FCC to Hold Hearing on Network Resilience and Reliability

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced its second National Field Hearing on Thursday, Feb. 28th, to examine challenges to the nation?s communications systems during natural disasters and other times of crisis. An agenda has not yet been released. This FCC public hearing is one of the first times in recent years a national hearing on reliability and resilience of communications systems is being held on the West Coast.

FCC?National Field Hearing Details When:?Thursday, Feb. 28th Where:?NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, California Time: 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST

The FCC sets policy in the public safety emergency communications areas, particularly for 9-1-1 and E9-1-1, emergency alerting, operability and interoperability of public safety communications, communications infrastructure protection and disaster response, and network security and reliability. In a major natural disaster or other crisis rising to the level of a national emergency, the FCC?s mission is to ensure continuous operations and restore critical communications systems and services. Examples of the FCC?s work include:

1. The Emergency Alert System, a national public warning system requiring TV and radio broadcasters, cable television operators, satellite digital audio radio providers, and direct broadcast satellite operators to provide communications capability for the President to address the nation;
2. 9-1-1 and E9-1-1 emergency alert and warning systems about impending disasters and other emergencies, using multiple communications technologies to reach the public, including wireless communications devices;
3. An interoperable public safety communications system for users, using the 700 MHz spectrum, the 800 MHz spectrum and VHF/UHF narrowbanding; and
4. During an emergency, the FCC collects outage data, working with the communications sector to understand what is operational versus non-operational due to the disaster, and to assist in restoration of the critical services.

In the last few years, the FCC has increased its activity in this area, particularly after the Japanese 9.0 earthquake and the 23-foot tsunami that followed on March 11, 2011. Best practices were sought to be learned from Japanese officials after that major disaster.

The FCC says it is looking at ways to strengthen the reliability and resiliency of the nation?s communications system, especially during this time of rapid transition from legacy networks (landline telephone or cable networks) to new broadband technology.

Reliability of communication systems is of great importance to public safety, health-care providers and the financial sector, not to mention educational institutions, business and consumers. In the last few years, the FCC opened dockets to look at existing efforts by the affected industries to address continuity of communications service during major disasters, standards for broadband networks, and the FCC?s role and legal authority in this area.

This story was originally published at Techwire.net

Main image courtesy of Shutterstock

Source: http://www.govtech.com/public-safety/FCC-to-Hold-Hearing-on-Network-Resilience-and-Reliability.html

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Pistorius representatives name substance found

FILE - In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

FILE - In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete, Oscar Pistorius, in court in Pretoria, South Africa, for his bail hearing charged with the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)

FILE - in this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands in the dock during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe-File)

FILE - In this photo taken Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius stands in the dock during his bail hearing at the magistrate court in Pretoria, South Africa. Even if Pistorius is acquitted of murder, firearms and legal experts in South Africa believe that, by his own account, the star violated basic gun-handling regulations by shooting into a closed door without knowing who was behind it, exposing himself to the lesser but still serious charge of culpable homicide. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe-File)

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Oscar Pistorius' representatives have named the substance found in his bedroom after the shooting death of his girlfriend as Testis compositum and said Wednesday it is an herbal remedy used "in aid of muscle recovery."

A product called Testis compositum is also marketed as a sexual enhancer, good for lack of stamina. Some online retailers advertise oral and injectable forms as testosterone boosters and say it can aid sexual performance.

South African police said during Pistorius' bail hearing that they found needles in Pistorius' bedroom along with the substance, which they initially named as testosterone. Prosecutors later withdrew that statement identifying the substance and said it had been sent for laboratory tests and couldn't be named until those tests were completed.

Pistorius family spokesperson Lunice Johnston said in an email to The Associated Press on Wednesday that the athlete's lawyers had confirmed that the substance is Testis compositum. In court last week, Pistorius' defense lawyer Barry Roux said the substance was not banned by sports authorities, but it had been unclear what it was and what the exact name was.

A product called Testis Compositum is made by Biologische Heilmittel Heel GmbH, based in Baden-Baden, Germany. The company website says it is one of the world's leading makers of homeopathic combination medications.

A U.S. subsidiary, Heel USA Inc., markets the product in tablet form only and spokeswoman Joan Sullivan said she didn't know if injectable versions are sold in other countries. Heel USA's website says the product provides temporary relief for men's "sexual weakness" and lack of stamina.

The U.S.-sold tablets contain 23 ingredients, including pig testicles, pig heart, pig embryo and pig adrenal gland, cortisone, ginseng and other botanicals. It also contains several minerals, according to a list Sullivan provided.

Charles Yesalis, a Penn State professor emeritus and expert on steroid use in sports, said animal steroids likely wouldn't have an athletic performance-enhancing effect unless taken in huge quantities. Even so, he said many elite athletes would be wary of using such supplements because they can be laced with banned substances and few would want to risk it.

