Send holiday cheer to troops with 'Holiday Mail for Heroes' program

(KFVS) - The American Red Cross will be collecting and distributing cards that send words of encouragement, gratitude and cheer to America's heroes for the holiday season.

The Red Cross is inviting the public to send messages of thanks and holiday cheer until Dec. 7 by mailing them to:

Holiday Mail for Heroes
P.O. Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456

To ensure that cards are delivered on time for the holidays, the Red Cross says they must be postmarked no later than Dec. 7. Individuals are asked to refrain from sending "care packages," monetary donations or using glitter or any other kinds of inserts with the cards.

According to the Red Cross, the company Pitney Bowes Inc. receives cards at the special Holiday Mail post office box, and screens them for hazardous materials. The company screens, packages and ships the cards at no charge.

Red Cross volunteers across the United States and on military installations overseas then sort and deliver the cards throughout the holiday season. The Red Cross and Pitney Bowes have received and distributed more than 4.7 million cards for members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans and their families since the program began in 2006.

For more information, you can click here to visit the Red Cross online.

Copyright 2012?KFVS. All rights reserved.

Source: http://jefferson.kfvs12.com/news/community-spirit/59817-send-holiday-cheer-troops-holiday-mail-heroes-program

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Productive Affiliate Home Based Business ? An Essential Hint

November 27th, 2012

Before you work an para| anketle para kazan| netten para kazanmak| anketle para kazan| anketle para kazan} home based business, you need to find out what it will take to achieve success. What makes the difference: countless hours slogging away at the computer, or the right successful mindset?It might surprise you to know that what does actually make you successful is getting the right successful mindset.One of the specifications of that mindset is setting goals and breaking them on to manageable portions. Have a look at your internet home-based business goal and ask yourself what actions you?d should do to achieve that goal. Come up with a set of milestone goals, or smaller goals, that might bring you closer to attaining the key goal.When you begin your internet home based business you#&39;re all shot up; you#&39;ve chosen the product to promote, you told your household, partner or partner and friends that you will be a at it, you wake up early at the breaks to get going, yet inside a number of months you got burnt out. Why? Much information was absorbed far too by you too easily. Truly, you probably got information overload, and you have no idea where to start, so you feel burned out and frustrated.That#&39;s normal.Take a few days off. Flake out. Have a great time, and don?t think about your opportunity. When you#&39;re ready, get out your main goal, and take a look at your list of smaller goals. Then relax and accept that success will take time and requires careful planning.Set a time for you yourself to work on your affiliate property business: maybe one hour every morning, working on what your smaller target is. If the time is up, that#&39;s it. Stop. Remember: we don#&39;t desire to clog you. Go on it easy, detailed. Success does not occur overnight.When a particular plan is followed by you, you will have to adhere to it. That#&39;s named control, and that#&39;s yet another part of a successful mind-set. Now you see why obtaining the proper attitude is critical. It#&39;s the distinction between success and failure. It#&39;s the difference between taking the correct distinct action in place of carelessly taking action.That#&39;s the trick of successful people.It#&39;s essential here to appreciate the difference between #&39;looking busy#&39; and taking effective and successful action. When you are planning the next action, think about this strong and essential question:Will this action move me nearer to my goal?If it does take it, or even throw it away.Being successful at your affiliate home business requires some thought, and having the successful at home business mindset is the surefire solution to start and stay on course.

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Source: http://greeneyoungdems.org/2012/11/productive-affiliate-home-based-business-an-essential-hint-to-achievement/

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the art of construction: Remodeling Forecast

CAMBRIDGE, MA ??An improving housing market and record low interest rates are driving projections of strong gains in home improvement activity through the end of the year and into the first half of 2013, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released today by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. ?The LIRA suggests that the seeds for what appears to be a very robust remodeling recovery have been planted, with annual homeowner improvement spending expected to reach double-digit growth in the first half of 2013.Thursday, October 18, 2012

?After a bump in home improvement activity during the mild winter, there was a bit of a pause this summer,? says Eric S. Belsky, managing director of the Joint Center.? ?However, the LIRA is projecting an acceleration in market activity beginning this quarter, and strengthening as we move into the new year.?

?Strong growth in sales of existing homes and housing starts, coupled with historically low financing costs, have typically been associated with an upturn in home remodeling activity some months later,? says Kermit Baker, director of the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center.? ?While the housing market has faced some unique challenges in recent years, this combination is expected to produce a favorable outlook for home improvement spending over the coming months.?

Here is a link to their website:?http://www.jchs.harvard.edu/lira-home-remodeling-spending-set-accelerate

My sense of things in the St. Louis area is that this is something that could happen. Deferred maintenance cannot be deferred forever. There are some programs in the region now and others coming on line in 2013 that my be of benefit to those looking to maximize value, energy efficiency and comfort as a part of a project.

This link shows loans, rebates and incentives for home energy audits, for example.

Source: http://riles-files.blogspot.com/2012/11/remodeling-forecast.html

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Football leads NBC to ratings win

NEW YORK (AP) ? Two football games that showed the widely divergent paths of New York's pro football teams boosted NBC to its first ratings win of the new season.

NBC aired the Jets' embarrassing loss to the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving night, and followed it on Sunday with the Giants' easy victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Those two big prime-time audiences on a holiday week enabled NBC to win its first week in the Nielsen company's ratings since it televised the Super Bowl last winter.

Lifetime's debut of the movie "Liz & Dick" starring Lindsay Lohan reached 3.5 million viewers on Sunday, Nielsen said.

NBC averaged 9.5 million viewers in prime-time for the win (5.6 rating, 9 share). CBS was second with an 8.3 million average (5.2, 9), ABC had 8.2 million (5.0, 8), Fox had 6.2 million (3.6, 6) and the CW and ION Television both had 1.2 million (both 0.8, 1).

