Laser welding as an engine of innovation

Apr. 29, 2013 ? Can lasers perform welds precisely and reliably in the midst of thundering machinery? The prototype of a new laser welder developed by an international team of researchers has now withstood the worst. At INTEGASA and ENSA, two companies in Spain that produce heat exchangers for heavy industry, the prototype proved itself precise and reliable under the difficult conditions of routine daily use.

"Manufacturers of heat exchangers were skeptical of laser anything until now," confirms Patrick Herwig from the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden. TIG-welding guns have traditionally been employed in assembly operations for welding thousands of tubes to the perforated tube sheets. This process, which is based on arc-welding technology, is very time-intensive however. The gun must be manually inserted into every hole and removed again after welding. As a result, the fabrication process is tedious, prolonged, and expensive. European manufacturers can hardly hold their ground today against competition from countries with low labor costs. Materials researchers, software specialists, production engineers and numerous users joined forces in the EU ORBITAL Project to jointly search for a cost-effective alternative. And found one.

Engineering that meets the most demanding requirements Instead of conventional TIG-welding guns, a laser does the job -- tube sheets and tubes are welded to one another rapidly, precisely and accurately. In seconds, the tube is circumferentially welded in place and the robotic arm transporting the welding head can move on to the next hole. The welding head is designed so it anchors itself in the holes and is seated there so firmly than not even vibrations of the shop floor can disrupt the welding process. Precise guidance of the optical beam is handled by software-controlled mirrors that continuously direct it to the right location. Engineers and users from Italy, Spain, France, and Germany have been fine-tuning the process for two years. "The prototype we are exhibiting now at LASER 2013 facilitates the production of heat exchangers, and not just through its speed, but through its flexibility as well. It can even melt materials together that were considered difficult to weld until now," according to Herwig, who was responsible for designing and testing the welding head during the EU project.

It is exactly these exotic combinations of materials that are needed by manufacturers of heat exchangers. They have to withstand extreme conditions in actual use. Heat exchangers are used in the chemical industry, ship engines, and power plants to remove heat from high-temperature, aggressive solutions of liquids. The tubing these liquids are passed through must therefore be corrosion-resistant. However, the liquid in the tank outside the tubing that absorbs the heat is chemically inert. Cost-effective materials can be employed here. Where tank and tubing meet, differing materials must be joined. "Traditional welding techniques hit their limits here, whereas the job can be handled with the laser," says Herwig. The researchers are confident that laser welding can be implemented so effectively in production that European companies remain competitive internationally.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/k362lLXD22c/130429095048.htm

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My EFT Tapping for Anxiety Relief Video: Emotional Freedom ...

Have you heard of Emotional Freedom Technique? EFT is a scientifically proven way to rewire your brain and interrupt anxiety, panic attacks, fear, social anxiety, phobias, compulsive behaviors, stress and trauma in many people. The Energy Tapping script that I created around the issue is below??

G

reetings Friends,

?

As long as we?re breathing, there is stress.?Our brains go into fight, freeze or flight mode, ready to rumble with the tigers in the jungle. Because most of us are not battling tigers, the fear and anxiety that can send our bodies into overdrive does not always have a helpful purpose.

The great thing is that we?re getting more comfortable with conversations around coping with stress and anxiety. This is particularly important as both women and men are focused on giving the picture of perfection. We put on our Glamouflage to distract from the fact that we?re terrified and inside folks are stressed, depressed and well-dressed ? drinking, drugging, sexing, under-nourishing and over-working ourselves to distract and numb from what we?re really feeling.

EFT is one methodology that works for me.?

• Whether you are dealing with relationship drama, money stress, career anxiety or mild depression, this acupressure technique may be helpful and healing for you. The great thing is that you don?t even need a practitioner. You can do EFT Tapping yourself.?If you can?t see my EFT for Anxiety video, click here.

EFT, also known as Emotional Freedom Technique is one technology that can be incredibly helpful in maintaining a healthy state of mind. Tapping has been helpful for me for a myriad of issues including emotional eating. Journaling has also been very healing for me personally in dealing with anxiety.

If you?re looking to learn more about acupressure and this EFT Tapping energy healing technique, Nick Ortner?s new book, ?The Tapping Solution: A Revolutionary System for Stress-Free Living?? is unparalleled. This textbook on healing from Hay House explores the science behind this life-changing mode that has been proven to help with trauma and all kinds of issues from compulsive eating to depression. Of course, check with your own healthcare provider to find solutions that work for you. I recommend the book both as a love and life coach and as someone finds tapping powerful in her personal healing arsenal.

My EFT Tapping for Anxiety Script

Introduction:

Karate Chop

• I choose to feel calm and I am willing to feel relief;
• I choose to feel calm
• Even though I feel anxious, I choose to completely love, honor and cherish myself.
• Even though I hate feeling like life is beyond my control, I want to completely love, honor and adore myself.
• Even though life has me completely stressed and anxious right now, and I?m almost almost too worried to deal with it, I?m open, willing and able to completely love, honor, cherish and accept myself.

Round One:

• Eyebrow: I feel anxious.
• Side of the eye: I?m a ball of tension.
• Under eye: Life has me overwhelmed.
• Under the nose: It?s almost too much.
• Chin: I?ve been feeling trapped.
• Collar bone: I can?t tell if I?m anxious, stressed or panicking.
• Underarm: I shouldn?t have to go through this.
• Top of the head: This definitely isn?t fair.

Round Two:

• Eyebrow: Why me?
• Side of the eye: Why do I have to feel this anxious?
• Under the eye: What if I didn?t feel this way?
• Under the nose: What if my life wasn?t so stressful?
• Chin: What if my life was stress-free?
• Collarbone: Either way, I hate feeling like this.
• Underarm: I can?t stand feeling overwhelmed.
• Top of the head: Overwhelment is resistance.

Round Three:

• Eyebrow: Knowing that fact stresses me even more.
• Side of the eye: What if this anxiety was my body preparing for something great?
• Undereye: What if I am more powerful than I ever thought possible?
• Under the nose: I probably could release this tension.
• Chin: I don?t know if I really need to be this stressed.
• Collarbone: I?ve felt like this before and gotten past it.
• Underarm: Maybe I am in control.
• Top of the head: Or maybe I?m not in control and that?s okay too.

Round Four:

• Eyebrow: I?m thinking about the stress.
• Side of the eye: I?m thinking about the anxiety.
• Under eye: Maybe holding on to this feeling isn?t that helpful.
• Under the nose: What if life was getting better?
• Chin I am willing to feel like things are getting better.
• Collarbone What if everything was already better right now?
• Under the arm What if I am just scared?
• Top of the head Maybe I?m just scared.

Round Five:

• Eyebrow: I?ve been scared before.
• Side of the eye: It happens.
• Under the eye: I?m human.
• Under the nose: Stuff happens.
• Chin: Maybe one day I?ll laugh about this.
• Collarbone: What if I could laugh about it right now?
• Underarm: I think I?ll get through this.
• Top of the head: I always get through it.