The company website listed a South African subsidiary as ModHomCo (Pty) Ltd., based in Centurion, near Pretoria. That company couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

Pistorius was charged with premeditated murder in the Feb. 14 shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. He says he shot her by accident after mistaking her for an intruder in his home. Prosecutors allege he intended to kill her.

___

AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner in Chicago contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-27-Pistorius-Substance/id-a7ae587b686b4261bc161e3fa03ac630

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Scientists make older adults less forgetful in memory tests

Feb. 21, 2013 ? Scientists at Baycrest Health Sciences' Rotman Research Institute (RRI) and the University of Toronto's Psychology Department have found compelling evidence that older adults can eliminate forgetfulness and perform as well as younger adults on memory tests.

Scientists used a distraction learning strategy to help older adults overcome age-related forgetting and boost their performance to that of younger adults. Distraction learning sounds like an oxymoron, but a growing body of science is showing that older brains are adept at processing irrelevant and relevant information in the environment, without conscious effort, to aid memory performance.

"Older brains may be be doing something very adaptive with distraction to compensate for weakening memory," said Ren?e Biss, lead investigator and PhD student. "In our study we asked whether distraction can be used to foster memory-boosting rehearsal for older adults. The answer is yes!"

"To eliminate age-related forgetfulness across three consecutive memory experiments and help older adults perform like younger adults is dramatic and to our knowledge a totally unique finding," said Lynn Hasher, senior scientist on the study and a leading authority in attention and inhibitory functioning in younger and older adults. "Poor regulation of attention by older adults may actually have some benefits for memory."

The findings, published online February 21 in Psychological Science, ahead of print publication, have intriguing implications for designing learning strategies for the mature, older student and equipping senior-housing with relevant visual distraction cues throughout the living environment that would serve as rehearsal opportunities to remember things like an upcoming appointment or medications to take, even if the cues aren't consciously paid attention to.

The study

In three experiments, healthy younger adults recruited from the University of Toronto (aged 17- 27) and healthy older adults from the community (aged 60 -- 78) were asked to study and recall a list of words after a short delay and again, on a surprise test, after a 15-minute delay.

During the delay period, half of the studied words occurred again as distraction while people were doing a very simple attention task on pictures. Although repeating words as distracters had no impact on the memory performance of young adults, it boosted older adults' memory for those words by 30% relative to words that had not repeated as distraction.

"Our findings point to exciting possibilities for using strategically-placed relevant distraction as memory aids for older adults -- whether it's in classroom, at home or in a long term care environment," said Biss.

While older adults are watching television or playing a game on a tablet, boosting memory for goals (such as remembering to make a phone call or send a holiday card) could be accomplished by something as simple as running a stream of target information across the bottom of their tablet or TV.

The study was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. R. K. Biss, K. W. J. Ngo, L. Hasher, K. L. Campbell, G. Rowe. Distraction Can Reduce Age-Related Forgetting. Psychological Science, 2013; DOI: 10.1177/0956797612457386

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/most_popular/~3/4h0AXX1deF4/130221143946.htm

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Why Bears May Be Disappointed by Wal-Mart' s Earnings - Minyanville

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.'s (NYSE:WMT) options pits saw a flurry of put activity on Wednesday, with bearish traders placing last-minute bets ahead of this morning's earnings announcement. Around 31,000 contracts crossed the tape by the time the closing bell rang, more than tripling the average daily put volume. Short-term speculators set their sights on the out-of-the-money 67.50 strike, and scooped up WMT's February 22 67.50-strike puts and March 67.50 puts. A healthy percentage at each strike traded at the ask price, implied volatility ticked higher, and open interest rose overnight, hinting at buy-to-open activity.

The February 22 67.50-strike puts were purchased for a volume-weighted average price (VWAP) of $0.34 per contract. In other words, WMT must fall 5% below current levels by the end of the week -- when the options expire -- to breach breakeven at $67.16 (strike less the VWAP). As of Wednesday's close, delta for this position was perched at negative 0.25, or 25%, meaning the options market is assuming a 1-in-4 chance the puts will finish in the money by Friday's close.

Meanwhile, the March 67.50 puts were exchanged for a VWAP of $0.85, placing breakeven for these further-dated puts at $66.65, or 5.7% south of present levels. This particular group of option traders must be pretty confident in their bearish outlook, considering implied volatility at this put is inflated relative to the stock's 20-day historical (realized) volatility (22% vs. 13.6%). In other words, these speculators ponied up a pricey premium to place these bets; however, their risk is limited to the net debit paid.

Digging deeper into the data reveals that bears have been circling around WMT in recent weeks. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), traders have bought to open nearly two puts for every call during the past 10 sessions. The resultant put/call volume ratio of 1.90 ranks higher than 89% of other such annual readings, pointing to a healthier-than-usual appetite for bearish bets over bullish of late.