Among the Spanish-language networks, Univision led with a 3.4 million viewer average (1.7, 3). Telemundo had 1.2 million (0.6, 1), TeleFutura had 800,000 (0.4, 1), Estrella had 240,000 and Azteca 110,000 (both 0.1, 0).

NBC's "Nightly News" topped the evening newscasts with an average of 10.2 million viewers (6.8, 12). ABC's "World News" was second with 8.3 million (5.5, 11), and the "CBS Evening News" had 7.1 million viewers (4.8, 8).

A ratings point represents 1,147,000 households, or 1 percent of the nation's estimated 114.7 million TV homes. The share is the percentage of in-use televisions tuned to a given show.

For the week of Nov. 19-25, the top 10 shows, their networks and viewerships were: NFL Football: Green Bay at N.Y. Giants, NBC, 20.85 million; NFL Football: New England at N.Y. Jets, NBC, 19.21 million; "NCIS," CBS, 16.48 million; College Football: Notre Dame at USC, ABC, 16.06 million; "NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS, 15.13 million; "Dancing With the Stars," ABC, 14.28 million; "The OT," Fox, 13.5 million; "Dancing With the Stars Results," ABC, 13.01 million; "Football Night in America," NBC, 12.8 million; "Criminal Minds," CBS, 11.53 million.

___

ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Co. CBS is owned by CBS Corp. CW is a joint venture of Warner Bros. Entertainment and CBS Corp. Fox is a unit of News Corp. NBC and Telemundo are owned by Comcast Corp. ION Television is owned by ION Media Networks. TeleFutura is a division of Univision. Azteca America is a wholly owned subsidiary of TV Azteca S.A. de C.V.

___

Online:

http://www.nielsen.com

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-11-27-Nielsens/id-2c842460eda2432ab460359d0afecd9f

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Movie Review: Anna Karenina ? CBS Philly

Keira Knightley stars as ?Anna Karenina,? a film based on the classic 1877 novel by Leo Tolstoy. (credit: Focus Features)

By Bill Wine
KYW Newsradio 1060

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) ? With as many film versions as there have been ? over two dozen ? of Anna Karenina, based on the classic 1877 novel by Leo Tolstoy, it behooves any new big-screen adaptation to offer something different in the way of an approach.

Director Joe Wright?s daring reimagining of the frequently filmed material does just that. And does it quite well.

(3 stars out of 4)

The creative and chancy route that the director travels, which might be described as a path of operatic theatricality, sets much ? make that most ? of the action inside a theater, as if to underline the theatricality of the social rules followed and the public lives lived by the privileged during the late-nineteenth-century, all-the-world?s-stage era of Imperial Russian society.

That conceit, forgoing realism and stylizing the action as if the characters were confined within a theater and performing in a staged play, takes some getting used to in the early going: we half-expect characters to burst into song. It just seems to overmake the central point. But once we settle in and realize that this is not to be a standard-issue costume drama, the non-naturalism wins us over ? even if we do accept the lowered ceiling on emotional investment as a result of the in-your-face artifice ? with its commitment to never-look-back exuberance and inspired execution.

Wright?s Anna Karenina stars Keira Knightley in the title role as the wife of a distinguished government official, Alexei Karenin, played by Jude Law, and the mother of a loving young son who seems to be living a fulfilling life in 1874 as part of St. Petersburg?s and Moscow?s aristocracy.

But she is drawn into a consuming affair with a dashing cavalry officer, Count Vronsky, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, with whom she experiences unbridled passion for the first time.

Following the advice of a character who says to her, ?I?d rather end up wishing I hadn?t than wishing I had, wouldn?t you?,? Anna flouts convention and speeds through every Stop sign in her path.

Her obvious infidelity continues even after it becomes scandalous public knowledge and her husband issues an ultimatum: if she wishes to see her son, she must choose which life she is to live.

Director Joe Wright (Hanna, The Soloist), teaming up with leading lady Keira Knightley for a third time (2005?s Pride & Prejudice, which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress,and 2007?s Atonement), depends on the ravishing art direction and cinematography to keep us visually engaged. But it is the fascinating theatricality, which never flags, that proves so stimulating.

The script by Oscar winner Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love) treats the Anna-Vronsky relationship as much as a lust story as it is a love story.

Knightley, as striking as ever, is up to the task; Law, appropriately deglamorized, is on the money in support; and even Taylor-Johnson, despite being miscast and looking very much out of place, holds his own.

But they are merely chess pieces, collectively playing second fiddle to the expressionistic style of this British take on a Russian novel, a version that makes Anna look more than ever like the victim of her uncontrollable passions, rather than the victim of a suffocating patriarchal society ? more, that is, of an antiheroine than a heroine.

So we?ll theatricalize 3 stars out of 4 for the latest rendering of the epic and tragic romantic drama, Anna Karenina, a still-powerful portrait of passion, even when presented in such an irreverent and unconventionally stagy manner.

More Bill Wine Movie Reviews

CBS Philly Entertainment News

Source: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/11/27/movie-review-anna-karenina/

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Deborah Raffin Dies; 7th Heaven Star was 59

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/deborah-raffin-dies-7th-heaven-star-was-59/

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Spain to tap around 40 billion euros in EU funds for banks

BRUSSELS/MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish Economy Minister Luis De Guindos confirmed on Monday that the country's government would request around 40 billion euros ($52 billion) in European financial aid for its troubled banks.

"For the nationalized banks (...) the amount is going to be around 37 billion euros. In all, we are talking about 40 billion euros, which is the number we have always had in mind, about 3.5 percent of GDP," he told reporters in Brussels.

The total takes into account a public capital injection for the bad bank and some limited capital needs for banks which have not been fully nationalized.

Spain was granted up to 100 billion euros of aid in June as part of a euro zone rescue fund to clean up a banking sector crippled since a property bubble burst five years ago. Newspapers and ministers have talked about an initial tranche of around 40 billion euros that had until now not been officially confirmed.

Bankia, which sought a 23.5 billion euros bailout from the state in May, is expected to take the majority of the bailout money. The other three already nationalized lenders are Novagalicia, CatalunyaCaixa and Banco de Valencia.

