Techmeme Opens The Kimono On How It Chooses Headlines And Sources

For many, the methodology behind how technology news aggregator Techmeme chooses sources to link to for headlines has been an enigma. But today, founder Gabe Rivera has opened the kimono a little bit on how stories are chosen to be featured on the site. So bloggers and tech journalists take note. For background, Techmeme uses a set of algorithms as well as human editors to choose and curate stories to highlight. As Rivera writes, Techmeme's mission is "to highlight the essential tech news and commentary of the moment on a single page. The must-reads for anyone who needs to know where the industry is going, whether they're an investor, engineer, entrepreneur, executive, or enthusiast." That doesn't include biotech, cleantech or content that hardcore gamers might enjoy. Techmeme works to be comprehensive, fast, relevant, scannable, and story-rich.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0qeYWO9NoeY/

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Prevention Is Key for Fall Asthma Flare-Ups in Kids (HealthDay)

SUNDAY, Oct. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Children with asthma are at greater risk for flare-ups in the fall because of airborne ragweed and mold spores, as well as the flu and other seasonal infections, researchers warn.

Such flare-ups are marked by inflammation, swelling and tightening of the airways, resulting in wheezing, coughing and difficulty breathing. But, fortunately, it's possible to stave off these attacks, according to experts at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

"Year after year, we see a predictable spike in patient visits for asthma exacerbations in fall and winter, but many of these visits could be easily avoided with simple prevention," Dr. Robert Wood, director of allergy & immunology at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, said in a Hopkins news release.

Nearly 6.3 million children in the United States have asthma, making it the most common childhood chronic illness. However, the Hopkins experts said three key steps could help prevent flare-ups in these children:

• Getting a flu shot. The flu and other respiratory infections can cause serious complications in children with asthma and other chronic conditions. The flu vaccine can prevent infections and minimize complications from the virus.
• Avoiding asthma triggers. The best way to avoid asthma attacks is to avoid the triggers that cause them, including airborne allergens, cockroach and mouse allergens, industrial smog, household chemicals and bacterial and viral infections.
• Using controller medications regularly. Children who experience asthma symptoms two or more times each week benefit from the regular use of controller medications, which suppress airway inflammation and prevent flare-ups.

"Over the summer, many patients have fewer asthma symptoms and cut down on their controller meds, but for most kids, symptoms will return with the change of season, so reverting to their regular drug regimens is critical," added Dr. Elizabeth Matsui, a pediatric allergist and immunologist at Johns Hopkins Children's Center, in the release.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute provides additional tips on how to manage asthma.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111030/hl_hsn/preventioniskeyforfallasthmaflareupsinkids

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Recommendations on Sports Automotive Engine Maintenance ...

Buying a car today might be pretty expensive. The common automobile price is sort of $23,000. That is positively a lot of money, even for a number of the typical and strange cars available in the market. This exhibits that the opposite kinds of vehicles just like the sports activities cars are high priced.

With top quality of sports activities vehicles, it can be crucial that owners learn how to keep their automobile?s engine to be able to defend their asset.

Sports vehicles are particularly made for ?sporting performance?. Because of this its precise engine efficiency is on a better level for speed, acceleration, maneuverability, and braking are compared to the opposite types of cars.

With these remarkable features, some sports activities automotive drivers tend to make use of its power even if they aren?t on a race. Subsequently, maintaining the sports activities automotive engine is extremely important. But a sports activities automotive engine doesn?t need to be powerful and large.

Here?s a list of useful ideas for maintaining sports activities car engines:

1. For average use, it?s still essential to examine the sports activities automobile engine every 3000 miles. One of many primary engine upkeep suggestions is to change the engine oil along with the filter. It will ensure correct lubrication and performance of the sports automotive engine.

2. Test the other fluids within the engine such as the brake fluid, ?automatic transmission fluid level (if applicable),? coolant, etc. These fluids are necessary in protecting the sports activities automobile engine?s efficiency healthy.

3. All the time verify the engine compartment for any signs of leaks. Leaks often indicate a broken gasket.

4. All the time search for some put on, breaks or cracks of the engine belts. Taking it with no consideration can create severe engine problems.

5. Be wary of spark plugs which might be beyond the recommended 30,000-mile range. Outdated spark plugs that ore not working correctly can deprive you of fuel efficiency.

It is vital that every one engine maintenance checks carried out on a sports activities automobile ought to be recorded in a logbook. This might be very helpful especially if the one that has performed the maintenance test has forgotten the last date of oil change or different maintenance that was performed.

There isn?t any different option to keep a sports activities car in high condition than to have a regular maintenance examine-up on its engine. You need to remember that the engine is the most important part of an automotive, particularly the sports activities car; therefore, it needs to be properly maintained.

If you need other info with respect to synthetic oil, pay a visit to Gleason Kliendkerherb?s web page directly.

No related posts.

Source: http://webmasterarticles.net/recommendations-on-sports-automotive-engine-maintenance/

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More people banking using their mobile devices, comScore says (Appolicious)

New figures from Internet research firm comScore suggest a big rise in online banking among mobile device users.

The data finds that a big number of Americans ? almost 32.5 million ? have tapped into their bank accounts using a mobile device by the end of the second quarter of 2011, according to a story from Fierce Mobile Content. That?s just under 14 percent of all wireless subscribers in the U.S., comScore says, and a 21 percent increase over figures from six months earlier, when only 26.7 mobile subscribers were using their devices to pull up bank account information.