On the charts, WMT has added roughly 20% over the past 52 weeks. However, the stock has struggled in recent months, with the shares down around 9% from their all-time high of $77.60, which was reached on October 16.

This downward trajectory has reversed course in today's session, however, after the Dow component reported a fourth-quarter profit that beat analysts' expectations. Additionally, the company raised its annual dividend payment by an historic 18% to $1.88 per share. At last look, WMT was up more than 2% to hover near $70.70.

This article by? Karee Venema was originally published on Schaeffer's Investment Research.

Below, find some more great content from Schaeffer's Investment Research:

Trading 101: A Divergence in Homebuilders

Daily Game Plan ? Markets Slide Amid Weak Data

Chart of the Day: Morgan Stanley (MS)

Twitter: @schaeffers

No positions in stocks mentioned.

Source: http://www.minyanville.com/trading-and-investing/options/articles/Why-Bears-May-Be-Disappointed-by/2/21/2013/id/48291

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NFL exec: HGH testing resolution needed

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? NFL senior vice president Adolpho Birch says the league and players association need to reach agreement soon on HGH testing.

The NFL and the union agreed in principle to HGH testing when a new 10-year labor agreement was reached in August 2011. But protocols must be approved by both sides and the players have questioned the science in the testing procedures, stalling implementation.

Speaking at the scouting combine Thursday, Birch says the NFL has full confidence in the test and "should have been a year into this by now." He calls the delays "a disservice to all of us."

On Tuesday, the union said in a conference call it favors HGH testing, but only with a strong appeal process. Otherwise, NFLPA spokesman George Atallah said, "it's just a nonstarter."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-21-FBN-Combine-HGH-Testing/id-b79b8a9351e94493af5bc37271237e7b

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Doc groups issue list of overused tests, therapies

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Don't be afraid to question your doctor and ask, "Do I really need that?"

That's the advice from leading medical groups who came up dozens of tests and treatments that physicians too often prescribe when they shouldn't.

No worrisome stroke signs? Then don't screen a healthy person for a clogged neck artery, the family physicians say. It could lead to risky surgery for a blockage too small to matter.

Don't routinely try heartburn medicine for infants with reflux, the pediatric hospitalists say. It hasn't been proven to work in babies, and could cause side effects.

Don't try feeding tubes in people with advanced dementia, say the hospice providers. Helping them eat is a better option.

These are examples of potentially needless care that not only can waste money and time, but sometimes can harm, says the warning being issued Thursday from medical specialty groups that represent more than 350,000 doctors.

Too many people "think that more is better, that more treatment, more testing somehow results in better health care," said Dr. Glen Stream, former president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, which contributed to the list. "That really is not true."

The recommendations are part of a coalition called Choosing Wisely, formed by the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation. Participating medical societies were asked to identify five tests or treatments that are commonly overused in their specialty. The list is aimed at doctors and includes references to published studies. Consumers Reports and other consumer groups are publicizing the information in more patient-friendly terms.

Last year, the coalition listed 45 overused tests and treatments. It included some of the best known examples, such as too much imaging for back pain and repeating colonoscopies too frequently.

This year's list adds 90 more overused kinds of care. Some are the result of doctors' habits, hard to overcome despite new evidence, Stream said. Others come about because patients demand care they think they need.

Some other examples:

?Don't use opioid painkillers for migraines except as a last resort, say the neurologists. There are better, more migraine-specific drugs available without the addictive risk of narcotics. Plus, frequent use of opioids actually can worsen migraines, a concept known as rebound headache.

?Just because a pregnant woman misses her due date, don't race to induce labor if mom and baby are doing fine, say the obstetricians. Inducing before the cervix is ready often fails, leading to an unneeded C-section. "Just being due by the calendar doesn't mean your body says you're due," Stream notes.

?Don't automatically give a child a CT scan after a minor head injury, say the pediatricians. About half of children who go to the ER with head injuries get this radiation-heavy scan, and clinical observation first could help some who don't really need a CT avoid it.

?And don't leave an implanted heart-zapping defibrillator turned on when a patient is near death, say the hospice providers. This technology clearly saves lives by guarding against an irregular heartbeat. But if someone is dying of something else, or is in the terminal stages of heart disease, it can issue repeated painful shocks, to no avail. Yet fewer than 10 percent of hospices have formal policies on when to switch off the implants.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2013-02-21-US-MED-Overused-Health-Care/id-56386809d3324c299598081654feea78

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Tech Stocks: Techs sink with Apple, Facebook; Google up

By Benjamin Pimentel, MarketWatch

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch)?Technology stocks took another hit Thursday morning following a harsh selloff in the previous session, as large-cap players like Facebook, Oracle and Intel came under selling pressure.

