Did you know that the MHS has offered fellowships to K-12 educators since the summer of 2001? Nearly 60 teachers have taken part in the program, creating lessons for American history, world history, English, and even biology classrooms. If you?d like to spend four weeks of your summer immersed in the Society?s fascinating collections, consider applying for a Swensrud Teacher Fellowship. The program offers educators the opportunity to create lesson plans using documents and artifacts from the collections of the MHS, and the fellowships carry a stipend of $4,000 for four weeks of on-site research. Applications are welcome from any K-12 teacher who has a serious interest in using the collections at the MHS to prepare primary-source-based curricula. Applications must be postmarked by Friday, March 8, 2013.
In addition to our fellowship for teachers, the MHS is pleased to announce our new fellowship program for students! The John Winthrop Fellowship encourages high school students to make use of the nationally significant documents of the?Society in a research project of their choosing. Although students are welcome to work in the MHS Reading Room in Boston, online access to hundreds of recently digitized documents from our collections now makes it possible for students from across the country to identify, incorporate, investigate, and interpret these primary sources in their work. The student fellow and his/her teacher advisor will each receive a $350 stipend. Applications for the Winthrop Fellowship should be postmarked no later than Thursday, March 14, 2013.
More information about both fellowship programs can be found on our website (http://www.masshist.org/education/fellowships). Interested candidates can also contact the education department (education@Masshist.org) or the library (library@masshist.org)?for suggestions on potential topics or available resources.
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permalink | Published: Wednesday, 30 January, 2013, 8:00 AM
Prostate cancer study tracks long-term urinary, sexual and bowel function side effectsPublic release date: 30-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dagny Stuart dagny.stuart@vanderbilt.edu 615-936-7245 Vanderbilt University Medical Center
A new study comparing outcomes among prostate cancer patients treated with surgery versus radiotherapy found differences in urinary, bowel and sexual function after short-term follow-up, but those differences were no longer significant 15 years after initial treatment.
The study, led by first author Matthew Resnick, M.D., instructor in Urologic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was published in the Jan. 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
From Oct. 1, 1994, through Oct. 31, 1995, investigators enrolled men who had been diagnosed with localized prostate cancer in the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study (PCOS).
For the current study, investigators followed 1,655 men between the ages of 55 and 74 from the PCOS group, of whom 1,164 (70.3 percent) had undergone prostatectomy, while 491 (29.7 percent) had undergone radiotherapy. At the time of enrollment, the patients were asked to complete a survey about clinical and demographic issues and health-related quality of life. The men were contacted again at set times following treatment and were asked about clinical outcomes and disease-specific quality of life issues.
Men whose prostates had been surgically removed were significantly more likely than those who received radiation therapy to report urinary leakage at two years and five years. However, at 15 years, the investigators found no significant difference in the adjusted odds of urinary incontinence. Nonetheless, patients in the surgery group were more likely to wear incontinence pads throughout the 15-year follow-up period.
Men in the prostatectomy group were also significantly more likely than those in the radiotherapy group to report having problems with erectile dysfunction two years and five years after surgery.
"At the two- and five-year time points, men who underwent prostatectomy were more likely to suffer from urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction than men who received radiation therapy," explained Resnick. "While treatment-related differences were significant in the early years following treatment, those differences became far less pronounced over time."
Despite early and intermediate-term data revealing treatment-dependent differences in patterns of sexual dysfunction, after five years both groups had a gradual decline in sexual function.
At 15 years, erectile dysfunction was nearly universal with 87 percent in the prostatectomy group and 93.9 percent in the radiotherapy group reporting sexual difficulties.
The authors noted that age may have played a role in the patients' waning sexual function, as shown in unrelated studies.
Some patients also experienced problems with bowel function in the years following treatment. Those who were treated with radiotherapy had more problems in the short term. Men in the radiotherapy group reported significantly higher rates of bowel urgency than those in the prostatectomy group at two years and five years. However, at 15 years, despite absolute differences in the prevalence of bowel urgency between the two groups, the researchers found no significant difference in the odds of bowel urgency. Men who had been treated with radiotherapy were significantly more likely to report being bothered by bowel symptoms at both the two-year and 15-year points.
"This study of 15-year outcomes represents a mature portrait of quality of life issues following prostate cancer treatment," said David Penson, M.D., MPH, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, professor of Urologic Surgery and Medicine, and director of the Vanderbilt Center for Surgical Quality and Outcomes Research, the senior study author.
"Regardless of the form of initial treatment, patients in this study had significant declines in sexual and urinary function over the duration of the study. The causes of these declines probably include advancing age and additional cancer therapies, in addition to the original therapy," Penson said. "Patients need to be aware that all aggressive therapies for prostate cancer have significant side effects and perhaps these data make an argument for active surveillance (avoiding aggressive treatment and closely following the cancer) in certain cases."
Since the median life expectancy after treatment for prostate cancer is 13.8 years, the authors suggested that these data may be used by physicians to counsel men who are considering treatment for localized disease.
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Other authors for this study include Tatsuki Koyama, Ph.D., Kang-Hsien Fan, M.S., R. Lawrence Van Horn, Ph.D., Vanderbilt; Peter Albertsen, M.D., University of Connecticut, Farmington; Michael Goodman, M.D., MPH, Emory University, Atlanta; Ann Hamilton, Ph.D., University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Richard Hoffman, M.D., MPH, University of New Mexico and New Mexico VA Healthcare System, Albuquerque; Arnold Potosky, Ph.D., Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; Janet Stanford, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle; and Antoinette Stroup, Ph.D., University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Funding for the research was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute a division of the National Institutes of Health (R01-CA114524), and contracts from each of the participating institutions (N01-PC-67007, N01-PC-67009, N01-PC-67010, N01-PC-67006, N01-PC-67005, and N01-PC-67000). Resnick was supported by the Veterans Affairs National Quality Scholars Program (with use of facilities at Veterans Health Administration Tennessee Valley Healthcare System) and the T.J. Martell Foundation.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Prostate cancer study tracks long-term urinary, sexual and bowel function side effectsPublic release date: 30-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dagny Stuart dagny.stuart@vanderbilt.edu 615-936-7245 Vanderbilt University Medical Center
A new study comparing outcomes among prostate cancer patients treated with surgery versus radiotherapy found differences in urinary, bowel and sexual function after short-term follow-up, but those differences were no longer significant 15 years after initial treatment.
The study, led by first author Matthew Resnick, M.D., instructor in Urologic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, was published in the Jan. 31 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
From Oct. 1, 1994, through Oct. 31, 1995, investigators enrolled men who had been diagnosed with localized prostate cancer in the Prostate Cancer Outcomes Study (PCOS).