Round Six:

• Eyebrow: I?m a good person.
• Side of eye: I deserve to be happy.
• Undereye: I am willing to be happy.
• Under the nose: Life loves me.
• Chin: While I?m still breathing there?s still hope.
• Collarbone: While I?m still breathing there?s still joy.
• Underarm: I?m starting to feel better ? and grounded.
• Top of the head: I might even feel like dancing.

Round Seven:

• Eyebrow: And I probably can?t dance without smiling.
• Side of eye: Life does not have to be perfect.
• Undereye I will do the best that I can.
• Under the nose My best is good enough for me.
• Chin: I am proud of myself.
• Collarbone: I release all resistance.
• Underarm: I am going with the flow.
• Top of the head: I release anything I cannot control.

• And millions of people will feel better today.
• Millions of people will have good experiences today.
• Millions of people will enjoy today.
• Why not me?
• I release the pain, I release the fear, I release the shame and guilt.
• Eyebrow It feels good to be me. And for this I am so grateful.

Buy Nick Orner?s book here:?The Tapping Solution: A Revolutionary System for Stress-Free Living.?Learn more about the science behind tapping on his site. Hay House sent me a copy of the book to review but all opinions expressed here are my own.?My video is for informational purposes only. I am a Passionate Living Coach that uses EFT as a healing modality. I am not a doctor.?

Featured photo of me is by Kristal Mosley of iCreateTV.com.
?

More Passionate Living!

Source: http://www.abiolatv.com/eft-emotional-freedom-technique-anxiety-tapping-video-script/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=eft-emotional-freedom-technique-anxiety-tapping-video-script

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15 Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Shows to Hit in 2013

Where: Houston, Texas
When: May 9?11

The wild and wacky Houston Art Car Parade started in 1984 and has grown to become one of the largest gatherings of art cars in the country. Art cars can be anything artistic or vaguely artistic, from a car decorated with fruit (from the original 1984 event) to a motorized high heel shoe to a Ford Edsel designed to look like an earthmover. Today the three-day celebration attracts 250 cars and a quarter-million spectators.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/vintage-speed/15-car-truck-and-motorcycle-shows-to-hit-in-2013?src=rss

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Analysis: Tax strategy may be key to Verizon Wireless deal

By Kevin Drawbaugh and Nanette Byrnes

(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc's chances of buying the 45-percent stake in Verizon Wireless owned by the UK's Vodafone Group Plc will hinge, at least in part, on the quality of tax advice it is getting.

Verizon, the No. 2 U.S. telecommunications company, may have found a way to structure a purchase of the stake so that Vodafone can avoid a multi-billion dollar U.S. capital gains tax bill, sources familiar with Verizon's plans said. The possibility of a huge tax bill has previously been regarded by analysts as a big hurdle to any such deal.

Reuters reported last Wednesday that Verizon was preparing a bid worth about $100 billion to take full control of Verizon Wireless - it already owns the other 55 percent - by buying the stake, according to people familiar with the matter. There are no guarantees that Vodafone will want to sell its stake or that Verizon will pursue the plan.

Vodafone declined to comment on the possibility of a Verizon bid for its stake or on the tax question.

One person familiar with the situation said Vodafone cannot consider the size of any tax payout in a possible transaction until the company has received an offer, which it has not.

A Verizon spokesman declined to comment.

Verizon hopes that if it structures a transaction to eliminate much of the tax bill, it can encourage Vodafone to come to the table for talks. Some analysts and investors say Verizon may have to pay as much as $130 billion to clinch the deal.

The tax bill on $100-billion deal, based on a simple acquisition of the stake, would be about $38 billion, according to UBS Investment Research. It could be much higher if the deal's price-tag rises above that figure, UBS noted.

That tax bill is based on the massive growth Verizon Wireless has experienced since it was established 13 years ago. The 45-percent stake that Verizon Communications wants to buy is owned by Vodafone Americas, a U.S. holding company. Given it is a U.S. entity, if Vodafone Americas were to sell that stake outright it would have to pay the full capital gains tax on the stake.

But the sources said Verizon Communications is contemplating a two-part deal that could avoid this. Instead of buying the stake outright, the sources said, Verizon Communications would buy the Delaware-based Vodafone Americas. Analysts said the seller of Vodafone Americas would not be a U.S.-based entity, so no U.S. capital gains tax would be due.

Vodafone's international structure is complicated, involving many holding companies, and the precise ownership of some assets is unclear. Vodafone Americas also owns some of Vodafone's non-US assets, the sources said, probably including some in Germany and Spain. These would be sold back to Vodafone by Verizon Communications, which would keep the Verizon Wireless stake, they said.

The two transactions could be done simultaneously or one after the other.

While the sale of the Verizon Wireless stake would not incur capital gains tax, the sale of the international assets back to Vodafone would. This is because it would involve the sale of assets by Verizon Communications, a U.S. entity.

Compared to Verizon Wireless, the smaller international assets are thought to have gained little in value. Analysts estimated their sale could hit Verizon Communications with a U.S. tax bill of about $5 billion or less.

The sources said that Verizon would seek to pass any tax hit onto Vodafone in the two-part transaction.

LONG COURTSHIP

Verizon has long coveted its partner Vodafone's stake in the Verizon Wireless joint venture, which started operations in 2000.

The last time the two came close to a deal was in 2004, when Vodafone bid for AT&T Wireless. The British company, the world's second-largest mobile operator, however, lost that bid to Cingular and has since held on to the Verizon Wireless stake for its exposure to the U.S. wireless market.

Wall Street analysts had previously seen it as unlikely that Verizon would want to do a deal involving Vodafone Americas' international assets. But those assets have underperformed in recent years when compared with the growth of Verizon Wireless, and are now a smaller part of the holding company, reducing the potential tax hit.

However, the timing of Verizon's interest in doing the deal has more to do with the gains in its stock price and low interest rates, the sources stressed.

Verizon is considering paying about half of the purchase price in cash and half in stock, Reuters reported on Wednesday. That means it may look to raise around $50 billion in debt.

UK TAX QUESTION

The kind of deal structure envisaged would still leave Vodafone with another tax question, said UK academics and analysts: Should it leave the proceeds from any sale offshore or bring them home to the UK?

Leaving the money offshore might invite scrutiny from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, which sometimes questions transactions if they seem designed solely to avoid tax and are not based in an underlying economic logic, said Prems Sikka, professor of accounting at the University of Essex in the UK.

If the transaction were shaped the way the sources have described it, Vodafone would probably repatriate the proceeds into Britain, said Charles Merriman, managing director at Merriman Capital Transactions, a consultancy in London.

Once that was done, he said, the company might be able to reduce its tax bill by taking advantage of the UK's substantial shareholdings exemption. Under certain conditions, this exempts from UK corporation taxation any gains realized when one company disposes of shares in another company.

More broadly, though, Vodafone could face a political backlash in the UK from any deal that was clearly structured to avoid taxation, said Robin Bienenstock, senior analyst at Bernstein Research.

U.S. companies such as Starbucks, Amazon and Google have come under fire from British lawmakers for using legal maneuvers to cut their tax bills in the UK.

"The problem with tax is not just the technical ability to avoid it, but the scorched earth that trying to avoid it could leave with the UK government afterwards," said Bienenstock. "Recent tax cases in the UK ... suggest that an attempt to avoid tax on such a large and high profile deal would be very badly received."