Apple CEO Tim Cook, left, and hedge-fund manager David Einhorn.

Apple /quotes/zigman/68270/quotes/nls/aapl AAPL -0.61% was down 1% at $444.31 as hedge-fund giant David Einhorn kicked off his conference call on the company. Einhorn is waging a campaign to press the company to consider issuing a special preferred stock grant. See: Live blog of Einhorn Apple call.

In an interview with AllThingsD, Einhorn said his proposal offers a ?win-win? for both Apple and its shareholders. ?We have a solution that allows shareholders to see that value and Apple to keep that cash,? he added. See: Einhorn on 'win-win' proposal to Apple

Apple?s retreat set the tone for a downbeat trading session, which saw the Nasdaq Composite Index /quotes/zigman/12633936 COMP -1.04% give up 1.4% to stand at 3,121. The Morgan Stanley High-Tech Index /quotes/zigman/6015481 MSH -1.22% gave up 1.6%, while the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index /quotes/zigman/1468249 SOX -1.78% fell 2.4%.

The tech sector retreat followed Wednesday?s broader market selloff sparked by investor concern over the Federal Open Market Committee?s January meeting minutes that revealed differences over monetary policy. See: Market Snapshot.

Among large-cap tech names, Oracle /quotes/zigman/76584/quotes/nls/orcl ORCL -2.00% , SAP /quotes/zigman/126928/quotes/nls/sap SAP -2.07% , Intel /quotes/zigman/20392/quotes/nls/intc INTC -2.29% , Cisco /quotes/zigman/20039/quotes/nls/csco CSCO -1.63% and Microsoft /quotes/zigman/20493/quotes/nls/msft MSFT -1.40% were all trading down more than 1%. Facebook /quotes/zigman/9962609/quotes/nls/fb FB -4.19% was off more than 4% to $27.27.

Why Google may go to $1,000

YouTube, mobile and better search revenues may push Google as high as $1,000 a share, analysts believe.

Shares of Hewlett-Packard /quotes/zigman/229301/quotes/nls/hpq HPQ +2.34% rebounded, and were up a fraction to $16.81 ahead of the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company?s fiscal first-quarter report. See: H-P seen posting earnings drop.

But shares of VeriFone /quotes/zigman/365296/quotes/nls/pay PAY -42.77% were in full retreat mode, plummeting 42% to $18.33 after the company drastically cut its estimates for its fiscal first quarter.

On the upside, shares of Google Inc. /quotes/zigman/93888/quotes/nls/goog GOOG +0.38% were up a fraction at $792.56. The Internet powerhouse?s stock hit an all-high recently, rising above $800 for the first time in its history.

And the stock will probably go higher, Bernstein Research analyst Carlos Kirjner argues in a note raising the price target to $1,000. ?We believe mass adoption of smartphones, tablets and the mobile Web is a large value creation opportunity for Google,? Kirjner wrote.

Groupon /quotes/zigman/7212269/quotes/nls/grpn GRPN +3.40% traded up 2% on a Piper Jaffray upgrade. Shares of Home Away /quotes/zigman/5675710/quotes/nls/away AWAY +13.42% also rallied more than 10% after the online home vacation and rental marketplace company posted upbeat results.

/quotes/zigman/68270/quotes/nls/aapl

US : U.S.: Nasdaq

Volume: 14.94M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Market Cap

$421.50 billion

/quotes/zigman/12633936

US : U.S.: Nasdaq

Volume: 0.00

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

/quotes/zigman/6015481

US : NYSE Glb Ind

Volume: 0.00

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

/quotes/zigman/1468249

US : PHLX Ind Cur

Volume: 0.00

Feb. 21, 2013 3:44p

/quotes/zigman/76584/quotes/nls/orcl

US : U.S.: Nasdaq

Volume: 17.90M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Market Cap

$165.72 billion

Rev. per Employee

$323,739

/quotes/zigman/126928/quotes/nls/sap

US : U.S.: NYSE

Volume: 1.00M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Rev. per Employee

$375,766

/quotes/zigman/20392/quotes/nls/intc

US : U.S.: Nasdaq

Volume: 55.43M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Market Cap

$102.53 billion

Rev. per Employee

$532,877

/quotes/zigman/20039/quotes/nls/csco

US : U.S.: Nasdaq

Volume: 29.65M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Market Cap

$112.53 billion

Rev. per Employee

$709,074

/quotes/zigman/20493/quotes/nls/msft

US : U.S.: Nasdaq

Volume: 44.52M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Market Cap

$233.45 billion

Rev. per Employee

$774,085

/quotes/zigman/9962609/quotes/nls/fb

US : U.S.: Nasdaq

Volume: 47.48M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

/quotes/zigman/229301/quotes/nls/hpq

US : U.S.: NYSE

Volume: 25.07M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Rev. per Employee

