среда, 29 февраля 2012 г.

FED:Workers paid to abuse cattle, Lib senator


AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2011
FED:Workers paid to abuse cattle, Lib senator

Head of the Northern Territory Cattlemen's Association Luke Bowen says there may be
some truth to claims that Animals Australia paid Indonesian meat workers to abuse cattle.

Mr Bowen, while observing the loading of the first post-ban shipment of cattle bound
for Indonesia, said the industry had known for some time that meat workers had been paid
to allow Animals Australia into the abattoirs.

He said the latest allegations had only just emerged.

"It sounds like there may be some truth in it," he said in Darwin on Wednesday.

"I've heard second hand that there are signed affidavits from the fellas in Indonesia
saying they were paid to actually kick and abuse those animals."

Mr Bowen said Australians needed to be mindful that many animal advocacy groups had
broader agendas in mind.

"For some of these animal lib (liberation) groups, this is just a convenient vehicle
as a general sort of attack on livestock industries," he said.

"If it is true, it is outrageous.

"If it is true, it is actually shameful."

"A lot of these groups believe eating meat and wearing leather is exploitation of animals
and they want to see (the livestock industry) gone."

MORE lcs/bwl

KEYWORD: CATTLE 3 CANBERRA

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld:Paper says cartoon tests speech freedom


AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2006
Qld:Paper says cartoon tests speech freedom

A central Queensland giveaway newspaper says it's only testing the notion of free speech
.. by sending a cartoon of the Holocaust to a competition run by an Iranian newspaper.

The Rockhampton-based Weekend Choice yesterday emailed a copy of their cartoon to Iran's
best-selling newspaper Hamshahri.

It depicts a western man holding a Muslim by the throat .. as he's about to deliver
the punchline on an old joke about how many Jews you can fit in a Volkswagen.

The paper's editor ALEX TERNOWETSKY says the cartoon's only testing the notion of free
speech and isn't an anti-Semitic retaliation.





The competition's being run in retaliation for cartoons depicting the Prophet MOHAMMED.

The Weekend Choice has already been printed and will be available in central Queensland tomorrow.

AAP RTV rad/smt/bart

KEYWORD: CARTOON QLD (BRISBANE)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

GOOGLE ENGINEER JOINS GOSO.CN AS DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER


AsiaInfo Services
04-15-2011
Google Engineer Joins Goso.cn as Deputy General Manager

BEIJING, Apr 15, 2011 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) -- Wang Jiang, used to be an engineer serving the data center of the headquarters of Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG), has assumed the post as deputy general manager of Goso.cn, a search service provider jointly established by People's Daily and its online portal.

Earlier, Goso.cn kicked off large-scale recruitment in campus, promising graduates with high salaries. Wang Jiang is a graduate of Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) and has worked for Innovation Works for a short term.

Wang Jiang is the second top executive of Goso.cn with working experiences in Google. In February, Liu Jun, vice president of Google China's Project Research Institute, joined the Web site as chief scientist.

By far, Goso.cn has not revealed the responsibility of Wang Jiang. Facing the monopoly of Baidu Inc. (Nasdaq: BIDU) in the Chinese search engine market, Goso.cn President Deng Yaping is bullish on the future of the Web site.

Actually, as early as 2009, the Chinese government has expressed its support to homegrown search service providers. Under such circumstance, People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency both launched their own search engines and formed cooperation with telecommunications carriers.

Source: www.sohu.com (April 15, 2011)

KEYWORD: BEIJING INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Internet & Online Services & Media SUBJECT CODE: Internet & Online Services
Internet Search Engines
SinoCast China Business Daily news
engineer
search
graduate
Web site
government

Copyright 2011 AsiaInfo Services (via Comtex). All rights reserved

NSW:Man charged with growing cannabis in house


AAP General News (Australia)
12-25-2010
NSW:Man charged with growing cannabis in house

A Sydney man will face court on Christmas Day charged with growing 170 cannabis plants
in his house.

Police raided the house at Lakemba in south-west Sydney and allegedly found elaborate
hydroponic cannabis plantation .. worth about three-hundred-thousand dollars spread across
five rooms.

They say a 21-year-old man was arrested as he allegedly tried to flee the scene ..

he was charged with several drug-related offences and was refused bail to appear before
Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday.

AAP RTV ih/ar

KEYWORD: CANNABIS (SYDNEY)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:Diary Events Tuesday, August 17, 2010


AAP Sports News (Australia)
08-18-2010
CYCLE:Record doping ban reduced

International sport's top court has cut a record 20-year doping ban imposed on Italian
cyclist GIANNI DA ROS, reducing it to four years.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) says it has partially upheld an appeal filed
by DA ROS against the decision of the Anti-Doping Tribunal of Italy's National Olympic
Committee of Italy (CONI) in November 2009.

The 23-year-old was arrested during a nationwide police swoop in March 2009 and accused
of trafficking doping substances.

AAP RTV jd

KEYWORD: CYCLING DOPING DAROS (GENEVA)

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: Brown backs trimmed migrant intake but more refugees


AAP General News (Australia)
04-08-2010
FED: Brown backs trimmed migrant intake but more refugees

PERTH, April 8 AAP - Australia should trim its overall migrant intake, but accept more
genuine refugees and boost skills training for young Australians, Greens leader Bob Brown
says.

The Tasmanian senator says most Australians don't want a population as big as 36 million
by 2050, as indicated by a Lowy Institute poll released on Thursday.

He said this showed Australians were wary of the "Big Australia" backed by Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd.

The Greens were for winding back overall immigration but increasing the humanitarian
intake including asylum seekers, Senator Brown told reporters in Perth on Thursday.

"Let's review the business immigration, which means if you have a quarter of a million
dollars in your pocket you can buy your way into this country.

"Let's concentrate a little more on the 50,000 people who have flown into this country
rather than on the four or five thousand people who are really in desperate circumstances,
genuine refugees coming by boat, Senator Brown said.

He said "wealth immigration" should be cut back and Australia should stop importing
skilled workers from poor countries.

Australia should instead be doing more to train and skill young Australians who were
being let down by big corporations and governments, Senator Brown said.

"The big corporations have been found out, they are not pulling their weight. We need
to have big investment in education and skilling in Australia."

AAP ldj/goc/

KEYWORD: POPULATION BROWN

2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

0200 3AW NEWS HEADLINES


AAP General News (Australia)
08-26-2009
0200 3AW NEWS HEADLINES

- Departing MP Brendan Nelson has issued a warning to colleagues they face political
death if they don't give the public what they want.

- The bodies of nine Aussies killed in PNG air crash could arrive home this morning.

- Wild weather continues to cause havoc around Melbourne.

- Police have arrested a man following a spate of sexual assaults and attacks on women.

- Fire security experts in Qld expect to know by the end of today if other horses at
a piggery test positive to hendra.

