazine?s Top 500 Franchise Brands.

Franchise Business Review?s annual report is based on overall franchisee satisfaction and is compiled from surveying 4,000 different franchisees in the food sector, representing 84 brands and more than 22,000 franchised businesses. Their findings are based on a series of questions in which franchisees rank their franchise system in the areas of financial opportunity, training and support, leadership, operations and development, core values, franchisee community, and more.

On a much larger scale, Franchise Times compiled their list by comparing worldwide sales figures from various types of franchise chains of all sizes including, hotels, cleaning services, automotive, health and fitness, medical and more. Biggby?was included on the list for the first time in company history and was among only four other coffee concepts to make the list.

?Being a part of both reports is an honor and really shows the great things that are happening for our franchisees and the company as a whole,? Michael McFall, Biggby Coffee??company president, said. ?Along with sales figures, one of the key signs of success for a franchised business is having happy franchisees. Being ranked on both lists demonstrates that we have both of those bases covered.?

Franchise Business Review?s report also included information on investment statistics and an overall market analysis of the food sector today. When compared with the other concepts on the list, the approximate total investment for a Biggby?franchise is more than $160,000 less than the medium investment of the other top 40 brands.

?Over the past few years my vision has been giving our franchisees the opportunity to make the highest possible return on their investment in the quickest amount of time,? McFall said. ?We have made great strides in this, which has had an all-around positive impact on our both our franchisee?s and company-wide success.?

About Biggby Coffee?

East Lansing, Mich.-based Biggby? Coffee opened a single store in March of 1995 based on the founding principle that coffee-lovers and the coffee-curious alike would benefit from a less pretentious approach to the standard gourmet caf? paradigm. Biggby Coffee introduced connoisseur-worthy drinks with pronounceable names like Teddy Bear and Caramel Marvel, and barista staff surprised guests with simple gestures like free kazoos and bouncy balls for no other reason than to brighten their day. The ?Big ?B?? on the orange background caught on, and today Biggby Coffee has 160 cafes open or under contract across eight states including: Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, South Carolina, Wisconsin, Florida, and Texas. For more information, visit www.biggby.com.

###

Social Reach:

Viewer Response:

Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20121031_biggby_coffee_earns_spot_on_top_franchise_lists.html

ihop statins chardon sean young juan pablo montoya free pancakes at ihop martina navratilova

Using analytics for business retention & increased sales tax revenue ...

Buxton Blog Home > Using analytics for business retention & increased sales tax revenue

Oct 30, 2012

Plainfield, IL is a suburb of Chicago. They have a population just under 40K residents. They had some great success using Buxton analytics to help out their local businesses that are currently in Plainfield and also to help them recruit businesses to come to Plainfield.

Before the Village of Plainfield, IL hired Buxton, their retail sales tax revenues were declining year over year. After they hired Buxton and started taking a look at the results of what Plainfield could do as a community, their revenues stabilized and they have seen increases the last two years greater than the national average. Brian Murphy, Village Administrator, said Plainfield IL uses Buxton?s information and they have taken it to a point where they can deliver it multiple different ways. They wanted to make sure that the community was able to use the data and that they get Plainfield?s story out there. Plainfield put the data on their website and have also made the information available through their library. In Plainfield, business librarians are trained in how to use the data and are able to show the business owners who come in, how much information is available for them out of that series of reports. Plainfield also placed all of Buxton?s reports onto iPads so that when they go and meet with business owners or are out doing retention or recruitment visits, they are able to empirically show the benefits of coming to Plainfield.
SCOUT is a web-based platform that Plainfield uses quite a lot. Murphy said they use it for showing their leakage issues in the community. They also use it to show the strength of certain sites. They had three different areas in particular in the community that they studied with Buxton. They plugged in that data into SCOUT and they use that information weekly. Plainfield also had some retailers that Buxton was able to show them who would be successful in their community. Fox?s Pizza, in particular, was one of those that jumped off the page as a regional company that would have great success in Plainfield. When Plainfield presented Fox?s Pizza with the information, they were very excited. Fox?s Pizza came to town, opened a store, and have had great success ever since. When Plainfield does the community meetings, they are able to show the smaller, local entrepreneurs the opportunities in Plainfield for them. With that, The Village of Plainfield has actually seen a couple of other local folks take real chances on opening up their own stores because Plainfield gave them the information that allowed them to go out and make those conscious decisions.
Brian Murphy said, ?If I were asked by another community how they could grow their business retention plans, how they could grow their business recruitment plans, how they could improve the quality of life in their community, I would strongly tell them to meet with the Buxton folks.? He said it has been an absolutely fantastic

Posted by Courtney Hall

SUBSCRIBE

Please enter your email to stay up to date with Buxton's News.

Subscribe using your favorite RSS feed reader.

Source: http://buxtonanalytics.buxtonco.com/?p=1755

norad santa tracker vince carter sweet potato casserole safeway standing rib roast its a wonderful life its a wonderful life

Champion SF Giants to be celebrated on Halloween

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Orange-and-black clad hordes will flood the streets of San Francisco for a Halloween Day ticker-tape parade celebrating the 2012 World Series champion Giants.

With the victory parade coinciding with the spooky holiday, costumed masses are expected to bring an even more festive feel Wednesday to what city officials stressed will be a family friendly, alcohol-free event.

"This was such a team effort to win the World Series, so we decided we'd get our city team together to make sure we have a great celebration," Mayor Ed Lee said Tuesday as he stood with police, fire, transportation and other officials at City Hall.

After the Giants won the Series in 2010, hundreds of thousands of revelers ? from school-age children to longtime fans who had waited decades for a championship ? crammed into downtown to cheer on their heroes.

This year's parade route is different than it was in 2010, when a vehicle carrying the "Say Hey Kid" Willie Mays led players and coaches in open-air buses designed to look like cable cars down the same route that Mays' Giants took in 1958 after relocating from New York.

That route started at Montgomery Street in the Financial District and turned onto Market Street. The 2012 edition will begin at the foot of Market near San Francisco Bay and cover about 1? miles to City Hall, where the team and officials will address the throngs.