$361,465

/quotes/zigman/365296/quotes/nls/pay

US : U.S.: NYSE

Volume: 46.98M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Rev. per Employee

$374,919

/quotes/zigman/93888/quotes/nls/goog

US : U.S.: Nasdaq

Volume: 3.33M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Market Cap

$262.41 billion

Rev. per Employee

$927,536

/quotes/zigman/7212269/quotes/nls/grpn

US : U.S.: Nasdaq

Volume: 20.07M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Rev. per Employee

$190,771

/quotes/zigman/5675710/quotes/nls/away

US : U.S.: Nasdaq

Volume: 3.77M

Feb. 21, 2013 3:59p

Benjamin Pimentel is a MarketWatch reporter based in San Francisco. Follow him on Twitter @BenPimentel.

Source: http://feeds.marketwatch.com/~r/marketwatch/internet/~3/nNMj66uDToI/story.asp

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NBC Thrilled Over Tiger Woods Complimenting Obama's Golf Game

Wednesday's NBC Today featured a full report on Tiger Woods praising President Obama's golf game, with White House correspondent Peter Alexander cheering the weekend outing as the "most talked about golf pairing in years" and that Woods "was to golf what the President wants to be to politics, the guy who can't stop winning." [Listen to the audio]

In between clips of Woods, Alexander proclaimed: "And reflecting on their weekend round together, this ruthless competitor admits he was impressed by his presidential partner." After a sound bite of Woods saying Obama could "get to where he's a pretty good stick," Alexander gushed: "In golf-speak, that means the President's got game."

Fill-in co-host and Meet the Press moderator David Gregory introduced the segment by noting that Woods was "giving the President some pretty high marks for his game." He then remarked in jest: "This is very important." Alexander replied: "Yeah, David, this is very important."

On Tuesday's Nightly News, anchor Brian Williams fawned: "[Woods] said the President's a good athlete, and he'd forgotten until he teed off, that he's a lefty....it was apparent listening to Tiger Woods today he was drilled on the proper way to address the President in all cases." Another Woods sound bite played: "Playing with Mr. President was ? was pretty cool. He's just a wonderful person to be around. And we won. He hit the ball well and got amazing touch."

Here is a full transcript of the February 20 Today segment:

7:18AM ET

DAVID GREGORY: Tiger Woods is opening up about his weekend golf outing with President Obama, giving the President some pretty high marks for his game as well. NBC's Peter Alexander is at the White House this morning. Good morning, give us the latest, Peter, from the links. This is very important.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: "He's A Pretty Good Stick"; Tiger Woods on Golf Outing With President Obama]

PETER ALEXANDER: Yeah, David, this is very important. As you know well, there are certainly perks to being the president. Just a couple years ago, he brought together an informal dream team with NBA stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. This weekend it was golf with Tiger Woods, who pulled back the curtain, revealing the detailed secrets of the state of the President's game. This is as close as anyone got to witnessing the most talked about golf pairing in years.

[IMAGE OF GOLF CLUB GATE ON SCREEN]

TIGER WOODS: He calls up and he says, "Hey, Tiger, do you want to play?" Obviously, there is a process that's involved. It was an invitation that certainly you don't turn down.

ALEXANDER: For years he was to golf what the President wants to be to politics, the guy who can't stop winning. And reflecting on their weekend round together, this ruthless competitor admits he was impressed by his presidential partner.

WOODS: We played under some tough conditions, and as I said, he hit the ball well and has got an amazing touch. He can certainly chip and putt.

ALEXANDER: These days, Woods is as famous for his personal behavior away from the course as he is for his performance on it. In 2009, before Woods' scandal, the White House released this Oval Office photo of the two, but barely said a word about Sunday's outing. Neither did the President.

[REPORTERS YELLING AT OBAMA: Did you beat Tiger?]

Golf has long been a presidential pastime, from Eisenhower to Ford. Clinton often invited cameras onto the course, and before giving up golf during the Iraq war, George W. Bush even allowed this photo-op.

GEORGE W. BUSH: I call upon all nations to do everything they can to stop these terrorist killers. Thank you. Now watch this drive.

ALEXANDER: The President squeezed in latest round, 116 since taking office, during a boys' weekend in Florida, while his wife and daughters hit the slopes in Colorado.

WOODS: After these four years, if he spends more time playing the game of golf, I'm sure he can actually get to where he's a pretty good stick.

ALEXANDER: In golf-speak, that means the President's got game. The President and Tiger Woods were competing with the U.S. trade representative and the owner of the Houston Astros. If you're wondering, the President and Tiger won. And David, you heard Tiger say that the President can chip and putt. I think that's another way of saying that he doesn't hit the ball so well off the tee, but you just can't say that, you just can't say that.