For the current study, investigators followed 1,655 men between the ages of 55 and 74 from the PCOS group, of whom 1,164 (70.3 percent) had undergone prostatectomy, while 491 (29.7 percent) had undergone radiotherapy. At the time of enrollment, the patients were asked to complete a survey about clinical and demographic issues and health-related quality of life. The men were contacted again at set times following treatment and were asked about clinical outcomes and disease-specific quality of life issues.
Men whose prostates had been surgically removed were significantly more likely than those who received radiation therapy to report urinary leakage at two years and five years. However, at 15 years, the investigators found no significant difference in the adjusted odds of urinary incontinence. Nonetheless, patients in the surgery group were more likely to wear incontinence pads throughout the 15-year follow-up period.
Men in the prostatectomy group were also significantly more likely than those in the radiotherapy group to report having problems with erectile dysfunction two years and five years after surgery.
"At the two- and five-year time points, men who underwent prostatectomy were more likely to suffer from urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction than men who received radiation therapy," explained Resnick. "While treatment-related differences were significant in the early years following treatment, those differences became far less pronounced over time."
Despite early and intermediate-term data revealing treatment-dependent differences in patterns of sexual dysfunction, after five years both groups had a gradual decline in sexual function.
At 15 years, erectile dysfunction was nearly universal with 87 percent in the prostatectomy group and 93.9 percent in the radiotherapy group reporting sexual difficulties.
The authors noted that age may have played a role in the patients' waning sexual function, as shown in unrelated studies.
Some patients also experienced problems with bowel function in the years following treatment. Those who were treated with radiotherapy had more problems in the short term. Men in the radiotherapy group reported significantly higher rates of bowel urgency than those in the prostatectomy group at two years and five years. However, at 15 years, despite absolute differences in the prevalence of bowel urgency between the two groups, the researchers found no significant difference in the odds of bowel urgency. Men who had been treated with radiotherapy were significantly more likely to report being bothered by bowel symptoms at both the two-year and 15-year points.
"This study of 15-year outcomes represents a mature portrait of quality of life issues following prostate cancer treatment," said David Penson, M.D., MPH, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research, professor of Urologic Surgery and Medicine, and director of the Vanderbilt Center for Surgical Quality and Outcomes Research, the senior study author.
"Regardless of the form of initial treatment, patients in this study had significant declines in sexual and urinary function over the duration of the study. The causes of these declines probably include advancing age and additional cancer therapies, in addition to the original therapy," Penson said. "Patients need to be aware that all aggressive therapies for prostate cancer have significant side effects and perhaps these data make an argument for active surveillance (avoiding aggressive treatment and closely following the cancer) in certain cases."
Since the median life expectancy after treatment for prostate cancer is 13.8 years, the authors suggested that these data may be used by physicians to counsel men who are considering treatment for localized disease.
###
Other authors for this study include Tatsuki Koyama, Ph.D., Kang-Hsien Fan, M.S., R. Lawrence Van Horn, Ph.D., Vanderbilt; Peter Albertsen, M.D., University of Connecticut, Farmington; Michael Goodman, M.D., MPH, Emory University, Atlanta; Ann Hamilton, Ph.D., University of Southern California, Los Angeles; Richard Hoffman, M.D., MPH, University of New Mexico and New Mexico VA Healthcare System, Albuquerque; Arnold Potosky, Ph.D., Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.; Janet Stanford, Ph.D., Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle; and Antoinette Stroup, Ph.D., University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
Funding for the research was supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute a division of the National Institutes of Health (R01-CA114524), and contracts from each of the participating institutions (N01-PC-67007, N01-PC-67009, N01-PC-67010, N01-PC-67006, N01-PC-67005, and N01-PC-67000). Resnick was supported by the Veterans Affairs National Quality Scholars Program (with use of facilities at Veterans Health Administration Tennessee Valley Healthcare System) and the T.J. Martell Foundation.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
US, New Zealand search-and-rescue teams recalled from Antarctic plane crash sitePublic release date: 29-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Peter West pwest@nsf.gov 703-292-7530 National Science Foundation
Voice recorder recovered from wreckage
Officials with the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) and Antarctica New Zealand have jointly decided to recall search-and-rescue teams from the site of an Antarctic aircraft crash after examination of the plane indicated that it would be unsafe at this point to further disturb the wreckage that is largely embedded in snow and ice on a steep mountain slope.
The team was able to recover some equipment from the exposed tail of the de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, including the cockpit voice recorder, which should provide aviation authorities with more information about the cause of the crash. However, the team was unable to safely access, and so unable to recover, the remains of the crew.
With the advent of the Antarctic winter, and the generally poor weather conditions at the crash site, any renewed effort to recover the remains will need to wait until the next Antarctic research season.
The joint U.S./New Zealand rescue team will return to the National Science Foundation's (NSF) McMurdo Station and Antarctica New Zealand's Scott Base later today.
Officials of the Italian Antarctic Program and Kenn Borek Air Ltd., the Calgary, Canada-based operator of the aircraft, have been advised of the decision to recall the team.
Communication with the Twin Otter was lost on Wednesday night, New Zealand time, and search-and-rescue operations have been hampered by bad weather and poor visibility since that time.
The plane was flying in support of the Italian Antarctic Program under the logistical responsibility of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). The aircraft was enroute from NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to the Italian research station at Terra Nova Bay when contact was lost.
The three crew members were the only people aboard the plane at the time.
On the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 26, local time, a ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft, operated by the New York Air National Guard for the USAP and flying from McMurdo Station, overflew the last known position from the aircraft emergency beacon and spotted the aircraft tail at an elevation of about 3,900 meters (13,000 feet) on Mt. Elizabeth, a 4,480-meter (14,500-foot) summit in the Queen Alexandra Range of the Transantarctic Mountains.
Subsequently, a Twin Otter carrying U.S. and New Zealand search-and-rescue personnel conducted an aerial survey of the site and determined that a landing by fixed-wing aircraft was not possible.
Later, two helicopters--one under New Zealand charter and the other flown for the USAP by PHI, Inc., of Lafayette, Louisiana--arrived at a small camp established roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the crash location to support the operation.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
US, New Zealand search-and-rescue teams recalled from Antarctic plane crash sitePublic release date: 29-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Peter West pwest@nsf.gov 703-292-7530 National Science Foundation
Voice recorder recovered from wreckage
Officials with the U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) and Antarctica New Zealand have jointly decided to recall search-and-rescue teams from the site of an Antarctic aircraft crash after examination of the plane indicated that it would be unsafe at this point to further disturb the wreckage that is largely embedded in snow and ice on a steep mountain slope.
The team was able to recover some equipment from the exposed tail of the de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, including the cockpit voice recorder, which should provide aviation authorities with more information about the cause of the crash. However, the team was unable to safely access, and so unable to recover, the remains of the crew.