- BHP Billiton is cutting 70 jobs at a nickel min in WA.

- Afghan's electoral commission says Hamid Karzai is just ahead of his nearest rival
Abdullah Abdullah.

- SPORT

AAP RTV fdf

KEYWORD: 0200 3AW (SYDNEY)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Two arrested over fiery attack on man


AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2009
Vic: Two arrested over fiery attack on man

Detectives expect to charge a man and a woman with attempted murder .. after a man
was doused with petrol and set alight in Melbourne's north on Thursday.

The victim .. a 42-year-old Reservoir man .. had petrol poured on him and was set on
fire during an argument with a man and a woman in the driveway of his home at about 3.30pm
(AEST), police said.

The man was taken to the specialist burns unit at The Alfred hospital .. suffering
extensive third degree burns.

A man and a woman were later arrested .. and it's expected a 36-year-old Reservoir
woman will be charged with attempted murder.

A 52-year-old man .. also from Reservoir .. is under police guard in hospital with
a hand injury police say may be related to the attack.

It's likely he will be interviewed later on Friday.

AAP RTV jrd/wf

KEYWORD: DOUSED (MELBOURNE)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: New Racing NSW board appointed.


AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2008
NSW: New Racing NSW board appointed.

SYDNEY, Dec 11 AAP - The NSW government has appointed a new independent board to oversee
the state's thoroughbred racing industry.

Racing Minister Kevin Greene said the five-person board had qualifications and experience
that would be of significant benefit to the racing industry.

Members were selected by an independent selection panel, which included District Court
Judge Barrie Thorley and former state minister Ian Armstrong.

"New board members were subject to a probity check involving a police check, a bankruptcy
check, and a check of the racing controlling body disciplinary records," Mr Greene said
in a statement on Thursday.

The members are Alan Brown, appointed for four years, Alan Bell (two years), Kim Harding
(three years), Ken Brown (three years) and Arthur Inglis (two years).

They will take up their posts after amendments to the Thoroughbred Racing Act are gazetted,
which is expected to be on December 19.

AAP bc/wjf/wf/de

KEYWORD: RACING

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Firefighters stage protest at minister's office


AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2008
NSW: Firefighters stage protest at minister's office

About 150 firefighters have marched on the electoral offices of New South Wales Emergency
Services Minister NATHAN REES.

They're calling on him to intervene in their long-running dispute over wages and conditions.

The firefighters and their union have been fighting the state government's 2.5 per
cent cap on public sector wage increases.

Union vice-president JIM CASEY's accused the Fire Brigades of trying to trade away
leave and other entitlements during the arbitration process .. or wanting roster changes
which could see some stations closed.

Mr REES says the Fire Brigades have put a number of cost-saving proposals to the union
.. but roster changes aren't included.

The dispute is now being heard by the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.

AAP RTV ab/evt/crh/ibw

KEYWORD: FIREFIGHTERS (SYDNEY)

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Pike urges striking teachers to negotiate over pay


AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2008
Vic: Pike urges striking teachers to negotiate over pay

MELBOURNE, Feb 14 AAP - Victorian Education Minister Bronwyn Pike has urged striking
teachers to return to the negotiating table and resolve their wages claim.

About 25,000 teachers have walked off the job across the state today demanding better
pay - and saying they are the worst-paid in Australia.

Teachers want a 10 per cent annual wage rise but Ms Pike said any rise above the government's
public sector wages policy of 3.25 per cent must be offset by productivity improvement.

She said the Australian Education Union (AEU) claim would cost the government about $8 billion.

"Clearly it's an ambit claim, clearly that is also not acceptable," Ms Pike told reporters today.

"Our interest is striking the right balance, giving teachers the extra pay of course
which they deserve, but also making sure that we are doing that in line with community
standards and also allowing there to be the resources to fund the extra things that make
our education system a quality system.

"We want to have a fair pay rise for teachers but we also want to have the money so
that we can have the extra classrooms, the new computer technology and the new programs
that are there to continue our excellent system."

Ms Pike said teachers walked away from the negotiating table in November, but the door
was always open and there was nothing the government could do to resolve the dispute until
the union resumed talks.

"In the end these things are resolved by people coming back to the table, sitting down
together and working out what's in the best interests of teachers and ultimately, most
importantly, what's in the best interests of our children."

Australian Education Union Victorian branch president Mary Bluett says Victorian teachers
are "the lowest paid in the nation".

"Those at the top of the scale receive 15 per cent less than their NSW counterparts,
which equates to nearly $10,000 per year."

AAP cmb/szp/gfr/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: TEACHERS VIC PIKE

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: States must increase school funding: Bishop


AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2007
Fed: States must increase school funding: Bishop

CANBERRA, Aug 27 AAP - Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop says the states must
increase education funding to ensure Australia does not fall behind other developed countries.

A discussion paper released by the Business Council of Australia today says more than
300,000 young Australians are unemployed or working part-time because the school system
has failed them.

The council says Australia's school system is at risk of falling behind other developed
nations and calls for all levels of government to boost spending as part of a broader
overhaul of the education system.

But Ms Bishop said the federal government was already working hard to improve national
standards and had boosted literacy and numeracy, and pushed for innovative pay structures
for teachers.

She said state governments should follow suit.

"If the state governments matched our rate of funding increase, then there would be
an extra $2 billion in education," Ms Bishop told ABC radio today.

"So I do call upon the states to match the Australian government's rate of funding
increase for investing in education."

But Labor's education spokesman Stephen Smith said the report confirmed the commonwealth
had been under-investing in every level of education for far too long.

"It underlines what Labor has been saying - making greater investments in education
at every level is the single most important thing we can do for Australia's future prosperity
and living standards."

AAP kc/jl/cdh

KEYWORD: EDUCATION BISHOP

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Job Network to promote defence careers


AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2007
Fed: Job Network to promote defence careers

The government's launched a six-month pilot project .. where government-funded Job
Network providers will promote defence careers among the unemployed.

Defence Minister BRENDAN NELSON says the program will encourage employment service
provider companies to work closely with defence officials .. to help unemployed people
into an ADF career.

Dr NELSON says the trial will be undertaken in a number of regions throughout Australia.

AAP RTV mb/sb/wf/bart

KEYWORD: JOBS DEFENCE (CANBERRA)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Top cop jailed for trafficking drugs to underworld


AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2006
Vic: Top cop jailed for trafficking drugs to underworld

By Mariza O'Keefe

MELBOURNE, Dec 11 AAP - A former top Victorian drug squad officer who sold drugs to
an underworld figure has been sentenced to seven years' jail.

After a three-month trial, a jury found former detective senior sergeant Wayne Geoffrey
Strawhorn guilty of trafficking a commercial quantity of pseudoephedrine.