El Pais reported on Monday that apart from the 37 billion to be disbursed to these four lenders 2.5 billion euros would be injected to capitalize the recently-created bad bank, known as Sareb.

The newspaper said an additional 2 billion to 3 billion euros of European Union funds would be used for other banks that may need public money.

On Sunday, El Pais said European authorities would transfer 35 billion euros to Spain's state bank rescue fund on December 15 in exchange for massive lay-offs at the four nationalized banks.

This followed comments by Spain's deputy economy minister Miguel Temboury last week that the country would probably tap less than 40 billion euros of aid from the euro zone rescue fund.

(Reporting By Feliciano Tisera and Robin Emmott; Writing by Jesus Aguado; Editing by Clare Kane and Sophie Walker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spain-tap-around-40-billion-euros-eu-funds-143242755--finance.html

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Seamless Web Coupons - samuelfolkes.com

You will have significant website outages and angry customers to deal with. PLUS, you do not need dofollow links unless you bind on your own websites ? otherwise it will not affect you if outgoing links are dofollow or nofollow. You are concerned, you may miss a call or SMS or even lose the ability to take a picture of what you are doing at a turning point of the post on your social networking site favored. Squarespace dominant analysis tool displays your website traffic and helps you to know your visitors. The reseller web hosting plans are designed for resellers websites, and start with the Blue Sky Plan, which is the most basic reseller plans, and offers a storage space of 100 GB, a bandwidth of 15 Mbs , a free domain and unlimited email accounts. How to be helpful for my current ecommerce website?
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The Double Standard of Forced Treatment | World of Psychology

Forced treatment for people with mental illness has had a long and abusive history, both here in the United States and throughout the world. No other medical specialty has the rights psychiatry and psychology do to take away a person?s freedom in order to help ?treat? that person.

Historically, the profession has suffered from abusing this right ? so much so that reform laws in the 1970s and 1980s took the profession?s right away from them to confine people against their will. Such forced treatment now requires a judge?s signature.

But over time, that judicial oversight ? which is supposed to be the check in our checks-and-balance system ? has largely become a rubber stamp to whatever the doctor thinks is best. The patient?s voice once again threatens to become silenced, now under the guise of ?assisted outpatient treatment? (just a modern, different term for forced treatment).

This double standard needs to end. If we don?t require forced treatment for cancer patients who could be cured by chemotherapy, there?s little justification for keeping it around for mental illness.

Charles H. Kellner, MD unintentionally provides a perfect example of this double-standard in this article about why he believes electroconvulsive therapy (ECT, also known as shock therapy) shouldn?t be held to the same standards as FDA-approved drugs or other medical devices:

Yes, ECT has adverse effects, including memory loss for some recent events, but all medical procedures for life-threatening diseases have adverse effects and risks. Severe depression is every bit as lethal as cancer or heart disease. It is inappropriate to allow public opinion to determine medical practice for a psychiatric illness; this would never happen for an equally serious nonpsychiatric illness.

And yet, strangely enough, if someone were dying from cancer or heart disease, they have an absolute right to refuse medical treatment for their ailment. So why is it that people with mental disorders can have that similar right taken away from them?

People who?ve just been told they have cancer are often not in their ?right? minds. Many people never recover from that information. Some rally, undergo treatment, and live a long and happy life. Others feel like they?ve been given a death sentence, resign themselves to the disease, and refuse medical treatment.

As long as they do it in the quiet of their home, nobody seems to much care.

Not so with mental disorders. No matter what the concern ? depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, heck, even ADHD ? you could be forced into treatment against your will if a doctor thinks it may help you. Technically, he or she must also be concerned about your willingness to live, but isn?t an oncologist also concerned about their patient?s will to live?

I?ve wrestled with this double standard all my professional life. Early in my career, I believed professionals had the right to force a person to undergo treatment. I rationalized this position ? as most psychiatrists and psychologists do ? arguing to myself that since many mental disorders can cloud our judgment, it seems like something that may be appropriate from time to time.

I was never fully comfortable with this idea, though, because it seemed completely antithetical to the basic human right of freedom. Shouldn?t freedom override the right to treat someone, especially against their will?

After talking with hundreds of people over the years ? patients, clients, survivors, people in recovery, advocates, and even colleagues who voluntarily underwent psychiatric treatment procedures such as ECT ? I?ve come to a different point of view. (Luckily, it appears ECT treatment is in decline and may someday go the way of the dodo bird.)

Forced treatment is wrong. Just as no doctor would ever force someone to undergo cancer treatment against their will, I can no longer back the rationalizations that justify forcing a fellow human being to undergo treatment for their mental health concern without their consent.

As a society, we?ve shown time and time again that we cannot devise a system that won?t be abused or used in ways that it was never intended. Judges simply don?t work as check for forced treatment, because they don?t have any reasonable basis on which to actually rest their judgment in the short time they?re given to make a determination.

The power to force treatment ? whether through the old-style commitment laws or the new-style ?assisted outpatient treatment? laws ? cannot be trusted to others to wield compassionately or as an option of last resort.

What should be good enough for the rest of medicine should be good enough for mental health concerns. If an oncologist can?t force a cancer patient to undergo life-saving chemotherapy, there?s little that can justify our use of this type of power in psychiatry and mental health.

It?s a double-standard in medicine that has gone on long enough, and in modern times, has outlived its purpose ? if it ever even had one.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

Like this author?
Catch up on other posts by John M. Grohol, PsyD (or subscribe to their feed).

????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 26 Nov 2012
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Grohol, J. (2012). The Double Standard of Forced Treatment. Psych Central. Retrieved on November 27, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/11/26/the-double-standard-of-forced-treatment/

?