[LAUGHTER]

GREGORY: Typical, you reporters reading that in to what he's actually saying. Peter, thanks very much. Peter Alexander at the White House.

NATALIE MORALES: It is all in the short game, anyway.

GREGORY: Yeah, exactly.

SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: I was going to say, maybe Tiger Woods has a future in diplomacy.

[LAUGHTER]

GREGORY: Yeah, exactly.

-- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.

Source: http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/nbc-thrilled-over-tiger-woods-complimenting-obamas-golf-game

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PST: Keane on Lampard: 'We need players like that'

Los Angeles Galaxy striker Robbie Keane, so responsible for pushing the Galaxy over the MLS Cup finish line last year when, for the season?s final two months, he was the league?s top forward, was in New York on Monday for a round of media sessions.

He had a little something titillating to say on Frank Lampard, the longtime Chelsea midfield force who once seemed like a viable target for the LA Galaxy (but my not be as much of one today, as mentioned earlier today on the blog).

From Goal.com, what Keane said about Lampard, who will be out of contract at Chelsea at the end of the year, although speculation is growing that the Stamford Bridge deciders will reverse course and keep the veteran midfielder around a while longer:

Listen, we need players like that, and bringing in a Frank Lampard would obviously be good for the team. So hopefully, we will see him soon.?

Keane also shared his thoughts on Landon Donovan, who has yet to turn up at LA Galaxy preseason training and ? well ? who knows what might happen there?

You have to respect someone?s decision about what they want to do with their life. For me, I enjoy being paid to do what I love. I can only speak on my experience, you have to respect someone?s decision. ? If you need time off, you need time off.?

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/11/la-galaxys-robbie-keane-talks-about-lampard-donovan/related

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Scientists solve mercury mystery, taking big step toward protecting human health

Feb. 7, 2013 ? By identifying two genes required for transforming inorganic into organic mercury, which is far more toxic, scientists?have just taken a significant step toward protecting human health.

The question of how methylmercury, an organic form of mercury, is produced by natural processes in the environment has stumped scientists for decades, but a team led by researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory has solved the puzzle. Results of the study, published in the journal Science, provide the genetic basis for this process, known as microbial mercury methylation, and have far-reaching implications.

"Until now, we did not know how the bacteria convert mercury from natural and industrial processes into methylmercury," said ORNL's Liyuan Liang, a co-author and leader of a large Department of Energy-funded mercury research program that includes researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia and University of Tennessee.

"This newly gained knowledge will allow scientists to study proteins responsible for the conversion process and learn what controls the activity," said Liang, adding that it may lead to ways of limiting methylmercury production in the environment.

For some 40 years scientists have known that when mercury is released into the environment certain bacteria can transform it into highly toxic methylmercury. Exactly how bacteria make this happen has eluded scientists. The challenge was to find proteins that can transfer a certain type of methyl group and to identify the genes responsible for their production.

Ultimately, by combining chemical principles and genome sequences, the team identified two genes, which they named hgcA and hgcB. Researchers experimentally deleted these genes one at a time from two strains of bacteria, which caused the resulting mutants to lose the ability to produce methylmercury. Reinserting these genes restored that capability, thus verifying the discovery.

The researchers found that this two-gene cluster is present in all known mercury-methylating bacteria, and they predicted that more than 50 other microorganisms may methylate mercury because they have a pair of similar genes.

Another key to the development was the collection of talent assembled to work on this problem.

"This discovery was made possible by our diverse team, which includes scientists with expertise in chemistry, computational biology, microbiology, neutron science, biochemistry and bacterial genetics," said Liang, who rated this paper as one of the most satisfying of her career.

Mercury is a toxin that spreads around the globe mainly through the burning of coal, industrial use and through natural processes such as volcanic eruptions. The chemical element bioaccumulates in aquatic food chains, especially in large fish. Various forms of mercury are widely found in sediments and water.

In a report just released by the United Nations Environmental Programme, Achiim Steiner, United Nations under-secretary general and executive director of UNEP, notes that "mercury remains a major global, regional and national challenge in terms of threats to human health and the environment."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by DOE/Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Jerry M. Parks, Alexander Johs, Mircea Podar, Romain Bridou, Richard A. Hurt, Steven D. Smith, Stephen J. Tomanicek, Yun Qian, Steven D. Brown, Craig C. Brandt, Anthony V. Palumbo, Jeremy C. Smith, Judy D. Wall, Dwayne A. Elias, and Liyuan Liang. The Genetic Basis for Bacterial Mercury Methylation. Science, 7 February 2013 DOI: 10.1126/science.1230667

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/most_popular/~3/caoTCUGdPxY/130207141450.htm

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Cruise Guidebooks Make Great Planning Tools | Leisure Group Travel

Many people dreaming of a vacation at sea, especially those eager to do the homework, look for a good book. Not only is it fun and rewarding to study up on the ships and ports, but it makes good economic sense to pick the right cruise, right cabin and right destination.