The high numbers are interesting, considering that banking is something that could potentially have a high risk of security threats among mobile users. About a year ago, for example, Citibank reported a big lapse in security with its mobile app, where it was saving personal information in an unprotected file on users? iOS devices. That file was also copied to users? computers when they synced with iTunes. Potentially, it made identity theft very possible and very easy.

Yet despite problems such as that one, it seems more users, not less, are trusting their mobile devices with their sensitive information. ComScore found that more users are pulling down all kinds of financial information using their smartphones. The firm?s findings show that 12.7 million subscribers in the U.S. said they?d used a mobile banking app in the month of June 2011, which is a rather huge increase of 45 percent over the same time a year earlier. About 6 million consumers have also used a credit card app in lieu of a credit card, which has seen a 43 percent increase during the last year.

More than just apps

It?s not just apps, either: 17.5 million smartphone subscribers said they got to their banking information by way of a mobile browser, like Apple?s Safari on its mobile devices. That?s an increase of 14 percent over last year. Conversely, 10.4 million people used mobile browsers to access information about their credit cards, an increase of 17 percent.

That increase suggests that mobile banking and financial information is getting easier and more convenient to access ? which is probably good, given all the benefits that those services can offer. But as we?ve seen in the past, accessing sensitive information by way of mobile devices can leave users vulnerable, as well.

Back in March, a study suggested only about 15 percent of mobile users were even aware of mobile software that protected against malware and other security threats, and of those users, a much smaller fraction actually used it. An increase in users passing vulnerable information through their smartphones and other mobile devices, like Apple?s iPad, will undoubtedly lead to an increase in instances of that data being compromised.

Things aren?t as bad for users of Apple?s iOS devices as they can be for those of Google?s Android, given the (somewhat robust) vetting Apple does for its apps. But it?s always a good idea to be careful of the kind of data you send over a mobile device. This is a burgeoning technology that may not always be secure, even when the creators of that technology think it is secure. The best way to protect yourself is to limit the kind of information you make available to your iPhone or iPad.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_appolicious_com_articles10050_more_people_banking_using_their_mobile_devices_comscore_says/43419578/SIG=13dtbj8tr/*http%3A//www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/10050-more-people-banking-using-their-mobile-devices-comscore-says

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Labor board headed for gridlock again (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Frustrated with union-friendly decisions from the National Labor Relations Board, Republicans hope to cut off the agency's power by denying President Barack Obama the chance to name members while the Senate is in recess.

The five-member board is now down to three members, and another will leave at the end of the year. The remaining two members could not legally issue decisions or make new rules.

"What they would be doing quite explicitly is trying to keep an agency from functioning through this maneuver," said former board member Wilma Liebman, a Democratic appointee whose term ended in August.

For months, House Republicans have convened brief, pro forma sessions whenever Congress is away to prevent the Senate from going into a full recess. The tactic has kept Obama from using recess appointments to bypass the Senate to name members of the labor board, choose a new chief of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and appoint other officials unlikely to win Senate confirmation.

The labor board is a lightning rod in the ideological war between businesses and unions over the right of workers to organize. But the long-simmering conflict has boiled over this year. Republicans say the board has taken unprecedented steps that are unacceptable to business.

"Unfortunately, the board's activism requires using all options available to stop their job-destroying agenda," said Minnesota Rep. John Kline, GOP chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Democrats say the GOP tactic will hamstring the board and keep it from enforcing the law. "It would paralyze the labor board, which will paralyze the labor movement, which is the point," said New Jersey Rep. Rob Andrews, a Democrat on the Education and Workforce committee.

The board has proposed new rules that would speed up union elections, giving employers less time to counter organizing drives. It also decided to let smaller groups of workers try to form unions, which could make it easier for unions to gain a foothold in some companies.

The most high-profile outrage for Republicans, though, is a complaint filed earlier this year against Boeing Co. by the NLRB's acting general counsel. The complaint accuses the company of illegally retaliating against unionized workers in Washington state by opening a new plant in South Carolina, a right-to-work state where labor unions' power is limited.

Republicans call the Boeing complaint an unfair government intrusion into a legitimate business decision. Last month, the GOP-controlled House passed legislation that would undercut the Boeing case by stopping the NLRB from ordering an employer to shut down plants or relocate work, even if a company violates labor laws. But the measure is going nowhere in the Democratic-run Senate.

A spokesman for Wyoming Sen. Mike Enzi, top Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said the board appears headed for two-member gridlock unless the White House sends up nominees that can satisfy both parties.

"Our goal is to see the administration send up qualified nominees that the members can confirm," said Frank Macchiarola, a staff director for Enzi.

Some Republicans say they are simply adopting the same tactics that Senate Democrats used during former President George W. Bush's second term, when they stayed in session to prevent recess appointments.

From 2008 to 2010, the labor board endured a record 27 months when it had too few members to operate. Senate Democrats had refused to fill vacant seats during Bush's final year in office, angered by a series of pro-business rulings. Then it was Senate Republicans' turn to stall when Obama sent up his own nominees, deemed too sympathetic to labor.

During that time, the board's two members, one Democrat and one Republican, decided cases on which they could agree and postponed ? sometimes for years ? those on which they couldn't. But the Supreme Court ruled last year that two members were not enough to decide any case before the board.