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/11/26/the-double-standard-of-forced-treatment/

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Study links improved consumer welfare to increased prescription drug advertising efforts

ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2012) ? More people are better off thanks to the impact of an influx of direct-to-consumer advertising spending than they would be without those marketing efforts, according to a study recently published by Jayani Jayawardhana, an assistant professor in the University of Georgia College of Public Health.

The multi-year study focused on advertising efforts surrounding cholesterol-reducing prescription medications. Jayawardhana found increased levels of consumer welfare due to direct-to-consumer advertising than when compared to situations without this type of marketing. Her research, which was published in the International Journal of Industrial Organization, concludes that such efforts also spurred under-diagnosed patients to seek medical treatment.

Federal deregulation of prescription drug marketing in 1997 lowered cost barriers and enabled manufacturers to advertise prescription drugs without including a detailed summary of the product. Since the relaxation of those rules, advertising spending from pharmaceutical companies has increased by more than 200 percent.

Jayawardhana, a health economist in the college's department of health policy and management, said her study was the first to provide an analysis of consumer welfare that demonstrated a connection to the increased marketing expenditures. It also adds further support to existing academic research suggesting that direct-to-consumer advertising efforts lead to a more informed and more inquisitive consumer, which could lead to better health outcomes.

"Let's say you see a commercial for Lipitor, and you suspect that you have high cholesterol, so you come and ask for that drug from the physician," Jayawardhana said. "For whatever reason, the doctor may assume that isn't the best drug for you, and you get prescribed Zocor instead. The point isn't that you didn't get the drug you saw on the commercial but rather that you came to the doctor and got treatment for your condition, which leads to welfare improvement."

Because of the role of physician in the decision-making process, pharmaceutical companies have to market their drugs to the two purchasing agents involved -- the consumer and the physician.

"When you see an advertisement for something like Coke, the intent is to give you an incentive to go buy the product," she said. "But with the prescription drug market, the consumer is not the final decision maker. You have to go through a gatekeeper in the physician."

Jayawardhana's research indicates those advertising efforts-to both consumers and physicians-are paying off. In addition to heightened consumer awareness, targeted advertising toward physicians has both an informative and persuasive effect on the selection of the drug.

Jayawardhana, who holds master's and doctoral degrees in economics from the University of Virginia, said critics of the federal deregulation have suggested the marketing spending boom could lead to a myriad of harmful results-such as patients requesting and receiving inappropriate drugs or higher dosages than necessary from their physician.

While such incidents may be possible, it is difficult to recognize such outcomes in the data. However, because physicians act as gatekeepers for prescription drugs and consumers have limited access to advertised products, such negative outcomes may be scarce, she said.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Georgia. The original article was written by Johnathan McGinty.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Jayani Jayawardhana. Direct-to-consumer advertising and consumer welfare. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.ijindorg.2012.09.001

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/QQklV6g9QhE/121126164407.htm

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Garage Wish List | 'Bout Home

The holiday season has begun, and thoughts will soon turn towards gift buying.? Instead of another sweater or robe for your significant other, opt instead to purchase items to make the garage a place of order and refuge.? It doesn?t matter if the recipient is male or female, as both sexes can appreciate gifts that either make life easier or more beautiful. From garage door openers to storage units, these gifts will be sure to please any homeowner.

An electric garage door opener is a necessity in cold climates.? Instead of getting out of a warm car on a dark night to open the garage door, these gadgets keep a person comfortable.? It?s 100% better to be able to automatically open and close a garage door than to have to do it manually; therefore, giving one as a gift will bring a huge smile to the face of the recipient.

Similarly, if a home has a dilapidated garage door, a new door would be a welcome gift.? Not only will a new door look better, it will help insulate the home more effectively.? Although a new garage door (and installation) may not be the perfect gift for everyone, I am sure a young couple who bought a fixer-upper would appreciate mom and dad paying for one.

The gift of safety speaks volumes.? Purchase a motion activated spotlight for above the garage door to thwart any would-be burglars.? These lights also work great for families who have children who need to use the garage keypad for entrance into the home at night.

Middle-priced items for the garage, such as storage units, also make wonderful gifts.? What homeowner doesn?t want to get a handle on all the the tall tools from rakes to shovels to garden hoes?? Or paint supplies?? Or garden supplies? There are storage units in all sizes and shapes to fit every need.

Also middle-priced are small refrigerators.? This gift item would be appreciated by a person who tends to spend a lot of time outside, and who would like the convenience of a cold drink without having to go all the way into the home.

Less expensive items for the garage could be used as stocking stuffers.? For instance, metal hooks for hanging bicycles from the ceiling will be appreciated, as will a new flashlight.? Another great idea ? a gift card to a home improvement store!

Of course there are many more gift ideas for the garage.? I know my husband?s favorite gift from me one year was the new riding lawn mower that is stored in the garage!? And he also liked the leaf blower and snow blower from previous years.

For homeowners, gifts that improve the look of the garage (new door), or the ease of use (garage door opener) can be most welcome.? Instead of buying another box of cologne or perfume, choose an item that will be used instead.

Source: http://www.bouthome.com/garage-wish-list/

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Investor sues HP over Autonomy deal

10 hrs.

Reuters

SAN FRANCISCO -- Hewlett-Packard was sued on Monday by an investor who claimed the company knew statements about its Autonomy acquisition were misleading and led the stock to fall, according to lawyers representing the plaintiff.

The proposed class action lawsuit was filed in a San Francisco federal court.

HP dropped a bombshell last Tuesday with an $8.8 billion write-down on its acquisition of British software firm Autonomy, saying the company inflated sales with improper accounting. Autonomy co-founder Mike Lynch has denied any wrongdoing.

HP bought Autonomy for a hefty $11.1 billion last year. HP has said it alerted regulators on both sides of the Atlantic.

The lawsuit, one of the first to be filed by investors on the Autonomy mess, said HP hid the fact it gained control of Autonomy based on financial statements that could not be relied upon. It also said that HP had not revealed to investors that it tried to undo the Autonomy agreement before it closed because of the accounting issues.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/investor-sues-hp-over-autonomy-deal-1C7227563

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'Outsourcing Services Adds Value to Business Growth in US' Claim ...