(Reporting by Kevin Drawbaugh in Washington, D.C. and Nanette Byrnes in Chapel Hill, N.C.; Additional reporting by Kate Holton and Tom Bergin in London; So Young Kim and Paritosh Bansal in New York; Editing by Martin Howell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-tax-strategy-may-key-verizon-wireless-deal-050341644.html

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'Vikings' Finale: Rollo Must Decide To Stand By His Brother, Ragnar, Or Against Him (VIDEO)

"666 Park Avenue"

<strong>"666 Park Ave.," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/666-park-avenue-canceled_n_2147290.html">ABC pulled the plug</a> on this supernatural drama earlier in the season.

"The Bachelor"

<strong>"The Bachelor," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: While ratings may have dropped, "The Bachelor" will likely see another season on ABC as tabloids and viewers still care about the comings and goings of contestants.

"Body of Proof"

<strong>"Body of Proof," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: ABC is keen on this Dana Delany drama, but the ratings for this upcoming third season will be the true test.

"Castle"

<strong>"Castle," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed. <strong>Why</strong>: Strong ratings and a dedicated viewership will keep "Castle" on the schedule.

"Dancing With the Stars"

<strong>"Dancing With the Stars," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The series is hurting in the ratings ... by "DWTS" standards. It's still a strong player for ABC, but the new season hasn't premiered yet.

"Don't Trust The B---- In Apt. 23"

<strong>"Don't Trust The B---- In Apt. 23," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/22/apartment-23-canceled-dont-trust-the-b_n_2528858.html">ABC pulled the low-rated comedy</a> from it schedule and the stars took to Twitter to announce the cancellation.

"Family Tools"

<strong>"Family Tools," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: This ABC comedy has yet to debut, but a May 1 premiere date doesn't look great.

"Grey's Anatomy"

<strong>"Grey's Anatomy," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: America still loves McDreamy and the goings on at Seattle Grace. Expect "Grey's" to return.

"Happy Endings"

<strong>"Happy Endings," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: Always the bubble show, never the surefire renewal hit. "Happy Endings" has suffered from many ratings ailments, including bad scheduling (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/happy-endings-friday-abc_n_2683091.html">it's moving to Friday night</a>) and lack of promo. But this ahmahzing show has some serious fans that could keep it afloat for another season ... maybe on another network (a la "Cougar Town.")

"How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest Of Your Life)"

<strong>"How To Live With Your Parents (For The Rest Of Your Life)," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: The ABC comedy starring Sarah Chalke has yet to debut, but its late season bow doesn't exactly bode well for its future.

"Last Man Standing"

<strong>"Last Man Standing," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Viewers still love Tim Allen! Paired with "Malibu Country," "Last Man Standing" has been performing well on Friday nights and <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/jonathan-taylor-thomas-last-man-standing-home-improvement_n_2686307.html">will soon see Allen's "Home Improvement" co-star Jonathan Tyler Thomas</a>.

"Last Resort"

<strong>"Last Resort," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/last-resort-canceled-abc_n_2147316.html">ABC killed the Shawn Ryan drama</a> in late 2012.

"Malibu Country"

<strong>"Malibu Country," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: "Malibu Country" has been performing well on Friday nights. Lesson: Never underestimate the star power of Reba.

"The Middle"

<strong>"The Middle," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Now in its fourth season, "The Middle" is still pulling in more than 8 million viewers an episode as the anchor of ABC's Wednesday comedies.

"Mistresses"

<strong>"Mistresses," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: The drama, which is based on the UK series of the same name, just got a Monday, May 27 premiere date. Though the scheduling struggle doesn't bode well, the ABC drama does have Alyssa Milano and "Lost" alum Yunjin Kim leading the foursome.

"Modern Family"

<strong>"Modern Family," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A fan favorite and Emmy darling, "Modern Family" will be back and will make ABC lots of money in syndication.

"Nashville"

<strong>"Nashville," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: Critical acclaim doesn't always equate to rating success. The show has stabilized in Nielsen ratings, but its future really depends on the strength of ABC's drama pilots.

"The Neighbors"

<strong>"The Neighbors," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: One of the few "hits" of the season, "The Neighbors" has found an audience and kept it pretty steadily week after week (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/11/abc-shows-fall-tv-2012-2013_n_1581796.html">much to our dismay</a>).

"Once Upon a Time"

<strong>"Once Upon a Time," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A ratings hit in its second season, "Once Upon a Time" is almost sure to be back for a third season full of fairytale adventures.

"Private Practice"

<strong>"Private Practice," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Ended <strong>Why</strong>: The "Grey's Anatomy" spinoff said goodbye in January 2013.

"Red Widow"

<strong>"Red Widow," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: The show has a late February debut on ABC.

"Revenge"

<strong>"Revenge," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: "Revenge" has fallen out of critical favor and seen lower ratings in its new Sunday night home. But none of ABC's freshman dramas are doing well, so that works in the show's favor.

"Rookie Blue"

<strong>"Rookie Blue," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The Canadian co-production will return for a fourth season on ABC during the summer of 2013.

"Scandal"

<strong>"Scandal," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Shonda Rhimes has another hit on her hands. Now in its second season, "Scandal" has benefited from word-of-mouth and has been rising in the ratings (even recently beating out its lead in "Grey's Anatomy"). A likable star -- Kerry Washington -- and continued buzz will keep "Scandal" on the schedule.

"Suburgatory"

<strong>"Suburgatory," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: The series started Season 2 off strong in the ratings, but its audience has slowly eroded. Its not the worst-performing ABC sitcom, but its buzziness has died down as well.

"Zero Hour"

<strong>"Zero Hour," ABC</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: The Anthony Edwards vehicle debuted to 6.3 million viewers with a 1.3 rating in the key 18-49 demographic, making it <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/15/zero-hour-ratings_n_2695800.html">the least-watched premiere for a scripted series in ABC's history</a>. Things only got worse from there.

"2 Broke Girls"

<strong>"2 Broke Girls," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS renewed "2 Broke Girls" in March of 2013.

"The Amazing Race"

<strong>"The Amazing Race," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: As an Emmy and fan favorite, "The Amazing Race" has been a strong player for CBS.

"The Big Bang Theory"

<strong>"The Big Bang Theory," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Now in its sixth season, "Big Bang" is reaching series-high ratings. Even up against reality powerhouse "American Idol," "The Big Bang Theory" has been delivering with crazy high numbers in the 18-49 demographic, beating out what was once Fox's juggernaut.

"Blue Bloods"

<strong>"Blue Bloods," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The Tom Selleck-fronted police drama is a strong ratings performer for CBS on Fridays.

"Criminal Minds"

<strong>"Criminal Minds," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: As one of CBS's strong procedural players, the series has been steady in the ratings and will likely be renewed to help anchor a night and launch a new drama.

"CSI"

<strong>"CSI," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Of the two "CSI" shows on the air, "CSI" is the stronger player in the TV landscape. The show is nowhere near its earlier ratings, but Ted Danson signed on for more and the show will be back.