Obama finally made two recess appointments in March 2010, including Craig Becker, a former union lawyer whose views Republicans considered too radical. Becker's recess appointment will expire at the end of this year, and Republicans have made clear they will block an effort to confirm him through the regular nomination process.

White House spokesman Eric Schultz declined to comment on the GOP tactics.

Both Republican and Democratic presidents have made recess appointments to bypass the Senate's authority to confirm nominees. President George W. Bush made more than 170 such appointments in his two-term presidency. Obama has made 28 recess appointments so far.

Without a quorum of three members, NLRB staff can still carry out the agency's core functions, such as issuing complaints, investigating labor law violations and overseeing union elections. About 95 percent of cases are resolved without ever being appealed to the five-member board.

But the board still hears appeals on hundreds of cases each year, some of which can lead to new policies or change existing case law. Democrats warn that businesses caught violating labor laws could simply appeal their cases to delay fines and penalties, knowing they would never be heard while the board lacks a quorum.

It could also prevent the board from ruling on the Boeing case. The action is currently being heard by an administrative law judge in Seattle, but any ruling would not be effective until the full board ruled on appeal.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_go_co/us_labor_board_gridlock

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No filter required for Rosie O'Donnell's new show (AP)

NEW YORK ? Rosie O'Donnell isn't shying away from controversy on her new Oprah Winfrey Network talk show.

Since the variety program's premiere on Oct. 10, O'Donnell has tackled topics from her renewed, menopausal sex drive to police brutality at the Occupy Wall Street protests.

"I'm going to talk about things that matter as well as entertaining fun things. But we're not going to leave stuff out. We're going to talk about what's current ? what's happening and what people are talking about in real life," O'Donnell said in an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday.

O'Donnell's outspokenness about the Iraq War led to her abrupt exit on "The View," and her no-holds-barred attitude may have landed her a few high-profile enemies, but the comedian's new boss embraces her lack of filter.

"Oprah is so supportive," said O'Donnell, 49. "She said, `Trust your instincts, go with your gut, you know what to do, trust yourself.' And that's what I've been doing."

"The Rosie Show," a mash up of celebrity interviews, standup comedy, musical acts, games and reality TV, has garnered mixed reviews and lackluster ratings. But O'Donnell remains optimistic.

"We're going slow and steady," she said. "It's a marathon, not a sprint. And it's Oprah Winfrey, so I would not bet against her. That's for sure."

___

Online:

http://www.oprah.com/rosie.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/celebrity/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111027/ap_en_tv/us_people_rosie_o_donnell

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McIlroy takes 2-stroke lead in Shanghai Masters

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his drive during the second round of the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters golf tournament in Shanghai, China, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland watches his drive during the second round of the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters golf tournament in Shanghai, China, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

Hunter Mahan of the United States reacts after a chip on the 18th hole during the second round of the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters golf tournament in Shanghai, China, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after a chip during the second round of the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters golf tournament in Shanghai, China, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland tees off while the crowd watch during the second round of the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters golf tournament in Shanghai, China, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hits out of a bunker against newly-built real estate projects in the background during the second round of the Lake Malaren Shanghai Masters golf tournament in Shanghai, China, Friday, Oct. 28, 2011. (AP Photo/Alexander F. Yuan)

SHANGHAI (AP) ? U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to increase his lead to two strokes after the second round of the Shanghai Masters.

After opening with a bogey-free 64, McIlroy struggled on the front nine, bogeying the fourth hole and dropping two strokes when he drove into the water on the par-4 ninth.

The 22-year-old star from Northern Ireland recovered with four birdies on the back nine to finish at 11-under 133 on Lake Malaren's Jack Nicklaus-designed Masters course.

"I liked the birdie on 18, and had a good back nine," McIlroy said. "To shoot four birdies kept me going after the double bogey."

Noh Seung-yul was second after a 63. The 20-year-old South Korean player birdied three of the last four holes. He began the round tied for 18th after an opening 72.

"I had hurt my ankle and not been able to practice too much and also not be able to swing as hard as I would like," Noh said. "I just decided to be careful with how I played. I putted well and chose good options, which obviously helped my score."

The 30 players are vying for the $2 million first prize, the richest in golf. All the top players are getting appearance money, and last place pays $25,000. Because the International Management Group-run event isn't sanctioned by a major tour, it doesn't have world-ranking points.

Louis Oosthuizen (66) and Anthony Kim (68) were 8 under, and Padraig Harrington (70) and Hunter Mahan (72) were another stroke back.

Ian Poulter (71) and Robert Karlsson (69) were 6 under, and John Daly followed his opening 69 with a 70 to match Lee Westwood (70), Colin Montgomerie (69) and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel (69) at 5 under.

The World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions is next week at nearby Sheshan International.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-10-28-GLF-Shanghai-Masters/id-e32508fb16924f05bac8d8880c66f152

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[OOC]Npcs/Monster list

Forum rules
This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Star City Chronicles?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.

Like the title says, this will be where npcs will be created along with monsters.

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Sheriff: Ga. deputy's killer had drinking problem

ATLANTA?? The girlfriend of an Army National Guard soldier who fatally shot a sheriff's deputy and himself told investigators the gunman "definitely had a drinking problem" and grabbed an assault rifle from his trunk after she made him pull over while he was driving drunk, a Georgia sheriff said Monday.

"She said he had been drinking and he was drunk and that when he gets drunk, he gets violent," Richmond County Sheriff Ronald Strength said. "Why shoot a law enforcement officer? We don't have that answer."

