Man with 'bionic' leg to climb Chicago skyscraper

In this Oct. 25, 2012 photo, Zac Vawter, fitted with an experimental "bionic" leg, is silhouetted on the Ledge at the Willis Tower in Chicago. Vawter is training for the world's tallest stair-climbing event where he'll attempt to climb 103 flights to the top of theWillis Tower using the new prosthesis. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey)

In this Oct. 25, 2012 photo, Zac Vawter, fitted with an experimental "bionic" leg, is silhouetted on the Ledge at the Willis Tower in Chicago. Vawter is training for the world's tallest stair-climbing event where he'll attempt to climb 103 flights to the top of theWillis Tower using the new prosthesis. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey)

In this Oct. 25, 2012 photo, Dr. Levi Hargrove, lead researcher for the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Center for Bionic Medicine, holds an experimental "bionic" prosthetic leg at the institute. Zac Vawter, a 31-year-old software engineer who lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident, will help test the trailblazing prosthetic leg, that's controlled by his thoughts, when he attempts to climb 103 flights of stairs to the top of Chicago's Willis Tower on Sunday, Nov. 4. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey)

In this Oct. 25, 2012 photo, biomedical engineer Annie Simon, left, and research prosthetist Elizabeth Halsne fit an experimental "bionic" prosthetic leg on Zac Vawter at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. After losing his right leg in a motorcycle accident, the 31-year-old software engineer signed up to become a research subject, helping test a trailblazing prosthetic leg that's controlled by his thoughts. He will put this leg to the ultimate test Sunday, Nov. 4 when he attempts to climb 103 flights of stairs to the top of Chicago's Willis Tower, one of the world?s tallest skyscrapers. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey)

In this Oct. 25, 2012 photo, Suzanne Finucane, a physical therapist assistant, right, and prothetist Robert Lipschutz, top, attach electrodes to Zac Vawter's leg as he is fitted with an experimental "bionic" leg at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. After losing his right leg in a motorcycle accident, the 31-year-old software engineer signed up to become a research subject, helping test a trailblazing prosthetic leg that's controlled by his thoughts. He will put this leg to the ultimate test Sunday, Nov. 4 when he attempts to climb 103 flights of stairs to the top of Chicago's Willis Tower, one of the world?s tallest skyscrapers. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey)

In this Oct. 25, 2012 photo, Zac Vawter practices walking with an experimental "bionic" leg at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. After losing his right leg in a motorcycle accident, the 31-year-old software engineer signed up to become a research subject, helping test a trailblazing prosthetic leg that's controlled by his thoughts. He will put this leg to the ultimate test Sunday, Nov. 4 when he attempts to climb 103 flights of stairs to the top of Chicago's Willis Tower, one of the world?s tallest skyscrapers. (AP Photo/Brian Kersey)

CHICAGO (AP) ? Zac Vawter considers himself a test pilot. After losing his right leg in a motorcycle accident, the 31-year-old software engineer signed up to become a research subject, helping to test a trailblazing prosthetic leg that's controlled by his thoughts.

He will put this groundbreaking "bionic" leg to the ultimate test Sunday when he attempts to climb 103 flights of stairs to the top of Chicago's Willis Tower, one of the world's tallest skyscrapers.

If all goes well, he'll make history with the bionic leg's public debut. His whirring, robotic leg will respond to electrical impulses from muscles in his hamstring. Vawter will think, "Climb stairs," and the motors, belts and chains in his leg will synchronize the movements of its ankle and knee. Vawter hopes to make it to the top in an hour, longer than it would've taken before his amputation, less time than it would take with his normal prosthetic leg ? or, as he calls it, his "dumb" leg.

A team of researchers will be cheering him on and noting the smart leg's performance. When Vawter goes home to Yelm, Wash., where he lives with his wife and two children, the experimental leg will stay behind in Chicago. Researchers will continue to refine its steering. Taking it to the market is still years away.

"Somewhere down the road, it will benefit me and I hope it will benefit a lot of other people as well," Vawter said about the research at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

"Bionic" ? or thought-controlled ? prosthetic arms have been available for a few years, thanks to pioneering work done at the Rehabilitation Institute. With leg amputees outnumbering people who've lost arms and hands, the Chicago researchers are focusing more on lower limbs. Safety is important. If a bionic hand fails, a person drops a glass of water. If a bionic leg fails, a person falls down stairs.

The Willis Tower climb will be the bionic leg's first test in the public eye, said lead researcher Levi Hargrove of the institute's Center for Bionic Medicine. The climb, called "SkyRise Chicago," is a fundraiser for the institute with about 2,700 people climbing. This is the first time the climb has played a role in the facility's research.

To prepare, Vawter and the scientists have spent hours adjusting the leg's movements. On one recent day, 11 electrodes placed on the skin of Vawter's thigh fed data to the bionic leg's microcomputer. The researchers turned over the "steering" to Vawter.

He kicked a soccer ball, walked around the room and climbed stairs. The researchers beamed.

Vawter likes the bionic leg. Compared to his regular prosthetic, it's more responsive and more fluid. As an engineer, he enjoys learning how the leg works.

It started with surgery in 2009. When Vawter's leg was amputated, a surgeon repositioned the residual spaghetti-like nerves that normally would carry signals to the lower leg and sewed them to new spots on his hamstring. That would allow Vawter one day to be able to use a bionic leg, even though the technology was years away.