The 51-year-old was convicted of trafficking two kilograms of pseudoephedrine to slain
underworld figure Mark Moran in May 2000, when Strawhorn was a senior police officer with
the drug squad.

At the Victorian Supreme Court today, he was sentenced to seven years' jail with a
minimum term of four years.

The police officer of almost 30 years - who continues to deny guilt - was stony faced
as the sentence was handed down today.

At the time of the offence, Strawhorn was a senior officer in a drug squad unit responsible
for investigating clandestine amphetamine laboratories.

He was largely responsible for the introduction of the new investigation technique
that involved undercover police infiltrating the drug world by selling precursor chemicals
to illegal drug manufacturers.

It was through this set-up that he sold two kilograms of pseudoephedrine to Moran for
$12,000, the court heard.

Strawhorn arranged for a junior police officer to purchase the pseudoephedrine from
a pharmacy company, he then passed it on to another police officer and it finally made
its way to Moran, the court was told.

Justice David Habersberger said Strawhorn's conduct undermined public confidence in
the police force and betrayed the thousands of serving police officers.

The court heard Strawhorn was considered one of the most competent and highly skilled
investigators in the drug squad.

"As to why you, with this most impressive record of dedication, competence, intelligence
and integrity should have so drastically fallen from grace, by this isolated but very
serious instance of offending, remains a mystery," Justice Habersberger said.

The judge said he believed the pursuit of money was not Strawhorn's prime motive and
he accepted that the police officer believed that the drug exchange may help its undercover
operation achieve success.

"Members of the police force are not above the law and it is simply no excuse that
your serious breach of the law may have resulted from some misguided belief that in the
end justified the means," he said.

His case comes at a time when the spotlight has fallen on the former Victorian drug
squad. Five former drug squad officers have been convicted and jailed this year of drug
offences.

AAP mok/gfr/jt/de

KEYWORD: STRAWHORN NIGHTLEAD

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Iemma says commonwealth should turn GST into state tax


AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2006
NSW: Iemma says commonwealth should turn GST into state tax

New South Wales Premier MORRIS IEMMA says the federal government should turn the GST
into a state tax.

He says each state government should get all of the GST revenue raised within its borders.

New South Wales wants to get back more of the three billion dollars of GST revenue
which is raised there .. but then transferred to other states.

Mr IEMMA says the GST should be a state tax in reality .. not just in PETER COSTELLO's
imagination.

AAP RTV pj/kaj/klw/ibw/bart

KEYWORD: GST IEMMA (SYDNEY)

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Main stories in ABC's World Today Program


AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2006
Main stories in ABC's World Today Program

SYDNEY, Feb 14 AAP - Main stories in ABC's World Today Program:

* Supporters of the abortion pill RU486 express concern that a push to amend the bill
which revokes the ministerial veto on the drug could scuttle the legislation all together.

Democrats Senator Lyn Allison has written to all members of parliament urging them to
vote against the amendments, which would give parliament the final say on the approval
of the drug. Meanwhile, former minister Danna Vale has been rebuked by a senior cabinet
minister for her claims the abortion pill could result in Australia becoming a Muslim
nation.

* New Queensland Liberal MP Dr Andrew Laming says there should be a parliamentary debate
about the social impacts of RU486 after it is considered by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

* The refusal of the Iraqi Grains Board to buy wheat from Australia until the completion
of the Cole inquiry has dealt a blow to Australia's wheat industry. But some growers are
now using the AWB kickbacks scandal and the suspension of trade to Iraq as ammunition
against Australia's single desk marketing system.

AAP dmc/was

KEYWORD: MONITOR WORLD TODAY SYDNEY

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

понедельник, 27 февраля 2012 г.

AP Top News at 2:15 a.m. EST


AP Online
11-12-2005

Bush Forcefully Attacks Iraq Critics

President Bush speaks about the war against terror at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Tobyhanna, Pa., Frida
President Bush speaks about the war against terror at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Tobyhanna, Pa., Friday, Nov. 11, 2005. In a Veterans Day speech, Bush offered a forceful defense of the war in Iraq, saying it is the central front in the war on terror and that extremists are trying to establish a radical Muslim empire extending from Spain to Indonesia. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

TOBYHANNA, Pa. (AP) _ President Bush strongly rebuked congressional critics of his Iraq war policy Friday, accusing them of being "deeply irresponsible" and sending the wrong signal both to America's enemy and to U.S. troops. "The stakes in the global war on terror are too high, and the national interest is too important, for politicians to throw out false charges," Bush said in his most combative defense yet of his rationale for invading Iraq in March 2003.

al-Qaida: All 4 Jordan Bombers Were Iraqis

The son of Fathia Ayyash, centre,  who was killed during the wedding ceremony in the Radisson SAS h
The son of Fathia Ayyash, centre, who was killed during the wedding ceremony in the Radisson SAS hotel, mourns over the body of his mother during her funeral at Sahab cemetery in Sahab, southeast of Amman, Jordan, Friday Nov. 11, 2005. Al-Qaida in Iraq, led by Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had claimed responsibility for the bombings. The latest statement said the attackers wore explosive belts "in order to achieve greater accuracy in hitting the target."(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) _ Al-Qaida claimed a squad of four Iraqi suicide bombers, including a husband and wife team, carried out the Ammam attacks with explosive belts after carefully staking out the hotels for a month. Jordan interrogated 12 suspects Friday who may have helped them. The terror group's Iraqi branch issued its third Internet statement since Wednesday's nearly simultaneous attacks, saying the four Iraqis had the Radisson SAS, Grand Hyatt and Days Inn hotels under surveillance "to achieve greater accuracy in hitting the target."

Reports: Top Saddam Lieutenant Has Died

Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's second-in-command, is shown in this
Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's second-in-command, is shown in this March 6, 2003 photo. (AP Photo/Bassem Tellawi)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ A statement circulated in the name of the Baath Party said Friday that Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the highest-ranking figure from Saddam Hussein's regime still at large, had died. The report could not be independently confirmed. The report was based on an e-mail sent to a Western news agency and signed by the "Arab Socialist Baath Party _ Iraq Command." It said al-Douri died at 2:30 a.m. Friday but gave no indication of the cause.

Rice Urges Unity Among Iraqi Factions

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talks to Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari during thei
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice talks to Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari during their joint press conference, in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, Friday, Nov.11 2005. Rice invited Sunni Arabs to speak their minds in new voting in Iraq, arguing during a surprise visit Friday that "differences can be a strength." (AP Photo/Ahmad al-Rubaye, pool)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed for unity among Iraq's religious factions as she made an unannounced and heavily guarded visit Friday to the country, including one of its most ethnically divided regions. Rice made a personal appeal to Sunni Arabs to participate in new elections in December, but she sounded cool to an outside Arab attempt to foster political reconciliation. She also chided Iraq's Arab neighbors for being slow to send ambassadors to post-Saddam Iraq.