November 26th, 2012 by Rahul Jain Leave a reply ?

Northstar Consulting Group?s client base has grown by 25% in the last year, partly due to their expansion in Silverspring, MD and Chicago, IL, but more importantly due to the increasing demand from US brands to hire specialist outsourced firms to provide services such as sales and marketing. Gartner reported ?outsourcing? has shown a 2.1 percent increase from 2011.
Outsourcing operations to other American businesses who are experts in their field allows a brand to get the best possible results while keeping overheads low and ensuring work opportunities remain in the US.

Bart Yates, Managing Director for Northstar Consulting Group has stated that, ?businesses are trying to survive in the US economy, our outsourced services are extremely cost effective ? in many cases considerably cheaper than the average business maintaining an internal sales force ? and offer a specialized service. Outsourcing a sales and / or marketing function allows many of our clients to concentrate on their core business operations while leaving the often time consuming customer acquisitions and sales to us.?

Outsourcing has become of tremendous value to the business world. Hugh Greenhalgh who contributes to Businessblogs.com discusses the advantages of outsourcing strengthening a business. Greenhalgh acquired a professional opinion from Lief Schneider, managing partner at Schneider Bartosch Communications on how to select a good outsourcing company. Schneider states that, ?You don?t need to be an expert in everything ? in fact no one can be, or should claim to be ? but you do need to have access to the best experts and you do need to know how to manage them. We effectively outsource any work that is not senior managerial activity.?

Source:http://www.prweb.com/releases/NorthstarConsultingGroup/OutsourcingBenefitsinUS/prweb10165270.htm

Source: http://www.theoutsourceblog.com/2012/11/outsourcing-services-adds-value-to-business-growth-in-us%E2%80%99-claim-northstar-consulting-group/

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'Twilight,' Bond, 'Lincoln' lead record weekend

FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 file photo, from left, American actor Taylor Lautner, American actress Kristen Stewart and British actor Robert Pattinson pose during a photo call at the Spanish premiere of the film "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2" in Kinepolis Cinema in Madrid, Spain. Stewart, Pattinson and Lautner have walked their last ?Twilight? red carpet with the arrival of the finale ?The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2,? and now must step into careers of their own using the superstardom the multi-billion-dollar franchise has provided them. ( AP Photo/Gabriel Pecot, File)

FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012 file photo, from left, American actor Taylor Lautner, American actress Kristen Stewart and British actor Robert Pattinson pose during a photo call at the Spanish premiere of the film "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2" in Kinepolis Cinema in Madrid, Spain. Stewart, Pattinson and Lautner have walked their last ?Twilight? red carpet with the arrival of the finale ?The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2,? and now must step into careers of their own using the superstardom the multi-billion-dollar franchise has provided them. ( AP Photo/Gabriel Pecot, File)

FILE - This Oct. 22, 2012 file photo shows British actor Robert Pattinson, right, having his photo taken with fans upon arrival for an exclusive fan event for the final chapter of the Twilight Saga "Breaking Dawn Part 2" in Sydney, Australia. Thanksgiving newcomers have been unable to knock off the big three at the box office: Bella, Bond and Abe Lincoln. Kristen Stewart's finale as Bella Swan led the holiday weekend ticket sales. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Bella Swan, James Bond and Abe Lincoln have combined to lift Hollywood to record Thanksgiving revenue at the box office.

Kristen Stewart's finale as Bella in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 2" was No. 1 again with $64 million during the five-day holiday stretch that began Wednesday, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Daniel Craig's Bond adventure "Skyfall" came in at No. 2 with $51 million, while Daniel Day-Lewis and Steven Spielberg's Civil War saga "Lincoln" finished third with $34.1 million.

According to box-office tracker Hollywood.com, the three films paced Hollywood to an all-time Thanksgiving week best of about $290 million from Wednesday to Sunday.

That tops the previous record of $273 million over Thanksgiving in 2009, when "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" led the weekend.

This Thanksgiving also was a huge 25 percent jump from a year ago, when domestic revenues were a weak $232 million as some big holiday releases fizzled.

With a strong December lineup ahead, Hollywood has resumed its record revenue pace for the year after a brief box-office lull in late summer and early fall.

Domestic revenues for 2012 are at $9.75 billion, putting Hollywood potentially on track for its first $11 billion year, which would beat the 2009 record of $10.6 billion, said Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian.

"We're barreling toward a record-breaking box-office year," Dergarabedian said. "It's built on the back of just a lot of really strong movies that have come out over the past few weekends. It bodes very well for the rest of the holidays."

The "Twilight" finale, "Skyfall" and "Lincoln" finished in the same top-three rankings for the second-straight weekend as new releases were unable to dislodge the holdovers.

Released by Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment banner, "Breaking Dawn ? Part 2," pulled in $43.1 million from Friday to Sunday, raising its domestic total to $227 million. The movie added $97.4 million overseas to bring its international total to $350.8 million and its worldwide take to $577.7 million.

Sony's "Skyfall" also topped $200 million domestically, ringing up $36 million for the three-day weekend to put its U.S. total at $221.7 million. With $41.3 million more overseas, "Skyfall" raised its international revenues to $568.4 million and its worldwide sales to $790.1 million.

"Lincoln," a DreamWorks film distributed by Disney, took in $25 million over the weekend to lift its domestic revenue to $62.2 million.

Leading the newcomers was Paramount and DreamWorks Animation's tale "Rise of the Guardians" at No. 4 with $24 million for the weekend and $32.6 million since opening Wednesday.

Based on William Joyce's "Guardians of Childhood" books, "Rise of the Guardians" gathers Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and other mythical beings as a team of heroes battling an evil overlord.

Close behind at No. 5 was director Ang Lee's shipwreck saga "Life of Pi" at No. 5 with $22 million over the weekend. The 20th Century Fox release has taken in $30.2 million domestically since its Wednesday debut and added $17.5 million in four Asian markets.