With the advent of the Antarctic winter, and the generally poor weather conditions at the crash site, any renewed effort to recover the remains will need to wait until the next Antarctic research season.
The joint U.S./New Zealand rescue team will return to the National Science Foundation's (NSF) McMurdo Station and Antarctica New Zealand's Scott Base later today.
Officials of the Italian Antarctic Program and Kenn Borek Air Ltd., the Calgary, Canada-based operator of the aircraft, have been advised of the decision to recall the team.
Communication with the Twin Otter was lost on Wednesday night, New Zealand time, and search-and-rescue operations have been hampered by bad weather and poor visibility since that time.
The plane was flying in support of the Italian Antarctic Program under the logistical responsibility of the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA). The aircraft was enroute from NSF's Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station to the Italian research station at Terra Nova Bay when contact was lost.
The three crew members were the only people aboard the plane at the time.
On the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 26, local time, a ski-equipped LC-130 aircraft, operated by the New York Air National Guard for the USAP and flying from McMurdo Station, overflew the last known position from the aircraft emergency beacon and spotted the aircraft tail at an elevation of about 3,900 meters (13,000 feet) on Mt. Elizabeth, a 4,480-meter (14,500-foot) summit in the Queen Alexandra Range of the Transantarctic Mountains.
Subsequently, a Twin Otter carrying U.S. and New Zealand search-and-rescue personnel conducted an aerial survey of the site and determined that a landing by fixed-wing aircraft was not possible.
Later, two helicopters--one under New Zealand charter and the other flown for the USAP by PHI, Inc., of Lafayette, Louisiana--arrived at a small camp established roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the crash location to support the operation.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The original Vinci Tab was one of the earliest kid-centric tablets to hit the market. Since then, there's been no shortage of options for parents, from dedicated devices like the Fuhu Nabi 2 to Amazon's Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD with their top-notch FreeTime mode for kids. The Vinci Tab III M ($169.99 direct, 8GB) has all the trappings of a child-centric-friendly device, with a kid-size 5-inch screen, a protective rubber bumper, and a strong focus on educational content, but it's not nearly as versatile as the aforementioned tablets, and additional educational content must be purchased separately for a steep price. It is, at least, a better buy than the larger Tab II for those sold on Vinci's educational content.
Design and Features The Vinci Tab III M's biggest selling point is likely its small build. Designed around a 5-inch screen, it's a bit more manageable for the younger crowd. The M measures 5.8 by 3.5 by 0.6 inches (HWD) and weighs 8.48 ounces, which is almost a third of the weight of the Nabi 2. Wrapped around the edges is a protective rubber bumper with a handle at one end. Power and Volume buttons are built into the bumper's edge, while cut-outs allow access to the micro USB port, microSD card slot, and 3.5mm headphone jack. The protective bumper is glued onto the edges of the tablet, but leaves the back panel exposed. I was able to dislodge part of the bumper simply by picking at it. ?
The 5-inch, 800-by-480-pixel display leaves a lot to be desired. Given the small size, the lower resolution isn't as huge of an issue as it might be on a 7-inch tablet, but it's noticeably grainy and colors look a bit muted. There's also a layer over the glass screen that gives it a foggy, almost speckled quality.
Below the display are physical Menu, Home, and Back buttons with a front-facing camera of unspecified resolution next to them. On the back are a small speaker grille and a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera. The cameras here are lackluster and the speaker is a tinny mess, but that shouldn't be a dealbreaker for tablets in this category.
The Tab III M is Wi-Fi only tablet that connects to 802.11b/g/n networks on the 2.4GHz band. On a few occasions, however, I noticed the Wi-Fi would cut out and take a restart to reconnect. There's no Bluetooth or GPS here. The M comes in a single 8GB model and our 32 and 64GB SanDisk microSD cards worked fine to expand the tablet's storage.
Android and Content This tablet isn't going to blow anyone away with its specs or performance, but it doesn't have to. Unlike the Nabi 2, which is powered by a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor, the M runs on a modest single-core 1.2GHz Cortex A8 processor. I noticed a few minor performance hiccups like app hang-ups, jerky scrolling, and slow Web page loads, but nothing serious. The Vinci-produced content ran very smoothly in my tests.
Vinci's implementation of a kid-safe, sandboxed version of Android is a bit different than, say, Fuhu or Amazon's. Parent and Kid modes look very similar, instead of large, colorful cartoonish icons for the latter on the aforementioned systems. It's all built on Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" and the kid-mode simply strips access to apps not placed on the home screen. And there are some glaring holes and easy workarounds for smart kids. For example, holding the Home button in Kid mode opens up the app switcher, allowing access to restricted apps that parents may have left running. Pulling down the notification bar also allows full access to the system settings, which curious kids can use to, say, connect to unknown Wi-Fi networks. Both Fuhu and Amazon offer more comprehensive protection that lock out features more effectively, while Amazon's FreeTime even lets you set time limits on usage.
As far as content goes, Vinci's original apps are very polished compared with those of competitors. Vinci packages its content in curriculums and the M is preloaded with preschool levels 1 through 3. Also included are three Vinci story books and 20 music videos. The apps are almost all educational, teaching skills through voice prompts and touch interaction. My biggest complaint is that it's not always completely obvious what you're supposed to do. For example, in a number of apps, if you happen to miss the short voice prompt in the beginning, you get little additional guidance. Where other kid-friendly models preload a bunch of games and entertainment-focused content, the Vinci is decidedly focused on educating children, which many parents will likely prefer. Amazon doesn't include any educational content, while Fuhu includes some decent educational content, but it's not quite as polished as Vinci's. The Vinci curriculum targets kids as young as one-and-a-half years old, and introductory apps teach language skills. For example, the first level shows a typical child's bedroom with various items and toys scattered about. Touching an item activates a voice prompt that identifies the item.
Another issue with the content is the price. The original Vinci Tab had a subscription style content distribution system, and since it lacked Wi-Fi, you had to buy through Vinci to get anything on your tablet. Luckily, the M is not subscription based, but adding curriculums can cost anywhere from $89.99 on the low end to $179.99 at the top end. Ouch.
Thankfully, the M also offers access to the Google Play app store and its selection of hundreds of thousands of apps. Vinci's focus is on education, so if you want to add some entertaining games you can do so through Google Play. Keep in mind, however, that most graphic-intensive games, like say, racing titles, will trip the III M up.
Conclusions When it comes to kid-centric tablets, parents have a lot of choices right now. But there are only two reasons to choose the III M over the Nabi 2 or simply using FreeTime on a Kindle Fire: The child-size 5-inch screen, which isn't of great quality, and the Vinci educational content, which, unfortunately, is astronomically priced. Aside from those two factors, that each come with major caveats, the Vinci Tab III M falls short.