Poll: Most Americans Say Bush Not Honest

President Bush speaks about the war against terror at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Tobyhanna, Pa., Frida
President Bush speaks about the war against terror at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Tobyhanna, Pa., Friday, Nov. 11, 2005. Bush, in the most forceful defense yet of his Iraq war policy, accused critics Friday of trying to rewrite history and charged that they're undercutting America's forces on the front lines. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Two crucial pillars of President Bush's public support _ perceptions of his honesty and faith in his ability to fight terrorism _ have slipped to their lowest point in the AP-Ipsos poll. While the CIA leak investigation, the mishandling of Hurricane Katrina and high energy costs have all taken their toll, the polling found the Iraq war at the core of Americans' displeasure with the president.

French Police Step Up Security After Tips

About 250 people are seen through the glass memorial
About 250 people are seen through the glass memorial "Wall for Peace" near the Paris Military School , seen in background, during a protest against the recent spread of urban violence throughout France, Friday, Nov. 11, 2005 in Paris. The word "Peace" is engraved on glass in 32 languages and 14 alphabets. The gathering was organized by a collective of some 160 suburban associations, called "Banlieues Respects" (Suburbs Respect). (AP Photo/Jacques Brinon)

PARIS (AP) _ Authorities stepped up security Friday and placed restrictions on some public gatherings after tip-offs from Internet and text messages suggested "violent actions" over the weekend in the French capital. But as France marked Armistice Day commemorating the end of World War I, calls for peace in the restive poor neighborhoods of France rang out, from demonstrators in Paris to religious leaders at a Lyon-area mosque in the southeast.

N.J. Biologist Studies Ice-Hardy Worms

Rutgers Camden University professor, Daniel Shain shows ice worms crawling on top of an ice cube, a
Rutgers Camden University professor, Daniel Shain shows ice worms crawling on top of an ice cube, at his laboratory in Rutgers University, in Camden, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 11, 2005. NASA recently gave Daniel Shain, an associate professor of biology, a three-year, $214,206 grant to figure what makes the ice worms such survivors. The answer to such studies might show how life might survive on distant ice worlds such as Jupiter's moon Europa, as well as provide answers to more earthbound problems such as preserving transplant organs kept on ice. (AP Photo/Jose F. Moreno)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ Normally fodder for anglers and early birds, worms are getting a tad more respect from a Rutgers-Camden biologist who's focusing on a species of hardy wigglers able to live in freezing temperatures, surviving without food for up to two years. NASA recently gave Daniel Shain, an associate professor of biology, a three-year, $214,206 grant to figure what makes the ice worms such survivors. The answer to such studies might show how life might survive on distant ice worlds such as Jupiter's moon Europa, as well as provide answers to more earthbound problems such as preserving transplant organs kept on ice.

Management Guru Peter Drucker, 95, Dies

Peter F. Drucker is seen in this recent but undated photo made available by Claremont Graduate Univ
Peter F. Drucker is seen in this recent but undated photo made available by Claremont Graduate University Friday, Nov. 11, 2005. Drucker, revered as the father of modern management in his numerous books and articles stressing innovation, entrepreneurship and strategies for dealing with a changing world, died Friday, a spokesman for Claremont Graduate University said. He was 95. (AP Photo/Claremont Graduate University)

LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Peter F. Drucker, revered as the father of modern management for his numerous books and articles stressing innovation, entrepreneurship and strategies for dealing with a changing world, died Friday. He was 95. Drucker died of natural causes at his home in Claremont, east of Los Angeles, said Bryan Schneider, a spokesman for Claremont Graduate University, where Drucker taught.

Judge Allows Lawsuit Against KISS' Simmons

Rocker Gene Simmons of the famed music group KISS, arrives for an event at Texas Motor Speedway, on
Rocker Gene Simmons of the famed music group KISS, arrives for an event at Texas Motor Speedway, on June, 11, 2005, in Fort Worth, Texas. A woman who claims to be a former girlfriend of Simmons can proceed with a defamation lawsuit in which she says he made her sound like a "sex-addicted nymphomaniac" during a VH-1 television show, a New York judge has ruled.The woman, in court papers made public Friday, Nov. 11, 2005, alleges that Simmons slandered her during a "rockumentary" about KISS.(AP Photo/LM Otero)

NEW YORK (AP) _ A woman who claims to be a former girlfriend of KISS rocker Gene Simmons can proceed with a defamation lawsuit in which she says he made her sound like a "sex-addicted nymphomaniac" during a VH1 television show, a judge has ruled. State Supreme Court Justice Rosalyn Richter denied Simmons' motion to dismiss two of three claims by Georgeann Walsh Ward, 53, who says in court papers made public Friday that Simmons slandered her during a "rockumentary" about KISS.

New York Knicks Still 0-For-Larry Brown

New York Knicks' head coach Larry Brown instructs his team against the Golden State Warriors in the
New York Knicks' head coach Larry Brown instructs his team against the Golden State Warriors in the first half in Oakland, Calif. on Friday, Nov. 11, 2005. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) _ Adonal Foyle scored the go-ahead basket with 48.9 seconds left, then grabbed a crucial rebound on the other end, and the Golden State Warriors survived a frantic final minute to beat Brown's winless Knicks 86-84 on Friday night. Baron Davis stripped the ball from Jamal Crawford on the Knicks' final possession, and New York didn't even get a shot off to try to tie it.