Spc. Christopher Michael Hodges, 26, was randomly firing an assault rifle into traffic from behind his car on the side of an Augusta highway at about 1 a.m. Sunday when Deputy James Paugh pulled over and was shot ? apparently not realizing at first that Hodges posed a threat, authorities said.

Hodges served in the Tennessee National Guard but had been training at Fort Gordon in Augusta for six months. Strength said Hodges' girlfriend told police that they had gotten into an argument in the car after he had gotten drunk at a friend's house.

"She said he definitely had a drinking problem," the sheriff said.

Hodges pulled off the highway and into the grass after "she got mad and said, 'Let me out. I want to go home,'" Strength said. "That's when he got out and got the rifle out of the car and started shooting."

The sheriff said Hodges didn't shoot at the woman, whose name wasn't released, but seemed to be randomly firing as he emptied one magazine on the M4 rifle and loaded another. Investigators found at least 40 shell casings, though no motorists reported being hit, Strength said. He said authorities were working to trace the gun, and Fort Gordon officials had determined it didn't come from the Army post.

Meanwhile investigators were awaiting autopsy results likely ready on Tuesday that are expected to include tests for drugs and alcohol in Hodges' blood.

And investigators were still trying to fill in the details of Hodges' military service for clues to what led to his outburst. Strength said authorities had determined the citizen-soldier had served in Iraq, but he wasn't sure of the timeline. He also cautioned that, while investigators are interested in whether Hodges suffered from any service-related mental problems, "we're not psychiatrists or psychologists."

"There are many things that will never be answered," Strength said.

The military said Hodges had served on active duty and later in the National Guard at least since 2005, when he was stationed at Fort Stewart with the Army's 3rd Infantry Division. His four years based at the southeast Georgia post included a yearlong deployment to Iraq from 2007 to 2008.

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According to the Tennessee National Guard, Hodges joined its ranks in February after he'd spent about two years in the Georgia Guard.

"This is a time of deep sorrow for all involved and in the midst of this tragedy our thoughts are first and foremost with the families," Major Gen. Max Haston, Tennessee's adjutant general, said in a statement Monday. He said the military is working with civilian authorities to figure out what happened.

Neither Tennessee National Guard nor Fort Gordon officials have said what sort of training Hodges was doing at the post in Augusta. He belonged to the 1st Battalion,107th Aviation Regiment based in Smyrna, Tenn., which deployed to Afghanistan in June while Hodges was training at Fort Gordon.

Paugh was one of Richmond County's veteran deputies, having served for 17 years. Strength said the slain deputy was off-duty but still wearing his uniform when he was shot.

He said Paugh, 47, was riding his motorcycle home after spending the evening on patrol outside Augusta's fall fair. Authorities believe the deputy spotted Hodges' car beside the highway and stopped check.

Investigators found Paugh's motorcycle lying on its side in the grass, leading them to believe Hodges opened fire on the deputy before he could put down his kickstand. Evidence shows Paugh fired two shots from his service handgun, but he missed Hodges.

His funeral was planned for 11 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church of Augusta.

"We're set up for more than 1,000," said sheriff's Capt. Scott Gay. "We know that people are coming from all over Georgia and from throughout the United States."

Gay said his department has been flooded with emails and notes from well-wishers.

One of them, from a doctor in Ohio, said the deputy "is a true hero" and expressed hope that his family finds some comfort.

"I hope the fact that he is being honored by so many brings them some comfort in this time of loss," the note stated. "May they feel comfort and love from across the nation."

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45023414/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

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Sprint's Samsung Transform Ultra lands Nov. 13 for $70

By the way: The Samsung Tranform Ultra that's coming to Sprint (and that was announced this morning with no word of pricing or availability). ... It'll be priced at $70 after two-year contract and $50 rebate, and it'll be available Nov. 13.

Source: Sprint

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/hnCifAWaCzs/sprints-samsung-transform-ultra-lands-nov-13-70

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'Bottomless pit': US training of Iraqi cops slammed

BAGHDAD?? A U.S. State Department program to train Iraqi police lacks focus, could become a "bottomless pit" of American money and may not even be wanted by the Iraqi department it's supposed to help, reports released Monday by a U.S. government watchdog show.

The findings by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction paint what is supposed to be the State Department's flagship program in Iraq in a harsh light.

The report comes at a crucial time for the State Department as it assumes sole responsibility for securing U.S.-Iraqi ties as American forces leave by the end of this year.

On Oct. 1, the State Department took over the job of training Iraqi police from the Defense Department. According to the inspector general's report, the training program faces many problems.

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Only a small portion ? about 12 percent ? of the millions of dollars budgeted will actually go to helping the Iraqi police, the report said. The "vast preponderance of money" will pay for security and other items like living quarters for the people doing the training, the review found.

Story: Obama: All US troops out of Iraq by end of year

The audit also said although the State Department has known since 2009 it would be taking over the training program, it failed to develop a comprehensive and detailed plan for the training.

"Without specific goals, objectives and performance measures, the PDP (Police Development Program) could become a 'bottomless pit' for U.S. dollars intended for mentoring, advising and training the Iraqi police forces," the report stated.

Downsizing
The oversight agency also found that budget concerns led to the program being significantly downsized.

In 2009, the State Department agency in charge of the training, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, estimated it would cost about $721 million to pay for a program with 350 police advisers. That averaged out to about $2.1 million per adviser, said SIGIR.

