Friday, August 31, 2012

BJJinMMA: RT @Bauzen: Cool video of Machida submitting Dos Santos in a friendly BJJ session. http://t.co/nHxTQz3J

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Source: http://twitter.com/BJJinMMA/statuses/241657634384646146

Business Consulting and Management Executive Resume Sample ...

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The sample below is for a Business Consulting and Management Executive Resume. This resume was written by a ResumeMyCareer professional resume writer, and demonstrates how a resume for a Business Consulting and Management Executive Candidate should be properly created. Our Certified Professional Resume Writers can assist you in creating a professional document for the job or industry of your choice.

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Professional Profile
Self-motivated business consulting and management executive with significant years of relevant global experience, related proficiencies and a strong background in strategic planning, finance and marketing. Detail?oriented individual who exemplifies professionalism, and an ability to manage multiple projects and tasks at any given moment. Demonstrated history of successful business administration and expedited issue resolution, while providing high-quality reporting to executive management as well as facilitating efficient and cost-effective operations. Highlighted leadership qualities and the ability to work with and manage individuals from varying backgrounds, while promoting team values. Driven partner eager for professional growth, increased responsibility, and the opportunity to leverage extensive technical knowledge, financial analysis, resource and capital utilization, staff development and brand promotions expertise ? along with an entrepreneurial spirit ? within the performance-based work culture of a growing global organization.

Professional Experience
Dualis Consulting (Miami, FL) 2010 ? Present
Pharmaconsulting ([Insert City], Venezuela] 2004 ? 2009
Founder, CEO and Consultant Director
? Lead critical strategies for client to increase the acquisition and execution of all business opportunities, ensuring the completion of all projects both on-time and within established budgetary constraints
? Train members of sales departments to generate high-volume product and service placements to new and existing clients
? Perform various important functions, including project valuation, business analysis, business and strategic planning
? Coach business management and executives on effective leadership, analysis, decision-making and other functions

Pfizer ([Insert City, State]) 1999 ? 2004
Channel Marketing Manager (2003 ? 2004)
? Held responsibility for critical marketing strategies within important commercial channels, including supermarkets, wholesalers and drug stores, as well as for ROI calculations for trade marketing business proposals
? Partnered in the leadership of strategic planning for packaging design as well as the rationalization of SKU considerations and the auditing and analysis of trade marketing budgets
? Led the development and implementation of new product launch pricing strategies, analyzing and approving key expenses
? Improved EBITDA by 10% through effective product rationalization and improvements in business cycles
? Initiated functional selling strategy emphasizing a customized client approach, generating over $10MM in incremental sales
? Participated in development of the first cost-to-serve program for the company

Corporate Treasurer (1999 ? 2003)
? Administered, analyzed and addressed both quarterly forecasts and monthly manager reports while performing profitability analyses for utilization by members of senior management and researching all volume, exchange and price considerations
? Acted as Country Leader for all aspects of merger transition between Pfizer and Pharmacia within Venezuela
? Held responsibility for execution of established financial plan as well as hedging exposures, accounts receivable/payable and internal company financial policies
? Dissected and examined all aspects of organizational P&L for BS, manufacturing projects and product marketing functions
? Participated in the management of client relationships regarding both finance and commercial issues, collaborating effectively with key account managers and supervising departmental analysts
? Forecasted cash flows as well as managed company working capital and performed ROI calculations
? Provided leadership with respect to various legal issues regarding branding and pricing strategies
? Improved DSO and cash cycle as well as automated the commercial process through the integration of e-commerce functions
? Led regional cash management project within Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador

Team Resources (Caracas, Venezuela) 1999
Consultant ? Strategic Planning Implementation
? Acted as important partner to organizations in the implementation of effective team structures and planning processes
? Set strategic business direction for organization within Venezuela, including purpose, value creation, mission, vision, top-level goals and implementation methodologies for members of cross-functional team
? Installed solutions required for competition within a global market

Dow Chemical ([Insert City], MI) 1999
MBA Project
? Analyzed and evaluated important e-commerce trends within chemical industry, including competitor strengths and weaknesses in addition to potential impacts on polyethylene business lines
? Identified EVA as critical consequence of development of e-commerce within the organization, recommending required next steps to facilitate effective implementation and efficient operation
? Gained functional working knowledge of business process analyses and related solution implementation considerations

Previsora Insurance Group (Caracas, Venezuela) 1995 ? 1997
Marketing Specialist ? Trust Fund ([Insert Date Range])
? Conducted business and marketing planning functions to increase assets under management and acquire new clientele
? Developed and implemented promotional strategies to increase brand visibility
? Created new and unique financial products for placement with clients, providing differentiation from market competition

Financial Analyst Manager ([Insert Date Range])
? Conducted business and financial evaluations of specific investment proposals as well as assessed the value-creation potential of numerous financial plans
? Participated in and contributed to all strategic planning activities for the Finance department as well as developed key performance measures for different business units
? Executed important monthly financial analyses to produce internal financial brochures
? Led the investment in various securities, including stocks, fixed income and options, in both Venezuelan and US markets
? Created new business opportunities which generated positive risk-adjusted returns

Vestcorpartners Investment Banker (Caracas, Venezuela) 1993 ? 1994
Broker Administrative Assistant
? Established new procedures and processes related to cash flow management while controlling methodology related to the obtainment, updating, centralizing and filing of relevant capital market information
? Generated increased security levels while facilitating the efficient transmission of financial information among business units
? Assisted bankers and brokers with various other functional duties as required for operational efficiency

Caracas Stock Exchange (Caracas, Venezuela) 1991 ? 1993
Financial Analyst
? Participated as member of committee tasked with development of new system to automate stocks transactions, generating efficiency, accuracy and transparency for all orders
? Analyzed and supervised all cash flow processes, generating relevant reporting on a regular and ad-hoc basis
? Addressed and resolved numerous critical administrative issues in an expedited manner

Education
Metropolitan University (Caracas, Venezuela) 07/2003 and 07/2004
Graduate Studies ? Specialist in Integrated Marketing Communication (07/2004)
Graduate Studies ? Specialist in International Negotiations (07/2003)

Central Michigan University ([Insert City, State]) 05/1999
M.B.A. ? Finance; Graduated Summa Cum Laude in Top 5% of MBA Class

Simon Rodriguez University (Caracas, Venezuela) [Insert Month/Year of Graduation]
B.B.A. ? Finance; Graduated Cum Laude in Top 10% of Class

Achievements
> Member of committee that developed Automation of Stock Market System at Caracas Stock Exchange (1992)
> Youngest professor at Simon Rodriguez University at the age of 22 (1994)
> As MBA research assistant, co-authored paper about The Performance of Oil Futures as a Cross Hedge for the Venezuelan Bolivar, earning publication in the Journal of International Finance (1999)
> Received recognition from Dow Chemical due to knowledge of Internet and Electronic Systems Capabilities (1999)
> Recognized by Central Michigan University as graduated with highest GPA of all MBA International Students and the second highest of all students (1999)
> Named the Best Corporate Treasurer at Pfizer for the Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador region (2002)
> Acted as Project Leader during Pfizer ? Pharmacia merger in Venezuela (USD $600MM deal) which was categorized by Boston Consulting Group as the most robust and completed plan implemented in Pfizer Latin American region (2003)
> Appointed as Coordinator of Education and Development by the Association of Young Business Owners (2006)
> Facilitated the receipt of award by upper management as best commercial division in Latin America while working as consultant for Merck Pharmaceutical in Venezuela (2007)
> Served as member of committee that developed Online Grad Studies in Project Management at Catholic University (2007)
> Named the Best Graduate Professor in Project Management at Catholic University in Venezuela (2007 and 2008)
> Received special award as 1 of 100 best managers in Venezuela and 1 of 10 most successful entrepreneurs by the prestigious ?REVISTA GERENTE? (MANAGER Magazine) (2007)
> Earned award for 3rd-Most Creative Idea for Business Plan developed for Sotano TV (2009)
> Granted an Immigrant Visa EB1for extraordinary abilities in the area on business and education (2009)
> Appointed by the Small Business Administration Office in Washington as Business Mentor for SCORE Miami (2010)
> Published material in professional major trade publications including a document addressing the effect of entrepreneurship in the Chinese Economy. www.examiner.com (2010)
> Developed first software in US to expand entrepreneurial and strategic capabilities among business owners (2011)
> Developing Corponeur methodology, a consulting program designed to create organizations thinking like entrepreneurs and acting like corporations (2011)

Source: http://www.resumemycareer.com/business-consulting-and-management-executive-resume-sample/

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Egypt says Syria's "oppressive regime" must go

DUBAI/AMMAN (Reuters) - Egypt called on Thursday for intervention to halt bloodshed in Syria, telling a meeting of 120 nations it was their duty to stand against the "oppressive regime" of Bashar al-Assad, prompting a Syrian walkout.

President Mohamed Mursi, elected two months ago after a popular uprising toppled Egypt's long-standing leader Hosni Mubarak, said Assad had lost legitimacy in his fight to crush a 17-month-old revolt in which 20,000 people have been killed.

Mursi's scathing speech to a summit of non-aligned leaders, hosted by Assad's Shi'ite ally Iran, prompted Syria's foreign minister to accuse the moderate Sunni Islamist leader of inciting further bloodshed in Syria.

The political broadside against the Syrian president came as rebels said they shot down a fighter plane in northern Syria, where his air force has been bombarding opposition-held towns in a fierce counter-offensive against insurgents.