Copyright 2005, AP News All Rights Reserved

A turf war over Wi-Fi WIRELESS

Robert Clark
International Herald Tribune
01-10-2005
For any road warrior who has lugged a laptop in search of a Wi-Fi hot spot, it sounds like a no-brainer: link all the local hot spots into a single citywide network. That is what officials in Philadelphia thought, too, when they decided to provide low-cost wireless coverage across the entire city.They chose a wireless ''mesh'' system, which allows the Wi-Fi cells to provide continuous coverage by sending data to each other. The usual architecture has each hot spot connecting back to a central switch or router. The mesh concept is new, but it is already becoming a popular way of delivering affordable broadband to urban communities.Yet it is not universally popular.Philadelphia's $10 million project clashed with a plan by the governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, to speed the adoption of broadband Internet access across the state by providing financial incentives for telecommunications companies. Rendell's package, signed last month, rewards commercial service providers, and in particular the local giant, Verizon, for extending high-speed links to schools, rural towns and other designated communities. But the bill outlaws city-built networks unless the telecommunications companies themselves decide not to build them. Only through a last-minute deal, in which Verizon waived its right of refusal for Philadelphia, was the bill able to become law.Fourteen American states have passed similar laws favoring carrier-provided broadband over municipal wireless, according to Nicole Young, a senior policy analyst for the National League of Cities, which represents municipal governments in Washington.She said the telecom industry had ''lobbied aggressively'' to prevent cities from offering noncommercial broadband services.''This is of serious consequence to cities, towns and rural areas where the deployment of broadband services has been postponed or forgotten by industry,'' Young said, warning that the effect would be to ''discourage municipalities across the country from even considering the option of building their own wireless networks.''''This is a very, very contentious issue,'' said Ron Sege, president of Tropos Networks, the company from Sunnyvale, California, that is supplying the Philadelphia network.He estimated that more than 100 communities worldwide were using mesh technology in some way and said carriers felt threatened by this. Mesh can cover a whole town for just $16 per user, Sege said, or half the price of the local digital subscriber line broadband technology provided by many phone companies.Ozgur Aytar, a senior analyst at Pyramid Research, said municipal mesh networks could prove a real threat to the regional companies that dominate local phone service in the United States because the mesh networks can carry low-price voice calls using VOIP, or voice over Internet protocol. These companies, known in the industry as regional Bell operating companies, or RBOCs, are trying to lure customers with the so-called triple play strategy, combining video, Internet and voice calling under one contract.Combined with competition from cable companies and others, mesh networks built by local governments could be ''an assault that the RBOCs cannot sustain,'' Aytar said.Peter Jarich, wireless infrastructure analyst at Current Analysis, said heavily regulated carriers like Verizon were wary of setting a precedent. ''The last thing they want is to have someone compete on their turf,'' he said, ''someone who is not a competitor and is not subject to the same regulation.''To some extent, we think the whole wireless mesh business model is really going to cause a redefinition of what an operator is,'' he said Universities and enterprises also are building mesh networks, he said, adding, ''Should we regard them as operators, too?''Carlton O'Neal, vice president for marketing at Alvarion, which makes equipment for wireless broadband networks, said technology was shifting power away from traditional carriers.Information technology managers are being asked to deliver higher bandwidth at lower cost year after year, O'Neal said, adding that an increasing number were building their own wireless networks. ''Ultimately, you don't pay companies for phone lines when you can do it yourself.''

2005 Copyright International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com

tartaric acid

tartaric acid A crystalline naturally occurring carboxylic acid, (CHOH)2(COOH)2; r.d. 1.8; m.p. 171–174°C. It can be obtained from tartar (potassium hydrogen tartrate) deposits from wine vats, and is used in baking powders and as a foodstuffs additive. The compound is optically active (see optical activity). The systematic name is 2,3-dihydroxybutanedioic acid.

age–sex pyramid

age–sex pyramid A set of two histograms set on a vertical axis and back to back which depicts the numbers of the two sexes in different age groups. Males are usually on the left with females on the right. The youngest group is at the base; the oldest group at the apex. Actual figures, or percentages of the age groups, may be used.

The importance of such diagrams is that they can show, in pictorial form, the varying population structures of different types of society. For example, in many less developed countries the pyramid will have a very wide base; these are termed progressive pyramids because they suggest future population growth. In contrast, the regressive pyramids characteristic of Western nations, where there are fewer children and more old people, are more cylindrical; population is likely to decrease. In between the two are stationary pyramids which show a balance between old and young and no population growth.

Briefs.(Brief Article)

E-commerce boom forecast for Asia

Forrester Research Inc., Cambridge, Mass., expects Asia-Pacific e-commerce to reach $1.6 trillion in 2004, with $1.5 trillion of that figure being linked to b-to-b online sales. "The combination of pressure from global trading partners, falling trade barriers and government enthusiasm for e-commerce will aggressively push the region into the Internet economy," said Stuart D. Woodring, Forrester's VP-research for emerging Internet economies. Forrester predicts that e-commerce in Europe will reach $1.5 trillion in 2004, with $1.4 trillion coming from the b-to-b sector. "E-commerce in Europe benefits from a number of inherent strengths -- a coherent regional trading bloc, a strong technology infrastructure and deep connections to global supply chains," said Therese Torris, director of research at Forrester Research B.V.

Elastomer suppliers plan e-marketplace

A group of major suppliers in the elastomers industry, an estimated $40 billion global market, plan to create an e-marketplace. Bayer, CK Witco Corp., DSM Elastomers, DuPont Dow Elastomers L.L.C., Flexsys, M.A. Hanna Rubber Compounding and Zeon Chemicals L.P. will be equity partners in ElastomerSolutions.com. The site is expected to launch in the third quarter and will be open to all industry suppliers and customers. Elastomers are synthetic rubber, latex and other coatings.

Companies to create food-service exchange

Ventro Corp. and Entangible.com announced the creation of a stand-alone company to provide Internet trading for food-service companies. Dubbed Aphire Solutions Inc., the new firm comes to market with three distributor alliances -- Foresight Partners, Premier Foodservice Distributors of America and Golbon. Aphire Solutions faces stiff competition from such competitors as foodbuy.com, Instill Corp. and thesauce.com.

Flowers Online, Intelisys sign deal

Intelisys Electronic Commerce Inc. and Flowers Online have signed an extensive marketing pact. Flowers Online, which sells high-end floral products to corporate clients over the Web, will begin marketing over Intelisys' five global purchasing exchanges.

Medicalbuyer.com plans marketing push

Medicalbuyer.com, Johnson City, Tenn., a trading exchange for medical supplies, has hired William-Labadie and TFA/Leo Burnett Technology Group to boost its overall marketing effort. The move underscores the pressure existing trading exchanges are under to create brand awareness ahead of corporate-driven digital depots. Founded three years ago, Medicalbuyer.com discounts products in the $35 billion medical supplies industry. TFA/Leo Burnett Technology Group and William-Labadie have been assigned to deliver a comprehensive promotional plan and boost the company's brand awareness. Billings for the account were not disclosed.

Bowater, PaperExchange enter alliance

Bowater Inc., a producer of newsprint, announced an agreement with PaperExchange.com Inc. to sell products on the Boston-based pulp and paper e-marketplace. Bowater and PaperExchange.com said they have also agreed to integrate their IT systems, with the goal of giving customers an Internet interface to Bowater's production and distribution systems. In connection with the alliance, Bowater will make an unspecified equity investment in PaperExchange.com.

воскресенье, 26 февраля 2012 г.

Juror gets eight months for Facebook chat.

A woman juror who contacted a defendant through Facebook, causing a multimillion-pound trial to collapse, has become the first person to be jailed for contempt of court for using the internet.

Joanne Fraill, 40, broke down and sobbed uncontrollably as she was imprisoned for eight months after she used the website to exchange messages with Jamie Sewart, 34, who had been acquitted in an ongoing drug trial in Manchester.

As Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, announced her sentence, Fraill said "eight months" before putting her head on the table in front of her and cried.

With her head in her arms and visibly shaken, the mother-of-three, with three stepchildren, was told there would be a short adjournment "for everyone to calm down".