But in December 2010, the program was downsized to 190 advisers while costs had increased, the report stated. According to SIGIR calculations, the average cost per adviser jumped to $6.2 million per year.

By July of this year, the number of advisers had dropped to 115 for what the State Department described as Phase 1 of the program. If its budget request is approved for fiscal year 2012, the program could be beefed up again to 190 advisers, state department officials told the oversight agency.

Story: Reaction on Iraq withdrawal: 'So many lives have been lost'

Despite the considerable outlay in U.S. taxpayer money, the Iraqi government has yet to sign off on the program and doesn't seem to want it. The official in the Iraqi Ministry of Interior (MOI) responsible for the ministry's day-to-day operations, Adnan al-Asadi, suggested to SIGIR that the U.S. should spend the money on something for the American people instead.

"What tangible benefit will Iraqis see from this police training program? With most of the money spent on lodging, security, support, all the MOI gets is a little expertise, and that is if the program materializes. It has yet to start," al-Asadi said.

The inspector general said the State Department did not fully cooperate with their audit.

"There were delays in gaining access to key officials and in obtaining documents. Moreover, the documents provided were incomplete," the audit read. One meeting in May was canceled an hour before it was to start because State Department officials needed to additional "Department guidance," SIGIR wrote.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad did not respond to a request for comment.

Video: Mixed emotions over Iraq announcement (on this page)

In a letter to SIGIR, the State Department said it "generally agrees" with the report's recommendations but defended its efforts.

State Department Assistant Secretary William Brownfield wrote that because they were unsure of whether they would get all the money they'd requested, they decided to start with a smaller number of trainers, and they could ramp up to 190 trainers if the money comes through.

Story: Clinton to Iran: Don't misread departure from Iraq

Brownfield also said an independent organization was supposed to do a detailed assessment of Iraqi law enforcement capabilities but did not have access to people on the Iraqi side to finish the assessment in time. He said it would be done by November.

The fact that Iraq still does not have a permanent in interior minister has hampered efforts to come up with an agreement on implementing the training program, Brownfield wrote. But he said the MOI was committed to the program. He also wrote that the State Department hoped to reduce costs in the coming years and to hire more Iraqi support employees.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45011157/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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NSAID use associated with lower colorectal cancer mortality rates ...

BOSTON ? Postmenopausal women who reported having used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for at least 10 years at the time of enrollment in the Women's Health Initiative study had a lower risk for death from colorectal cancer compared with women who reported no use of these drugs at enrollment, according to data presented at the 10th AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, held Oct. 22-25, 2011.

"Our results suggest that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use is associated with lower colorectal cancer mortality among postmenopausal women who use these medications more consistently and for longer periods of time," said Anna E. Coghill, M.P.H., a doctoral student in epidemiology at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

She and her colleagues evaluated the association between aspirin and nonaspirin NSAID use and colorectal cancer mortality in 160,143 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) who did not report a history of colorectal cancer at baseline. The study population included women enrolled in the WHI clinical trials and women enrolled in the WHI observational study.

"The WHI study population represents a large and well-characterized cohort of postmenopausal women, and the medication data collected in this cohort made it possible for us to investigate multiple types, durations and strengths of NSAID use," Coghill said.

Researchers confirmed 2,119 cases of colorectal cancer through medical reports and verified 492 deaths due to colorectal cancer through a centralized medical record and death certificate review.

Coghill and colleagues found that reported use of NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and prescription NSAIDs at baseline, by itself, was not associated with colorectal cancer mortality.

However, women in the study who reported using NSAIDs at both study enrollment and three years after study enrollment had an approximately 30 percent lower rate of death due to colorectal cancer compared with women who reported no NASID use or use at only one of these two time points. Researchers also observed significant reductions in colorectal cancer mortality among women who reported at least 10 years of NSAID use at study enrollment compared with those who reported no use.

"The results of our study help to further clarify the importance of different durations of NSAID use over time for the risk for dying from colorectal cancer," Coghill said.

Source: http://www.sciencecodex.com/read/nsaid_use_associated_with_lower_colorectal_cancer_mortality_rates_among_postmenopausal_women-80197

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U.S. and North Korea start talks in Geneva (Reuters)

GENEVA (Reuters) ? U.S. and North Korean negotiators began a two-day meeting in Geneva on Monday, the second such encounter since six-party talks on nuclear disarmament collapsed more than two years ago.

The session, which follows talks in New York in late July, is aimed more at managing tensions on the divided Korean peninsula than resuming stalled regional talks on ending the North's nuclear programs.

"Talks have started. They are in the room and talking," a U.S. official said outside the American diplomatic mission in Geneva where the two sides were meeting in a conference room.

The two delegations, who are staying at the same Geneva lakeside hotel, held a roughly two-hour morning session and were to return after separate lunches at 2:30 p.m. (8:30 a.m. EDT).

U.S. officials have described the talks as "exploratory" and aimed at keeping Pyongyang engaged so as to avoid any "miscalculations" by the reclusive nation.

U.S. envoy Stephen Bosworth, accompanied by his successor Glyn Davies, and veteran North Korean nuclear negotiator Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan lead the respective delegations.

SLIGHT EASING OF TENSIONS

U.S. officials and analysts were keeping expectations low, despite a slight easing of tensions between American ally South Korea and North Korea and Pyongyang's repeated calls for resuming nuclear talks.