It was the latest strike by Assad's foes on the air power he has increasingly relied on to crush the uprising. Rebels said this week they attacked a northern military air base and shot down a helicopter that was bombarding a district of Damascus.

"The bloodshed in Syria is our responsibility on all our shoulders and we have to know that the bloodshed cannot stop without effective interference from all of us," Mursi said.

"We all have to announce our full solidarity with the struggle of those seeking freedom and justice in Syria, and translate this sympathy into a clear political vision that supports a peaceful transition to a democratic system of rule that reflects the demands of the Syrian people for freedom."

His comments prompted Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem to storm out of the meeting, complaining that Mursi was inciting fighters to "continue shedding Syrian blood", Syrian state television said.

ASSAD SAYS NEEDS TIME

Assad, in his first television interview since rebels took their fight into the heart of Damascus and the country's biggest city, Aleppo, said on Wednesday his fight to put down the uprising was going well but needed more time.

"Everyone wants this battle to be completed in days or weeks but this isn't reasonable, because we are in the middle of a regional and international struggle and it needs time to be resolved," he said.

Mainly peaceful protests were met with force by Assad's military, and the uprising has degenerated into a civil war with sectarian overtones and regional dimensions. The mainly Sunni Muslim rebels are backed by regional Sunni powers, particularly Gulf Arab states and Turkey.

Assad, whose Alawite community is an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam, has support from Iran, a rival of Gulf Arab states and Western powers. Lebanon's Shi'ite militia Hezbollah has also shown solidarity with the Syrian president.

The role of regional powers has assumed greater significance because of deadlock at U.N. Security Council, where diplomatic stalemate has marginalized the major powers.

U.S., Russian and Chinese ministers are not expected to attend Thursday's U.N. Security Council meeting on Syria, underlining the fact that both Assad's critics and backers on the council see little prospect of it taking any action.

"We wanted a resolution on humanitarian issues, but we faced a double refusal," said a French diplomat, whose country will chair the meeting in New York.

"The United States and Britain believe we have reached the end of what can be achieved at the Security Council, and Moscow and Beijing said that such a resolution would have been biased."

Nearly a year and a half after the uprising erupted, Assad's political foes are equally divided.

A member of the Syrian National Council, which once hoped to win international endorsement as the country's leadership-in-waiting, resigned this week complaining it was not doing enough to back the revolt and must be replaced by a new political authority.

"My sense was that the SNC was not up to facing the increasing challenges on the ground," Basma Kodmani, the latest council member to break from the SNC, told Reuters.

PLANE "SHOT DOWN"

The Syrian Martyrs Brigade said on Thursday it brought down a plane near the town of al-Thayabiya. Video footage on Al Arabiya television showed what appeared to be smoke in the sky and a person parachuting down. An army helicopter hovered over the area, apparently in search of the pilot.

"The brigade has started targeting the regime's air assets, including military airports," a member of the group said from Idlib, declining to give further details.

As well as targeting rebels, Assad's jets and artillery have also struck at least 10 bakeries in Aleppo province in the last three weeks, killing dozens of people as they waited in line to buy bread, the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said.

It said the attacks were either deliberate or done without care to avoid the hundreds of civilians forced to queue outside a dwindling number of bakeries in Syria's biggest city, a front line in the civil war.

One attack two weeks ago killed around 60 people and wounded more than 70, it said.

The fighting around Aleppo, Damascus and the southern province of Deraa, where protests against Assad first erupted in March 2011, has prompted waves of refugees to flood into neighboring Turkey and Jordan.

Turkey urged the United Nations to protect displaced Syrians inside their own country, to take the pressure off its crowded refugee camps, and France said it was studying the issue of buffer zones in Syria, an idea Assad dismissed as unrealistic.

(Additional reporting by John Irish at the United Nations, Erika Solomon in Beirut, Marcus George in Dubai; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Jon Boyle)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-opposition-group-not-job-says-ex-member-114709110.html

Creative Weight Loss Is Just A Few Great Tips Away! : Premier Diet ...

Posted by haleyjonas on Wednesday, August 29, 2012 ? Leave a Comment?

If you are trying to lose weight, you have no doubt felt like Sisyphus every now and again. With baked good everywhere you look, temptation can be difficult to resist. The following article offers some excellent weight loss advice to keep you motivated on a proper diet.

Ideal Weight

It is an often published fact that drinking a lot of water will help weight loss. If you want the best weight loss benefits possible from drinking water, drink water that is as cold as you can tolerate. Consuming cold water makes your body expend energy to bring up your temperature which in turn, raises metabolism.

TIP! Keep your goals realistic when planning a diet. As with everything in life, if you have an unrealistic goal, the chances are you won?t achieve it.

Instead of trying to achieve an ideal weight, set your goals for an ideal clothing size. Keep the scale out of your head. Weight hangs differently on everyone. The ideal weight of every individual is varied greatly. Instead, concentrate on a clothing size you wish you could fit in.

Dress up fruits and veggies with healthy sauces and dips. You can use unprocessed apple sauce to dip other sweet fruits in. Make healthy garnishes for your uncooked vegetables, and enjoy a delicious, nutritious snack.

Eat your largest meal of the day for lunch rather than dinner. For instance, if you usually just eat a small sandwich for lunch, eat this sandwich for dinner instead. You calorie-burning mechanisms are fired up during daytime and slow down at night, so it is wiser to eat much more during daylight hours.

TIP! Skipping breakfast can sabotage your weight loss efforts. Some people tend to be under the impression that skipping breakfast will ensure quicker weight loss.

Always consult a nutritionist when thinking about embarking on your own weight loss diet. There is no such thing as the perfect diet. Everyone is different and responds differently to different diets. Seek assistance when you want to really maximize your weight loss efforts.

If you miss Italian food, you can try making spaghetti without the pasta. Here is an easy recipe: combine some veggie meatballs with tomato sauce, shredded zucchini and oregano. This will satisfy your Italian cravings, but keep you on your healthy diet. This is just one of many favorite dishes that you can modify in healthy ways.

Try eating a three bean salad if you?re trying to shed weight. This is a very quick and low-cal snack you can whip up at home. Open three cans of various beans, then mix them in a light Italian dressing. This recipe will offer you snacks throughout your week.

TIP! Variety is the spice of life, and it is a great way to keep your diet interesting. Eating the same thing every day will lead to boredom and an abandonment of the weight loss plan very quickly.

Don?t fill your fork to capacity with each bite. It is important to keep your bites to a moderate size, and stop when you feel full. When food is fed to the stomach too fast, the stomach has no chance to determine if you have had enough food. This will easily lead to overeating. Getting weight off is easy, if you have some basic knowledge.

Make sure that you exercise as part of your weight loss regimen. Set aside time each day for exercising. Write the time in your calender so you are sure not to make any other plans that would interfere with your exercising.

If you want to keep your lost pounds from returning, lose the weight slowly. It is awesome if you can lose weight quickly, but the fact is you are very likely to gain this weight back just as quick. You?ll be tempted by many ads claiming to help you lose weight quickly, but stick to the safe tried-and-true methods if you want your results to be permanent.

TIP! As you are beginning your weight loss plan, keep things uncomplicated. Take it easy at first and only drop one bad eating habit.

Heart Rate

Your workout plans should include a lot of cardiovascular exercises if your goal is to lose weight. This type of exercise causes an increase in heart rate, which means you will burn fat at a higher rate. Cardio exercise is any activity that makes your heart rate speed up and stay at that pace. Find something enjoyable that does that and make it a regular thing.

If you eat more calories than your body needs, they will be stored as fat. Therefore, if you are planning on going to bed, do not eat a large meal. You should eat three meals throughout your day and eat your last one a few hours before going to bed. This helps your calories get ingested.

TIP! Stay away from the pills which guarantee instant success that are all over the stores and internet nowadays. You will be lucky to find any that do more than create an addiction.

Have a concrete plan in place to manage your stress. Stress can actually cause obesity. Have a plan ready for when stress inevitably strikes. When you can deal with your stress in a healthy way, you can avoid comforting yourself with food.

A great weight loss tip is to have some milk prior to eating. Mill will enable you to feel full, therefore, drinking it before a meal will cause you not to overeat. As an added benefit, milk is a rich source of calcium, which promotes healthy bones and teeth.

It?s easy to find or create reduced calorie versions of old-time favorites. Choose low-fat substitutes when making your favorite foods. Make the change to light beer or diet pops.

TIP! One way to ease into an effective weight-loss diet is to cut your calorie intake in a series of gradual steps. One idea is to decrease the calories you consume each day by 300-500 calories.

When you put things in perspective, weight loss can be easily achieved. You always have to be in the mindset of constant progression, so you never feel like quitting. All activities during the day, from walking to your car to laughing help to burn calories. Therefore, stay as active as possible and keep a positive and open mind.

Keep a food journal to record the number of calories you?re consuming. You will have a lot of trouble losing weight if you are eating too much. Consuming an excess amount of calories will hinder your weight loss efforts. Keep track of what you are eating so that you can adjust your calories and lose weight.

Create a shopping list of foods that are healthy and stick with this list no matter what. You might find it beneficial to set a limit on how much time you spend shopping for your groceries. By limiting your time, you will not be able to browse the aisles that are stocked with junk food.

TIP! Try to surround yourself with things that are different shades of blue. Blue can suppress your appetite.

When trying to lose weight, avoid making any specific food ?off limits.? If you remove foods that you love entirely from your diet, a lot of the time you will end up wanting it more and end up stuffing yourself with this item. This can essentially ruin your diet and add unnecessary temptations.