Each player will have an open-top vehicle so fans will get a view from all sides.

San Francisco police Chief Greg Suhr said the parade will last about two hours. He warned people not to even try to drive into the area during the day.

The city spent Monday cleaning up after a rowdy celebration Sunday night turned violent in some neighborhoods and police arrested three dozen people. Bonfires of trash were lit in several intersections, and a $700,000 public transit bus was torched.

The World Series victory parade in 2010 occurred with little incident, and officials said they are expecting a peaceful encore Wednesday.

"The entire day, 24 hours into the nighttime, no alcohol (on the street)," Suhr said. "This is a family celebration, whether it's the San Francisco family with our champion Giants or bringing the little ones in costume, come have a great time."

Given the anticipated flood of people, officials are increasing public transportation during the parade.

Mayor Lee said the city will provide more trains than it did in 2010.

San Francisco's subway will continue to run through all stations along the parade route; Bay Area Rapid Transit commuter trains will run at rush hour levels all day; and ferries will be running special service throughout the festivities.

Officials also said knockoff merchandise will be confiscated.

"We're working with Major League Baseball to make sure all products being sold outside are ... authorized products, and arrests will be made," Suhr said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/champion-sf-giants-celebrated-halloween-090608479--spt.html

Google Fiber Olympics Schedule 2012 Olympic Medal Count 2012 Olympics 2012 Olympic Schedule 2012 NBC Olympics NBC Olympics schedule

Grandmother finds strength from granddaughter after both are diagnosed with breast cancer

Grandmother finds strength from granddaughter after both are diagnosed with breast cancer

For Lillian Gilbert, breast cancer has touched her family in more ways than one.

The 74-year-old grandmother from Madison has worked as a nurse for nearly half of her life, but in the past two years, she has dealt with breast cancer more than she ever thought she would.

Both she and her granddaughter were diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her granddaughter, Jasmine Davis, graduated high school in 2011 and was given a scholarship to play basketball at a college in Tennessee, but then she found a lump in her left breast that put a stop to her budding college career. They thought it was a cyst at first because she was so young, but after having a mammogram done, Jasmine found out she had breast cancer.

?It?s a different feeling. It?s an awakening and opens your eyes when you?re waiting on other people, and when it comes home to you, it?s totally different,? Gilbert said.

Jasmine ended up having to stay out of college for a year, missing her first season of playing basketball at the college level and ended up fighting breast cancer.

After doing several rounds of chemotherapy last fall, the doctors told Gilbert and Jasmine that the chemo did not shrink the tumor.

Then they found a spot in her right breast.

But according to Gilbert, Jasmine was strong, and shortly after a party celebrating her 20th birthday in February, she had a double mastectomy.

?I have never seen a young girl so positive like that,? Gilbert said of her granddaughter. ?She just wanted to go to school. After we got in the car after the surgery, she cried, but she was crying because she said she was healed.?

After her surgery, Jasmine began preparing to go to college and play basketball. She also began working with her grandmother at the Family Life Enrichment Center to save up her money for a car.

They thought everything was behind them; then something unexpected happened.

?I was laying in the bed one night, and I turned over and I felt a knot under my arm,? Gilbert said. ?I said, ?That doesn?t feel right.? ?

Gilbert called her doctor and immediately got a mammogram performed. Doctors ended up performing a biopsy, and just three months after her granddaughter had her double mastectomy, she was told she had breast cancer.

?I gained a lot of strength from her to see what she went through and that helped me a lot,? Gilbert said. ?I accepted it and I said, ?I am no different than anybody else.? There are millions of people around the world, even around here, that have the same thing. I am not exempted. I don?t know what purpose God has for me in my life, but I believe it is part of his plan for my life and I accepted that. I accepted healing.?

On July 18, doctor?s removed 13 of Gilbert?s lymph nodes, 11 of which were at stage 3 breast cancer. Gilbert will have her fourth chemo treatment today. She?s kept active in her church, though she has had to let some things go.

Gilbert has, however, had to stop working. She had to make the decision because of her white blood count, which has been low and on the borderline of the normal range.

From beginning as a certified nurses assistant in the 1960s to becoming a licensed practical nurse and going to college, she believes her love of nursing is what has kept her working for so long.

?Anybody else would have retired by now,? she said. ?I?m working at great place in Bishop, and the people there are so nice. I?m working as a direct care supervisor. I take pride in my work and just not wanting to quit work, so that?s the hardest part right now. I?m not ready to give it up. I?ll be 75 next year in May, and I love nursing. It?s all I?ve ever done.?

For now, Jasmine is getting ready to start her basketball season at Cleveland State Community College in Cleveland, Tenn., and her grandmother is hoping to get back to work as soon as possible.

?I love it there, and I?m not ready to give it up,? Gilbert said with a smile.

? Follow reporter Karah-Leigh Hancock at www.twitter.com/KarahLHancock or www.facebook.com/KarahLHancockABH

Source: http://onlineathens.com/health/2012-10-29/grandmother-finds-strength-granddaughter-after-both-are-diagnosed-breast-cancer

obama state of the union 2012 2012 state of the union address jorge posada maurice sendak state of the union sotu boehner

Exoskeleton of advanced design promises new degree of independence for people with paraplegia

ScienceDaily (Oct. 30, 2012) ? The dream of regaining the ability to stand up and walk has come closer to reality for people paralyzed below the waist who thought they would never take another step.

A team of engineers at Vanderbilt University's Center for Intelligent Mechatronics has developed a powered exoskeleton that enables people with severe spinal cord injuries to stand, walk, sit and climb stairs. Its light weight, compact size and modular design promise to provide users with an unprecedented degree of independence.

The university has several patents pending on the design and Parker Hannifin Corporation -- a global leader in motion and control technologies -- has signed an exclusive licensing agreement to develop a commercial version of the device, which it plans on introducing in 2014.

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, somewhere between 236,000 to 327,000 people in the U.S. are living with serious spinal cord injuries. About 155,000 have paraplegia. The average age at injury is 41 and the estimated lifetime cost when it happens to a person of 50 ranges from $1.1 million to $2.5 million.