The six-party talks, including North Korea's ally China as well as Russia, Japan and South Korea, fell apart in 2009 when North Korea quit the process after U.N. sanctions were imposed following its second nuclear test.

China wants North Korea to deepen talks with the South and the United States in the hope of restarting nuclear negotiations, the Chinese vice premier told his North Korean counterpart, state media reported on Monday.

The six-party forum offers the North economic aid in return for dismantling its nuclear program which is believed to have yielded enough fissile material to make up to 10 atomic bombs.

Last year, the North unveiled a uranium enrichment facility at Yongbyon, which opens a second route to make a nuclear bomb along with its plutonium program, and argued it was for peaceful purposes. It says uranium enrichment falls outside the realm of previous six-party negotiations.

A September 2005 agreement reached by all sides does not specifically refer to uranium enrichment, only stating that the North must cease all nuclear activities.

Seoul and Washington insist that Pyongyang must first halt its nuclear activities, including its uranium enrichment program, before six-party talks can restart.

South Korea said last week that Pyongyang's defiance over uranium enrichment remains the biggest hurdle.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il has stated his readiness to return to the nuclear talks "without any preconditions." He says the North remains committed to fulfilling the September agreement with the aim of denuclearizing the entire peninsula.

Analysts say there is little chance the North will ever give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons, seen as the ultimate bargaining chip and most effective deterrent against attack from the South, and that six-party talks are a long way off.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ruled out troop cuts in Asia as part of U.S. belt-tightening as he arrived in Japan on Monday, flagging concerns about a "reckless" North Korea and Chinese military assertiveness.

(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/nkorea/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111024/wl_nm/us_korea_north_us

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Obama's new theme: 'We can't wait' for lawmakers to act (Star Tribune)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/152487924?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Maine man's car goes 1 million miles

SACO, Maine (AP) ? A Maine man and his car are celebrating a million-mile milestone.

Joe LoCicero was given a 2012 Honda Accord at a parade in the city of Saco on Sunday after surpassing the million-mile (1.6 million-kilometer) mark on the odometer of his 1990 Accord. He reached the milestone last Thursday.

A Honda spokeswoman tells The Portland Press Herald it's the first time the manufacturer has documented an Accord reaching one million miles.

LoCicero says he bought the car in 1996 with 74,000 miles (about 120,000 kilometers). The former mechanic did much of his own work. The secret he says is following maintenance schedules, using quality parts and driving safely.

He swears the transmission and engine are original.

Now that he has a new Accord, he's not sure what he'll do with the old one.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2011-10-24-Million%20Mile%20Car/id-75e528b62da84deab6bdc40378b9f568

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Nolan Ryan still bringing the heat for Rangers (AP)

ARLINGTON, Texas ? If Nolan Ryan had his own 2011 baseball card, there wouldn't be enough space to list all of his roles with the Texas Rangers.

CEO. President. Part owner.

Pitching guru. Consultant for all other baseball matters, on and off the field. Resident Hall of Famer and living legend.

For Game 4 of the World Series, he'll even catch a ceremonial first pitch.

And yet, despite all those titles, none captures the essence of what Ryan means to the Rangers.

Ryan is the team's heart and soul. He brought credibility when he arrived as a player 22 years ago, then stability when he returned to run the front office three years ago. Since moving to the top of the organization's depth chart last summer, all that's happened is a first-ever trip to the World Series a few months later, followed by a return trip this year. Texas and St. Louis were tied 1-1 going into Game 3 on Saturday night.

Frame his importance one more way: Try naming another baseball team right now that's as defined by one person as the Rangers are by Nolan Ryan.

"That's something we needed here for a long time, to have a bit of an organizational identity," said Michael Young, who has been with Texas since 2000, long enough to become the franchise's career hits leader. "Nolan is an icon in this state and in this city for what he's accomplished as a baseball player. Having him at the top of the team is something we've all benefited from."

Ryan's most important moves may have been those he didn't make when he arrived as club president.

Rather than sweeping out the incumbent general manager and manager to put in "his people," Ryan decided to get to know Jon Daniels and Ron Washington. He was impressed by Daniels, the youngest general manager in baseball history, and by Washington, a first-time manager. He and Daniels also decided to stick by Washington after he admitted using cocaine during the All-Star break in 2009, and again when that story was revealed during spring training in 2010.

Daniels already had begun rebuilding the farm system and Ryan helped put his stamp on the way pitchers come through the organization. As the career leader in no-hitters and strikeouts, he knows a little something about pitching; having set another record by pitching for 27 seasons, he also knows plenty about keeping arms and legs fresh.

Cleaning up the business side was more challenging because it included a trip to bankruptcy court and an auction that pitted Ryan and partner Chuck Greenberg against Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks. The Greenberg-Ryan tandem didn't last, though. Their personalities clashed and the energy billionaires who backed their ownership group were asked to pick only one to stay. Greenberg left the organization during spring training.

The toughest moments of Ryan's tenure came this summer, when a firefighter taking his young son to a game died while trying to catch a ball tossed to him by the boy's favorite player, Josh Hamilton. The next day, the 64-year-old Ryan called it "one of the saddest things I've ever seen at the ballpark."

Ryan attended the funeral and became a source of comfort to the grieving family. He kept in touch with the widow and persuaded her to bring her son to the first playoff game ? and for the boy to throw the first pitch to Hamilton. First, Ryan made sure Hamilton, a recovering substance abuser still battling his own personal demons, was OK with it. It turned out to be an emotional, poignant start to the postseason. Ryan also has commissioned a statue of the man and his son to be erected next season, representing all fans. The club also will raise the railings throughout the park to the highest in baseball.