"Life of Pi" was adapted from Yann Martel's best-selling novel about an Indian youth adrift on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. Many fans considered the introspective novel impossible to film, but Lee has charmed audiences and critics with an inspiring survival story told through dazzling 3-D images.

The weekend's other new wide release, a remake of the 1980s U.S.-invasion tale "Red Dawn," opened at No. 7 with $14.6 million, raising its total to $22 million since debuting Wednesday.

"Red Dawn" sat on the shelf for three years while studio backer MGM went through bankruptcy, with distributor FilmDistrict eventually picking it up for domestic release. The movie's cast includes Chris Hemsworth ("Thor") and Josh Hutcherson ("The Hunger Games") in a story of young guerrillas battling North Korean invaders.

In limited release, Fox Searchlight's "Hitchcock" opened solidly with about $300,000 in 17 theaters. The movie stars Anthony Hopkins as Alfred Hitchcock in a behind-the-scenes story of the making of "Psycho."

The weekend's overall strength came from a broad range of films that clicked with various audiences, from action and family fare to thoughtful drama.

"This is a marketplace that has something for everyone," said Chris Aronson, head of distribution for 20th Century Fox. "You have something deeper like 'Life of Pi,' yet you have a very successful sequel in 'Twilight' at the same time. Adult bio-drama, if you will, in 'Lincoln,' and you have Bond. That's the secret to a very successful and balanced marketplace."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Where available, latest international numbers are also included. Final domestic figures will be released Monday.

1. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 2," $43.1 million ($97.4 million international).

2. "Skyfall," $36 million ($41.3 million international).

3. "Lincoln," $25 million.

4. "Rise of the Guardians," $24 million.

5. "Life of Pi," $22 million ($17.5 million international)

6. "Wreck-It Ralph," $16.8 million ($2.1 million international).

7. "Red Dawn," $14.6 million.

8. "Flight," $8.6 million.

9. "Silver Linings Playbook," $4.6 million.

10. "Argo," $3.9 million.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-11-25-Box%20Office/id-0be8f298eb2d465eb0f2dcb1c6c3e6bd

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Food & Drink Innovation Network ? NEW ALENTEJO RED WINE ...

November 26th, 2012

A new Portuguese red from the JP Ramos Group, led by oenologist and producer Jo?o Portugal Ramos, is soon to be stocked on the shelves of Waitrose nationwide.

The F?OZ Vinho Regional is from the Alentejo, and has been developed exclusively for Waitrose.

A blend of Aragonez and Trincadeira, the selected grapes are grown on the JP Ramos estate in Estremoz.

The resulting wine has a fruity character dominated by black plums and a smooth finish.

Ramos said: ?Our vision is to produce some of the best modern wines in Portugal from the very heart of the Alentejo region and we are delighted to be able to apply this philosophy to creating a wine for Waitrose.

?We use a mixture of modern and traditional wine making techniques which gives fruit forward wines with lots of character such as the F?OZ.?

F?OZ, which means estuary in Portuguese, is a tribute to the rivers of Portugal present in the regions where the JP Ramos Group produce wines, like the Guadiana (Alentejo), Mondego (Beiras), Douro (Douro), Tagus (Tejo) and Minho (Vinho Verde) rivers.

The combination of schist and limestone clay soils in the Alentejo, together with a climate that is largely continental, make for consistent harvests and good conditions for wine growing.

The F?OZ will retail at ?9.99 and is available now.

Related posts:

1. SIR CLIFF?S WINE BUSINESS IS TEN YEARS OLD
2. WAITROSE IS FIRST UK RETAILER TO STOCK INDIAN WINE
3. WAITROSE INTRODUCES WINES FROM CHINA AND BRAZIL
4. CAVIRO LAUNCHES ROMINO WINE RANGE INTO THE UK MARKET
5. NEW WEBSITE FOR ROMANIAN WINE BODY
6. India launches wine to ?drink with curries?
7. Lower alcohol wine ?does not compromise on taste?
8. Guide to English and Welsh wines

Source: http://www.fdin.org.uk/2012/11/new-alentejo-red-wine-launches-in-waitrose/

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Holiday shopping season off to record start

NEW YORK (AP) ? There's a saying that you can't please all of the people all of the time. But apparently you can if they're holiday shoppers.

A survey released by the National Retail Federation on Sunday is showing that U.S. shoppers hit stores and websites at record numbers over the Thanksgiving weekend. They were attracted by stores' efforts to make shopping easier for everyone, including opening on Thanksgiving Day and expanding shipping and layaway options.

A record 247 million shoppers visited stores and websites over the four-day weekend starting Thanksgiving, according to the survey. That's up 9.2 percent from a year ago. Americans spent more too: The average holiday shopper spent $423 over the entire weekend, up from $398.

Total spending over the four-day weekend totaled $59.1 billion, up $52.4 billion in 2011.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-11-25-US--Holiday%20Shopping/id-c3eaa465ef94460bbc3520a5424be984

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Food and travel outshine ?traditional? retail as sales rise 3.6%

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

Source: http://www.berteloot.com/2012/11/26/food-and-travel-outshine-traditional-retail-as-sales-rise-3-6-startupsmart/

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Returning, officially.

Hey guys, Solo here. Been gone for over a month for personal reasons but they have been resolved. I've been lurking and posting here and there, but this is my official, obligatory, "I'm back" post. So yeah. For those of you who haven't met me, how's it going?

We drink to him as comrade must
But it's still the same old story
A coward goes from dust to dust
A hero from dust to glory.
machinimacentral.com

Modesty wrote:Where originality comes in is finding new ways to explore the things that already exist to us. Suddenly red becomes crimson, ruby, scarlet, cherry, carnelian, vermilion, cardinal, sienna, maroon, sorrel, rojo, sanguine. Suddenly red can become a metaphor, a picture, a symbol.