Until recently "wearable robots" were the stuff of science fiction. In the last 10 years, however, advances in robotics, microelectronics, battery and electric motor technologies advanced to the point where it has become practical to develop exoskeletons to aid people with disabilities. In fact, two companies -- Argo Medical Technologies Ltd. in Israel and Ekso Bionics in Berkeley, Calif. -- have developed products of this type and are marketing them in the U.S.

These devices act like an external skeleton. They strap in tightly around the torso. Rigid supports are strapped to the legs and extend from the hip to the knee and from the knee to the foot. The hip and knee joints are driven by computer-controlled electric motors powered by advanced batteries. Patients use the powered apparatus with walkers or forearm crutches to maintain their balance.

"You can think of our exoskeleton as a Segway with legs," said Michael Goldfarb, the H. Fort Flowers Chair in Mechanical Engineering and professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation. "If the person wearing it leans forward, he moves forward. If he leans back and holds that position for a few seconds, he sits down. When he is sitting down, if he leans forward and holds that position for a few seconds, then he stands up."

Goldfarb developed the system with funding from the National Institutes of Health and with the assistance of research engineer Don Truex, graduate students Hugo Quintero, Spencer Murray and Kevin Ha, and Ryan Farris, a former student who now works for Parker Hannifin.

"My kids have started calling me 'Ironman,'" said Brian Shaffer, who was completely paralyzed from the waist down in an automobile accident on Christmas night 2010. He has been testing the Vanderbilt apparatus at the Nashville-area satellite facility of the Shepherd Center. Based in Atlanta, Shepherd Center is one the leading hospitals for spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation in the U.S. and has provided the Vanderbilt engineers with the clinical feedback they need to develop the device.

"It's unbelievable to stand up again. It takes concentration to use it at first but, once you catch on, it's not that hard: The device does all the work. I don't expect that it will completely replace the wheelchair, but there are some situations, like walking your daughter down the aisle at her wedding or sitting in the bleachers watching your son play football, where it will be priceless," said Shaffer, who has two sons and two daughters.

"This is an extremely exciting new technology," said Clare Hartigan, a physical therapist at Shepherd Center who has worked with the Argo, Ekso and Vanderbilt devices. "All three models get people up and walking, which is fantastic."

According to Hartigan, just getting people out of their wheelchairs and getting their bodies upright regularly can pay major health dividends. People who must rely on a wheelchair to move around can develop serious problems with their urinary, respiratory, cardiovascular and digestive systems, as well as getting osteoporosis, pressure sores, blood clots and other afflictions associated with lack of mobility. The risk for developing these conditions can be reduced considerably by regularly standing, moving and exercising their lower limbs.

The Vanderbilt design has some unique characteristics that have led Hartigan and her colleagues at Shepherd Center to conclude that it has the most promise as a rehabilitative and home device.

None of the exoskeletons have been approved yet for home use. But the Vanderbilt design has some intrinsic advantages. It has a modular design and is lighter and slimmer than the competition. As a result, it can provide its users with an unprecedented degree of independence. Users will be able to transport the compact device on the back of their wheelchair. When they reach a location where they want to walk, they will be able to put on the exoskeleton by themselves without getting out of the wheelchair. When they are done walking, they can sit back down in the same chair and take the device off or keep it on and propel the wheelchair to their next destination.

The Vanderbilt exoskeleton weighs about 27 pounds, nearly half the weight of the other models that weigh around 45 pounds. The other models are also bulkier so most users wearing them cannot fit into a standard-sized wheelchair.

From a rehabilitation perspective the Vanderbilt design also has two potential advantages, Hartigan pointed out:

? The amount of robotic assistance adjusts automatically for users who have some muscle control in their legs. This allows them to use their own muscles while walking. When a user is totally paralyzed, the device does all the work. The other designs provide all the power all of the time.

? It is the only wearable robot that incorporates a proven rehabilitation technology called functional electrical stimulation. FES applies small electrical pulses to paralyzed muscles, causing them to contract and relax. FES can improve strength in the legs of people with incomplete paraplegia. For complete paraplegics, FES can improve circulation, change bone density and reduce muscle atrophy.

There is also the matter of cost. The price tags of other rehabilitation model exoskeletons have been reported to be as high as $140,000 apiece, plus a hefty annual service fee. Parker Hannifin hasn't set a price for the Vanderbilt exoskeleton, but Goldfarb is hopeful that its minimalist design combined with Parker Hannifin's manufacturing capability will translate into a more affordable product. "It would be wonderful if we could get the price down to a level where individuals could afford them and insurance companies would cover them," he said.

Meanwhile, Hartigan has advice for potential users: "These new devices for walking are here and they are getting better and better. However, a person has to be physically fit to use them. They have to keep their weight below 220 pounds, develop adequate upper body strength to use a walker or forearm crutches and maintain flexibility in their shoulder, hip, knee and ankle joints ... which is not that easy when a person has relied on a wheelchair for months or even years."

The research was funded by a grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development numbered R01HD059832.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Vanderbilt University. The original article was written by David Salisbury.

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

---

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/DLbeP2v9i7g/121030101342.htm

ron paul maine safe house jay z and beyonce baby cpac powell the last lecture kim jong un

Every single junk food meal damages your arteries, new study reveals

ScienceDaily (Oct. 30, 2012) ? A single junk food meal -- composed mainly of saturated fat -- is detrimental to the health of the arteries, while no damage occurs after consuming a Mediterranean meal rich in good fats such as mono-and polyunsaturated fatty acids, according to researchers at the University of Montreal-affiliated ?PIC Center of the Montreal Heart Institute. The Mediterranean meal may even have a positive effect on the arteries.

The findings are being presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, which runs in Toronto until Wednesday, by the head of the study, Dr. Anil Nigam, Director of Research at the Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation Centre (?PIC) and associate professor at the university's Faculty of Medicine.