"CSI: NY"

<strong>"CSI: NY," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: The spinoff series will be entering Season 10 in the 2013-2014 season. The ratings have faded over the years, but they're still pretty stable, especially for Fridays. It's a toss up, depending on how well CBS's development slate goes.

"Elementary"

<strong>"Elementary," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: One of the very few freshman series hits during the 2012-2013 TV season, CBS is very keen on this modern-day take on Sherlock Holmes. The audience has been steady and the network even gave it the post-Super Bowl timeslot.

"Golden Boy"

<strong>"Golden Boy," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Too soon to tell <strong>Why</strong>: CBS certainly has a handsome star at the front of this cop drama, but its late season entry and Friday timeslot could be a hint toward CBS's confidence in the show.

"The Good Wife"

<strong>"The Good Wife," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A former ratings champ, "The Good Wife" has slipped to series low ratings on Sunday nights. Blame football overrun, fan-detested storylines or too many guest stars, but "The Good Wife" has star power and critical praise, plus its nearing a good syndication sweet spot.

"Hawaii Five-0"

<strong>"Hawaii Five-0," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: In March, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/27/the-good-wife-renewed-season-5_n_2965829.html" target="_hplink">CBS announced "Hawaii Five-0" received an early renewal along with several of its other popular programs</a>.

"How I Met Your Mother"

<strong>"How I Met Your Mother," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS handed out a ninth and final season to this comedy with the entire cast returning. Expect to meet the mother, finally.

"Made In Jersey"

<strong>"Made In Jersey," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: CBS pulled the plug on this legal drama very early on in the season because of low ratings.

"The Mentalist"

<strong>"The Mentalist," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: "The Mentalist" has fallen to mediocre ratings -- by CBS standards -- but it was nonetheless renewed in March of 2013.

"Mike & Molly"

<strong>"Mike & Molly," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The ratings are down a little bit from last year, but Melissa McCarthy's star continues to rise.

"NCIS"

<strong>"NCIS," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS reached a deal with series star Mark Harmon in early 2013, keeping the No. 1 show in America around for a Season 11.

"NCIS: LA"

<strong>"NCIS: LA," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: Viewers love their "NCIS," in any form. The ratings have been strong and the network is producing a backdoor spinoff pilot for this spinoff show. A full night of "NCIS" could be in CBS's future.

"Partners"

<strong>"Partners," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Canceled <strong>Why</strong>: Low ratings and unfavorable reviews led to the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/partners-canceled-cbs_n_2145832.html">early demise</a> of this CBS comedy.

"Person of Interest"

<strong>"Person of Interest," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The series has developed a nice-sized audience, bigger than its first season.

"Rules of Engagement"

<strong>"Rules of Engagement," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Honestly, who knows <strong>Why</strong>: This comedy has been on the bubble since it premiered ... yet is now in its seventh season. It's too soon to look at the numbers for this season, but the show has been a midseason success for CBS in the past. However, series co-star <a href="http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/02/07/cbs-orders-comedy-pilot-starring-patrick-warburton/">Patrick Warburton is attached to star in a new pilot</a> ... for CBS.

"Survivor"

<strong>"Survivor," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: A strong player for the last 13 years, "Survivor" will be back. But due to its <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/survivor-ratings-lowest-premiere-ever_n_2687591.html">most recent premiere ratings</a>, we might not see it during the fall season, though a midseason or summer return -- with some new gimmick -- is definitely in the cards for the reality series.

"Two and a Half Men"

<strong>"Two and a Half Men," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Likely to be renewed <strong>Why</strong>: CBS wants another season of this bawdy hit, it's just a matter of getting its stars to sign back on.

"Undercover Boss"

<strong>"Undercover Boss," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Renewed <strong>Why</strong>: The show is enjoying life in syndication and its Season 4 numbers are better than most of its third season.

"Unforgettable"

<strong>"Unforgettable," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: Uncanceled <strong>Why</strong>: CBS canceled the Poppy Montgomery drama last season ... and then revived it! Season 2 premieres Sunday, July 28.

"Vegas"

<strong>"Vegas," CBS</strong> <strong>Status</strong>: On the bubble <strong>Why</strong>: Despite star power, the series hasn't been a breakout hit in the ratings. CBS previously canceled "Unforgettable" (then uncanceled it) last season when it was doing about the same as "Vegas."

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/29/vikings-finale-rollo-ragnar-video_n_3176499.html

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'Iron Man 3' rules world, 'Pain & Gain' takes US

This film image released by Paramount Pictures shows, from left, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie and Mark Wahlberg in a scene from "Pain and Gain." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Jaime Trueblood)

This film image released by Paramount Pictures shows, from left, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie and Mark Wahlberg in a scene from "Pain and Gain." (AP Photo/Paramount Pictures, Jaime Trueblood)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "Iron Man 3" was the heavy-lifter at theaters with a colossal overseas debut that overshadowed a gang of mercenary bodybuilders in a sleepy pre-summer weekend at the domestic box office.

The Marvel Studios superhero sequel starring Robert Downey Jr. got a head-start on its domestic launch next Friday with a $195.3 million opening in 42 overseas markets, distributor Disney reported Sunday.

That topped the $185.1 million start for Marvel's "The Avengers," which opened in 39 markets over the same weekend last year a week ahead of its record-breaking domestic debut of $207.4 million.

"You don't know that you could ever repeat the kind of experience we had a year ago, and here the Marvel team brought together another incredible movie," said Dave Hollis, head of distribution for Disney. "We've had this as a pattern for Marvel films to kind of let momentum internationally help signal to the domestic audience that the film is coming, something big is coming."

Director Michael Bay's "Pain & Gain," a true-crime tale of bodybuilders on the make, muscled into first-place domestically with a $20 million debut.

The Paramount release starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie knocked off Tom Cruise's sci-fi adventure "Oblivion" after a week in the No. 1 spot. Universal's "Oblivion" slipped to second-place with $17.4 million, raising its domestic total to $64.7 million.

Lionsgate's all-star nuptial comedy "The Big Wedding" tanked at No. 4 with just $7.5 million. The ensemble cast includes Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Robin Williams, Susan Sarandon and Katherine Heigl, but the movie was almost universally trashed by critics and held little interest for audiences.

Paramount, which distributed the earlier "Iron Man" movies and still has a financial stake in the comic-book flicks after Disney bought Marvel, had a small-scale success with "Pain & Gain."

A passion project for Bay, who has made Paramount a fortune with his "Transformers" franchise, "Pain & Gain" was shot for a modest $26 million, spare change compared to the director's usual budgets.

The movie has the director taking a breather from his usual sci-fi action spectacles for a story based on a kidnapping-extortion caper carried out by bodybuilders in the 1990s. Yet "Pain & Gain" still has Bay's usual visual flair, and the reviews generally were better than what he's used to.

"With that kind of budget, to open to $20 million the first weekend is a very strong opening," said Don Harris, Paramount's head of distribution. "You see what a director really in his prime, at the top of his game, can do with a small budget, what he can make a movie look like."