Cruise travel guidebook authors lay out the facts and express their opinions, providing details and judgments you would never find in a cruise company?s brochure. They compare the lines and their ships, shed light on new developments and offer money-saving tips. Besides being good investments as planning tools, these guides make trusty traveling companions once you hit the high seas, particularly the ones that concentrate on ports of call.

The titles described below may be available in bookstores and libraries; if not, they can be ordered online. As with any print guides that are researched and written months ahead of publication, it?s possible that some content may be outdated by the time you see it, though few major changes are likely to occur.

Consider the following guides as personal planning resources or gifts for friends:

Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2013

Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2013 by Douglas Ward (Berlitz, 688 pp., $24.99). Many consider this the gold standard of books on cruise vacations. It?s been called the bible of the cruising world.

Now in its 28th year, the encyclopedic source rates nearly 300 ships on a five-star system, with 2,000 points the highest possible score. The total is based on separate ratings for accommodations, cuisine, service, entertainment, the cruise experience, and the ship itself. Earning top ratings are small ships like Hapag-Lloyd Cruises? Europa and those in the Seabourn, Silversea, and Sea Dream fleets.

Alphabetically, each ship is critiqued in one to three pages, though Royal Caribbean?s Allure of the Seas merits four pages, including a whole page devoted to ?What?s Good and What?s Not.? Especially helpful are each vessel?s vital statistics and a highlighted phrase that captures its essence in a glance. The banner verbiage for MSC Melody, for example, is ?A well-worn ship for budget-minded families,? while Cunard?s Queen Victoria is described as ?A pretend ocean liner that suits British tastes.? (The meticulous Ward, president of England-based Maritime Evaluations Group, often injects a British, or at least European, point of view and includes ships that cater to the non-American market.)

Just as valuable as the ship-by-ship reviews are introductory chapters (slick paper, color photos) on destinations, ship and cabin selection, major cruise line comparisons and succinct profiles of smaller cruise companies. The chapter ?What the Brochures Don?t Always Tell You? addresses questions frequently asked by first-timers and experienced cruisers. Readers also get advice on best choices for seniors, families, honeymooners, solo passengers and those with special needs. Among the sidebars: ?15 Things an All-Inclusive Price Doesn?t Include? and ?The Pros and Cons of Cruising When Pregnant.? (www.berlitzpublishing.com)

Frommer?s Cruises & Ports of Call

Frommer?s Cruises & Ports of Call by Heidi Sarna and Matt Hannafin (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 694 pp., $24.99). A big chunk of this lively guide is devoted to reviews of cruise lines and their ships, which are grouped into mainstream, ultra-luxury and small ship/adventure chapters.

In defining each company, the authors offer a broad-brush overview that starts with ?The Line in a Nutshell,? followed by ?The Experience? and then ?Pros? and ?Cons? in bullet-item form. Carnival Cruise Lines, for example, is described as ?the McDonald?s of cruising? and ?serves up a very casual, down-to-earth, middle-American Caribbean vacation.? Among Carnival pros: ?fanciful, sometimes wacko, decor? and ?large standard cabins.? Among its cons: ?At breakfast and lunch, the buffet restaurants are jammed; expect a 20- to 30-minute slow shuffle?along with a few thousand other passengers.?

After observations about each line?s passenger mix, dining, entertainment, activities, and service, individual ships go under the microscope and get rated on a scale of 1 to 5 in eight categories.

Frommer?s guide devotes considerable space to North American and Caribbean ports, with tips on organized sightseeing and independent exploring. Early chapters provide advice on planning, booking and preparing for the cruise. (www.frommers.com)

Fodor?s The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises (Fodor?s Travel Publications, 677 pp., $23.99). Filled with friendly advice, this is a highly practical guide done in typical Fodor?s style. The first half is devoted to the cruise experience, the second to destinations.

Ships are not rated by stars or numerical scores, but crisp reviews spell out the details that help distinguish one cruise line and cruise ship from another. To sum up the line?s appeal, short blurbs give three reasons for choosing or not choosing the line. The only visuals are little sepia-tone photos of ships and their facilities. The first four chapters provide planning tips, with ?Close Up? sidebars on topics ranging from cruise manners to smoking onboard.