Bad fat vs. good fat

Dr. Nigam undertook the study to compare the effects of junk food and typical Mediterranean meal on the vascular endothelium: the inner lining of the blood vessels. By measuring endothelial function, it is possible to determine how easily the arteries will dilate after a temporary, five-minute occlusion, following the consumption of the two types of meals. This is a very interesting analysis for researchers to perform as endothelial function is closely linked to the long-term risk of developing coronary artery disease.

The study also revealed that participants with higher blood triglyceride levels seemed to benefit more from the healthy meals. Their arteries responded better to the Mediterranean meal compared to people with low triglyceride levels. "We believe that a Mediterranean-type diet may be particularly beneficial for individuals with high triglyceride levels, such as patients with metabolic syndrome, precisely because it could help keep arteries healthy," Dr. Nigam said.

Mediterranean meal vs. junk food meal

The results were established in 28 non-smoking men, who ate the Mediterranean-type meal first and then the junk food-type meal one week later. Before beginning, the men underwent an ultrasound of the antecubital artery at the elbow crease after fasting for 12-hours to assess their baseline endothelial function. The researchers then tested the effects of each meal. The first was composed of salmon, almonds, and vegetables cooked in olive oil, of which 51% of total calories came from fat (mostly monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats.) The second meal consisted of a sandwich made of a sausage, an egg, and a slice of cheese, and three hash browns, for a total of 58% of total calories from fat: extremely rich in saturated fatty acids and containing no omega-3s. At two hours and four hours after each meal, participants underwent further ultrasounds to assess how the food had impacted their endothelial function.

Dr. Nigam and his team found that after eating the junk food meal, the arteries of the study participants dilated 24% less than they did when in the fasting state. In contrast, the arteries were found to dilate normally and maintain good blood flow after the Mediterranean-type meal.

"These results will positively alter how we eat on a daily basis. Poor endothelial function is one of the most significant precursors of atherosclerosis. It is now something to think about at every meal," Dr. Nigam said.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Universite de Montreal, via Newswise.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. J. Cantin, S. Lacroix, J. Tardif, A. Nigam. 390 Does the Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet Influence Baseline and Postprandial Endothelial Function? Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 2012; 28 (5): S245 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2012.07.367

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/health_medicine/heart_disease/~3/XG-An2GzqNA/121030062007.htm

Tsunami Lil Reese Hurricane Sandy Nyc aapl Saanvi Venna vikings Colin Powell

Going Mobile with Planning and Analysis | Big Fat Finance Blog

Business fully entered the age of mobility in 2010 with the initial sales of Apple?s iPad. In the first 80 days after it went on sale on April 3, 2010, it had sold over 3 million units. ?By any account, the iPad is a runaway success of unprecedented proportion? noted Colin McGranahan, retail analyst at Bernstein Research.

While other developments preceded this change, the iPad?s adoption rate clearly showed that mobility had crossed the chasm and is rapidly ascending. That rate of growth has continued with Apple?s competitors joining in with additional tablet offerings.

While the lines between smart phones and tablets can become blurred, I believe that tablets are the clear driver behind widespread business usage. I believe this record growth is driven by the way the iPad has redesigned the user experience by creating a simplified, intuitive user interface.

From a planning and analysis perspective this has opened a major avenue to both providing and more importantly receiving information. In the past planning often suffered from a lack of engagement from key stakeholders (such as line of business managers, field sales forces, remote operating managers and logistics managers at different stations along the supply chains). While these stakeholders have a vested interest in planning and analysis (because it can help them do their job more effectively), their role places them in very hectic situations. Time is at a premium and simplicity is a must.

This has directly impacted Finance?s ability to be strategic. In the non-mobile world, planning and analysis often comes in late and operates in a batch mode. It is poorly suited for a real-time world. Mobility changes that.

What has now changed is those key stakeholders are now carrying iPads or other tablets. They can engage. As a result, Finance has the opportunity to reach deep into the remote corners of the organizational structure. You can reach people who aren?t typically involved in the planning and review process but should be.

Mobility creates ?the ability to take action,? James Fisher, vice president of analytics solution marketing at SAP, told me. ?In the planning process in particular, the ability to take action is important: Can I update the plan? Can I collaborate with somebody?? This engagement creates better accountability and results.

You can also go much faster. To do so planning and analysis processes must be redesigned to take advantage of mobility by using rolling forecasts, scenario planning and continuous results monitoring. In doing so, planning moves from a batch mode into a real-time part of management decision-making.

To illustrate, let?s examine how a retail store manager?s job is changing. Carrying an iPad, the manager looks at the forecast for expected sales for the day. It has been updated from the previous day?s sales as well as input from the week-to-date, month-to-date and year-to-date sales. These have been used to update the seasonally adjusted sales forecast. The store manager applies his local knowledge of what is happening in his mall as well as expected weather impacts. These inputs allow him to tweak store labor staffing.

These changes are rolled up across all 1,000 units across the country. Fast-moving merchandise items are flagged to alert the supply chain as quickly as possible. This gives the company the edge in fast movers and warns of items not meeting expectations. If alternative measures are needed, the store manager is alerted of the need to switch to back-up plans. Promotions of sold-out items can be replaced by substitutes to avoid missing sales completely. Everything about the company, including how quickly it learns, goes faster and reaches further.

How is the reach of your planning and analysis function? Also, be sure to access our survey of how mobile, in-memory computing and the cloud expand best practices in planning and performance management. You can access the survey by clicking this link. We appreciate your feedback.

Next week, my exploration of mobile continues as I look at: Does Finance ?feel the need to speed? planning and reporting??

Source: http://bigfatfinanceblog.com/2012/10/30/going-mobile-with-planning-and-analysis/

gina carano at last al green burger king delivery etta james at last john king obama sings al green

From young pauper to the king of antiques ? TalkVietnam

House of treasures: A corner of Toan's little museum, which is located on the first floor of his house. ? VNS Photo Phan Sang

by Phan Sang

Entering Vo Van Toan?s house in Hung Dung Ward in the central province of Nghe An, it?s hard not to be struck by the plethora of ancient items, mainly porcelains, displayed on the first floor.