In order to assist with weight loss you should consider not working out. This is especially true for people who do not like to exercise. Instead, trick yourself into doing fun activities such as walking the dog, throwing a football, riding your bike, or going on a nature walk. These activities do not even make you feel like you are working out.

Eat a balanced diet to lose weight! Concentrate on having the right amount of vitamins, minerals and even fats in your diet. Fat is very high in calories and, although eating some fat is essential for good health, overdoing it will cause you to gain weight. Therefore, try to curb the amount of fats you eat throughout the day.

TIP! Try getting rid of milk from your diet. There are people who do not realize that they are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk.

Keep careful track of the calories you consume. Get a cheap spiral notebook. You can then use the notebook exclusively for your dietary habits. For example, you can track the type and amount of food that you eat, as well as the caloric and fat content of each item. This is a great way to keep track of what you are eating and monitor your overall progress.

Whipped Butter

Carefully consider your beverage choices during a weight loss program. With the exception of water, most drinks contain calories. Calories from soda pop, beer, Kool-aid and other drinks add up throughout the day. Keep track of these calories and include them in your daily allotted count.

TIP! If you don?t know how to revise your habits, try hiring a pro. Many professionals are available to help guide you through the process of grocery shopping, cooking and making necessary adjustments.

Eat whipped butter. Using a butter substitute is not an acceptable alternative to some people. Some people enjoy how real butter tastes. It is not necessary to stop eating it to lose weight. All you need to do is eat whipped butter instead. This choice has 50% less calories.

A food diary is important to have to keep your goals organized when trying to lose weight. You don?t have to just count calories. Write down what you are eating and how much so you can see where you are going wrong. That might be much more than you?ve thought! Keeping track can also help you see what you?re eating. Are you really going to eat that cookie and write down those calories?

If you usually chew gum, choose a sugar free product. Chewing gum should help you reduce your cravings. Be careful to not overindulge in this product beacause that can be unhealthy.

TIP! A good thing to do, if you are deciding to watch your diet, is to plan your meals around a 2,000 calorie a day maximum. Research every meal to know exactly what vitamins and nutrients you are receiving, and make sure you are getting enough of everything! If there are any deficiencies, you can either alter your diet or add a multivitamin.

When you are trying to lose weight, it is important that you eat meat that is as lean as possible. If you are a fan of highly caloric condiments like steak or cream sauce, replace them with salsa or chutney and see how you like it. This will add flavor and keep your meat moist. Chutneys are available in a variety of sweet and fruity flavors and add a whole new level of flavor to your protein.

Maintaining the weight you have lost can be very difficult at times. There always seems to be temptations wherever you look. Use the advice in this article to keep yourself focused on and commuted to your weight loss.

Diet pills can be dangerous, so always ask your doctor first. Anyone with heart problems or those on certain medications cannot safely take many diet pills on the market. Speak with your doctor before taking diet pills.

TIP! If you keep active you can lose weight more easily. Sitting down all day is not good for you.

Source: http://pdfbox.org/creative-weight-loss-is-just-a-few-great-tips-away/

Learn to cook from former 'Top Cheftestants' online | Atlanta Food ...

Source: http://clatl.com/omnivore/archives/2012/08/29/learn-to-cook-from-former-top-cheftestants-online

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

NASA telescope detects 'bonanza' of humongous black holes

NASA's?Wide-field Infrared Survey telescope has spotted millions of 'supermassive' black holes gorging on matter, says the space agency.?

By Clara Moskowitz,?SPACE.com / August 29, 2012

This zoomed-in view of a portion of the all-sky survey from WISE shows a collection of quasar candidates.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/STScI

Enlarge

A jackpot of previously unknown black holes across the universe has been discovered by the infrared eyes of a prolific NASA sky-mapping telescope.

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The cosmic find comes from data collected by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey (WISE) telescope, which scanned the entire sky in infrared light from December 2009 to February 2011. The full catalog of observations by?WISE?during its mission was publicly released in March, and astronomers are still poring through this celestrial trove for discoveries.

"WISE has found a bonanza of?black holes?in the universe," astronomer Daniel Stern of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., said during a news briefing today (Aug. 29). WISE turned up about three times as many?black holes?as have been found by comparable surveys in visible light, offering up a total of 2.5 million new sources across the sky.

These black holes aren't the average tiny, dense objects created by the collapse of dead stars, but rather humongous "supermassive" black holes that have been caught feasting on matter falling into them. Such active black holes are known as quasars, and are some of the brightest objects in the universe, because of light released by the infalling matter. [Photos: Millions of Black Holes Seen by WISE Telescope]

"We expected that there should be this large population of hidden quasars in the universe, but WISE can now identify them across the sky," Stern said. "We think these quasars are really important for shaping how galaxies look today."

Cosmic Hot DOGs

In addition to this haul of gorging black holes, WISE has turned up a smaller population of rarer objects researchers are dubbing "hot DOGs," for hot, dust-obscured galaxies.

These galaxies are thought to be extremely bright, but appear very faint to us because their light is shrouded by dust.

"It is actually the most obscured objects in the WISE sky that are among the brightest objects in the universe," said Peter Eisenhardt, a WISE project scientist at JPL. "They're definitely a different type of beast than we?ve seen before."

The?hot DOGs observed by WISE?number about 1,000, and are mostly spotted from very far away, meaning they existed in the early days of the universe, because their light has taken billions of years to travel to Earth.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/cF1NOLsluUc/NASA-telescope-detects-bonanza-of-humongous-black-holes

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Curiosity rover plays first song transmitted from another planet

ScienceDaily (Aug. 28, 2012) ? For the first time in history, a recorded song has been beamed back to Earth from another planet. Students, special guests and news media gathered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., today to hear "Reach for the Stars" by musician will.i.am after it was transmitted from the surface of Mars by the Curiosity rover.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden addressed the crowd in a video message encouraging students to study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). "Mars has always fascinated us, and the things Curiosity tells us about it will help us learn about whether or not life was possible there," Bolden said. "And what future human explorers can expect. will.i.am has provided the first song on our playlist of Mars exploration."

In opening remarks, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and space shuttle astronaut Leland Melvin said, "I can think of no greater way to honor NASA pioneer Neil Armstrong's life and legacy than to inspire today's students to follow his path. That first footprint that Neil placed on the lunar surface left an indelible mark in history. Perhaps one of our students here today or watching on NASA Television will be the first to set foot on the surface of Mars and continue humanity's quest to explore."

Musician and entrepreneur will.i.am shared his thoughts about "Reach for the Stars" becoming the first interplanetary song and an anthem for NASA education. The entertainer is a well-known advocate of science and technology education. He said, "Today is about inspiring young people to lead a life without limits placed on their potential and to pursue collaboration between humanity and technology through STEAM education. I know my purpose is to inspire young people, because they will keep inspiring me back."

After completing a journey of more than 700 million miles from Earth to Mars and back, the opening orchestral strains of "Reach for the Stars" filled the auditorium. The event added to continuing worldwide interest in Curiosity's mission.

NASA engineers spoke to attendees about the Curiosity mission, and the systems engineering and orbital mechanics involved in getting the song file back from Mars. Students had the opportunity to ask questions of all program participants. Earlier in the day, students received a guided tour of JPL to view rover models and learn about STEM career options.

During the event, will.i.am's i.am angel Foundation and Discovery Education announced a $10 million classroom education initiative that will reach 25 million students annually, including many from underserved communities. Focused on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) educational themes, the Discovery Education initiative will incorporate NASA content and space exploration themes as part of the curriculum.

The event will be replayed on NASA Television. For schedule information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.

For information about NASA's education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education.

The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/nasa/~3/b7ZinsDfHSs/120828190645.htm

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Consumers, Employers Reconsider Insurance Costs - Kaiser Health ...

Individuals and businesses are weighing the pros and cons of buying health coverage as a result of the advent of high-deductible policies, as well as the provisions of the health law set to take effect in 2014.

San Francisco Chronicle: Patients Negotiate For Care With Cash
Palo Alto resident Ed Lee routinely negotiates for his own health care services, everything from the cost of a scan to an urgent-care visit - often securing discounts of 30 to 50 percent off the original charges. ee, 61, a self-employed public relations expert in the semiconductor industry, started bypassing his health insurance and paying out of pocket last year when he realized that premiums and deductibles were costing him more than $12,000 before his insurer paid a dime. With that decision, Lee became part of a new breed of health care consumer -- people who pay such a large portion of their health costs that they're questioning the value of insurance. And because they're footing so much of the bill, they feel they owe it to themselves to get a decent price (Colliver, 8/27).

Modern Healthcare: Most Employers To Continue Offering Health Care Plans In 2014: Survey
The overwhelming majority of employers say they will continue to offer health care plans after core provisions of the health care reform law take effect in 2014, but most say they will need to make plan changes later to avoid a new excise tax on the most costly plans, according to a new survey. Eighty-eight percent of employers surveyed by Towers Watson & Co. said they have no plans to terminate coverage in 2014 or after for full-time employees, while 11 percent?were not sure. Just 1 percent?said they planned to terminate coverage for some employees (Geisel, 8/27).

This is part of Kaiser Health News' Daily Report - a summary of health policy coverage from more than 300 news organizations. The full summary of the day's news can be found here and you can sign up for e-mail subscriptions to the Daily Report here. In addition, our staff of reporters and correspondents file original stories each day, which you can find on our home page.

Source: http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2012/August/28/marketplace-consumer-employer-issues.aspx

Isaac nearly hurricane; evacuations outside New Orleans

New Orleans may see six to 12 inches of rain, and is gearing up to be one of the worse blows to hit the city since Katrina. Weather Channel meteorologist Jim Cantore reports.