When proceedings started again, the Lord Chief Justice, Igor Judge, said in a written ruling: "Her conduct in visiting the internet repeatedly was directly contrary to her oath as a juror, and her contact with the acquitted defendant, as well as her repeated searches on the internet, constituted flagrant breaches of the orders made by the judge for the proper conduct of the trial."

Leaving court after sentencing, Sewart said: "I really feel for the woman (Fraill). She's got kids. She apologised and she's not a bad lady. I really feel for her."

Before being taken to the cells, Fraill hugged relatives, who were also crying.

Fraill admitted being in contempt of court and was sentenced at London's High Court after she used the website to exchange messages with Sewart.

Sewart was a defendant who had already been acquitted in an ongoing drug trial in Manchester last year. The trial collapsed as a result of their conduct.

Fraill, from Blackley, Manchester, also admitted using the internet to research Sewart's boyfriend, Gary Knox, a co-defendant, while the jury was still deliberating.

Sewart was given a two-month sentence suspended for two years after being found guilty of contempt.

Fraill revealed highly sensitive details about jury room discussions when she swopped online messages.

Fraill's lawyer, Peter Wright QC, told the court that her heavily pregnant daughter was in labour, causing "additional anguish" for her.

The jury was still considering charges against other defendants, and her actions led the case - a second retrial - to collapse, contributing to a [pounds sterling]6 million (R66m) legal bill.

Lord Judge said Fraill had made "flagrant breaches of the orders made by the judge" in the trial in which she was a juror.

Lord Judge heard the case with two other senior judges, and he acknowledged that Fraill was "a woman of good character" who was not intent on perverting the course of justice.

But, he added, "misuse of the internet by a juror" was always "a most serious irregularity and contempt".

In a warning to present and future jurors, he said that committing a similar offence "is virtually inevitable".

"The sentence is intended to ensure the continuing integrity of trial by jury. Throughout, she (Fraill) was acting on her own initiative, without any oblique motive, and there is no evidence to suggest that she used her searches on the internet in order to exert improper influence on the verdicts of the jury.

"Without in any way condoning her actions in contacting Sewart after Sewart's acquittal, we carried out an examination of the psychiatric evidence to understand how her own background may have led her to wish to commiserate with Sewart's personal problems, arising from the fact that a 14-month period in custody had separated her from her baby."

But the text of the communications between them "went much further than the expression of a compassionate concern".

When the question of her Facebook contact was raised with her in the court, "this woman of good character immediately and unhesitatingly admitted what she had done and apologised for it".

She then went on to provide evidence against herself.

"The effect of all these stresses and strains was virtually palpable here in court," Lord Judge said.

"There will be an order for immediate custody for a period of eight months."

HollywoodAAEs most wanted.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

When you meet an actor who has been elevated to the ranks of Hollywood's next big thing almost overnight, like James McAvoy, you don't expect his first words to be an apology. But this was what happened when we were introduced at London's swish Dorchester Hotel. "When we were in the elevator, you let me go first and I felt terrible, because usually, in a daft way, I let the lady go first. It was the most awkward moment in my life!" he says, laughing.

He genuinely seems very concerned by this momentary lapse in his usual chivalry, somewhere between the hotel's ground and first floors. Slightly flushed, since it is James McAvoy, I reassure him all is well before we get down to the important business of discussing his new film 'Wanted'. At 29, the diminutive Scottish actor has a string of critically-acclaimed films to his name and even a Bafta nomination earlier this year for 'Atonement'.

But none of it seems to have rubbed off on him. He remains as modest and down-to-earth as the young man who first came to our attention four years ago in Channel 4's Shameless. It's been well documented he lives in a modest London flat with actress wife Anne-Marie Duff, drives a ten-year-old Nissan Micra and doesn't really like 'flashy' awards ceremonies.

He even admits he was astounded when the studio cast "somebody like me" as the lead - an action hero - in 'Wanted'. "It was before 'Last King Of Scotland' had even really hit and 'Atonement' hadn't come out," he explains. "Nobody really knew who I was over there [in Hollywood] and I just thought that they were being really brave casting somebody who isn't usual action hero fodder and thought, 'Well, they're trying to do something different'."

James plays Wesley Gibson, an average American office worker who is totally disillusioned with life. He hates his job and doesn't even care that his best mate is sleeping with his girlfriend. But his life changes forever when feisty Fox (Angelina Jolie) reveals his long-lost father has been killed while working as an assassin for her secret organisation the Fraternity - and recruits him to avenge his father's death.

Cue a Matrix-style montage as Wes trains to be a fearless killer. James is the first to admit that action films are "not really my thing", but he says it was Russian director Timur Bekmambetov's previous work - vampire films 'Nightwatch' and 'Daywatch' - that drew him to the role. "His tone and character and directorial instincts really elevated the films and made them something I hadn't seen before.

"I also responded to the fact that 'Wanted' was incredibly violent - I've not seen an action movie or a superhero movie in a long time which is just for adults - and that was exciting".

He adds: "It's an incredible change of pace and style and everything for me. When I look for something to do I ask myself, 'Does it challenge me? Does it require a new acting style? Is it a new genre? And this satisfied all those things." Once on board, the actor, who played the scrawny bare-chested fawn Mr Tumnus in the first Narnia film, had to hit the gym to be fit enough for his fight scenes.

"I'd rather eat dog pooh than go to the gym so the training was a big change for me," he admits. "By the fifth week into filming I was doing stunts for 12 hours a day and then going to the gym for 90 minutes. I just thought, 'There's no way I can stick this', but my trainer really forced me for the next three months and I'm glad he did because I wouldn't have been able to get through this film if I hadn't been fit."

Then came the tricky business of performing the stunts. One of the first things Wesley is taught by Fox is how to jump onto a moving train and then leap over a bridge. "That was my favourite stunt," says James. "I had a stunt double of course, who did the dangerous things and makes me look incredibly good... but jumping over the bridge was all me and it was incredibly cool to do."

Wes also has to endure some pretty graphic beatings from the other members of the Fraternity to whip him into shape - but James says he loved the fight scenes. "The best part is selling someone else's hit and trying to make their punch look good. And the person who does it better than anybody else is Harrison Ford. "In Indiana Jones, he always gets punched really well. And it's not the person throwing the punch that makes it look good, it's him that makes it look good."

So had James been watching the old Indy film to prepare for 'Wanted'? "Totally! For my entire life I've been in preparation for getting punched!" Throughout filming in Chicago, Prague and Romania, James had to work very closely with Mrs Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie - and she had plenty of advice for her co-star.

"The thing that I appreciated about Angelina more than anything was when she said, 'Don't take yourself too seriously. If you can't have fun making an action movie then you shouldn't be doing an action movie'."