Many of these antiques are precious both in terms of economic and cultural value, like the pottery vase and jar from Ly dynasty (1009-1225) and the stone items from the Bronze Age that may be up to thousands of years old.

Driven by his passion for ancient items, over the past 28 years Vo Van Toan has accumulated one of the richest collections in Viet Nam ? earning the collector the title ?King of Antiques?.

Born in 1966 into a poor family in Quynh Ba Commune, Quynh Luu District in Nghe An, Toan did not have the happiest childhood. His father passed away when he was still in seventh-grade, so he had to work several jobs while attending school just to scrape by.

One day, people from the neighbouring province of Thanh Hoa came to rural areas in Quynh Luu to seek for antiques. Toan agreed to work as their guide, finding families who wanted to sell antiques and contacting potential customers.

That was when Toan?s passion for antiques started to take shape. He spent all the money he saved from selling fish and firewood to buy ancient objects. While attending high school in Ha Noi in the 1980s, Toan would drop into local antique stores to learn more about the history of the items. After returning to his hometown to work for a travel agent, he had the opportunity to travel to many places and meet many people with the same hobby.

However, there was a strict restriction on antique trading during that period. Toan had to go directly to the sellers in order to purchase new items. When he did so, he preserved them carefully as he would have an invaluable treasure. Afterwards, he travelled within Nghe An Province and to nearby provinces like Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh in search of antiques ? even getting as far as China.

Sometimes Toan spent all the money he had saved for months on one antique. Even broken items did not escape his notice. He simply joined the pieces back together, painstakingly and methodically.

?This hobby requires deftness, meticulousness and patience. Not everyone can take up this hobby, as first and foremost the collector has to have a strong passion for antiques and vast knowledge about the history and origin of the items as well as the ability to evaluate their values. More importantly, he has to have lots of money,? Toan confides.

Pot luck: A jar in Toan's collection thought to be thousands of years old.

He adds that he has been able to wholeheartedly pursue such a costly hobby thanks to his sympathetic wife, Phan Thi Hoa, who is also keen on antiques.

Although the journey to seek and collect the ancient items is full of challenges, Toan says, discovering one can be immensely rewarding. There is a Vietnamese saying, ?Valuable things seek people of rank?; hence, Toan tries to constantly enrich his collection, purchasing antiques that strike him no matter what the cost. The whole first floor of his house serves as a museum, displaying his vast collection.

In addition to pottery, the collection also includes coins, statues, and pots and jars of all materials like metal, porcelain, and wood. Whenever visitors drop into his house, he always enthusiastically introduces them the items that he has taken great pains to collect.

Although the items were made in different eras, they all reflect the wishes of the ancestors and the close bond between human and nature. In Toan?s opinion, antiques are valuable more for what they say about culture and history than for any financial reason.

Yet he remains concerned that many antiques, due to the widespread lack of understanding, continue to gather dust. So Toan hopes to gather more of these unique cultural relics and preserve them for posterity. ? VNS

Source: http://talkvietnam.com/2012/10/from-young-pauper-to-the-king-of-antiques/

askew blue moon eddie murphy ann romney marco rubio marco rubio farrah abraham

Windows Phone 8 Rooms give every group its private space

Microsoft is already creating a safe, fenced-off area in Windows Phone 8 through Kids Corner, but it's expanding that to include nearly everyone through Rooms. A rough parallel to Groupme, Rooms lets families, friends or companies share calendars, chats, notes and photos without letting any prying eyes get a peek. And if others aren't following the Windows Phone way, they can still view some of the content from another platform. There's no doubt that Microsoft really hopes its communal addition is a way to squeak out an extra phone sale or two from those who like to stick together.

For more, check out our Windows Phone 8 event liveblog!

Gallery: People Hub Rooms

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft

Windows Phone 8 Rooms give every group its private space originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

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

hot wings recipe 7 layer dip recipe chris carter superbowl 2012 kickoff time what time is the super bowl 2012 nfl mvp lana del rey snl performance

Select Blinds, Style of Window Treatments Suit Your Home!

Unleash the true potential of your windows with window treatments. Find which style of window treatments suit your home the best. Ask yourself, are you looking for a more decorative approach or are you looking to get extra functionality from your windows? The choices are there and are far from limited.

Styles of window treatments offered by Select Blinds range from purely decorative functions to providing functionality. The more traditional forms of decorative windows include sheers, drapes, curtains, cornices, blinds, shutters, and valances. Technically, there is no limit to how many you can use on your windows as long as it fits your style and room.

If it?s functionality that you?re looking for with your window treatments then you?re choices are far from limited. Choosing the right window treatments that provide functionality can not only bring more comfort and enjoyment to the decor of a room, they can also save you money! Some more traditional styles that can really bring a room together include layering the styles mentioned above. Layering these styles correctly can insulate heat and cold, and filter light. Needless to say, you could see your utility bills decreasing with little effort!

Privacy is another top priority when it comes to your windows. Window treatments will give you the comfort that you seek from your home.

Shop with MyReviewsNow.net to simplify your shopping experience.

Tags: home decor, home improvement

Source: http://www.myreviewsnow.net/blog/index.php/select-blinds-style-of-window-treatments-suit-your-home-5910

apple tv update new ipad release pregnant jessica simpson international womens day joe the plumber lra lra

Enterprise Ireland launches ?500,000 fund for ... - Small Business Can

A new ?500,000 start-up fund for female entrepreneurs has been launched by Enterprise Ireland.

Details of the Competitive Start Fund for Female Entrepreneurs, which is aimed at stimulating high potential female-led business start-ups, were announced today by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr Richard Bruton TD.

The initiative is part of a drive by Enterprise Ireland to boost the number of innovative, export-oriented businesses being set up and led by female entrepreneurs.

The fund will be open for applications from next Monday 22 October 2012 until 3 December 2012.

The funding call is open to female-led start-ups in manufacturing and internationally traded services including internet, games, apps, cloud computing, enterprise software, life sciences, food, consumer products, medical devices and e-health.