---

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/jcKjS_gsOsg/viewtopic.php

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The Business Online Will Bring You The Big ... - SEO and Traffic

Posted by articleqast on November 25th, 2012

SEO outsourcing can bring more profits for businesses and keep them in constant progress. SEO or search engine optimization is one of the most important elements of business success as it helps promote the face of any organization, its website and online marketing efforts. It directly influences the popularity or exposure of your organization among your target customers.?

As the meaning is clear from its name that getting inbound links to your website from other websites. This process is never ending process and requires time. Here are some rules involved such article marketing is one of the forms of link building and every effective link building method. People all around the world are always hungry for the new and fresh content and articles lower their hunger greatly. Search engines think it as a natural way of boosting website ranking. The competent SEO companies ensure regular monitoring of search engine rankings and generate status report on behalf of their clients. Consistency is the foreword in the competitive world of the SEO companies. The ever-growing role of the SEO consultants in the SEO web-marketing sector has no limits today. Because of the evolution of the web media, the responsibility of reputation management of a website has come under the core functional part of the SEO strategists.

Professional SEO services employ proven SEO techniques as well as innovative methods to create SEO strategies that take into account changing search engine algorithms and user trends. These need to be evolved constantly and the SEO Company has SEO copywriters, other SEO experts, social media experts, bloggers, web designers, ecommerce experts and other professionals to maintain streamlined and constant performance of the SEO strategies. If you have business online, you can utilize seo agency Australia or Sydney seo to help its rank, search engine optimiser plays an important role in this project.??

Filed under SEO, Traffic | Tags: business online, Search Engine Optimiser, seo agency Australia, sydney seo

Source: http://seoandtraffic.com/blog/11/the-business-online-will-bring-you-the-big-surprise-with-seo-in-internet/

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Powerball jackpot jumps to record $425 million

People lined up for Powerball tickets Saturday, the fourth largest Powerball in history. NBC's Thanh Troung reports.

By NBC News staff and wire services

DES MOINES, Iowa -- No one won a $325 million Powerball lottery prize on Saturday night, so the jackpot will jump to a record $425 million for the next drawing -- and possibly higher.

The winning numbers were?22-32-37-44-50 with Powerball 34, according to the Powerball lottery's website.?There were 10 winners of $1 million and one winner of $2 million.

Iowa Lottery spokeswoman Mary Neubauer said?the jackpot for Wednesday's drawing could go even higher than the estimated $425 million because sales pick up in the days before record drawings.?

---

"We'll watch sales to see if an adjustment upwards needs to be made," she said. The cash payout would be be a record $278.3 million.?

Saturday's estimated $325 million jackpot was the fourth-largest in the game's history.?

The previous highest Powerball prize was $365 million, won in 2006 by eight ConAgra Foods workers on a single ticket in Lincoln, Neb.

Powerball has not had a jackpot winner for two months.

The Powerball lottery is held in 42 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In March, three winning tickets shared the largest U.S. lottery jackpot, the $656 million Mega Millions drawing.?

The prospect of a big payoff had pulled in Black Friday shoppers in many cities.

Chicago resident Clyde Gadlin, 65, emerged from the bustle of holiday shoppers on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, to stop in at a 7-Eleven to buy his daily batch of Lottery tickets, including Powerball.

For him, the game is a chance to dream ? a single winner's cash payout would be nearly $213 million before taxes ? and he tries not to let the long odds burst his bubble.

The current jackpot is the fourth largest in the game's history, with chances of winning at about one in 175 million. Many dream of winning it big and hope they will be that lucky someone with the golden ticket. NBC's Mark Potter reports.

Lottery officials say they're unsure what effect Thanksgiving and beginning of Christmas shopping season will have on sales, which normally pick up in the days before high-dollar drawings.

Gadlin said that if he won, he would return to his grandfather's farm in Heidelberg, Miss., where he spent part of his childhood.

"I would go down there again and probably do a little bit of farming," he said, recalling the roaming deer and 380 acres of potatoes, corn, watermelons and sugar cane. Gadlin hasn't been there for more than 20 years.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/24/15411320-powerball-lottery-jackpot-jumps-to-record-425-million-for-wednesdays-drawing?lite

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Could Spain split up? Catalonian vote may birth independence bid.

If voters give Catalonia's leader Artur?Mas strong support on Sunday, he has pledged to hold a referendum on independence from financially troubled Spain.

By Harold Heckle,?Associated Press, Joseph Wilson,?Associated Press / November 25, 2012

Fascists and far right wing supporters wearing pre-constitutional flags salute the fascist anthem outside the Opera House during an act against the independence of Catalonia and to remember former Spanish Dictator Gen. Francisco Franco on the 37th anniversary of his death, in Madrid, Sunday. Voters in Catalonia begin casting their ballots in regional elections that could determine the future shape of Spain.

Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP

Enlarge

Voters in Catalonia on Sunday are choosing lawmakers for this wealthy Spanish region's parliament amid a threat from the Catalan leader to hold an independence referendum that would test the country's unity.

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The regional government, led by Artur Mas, called early elections as part of a power struggle with the central government run by Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy centered on the size of Catalonia's contribution to national coffers.

But what began as a quarrel over money has turned into a test over?Spain's?territorial integrity.

If voters give Mas strong support on Sunday, he has pledged to hold a referendum asking Catalans if they would prefer to split from?Spain?at a time of deep financial crisis.

"These are the most decisive and transcendental elections in the history of Catalonia," Mas said after voting in Barcelona. "There is much at stake for all 7 million of us Catalans."

Polls forecast a majority for parties supporting a referendum on independence, a plebiscite that?Spain's central government has ridiculed and called "unconstitutional."

Central government's pushback

According to Rajoy, only central government has the constitutional right to call a referendum and then it would almost certainly have to include the whole of?Spain.

Mild winter weather and blue skies helped long lines form at many polling stations early Sunday. By 1 p.m. (7 a.m. EST), the Catalan government calculated that voter turnout was higher than in the previous seven elections dating back to 1988.