More Tablet Reviews: ??? Vinci Tab II ??? Vinci Tab III M ??? N2A Card (for Nook HD+) ??? Kobo Arc ??? Lenovo ThinkPad Twist (3347-4HU) ?? more
The electronic interactive boards by Panasonic are one of the most leading interactive boards of the world. These boards have been used in business presentations; these are also used by corporate organizations, institutes and even the government bodies. These Panasonic interactive boards are in use for many years now. The innovative features and the out of the box presentation techniques make Panasonic interactive boards stand out.
The interactive boards by Panasonic are also known as the Panasonic Panaboards. The innovative technologies used in a classroom are combined with the leading hardware infrastructure. These interactive boards cater to the challenges faced by the simultaneous and the collaborative learning.
One of the reasons which make Panasonic Interactive boards stand out is their amazing features. The Panasonic Interactive boards have the global teleconferencing services along with interactive white board features. These interactive boards are ruling the classrooms with innovative technologies which are designed specifically for seminars and board rooms. There are many presentation solutions which are there to help. These interactive white boards also have the multi touch system. This has the features of the USB interface, RM Easitech for Windows and the interactive multi touch.
The Panasonic interactive boards also have the feature of storing your notes in digital and printed form. With the help of this feature you can elaborate your class presentations or your business presentations or make them more comprehensive as everything is in front of you in stored form. The interactive board also has the option of archiving any meetings notes. It also has the feature of an eraser which edits the notes in areas where editing is required. There is also the feature of about 4 continuous screen capabilities which makes this interactive whiteboard one of the highly recommended board for businesses and any sort of presentation.
There is every feature which the target market wants and looks for in an electronic white board. The office efficiency is increased with the usage of this innovative tool and your meeting times are very smartly reduced. There is exceptional security in these boards and also management features are great which do not require any sort of effort from you and your files are managed. There are very sensitive office productivity features such as the PDMS Image Capturing Software and the feature of the USB interface port. All these features make the Panasonic electronic white board stand out and thats why they are recommended for meetings and classroom presentations.
Jitendra Tiwari is a technology enthusiast and in the current series of articles he touches upon how technology with inventions such as electronic interactive boards by Panasonic, electronic white board.
The story of Watershed and its move from Decatur to Buckhead calls to mind the classic question of nature versus nurture. Would Watershed's nature, its simple Southern roots, prevail? Or would its new neighborhood nurture it into something entirely new? It's been almost nine months since Watershed was reborn, and the nurture side is winning.
In the 2000s, Watershed flourished thanks to chef Scott Peacock's sophisticated, contemporary take on Southern classics. It was the jewel of Decatur's casual but increasingly ambitious dining scene.
But now, Watershed has literally moved on up, to a high-rise condo building on Peachtree Road. The Buckhead transformation encompasses almost every aspect of the dining experience. In place of the chaotic little Decatur parking lot, there's a sleek corporate valet. Instead of a homey feel, there are vast street-facing windows, expansive dining spaces, and stark elegance. It's now Brooks Brothers instead of Birkenstocks, Westminster rather than Paideia, and, well, Peachtree instead of Ponce.
That's not to say Watershed's past is entirely forgotten. While executive chef Joe Truex and chef de cuisine Julia LeRoy have mostly done away with the vestiges of the old Watershed, there is still no breaking free from its famous fried chicken. The recipe is literally written on both a quilt on the wall and on the matchbooks handed out at the hostess stand. But if you want actual fried chicken, good luck. As always, it sells out quickly on the one night a week it's offered, by 6:30 p.m. on my most recent Wednesday visit.
These days, Watershed's menu extends far beyond the South. Among the array of starters, there are those with clear inspiration from Spain or Japan or France. The "South" shows up only in the form of buttery pimento cheese toast.
Other dishes play off our regional heritage more discreetly. The duck confit, for example, sits atop a soft corn griddle cake, but is paired with a bitter and crisp radicchio slaw. Sure, the South is there, but it doesn't shout with a Southern accent. Creole arancine, Italian rice balls spiked with smoky tasso pork, shrimp, and a gentle yee-haw of Creole spice, are a delightful nod to Truex's Louisiana roots. A few starters eschew the South altogether, such as the requisite oysters on the half shell or steak tartare (this is Buckhead after all).
Watershed pushes into more playful territory with dishes like a sea scallop schnitzel. It's an unexpected pileup of thinly pounded and fried ocean sweetness over a salty sprinkling of anchovy and capers all topped with a fried quail egg. A crab and shrimp cake could have gone the traditional Baltimore crab cake route, but instead looks boldly east, with a spongy, finely minced texture that screams dim sum and salty Japanese seaweed seasoning instead of Old Bay.
The entr?es aren't quite as globe-trotting, and tend to play it safe. There's the simple comfort of braised brisket over a potato pur?e, and a straightforward pan-roasted grouper, but neither rise to their elegant surroundings or justify Watershed's often lofty prices (entr?es average about $30). The steak frites at least manage to rise above typical renditions of that bistro staple, thanks to a nice char, a juicy interior, and just enough chimichurri sauce to add an herbal, acidic kick. And a perfect winter dish like the earthy lamb shank rago?t over house-made pappardelle finally let me know that the kitchen is indeed aiming for excellence.
Better still are those signature dishes that draw on Truex's Louisiana roots. The masterpiece among them is Joe's jambalaya. Truex cooks each component separately ? grilled andouille sausage, seared scallops, fried oysters, butter-poached shrimp ? before arranging them seamlessly over a jambalaya stock with sea-salty depth. Likewise, a firm and flaky Acadian redfish gets the full-on Louisiana treatment with a pile of sweet lump crab meat and shrimp, then a spread of crawfish hollandaise sauce that adds a lemony, nuanced spice.
Since reopening, Watershed's drinks menu has evolved slightly, keeping the focus on an eclectic-but-pricey wine list. A prominently placed cocktail bar focusing on artisan spirits also shows a conscious effort to cater to the Buckhead cocktail hour crowd. If I'm choosing my vices carefully, though, I'm opting for cake instead of cocktails here. Dark and dangerously moist chocolate cake served in a jar, coconut cake, and, especially, hot milk cake drenched in caramel and flaked with salt.
Other desserts prove far less worthy. A sweet potato cr?me br?l?e, for example, tastes too much of jarred baby food, with not enough torched top to offset the mush. And coconut macaroons land with a dry, heavy thud. Maybe Watershed should institute a cake-only dessert policy.
After the last bite of cake, the last sip of coffee or wine, the final thing delivered to your table might come as a slight shock. The bill. On more than one visit, as the price per person climbed up and over $100, I couldn't help but think, "Holy andouille, that added up fast." That's not to say that the food and wine and atmosphere can't deliver a $100 experience, just that I was left wondering how much of my bill went to pay the Peachtree Road rent. When my meals centered on Truex's refined bayou cuisine, I didn't mind the price tag at all. It was worth it. But when I stuck to the safer side of the menu, I couldn't help but lament that Buckhead might be nurturing Watershed into something less than what it was meant to be.