"Oblivion" was down a fairly steep 53 percent from the movie's $37.1 million domestic debut the previous weekend.

Overseas, "Oblivion" took in $12.8 million to lift its international haul to $134.1 million and worldwide total to just under $200 million.

Hollywood's domestic downturn continued, with revenues totaling $90 million, off 18.5 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Think Like a Man" led with $17.6 million, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com.

Receipts have trailed 2012's for most of the year, with 2013 domestic ticket sales running at $2.9 billion, nearly 12 percent behind last year's.

That pattern could continue as Hollywood opens its summer season domestically this coming weekend. Despite a huge haul expected for "Iron Man 3," the film will be competing against that gigantic start over the same weekend last year for "The Avengers," the only movie to open with more than $200 million domestically.

"Iron Man 2" debuted with $128.1 million over the first weekend in May 2010. Hollywood.com analyst Paul Dergarabedian has been pegging the "Iron Man 3" potential at $125 million-plus, though the mammoth international start could fire up domestic prospects even higher.

"This ups the ante in a big way for "Iron Man 3," Dergarabedian said. "It just raises the profile of the film. It raises expectations. But to expect something in the realm of $207.4 million? Well, the fact that we're even talking about it is really amazing."

Said Disney's Hollis: "I wouldn't even want to get ahead of ourselves on something like that. But to say we're encouraged by the results this weekend would be a gross understatement."

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

1. "Pain & Gain," $20 million.

2. "Oblivion," $17.4 million ($12.8 million international).

3. "42," $10.7 million.

4. "The Big Wedding," $7.5 million.

5. "The Croods," $6.6 million ($13.1 million international).

6. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," $3.6 million ($10.2 million international).

7. "Scary Movie 5," $3.5 million ($6.7 million international).

8. "Olympus Has Fallen," $2.8 million ($4.2 million international).

9. "The Place Beyond the Pines," $2.7 million ($1.1 million international).

10. "Jurassic Park" in 3-D, $2.3 million ($410,000 international).

___

Estimated weekend ticket sales at international theaters (excluding the U.S. and Canada) for films distributed overseas by Hollywood studios, according to Rentrak:

1. "Iron Man 3," $195.3 million.

2. "The Croods," $13.1 million.

3. "Oblivion," $12.8 million.

4. "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," $10.2 million.

5. "Scary Movie 5," $6.7 million.

6. "Olympus Has Fallen," $4.2 million,

7. "Les Profs," $3.8 million.

8 (tie). "Evil Dead," $1.1 million.

8 (tie). "The Place Beyond the Pines," $1.1 million.

10. "Jurassic Park" in 3-D, $410,000.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

http://www.rentrak.com

___

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

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-04-28-Box%20Office/id-f43f93ccb3784444aefe85a69f2c0ffc

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Will the Bush Library Address Torture?

The George W. Bush Presidential Center dedication ceremony in Dallas this morning

Photo by Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

In 2007, I had the privilege of becoming the first director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. My job was to move Nixon?s presidential materials from the Washington, D.C. area, where they had been kept as federal property because of the Watergate investigation, to California, where Nixon?s friends and supporters had built a private library in 1990. My job involved transforming the once private library, which had a reputation for being a national center of Watergate denial, into a public, nonpartisan facility.

Sometime in 2010, I was surprised (and frankly, a little proud) when my boss at the National Archives told me that my name had been invoked in negotiations over the future George W. Bush Presidential Library. Apparently, the George W. Bush Foundation was worried ?some future Naftali? would ?want to put up a torture exhibit.?

It?s true that I had managed to anger Nixon loyalists. As part of the Nixon Library?s rebranding mission, I had brought in serious critics of the former president?notably Elizabeth Drew and John Dean?to the library and vowed to have an honest exhibit on Watergate. And the Nixonians made their feelings known. In 2009, the private Nixon Foundation sent a letter to every living former president denouncing me personally??Who is this Naftali,? a puzzled President Bill Clinton is said to have asked, ?and why should I care???for messing up the library system by trying to achieve nonpartisanship in Yorba Linda. The Bushies were apparently arguing for control of the temporary exhibit gallery to prevent it from being used by a future federal director for an exhibit that might cast Bush 43 in a negative light.

The creation of every new presidential library involves negotiations over an agreement?a treaty?between the federal government and the former president and his representatives. Called a Joint Use Agreement, the contract divides up responsibility for the space at the library between the private presidential foundation, which is usually dedicated to promoting the positive legacy of a president, and the American people. Areas controlled by the private presidential foundation, such as the impressive Air Force One Pavilion at the Reagan Library, can have partisan events such as Republican presidential debates. Those spaces controlled by the National Archives on behalf of the American people, however, are legally mandated to be nonpartisan.

In dealing with the Bush Foundation, the National Archives apparently held the line?as it did with the private Nixon Foundation?and, according to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum website, all of the galleries that will be dedicated today are indeed controlled by all of us. If the final agreement is anything like the treaty governing the Nixon Library, the National Archives has veto power on your behalf over all exhibits and programs at this new presidential library.

That?s right. Whatever you think of President George W. Bush, you control the Bush Library. And you should, since every year you will spend about $4 million on it?the same amount of public funds spent on every one of the 12 other presidential libraries.

One of the misconceptions about presidential libraries is that they are supposed to be shrines. (Don?t worry if you believe that?many presidential relatives do, too.) But Congress is not interested in creating shrines to the branch of government at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. It is one of the strange outcomes of the separation of powers doctrine that one branch has to pay to archive and display the documents and trinkets of a competing branch. In recent years, Congress has shown its displeasure by trying to narrow the streams of public money that go to presidential libraries. The younger President Bush had to raise a lot more money than his father, not just because construction costs had increased in 15 years, but because Congress expects the friends of presidents to create an endowment to help shoulder the burden of maintaining the buildings forever.

There?s nothing wrong with that necessarily. But in its zeal to reduce the public burden for these libraries, Congress has made them even more vulnerable to presidential friends and family. Unwilling to use public funds for these programs or exhibitions, Congress expects the library?s private presidential partner to foot that bill. The effect is that the National Archives finds itself passing the tin cup to raise money for museums, exhibits, and book talks from groups that are not interested in promoting objectivity.

The National Archives is nonpartisan; it is supposed to act in the spirit of open government and transparency and be a leader in the custodianship of history. Presidential families (though there are notable exceptions like the Truman, Johnson, Ford, and Carter families, and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg) often oppose nonpartisan programming and have often placed obstacles in the way of releasing materials.

Another misconception is that, like it or not, presidents and their loyalists deserve a watering hole. Since we Americans regularly ?throw the bums out,? regardless of ideology, there are almost as many Democratic presidential libraries as Republican ones. So, why not let them be? Democrats can visit the Clinton Library and Republicans the Reagan Library.

I have to admit that this was my view until I ran one. These presidential libraries, however, have an educational mission that is much more important to the country than the reputation of a former president. Depending on the location, these libraries receive between 60,000 and 400,000 visitors a year. And students and teachers around the country use these libraries? online resources in the classroom. You cannot look at the faces of the kids and their teachers that come to your museum without feeling pangs of regret if what they see is not as accurate and informative as it could be. At the Nixon Library, 12,000 school kids on formal school tours visited each year. Before the National Archives took over in 2007, nearly 200,000 students had been taught that the Democrats used Watergate to overturn the electoral result of 1972 and that Richard Nixon did nothing that presidents before him had not done; the only difference was that he got caught.