Today?s announcement follows the launch in June of the Enterprise Ireland Competitive Feasibility Fund for Female Entrepreneurs. This attracted over 100 applications and will now see 20 female-led businesses receiving feasibility funding to investigate the viability of new growth orientated businesses which can succeed in global markets.

?In Ireland we have hugely innovative and ambitious female entrepreneurs and by targeting a substantial increase in that number we can make a real difference to the overall level of entrepreneurial activity in Ireland,? said Minister Bruton. ?This ?500,000 Competitive Start Fund specifically for start-up companies led by women will give a real boost to ensuring that more women get involved in starting international businesses.?

Julie Sinnamon, Enterprise Ireland executive director, global business development, said developing high-potential start-up businesses is core to her agency?s role in developing sustainable export-oriented companies.

?We see this new fund as a strategic investment in female-led start ups,? she said. ?It will support them to expand their business horizons and set up innovative international companies that can win business abroad and create jobs at home.?

Full details of the fund and the application form are available on the Enterprise Ireland website.

About Sorcha Corcoran

Sorcha Corcoran is managing editor at Whitespace Publishing Group, which specialises in news and information for Ireland's business community. Visit www.businessandleadership.com

Source: http://www.smallbusinesscan.com/enterprise-ireland-launches-e500000-fund-for-female-entrepreneurs/

paula deen birth control recall nick carter leslie carter aaron carter sister pfizer signing day 2012 football

Advertisement:

We were unable to forward you to the advertisement you clicked on.

The likely cause for this is that your browser, feed reader, or email application is configured to not accept cookies, or your reader may launch an external browser to view links without sharing cookies.

• If you're using Internet Explorer, make sure your privacy setting is at medium or below.
  • Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
  • Click the Privacy tab
  • Adjust your privacy setting if necessary
    ?
• If you're using a reader that embeds Internet Explorer (examples: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Feed Demon), you'll also need to select Internet Explorer as your default web browser.
  • Open Internet Explorer
  • Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
  • Click the 'Programs' tab and check the box for Internet Explorer to check if it is the default browser and save your change
  • Close your browser, re-open it, and when prompted, select Internet Explorer as your default
  • You can then click on an ad in your newsletter and visit the site you wish to view

Source: http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=528ca3f694f7cc6db742ed57d4e06715&p=4

chuck pagano arizona governor seal team 6 patrick witt leprosy tampa bay buccaneers birdman

Wine & Spirits to Reopen After Superstorm Sandy - in Sewickley Patch

Pennsylvania Wine & Spirits stores are set to reopen at as scheduled on Wednesday, according to state spokeswoman Stacy Kriedeman.

The Sewickley store normally opens at 9 a.m. Monday through Saturday and noon on Sunday.?

State stores closed early Monday at 3 p.m. ahead of Superstorm Sandy.

--

Correction: Patch previously reported the stores would reopen today. Sorry to get your hopes up!

Source: http://sewickley.patch.com/articles/wine-spirits-to-reopen-after-superstorm-sandy

adam sandler cbs College Football Scoreboard nfl scores nfl scores redskins Devon Walker

France considers law forcing Google to pay for linking news

{ttle}

{cptn}","template_name":"ss_thmb_play_ttle","i18n":{"end_of_gallery_header":"End of Gallery","end_of_gallery_next":"View Again"},"metadata":{"pagination":"{firstVisible} - {lastVisible} of {numItems}","ult":{"spaceid":"15194912","sec":""}}},{"id": "hcm-carousel-74462413", "dataManager": C.dmgr, "mediator": C.mdtr, "group_name":"hcm-carousel-74462413", "track_item_selected":1,"tracking":{ "spaceid" : "15194912", "events" : { "click" : { "any" : { "yui-carousel-prev" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"prev","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } }, "yui-carousel-next" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"next","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // no more pages, don't beacon again // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } } } } } } })); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {(function() { try{ if (Math.floor(Math.random()*10) == 1) { var loc = window.location, decoded = decodeURI(loc.pathname), encoded = encodeURI(decoded), uri = loc.protocol + "//" + loc.host + encoded + ((loc.search.length > 0) ? loc.search + '&' : '?') + "_cacheable=1", xmlhttp; if (window.XMLHttpRequest) xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest(); else xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); xmlhttp.open("GET",uri,true); xmlhttp.send(); } }catch(e){} })(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings = '"projectId": "10001256862979", "documentName": "", "documentGroup": "", "ywaColo" : "vscale3", "spaceId" : "15194912" ,"customFields" : { "12" : "classic", "13" : "story" }'; Y.Media.YWA.init(Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {if(document.onclick===YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.newClick){document.onclick=YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.oldClick;} }); }); });

Personal Space, Travel Insurance: MMGL 12-10-26, Pt 2 of 3 ...

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

Source: http://www.teluglobe.com/podcasts/mm-gaanalahari/personal-space-travel-insurance-mmgl-12-10-26-pt-2-of-3

myocardial infarction What Is Labor Day jersey shore Pasquale Rotella Michael Clark Duncan michael jackson courtney stodden

Wittliff Collections, Porter House hosting Torres readings | San ...

Torres

?

SUBMITTED REPORT

The Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center and the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University will host readings and book signings from author Justin Torres Nov. 1-2.

Torres will speak and sign copies of his books at the Wittliff Collections located on the seventh floor of Alkek Library on the Texas State campus 3:30 p.m. Nov. 1. He will also give a reading and book signing at the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center in Kyle 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2. The events are free and open to the public.

Torres is the author of We the Animals, which is his debut novel. His work has appeared in Granta, Tin House and Glimmer Train. A graduate of the Iowa Writers? Workshop, he was the recipient of a Rolon Fellowship in Literature from United States Artists. Currently, he is a Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford. He has worked as a farmhand, a dog walker, a creative writing teacher and a bookseller.

The event is sponsored by the Burdine Johnson Foundation, the Wittliff Collection and the Texas State University Department of English. Books will be available during and after the event through the University Bookstore and Barnes and Noble.