And then there was the scene where they kiss, as part of Wesley's revenge on his two-timing girlfriend, which everyone wants to know about. "Ach, it's the same as always, you know what I mean" says James, looking embarrassed. "You're worried and you're nervous and tense and there's loads of people looking and you kind of regret having that cigarette before the last take and the coffee and the tuna sandwich that you've just eaten."

So he's sticking to his story that kissing, 'is never easy, never nice' - even when it's kissing Angelina Jolie. James was born in Glasgow and lived with his grandparents after his parents divorced. He got into acting almost by accident, when a director who spoke at his school asked him to audition. He studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and landed small roles in shows like 'The Bill' and 'Band Of Brothers'. 'Shameless' would change his life - he won awards for his portrayal of Steve and fell for his co-star Ann-Marie Duff, who he married in 2006.

The pair have just finished shooting a film about the life of Russian author Leo Tolstoy, called 'The Last Station'. So how was it working together again?

"It's good! We finished it about a week ago in Germany and it comes out in a year," he says. "It was a fantastic job and just an amazing script. I've never seen anything like it in a film, something so Chekhovian. It's kind of high melodrama, but really high comedy - and really base comedy sometimes, people falling over and sneezing when they get nervous in squeaky shoes!

"But at the same time there's this high literary dialogue. So I'm excited about it, it should be good!"

Rumours abound that he's due to play hobbit Bilbo Baggins in a prequel' to 'The Lord Of The Rings, but he denies them as exactly that.

A[umlaut] 2007 Al Sidra Media LLC

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

BioClinica to Highlight New Trident IWR Release at DIA Meeting.

- Exhibit Will Showcase eClinical Portfolio Interoperability -

NEWTOWN, Pa. -- BioClinica([R]), Inc. (NASDAQ: BIOC), a global provider of clinical trial management solutions, today announced a new release of Trident IWR, the latest addition to its best-in-class suite of eClinical applications. BioClinica will highlight Trident and other new product offerings at booth #1417, providing demonstrations of BioClinica's Integrated Clinical Trial Solutions, including:

* Trident IWR Randomization to Express EDC

* Express CRF Status to OnPoint CTMS and Clinical Payment Manager

* Trident + Optimizer 360 Degree Clinical Supplies Forecasting and Management

* Unified Reporting

* Customer Portals

* Microsoft Office Interoperability

* Ad Hoc Reporting

BioClinica will also participate in a clinical solutions showcase for the Microsoft platform, where they will demonstrate BioClinica's open, standards-based architecture within the Microsoft Connected Life Sciences Framework guidance.

"Fewer drugs make it to market each year, yet many pharmaceutical companies continue to use the same development processes and procedures within an antiquated architecture," said Michael Naimoli, Worldwide Managing Director, Life Sciences, Microsoft. "Microsoft and several partners, including BioClinica, worked together to develop a standard approach to information architecture across the industry that could enable companies to unlock valuable data, such as information that could lead to new therapies, and share that data among partners, customers and even regulatory agencies."

To see the benefits of this solution, please visit Microsoft at booth #1111 and BioClinica at booth #1417. The DIA 2011 Annual Meeting is being held in Chicago from June 20 - 23, with exhibits opened June 20 - 22.

Trident IWR provides clinical operations personnel an intuitive way to directly set up, monitor, and maintain randomization and supplies for their clinical trials. Trident's powerful parameter-driven study set-up eliminates programming for each new clinical trial and it configures both web and voice at the same time. This leads to greater efficiencies in starting new studies in a less costly manner and in a fraction of the time than other alternatives. This new release enhances Trident's capabilities for features such as managing temperature sensitive supplies and advanced supply pooling.

"Trident is truly changing the IWR landscape," said Mark Weinstein, CEO of BioClinica. "Clinical studies using Trident are typically developed and deployed within weeks. The combination of set-up speed and support for configuring even complex designs allows sponsors to make mid-study or last minute changes without affecting study timelines. This solution is literally changing what people can do with IWR/ IVR."

Follow BioClinica on the Trial Blazers blog at http://info.bioclinica.com/blog, and on twitter at http://twitter.com/bioclinica.

About BioClinica, Inc.

BioClinica, Inc. is a leading global provider of integrated, technology-enhanced clinical trial management solutions. BioClinica supports pharmaceutical and medical device innovation with imaging core lab, internet image transport, electronic data capture, interactive voice and web response, clinical trial management and clinical supply chain design and optimization solutions. BioClinica solutions maximize efficiency and manageability throughout all phases of the clinical trial process. With over 20 years of experience and more than 2,000 successful trials to date, BioClinica has supported the clinical development of many new medicines from early phase trials through final approval. BioClinica operates state-of-the-art, regulatory-body-compliant imaging core labs on two continents, and supports worldwide eClinical and data management services from offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.bioclinica.com.

Certain matters discussed in this press release are "forward-looking statements" intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In particular, the Company's statements regarding trends in the marketplace and potential future results are examples of such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, the consummation and the successful integration of current and proposed acquisitions, the timing of projects due to the variability in size, scope and duration of projects, estimates and guidance made by management with respect to the Company's financial results, backlog, critical accounting policies, regulatory delays, clinical study results which lead to reductions or cancellations of projects, and other factors, including general economic conditions and regulatory developments, not within the Company's control. The factors discussed herein and expressed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed in or implied by such statements. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstance. You should review the Company's filings, especially risk factors contained in the Form 10-K and the recent Form 10-Q.

Job Seekers Set Sites To Learning And Life Experience Degree Programs.

Boise, ID (PRWEB) May 28, 2011

Online Degrees like those offered by Almeda University are experiencing growing increases in demand by job seeking applicants. For decades, there have been questions and concerns about the value of Life Experience Degrees. But, recent statistics show continuous growing demand for job seeking individuals to obtain their degree online. Online degrees are now not only readily acceptable by employers and companies across the globe but are also desirable by student's world wide as well.

Online degrees and distance learning programs offered today are much more widely accepted as compared to those offered years and decades ago. Now, students can earn online degrees through flexible scheduling instruction with interactive discussion boards through thesis based programs, comprehensive essay exam programs or even learning experience degree programs. The latter three online degrees programs, which have become especially popular among busy, experienced professionals, are offered in abundance by well known Almeda University. Almeda is one of the internet's foremost leaders in distance education and offers online degrees.

With the implementation online degree programs, students no longer are required to show up at specific appointed time and place once or more times weekly to listen to a professor's lecture. Lectures are now delivered electronically online at more convenient time offering flexibility in the student's life.

Almeda University students seeking a life experience degree have the option of documenting their knowledge by writing a thesis, a dissertation, submitting prior published articles, or writing responses to essay questions in order to fulfill program requirements as specified by the instructor online. Thanks to internet distance learning, online degrees are now attainable and becoming more valuable every day.