The surgery is called "targeted muscle reinnervation" and it's like "rewiring the patient," Hargrove said. "And now when he just thinks about moving his ankle, his hamstring moves and we're able to tell the prosthesis how to move appropriately."

To one generation it sounds like "The Six Million Dollar Man," a 1970s TV show featuring a rebuilt hero. A younger generation may think of Luke Skywalker's bionic hand.

But Hargrove's inspiration came not from fiction, but from his fellow Canadian Terry Fox, who attempted a cross-country run on a regular artificial leg to raise money for cancer research in 1980.

"I've run marathons, and when you're in pain, you just think about Terry Fox who did it with a wooden leg and made it halfway across Canada before cancer returned," Hargrove said.

Experts not involved in the project say the Chicago research is on the leading edge. Most artificial legs are passive. "They're basically fancy wooden legs," said Daniel Ferris of the University of Michigan. Others have motorized or mechanical components but don't respond to the electrical impulses caused by thought.

"This is a step beyond the state of the art," Ferris said. "If they can achieve it, it's very noteworthy and suggests in the next 10 years or so there will be good commercial devices out there."

The $8 million project is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and involves Vanderbilt University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Rhode Island and the University of New Brunswick.

Vawter and the Chicago researchers recently took the elevator to the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower to see the view after an afternoon of work in the lab. Hargrove and Vawter bantered in the elevator in anticipation of Sunday's event.

Hargrove: "Am I allowed to trash talk you?"

"It's fine," Vawter shot back. "I'll just defer it all to the leg that you built."

At the top, Vawter stood on a glass balcony overlooking the city. The next time he heads to the top, he and the bionic leg will take the stairs.

___

AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/CarlaKJohnson.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-10-31-Bionic%20Stair-Climber/id-b81646843080406ba30f916aa3fa02f6

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Cuba to welcome back many who left

In order to normalize relations with Cubans abroad, Cuba's most recent policy is expected to allow the return of many now banned from the island, estimated any anywhere from 70,000 to 300,000.

By Juan O. Tamayo,?McClatchy / October 26, 2012

Cuba said Thursday it will welcome back tens of thousands of its citizens who left illegally ? including rafters, doctors, and baseball players ? in the second round of a migration reform it claims will help normalize relations with Cubans abroad.

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Havana has barred the return of rafters since its 1994 migration accord with the US government in order to deter risky escapes across the Florida Straits. But the ban is not part of the accord and is not expected to affect the agreement or US policy.

"We will normalize the temporary entry to the island of those who emigrated illegally after the 1994 migration accords," Homero Acosta, secretary of the ruling Council of State, announced in a television appearance late Wednesday.

Also allowed to return will be medical personnel and top athletes who left illegally or defected while abroad after 1990 and who have been out for more than eight years, as well as Cubans who left when they were 16 or younger and those who want to return for humanitarian reasons, such as caring for ailing relatives.

The change is expected to allow the return of many Cubans now banned from the island, estimated any anywhere from 70,000 - mostly rafters - to 300,000, including important Cubans branded by Havana as defectors and even traitors.

RELATED: Think you know Latin America? Take our geography quiz!

Still banned are those who escaped through the US Navy base in Guantanamo in southeastern Cuba, Acosta added, "for reasons of defense and national security." Havana also can ban the return of those who "organize, encourage, or participate in hostile actions against the political, economic, and social basis of the state," and anyone at all "when reasons of defense and national security require it."

Cuban ruler Raul Castro announced last year that he wanted to reform the country's migration regulations "as a contribution to the growth in the links between the nation and the communities of its emigrants."

But most analysts outside the island believe Castro wants to squeeze more money out of migration so that he can finance the dramatic economic reforms that he has been pushing since 2007.

"It is time to do justice to the poorest of the migrants, the rafters, even if this will generate tens of millions of dollars for the government by way of passport and other fees," said Pedro Gonzalez Munne, a Miami businessman who monitors travel to Cuba.

The fee for Cuban passports rose from $60 to about $110 in the first round of migration reforms announced last week, which lifted the hated requirement of exit permits for Cubans who want to travel abroad. Havana retained the right to block any travel.

"I have to submit a humanitarian request so that someone can decide whether to allow me to return to where I was born? ... Big deal!" said Juan Antonio Blanco, a former analyst with the Cuban Communist Party's Central Committee now living in Miami.

Although the number of Cubans living abroad is critically important for its economy ? cash remittances were estimated at more than $2 billion in 2011 alone ? the exact details of the migration flows are almost impossible to obtain.

Nearly 2 million Cubans are estimated to have emigrated since Fidel Castro seized power in 1959, and about 85 percent now live in the United States.

Cuba's National Statistical Office (ONE) reported that 400,000 citizens living abroad visited the island in 2011, including 300,000 who live in the United States. The emigre arrivals are sometimes listed in the official arrivals count as "other Caribbeans."

The number of rafters banned from returning has been estimated at 70,000 ? the 35,000 who left during the Rafter Crisis in 1994, when Fidel Castro opened the doors to anyone who wanted to leave, plus those who escaped afterward. About 14,500 rafters arrived on US shores in fiscal year 2005 to 2012 alone.