For information, contact Katie Angermeier by email here or visit the website here.

kapliterarycenter@gmail.com
www.english.txstate.edu/kap.

RELATED IN THE MERCURY:

Source: http://smmercury.com/2012/10/29/wittliff-collections-porter-house-hosting-torres-readings/

megamillions winning numbers lotto winner michael oher jerry lee lewis cesar chavez winning lotto numbers lottery tickets

W.Va. blizzard warning as Appalachia storm blows

An ambulance is stuck in over a foot of snow off of Highway 33 West, near Belington, W.Va. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Belington, W.Va. Superstorm Sandy buried parts of West Virginia under more than a foot of snow on Tuesday, cutting power to at least 264,000 customers and closing dozens of roads. At least one death was reported. The storm not only hit higher elevations hard as predicted, communities in lower elevations got much more than the dusting of snow forecasters had first thought from a dangerous system that also brought significant rainfall, high wind gusts and small-stream flooding. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)

An ambulance is stuck in over a foot of snow off of Highway 33 West, near Belington, W.Va. on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Belington, W.Va. Superstorm Sandy buried parts of West Virginia under more than a foot of snow on Tuesday, cutting power to at least 264,000 customers and closing dozens of roads. At least one death was reported. The storm not only hit higher elevations hard as predicted, communities in lower elevations got much more than the dusting of snow forecasters had first thought from a dangerous system that also brought significant rainfall, high wind gusts and small-stream flooding. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)

A person walks through snow Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Belington, W.Va. Superstorm Sandy buried parts of West Virginia under more than a foot of snow on Tuesday, cutting power to at least 264,000 customers and closing dozens of roads. At least one death was reported. The storm not only hit higher elevations hard as predicted, communities in lower elevations got much more than the dusting of snow forecasters had first thought from a dangerous system that also brought significant rainfall, high wind gusts and small-stream flooding. (AP Photo/Robert Ray)

Halloween decorations are seen during a snowstorm, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Elkins, W.Va. Superstorm Sandy buried parts of West Virginia under more than a foot of snow on Tuesday, cutting power to at least 243,000 customers and closing dozens of roads. At least one death was reported. (AP Photo/Vicki Smith)

A vehicle travels a freshly plowed road Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, after superstorm Sandy moved through Elkins, W.Va. Sandy buried parts of West Virginia under more than a foot of snow on Tuesday, cutting power to at least 243,000 customers and closing dozens of roads. At least one death was reported. (AP Photo/Vicki Smith)

Tractor trailer traffic was halted along Interstate 68 in Frostburg, Md., Tuesday morning, Oct. 30, 2012 due to the storm. Wet snow and high winds spinning off the edge of superstorm Sandy spread blizzard conditions over parts of West Virginia and neighboring Appalachian states Tuesday. Authorities closed nearly 50 miles of Interstate 68 on either side of the West Virginia-Maryland state line because of blizzard conditions and stuck cars. Eastbound lanes in Maryland ere later reopened. (AP Photo/Cumberland Times-News, Steven Bittner) WHAG-TV OUT

ELKINS, W.Va. (AP) ? Wet snow and high winds spinning off the edge of superstorm Sandy spread blizzard conditions over parts of West Virginia and neighboring Appalachian states Tuesday, shutting one interstate as trucks and cars bogged down and knocking out power to many.

The National Weather Service said a foot and more of snow was reported in lower elevations of West Virginia, where most towns and roads are. High elevations in the mountains were getting more than two feet and a blizzard warning for more than a dozen counties was in effect until Wednesday afternoon.

At least 236,000 customers were without power in West Virginia early Tuesday. In Elkins, a city of about 7,000 people, power went out across town before dawn and the only lights were from passing snow plows as heavy, wet flakes piled up to about 8 inches.

The roofs of at least three homes collapsed under the weight of heavy snow, Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said. No injuries were reported in the Tuesday accidents in Nicholas County. West Virginia National Guard troops helped the residents of the homes get to local shelters.

Tomblin says there's been no word of additional deaths or any serious injuries. Officials earlier reported a woman was killed Monday in a storm-related traffic accident in an area where about 5 inches of snow had fallen.

The governor is urging residents to stay off the roads. That will prevent mishaps and allow National Guard, Division of Highways and Division of Forestry crews to clear felled trees for utility repair workers.

Tomblin says forecasters estimate that the storm's brunt should clear the state by nightfall.

Authorities closed nearly 50 miles of Interstate 68 on either side of the West Virginia-Maryland state line for hours early Tuesday because of blizzard conditions and stuck vehicles.

More than 30 other highways and roads were closed in West Virginia by snow, ice, high water, and downed trees and power lines. Department of Transportation spokeswoman Leslie Fitzwater said. Schools were closed in at least 39 counties.

"It's a mess out there and people should stay home if they can until our first responders can get out there, clear the roads and get to those who need the most assistance," Fitzwater said.

On the Maryland side of I-68, crews were trying to remove several tractor-trailers stuck on the highway. Four or five passenger vehicles also were abandoned in the median, State Highway Administration spokeswoman Kelly Boulware said.

The higher elevations in western parts of Maryland received more than a foot of snow since Monday afternoon, and it was still snowing Tuesday before dawn, Boulware said.

Police rescued several stranded motorists on the interstate in West Virginia, a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

A significant winter storm continued in northeast Tennessee, where snow was forecast for higher elevations through Wednesday morning.

At Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, park spokeswoman Dana Soehn reported 22 inches of snow at the highest elevations, with strong winds blowing drifts up to 4 feet deep.

Roads were closed throughout the park and a handful of hikers coming off sections of the Appalachian Trial on Tuesday morning reporting tangles of fallen trees and waist-deep drifts.

"We don't know exactly how many people are still up there, but we've not received any distress calls," Soehn said. "It's that heavy, wet snow, so it is difficult to plow."

.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-30-Superstorm-Snow/id-ccc27b70b5434d999d6ecfd4acbc3ba2

andrew breitbart dead sheriff joe arpaio limbaugh aaron smith wilt chamberlain joe arpaio cat in the hat

What's the plan in IndyCar? Does anybody know? - Action News 5 ...