"An organization has so many roots expanding in so many directions," said Jackie Moore, who's known Ryan for decades and worked for him with the Astros, on the Ryan-owned Round Rock Express and now as the Rangers' bench coach. "Whether it's the business office or the baseball operations, baseball decisions, to have someone of the status he has, to stabilize everything that goes on, to have that foundation, how can you do better than Nolan Ryan?"

For all the accolades in Ryan's pitching career, he's already built a better postseason resume as management ? two trips to the World Series in four years, as opposed to just one in uniform. It came very early in his playing days, as a reliever on the 1969 "Amazin' Mets."

It's a different kind of satisfaction, but the emotions are the same. Just watch the telecast of any big game because cameras are always pointed his way, usually catching a steely stare or a thin, wide smile.

"I couldn't be any prouder of a group of people as I am of this ballclub," Ryan said at the start of the playoffs.

The Rangers' clubhouse is filled with folks who understand and appreciate Ryan and everything he brings to the club.

Take Darren Oliver, the 41-year-old reliever. He was a wide-eyed rookie when he was Ryan's teammate with the Rangers in 1993, so intimidated he said only "Hi" and "Bye" and never called Ryan by name. Now Oliver has an even greater appreciation for Ryan.

"There's instant respect when you see him," Oliver said. "When he comes around and has something to say, people listen."

Mike Adams grew up in South Texas and idolized Ryan, a South Texas native himself. When Adams was traded from the Padres to the Rangers at the trade deadline, one of his first thoughts was "the opportunity I might have to meet him."

"I was a little bit awestruck when I did meet him," Adams said. "I wanted to be professional. But I was a kid at the same time. Now that I've been around him a little more, I've had an opportunity to sit down and talk with him a little bit."

Adams is a tall guy who uses a high leg kick to generate velocity, just like Ryan did, so the setup man asked about whether to speed up his motion when there's a runner on base. Adams smiled as he talked about successfully using the new approach in Game 2. He also acknowledged that what Ryan said ? "Don't sacrifice the hitter for the runner" ? was similar to what he's heard before.

"It's just the fact it came from him," Adams said. "It kind of snapped a little bit because it came from him."

Moore has been in pro baseball since the 1950s, long enough for him to fully appreciate what Ryan has overseen in turning Texas from a perennially mediocre-or-worse team into a back-to-back AL pennant winner. Moore also understands the difficulty of repeating because he was with the Reds when they won went from winning it all in '90 to last place in the division in '91.

Moore also has a great appreciation for the challenge of turning around this particular franchise because this is his fourth stint with the Rangers, each in a different decade.

"This was an organization always on the move in all different directions," Moore said, ticking off the names of all the owners and managers he's worked for in Arlington. "For a lot of years, we made a lot of promises that did not pan out. Here again, this is why it's great to have Nolan Ryan's name on it.

"He's sitting there in the front office like he does with his cattle ranch ? he's just riding herd over the organization," Moore continued. Then he paused for effect, smiled and added: "I'm just very happy to be a Texas Ranger."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111022/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbo_world_series_ryan

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Elderly long-term care residents suffer cognitively during disasters

ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2011) ? In a summer with unprecedented weather events, from tornados, floods, fires and hurricanes, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing found that physiological changes associated with aging and the presence of chronic illness make older adults more susceptible to illness or injury, even death, during a disaster.

Investigators followed 17 long-term care residents, with a mean age of 86, who were evacuated for five days due to a severe summer storm and were relocated to different facilities with different care providers and physical surroundings. The displaced participants experienced delirium, cognitive changes, hospitalizations, and death, according to research published in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing.

"Older adults often have visual and hearing deficits, making it more difficult to interpret their environments and precipitating increased stress," said lead author Pamela Cacchione, PhD, APRN, GNP, BC. "This stress can also exacerbate chronic illnesses, further precipitating delirium."

The 17 participants were part of a broader intervention study testing the effectiveness of a nursing intervention to improve vision and hearing impairment and decrease incident delirium and other outcomes.

As part of the parent study residents were measured with four different tests. The MMSE is a 30-item mental status test that includes questions on orientation, language, attention and recall. The GDS is a 30-item interview based depression rating scale requiring yes or no responses, the NEECHAM is a 9-item nurse rated scale that includes the participant's vital signs and pulse, which is designed to assess for acute confusion/delirium and the mCAM, another delirium assessment tool which includes tasks to assess attention.

The participants were all screened with the NEECHAM and the mCAM on the day of the severe storm and three times a week for two weeks upon their return to their home facility. The scores were compared with their Week 1 scores.

"This study provided documentation of what clinicians have known for some time, but such anecdotal accounts are seldom described with the clinical instrumentation described here," said Dr. Cacchione. "Unexpected relocation often leads to poor outcomes for nursing home residents."

The study, published in September 2011 issue, found that more than half the residents were negatively affected by evacuation and showed signs of delirium within the two weeks immediately following -- two participants were hospitalized and one died.