The US and Cuban government signed migration pacts in 1994 and 1995 to end that crisis and assure safe migration. The pact requires the US to deliver 20,000 visas to Cuban migrants per year.

Havana officials have told employees of Miami companies that handle trips to the island that the number of citizens on their don't-come-back list in fact totals 300,000, including senior government defectors, sports figures, and medical personnel.

One travel company employee said that 1 percent or 2 percent of Cuban Americans who request Havana's permission to visit the island get rejected, with notices from Cuban authorities saying "Cannot Board. Illegal Exit."

Acosta also complained that Cuba has an unfair image as a country that does not allow its people to travel abroad freely, "a great prison or tropical gulag."

He boasted that 99.4 percent of those who requested exit permits to make personal trips abroad between 2000 and 2012 received them ? a total of 941,953 people.

That works out to 78,496 Cubans allowed to travel abroad per year for a country with a population of 11.2 million people. The US Department of Commerce estimated that 30 million US residents traveled abroad in 2009 alone.

Acosta added that out of the 941,953, those who did not return totaled 120,705, for a defection rate about 10,000 a year or 12.8 percent. That number does not include Cubans who leave illegally or those who leave with migrant visas.

RELATED: Think you know Latin America? Take our geography quiz!

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/Xkys0_8gp-Y/Cuba-to-welcome-back-many-who-left

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P?r Minerals Beauty Blog: P?r Beauty: From Sweden, with Love

Earlier this year, P?r made a splash in the Swedish press, with Cosmopolitan, Elle and Plaza all praising our multitasking Hot Rocks. Since then, our budding romance has become a whirlwind love affair. Here?s what?s making waves now in Sweden?s leading lifestyle magazines.?

P?r on the Cover of Cosmopolitan

The cover of this month?s Swedish Cosmopolitan features singer Agnes Carlsson rocking a dazzling P?r look, using?Lava Rocks (cheeks) and Sheer Citrine Lipstick (lips), plus Spiced Mica Eye Shadow, Mineral Eye Definer in Onyx and Impact+ Mascara (eyes).?

P?r Goes Pink in H?nt Bild

Celebrity magazine H?nt Bild listed our Universal Marble Powder in Pink as one of their favorite pink products in a special breast cancer awareness issue.??

Start Now! in?H?lsa & Fitness?(Health & Fitness)

Our?5-Piece Beauty-to-Go Collection?was a hit in?H?lsa & Fitness (Health & Fitness). The wellness-savvy staff loved the combination of ?100 percent pure mineral pigment [and] moisturizing ceramides, hyaluronic acid and peptides that prevent early signs of aging.?

4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup in?Elle

Beauty editors at?Elle?Sweden called out our enhanced?4-in-1 Pressed Mineral Makeup?with skincare ingredients (center right) as one of a handful of products that help to ?erase lines from late nights and even out skin tone? (thank you, Google Translate).

Correcting Primers in?S?magazine

The glamour experts at?S?magazine recommend our?Correcting Primers?for combating redness, dull skin and facial shine while creating a long-lasting makeup base.

?

Source: http://blog.purminerals.com/2012/10/from-sweden-with-love.html

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PAID - Casting Call for Austin, Texas Internet Video "Home ...

Posted By: Paul Bright
Filed Under: Austin, Casting/Crew Calls

PAID ? Casting Call for Austin, Texas HD Studio Internet Video ?Home Improvement Store?

Production Title: Home Improvement Store
Studio/Independent/Student: Studio
Union/Non-Union: Non-Union
Project Type: Web based video
Project Format: HD
Production Location: Austin, Texas
Production Start Date: November 29, 2012
Shooting Schedule: 1 day
Production Wrap Date: November 29, 2012

Synopsis: ?Used? Home customers rushing to a home improvement store to fix issues in their homes.

Character Breakdowns:

• Home Improvement Store Employee: Male, Caucasian, 35 to 45 years of age.
• Customers (non-speaking roles):
• Male, all ethnicity?s, 30 to 50
• Women, all ethnicity?s, 30 to 40

Paid/Non-Paid: Paid
Other/Additional Compensation: Film Credit,?DVD Copy
Meals/Lodging/Transportation Provided: Meals,?Snacks and Beverages

Production Company: BHI Media
Film/Production Company Website: bhimedia.com

*Email Your Casting Submissions To: castingcallaustin@gmail.com

Special Notes for Potential Cast/Crew: Please provide recent headshot and resume.

Audition Date: October 19, 2012
Audition Location/Address: North Austin, TX

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Are you a Texas filmmaker (yes, actors are filmmakers, too!)? Was this post helpful? Receive more posts like this via email and RSS to stay current with Texas casting calls, crew calls and Texas film news . Sign up for our newsletter and RSS feed.

Tags: Austin Actors, Austin Auditions, Austin Casting Call, Austin Crew Call, Austin Film, Casting Call, Short Film, Texas Actors, Texas Auditions, Texas Casting Call, Texas Crew Call, Texas Film, texas film crew, Texas Short Film

Source: http://www.shortfilmtexas.com/2012/paid-casting-call-for-austin-texas-internet-video-home-improvement-store/

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Three Ohio cities deemed best in U.S. for working moms: Forbes

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Women seeking the best place to work and raise children in the United States may want to head to Ohio, where three of its cities have been voted among the 10 best for working mothers.