By Miguel Llanos, NBC News

Updated at 2 a.m. ET:?Unprotected, low-lying areas outside New Orleans were evacuated Monday as Tropical Storm Isaac grew closer to becoming a hurricane that could make landfall in or near Louisiana almost seven years to the day after Hurricane Katrina struck.

"All preparations to protect life and property should be completed tonight," said Ed Rappaport of the National Hurricane Center in his 8 p.m. ET Monday update. He emphasized that water from rain and storm surge would be the biggest threat -- 6 to 18 inches of rain are expected.

Isaac's wind speed increased to 70 mph, just 4 mph short of a hurricane, the National Hurricane Center said in a late afternoon update. It also forecast Isaac would reach Category 2 status with 100 mph winds late Tuesday night. That's a stronger Isaac than was forecast earlier Monday.?

By 2 a.m. ET Tuesday, the center of the storm was 145 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River with maximum sustained winds still at 70mph, the National Hurricane Center said. Isaac was predicted to slow down upon landfall, which forecasters say could be the ultimate test of $14 billion upgrade to its levees and pumps.

In areas near New Orleans, mandatory evacuations were ordered Monday morning for?"our low-lying areas ??those outside the hurricane protection system???such as Lafitte, Crown Point, Barataria and Grand Isle," Jefferson Parish President John Young told TODAY.?

Plaquemines Parish,?which stretches 60 miles out into the Gulf,?also issued a mandatory evacuation order for its 7,000 residents on its east bank starting at noon Monday.

"We?re telling them to get out," Parish President Bill Nungesser told MSNBC. "We?re going to get hit first and we?re going to take the worst beating of this storm. So people are heading up the highway now."

"In our parish there?s one road in and one road out," he added, "and it?s steady traffic flowing out the parish as we speak."

Isaac is expected to be the first major test of a $14 billion makeover of the system that failed the city so disastrously in 2005. NBC's Lester Holt reports.

Parts of Lafourche, St. Charles, St. John parishes saw mandatory evacuations as well.

The governors of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi declared states of emergency as a hurricane warning went into effect for a 300-mile swath that extended into Florida. The warning area was later narrowed to between Morgan City, La., and the Alabama-Florida border.? President Barack Obama approved Louisiana's request for federal disaster declaration, Governor Bobby Jindal said. The approval makes federal funds available for disaster recovery activities like clearing debris, Reuters reported.

"Tonight is when the conditions will start to go downhill" ahead of landfall by Tuesday night, National Hurricane Center Director Rick?Knabb said in a morning update.

Isaac will probably move slowly inland, possibly dumping as much as 18 inches of rain in places, Knabb said.

"That's going to be the big problem," NBC meteorologist Al Roker said on TODAY. "We're talking about potentially 24 hours of hurricane force winds and heavy rain."

"Storm surge is going to be a big, big problem," he added. "Six to twelve feet above normal as you get to New Orleans. Panama City is about four to seven feet."

Related:?Follow Isaac's path with our storm tracker

The hurricane warning area includes?New Orleans, which was devastated when Hurricane Katrina swept over the city on August 29, 2005, killing more than 1,800 people and causing billions of dollars of damage along the coast. A hurricane hasn't hit the Gulf Coast since Ike in 2008.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said at a briefing Monday that schools and City Hall had closed and that the city's defense network of levees and pumps was ready.

NBC's Lester Holt reports from New Orleans, La., where residents and visitors are prepping for Tropical Storm Isaac ?as it threatens to strengthen into a hurricane before landfall.

"All pumps are operational," he said. "We are well prepared to go."?

Landrieu earlier noted the irony of Isaac's arrival. "The timing, as fate would have it, on the anniversary of Katrina has everybody in a state of alertness, but that is a good thing," he said.

If Isaac makes landfall a bit west of New Orleans, that puts the city in the northeast quadrant of the storm, Roker noted, "and that's the worst place" for storm impact.

With tropical storm force winds that extend 205 miles from its center, Isaac is an unusually wide storm.?

"Impacts will be far to the east and to the west of where it comes ashore," Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told TODAY.

TODAY's Savannah Guthrie talks to Jefferson Parish president John Young about possible impact of Tropical Storm Isaac on Louisiana, how residents should prepare and when voluntary evacuations will become mandatory.

Related:?Reshuffled Republican convention to proceed on Tuesday

Robert Latham, the director of Mississippi's emergency management agency, urged residents to prepare for the storm's possible arrival.

"This is important to remember, this is a huge storm," he said. "I don't have to tell you what a storm like that can do."

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley ordered mandatory evacuations beginning on Monday for residents in low-lying areas along the coast.

Oil companies earlier evacuated workers and cut production at Gulf offshore rigs.

Weather.com reported that areas as far west as extreme southeast Texas should continue to monitor Isaac's progress in case a farther west track materializes.

Alan Diaz / AP

Tropical Storm Isaac rakes the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba as begins to bear down on Florida, where Tampa will be hosting the Republican National Convention.

Some Gulf residents started stocking up on supplies and securing their homes. In New Orleans, long lines formed at some gas stations and in Gulfport, Miss., people crowded supermarkets to buy bottled water and canned food.

On Sunday,?the storm lashed the?Florida Keys?and Miami area with wind and rain. Monday morning, some 80,000 south Florida homes and businesses were without electricity due to downed trees that fell on power lines.

The hurricane warning area includes "quite a few oil rigs," said?National Hurricane Center meteorologist Jessica Schauer,?but perhaps not the heart of the U.S. offshore oil patch, which produces about 23 percent of U.S. oil output and 7 percent of its natural gas.?

Once ashore, the storm could wreak havoc on low-lying fuel refineries along the Gulf Coast that account for about 40 percent of U.S. refining capacity.

That could send gasoline prices spiking just ahead of the Labor Day holiday, analysts told Reuters. "It's going right in the heart of refinery row," Phil Flynn, an analyst with Price Futures Group in Chicago, said Sunday.

From weather.com: Live updates and analysis

Isaac's westward track meant the worst of its weather missed Tampa, where the Republican National Convention was to open its four-day meeting on Monday???but official events were delayed until Tuesday because of the storm.

Tampa and much of Florida's west coast and panhandle saw bands of heavy rain on Tuesday morning.

"There's an isolated tornado threat in central Florida up through the northeastern Gulf area," Knabb said. "Just because the center is out in the Gulf don't think that in Florida there aren't some hazards."

Several Republican governors from Gulf states have altered their plans for the GOP convention. Alabama's Gov. Bentley and Louisiana's Gov. Jindal canceled their trips to Tampa. Florida Gov. Rick Scott gave up a chance to speak.?

NBC's Chuck Todd reports from Tampa, Fla., where delays at the Republican National Convention due to Tropical Storm Isaac are set to disrupt the lead-up to Mitt Romney's acceptance of the Republican nomination for president.

U.S. grain elevators on the Gulf coast were shut and barges carrying grain and other goods on the lower Mississippi River were halted in preparation for the storm. Archer Daniels Midland closed four elevators in New Orleans, while Cargill said elevators in Westwego and Reserve, Louisiana, will be closed.

"We have activated our hurricane readiness plan and are taking precautions to ensure the safety of our employees and their families, as well as the security of our assets in the New Orleans area," ADM spokeswoman Jackie Anderson said.

The Mississippi River is a major channel for the movement of grain produced in the Midwest farm belt to export terminals at the Gulf of Mexico for shipment across the world.

"The safety of our employees is the top priority," Cargill told Reuters.

In south Florida, winds from Isaac forced cancellations of hundreds of flights in and out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and other south Florida airports on Sunday.

Isaac is also affecting cruises around Florida and the Caribbean, according to Cruise Critic, a website that covers the industry. Cruise lines have kept ships at sea, altered itineraries and delayed departures of upcoming sailings, Cruise Critic reported.?

Related:?South hopes for drought relief from Isaac

Isaac moved into the Gulf of Mexico after spending several days sweeping across the Caribbean.

In Haiti, Isaac added to the misery of more than 350,000 survivors of the 2010 earthquake still living in flimsy resettlement camps as water gushed into tents and corrugated plastic shacks were ripped apart by the wind.

Authorities in the impoverished nation said the storm had killed eight people, including three children.

In the Dominican Republic, officials said three people were missing, and confirmed the death of the mayor of a town near Santo Domingo, who was swept away as he tried to save another person from a flooded river.

No deaths or injuries were reported in Cuba, which got off lightly when the storm crossed its eastern flank instead of raking up the length of the island as originally predicted.