The detector combines near-unity detection efficiency with high timing resolution and has a very low error rate. The results have been published by Nature Communications(doi:10.1038/ncomms2307).
Ultrafast, efficient, and reliable single-photon detectors are among the most sought-after components in photonics and quantum communication, which have not yet reached maturity for practical application. Physicist Dr. Wolfram Pernice of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in cooperation with colleagues at Yale University, Boston University, and Moscow State Pedagogical University, achieved the decisive breakthrough by integrating single-photon detectors with nanophotonic chips. The detector combines near-unity detection efficiency with high timing resolution and has a very low error rate. The results have been published by Nature Communications(doi:10.1038/ncomms2307).
Without reliable detection of single photons, it is impossible to make real use of the latest advances in optical data transmission or quantum computation; it is like having no analog-digital converter in a conventional computer to determine whether the applied voltage stands for 0 or 1. Although a number of different single-photon detector models have been developed over the past few years, thus far, none have provided satisfactory performance.
Several new ideas and advanced developments went into the prototype developed within the "Integrated Quantum Photonics" project at the DFG Center of Functional Nanostructures (CFN). The new single-photon detector, tested in the telecommunications wavelength range, achieves a previously unattained detection efficiency of 91%.
The detector was realized by fabricating superconducting nanowires directly on top of a nanophotonic waveguide. This geometry can be compared to a tube that conducts light, around which a wire in a superconducting state is wound and, as such, has no electric resistivity. The nanometer-sized wire made of niobium nitride absorbs photons that propagate along the waveguide. When a photon is absorbed, superconductivity is lost, which is detected as an electric signal. The longer the tube, the higher is the detection probability. The lengths involved are in the micrometer range.
A special feature of the detector is its direct installation on the chip, which allows for it to be replicated at random. The single-photon detectors built thus far were stand-alone units, which were connected to chips with optical fibers. Arrangements of that type suffer from photons being lost in the fiber connection or being absorbed in other ways. These loss channels do not exist in the detector that is now fully embedded in a silicon photonic circuit. In addition to high detection efficiency, this gives rise to a remarkably low dark count rate. Dark counts arise when a photon is detected erroneously: for instance, because of a spontaneous emission, an alpha particle, or a spurious field. The new design also provides ultrashort timing jitter of 18 picoseconds, which is 18 times 10-12 seconds. The novel solution also makes it possible to integrate several hundreds of these detectors on a single chip. This is a basic precondition for future use in optical quantum computers.
The detector demonstrated in this study was designed to work at wavelengths in the Telekom bandwidth. The same detector architecture can also be used for wavelengths in the range of visible light. This would allow the principle to be employed in analyses of all structures that emit little light, i.e., photons, such as single molecules or bacteria.
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Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres: http://www.helmholtz.de/en/index.html
Thanks to Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres for this article.
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Lawyers defending Prop 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act have come up with a really good argument for why the gays shouldn?t be able to get married: they think too much before they have babies.
Marriage should be limited to unions of a man and a woman because they alone can ?produce unplanned and unintended offspring,? opponents of gay marriage have told the Supreme Court.
By contrast, when same-sex couples decide to have children, ?substantial advance planning is required,? said Paul D. Clement, a lawyer for?House Republicans.
Hahaha, you thought we were kidding.
No, this is now the big reason that straights are imperiled by same-sex marriage: marriage should be restricted to people who could unintentionally get pregnant, and if we extend it to the gays and lesbians, well, um?Obamunism?
The traditional marriage laws ?reflect a unique social difficulty with opposite-sex couples that is not present with same-sex couples ? namely, the undeniable and distinct tendency of opposite-sex relationships to produce unplanned and unintended pregnancies,? wrote Clement, a solicitor general under President?George W. Bush. ?Unintended children produced by opposite-sex relationships and raised out-of-wedlock would pose a burden on society.?
?It is plainly reasonable for California to maintain a unique institution [referring to marriage] to address the unique challenges posed by the unique procreative potential of sexual relationships between men and women,? argued Washington attorney Charles J. Cooper, representing the defenders of Proposition 8. Same-sex couples need not be included in the definition of marriage, he said, because they ?don?t present a threat of irresponsible procreation.?
Defenders of the laws have to succeed on rational basis review: basically, that there?s some legitimate reason for the law rationally linked to the law.
As you can obviously tell, this is a wholly rational argument for excluding gay and lesbian couples from marriage; after all, if they?re allowed to marry, then there might be some dumbass straight couple auditioning for Teen Mom 3 (or, fuck it, Jenelle from Teen Mom 2) who refuses to get married because queers possibly could, too.
In the lower courts, defenders of the traditional laws struggled to explain why committed couples of the same sex should be denied the benefits of marriage. The plaintiffs include same-sex couples who are raising children.
Clement and Cooper do not address that issue directly. Instead, they argue that it is reasonable for the law to steer opposite-sex couples toward marriage, including by giving them extra benefits. ?It was rational for?Congress to draw the line where it did,? Clement said, ?because the institution of marriage arose in large measure in response to the unique social difficulty that opposite-sex couples, but not same-sex couples, posed.?
And that makes perfect sense, because Congress designs state marriage laws, and so rationally believed that every state meant for marriage to exist in its natural state: at the end of a shotgun.
TOKYO (AP) ? The joint U.S. and Japanese investigation into the Boeing 787's battery problems has shifted from the battery-maker to the manufacturer of a monitoring system.
Japan transport ministry official Shigeru Takano said Monday the probe into battery-maker GS Yuasa was over for now as no evidence was found it was the source of the problems.
Ministry officials said they will inspect Kanto Aircraft Instrument Co. on Monday as part of the ongoing investigation. It makes a system that monitors voltage, charging and temperature of the lithium-ion batteries.
All 50 of the Boeing 787s in use around the world are grounded after one of the jets operated by All Nippon Airways made an emergency landing in Japan earlier this month when its main battery overheated. Earlier in January, a battery in a Japan Airlines 787 caught fire while parked at Boston's Logan International Airport.
GS Yuasa shares jumped on the news it is no longer being investigated, gaining nearly 5 percent in Tokyo trading. The issue had plunged 12 percent after the battery problems surfaced in Japan.
Ministry officials stopped short of saying that Kanto's monitoring system was under any special scrutiny, saying it was part of an ongoing investigation.
"We are looking into affiliated parts makers," Takano said. "We are looking into possibilities."
Kyoto-based GS Yuasa declined to comment, noting that the investigation was still underway.
Hideaki Kobayashi, spokesman for Kanto Aircraft, based in Fujisawa, southwest of Tokyo, declined comment. He said it was too early to tell whether its system was behind the problems.