Columbus topped the ranking by Forbes, edging past New Orleans and Hartford, Connecticut and their surrounding areas. Cincinnati and its suburb of Middletown came in fourth, just ahead of Providence and neighboring towns in Rhode Island.

With a population of 1.8 million, Columbus scored high marks for its higher than average salaries for women, who make up 44 percent of the city's workforce.

The city also boasts a jobless rate of 5.7 percent, much lower than the national 7.8 percent, and good schools and childcare, according to Forbes.

"Pairing the excellent unemployment rate with an affordable but impressive quality of living makes the city an attractive locale for savvy working moms," Forbes said.

Another Ohio city, Cleveland, came in seventh, while Buffalo, New York, which topped the list last year, dropped to eighth place.

New Orleans' affordable childcare and higher per-pupil spending helped to propel it into the top 10. Families in the city, known as the Big Easy, pay about $5,900 annually for childcare, while New Yorkers have to budget more than double that amount - roughly $13,000.

Although working mothers are paid among the highest salaries in Boston and Washington D.C., both cities dropped out of the top 10 this year because the cost of living and childcare are above average, according to Forbes.

And like New York, where people spend as much as 80 minutes commuting each day, workers in Boston and the nation's capital also have lengthy trips back and forth to work.

To compile the list, Forbes ranked the cities on job opportunities and earning potential, cost of living, commuting times, cost of childcare, quality of schools, crime rates and healthcare.

It used data from various sources including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the FBI Uniform Crime Report, the National Association of Child Care Research and Referral Agencies and the ACCRA Cost of Living Index.

The full list can be found at http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/10/10/the-best-cities-for-working-mothers-2012/

(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; editing by Jill Serjeant and Richard Chang)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/three-ohio-cities-deemed-best-u-working-moms-215900694.html

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TSA agent allegedly swipes $100 from traveler

2 hrs.

Vignesh Ramachandran

Officials arrested a Transportation Security Administration agent on Friday?after he allegedly swiped cash from a passenger's wallet at Los Angeles International Airport.

On Friday around 8 a.m. PT, airport police responded to a complaint after a?passenger?went?through TSA security at LAX's Terminal 5, airport spokesperson Albert Rodriguez told NBC News. The passenger?had placed his wallet?and other personal possessions in the TSA-provided?bin, Rodriguez said.

After the?security?screening, the victim?reportedly noticed that?$100 was?missing from his wallet, the Los Angeles Times reported.

After an initial investigation, airport police arrested a TSA agent,?47-year-old Clyde Reese, on suspicion of theft.

A TSA spokesperson told the Los Angeles?Times that Reese will be removed from screening duties and could be fired, if wrongdoing is found.

?TSA holds its employees to the highest ethical standards and has a zero tolerance for theft,? Melendez told the newspaper.

The?TSA did not immediately respond to NBC News'?request for further?comment, since Monday was a federal holiday.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/tsa-agent-allegedly-steals-100-passenger-lax-1C6337602

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Black Book Says Import Vehicle Wholesale ... - Automotive Fleet

October 08, 2012

GAINESVILLE, GA ? Black Book issued a report on vehicle wholesale values for the month of September, where the publication noted that import used vehicle values dropped 1.8%, which is 0.4% more than domestic vehicles.

Used import vehicles are currently averaging $20,033, which is down from $20,400 at the beginning of September. Domestic used vehicles are currently averaging $14,839, down from $15,055 at the beginning of the month.

Black Book also reported that during September, wholesale truck prices declined at a slower pace than that of car segments, which is in line with the trend for the last few months. Trucks dropped 1.3%, whereas car segments dropped 2.1%.

The trend for domestic vs. import trucks, however, was reversed slightly. Used import truck values, such as those for the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier, fell 1.2%, whereas domestic truck prices, such as the Ford Ranger and Dodge Dakota, fell 1.3% in September. Used import cars, however, such as the Audi A4, BMW M6, Mercedes-Benz CL, fell 2.2%, whereas used domestic cars, such as the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Chrysler 200, declined 1.9% in September.

Both car and truck segments saw declines in September, though some categories held up better than others. The compact pickup truck category was down only 0.1%, for example, while the full-size cargo van category saw a large decline of 4.3%. Black Book noted that all sizes of pickup trucks, though, showed the smallest declines, largely due to these vehicles? use in company fleets, which is tied to the broader economy.

The chart below shows a segment-by-segment breakdown of resale value changes during the last 30 days.

Black Book Segment % Change Last 30 Days	?
?	?
Segment	Change
Compact Pickup Truck	-0.10%
Full-size Pickup Truck	-0.40%
Midsize Pickup Truck	-0.60%
Compact SUV	-0.70%
Compact Crossover	-0.80%
Midsize SUV	-0.90%
Full-size Crossover	-1.00%
Full-size SUV	-1.20%
Luxury SUV	-1.30%
Minivan Wagon	-1.50%
Premium Sporty Car	-1.70%
Mid-size Crossover	-1.70%
Full-size Car	-1.80%
Sporty Car	-2.10%
Upper Mid-size Car	-2.10%
Luxury Level Car	-2.20%
Prestige Luxury Car	-2.40%
Near-Luxury Car	-2.40%
Compact Car	-2.50%
Entry-Level Car	-2.60%
Entry Mid-size Car	-2.80%
Minivan Cargo	-2.90%
Full-size Van Wagon	-3.50%
Full-size Van Cargo	-4.30%