Weather.com, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/27/13501215-mandatory-evacuations-outside-new-orleans-as-isaac-nears-hurricane-strength?lite

Haley Barbour: 'I'm Very Comfortable With [Romney's] Religion'

  • Bob Fish

    Delegate Bob Fish from Parkersburg, W. Va., pledges at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

  • A volunteer places pamphlets on chairs in Montana's delegation seating area before the start of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

  • Tim Babcock, Tom Hogan

    Former Montana Gov. Tim Babcock, left, and former Florida Gov. Tom Hogan lead the Pledge of Allegiance during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • Texas delegates recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

  • Reice Preibus

    Chairman of the Rebpulican National Convention Reice Preibus gavels the second session of the Republican National Convention to order in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • Bruce Thompson

    Bruce Thompson of San Diego, Calif. fashions his hat at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

  • Diane Sawyer, Ann Romney

    Diane Sawyer, left, interviews Ann Romney, wife of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, on the floor before the session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

  • US-VOTE-2012-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

    Former republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich and his wife Callista appear on stage during a sound check at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, on August 28, 2012 during the Republican National Convention. The 2012 Republican National Convention is expected to host 2,286 delegates and 2,125 alternate delegates from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five territories. AFP PHOTO Stan HONDA (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/GettyImages)

  • 2012 Republican National Convention: Day 2

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 28: U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) stands on stage during a soundcheck with stage manager Howard Kolins during the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 28, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. Today is the first full session of the RNC after the start was delayed due to Tropical Storm Isaac. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

  • 2012 Republican National Convention: Day 2

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 28: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who will give the keynote address and his wife Mary Pat Christie stand on stage for a soundcheck during the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 28, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. Today is the first full session of the RNC after the start was delayed due to Tropical Storm Isaac. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

  • Jeb Bush

    Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush looks at the convention floor from the podium during a microphone check at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • In the dimmed lights, state delagate signs are seen on the convention floor after an abbreviated session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012.(AP Photo/David Goldman)

  • 2012 Republican National Convention Delayed By Tropical Storm Isaac

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 27: Musician Beau Davidson performs during a sound check during the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. The RNC is scheduled to convene today, but will hold its first full session tomorrow after being delayed due to Tropical Storm Isaac. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

  • Alex Casetta, a delegate from Denver, Colo., wears a Pro-Life button on his hat following the opening session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

  • Reince Priebus

    Chairman of the Republican National Committee Reince Priebus speaks to delegates during an abbreviated session the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • Jeremy Blosser

    Jeremy Blosser from Ft. Worth, Texas stands next a mirrored wall on the convention floor after an abbreviated session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

  • Delegates from Texas pray during an abbreviated session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

  • Delegates watch a video presentation during an abbreviated session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

  • Delegates from the state of Ohio listen to Chairman of the Republican National Committee Reince Priebus during the abbreviated opening session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

  • Delegates watch a video presentation during an abbreviated session of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

  • John Boehner, Diane Sawyer

    House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, left, talks to Diane Sawyer on the floor of the Republican National Convention in the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • John Boehner

    House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, talks to reporters on the floor of the Republican National Convention in the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • US-VOTE-2012-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

    American political consultant Karl Rove (L) and Senator Orrin Hatch from Utah (R) share a word at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Florida, during final preparations for the opening of the Republican National Convention on August 27, 2012. Due to tropical storm Isaac, the convention will come to order later today, Monday August 27th, and then immediately recess until the afternoon on Tuesday, August 28th. AFP PHOTO Brendan SMIALOWSKI (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/GettyImages)

  • 2012 Republican National Convention Delayed By Tropical Storm Isaac

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 27: A sign for the Republican National Convention hangs outside Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. The Republican National Convention is scheduled to convene briefly August 27, and delayed its first full session until August 28 because of Tropical Storm Isaac. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

  • Mitch McConnell

    Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. bchecks out the stage at the Republican National Convention inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • 2012 Republican National Convention Delayed By Tropical Storm Isaac

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 27: Stage workers continue to make last-minute adjustments to the main stage at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on the abbreviated first day of the Republican National Convention August 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. Organizers decided to delay the start of the convention as the projected path of Tropical Storm Isaac' put the storm blowing past Tampa and into the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

  • A Coast Guard patrol boat cruises past the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. The start of the Republican National Convention, being held at the facility, has been delayed because of the approaching tropical storm Isaac. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

  • Judy Griffin, of Georgia, takes photos while wearing a hat with Republican Party buttons during the 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee's welcoming event for the delegates of the Republican National Convention on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/The Tampa Tribune, Chris Urso, Pool)

  • Republican presidential candidate and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney campaign buttons are displayed ahead of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

  • Herman Cain

    Supporters cheer as former Republican presidential candidate, businessman Herman Cain, speaks during a Unity Rally Sunday Aug. 26, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

  • US-VOTE-2012-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

    William Temple (C), in colonial dress, and other Tea Party supporters cheer at the Tea Party Unity Rally at The River at Tampa Bay Church ahead of the Republican National Convention, in Tampa, Florida, on August 26, 2012. AFP PHOTO / ROBYN BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/GettyImages)

  • US-VOTE-2012-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

    Supporters of US Republican presidential contender Ron Paul react during his speech at a rally at the Sun Dome of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, on August 26, 2012. Thousands of Ron Paul supporters gathered in Sun Dome to show support for their candidate. AFP PHOTO/MLADEN ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/GettyImages)

  • US-VOTE-2012-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

    A supporter of the US Republican presidential contender Ron Paul waves his portrait during a rally at the Sun Dome of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, on August 26, 2012. Thousands of Ron Paul supporters gathered in Sun Dome to show support for their candidate. AFP PHOTO/MLADEN ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/GettyImages)

  • US-VOTE-2012-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

    Supporters wave banners and a portret of US Republican presidential contender Ron Paul during a rally at the Sun Dome of the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, on August 26, 2012. Thousands of Ron Paul supporters gathered in Sun Dome to show support for their candidate. AFP PHOTO/MLADEN ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/GettyImages)

  • Tampa Prepares For Republican National Convention And Potential Hurricane

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 26: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley waves while standing at the podium with Stage manager Howard Kolins (R) ahead of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 26, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. The RNC is scheduled to convene on August 27 and will hold its first session on August 28 as Tropical Storm Isaac threatens disruptions due to its proximity to the Florida peninsula. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

  • G.E. Smith

    Guitarist G.E. Smith rehearses at the Republican National Convention inside of the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

  • Scott Kiss

    Worker Patrick Gayle of Kissimmee, Fla. wipes the mirror-sided camera stands on the floor of the Republican National Convention in the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

  • Workers prepare the stage for the Republican National Convention inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • Jason Chaffetz

    Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, stands on the stage during preparation for the Republican National Convention festivities inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • Workers prepare the stage for the Republican National Convention inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • Jason Chaffetz

    Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, gets a look at the stage during preparation for the Republican National Convention festivities inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • Workers prepare the stage for the Republican National Convention inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • Anthony Batri, from Largo, Fla., unfurls banners as preparations are made ahead of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

  • Workers prepare the stage for the Republican National Convention inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. The political convention begins on Monday, Aug. 27th. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

  • Workers prepare the stage for the Republican National Convention inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. The political convention begins on Monday, Aug. 27th. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

  • Riggers load nets full of balloons for the Republican National Convention festivities inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Friday, Aug. 24, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • Riggers load nets full of balloons for the Republican National Convention festivities inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Friday, Aug. 24, 2012, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

  • Tampa Prepares For Republican National Convention And Potential Hurricane

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 23: Video displays that will be used during the Republican National Convention are tested at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on August 23, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. The Republican convention is scheduled to begin in less than a week although Tropical Storm Isaac is threatening possible disruptions due to its proximity to the Florida peninsula. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

  • Members of the media conduct interviews on the floor after the unveiling of the stage and podium for the 2012 Republican National Convention, Monday, Aug. 20, 2012, at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Iskowitz)

  • Reince Priebus, Willan Harris

    Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, left, and convention CEO William Harris unveil the stage and podium for the 2012 Republican National Convention, Monday, Aug. 20, 2012, at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Iskowitz)

  • Reince Priebus, Willan Harris

    Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus, left, and convention CEO William Harris unveil the stage and podium for the 2012 Republican National Convention, Monday, Aug. 20, 2012, at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Scott Iskowitz)

  • GOP Previews Site Of Republican National Convention

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 20: Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus unveils the stage inside of the Tampa Bay Times Forum in preparation for the Republican National Convention on August 20, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. Thousands will decend on Tampa for the four day convention which takes place August 27-30. (Photo by Tim Boyles/Getty Images)

  • GOP Previews Site Of Republican National Convention

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 20: News media report on the unveiling of the stage inside of the Tampa Bay Times Forum in preparation for the Republican National Convention on August 20, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. Thousands will decend on Tampa for the four day convention which takes place August 27-30. (Photo by Tim Boyles/Getty Images)

  • GOP Previews Site Of Republican National Convention

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 20: A worker walks past the stage inside of the Tampa Bay Times Forum in preparation for the Republican National Convention on August 20, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. Thousands will decend on Tampa for the four day convention which takes place August 27-30. (Photo by Tim Boyles/Getty Images)

  • GOP Previews Site Of Republican National Convention

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 20: A woman walks in front of the stage inside of the Tampa Bay Times Forum in preparation for the Republican National Convention on August 20, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. Thousands will decend on Tampa for the four day convention which takes place August 27-30. (Photo by Tim Boyles/Getty Images)

  • This photo taken Monday, Aug. 13, 2012 shows downtown Tampa, Fla. The Tampa Bay Times Forum, right, is the location of the Republican National Convention, which will be held Aug. 27-30. Traffic caused by road closures and protests are a concern of downtown workers and residents. (AP Photo/Tamara Lush)

  • Protesters Demonstrate During The Republican National Convention

    TAMPA, FL - AUGUST 27: Code Pink protesters goad people waiting in line to enter Ybor City's Cuban Club which is reported to be hosting a party attended by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and others as the Republican National Convention is set to begin on August 27, 2012 in Tampa, Florida. The Code Pink demostrators were accusing the people attending the party of being rich as well as supporters of presumptive Republican presidential nominee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

  • US-VOTE-2012-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

    Anti-Mitt Romney protesters march through the streets in Tampa, Florida, on August 26, 2012 ahead of the Republican National Convention. The 2012 Republican National Convention was scheduled to be held at the Tampa Bay Times Forum from August 27-30, 2012, but was cut short by one day due to incoming severe weather and possible hurricane conditions. AFP PHOTO Robyn BECK (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP/GettyImages)

    • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/haley-barbour-mitt-romney-religion_n_1835016.html

    Monday, August 27, 2012

    Finding Faith in a Moving Box or a Box of Wine; It All Works Out

    Regroup. Reframe. Relax. This is my motto. My theme if you will. I use it in my writing, my personal perspective, my work and my every day life.? And yet, it?s a challenge. And right now, I am feeling very, very challenged.