Last week, U.S. federal investigators said the JAL battery that caught fire showed evidence of short-circuiting and a chemical reaction known as "thermal runaway," in which an increase in temperature causes progressively hotter temperatures. It's not clear to investigators which came first, the short-circuiting or the thermal runaway.
Deliveries of the jet dubbed the Dreamliner were three years behind schedule because of manufacturing delays. Much of the aircraft is made by outside manufacturers, many of them major Japanese companies who make about 35 percent of the plane.
It is the first jet to make wide use of lithium-ion batteries, the kind usually found in laptops and other gadgets. They are prone to overheating and require additional systems to avoid fires.
Investigators have been looking at the remnants of the ANA flight's charred battery, but it is unclear whether the battery or a related part was behind its overheating. Investigators have said the ANA battery and the JAL battery did not receive excess voltage.
Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways was the "launch customer" for the 787, and has been forced to cancel services ? 643 domestic flights through Feb. 12, affecting 69,000 passengers, and 195 international flights through Feb. 18, affecting 13,620 passengers.
Japan Airlines, which has fewer 787s than ANA, has deployed other aircraft in its fleet, minimizing its flight cancellations.
Boeing, which competes against Airbus of France, has halted 787 deliveries. Boeing has orders for more than 800 of the Dreamliner planes.
The 787 is the first airliner made mostly from lightweight composite materials that boost fuel efficiency. It also relies on electronic systems rather than hydraulic or mechanical systems to a greater degree than any other airliner.
Analysts say customers won't come back to the 787 unless its safety is solidly assured.
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Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at www.twitter.com/yurikageyama
If you're worried about car trouble keeping you stranded overnight in freezing weather you can create an easy and nearly free heat source by adding a roll of toilet paper to a new quart paint can and pouring a bottle of rubbing alcohol over the TP.
Emergency preparedness weblog Prepared Not Scared also notes that you can place the quart-sized heater inside a new gallon paint can with holes punched in the gallon can so it can serve as a pot stand to cook on the smaller stove. This works well as you can fit the smaller stove, matches, and other accessories in the larger perforated gallon can and have a ready-to-go kit when needed. To use, just pour the alcohol over the TP, wait a few minutes for it to be absorbed, and then light the stove using a lighter or match. It will burn for a couple of hours and can provide life-saving heat in an emergency situation, but if using in an enclosed space make sure you have some ventilation to avoid carbon monoxide buildup. For a total project price of around five bucks, you may want to consider keeping one in your car trunk.
Preparedness Project - Paint Can Holders | Prepared Not Scared
WASHINGTON???The hacker-activist group Anonymous says it hijacked the website of the U.S. Sentencing Commission to avenge the death of Aaron Swartz, an Internet activist who committed suicide. The FBI is investigating.
The website of the commission, an independent agency of the judicial branch (http://www.ussc.gov), was taken over early Saturday and replaced with a message warning that when Swartz killed himself two weeks ago "a line was crossed."
The hackers say they've infiltrated several government computer systems and copied secret information that they now threaten to make public.
Family and friends of Swartz, who helped create Reddit and RSS, say he killed himself after he was hounded by federal prosecutors. Officials say he helped post millions of court documents for free online, and that he illegally downloaded millions of academic articles from an online clearinghouse.
The FBI's Richard McFeely, executive assistant director of the agency's?Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, said in a statement that "we were aware as soon as it happened and are handling it as a criminal investigation. We are always concerned when someone illegally accesses another person's or government agency's network."
Hours after the hijacking, pages on the USSC.gov website were available only sporadically.
This report was updated by NBC News.
? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) ? Casey Anthony filed for bankruptcy in Florida on Friday, claiming about $1,100 in assets and $792,000 in liabilities.
Court records show that Anthony, who was acquitted of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee in 2011, sought Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in federal court in Tampa.
Her listed debts include $500,000 for attorney fees and costs for her criminal defense lawyer during the trial, Jose Baez; $145,660 for the Orange County Sheriff's office for a judgment covering investigative fees and costs related to the case; $68,540 for the Internal Revenue Service for taxes, interest and penalties; and $61,505 for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for court costs.
The filling also states that she is a defendant in several civil suits, including one brought by Zenaida Fernandez-Gonzalez for defamation in Orange County Circuit Court.
Fernandez-Gonzalez claims her reputation was damaged by Anthony telling detectives that a baby sitter by the same name kidnapped Caylee. The detectives were investigating the 2008 disappearance of the girl, who later was found dead. Anthony's attorney said details offered by Anthony did not match Fernandez-Gonzalez and clearly showed Anthony wasn't talking about her.
Court papers list Anthony as unemployed, with no recent income.
An attorney for Anthony, David Schrader, did not immediately respond to messages from the Associated Press.
Anthony lists about 80 creditors in the 60-page court filing. The claims largely cover fees for legal, medical, psychiatric and forensics consulting or services. But one claim covers a debt for scuba diving services.
According to the courts, the aim of seeking Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection is to be discharged of most existing debts ? essentially to obtain a fresh financial start. A trustee may have the right to take possession of and sell non-exempt property and use the sale proceeds to pay creditors, but Anthony lists little in the way of assets. A debtor may still be held responsible for some obligations, such as taxes and student loans.
The filing came on the same day that a Florida appellate court set aside two of the four convictions she faced for lying to detectives during the investigation into her missing daughter.
Though Anthony was acquitted of killing Caylee, jurors convicted her of four counts of lying to detectives, and her attorneys appealed those convictions. Anthony was sentenced to time served for the misdemeanors.
She was sentenced to a year of probation after her release from jail for an unrelated case. For her protection, her whereabouts have been kept secret since she was released from state supervision last year.
It?s not uncommon for someone to fail after approaching Internet promotion the wrong way, and then further tell others success isn?t possible. If you?ve had bad marketing experiences in the past, don?t let them stand in the way of your future successes. So if you haven?t been successful yet, the tips in the following article will help you get on the right path.
Your affiliate marketing efforts should not be implemented without heavy forethought. A mentor is an invaluable resource. It?s common for internet promotion experts to help up and coming marketers out for free or a small charge. Another important consideration is to choose a proven technique, and make sure you follow it. Internet promotion is well worth your time and effort, so be patient, and you will see results.
You must know your competition if you are to succeed with an online business. Check out what other businesses are doing, and see what improvements they need to make. If you notice that your competitors are not doing a good job providing a certain service, fill the void in the market by promoting that service on your site.
Detailed Statistics
Keep detailed statistics. Record your referrals, refunds, sales, traffic, etc. Detailed statistics can help you to devise your plan for the future and see where you are lacking.
You are fully capable of having a successful internet marketing business right now. You don?t need elaborate software or a wild, far-fetched scheme, you only need yourself. With plenty of thought and effort, you will work through your decisions and strategies when it comes to marketing.