Source: http://www.automotive-fleet.com/Channel/Remarketing/News/Story/2012/10/Black-Book-Says-Import-Vehicle-Wholesale-Values-Fell-More-Than-Domestic-Values-in-September.aspx

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Maine gas prices drop slightly

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Yankees win ALDS playoff opener over Orioles 7-2

New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia throws to the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning Game 1 of the American League division baseball series on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia throws to the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning Game 1 of the American League division baseball series on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Jason Hammel walks off the field after the first inning of Game 1 of the American League division baseball series against the New York Yankees, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado tags out New York Yankees Ichiro Suzuki, of Japan, as he tries to steal third base in the first inning of Game 1 of the American League division baseball series on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

New York Yankees starting pitcher CC Sabathia throws to the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning of Game 1 of the American League division baseball series on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

New York Yankees catcher Russell Martin throws out Baltimore Orioles' Lew Ford, not pictured, at first base in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the American League division baseball series on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

BALTIMORE (AP) ? For eight innings, the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles staged a magnificent duel worthy of two division foes that split 18 games during the regular season and finished two games apart in the standings.

Then the Yankees brushed aside the upstart, inexperienced newcomers and crashed a party 15 years in the making.

Russell Martin led off the ninth inning with a tiebreaking home run off Jim Johnson, CC Sabathia turned in a sparkling pitching performance and the Yankees pulled away to a 7-2 victory Sunday night in the opener of their AL divisional series.

Sabathia allowed two runs and eight hits in 8 2-3 innings to help the Yankees take the edge off the Orioles' first home playoff game since 1997. The husky left-hander went 0-2 in three starts against Baltimore during the regular season, but in this one he returned to form and improved his lifetime record against the Orioles to 17-4.

"Fastball command was good, worked off that," Sabathia said. "Throwing the ball pretty good getting the corners. Tried to stay out there and make some pitches."

Sabathia is 6-1 with the Yankees in the postseason, 4-0 in the division series.

"I thought he gave us a great performance," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "Didn't give up a lot of hard hit balls tonight, had a really good changeup tonight, and I thought he used it very effectively."

With the score 2-all, Martin drove a 2-0 pitch from Johnson into the left-field seats.

"I definitely wasn't thinking home run," Martin said. "He left a fastball up and I put good wood on it."

It was the first of four straight hits off Johnson, who led the majors with 51 saves. Raul Ibanez and Derek Jeter followed with singles, Ichiro Suzuki drove in a run with a swinging bunt and one out later, Robinson Cano hit a two-run double.

In his seven prior appearances against New York, Johnson allowed one run in seven innings and had three saves. Nick Swisher capped the five-run ninth with a sacrifice fly off Tommy Hunter.

"I made mistakes," Johnson said. "I obviously paid for those, and that was location. It wasn't anything else. Two fastballs that really cost us. Just have to make a better pitch. That's all it comes down to."

Game 2 will be played Monday night.

The start of the game was delayed by rain for 2 hours, 26 minutes, and that did nothing to lessen the enthusiasm of the 47,841 fans who endured 14 straight losing seasons while waiting for the Orioles to play a postseason game at Camden Yards.

"We're obviously disappointed we couldn't give them a win, but at least we're playing a five-game series instead of a shootout," Orioles right fielder Chris Davis said.

Baltimore left seven on base and went 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position.

"We stayed in as long as we could," Davis said. "We're finding out what playoff baseball is all about. You've got to capitalize on every opportunity that you give yourself and we weren't able to do that."

Then again, it's tough to mount a sustained rally against someone as polished and dominant as Sabathia.

"He just kind of wore us down," Davis said. "You have to tip your hat to him. He held us to two runs and gave them a chance to win in the end."

Orioles starter Jason Hammel allowed two runs, four hits and four walks in 5 2-3 innings. The right-hander underwent knee surgery in July and returned to pitch two games in September before his right knee began to bother him again. After working his way back into form, Hammel donned a knee brace and gave Baltimore a solid 112-pitch outing in his first start in nearly a month.

New York missed an excellent chance to take the lead in the seventh. After Troy Patton walked Martin and Ibanez, Darren O'Day entered and Jeter dropped down a perfect two-strike sacrifice bunt. With the infield drawn in, Suzuki hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Robert Andino, who threw home. Matt Wieters grabbed the ball on the short hop and tagged out Martin. O'Day then struck out Alex Rodriguez.

Neither team got a runner in scoring position again until J.J. Hardy started the Baltimore eighth with a double. He did not advance.

"Being able to get out of that with a tie and give us a chance to get up and score some runs, which we did, was just a big spot," Sabathia said.

Immediately after Orioles fans cheered and waved their orange towels following a first-pitch strike by Hammel to open the game, the Yankees went to work. Jeter hit a leadoff single and Suzuki followed with an RBI double into the gap in left-center. But Suzuki was thrown out trying to steal third, and Hammel settled down by striking out Rodriguez and retiring Cano on a broken-bat fly to right.

Sabathia retired the first six batters he faced without allowing a ball out of the infield, then ran into trouble in the third inning. Davis led off with a single, Lew Ford singled and both runners moved up on a bunt before Nate McLouth bounced a two-run single into right field for a 2-1 lead.