In coverage of U.S. ports of embarkation and Caribbean ports of call, Fodor?s Choice orange stars are attached to the top recommendations, while black stars denote places ?highly recommended.? Also see Fodor?s Caribbean Ports of Call (432 pp., $17.99). (www.fodors.com)

Caribbean Cruises

Caribbean Cruises (Insight Guides, 400 pp., $24.99). Large color photos and maps distinguish this slick guide, one of many titles in the lavishly illustrated Insight series. The first 100 pages discuss the cruise experience, but the bulk of the book concentrates on what to see in the islands. Riveting photos of wildlife, tropical plants, idyllic beaches, and island residents will spur your wanderlust. Nitty-gritty details of visiting each port are tucked in the small-print ?Travel Tips? section in the last 91 pages. (www.insightguides.com)

Frommer?s Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call by Fran Wenograd Golden and Gene Sloan (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 312 pp., $19.99). Packed with charts, maps, and color photos, this attractive, easy-to-use guide is a gold mine of information for anyone contemplating a summer cruise in America?s Last Frontier.

The first chapter, ?Best of Alaska Cruising,? singles out the best ships for luxury (Regent Seven Seas? Navigator and Silversea Cruises? Silver Shadow) and top ships in such categories as entertainment, cuisine, and family fun. After some cruise planning advice, including differences between Inside Passage and Gulf of Alaska itineraries, the glossy guide goes on to examine each cruise line and rate its Alaska-market ships (and individual aspects of the cruise experience) on a five-star scale. Subsequent chapters cover ports of embarkation (like Seattle, Vancouver, and Anchorage) and ports of call, offering shopping tips and top choices for cruise-line shore excursions, tours offered by local agencies, and independent exploring within walking distance of the ship and beyond. (www.frommers.com)

Frommer?s Caribbean Ports of Call

Frommer?s Caribbean Ports of Call by Christina Paulette Col?n with Felisa Mahabal (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 373 pp., $17.99). Thicker than Frommer?s Alaska guide but minus the color photos and glossy paper, this one offers tons of practical information on more than 30 ports, from Antigua to Trinidad & Tobago. In addition to big-time stops like San Juan, Nassau, and St. Thomas, it covers less-visited islands as small as Nevis, Bequia, and Bonaire.

As in the Alaska guide, readers are directed to the best shore excursions and locally offered tours. Readers get tips on the main attractions, best beaches, where to play golf and go diving, car and bike rentals, and how to get around by public transportation. Also discussed are shopping and recommended bars and restaurants. For those interested in pre- or post-cruise stays, there are chapters on Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, New Orleans, New York, and other ports of embarkation. (www.frommers.com)

Rick Steves? Mediterranean Cruise Ports by Rick Steves with Cameron Hewitt (Avalon Travel, 1,320 pp., $26.99). The only cruise book written by the public television personality and prolific Europe guidebook author tells the destination-minded passenger how to make the best use of limited time in places like Barcelona, Venice, the Greek Isles, and Istanbul.

He writes, ?Make it a point to be the first person down the gangway (or in line for tender tickets) each day, and make a beeline for what you most want to see.?

In typical Rick Steves fashion, the guide targets the independent-minded traveler seeking a meaningful cultural experience while in port just a few hours. After some general tips on Mediterranean cruising, the book dishes out specifics on ports of call, like how to get from the cruise terminal to major attractions by taxi, bus, train or foot. Sights are rated with one to three triangles, three meaning ?don?t miss.? Readers get suggestions for self-guided walks and organized tours, plus restaurant options and souvenir ideas. The hefty guide is loaded with costs, phone numbers, hours of operation and maps. (www.avalontravelbooks.com)

Fodor?s European Ports of Call

Fodor?s European Ports of Call (Fodor?s Travel Publications, 560 pp., $16.99). This guide covers a lot of ground, spotlighting 85 ports in the Mediterranean, Baltic, and North seas, plus the coast of Norway. Readers get the lowdown on museums in Amsterdam and Lisbon, beaches on the French Riviera, and excursions from Naples, Malaga, and Southampton. Israel and Egypt are included as well. The ?Coming Ashore? section explains how to get from ship to town, while ?Best Bets? sidebars show port highlights at a glance.

Fodor?s also publishes The Complete Guide to European Cruises (806 pp., $23.99), which includes ship reviews as well as port reports. (www.fodors.com)

Mediterranean by Cruise Ship by Anne Vipond (Ocean Cruise Guides, Ltd., 368 pp., $21.95). Captivating color photos distinguish this gift-worthy guide to ports from Iberia to the Black Sea. It?s especially strong on putting destinations in a cultural and historical context. Chapters covering ports by region are preceded by discussions of trip preparation and cruise life, history, and art and architecture. Inviting sidebars spotlight examples of popular shore excursions and topics as diverse as Turkish carpets, Neapolitan pizza and bullfighting in Spain.

The Vancouver-based publisher?s series of gorgeous color cruise guides by the same author also includes Northern Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, Hawaii and the Panama Canal, priced from $19.95 to $21.95. (oceancruiseguides.com)

?By Randy Mink

Source: http://leisuregrouptravel.com/cruise-guidebooks-make-great-planning-tools/

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