Will the George W. Bush Library echo the insecurity of the president?s supporters who worried about letting the National Archives put up a future torture exhibit? The test will not just be the permanent galleries that we get a look at for the first time this week, but the tenor of the programs sponsored by the library. Will the library invite serious writers who opposed the Iraq War in the spirit of the Johnson Library?s invitation to Robert Caro? Will the school tours be run with an educational or a rehabilitative mission for the reputation of the 43^rd president? And what about the temporary exhibits sponsored by the library, will they be nonpartisan or just echo chambers for Bush-era White House spin?

The new Bush Library will be as nonpartisan as you want it to be. All of the libraries read the emails, letters, and social media about how they are doing their job and how they could do it better. If you are a teacher, contact the library and see what online materials they have for your students. And if you consider the materials one-sided, let them know. The Bush Library, like all other presidential libraries, will have an education specialist, paid by public funds, whose job will be to foster an inviting, ?no-spin? zone. If the public wants serious discussion about No Child Left Behind, the consequences of the Iraq War, or why the government crossed the line and used torture after 9/11, there is no good reason why these discussions cannot occur in the same building as where the documents that explain those policies exist.

Academic historians long ago shifted their focus away from the White House, but for most of us American history is still heavily presidential. What we learn about these outsize individuals marks what we think about ourselves. If children are taught that truth lies solely with the presidents of one stripe or another, that no president did wrong, that all presidents were consistent in what they thought or did, and that history flows from the Oval Office, then we invite a continuation of the toxic national politics that have made this country nearly ungovernable.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=170a7b278a8dd1be04931229b3879c3a

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Senate DFLers want to raise income taxes for wider group, tax clothing (Star Tribune)

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Radioactive bacteria targets metastatic pancreatic cancer

Apr. 22, 2013 ? Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have developed a therapy for pancreatic cancer that uses Listeria bacteria to selectively infect tumor cells and deliver radioisotopes into them. The experimental treatment dramatically decreased the number of metastases (cancers that have spread to other parts of the body) in a mouse model of highly aggressive pancreatic cancer without harming healthy tissue. The study was published today in the online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"We're encouraged that we've been able to achieve a 90 percent reduction in metastases in our first round of experiments," said co-senior author Claudia Gravekamp, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology & immunology at Einstein who studies new approaches to treating metastatic cancer. "With further improvements, our approach has the potential to start a new era in the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer."

Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest of cancers, with a five-year survival rate of only 4 percent. The National Cancer Institute predicts that this year, 45,220 new cases of pancreatic cancer will be diagnosed and 38,460 people will die from the disease. Pancreatic cancer confined to the pancreas can be treated through surgery. But early pancreatic cancer is difficult to detect, since it rarely causes noticeable signs or symptoms. Most pancreatic cancer cases are diagnosed only after the cancer has spread (metastasized), typically resulting in jaundice, pain, weight loss and fatigue. But there is no cure for metastatic pancreatic cancer, and treatment focuses mainly on improving quality of life.

Several years ago, scientists observed that an attenuated (weakened) form of Listeria monocytogenes can infect cancer cells, but not normal cells. In a 2009 study, Dr. Gravekamp discovered the reason: The tumor microenvironment suppresses the body's immune response, allowing Listeria to survive inside the tumors. By contrast, the weakened bacteria are rapidly eliminated in normal tissues. (Listeria in its wild form causes foodborne illnesses, particularly in immunocompromised people.)

Scientists later showed that Listeria could be harnessed to carry an anti-cancer drug to tumor cells in laboratory cultures, but this concept was never tested in an animal model. These findings prompted Dr. Gravekamp to investigate Listeria-tumor interactions and how Listeria could be used to attack cancer cells.

The idea of attaching radioisotopes (commonly used in cancer therapy) to Listeria was suggested by Ekaterina Dadachova, Ph.D., professor of radiology and of microbiology & immunology at Einstein and the paper's co-senior author. Dr. Dadachova, who is also the Sylvia and Robert S. Olnick Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research, is a pioneer in developing radioimmunotherapies -- patented treatments in which radioisotopes are attached to antibodies to selectively target cells including cancer cells, microbes or cells infected with HIV. When the antibodies bind to antigens that are unique to the cells being targeted, the radioisotopes emit radiation that selectively kills the cells.

Working together, Drs. Gravekamp and Dadachova coupled a radioactive isotope called rhenium to the weakened Listeria bacteria. "We chose rhenium because it emits beta particles, which are very effective in treating cancer," said Dr. Dadachova. "Also, rhenium has a half-life of 17 hours, so it is cleared from the body relatively quickly, minimizing damage to healthy tissue."

Mice with metastatic pancreatic cancer were given intra-abdominal injections of the radioactive Listeria once a day for seven days, followed by a seven-day "rest" period and four additional daily injections of the radioactive bacteria. After 21 days, the scientists counted the number of metastases in the mice. The treatment had reduced the metastases by 90 percent compared with untreated controls. In addition, the radioactive Listeria had concentrated in metastases and to a lesser extent in primary tumors but not in healthy tissues, and the treated mice did not appear to suffer any ill effects.

The treatment may have the potential for clearing an even higher percentage of metastases. "We stopped the experiment at 21 days because that's when the control mice start dying," said Dr. Dadachova. "Our next step is to assess whether the treatment affects the animals' survival."

"At this point, we can say that we have a therapy that is very effective for reducing metastasis in mice," Dr. Gravekamp noted. "Our goal is to clear 100 percent of the metastases, because every cancer cell that stays behind can potentially form new tumors." The researchers expect the treatment could be improved by fine-tuning the treatment schedule, using higher doses of radiation, or by piggybacking additional anti-cancer agents onto the bacteria. Einstein has filed a patent application related to this research that is currently available for licensing to partners interested in further developing and commercializing this technology.

This work was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Aging (AG023096-01 and CA129470-01), both parts of the National Institutes of Health.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Wilber Quispe-Tintaya, Dinesh Chandra, Arthee Jahangir, Matthew Harris, Arturo Casadevall, Ekaterina Dadachova, and Claudia Gravekamp. Nontoxic radioactive Listeriaat is a highly effective therapy against metastatic pancreatic cancer. PNAS, April 22, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211287110

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/izDQ1gQFZXo/130422154753.htm

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CSN: Why are Nationals so inconsistent this year?

Associated Press

Ian Desmond has committed seven of the Nationals' 18 errors this season.

If you're searching for one word to describe the Nationals during the first three weeks of this season, "inconsistent" is probably the best choice.

One night, they look very much like the best team in baseball and certainly worthy of the preseason hype they received. The next, they look completely out of sync, unable to play clean ball and dropping games to lesser pitchers and opponents with far more frequency than you'd expect for a club with this much talent.

And yet the end result remains mildly positive: a 10-8 record good enough for second place in the NL East at the moment. Nobody wins a pennant in April. All you really need to do is stay in the thick of things and not dig yourself into a big hole.