    I?m not sure if this is the appropriate place to vent, but seeing as I write about perspective and getting comfortable with our world, maybe it?s the perfect place to vent.

    You see, I?m moving. And if you have ever moved, you will recall the highs and lows that come with moving and making just about any transition in your life.? I?m not opposed to transition and change, I know it?s inevitable and it helps us grow, but to combat any discomfort, I like to plan everything out and am a chronic goal setter because it makes me feel less chaotic during change. As long as I feel some semblance of personal control during transition, I?m good.

    When my husband suggested we move (for the past three years, but I was in denial until this past Spring) I was very hesitant, and assumed/hoped we?d never find what we liked and would have to stay in our current home and expand.? I felt very strongly about this until I started visualizing myself in each new house and slowly started to see our family growing in these places.? And when we found the house we really wanted, that had everything we were looking for, we knew we had arrived, it was meant to be.

    And so began our summer of transition. My normal goal of shutting down and relaxing with my children at the lake each day and berry picking and pool hopping had to shift to the new goal of getting fully prepared to move at the end of the summer and unfortunately during the first week of school.? But it?s a great house and I?m a great planner, so it would be a sacrifice well worth it.

    Every transition has its low points and drama and the buying and selling of our houses has had its fair share in the past two months, but they?ve been manageable?until two weeks ago.? Long story short, we are scheduled to close on our current home this week, our boxes are packed, we?re on our way out, but at this very moment, we have no definitive plan on where we will move to.

    Due to a major error on the seller of the house we are buying, we are no longer closing on the house this week. We may be in the future, but there is no guarantee and there are significant risks in the process of waiting it out.? We were offered the option of renting the house while we wait, but we still have not seen a rental agreement and we must be out of our home in four days.? We have no concrete back up plan- which is unheard of for me- but I am holding out.? Why? I am relying on Faith. I am practicing what I believe in and what I struggle with.

    This morning I made various lists for myself of what I need to get done today.? Remaining closets that need packing, meal plan for the week, clothes laid out for school and a final exit plan for the house- the house I didn?t want to leave. I am taking control of what I can.? And the rest, a very large rest, I am leaving to Faith.? It is not easy. I am battling the What If?s, the uneasiness of not having an action plan, and the sadness of leaving the security and comfort of my home.? But I choose to believe that it will be okay.? I have to. I have to believe that it will work out for my family. I have to regroup various times throughout the day, I have to reframe my thoughts almost continuously and I have to relax, at least once a day, if even with help of a nice glass of Pinot Noir.? It is imperative.

    I will have a back up emergency plan in a few days if I have to.? But for now, I?m riding it out.? Somehow, when it all works out, I think it will make the reliance on Faith that much more rewarding. And if it doesn?t??we?ll cross that bridge.

    This particular life challenge has been a struggle, but not one I?m afraid to tackle.? It?s not any harder than the others and the lessons we?re learning will be invaluable somewhere down the road.? So if you don?t hear from me in a month, its not that I?ve given up. It?s that I?ve been locked up, behind some padded walls by some very skeptical people who are uncomfortable with my incurable optimism?or in the storage facility I am living in that doesn?t have Wi-Fi.? Either way, it only gets better from here, right?

    Source: http://www.perspectiveparenting.com/2012/08/26/finding-faith-in-a-moving-box-or-a-box-of-wine-it-all-works-out/

    Dispatches From the Republican National Convention

    Illustration by Robert Neubecker.

    Illustration by Robert Neubecker.

    Greetings from the floor of the convention! I'm sitting under the sign for the New Mexico delegation. (Poor Vermont. They're seated so far away from the stage they might as well be in Vermont.) I've been here since Thursday when there was still exposed plywood, angry drills, and guys with lots of tattoos yelling at each other about forklifts. In the workspace there's?a sign that says:?"Watch Out for Forklifts." I never knew they were so stealthy. (Drought, debt, hurricanes, and now we have to worry about forklifts? Dark times.)?

    Having spent so much time in the hall, I've come to the conclusion (at least until my next entry) that the convention stage is destiny. I shall describe the stage for the readers at home. There are a dozen or so high-definition screens wrapped in warm-looking wooden frames. They float in the air offset from each other like a mobile you might buy in the gift shop at?Fallingwater. Everything on the stage has had the same applied black-walnut wood surface poured over it?the lectern, the stairs, and the desk, which looks like it needs a receptionist to welcome you for your weekend at the mountain lodge. Bob Schieffer said the whole business looks like a?Swedish?spa. I think it looks like the basement movie room of a dot-com mogul who has just had a very successful IPO. You can watch the 49ers game and play Diablo 3 at the same time.?

    Convention planners have tried to do with the stage what they're trying to do with Mitt Romney: warm up a cool medium. The monitors are high tech and passionless. They're so sharp they hurt your eyes. Wrapped in the wood, though, they take on a more comfortable feel. Or at least that's the gambit.?To some this will seem a stylish mix of new technology wrapped in a warm traditional look. To others it might be discordant, like those hideous amalgams you see in Sky Mall:?Hide your television remote in this authentic looking replica of a first edition of Great Expectations!?Wrapping the cool technology in the dark wood may neither comfort nor inform.?

    This convention is an exercise in packaging Mitt Romney in a similar way. Voters haven't found him likable or approachable. In the latest NBC poll, when voters are asked which candidate cares about average people, Romney loses to Obama by 20 points. He's probably not going to fix that, but Romney aides concede that their candidate has to cross a threshold in order to allow people to feel OK with handing him power. The bad economy and their unhappiness with Obama have voters ready to leave him, but they've got to feel a little better about Romney to make the leap.?

    Trying to do better. 2012 Republican National Convention, Tampa, Fla. Organizers at the 2012 Republican National Convention put up a sign that will read "We can do better".

    Richard Kalvar for Slate.

    Although the Obama campaign is trying to argue that this is a Romney re-invention authored by Hollywood, we don't know that yet. Simply trying to highlight your candidate's best qualities is hardly an act of phony make-believe.?You know who had the most successful convention re-invention? Bill Clinton. It was the Man From Hope video that helped people start to take a new look at him. The video?produced by Hollywood?simply? gave people a view into Clinton?s personal history.?

    That's what they're trying to do here: give the country a window into the authentic Romney. It may be one of the least phony acts of this campaign, which has been filled with claims about specificity and truth, because Mitt Romney has a lot to offer people. He has been devoted to his family and his church. He is a successful?businessman who jumped in to rescue the Olympics when he was called. Pretending Paul Ryan was a bipartisan deal-maker in Congress is a fantasy. Showing that Mitt Romney is a highly competent person who has devoted a big chunk of his life to the community is a relatively easy sell.?

    Does that make a person qualified to be president? The voters can decide that. Does it make Romney qualified? That's up to the voters, too. I suspect they might want to know what he believes and what he'll do in office. Making him warm through personal biography doesn't tell us much about that.?

    Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=8cfe4a573b7dba6b9b4075bf9ab46da4

    Sunday, August 26, 2012

    'Cyborg' tissues: Merging engineered human tissues with bio-compatible nanoscale wires

    ScienceDaily (Aug. 26, 2012) ? Harvard scientists have, for the first, time created a type of "cyborg" tissue by embedding a three-dimensional network of functional, bio-compatible nanoscale wires into engineered human tissues.

    As described in a paper published August 26 in Nature Materials, a multi-institutional research team led by Charles M. Lieber, the Mark Hyman, Jr. Professor of Chemistry at Harvard and Daniel Kohane, a Harvard Medical School professor in the Department of Anesthesia at Children's Hospital Boston developed a system for creating nanoscale "scaffolds" which could be seeded with cells which later grew into tissue.

    Also contributing to the work were Robert Langer, from the Koch Institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Zhigang Suo, the Allen E. and Marilyn M. Puckett Professor of Mechanics and Materials at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

    "The current methods we have for monitoring or interacting with living systems are limited," said Lieber. "We can use electrodes to measure activity in cells or tissue, but that damages them. With this technology, for the first time, we can work at the same scale as the unit of biological system without interrupting it. Ultimately, this is about merging tissue with electronics in a way that it becomes difficult to determine where the tissue ends and the electronics begin."

    The research addresses a concern that has long been associated with work on bioengineered tissue -- how to create systems capable of sensing chemical or electrical changes in the tissue after it has been grown and implanted. The system might also represent a solution to researchers' struggles in developing methods to directly stimulate engineered tissues and measure cellular reactions.

    "In the body, the autonomic nervous system keeps track of pH, chemistry, oxygen and other factors, and triggers responses as needed," Kohane explained. "We need to be able to mimic the kind of intrinsic feedback loops the body has evolved in order to maintain fine control at the cellular and tissue level."

    Using the autonomic nervous system as inspiration, Bozhi Tian, a former doctoral student under Lieber and former postdoctoral fellow in the Kohane and Langer labs, and collaborator Jia Liu worked in Lieber's lab at Harvard to build mesh-like networks of nanoscale silicon wires -- about 30 -- 80 nm in diameter -- shaped like flat planes or in a reticular conformation.