By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer

Surely there must be some misunderstanding, and the board of directors charged with overseeing IndyCar really does have a long-term strategy for the series.

The sacking of CEO Randy Bernard has played out like an episode of Keystone Cops, threatening to push IndyCar into a full-blown crisis.

One problem? IndyCar doesn't seem to think it has a crisis, even though powerful team owner Roger Penske accused the board of directors of showing "poor judgment" following Sunday night's firing of Bernard.

"There is no future plan," Penske said. "They need to realize this will hurt teams with major sponsors. We need continuity."

Instead, the series has a grossly mishandled situation by the Hulman & Co. and IMS boards, which let Bernard twist all season amid rumors team owners wanted him fired. The board did nothing to quiet the talk during a paranoid final month, and it reached absurdity late last week with a report Bernard had indeed been fired.

But it was denied by both Bernard and the speedway on Friday, only for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway board to meet Sunday night and decide in an emergency executive session that Bernard should step down.

Why? No reason has been given.

What did Bernard do wrong? No examples were cited.

What will IndyCar do next? Jeff Belskus, the interim CEO, plans to conduct a search for Bernard's replacement and said he hasn't set an established timeline to hire a CEO.

Bernard was no messiah and he was polarizing in the paddock, so it's not as if he can't be replaced.

But he was popular with fans and made improvements to the series in his three years on the job. But his departure has been messy and that has created uncertainty for teams searching for sponsors, who must be wondering if the series is a viable investment.

It also has enraged fans who are threatening to turn away for good.

"Done with IndyCar," said Geoff Gray, who attended the Indianapolis 500 first with his father and grandfather and has had his own tickets for 10 years. But he said "inside politics once again got in the way of the shortsighted board of directors."

"The sponsors see nervous fans, and there is no longer an apparent path or objective," said the Florida resident. "The fans have also been nervous because they liked the direction that Randy was taking IndyCar."

A saddened Christine Cesare Montez of California also reached her breaking point.

"After 40 years of watching it and 36 years attending the races, my 500 flag will fly no more," she said. "I will never buy another ticket and the 36 years of collecting merchandise is over."

IndyCar has done little to calm the storm brewing since the season ended Sept. 15.

Bernard rolled out his 19-race schedule on Oct. 1, but it was immediately overshadowed by a report that series founder Tony George was trying to reacquire IndyCar, which is a part of his family's Hulman & Co. portfolio.

Belskus, the president of IMS and president and CEO of Hulman & Co., has repeatedly addressed the situation only by saying that IndyCar is not for sale. But it did nothing to ease the panic in fans who feared George regaining control of the series many blamed him for ruining during his 14-year reign.

It was always assumed that George had collected support from several team owners who all wanted Bernard out as CEO. So it was assumed they had pooled their money in a bid to buy the series and put George back in control.

Turns out, George had no intention of regaining control at all.

He just didn't want the board to have any more power over IndyCar.

The Associated Press on Monday obtained a copy of George's five-page proposal, which had him listed only as member of the board in the group that would take over the management of IndyCar.

The proposal by ICS Acquisition didn't include a single car owner, just a management team that included: Zak Brown, founder and CEO motorsports marketing agency Just Marketing International, Mike O'Driscoll, chairman of Jaguar Heritage and a non-executive director of the Williams F1 team, Terry Angstadt, former president of IndyCar's commercial division and Claire Roberts, the CEO of ArbiterSports, an NCAA-owned sports technology company.

George's plan called for Brown to be the CEO and commissioner of IndyCar and O'Driscoll to be the president and chief operating officer. O'Driscoll would have also run the day-to-day operations of the series.

The offer would have taken the series away from George's mother and three sisters, and made IndyCar operate separately from Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It included a stipulation that a sanctioning agreement would be reached on the Indianapolis 500.

George's offer, which was for $5 million cash and proof of $25 million in reserves for stabilization of the league, expired Oct. 15.

He resigned from the board Oct. 19, citing a conflict of interest in holding a seat while pursuing the series.

"I realize that my recent efforts to explore the possibility of acquiring IndyCar represent the appearance of a conflict, and it is in everyone's best interest that I resign," George said in a statement that day. "It goes without saying that I want to do what is best for this organization."

Vilified two weeks ago, it now appears that George indeed did want only what was best for the series.

Penske is now blasting the board for a pattern of bad decisions, and George apparently felt the same way. Bernard wouldn't have made the cut under George's new group, but George was at least trying to take the board out of the picture and take a step toward fixing what is clearly a broken model in IndyCar management.

There were no public reassurances from IndyCar on Monday that everything will be fine, the series can do better without Bernard and that a strategy is in place for growth and stability.

That's a problem, said Ramsey Poston, a crisis communications expert and president of Tuckahoe Strategies who managed NASCAR communications for nearly 10 years.

"Without a leader, a vision or an apparent transition plan, IndyCar is in crisis," Poston said. "There is no offseason in sports and every day that goes by without a leader or a well-defined plan is damaging to the 2013 season and beyond. At this point, every major stakeholder, including the fans, team owners, sponsors and broadcasters are watching closely and wondering what is happening.

"IndyCar needs to demonstrate sooner than later that it has a plan that will positively move the series forward."

But team owner Chip Ganassi said this current storm has been blown out of proportion by the media and is much ado about nothing.

"Every year you've got the same old people asking the same old questions and the fact of the matter is IndyCar racing goes up and down with the rest of the economy. For five people in the press to be wound up about it, it is not really having the finger on the pulse of what's going on," he said Monday. "Everything is fine. We have the same old problems today that we did before Randy got there. A lousy TV package, the same old gravitational problems any sport has today.

"It's the offseason and there's nothing else to talk about So everybody just take a deep breath."

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

Source: http://www.wmctv.com/story/19947727/whats-the-plan-in-indycar-does-anybody-know

qnexa kingdom of heaven national enquirer whitney houston arizona republican debate arizona debate enquirer national inquirer