So the Nationals are by no means a failure at this early stage of the season. They are, perhaps, a disappointment. And if you're wondering why that is, here are some possible reasons...

SLOPPY DEFENSE
What was touted as one of the best defensive teams in baseball has been anything but so far. The Nationals have been charged with an MLB-high 18 errors in 18 games, a staggering total for a club that should be winning games with its gloves, not losing them.

We've examined Ryan Zimmerman's throwing issue enough, so no need to rehash that. But what to make of Ian Desmond's struggles so far? The All-Star shortstop, a Gold Glove finalist one year ago, has already committed seven errors, most in the majors.

In the process, Desmond is conjuring up some bad memories of his rookie season in 2010, when he was charged with a league-high 34 errors. He worked hard to fix that problem and reconstruct his image as a defensive liability. There's still time for him to get this straightened out this year, but the sloppy manner in which he's navigated his position ? not to mention many of his teammates ? to date is troublesome.

STARTERS NOT THROWING ENOUGH INNINGS
Though their overall numbers (including a 3.70 ERA) aren't bad, the Nationals' five starting pitchers collectively haven't held up their end of the bargain. How so? By not going deep enough into games to help take pressure off the bullpen.

Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann, Dan Haren and Ross Detwiler are averaging only 5.8 innings per start, a rate that ranks 17th in the majors. Not the kind of standing expected of this elite group of hurlers.

Now, some of this is attributable to Davey Johnson holding everyone back early on, especially during the first turn through the rotation. But more recently, these pitchers haven't given their manager reason to let them go deeper, because they're racking up huge pitch counts in the early innings.

Strasburg needed 114 pitches to complete 5 1/3 innings in Cincinnati. Gonzalez has failed to reach the sixth inning in three of his four starts despite throwing more than 90 pitches in each of them. Haren is averaging 20.4 pitches per inning. Even Zimmermann, who last week completed nine innings for the first time in his career, was knocked out yesterday after only five innings having thrown 96 pitches.

It's time for these guys to start displaying some efficiency.

RELIEVERS STILL DEVELOPING ROLES
This was supposed to be the deepest bullpen in baseball, and perhaps the last thing Johnson had to worry about. Well, three weeks in, the Nationals relief corps owns a collective 5.04 ERA, 26th out of 30 teams.

Not one member of the bullpen boasts an ERA lower than 4.15. Four of the seven are surrendering more than one hit per inning. Collectively, they're issuing 3.4 walks per nine innings.

What's going on here? Well, one possible explanation is that everyone's roles are still being sorted out. By the end of last season, there was never a doubt how the relievers would be used. Sean Burnett pitched the seventh. Tyler Clippard pitched the eighth. Drew Storen pitched the ninth. Ryan Mattheus pitched the sixth or seventh, depending on the situation. Craig Stammen and Tom Gorzelanny were the long men. Michael Gonzalez was the situational lefty.

The roles haven't been nearly as defined so far this year. Rafael Soriano, obviously, is the closer. But Storen and Clippard have been sharing eighth-inning responsibilities. Mattheus and Henry Rodriguez have been used in a variety of spots. Stammen and Zach Duke remain the long men.

These things can take some time. It's great to open a season with all the roles defined, but often it takes a month or two for this to sort itself out. Until it does, the Nationals can only hope each member of the pen begins to perform to a higher standard.

BENCH NOT PRODUCING
Not that everyone in the lineup is producing at full capacity, but the Nationals' bench has struggled in particular. Steve Lombardozzi has done well, especially playing at second base while Danny Espinosa was nursing a bruised hand. And Kurt Suzuki has been fantastic since taking over behind the plate for the injured Wilson Ramos.

But Chad Tracy (3-for-21), Tyler Moore (3-for-19, nine strikeouts) and Roger Bernadina (0-for-15) have been abysmal. Perhaps the lack of playing time has hurt, though each got a chance to start multiple games last week due to injuries, and that didn't seem to help much.

With the starting pitchers getting pulled as early as they have, the Nationals have needed to use pinch-hitters with great frequency. So far, they're hitting just .136 (3-for-22), 14th out of 15 teams in the NL.

Source: http://www.natsinsider.com/2013/04/why-have-nats-been-so-inconsistent.html

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Kardashian Special: Six Years, Six Fun Facts About Kim, Kanye And More!

In intimate sit-down with Ryan Seacrest, Kim Kardashian reveals she 'will get married again.'
By Natasha Chandel

Kim and Kourtney Kardashian on "Ryan Seacrest With the Kardashians: An E! News Presentation"
Photo: E!

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706123/kardashian-ryan-secrest-special-recap.jhtml

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As Florida Bill Looks To Aid Feral Cats, Opponents Claw Back

In state legislatures around the country, lawmakers are debating important subjects ? education reform, election laws, gun control and abortion. But in Florida, one of the hottest issues to come before the Legislature this term involves cats.

There, lawmakers are considering a contentious bill that would offer legal protection to groups that trap, neuter and return feral cats to their colonies.

An Alternative To Shelters

Larry Wasserscheid, a volunteer with a Miami group called The Cat Network, has brought a stray cat to a church parking lot in the city's Little Havana neighborhood.

"This cat was at the Hurricane Cove Marina and Boatyard, where I was working on my boat and found five cats. And this is the fourth one that we're getting fixed here," he says.

The Cat Network is here every month, offering free spaying and neutering. There are more than 40 volunteers like Wasserscheid ? people who trap the strays and bring them to the group's mobile vet unit to be fixed.

The group operates a trap-neuter-return program. It's actually more than a program; it's a movement that began in England and has spread throughout the U.S. since the 1990s.

Megan Clouser, the organization's president, says it started as people became aware of all the stray animals that were being killed in shelters.

"Unfortunately, we've been doing that for about a hundred years now," she says. "So why not try something that keeps the animals out of the shelter and keeps them sterilized so they aren't reproducing?"

Inside the mobile unit, a vet and her three assistants are busy. There are a dozen cats in carriers. One by one, the cats' stomachs are shaved. Clouser says they're given rabies shots, sedated and then either neutered or spayed.

"In addition to the actual sterilization, they also get the ear tip, in which the left ear is clipped ? it goes straight across. And then anybody who's involved in the trap-neuter-return program will know that that animal has been sterilized," she says.

Clouser calls it a labor of love: All of those involved are volunteers, doing it because they like cats and want to help.

'A Nightmare For Us'

But not everyone thinks those activities are a good thing.

"It's just been a nightmare for us," Charles Hall said at a recent hearing before a state Senate committee in Tallahassee.

Hall said he and his wife lived next door to a colony of 40 to 50 feral cats. The noise, the nuisance and the smell were a big problem, he said, and he worries that trap-neuter-return programs aren't helping.

"We no longer have rights," Hall said. "The cats have taken over our rights."

The bill before Florida's Senate, brought forward by community cat groups, would protect and promote trap-neuter-return programs by removing an obstacle that the groups say has halted these programs in some areas: a state law against abandoning cats.

Denise Lasher works with Best Friends Animal Society, the organization that helped write the bill. "All we're doing is clarifying that, under the definitions of community cat program, [trap-neuter-return programs] would not be abandonment under the state law," she told the Senate committee.