    The process of building the networks, Lieber said, is similar to that used to etch microchips.

    Beginning with a two-dimensional substrate, researchers laid out a mesh of organic polymer around nanoscale wires, which serve as the critical nanoscale sensing elements. Nanoscale electrodes, which connect the nanowire elements, were then built within the mesh to enable nanowire transistors to measure the activity in cells without damaging them. Once complete, the substrate was dissolved, leaving researchers with a net-like sponge or a mesh that can be folded or rolled into a host of three dimensional shapes.

    Once complete, the networks were porous enough to allow the team to seed them with cells and encourage those cells to grow in 3D cultures.

    "Previous efforts to create bioengineered sensing networks have focused on two-dimensional layouts, where culture cells grow on top of electronic components, or on conformal layouts where probes are placed on tissue surfaces," said Tian. "It is desirable to have an accurate picture of cellular behavior within the 3D structure of a tissue, and it is also important to have nanoscale probes to avoid disruption of either cellular or tissue architecture."

    Using heart and nerve cells, the team successfully engineered tissues containing embedded nanoscale networks without affecting the cells' viability or activity. Using the embedded devices, they were able to detect electrical signals generated by cells deep within the tissue, and to measure changes in those signals in response to cardio- or neuro-stimulating drugs.

    Researchers were also able to construct bioengineered blood vessels, and used the embedded technology to measure pH changes -- as would be seen in response to inflammation, ischemia and other biochemical or cellular environments -- both inside and outside the vessels.

    Though a number of potential applications exist for the technology, the most near-term use, Lieber said, may come from the pharmaceutical industry, where researchers could use the technology to more precisely study how newly-developed drugs act in three dimensional tissues, rather than thin layers of cultured cells. The system might also one day be used to monitor changes inside the body and react accordingly, whether through electrical stimulation or the release of a drug.

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    The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Harvard University.

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

    Journal Reference:

    1. Bozhi Tian, Jia Liu, Tal Dvir, Lihua Jin, Jonathan H. Tsui, Quan Qing, Zhigang Suo, Robert Langer, Daniel S. Kohane, Charles M. Lieber. Macroporous nanowire nanoelectronic scaffolds for synthetic tissues. Nature Materials, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nmat3404

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

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

    Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/8jAMTZeQspA/120826143610.htm

    AP interview transcript with President Obama

    WASHINGTON (AP) ? Question: Mr. President, thank you for the opportunity.

    Obama: Good to see you.

    Q. It's good to see you again.

    Let's start with politics, of course. Mitt Romney is about to have the biggest political stage of his life at the Republican National Convention. What do you expect to hear from him, and how do you plan to counter it when you speak at your convention just a week later?

    Obama: I suspect that we'll hear at the Republican Convention what we've been seeing in the millions of dollars' worth of ads that they're running all throughout the country. And they basically have one message, which is, the economy is not where it should be and it's Obama's fault. And there will be variations on that theme.

    But I think when voters step back, what they're going to look at is who can move us forward. And we all understand that we just went through the worst recession and the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. People understand the millions of jobs that were lost before I took office, the 800,000 jobs that we lost the month I was sworn in, and they recognize that we've started to see some progress ? 4.5 million new jobs created in the private sector, half a million manufacturing jobs, saving the auto industry.

    But they also understand that we've got to do more. And so the question is: What's the recipe for long-term, sustained economic growth? And when they ask themselves that question, what they'll see is the Republicans are essentially offering the same policies that got us into this mess in the first place.

    Mitt Romney is proposing a $5 trillion tax cut that disproportionately goes to the wealthiest Americans. And he will pay for that by gutting investments in things like education, infrastructure, basic science and research, voucherizing Medicare ? all to provide an average of $250,000 worth of tax breaks to people making $3 million a year or more.

    And when you combine that with rolling back regulations that we put in place for reining in Wall Street, making sure we don't go through the same kind of financial crisis we went through, when you look at Governor Romney's proposal to roll back the Affordable Care Act ? which would actually mean millions of young people would no longer have coverage who now do because they can stay on their parent's plan, or seniors having to pay more for their prescription drugs ? they're going to be pretty skeptical of that argument.

    And what we're going to be offering ? and have been offering ? is a path forward that says balanced deficit-reduction, smart cuts in government programs that we can no longer afford, making sure that we're eliminating waste and fraud in programs like Medicare, but still making sure that we've got our investments in education, our investments in science and technology, investments in clean energy research, asking folks like me ? people who are in the top 1 or 2 percent ? making sure that they're paying a little bit more for a balanced deficit reduction plan but also a plan to ensure that our economy grows and that we're building our middle class.

    Q. Put yourself in the shoes of an undecided voter who says: I don't have a job, I can't pay my bills, my life isn't better ? my life isn't better under President Obama. Why should that person vote for you?

    Obama: Look, I hear from folks all the time who are still struggling. Even if they have a job, they are still having a tough time paying the bills. Their home may be underwater because of the housing bubble burst. They're still worried about saving for their retirement.

    And so I'm the first one to say that we're not where we need to be. What I'd say to that voter, though, is who's more likely to fight for middle-class families to make sure that they've got long-term security? Is it going to be Governor Romney and his proposals that mirror the kinds of proposals that got us into this mess in the first place ? that led to some of the slowest growth we've ever seen, jobs being shipped overseas, middle-class wages and incomes declining ? culminating in this disastrous economic crisis?

    Or is it going to be a president who is interested in making sure that college is affordable for that voter's kids, that is bringing manufacturing back, that is interested in creating jobs in the clean energy sector? And that's the choice that I think that voter is going to be confronted with.

    We aren't where we need to be. Everybody agrees with that. But Governor Romney's policies would make things worse for middle-class families and offer no prospect for long-term opportunity for those striving to get into the middle class. And the policies I'm offering are ones that have been proven in the past to help middle-class families achieve their dreams.

    Q. You just framed it as a choice, and of course we've heard that from you and your campaign for months. But what about the person who basically says: I gave him a chance, I hired him, I'm not happy, I might fire him? I mean, don't people make decisions that way and then decide let's give the new guy a chance?

    Obama: If they saw Governor Romney offering serious proposals that offered some sort of concrete ways in which middle-class families would be helped, then I could understand them thinking about that choice. But that's not what's happening.

    Let's be very concrete about a problem we all agree needs to be resolved and that is the deficit and debt. Now, this didn't happen overnight. It happened because we had tax cuts that weren't paid for, two wars fought on a credit card and then a massive economic crisis.

    What I've said is, let's reduce our deficit and debt in a balanced, sensible way. Let's make sure that 98 percent of families, folks making $250,000 a year or less, aren't seeing their taxes ? their income taxes go up a single dime next year. And I've said to the Republicans, I'm ready to sign that bill tomorrow.

    Governor Romney's approach is to cut taxes $5 trillion, but because so much of the benefit goes to wealthy individuals, independent analysts say that's going to cost middle-class families an extra $2,000 in tax burden. So you've got a very clear choice for that voter ? I've got somebody who's willing to keep my taxes low at the same time as he's able to help me afford sending my kid to college, and is going to continue to invest in things like advanced manufacturing, and change the tax code so we're not giving tax breaks to companies that are shipping jobs overseas but instead give those tax breaks to companies that are building in Cleveland and Pittsburgh and Raleigh and throughout the United States.

    And you've got a guy who will end up costing me an extra $2,000 in taxes to give breaks to folks who've already done very well. And in that circumstance, I think the average American is going to say: I want somebody who's on my side, fighting for me, thinking about me.

    It doesn't mean that folks are going to be satisfied with the pace that we're on. People are going to want to see it accelerated. And, frankly, we would be in a stronger position if the proposal I put forward almost a year ago that had provided help to states to rehire teachers and firefighters and police officers, and put construction workers back to work, rebuilding our roads and our bridges ? if those proposals had been put in place, we'd have an estimated additional million jobs.

    The problem we've got right now is we've got a Republican Congress that is closely aligned with Governor Romney's perspective that is blocking some of the progress that we could be making.

    Q. Well, that's exactly what I want to ask you about next. Let's say you win ? okay, that's a hypothetical that you would probably buy into. But say you win, but the House Republicans win again also, a likely possibility. How is that any different from what we have now? Why wouldn't a voter look at that and say that's a recipe for stalemate. How would you do anything differently?

    Obama: Well, there are a couple things that I think change. No. 1, the American people will have voted. They will have cast a decisive view on how we should move the country forward, and I would hope that the Republican Party, after a fulsome debate, would say to itself, we need to listen to the American people.

    I think what is also true is that because of the mechanisms that have been set up, agreed to by Republicans, that have already cut a trillion dollars' worth of spending out of the federal deficit, but now we've got to find an additional trillion ? $1.2 trillion, I guess ? before the end of the year, means that the Republicans will have to make a very concrete decision about whether they're willing to cooperate on a balanced package.

    If they don't, then I'm going to have to look at how we can work around Congress to make sure that middle-class families are protected, but that we're still doing our ? meeting our responsibilities when it comes to deficit reduction and investing in the future.

    Q. But, I mean, I can certainly see Republicans, led by Speaker Boehner, saying the same thing ? the American people voted, we're back in power, too. They're not going to change their position on taxes, on climate change, on immigration. So I mean, if you could ? if I could just push a little further on that, how do you see that dynamic changing?

    Obama: Well, look, there are some proposals that they put forward that we're not going to compromise on because I believe it would be bad for the country and bad for middle-class families.