New York promptly tied it in the fourth, but another potential big inning was short-circuited when a runner was thrown out on the basepaths. After Hammel walked two of the first three batters, Mark Teixeira ripped a liner off the right-field scoreboard. The hit brought home a run, but Teixeira ? who only recently returned from a strained left calf ? was thrown out at second by Davis. That left Swisher at third base with two outs, and after an intentional walk to Curtis Granderson, Martin hit a fly to center.

Singles by Davis and Andino put runners at the corners with one out in the fifth before McLouth looked at a third strike and Hardy grounded out.

NOTES: Andy Pettitte will bring 42 games of playoff experience into Game 2 on Monday night as the starting pitcher for the Yankees. Orioles rookie Wei-Yin Chen will be making his postseason debut. ... Wieters went 0 for 4 against Sabathia and now is 5 for 28 (.179) lifetime against him. ... In 16 career division series openers, Jeter is batting .448 (26 for 58) and reached base in 15 games. ... Suzuki has at least one hit in 10 of his 11 career postseason games and has reached base in all of them. He's also hit in 20 straight games at Camden Yards, a streak that began in 2008.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-10-08-ALDS-Yankees-Orioles/id-3fd95521210b4f87ba336c6153d395f4

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Diaz movie "Bad Teacher" being adapted for series by CBS

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Online security with the rhythm of your heart | SmartPlanet

Forget logging in with your fingerprint, eyeball, or even subconscious. The future of biometrics may lie in your heartbeat.

Engineers at the University of Toronto have recently developed a new security system that identifies users by measuring the precise shape of their heartbeat. Creating a graph called an electrocardiogram (ECG), researchers are able to measure a person?s unique cardiac rhythm, embed this ID into a phone or tablet, and subsequently lock out unauthorized users.

For years, doctors have examined a heartbeat?s pattern by putting sensors on a patient?s chest. Now, however, researchers have made the process even easier by developing cheap, thin sensors that can measure ECG through a person?s fingertips.

While the finger sensors aren?t precise enough for the doctor?s office, they allow heartbeat measurements to be embedded into digital devices and used as authentication codes.

But do heartbeats really differ that much between individuals? According to LiveScience, engineers have discovered that the exact shape of ECG spikes differs from person to person. Just like a fingerprint, everyone?s heartbeat has a unique shape that stays the same over time, even during excitement or exercise.

Engineers at Bionym, the company marketing the method, recommend using the system in conjunction with other ID checks, such as fingerprint scanning or alphanumeric codes.

[via LiveScience]

Image: Rosemary/Flickr

Source: http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/online-security-with-the-rhythm-of-your-heart/1850

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4611 RAMSAY RD, North Vancouver - House/Single Family V974640

View more homes for sale in North Vancouver - Click here
Street Address: - 4611 RAMSAY Road Area/City: North Vancouver Community: Lynn Valley Postal Code: V7K 2N6 MLS? V974640 Property Type: House/Single Family Property Style: Split Entry,2 Storey Taxes: $5,497/2012 Approx Year Built: 1969 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Total Floor Area (sqft): 2646 Lot Size (sqft): 7740.000 Frontage (feet): 60.000 Depth (feet): 129 Strata Maint. Fee: $ Title to Land: Freehold NonStrata Name of Complex: Listing provided by: Prudential Sussex Realty(WVan) Board: Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver
Perfection, quality, like a new home. Upper Lynn Valley family home close to trails for biking & hiking. Completely renovated with hardwood, slate, granite, stainless appliances (huge fridge/freezer). Open plan with 3 bedrms on main. New 200 amp service panel, re-done hardwood flooring, re-done ceilings, new base & crown mouldings, ceiling fans in bedrooms. Lower level includes a spacious rec. room, office or additional bedroom with 2 pce ensuite, large mud room, and laundry. Also, beautiful legal 1 bedroom suite. The newly added entertaining sized deck includes a covered area with skylights and heaters plus open area, and a spacious double garage below completes this unique home. Don't miss this immaculate home!!!!! Private Yard,Private Setting,Shopping Nearby
Don't hesitate to call for any additional information: Joe Manhas 604-720-0438 or Rimpy Hothi 604-725-0017 Map/Street View 4611 RAMSAY Road, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Still have questions? Do not hesitate to call for any additional information:
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Source: http://bchomez.com/4611-ramsay-rd-north-vancouver-housesingle-family-v974640/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=4611-ramsay-rd-north-vancouver-housesingle-family-v974640

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After 2,000 Deaths, Politicians Debate U.S. Future in Afghanistan

As the number of U.S. deaths in Afghanistan reached 2,000 this weekend, members of both parties are debating the future of America?s longest war.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said on Monday that setting a withdrawal date in Afghanistan was a failure on the part of the Obama administration, saying it has given the Taliban enough fuel to make a comeback and put power in the hands of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whom McCain calls untrustworthy.

?Look, it is unraveling,? McCain said on MSNBC?s Morning Joe. ?You are having the worst morale kind of situation you could possibly have, in allies that you can?t trust.?

A consistent critic of the administration?s foreign policy, McCain blames the current unraveling on President Obama, who he says lacks the military experience to make decisions about U.S. wars.

?He consistently overrode the recommendations of his military leaders, with no military experience himself,? McCain said. ?And those military leaders, when those decisions were made, said this is going to entail greater risk.?