You should always include coupons and/or free samples in your shipping boxes that relate to the product that you are sending to the customer. This gives your customers a good reason to return, and also shows that you appreciate their business.
Descriptive language that talks about quick results is the key to any advertisement. Brag about how quickly customers can order and receive goods or how fast they will get results by using your items or service. Possibilities for what to emphasize include fast downloads, hassle-free checkout or easy post-purchase confirmation.
When designing a website, focus on creating comprehensive and high-quality content. Your main goal is to educate your audience about your product or service in a limited amount of time. Repetitive descriptions and data, facts and information that the customer will find irrelevant or even boring, should be avoided.
Web Designers
One good piece of advice in Online marketing that many tend to forget is to simply keep their websites easy to use. Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight are enticing to many site owners and are services offered by web designers. Good web designers consider that some visitors to their site will not have the most up to date technology. A website should be fully functional without such flashy bells and whistles.
Mobile marketing should also be considered. Reaching out to your customers while they are away from their computers can really help boost your sales. This is among the best new ways to market a website.
When marketing your business online, it?s important that you make your customers feel as if they?re in control. This might require you to set up your content in such a way that the customer actually dictates the flow. This is essential to today?s online world of unwanted opinions and spam. Make it clear that their participating is optional in order to boost your credibility.
It?s common knowledge that power is highly respected in business. Make sure that people understand that your company has a boss, and you are it. Use the term CEO or president for yourself.
Try to look into multiple avenues of advertising. Early on, you rely entirely on your advertising to bring potential customers to your site. It helps to make new customers that may not have been able to find you otherwise.
To have proper affiliate marketing, you will want to be listed in Google. There are so many people using Google everyday to locate things, and you want to be able to be found by the people looking for your company?s products and services. Being listed on Google is vital to being able to take your business to where you want it to go.
Make sure that you leave yourself open to receiving feedback and suggestions. That can be important to you, as what you think about your site and pricing may be different than what others think. Gain feedback from possible customers, family members and friends. Use their advice to improve your website.
The info from this article is designed to give you a leg up in the Web marketing world. There is not one ?right? way to do things. If there was then every single person would do it. But with the right determination, anyone can use good information and make it a success.
P.S.-If you love to make money in internet marketing and would love to make an extra $1000/day blogging with it, find out how my 2 friends are helping thousands of people make money about their passions ===> Discover why this game-changer is the most bad-ass make money internet marketing deal in the industry!
This image provided by RR Auction shows a photograph marked "not to be published" of a teenage Diana Spencer before she became Princess of Wales, with a young friend seated beside her. RR Auction in Amherst, N.H., says the photo sold Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013 to a real estate investor from San Diego for $18,306, well above early estimates. Stamped February 1981 on the back, the photo was taken around the time Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer ended months of speculation and announced they were to be married. (AP Photo/RR Auction)
This image provided by RR Auction shows a photograph marked "not to be published" of a teenage Diana Spencer before she became Princess of Wales, with a young friend seated beside her. RR Auction in Amherst, N.H., says the photo sold Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013 to a real estate investor from San Diego for $18,306, well above early estimates. Stamped February 1981 on the back, the photo was taken around the time Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer ended months of speculation and announced they were to be married. (AP Photo/RR Auction)
AMHERST, N.H. (AP) ? A photo marked "not to be published" that shows a teenage Diana Spencer before she became Princess of Wales has been sold by a New Hampshire auction house for more than $18,000.
The photograph shows a group of friends relaxing during a ski trip, with Diana reclining on a bed, with a young man seated behind her and a bottle of whiskey on the window sill. It was acquired by a British newspaper just after her engagement Prince Charles, but someone at the paper wrote "not to be published" across it, presumably because it would've embarrassed the royal family.
RR Auction in Amherst, N.H., says the photo sold in the online auction Thursday to a real estate investor from San Diego for $18,306, well above early estimates.
Renewed threats from North Korea's regime have given rise to questions about how far the North Koreans will go in carrying them out.
By Donald Kirk,?Correspondent / January 25, 2013
People watch a TV news showing file footage of a North Korean rocket carried during a military parade, at Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday. How serious are the North Korean threats against both the US and South Korea this week and how far will the North Koreans go in carrying them out?
Ahn Young-joon/AP
Enlarge
An outpouring of North Korean rhetoric against both the US and South Korea this week raises the inevitable questions: How serious are the North Korean threats and how far will the North Koreans go in carrying them out?
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North Korea?s latest threat of ?strong countermeasures? against South Korea if the South supports UN sanctions against the North actually worries some analysts more than the North?s claim to be testing a nuclear device?capable of hitting the US. ?
No one believes North Korea is about to ?target? the US in the near future with more than rhetorical volleys, but North Korea has staged numerous ?incidents? against South Korea and might well have some more in mind.
?The North Koreans are playing with fire,? says David Straub, associate director of the Korean studies program at Stanford University. ?It?s more dangerous than the nuclear threat.?
North Korea?s Committee for Peaceful Reunification of Korea blasted South Korea in language that strikes observers as anything but peaceful.
?There will be no more discussion on denuclearization between the North and South in the future,? it said in a statement. "If the puppet group of traitors takes a direct part in the UN 'sanctions,' it said, "the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] will take strong physical counter-measures against it."?Indeed, the statement went on " 'Sanctions' mean a war and a declaration of war against us."
The fear is that North Korea will challenge the South with surprise attacks similar to those in 2010, when a torpedo sank a South Korean Navy vessel, killing 46 sailors, and shells fired from the North Korean coast killed four people on a small South Korean island.?
The North Koreans appear to be testing the will of South Korea?s president-elect, Park Geun-hye, daughter of the long-ruling South Korean dictator, Park Chung-hee, who was assassinated in 1979. Many observers believe that Ms. Park, who will be inaugurated next month, is likely be a tougher leader than outgoing President Lee Kyung-bak, also a conservative but reluctant to act militarily against the North. (Read Donald Kirk's reporting on South Korea's first woman president here)
Under Park, says Mr. Straub, ?there?s a significant possibility the South Koreans will respond.?
At the same time, analysts expect North Korea to increase tensions by conducting another underground test of a nuclear device. North Korea conducted nuclear tests twice previously ? in 2006 and 2009 ? soon after test-firing long-range missiles.
A third nuclear test would ?fit in with a familiar pattern," says Tony Namkung, a scholar and consultant who visited North Korea twice this month ? first with Eric Schmidt, the Google executive chairman, and again with executives from the Associated Press, for which he serves as a consultant on its bureau in Pyongyang.
Mr. Namkung worries that the next test will be more advanced than the previous two. Many analysts believe the device will use highly enriched uranium, not the plutonium at the core of previous devices.
Still, he senses that ?they?re loosening up in Pyongyang,? creating a freer atmosphere. ?There are signs of change? toward normal lifestyles, he says.