Rajoy has said that talk of independence is a side issue to the country's real problem, which is to find a way to create employment and address its deficit.

While Rajoy is immersed in combating?Spain's?worst financial crisis in decades, Mas claims Catalonia is being asked to shoulder too much of the tax burden and that it could do better if it separated and tried to become an independent member state of the European Union.

"Five years ago I was in favor of a federal model with?Spain, but now we have seen that is not viable," said Miquel Angel Aragon, a 37-year-old aid worker. "I am in favor of independence."

Large chunk of Spain's economy

Catalonia is responsible for around a fifth of?Spain's?economic output and many residents feel central government gives back too little in recognition of the region's contribution.

Catalans have said in growing public protests that their industrialized region is being hit harder than most by austerity measures aimed at avoiding a national bailout like those needed by Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and Cyprus.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/rrhLxWdSmJ0/Could-Spain-split-up-Catalonian-vote-may-birth-independence-bid

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Try to eat Healthy Tim Tebow Jersey To Keep Your Entire body ...

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Source: http://www.healthuse.com/try-to-eat-healthy-tim-tebow-jersey-to-keep-your-entire-body-younger.html

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Video: Blind patient reads words stimulated directly onto the retina

Friday, November 23, 2012

For the very first time researchers have streamed braille patterns directly into a blind patient's retina, allowing him to read four-letter words accurately and quickly with an ocular neuroprosthetic device. The device, the Argus II, has been implanted in over 50 patients, many of who can now see color, movement and objects. It uses a small camera mounted on a pair of glasses, a portable processor to translate the signal from the camera into electrical stimulation, and a microchip with electrodes implanted directly on the retina. The study was authored by researchers at Second Sight, the company who developed the device, and has been published in Frontiers in Neuroprosthetics on the 22nd of November.

"In this clinical test with a single blind patient, we bypassed the camera that is the usual input for the implant and directly stimulated the retina. Instead of feeling the braille on the tips of his fingers, the patient could see the patterns we projected and then read individual letters in less than a second with up to 89% accuracy," explains researcher Thomas Lauritzen, lead author of the paper.

Similar in concept to successful cochlear implants, the visual implant uses a grid of 60 electrodes?attached to the retina?to stimulate patterns directly onto the nerve cells. For this study, the researchers at Second Sight used a computer to stimulate six of these points on the grid to project the braille letters. A series of tests were conducted with single letters as well as words ranging in length from two letters up to four. The patient was shown each letter for half a second and had up to 80% accuracy for short words.

In this video, a patient reads words with the Argus II setup using the camera and not the direct braille stimulation. Credit: Second Sight

"There was no input except the electrode stimulation and the patient recognized the braille letters easily. This proves that the patient has good spatial resolution because he could easily distinguish between signals on different, individual electrodes." says Lauritzen.

According to Silvestro Micera at EPFL's Center for Neuroprosthetics and scientific reviewer for the article, "this study is a proof of concept that points to the importance of clinical experiments involving new neuroprosthetic devices to improve the technology and innovate adaptable solutions."

Primarily for sufferers of the genetic disease Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP), the implant Argus II has been shown to restore limited reading capability of large conventional letters and short words when used with the camera. While reading should improve with future iterations of the Argus II, the current study shows how the Argus II could be adapted to provide an alternative and potentially faster method of text reading with the addition of letter recognition software. This ability to perform image processing in software prior to sending the signal to the implant is a unique advantage of Argus II.

###

Frontiers: http://www.frontiersin.org

Thanks to Frontiers for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125440/Video__Blind_patient_reads_words_stimulated_directly_onto_the_retina

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Obama handed a victory to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood (Powerlineblog)

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Mark Thompson testifies at London probe into BBC

In this image released by the UK Broadcasters Pool, Mark Thompson, newly named CEO of The New York Times Co., arrives at the paper's offices, Monday, Nov. 12, 2012 in New York. Thomson, the former BBC director general was hired in August and hailed as someone who could help the company generate new revenue at a time when print publications are suffering from the loss of readers and advertisers. But in recent months, Thompson has faced questions over a decision by the BBC?s ?Newsnight? program to shelve an investigation into child sexual-abuse allegations against renowned British television host Jimmy Savile. (AP Photo/UK Broadcasters Pool)

In this image released by the UK Broadcasters Pool, Mark Thompson, newly named CEO of The New York Times Co., arrives at the paper's offices, Monday, Nov. 12, 2012 in New York. Thomson, the former BBC director general was hired in August and hailed as someone who could help the company generate new revenue at a time when print publications are suffering from the loss of readers and advertisers. But in recent months, Thompson has faced questions over a decision by the BBC?s ?Newsnight? program to shelve an investigation into child sexual-abuse allegations against renowned British television host Jimmy Savile. (AP Photo/UK Broadcasters Pool)

LONDON (AP) ? New York Times Co. CEO Mark Thompson has testified before a committee in London investigating a scandal at his former employer, the BBC, a Times spokesman said Friday.

Thompson gave testimony Friday to the inquiry, which is looking into the BBC's decision to shelve an investigation into child sex abuse allegations against late presenter Jimmy Savile, the Times' senior vice president of corporate communications Robert Christie said.

Christie said he could not discuss the contents of Thompson's testimony, only saying that Thompson, 55, was expected to return to New York by Monday.

The inquiry is probing why and how the BBC ended a planned sex abuse investigation into Savile, a popular children's TV presenter and DJ who died last year at age 84.

Thompson, who was director general of the BBC until his resignation earlier this year, faces questions about the broadcaster's handling of the Savile allegations because the decision to drop the investigation took place while he was in charge of the company.

Nick Pollard, who chairs the inquiry, said Friday the committee had looked at thousands of documents and has so far conducted 12 interviews, with more planned. He said the large amount of evidence meant that the committee would need another month to finish its report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-23-Britain-BBC/id-f59d8bdbad4949369b2e150bead389cd

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