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he sees no ?end game? if the U.S. were to continue its presence in Afghanistan for several years to come, as McCain suggested.

?I don't see how we can succeed in Afghanistan ? unless we are going to stay there forever,? Schumer said on the same program. ?It?s not that nothing has been accomplished, but having more troops stay there and try to win over the hearts and minds of the various tribes ? it?s tough in Iraq, but it?s even tougher in Afghanistan. I think the president's done the right thing: a clear deadline and we?re getting out.?

The U.S. crossed the 2,000 mark after a suspected insider attack, one of more than 50 so-called "green-on-blue" killings on NATO forces, claimed the life of an American soldier on Sunday.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2-000-deaths-politicians-debate-u-future-afghanistan-084300935--politics.html

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New York to Build the World?s Largest Ferris Wheel

According to website?Expensive Places, the world’s largest ferris wheel will soon be constructed on Staten Island, New York. It will stand 60 stories (630ft) tall and have 36 capsules that can accommodate 40 passengers each. That means a total of 1440 people can ride on this ferris wheel at one time. Due to be completed [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/10/02/new-york-to-build-the-worlds-largest-ferris-wheel/

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Leonard Lerman, Molecular Biologist, Dies at 87

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Mr. Lerman, a molecular biologist, discovered how to manipulate DNA, and in doing so, helped other scientists further pursue the genetic code.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/science/leonard-lerman-molecular-biologist-dies-at-87.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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SFC Names Carolyn Lyons President ? - Eye on Early Education

Carolyn Lyons

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Strategies for Children CEO Carolyn Lyons as the organization?s new president.

Lyons joined SFC in 2002 as chief operating officer after a successful career in business that included serving as vice president of Pearson Education?s Learning Network and director of international programming at Continental Cablevision/MediaOne. She serves on the board of the Milton Early Childhood Alliance and has chaired the board of the Hattie B. Cooper Community Center in Boston. Lyons graduated magna cum laude from St. Joseph?s University and earned an MBA from the University of Virginia?s Darden School of Business.? Margaret Blood, SFC?s founding president, will continue to serve on the board of directors.

Lyons assumes the presidency of SFC after a decade of outstanding leadership, during which she worked closely with Blood and Amy O?Leary, director of SFC?s? Early Education for All Campaign, to build the organization and spur the development of a statewide system of high-quality early education and care. Together they led efforts that resulted in the creation of the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, the Universal Pre-Kindergarten statute and grant program and the Early Childhood Educators Scholarship and laid the foundation for the state?s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Together they launched the 10-year campaign to improve children?s reading proficiency that began with the June 2010 the release of ?Turning the Page: Refocusing Massachusetts for Reading Success,? a report that SFC commissioned from Nonie Lesaux, a nationally recognized literacy expert at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Lyons?s appointment comes at a time of transition for the organization, as it adds an on-the-ground best practices initiative around reading proficiency and high-quality early education to its ongoing state-level policy work.

?We?re at a very exciting juncture,? Lyons says. ?We?ve spent a decade focused on putting in place the foundation of a system of high-quality early education for all children, beginning at birth. We need to continue to monitor that and develop policies as appropriate, but a lot of the work going forward also needs to be a complementary best practices initiative that will align research, policy and practice to impact outcomes for children.?

Lyons joined SFC a year after its founding and brought with her the portfolio of business skills the board sought for the young organization.? At SFC, Lyons has added a sophisticated understanding of policy to that portfolio. In appointing Lyons as SFC?s president, the board stressed the combination of business and policy acumen that she brings to the organization as it broadens its scope.

?In her years at Strategies for Children, Carolyn has established SFC as an efficient and focused organization that stresses demonstrating impact and results. She has been instrumental in implementing a policy vision that has benefited young children and families across the commonwealth,? said Paul O?Brien, chairman of SFC?s board. ?Carolyn?s skills and experience in both the business and policy worlds make her the right choice to lead SFC into the next phase of its work.?

For its first decade, SFC focused on ensuring that children in Massachusetts have access to high-quality early education. In 2010, it broadened its focus to ensuring that young children read proficiently by the end of third grade, a benchmark that a compelling body of research finds strongly predicts children?s chances of success in school and beyond. Yet 39% of third graders in Massachusetts read below grade level ? and performance remains virtually unchanged since 2001. The process of learning to read begins at birth, with children?s earliest language development, and includes high-quality early education as well as strong primary grade instruction.

The broader focus has infused renewed urgency into SFC?s advocacy for young children.

At the state level, Governor Patrick last week signed An Act Relative to Third Grade Reading Proficiency, which is informed by ?Turning the Page,? into law. It establishes an Early Literacy Expert Panel to advise state education agencies. At the local level, Lyons envisions a two-pronged best practices initiative, also guided by the research-based recommendations in ?Turning the Page.? The first is the creation of a learning network of a small number of communities ?focused,? Lyons says, ?on the critical levers that research says make the most difference.?? The second prong is a broader effort aimed at helping communities across the commonwealth address early literacy through quarterly convenings on topics of mutual interest and potential impact, as well as other strategies.