"Nurses in all care settings, not just LTC sites, should be aware of the potential difficulties older adults may experience as a result of a natural disaster, especially when evacuations and relocations occur," said Dr. Cacchione. "Basic physical care, ongoing assessment of chronic conditions, medication management, the return to familiar surroundings, and the return of valued objects should be facilitated as soon as possible."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Pamela Z. Cacchione, Lisa M. Willoughby, Joanne C. Langan, Kennith Culp. Disaster Strikes! Long-Term Care Resident Outcomes Following a Natural Disaster. Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 2011; 37 (9): 16 DOI: 10.3928/00989134-20110512-01

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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111021125519.htm

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Giuliana Rancic Recovering Breast Cancer Surgery - Starpulse.com

Reality TV star Giuliana Rancic is recovering after undergoing breast cancer surgery on Wednesday.

The presenter is "doing well" at home after surgeons performed a two-hour double lumpectomy, according to her husband Bill Rancic.

He tells breakfast show Today, "It was kind of a long day. There's many steps in the process when you go through this...? She's a trooper. She pulled through it and was kind of relieved to get it over with and get the cancer out. She's doing well at home and recovering."

Giuliana was diagnosed with breast cancer after her doctor urged her to have a mammogram scan before beginning another round of in-vitro fertilization treatment.

Source: http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2011/10/21/giuliana_rancic_recovering_breast_canc

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Aussie authorities hunt shark that killed American (AP)

CANBERRA, Australia ? Shark hunters have set baited hooks off the southwest Australian coast hoping to catch a great white that killed an American recreational diver.

Department of Fisheries manager Tony Cappelluti says officers set six lines with hooks off the tourist haven of Rottnest Island where witnesses saw a 10-foot (3-meter) great white shark take the 32-year-old man Saturday.

Police will release the man's name later Sunday.

Scientists have warned against an overreaction to the third fatal shark attack off Australia's southwest coast in less than two months. Australia averages fewer than two fatal shark attacks a year.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111023/ap_on_re_as/as_australia_shark_attack

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Groupon's scaled back IPO to raise up to $540 million (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Groupon Inc plans to raise as much as $540 million in an initial public offering, less than previously planned, as the daily deals website grapples with a weak equity market, executive departures and questions about its accounting and business model.

The company aims to sell 30 million shares, or less than 5 percent of the company, at between $16 and $18 each, according to a regulatory filing on Friday.

The midpoint would value Groupon $10.8 billion, far less than the $20 billion initially expected but still above the $6 billion that Google Inc offered to pay for the business last year.

Despite the lowered valuation, some analysts said they thought the IPO, which is expected to come to market in early November, could still struggle. They point to questions over the long-term viability of a business that faces fierce competition and low barriers of entry.

The fact that Groupon has changed its accounting twice under pressure from regulators, and lost two chief operating officers this year, also has not instilled confidence.

"This offer strikes me as very, very unattractive," said Josef Schuster, founder of Chicago-based IPO research and investment house IPOX Schuster. "I think it's over-valued."

He said the scaling back of the size of the IPO and the small float suggests that there will be more shares to come to market. Depending on demand, the IPO will raise between $480 million and $540 million, compared with a previous target of $750 million.

The deal is one of the most closely watched IPOs in recent years. If it succeeds, it will bode well for other companies also considering going public, including social gaming company Zynga and online social network Facebook.

Groupon is set to launch a roadshow next week with Chief Executive Andrew Mason, Chief Financial Officer Jason Child and product head Jeff Holden to attract potential investors.

SMALLER LOSSES

The online daily deal industry has exploded into a multibillion-dollar business since Groupon was launched in late 2008. That growth has attracted hundreds of rivals, including giants like Google, Facebook and Amazon.com Inc.

One of the main question marks over Groupon has been whether the company can become profitable any time soon. Friday's IPO filing disclosed third-quarter results and some progress toward profitability.

On a pro forma operating basis, which excludes stock-based compensation, Groupon said it lost $2 million in the third quarter, down from $62 million in the second quarter.

Groupon's North American business generated a pro forma operating profit of $19 million in the third quarter.

Groupon's International segment lost $21 million in the third quarter, compared with a pro forma operating loss of $52 million in the second quarter.

Groupon reduced its losses partly by keeping a lid on marketing spending. Earlier this year, the company hired Richard Williams from Amazon as its new head of marketing to help make its marketing more efficient.

NET REVENUE RISES

Groupon reported gross billings of $1.16 billion in the third quarter, up 25 percent from the previous quarter and 496 percent from the same period last year.

Gross billings represent the money Groupon collects from selling online discount coupons. The company pays a lot of this money later to the merchants participating in the deals. What is left over is reported as net revenue.

Groupon said third-quarter net revenue was $430 million, up 10 percent from the second quarter and 426 percent from a year earlier.

The company said it had 30 million customers at the end of September, up from 23 million three months earlier. Customers are subscribers who have bought one of Groupon's coupons.

Repeat customers, people who have purchased more than one Groupon, climbed to 16 million in the third quarter from 12 million at the end of the second quarter, the company also said in its filing.

Average revenue per Groupon sold was $13 in the third quarter, up from $12 in the previous quarter. The average number of Groupons sold per customer was 4.2, up about 5 percent from the previous three-month period, according to the filing.

Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs & Co and Credit Suisse are leading the underwriters on the offering. The shares are expected to trade on the Nasdaq under the symbol "GRPN."

(Reporting by Alistair Barr in San Francisco, additional reporting by Clare Baldwin in New York; Editing by Bernard Orr, Lisa Von Ahn and Steve Orlofsky)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111021/bs_nm/us_groupon_ipo

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