    I don't think it would be a good idea to pursue an approach that voucherizes Medicare and raises taxes on middle-class families to give wealthy individuals a tax break. So if that's the mandate that Republicans receive, then there's still going to be some serious arguments here in Washington.

    But what I'm offering the American people is a balanced approach that the majority agrees with, including a lot of Republicans. And for me to be able to say to the Republicans, the election is over; you no longer need to be focused on trying to beat me; what you need to be focused on and what you should have been focused on from the start is how do we advance the American economy ? I'm prepared to make a whole range of compromises, some of which I get criticized from the Democratic Party on, in order to make progress. But we're going to need compromise on your side as well. And the days of viewing compromise as a dirty word need to be over because the American people are tired of it.

    That's, I think, a message that will resonate not with every Republican, but I think with a lot of fair-minded Republican legislators who probably feel somewhat discouraged about having served in one of the least productive Congresses in American history.

    And I hear ? not in public, but in private ? that many of them would like to go ahead and get some stuff done because they recognize that our children and our grandchildren have a stake in us being able to get this work done.

    Q. Let's talk some more about Governor Romney. What have you learned about him this campaign?

    Obama: Well, I think Governor Romney obviously has achieved extraordinary success with his businesses, and he's obviously very focused on achieving the presidency. He cares deeply about his family, and I think he cares deeply about his faith.

    On the other hand, his view of how we grow an economy is just contradicted by the facts. He has embraced an approach that we tried for almost a decade, and it didn't work. And he's now looking to double down on it.

    What we've also seen is Governor Romney has not been willing to, I think, own up to some of the responsibilities that are required if you're president of the United States. So there's been obviously a lot of discussion about his unwillingness to release his tax returns. As I mentioned in a press conference on Monday, we've suggested he needs to, not because we're being mean or asking something unusual. When you run for president, you are asking the American people to put their trust in you on a whole range of decisions that are going to be really consequential for them, including over the next year issues of tax reform and how we make sure the tax code is fair for everybody.

    And if you've got a precedent where every other candidate for this office has said ? here are my finances, here's how I've handled my tax obligations ? and you've got a governor who's been unwilling to do that, and the small bits of disclosure that he has put forward indicate investments in the Bahamas, or Swiss bank accounts, that indicates to me a lack of willingness to take responsibility for what this job entails.

    Q. What about more personally? One of the political narratives out there is that you are specifically driven to beat him not just because of the visions and the policies, but this guy gets you going, he gets under your skin. Is that true?

    Obama: No, that's not true. I think that's stirred-up Beltway discussions.

    Q. So, privately, when you guys have strategy meetings, no dislike for him, no disdain for him?

    Obama: I don't really know him well. I think that the big arguments that I have with Governor Romney have to do with where we take this country forward. And it is my firm belief that somebody who wants to be president of the United States but is willing to try tax plans that won't create jobs and will definitely increase the deficit or increase burdens on the middle class, somebody who appears to have disdain for renewable, homegrown energy that has created thousands of jobs and is part of what is allowing us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, somebody who believes that when it comes to Medicare that we should move towards a voucher system ? that he is somebody who, for whatever reason, has not offered the kinds of solutions that are going to help America be strong in the future.

    And that's the kind of debate that the American people ultimately are going to be making a decision about.

    Q. When you get to your debates with him, where do you think he's vulnerable?

    Obama: Well, I just listed a whole range of differences and ?

    Q. I mean ? I'm sorry ? specifically in the debate, that format? A lot of people are going to be paying attention to see how ?

    Obama: My sense is Governor Romney is a very capable debater. I think he did a very good job in his primary scoring points. The challenge he may end up having is the fact that some of the core arguments he's making against me just aren't based on facts.

    So probably the most prominent argument that he's been making for why voters should vote for him is this notion that Obama took the work requirement out of welfare, and he'll put it back. The problem is, is that every fact-checker, every reporter who has actually looked at this says this is just made up, that, in fact, the president and his administration has been willing to say to states that want to put more people back to work, get more people off of welfare, they're willing to give them some additional flexibility, but that there has been no attempt to eliminate the work requirement.

    And so if that's the central premise or the central argument that you're making and it's based on something that's just not true, it will be, I think, a little bit tougher to defend face-to-face in a debate.

    Q. You must be thinking about what his motivation is for continuing to run those ads and make that point. Why do you think he's doing it? Who do you think he's targeting?

    Obama: Well, I think that if you don't have a good argument for how you're going to make things better, then you stay focused on how you can discredit the incumbent. That's sort of standard politics. And I think Governor Romney understands that if people understand his actual positions on things like tax cuts for the wealthy, or how we reduce the deficit, or his approach to Medicare, that they don't do very well. And so I think his chosen approach ? with the help of these super PACs and folks writing $10 million checks ? is to see if for the undecided voter who's feeling the pinch coming out of this recession, who's still having a tough time, whether they can get a sense, well, maybe Obama is not looking out for me.

    And what gives me some confidence is I know every single day when I wake up in the morning and every night when I go to bed, the question I'm asking myself is: Have I helped hardworking people who are responsible and following the rules and doing everything they can to look after their families and do right by their communities ? have I helped them in some small way to give them a fair shot? And am I making sure that everybody is doing their fair share and following the same set of rules?

    And everything that I've done over the last three-and-a-half years has been centered on those hardworking Americans who are trying to achieve the American dream. That gives me a lot of confidence going forward ? not that everything we've done has worked as fast as I'd like or exactly as we want, but it gives me confidence that we have pushed this country to start moving in the right direction and we shouldn't be going backwards.

    Q. I'm getting the sign here, I'm going to try to squeeze in a couple more, with your patience.

    Obama: Sure.

    Q. I wanted to follow up on one other thing on Romney. One of your advisors, David Plouffe, said once that he doesn't think Romney has a core ? speaking about what he stands for. Do you agree with that?

    Obama: I can't speak to Governor Romney's motivations. What I can say is that he has signed up for positions, extreme positions that are very consistent with positions that a number of House Republicans have taken. And whether he actually believes in those or not, I have no doubt that he would carry forward some of the things that he's talked about.

    I don't think that he would back off a $5 trillion tax cut at this point. He's made that the centerpiece of his economic argument. I don't think that if Congress presented him with some of the items that are in the Republican platform at this convention that would, for example, entirely roll back women's control over their reproductive health, that he would stand in the way.

    He said that he would eliminate tax credits that are going to wind producers, even though we've doubled the production of wind energy. I suspect that he has to follow through on those commitments.

    And so, when I look back on 2008, the promises that I made ? I said I'd end the war in Iraq; I did. I said that I'd go after al-Qaida and bin Laden; we did. I said that I'd give middle-class families a tax cut; they're paying on average about $3,600 less than they were when I came into office. I said that I would make sure that every American family has some security when it comes to health insurance; we got it done. I said that I would help young people get more affordable college, and we got that done.

    So we haven't gotten everything done that I promised, but a big chunk of what I said I would do in 2008 we have done. And I've got to assume that Governor Romney would do the same thing. And so, regardless of his motivations, the question then becomes is what he's proposing actually going to help hardworking families all across the country. I don't think they will.

    If you're a voter and you believe that the biggest problem we have is that the president has put too many regulations in place to keep our air clean and our water clean, if you believe that the way to reduce the deficit is to gut our investments in education and transportation and cut taxes for wealthy individuals ? then you should feel confident that Governor Romney is going to follow through on those commitments. I just don't think they'll work.

    Q. Last one, on Paul Ryan. When you found out he was chosen as the vice presidential candidate, what did you think? Were you surprised? And do you think he's fit to be president if it should come to that?

    Obama: Well, I think Congressman Ryan is very bright, he's appealing, he's got a beautiful family. And he certainly has been the ideological architect of the Republican Congress. He is one of the most articulate spokespersons for the views that Governor Romney is promoting.

    But it, again, goes back to the issues. It goes back to your policies. Congressman Ryan is somebody who has enthusiastically embraced the view that the way we should approach our challenges ? in fact, just about the only way we should approach our economic challenges ? is to drastically cut all those investments that have helped the economy grow in the past and provide massive tax cuts to folks who don't need them.

    So under Congressman Ryan's original tax plan, Governor Romney would pay less than 1 percent in taxes ? less than 1 percent ? while the average bus driver or teacher or police officer or small businessman, for that matter, would be paying a substantially higher tax rate.

    And not only do I think it's not fair, but that's not how we grow an economy. When you look at the last hundred years of American history, the economy has always grown best when we grew it from the middle out and from the bottom up. If you look at the '50s and the '60s and '70s, when we had our biggest booms and greatest growth in productivity ? when you look at what happened under Bill Clinton, who had 23 million new jobs being created ? the reason was because folks in the middle, hardworking Americans, they saw their incomes go up. And as a consequence, they had more money to spend. That gave business more customers. Businesses were more profitable, and they would hire more workers.

    And part of that was making sure that we had a tax code that was fair for everybody. And the times where we've had real damage done to our economy, both most recently in 2007-2008, but before that in the 1920s, was when you had a few folks who were doing really well, ordinary folks were having a tough time, there were no rules in place to make sure that people weren't engaging in reckless behavior and over time, that house of cards fell.

    So this is not a situation where we haven't tried these various approaches that are being proposed. We've tried them. We've seen the outcomes. And the history, I think, is on our side.

    Q. Then why do you think he chose Ryan?

    Obama: Well, you'd have to ask Governor Romney that.

    Q. Fair enough.

    Obama: All, right. Thanks so much.

    Q. Thank you, Mr. President.

    Obama: I appreciate you.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-interview-transcript-president-obama-170550777.html

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