?It?s been remarkable to see how this broader frame on ensuring third grade reading proficiency resonates with so many groups that previously might have supported early education but hadn?t really focused on how critical it is to the overall education agenda,? Lyons says. ?This is an issue that we all share. This is not just the responsibility of the schools. We know that learning begins at birth. We need to move our work forward and get policymakers and the state and society to focus more on children?s learning, starting at birth. We need to make sure that, as a commonwealth, we do what we can to support that.?

Lyons has also worked as vice president of EF Cultural Travel in the Netherlands, a consultant with the Continental Consulting Group in Boston,?and marketing manager for E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Company in Delaware. She serves on the board of Mil Milagros.

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Source: http://eyeonearlyeducation.org/2012/10/01/sfc-names-carolyn-lyons-president/

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[WATCH]: 35-Cardio Workout to Lose Belly Fat - Health & Fitness

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Source: http://aerobic-fitness.vrg-healthfitness.com/2012/09/29/watch-35-cardio-workout-to-lose-belly-fat-3/

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Window Cleaning Tips and Tools From a Window Cleaner ? #13 ...

A good tip is to use microfiber cloths. It seems window cleaners can never get away from using the regular cloths either. I use a lot of the regular white cotton cloths as well. That way I don?t have to use my microfiber cloths for everything and they seem to last longer.

Another good thing about microfiber cloths is that they come in so many different colors. A good advantage is everybody on the window cleaning crew gets their own color microfiber cloths. That way we know which ones belong to each person on the crew.

The same coding method is used with our tools. We color code them so we know which tools belong to each person.

It is also amazing that there are so many different types of tools we use today for cleaning. Along with window cleaning, our company becomes involved in many other types of cleaning such as rain gutter cleaning, roof cleaning, concrete cleaning, and oil removal.

We use pressure washers all the time. Just think! With the new extension poles, we can clean heights 40 or 50 feet high and even higher! What about the water fed poles and de-ionized water? With some of the new poles, you can reach heights you only dreamed of attaining.

The pressure washing equipment is continually being improved as well.

Using the new heat or diesel pressure washers and surface cleaners, it is now easy to clean even oil, tar, and gum.

Well, I guess I am excited to say I am learning more everyday. Oh well, that?s enough for now.

For more tips, secrets and education videos from Ron a White on Orange County and|fa2836c6f053ad6c249f4e97dfeef8f9 window cleaning, Pressure washing businesses check us out at http://www.customhomedetailing.com/, also in Los Angeles http://www.pressurewashinglosangeles.com/.

Content About : Window Cleaning Tips and Tools From a Window Cleaner ? #13 Article

-- Download Window Cleaning Tips and Tools From a Window Cleaner - #13 as PDF --

Source: http://www.econtentz.com/contents/home-improvement/cleaning-tips-and-tools/window-cleaning-tips-and-tools-from-a-window-cleaner-13/

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Franchising Your Successful Business

On September 30, 2012

When you have a business that is very successful and you believe it could be reproduced effectively, then it may possibly be a suitable candidate for franchising. Franchising is a simple and, potentially, very quick way of expanding your business that doesn?t require the same level of upfront capital as other expansion methods. Employing a professional services firm for some strategy consulting will help you decide if this is the right avenue for your business. Once you have decided to go ahead, there are plenty of things you should consider.

Is Your Business Suitable and Ready?

Confirming that you have the right concept is the first step. Is your business easily translatable?In other words, is it something that you can systematise, so that another person can operate it without your input, and will it be as successful in other locations?If so, you are on the right track. The next thing to consider is whether the business is one that will benefit from economies of scale.This is one of the key areas in which franchised businesses can make money. You also need to think about whether your business will appeal to both potential customers and franchisees.

Before going ahead with the franchising model, you need to be absolutely certain that the business is ready. If there are any gaping holes in your procedures, then rapid expansion will only serve to make them more obvious. Audit your business thoroughly, from finances to IT and from marketing to procurement. Only when you are happy that everything is running as smoothly as it can be,should you look to roll it out.

Know the Law

Franchised businesses are fairly complex legal entities. Make sure you understand all the relevant laws surrounding them and, specifically, your responsibilities with regard to your own business.

Decide on Your Model

Just as no two businesses are the same, nor are any two franchise models. There are many details for you to take into consideration. Some of the most important are:

• The fees you will charge and the royalties you will take from franchisees.
• The lengthof the franchise agreements you will offer.
• The size territory you will award each franchisee.
• The geographical areas your franchises will cover.
• Training programs for franchisees.
• The type of products and equipment that will be supplied to franchisees and which ones they will have to purchase from you.
• Your marketing plan.

Recruit and Sell

Running a franchised business is a whole new enterprise, from running the original business out of which it grew. You will need employees to look after franchisees and make sure the whole organisation works effectively together. Hiring key members of staff is a critical step. Without them, you will struggle to get your franchised business off the ground.

Likewise, without franchisees, you are going nowhere, so you?d better figure out a sales plan pretty quickly. It is a good idea to have dedicated in-house salespeople to do this, because selling franchises can be very difficult. You are asking people to give up what they are currently doing ? and the security that comes with it ? in order to give you their money and work according to your rules! You need to have a very compelling argument to persuade them to do so, and you need compelling salespeople to make it happen.

Provide Support

Once your new franchises are up and running, you should provide adequate support to ensure that they thrive. Try to prepare for everything, by providing ongoing training on all aspects of the business, as well as efficient IT support services.

Source: http://www.theginlady.com/index.php/franchising-successful-business/

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