Opponents Question Program's Benefits

There were plenty of cat lovers at that hearing, but almost an equal number opposed to the bill. Some cited a threat to public health.

But the best-organized opposition to the Florida bill comes from those with their own furry and feathered creatures to protect: wildlife groups, especially those that represent birdwatchers.

Bob Johns of the American Bird Conservancy says that although cats make nice pets, they don't belong in the wild.

"Feral cats are not native to North America. And they frankly did not evolve in this environment," he says. "So wildlife never evolved any defenses against this predator."

A study published earlier this year by the Smithsonian and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that outdoor cats are the leading cause of death for birds in the U.S., killing between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds annually.

What's not clear is whether trap-neuter-return programs actually reduce feral cat populations. Some studies show that, even when they're targeted by the programs, cat colonies often continue to grow.

Dozens of cities around the country and a few states have adopted laws and ordinances supporting trap-neuter-return programs. Wildlife groups are hoping to block the legislation here to stop Florida from following suit.

Source: http://wfit.org/post/florida-bill-looks-aid-feral-cats-opponents-claw-back

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Email Marketing - Its not that hard - ShoeMoney Internet Marketing ...

Email Marketing ? Its not that hard.

Most of you know me as ShoeMoney ? The incredibly handsome and most talented internet/affiliate marketer in the history of the internet. Yes, as you can see I have grown more humble since the launch of my #1 best selling book (sorry I can?t turn it off).

ANYHOW ? the last year I decided to start a new company dedicated to taking a one time website visitor interested in your product or service and turning them into a life long buyer. I am not even going to say the name of the company because I don?t want you to feel like this article is like pressing you to buy my stuff.

I started the new company because I saw there was a HUGE gap between the rinky dink email newsletter services that are very crappy and have horrid deliverability and cheap and the super high end ones like Marketo & Eloqua (which still have crap deliverability) that are priced at tens of thousands of dollars per year. So the market we are going after is really huge and I feel for me a great new venture.

That is how is how I got to where I am at and what I am about to share from working with clients. Its been a year working with clients capturing their one time website visitors and turning them into life long customers. And its taken off like a rocket.

One of the biggest surprises to me is how companies view their email marketing efforts. When we first start to work with them they look at it as a ?fire away? tool when they have some sort of sale or press release. Who wants to read that? Not me. And even if your the company owner probably not you either.

When did companies lose focus of this? Or have they ever really had it?

Many of our clients see up to 25% of their overall sales come through our emails. Why? Because we build relationship with people.

Lets say you have a booth at Affiliate Summit. Getting a booth, staffing, and other misc expenses can add up a lot? but I am not telling you this.

Lets say someone comes up to your booth and asks you about your product. They ask you what makes you different then the other 10 companies at Affiliate Summit with booths. They ask you how you got started, your background, and why you are better than your competition.

Now you have incredible answers for these people right? AND you are probably going to close a huge percentage of them because you have had that one to one interaction with them.

You didn?t just punch them in the face with a sales pamphlet that made them feel violated. You built a real relationship with them that is going to want to make them do business with you. Even if they could get a better deal.

But 1000x more people, as equally qualified as a lead, visit your website every day because they are interested in the product or server that you are offering but there is NO possible way a one time website visitor is going to build any remote connection to you on that visit. Odds are they come back and buy a product or service from your competitor.

But if you capture this lead and then send them value added emails? Just like if they were to come up to your booth then you can guarantee that when the time comes for them to purchase a product or service like you are offering they will buy from you?. and not go back to Google.

Stop delivering intrusive emails to your prospects and give them value. Educate them on the space and your company. Communicate to them everything that you would have if they came up to your booth at a trade show. After all you are getting 1000x more leads then at any trade show. Why not put in place an automated system that continues the relationship after they visited the website?

Your sales will increase drastically. Some of our clients are doing more then 25% of ALL of their sales through our email sequencing.

Your spam complaints will drop, your sales will soar,
your customers will not feel violated.

There is no reason why you can?t get started doing this right away if you have the resources. If you are looking for someone to completely take this off of your companies plate from A-Z then contact us at http://www.parprogram.com for a free demo on how we can work together to start rapidly growing your companies sales.

---

1. Don?t Worry ? People Know
2. Shawn Hogan Speaks Out On FBI Charges
3. Are You a Conference Speaker Douchebag?

Source: http://www.shoemoney.com/2013/04/18/email-marketing-its-not-that-hard

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Komodo dragon attack repelled by woman with a broom

Komodo dragon attack handled by 83-year-old Indonesian woman with a broom. The Komodo dragon is the largest living species of lizard. Attacks by Komodo dragons are rare, but growing.?

By Staff,?Associated Press / April 11, 2013

Flora, a Komodo dragon, walks around her enclosure at Chester Zoo, Chester, England. An 83-year-old woman fought off a Komodo dragon in Indonesia with a broom.

(AP Photo/Dave Thompson/File)

Enlarge

An 83-year-old Indonesian woman has used a broom to fight off an attack from a Komodo dragon.

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Komodo National Park official Heru Rudiharto says the 2-meter (6.5-foot) -long giant lizard bit the left hand of Haifha on Tuesday while she was near her house on Rinca island.

Haifha, who like many Indonesians uses only one name, hit the giant lizard's nose several times with a broom until it left go of her hand. Her neighbors heard her scream and drove the animal away. It took 20 stiches to repair Haifa's hand.

Endangered Komodo dragons are found in the wild in eastern Indonesia. They can grow longer than 3 meters (10 feet). Fewer than 4,000 are believed to be alive.

The Associated Press reports that attacks are rare. But they have occurred with more frequency in recent years.

All of the estimated 2,500 left in the wild can be found within the 700-square-mile (1,810-square-kilometer) Komodo National Park, mostly on its two largest islands, Komodo and Rinca. The lizards on neighboring Padar were wiped out in the 1980s when hunters killed their main prey, deer.

Though poaching is illegal, the sheer size of the park ? and a shortage of rangers ? makes it almost impossible to patrol, said Heru Rudiharto, a biologist and reptile expert. Villagers say the dragons are hungry and more aggressive toward humans because their food is being poached, though park officials are quick to disagree.

The giant lizards have always been dangerous, said Heru Rudiharto, a biologist and reptile expert. However tame they may appear, lounging beneath trees and gazing at the sea from white-sand beaches, they are fast, strong and deadly.

The animals are believed to have descended from a larger lizard on Indonesia's main island Java or Australia around 30,000 years ago.

Another species of monitor lizard, a close relative of the Komodo dragon, was recently discovered in Indonesia.

As reported by LiveScience.com, "The lizard, whose scientific name is Varanus obor, is also called by its popular names, Torch monitor and Sago monitor. It's called Torch monitor because of its bright orange head with a glossy black body. "Obor" means torch in Indonesian.

The newfound lizard is a close relative of the intimidating Komodo dragon, as well as the fruit-eating monitor lizard recently reported from the Philippines."

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/eg0FY4c10dI/Komodo-dragon-attack-repelled-by-woman-with-a-broom

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