Kim Ki-sam, a former officer with South Korea?s National Intelligence Service, predicts the North will test a nuclear device before Park?s inauguration. ?Their tactic is to raise tension,? says Mr. Kim. ?Then they compromise.?
He believes ?the situation will be very bad to appearances,? he adds, ?but that doesn?t mean the overall situation will be worse.??
Choi Jin-wook, a long-time North Korea expert at the Korean Institute of National Unification in Seoul, believes one central aim of North Korean strategists surrounding the young leader Kim Jong-un is a desire for respect. ?They want to make clear they are a nuclear power,? he says.?
L. Gordon Flake, executive director of the Mansfield Foundation in Washington, takes a somewhat sanguine view of the furor over North Korea. "It' s the North Korean playbook, it's what they've been doing for 20 years," he says.He believes North Korea indeed is getting ready for another nuclear test ? the reason for the rhetoric ? but does not take the escalation of the rhetoric very seriously. "We need to know what they've always been saying," he says. "It's cut and paste."?
Arctic air has driven down temperatures in most of the continental US. A new animation from NOAA shows the arctic air swirling into the country and predicts its path.
By Andrea Thompson,?Our Amazing Planet / January 24, 2013
A commuter bundles up against extreme cold conditions Tuesday, Jan. 22, in Chicago. Temperatures in the area were hovering around zero with wind chill pushing the apparent temperature to 10 below. Forecasters say waves of frigid Arctic air began moving into the region Saturday night.
M. Spencer Green / AP
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If you live anywhere within the northern two-thirds of the United States, you've probably noticed that it's pretty chilly outside. The plunge in temperatures over the past few days comes courtesy of an invasion of Arctic air that has been captured in a mesmerizing new animation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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The animation, made with weather data from the NOAA/NCEP Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis, begins on Saturday (Jan. 19) with very cold air seen only over the Rockies, Montana, North Dakota, the northern half of Minnesota and the northern portions of New England. Much of the eastern and central parts of the country saw weekend weather that was balmier than usual for mid-January.
Thanks to a kink in the jet stream that brought it dipping down, the cold air begins plunging southward on Sunday, mostly in the northern plains states and the Midwest. On Monday it begins to surge even farther to the south, covering the Plains, the Midwest, the Northeast and even extending into some of the southern states.
The cold surge retreats a bit later in the day, then makes another push on Tuesday, fully extending into the northern parts of Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. The pattern repeats on Wednesday, with the cold receding much farther north later in the day, before making another southward push on Thursday.
All the back-and-forth is caused by diurnal cycle of heating and cooling, a NOAA statement explains, but "the pattern is clear: much of the U.S. is pretty cold," it notes.
The cold air is expected to retreat from the Midwest this weekend, letting warmer air force its way in, according to Accuweather.com. The collision of these air masses will bring an ice storm to the region, the site's meteorologists predict.
Snow and icy weather could hit the eastern United States starting tomorrow (Jan. 25), with temperatures finally rising above freezing over the weekend or early next week, depending on the location.
Reach Andrea Thompson at athompson@techmedianetwork.com and follow her on twitter @AndreaTOAP. Follow OurAmazingPlanet on Twitter?@OAPlanet. We're also on?Facebook?and Google+.
Copyright 2013 OurAmazingPlanet, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Bobbie Fulton cannot wait to do her taxes. But thanks to Congress's prolonged fight over the fiscal cliff she won't be able to file her return until next Wednesday, nearly two weeks later than in past years. And that means all her bills will have to hold for now.
?I have a lot of bills I expected to pay and the longer I push it back, the more money it costs me,? Fulton, a 52-year-old resident of Belmont, Calif., said.
This year, all taxpayers will have to wait a little longer to electronically file their taxes and get their refunds. The delay is a direct result of Congress's failure to come to a timely deal to avert the fiscal cliff in December. When a tax deal was finally reached on Jan. 1 -- after the end-of-the-year deadline -- it was too late for the Internal Revenue Service to meet its standard mid-January start date for e-filers.
According to the agency, it needed additional time to update forms affected by the new laws passed under the fiscal cliff deal. Earlier this month, IRS Acting Commissioner Steven T. Miller said Jan. 30 was the soonest the agency would be able to accept electronic returns.
The filing delay could create a cascade of consequences for low-income Americans who depend on the annual lump sum of their tax refunds. A late refund means late payments, late rent, extra fees, dings on credit and at the very least, a longer wait for necessary purchases.
?When they depend on it like clockwork, it?s not only an inconvenience and it could be harmful,? said Sandra Chapin, director of Samaritan House, a nonprofit aimed at preventing homelessness in San Mateo County, Calif., that also provides free income tax preparation for low-income individuals.
Of the 143 million tax returns filed in 2010, nearly half were from filers who earned less than $30,000, according to data from the Tax Foundation, a conservative-leaning tax policy group based in Washington, D.C. The majority of those returns are typically filed before Feb. 15.
William Gale, a tax expert with the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan tax research group, said tax refunds are the largest single payment many low-income taxpayers receive in a year. "Many households have planned in advance how to use those funds and a delay in the timing of the refund could significantly and adversely affect their economic situation," Gale said.
Fulton?s $141 car registration is just one of several bills she is waiting to pay. The payment date for that bill is Jan. 28, two full days before she can even file her income tax return this year. Without the money to pay the bill, Fulton may accrue an additional late-fee penalty, but she she will also have to drive with expired registration until her refund arrives in mid to late February and she can pay the bill. "I can get arrested if [the DMV doesn't] give me an extension," Fulton worried.
Fulton, like many low-income taxpayers, said she files tax her return as soon as she is able to submit it. The IRS processes returns using a first in, first out system. That means the sooner taxpayers file, the sooner they receive refunds. This year, Fulton expects to receive around $1,000 total back in federal and state refunds for her 2012 return; her income last year was $11,000.
Frank Fasano, 53, of San Carlos, Calif., is also waiting for his refund to make repairs on his truck. Getting the vehicle in order will help the construction worker, who specializes in flooring, find more work. Last year, he made just $13,000 in gross income.
Although most of Fasano?s refund this year will go to fix the motor of his truck, he said in the past his tax refund has gone to pay for other essentials like groceries and new clothes, or a bus ticket to visit his granddaughter. But this year the long wait for the refund just means eking it out check to check.
?I just nickel-and-dime it and will tough it out," he said.
Is the tax refund delay costing you extra in late bills or other payments? Please share your comments or email business-tips@huffingtonpost.com.
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Public release date: 30-Jan-2013
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If you're worried about car trouble keeping you stranded overnight in freezing weather you can create an easy and nearly free heat source by adding a roll of toilet paper to a new quart paint can and pouring a bottle of rubbing alcohol over the TP. 