Director Emeritus of Instructional Telecommunications from North Carolina State University concludes that there is now very little difference between traditional and distance classroom teaching. After reviewing over 400 distance education studies that indicate test scores and grades are virtually identical for online degree students and traditional classroom students.

The clear conclusion is that today's technology and students have progressed together challenging each other and making each other better. Today's employers look for internet and computer savvy students, which also places a premium on online degrees. Doctor Chuck Carekirk of Almeda University notes that "our students are more prepared, more knowledgeable, and more skilled than ever beforeain large part precisely because they have the internet and they are pursuing online degrees. The stakes, the competition and the demands are just too high for them not to be very sharp and educated in their chosen fields."

In fact, students pursuing online experiences degrees enter the work force with more specialized skills and relevant, practical experience than those whose education has been limited to the traditional classroom setting. Designed with the needs of the working adult in mind, most online degrees programs have been created by business and industry professionals specifically for students to develop skills and methods most in demand by today's employers. Traditional classroom programs often do not emphasize such skills to the same extent.

http://www.almedauniversity.org

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суббота, 25 февраля 2012 г.

Kevin Kula One of Utah's Finest Pianist/Composers Arises and Captivates Audiences With the Brilliance of His Unique Musical Style.

Providence, UT (PRWEB) April 25, 2011

Utah has long been known for the famous and noteworthy people that have emerged from this beautiful scenic state. With famous Utahans such as musical legends Donny and Marie Osmond, actress Loretta Stone and television innovator Philo T. Farnsworth, Its no wonder Utah has gained such a remarkable reputation. A new musical talent by the name of Kevin Kula has surfaced in Northern Utah and rapidly gained a huge following. Kevin is a multi-talented composer/pianist with an incredible vision and the ability to capture the heart and soul of his audience with his exquisite music.

Kevin firmly believes in the healing power of music and the infinite peace, love, joy and inspiration that music bestows upon humanity. "I believe music is a powerful gift from God that can raise the spirit," he says. Kevin Kula's longstanding vision to share his music with the world has now become a reality. Along with the release of two CDs, Spirit of Utah and Music that Heals the Soul; Kevin delivers a unique concert series also entitled "Music that Heals the Soul." Kula describes his first album Spirit of Utah, as a "soothing and inspirational collection of original solo piano compositions to relax and inspire the soul." Several songs from Spirit of Utah have been featured on radio stations in the U.S, Canada and Spain. In addition, Kevin has been able to reach listeners worldwide with Internet radio stations such as Jango.com airing his music.

"Kevin's CD Spirit of Utah is beautiful! It brings forth a sense of tranquility and peace. We have found the CD helps relieve stress and conveys a feeling of well- being." Suzy & Greg - (Maine, USA) Amazon Review

Kula's second CD Music that Heals the Soul, features Kevin on piano accompanied by talented vocalist Jeremy Threlfall. Kevin and Jeremy combined their unique talents and wrote a song entitled "I Am Free." This song was used in campaign ads for a candidate recently running for U.S. Senate, which aired throughout the state of Utah. Music that Heals the Soul is a compilation of music from Kevin's inspirational concert series, which has drawn large audiences in Northern Utah.

Discovering the sound of best selling New Age Artist Yanni and his Live at the Acropolis concert sparked Kevin's idea to play his piano accompanied by an orchestra. This idea quickly developed into the creation of his dynamic "Music that Heals the Soul" concert. Kevin leads the concert on piano along with Jeremy Threlfall on vocals, combined with a handful of exceptional musicians who make up the orchestra. The concert is a melodic blend of Kevin's original orchestra pieces and Jeremy Threlfall's original compositions, along with brilliant arrangements to Classical, Broadway, inspirational, and well-known songs. What sets Kula and Threlfall apart from other performers is their innovative musical style of arranging well-known songs along with their own original compositions.

"Music that Heals the Soul is the best show I have ever seen!" Sue G -- (Providence, Utah) Amazon Review

Listening to Virtuoso Pianists such as Frederic Chopin and Sergei Rachmaninoff greatly contributed to Kevin's life long passion for composing and playing piano. Chopin's piano pieces and the piano concertos written by Rachmaninoff motivated Kevin to begin composing his own music at a very young age. His love for film scoring and the talents of celebrated American composer, conductor and pianist John Williams inspired several of Kula's melodies. Williams has composed some of the most recognizable film scores in the history of motion pictures, including those for Jaws, the Star Wars saga, Superman, the Indiana Jones films, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and all but two of director Steven Spielberg's feature films.

Although Kevin's music harmoniously combines a Classical, New Age and Celtic influence, the greatest inspiration for him has been his devoted relationship with God and nature. Kevin resides peacefully in Cache Valley surrounded by scenic tranquility and the majestic mountains of Northern Utah. The spirit of this magnificent mountain range fuels his creative expression and significantly influenced the creation of his Spirit of Utah album. Kevin expresses that his most satisfying moments are spent deep in the woods amongst the beauty and silence of nature, which evokes an inner peace in his heart and mind. Kula defines the sights and sounds of nature and music as one in the same. He emphasizes that, "The sounds of birds, rushing water, a howling coyote or wolf and the wind rustling through the trees are all natural sounds of music around us. All of these sounds bring me the same peace that music does. I intend to express these feelings through my music." Many listeners attest to experiencing this sense of inner peace, which Kevin wholeheartedly expresses through his music.

"Kevin's music is able to touch a wide array of emotions while bringing about a peace to your spirit. It is obvious that nature and love are the inspirations involved in his composing." Black Stetson - (Providence, Utah) Amazon Review

After countless standing ovations and a multitude of CD sales Kevin is excited to take his show on tour throughout the U.S. this year. Kula and his ensemble have stirred the souls of many audiences and intend to uplift and enliven many more on their nationwide journey.

CDs "Spirit of Utah" and "Music that Heals the Soul" released on 4/26/2011 through Clay Pasternack, Inc., Phone: (440) 333-2208, email: claypinc(at)cs(dot)com for Record Retail

New Leaf Distributors, http://www.newleaf-dist.com phone: (800) 326-2665 for New Age Book and Gift Stores.

About the Artist:

Determination, faith, passion, perseverance and a life long dream all played a compelling role in Kevin Kula's present success as a piano player/composer.

Kevin's desire to play the piano arose at an early age and he began taking piano lessons at 8 years old. Soon thereafter he began writing his own music. Kevin recalls the first glimpse of the how his music brought peace and joy to others from a beautiful childhood memory of his dog cheerfully entering the room and curling up next to the piano bench every time he played. It wasn't long before Kevin's dream of sharing his music with the world emerged. Kevin graduated from Utah State University possessing a degree in Music Composition. In the beginning of his college career, Kula was told by several professors that he had no potential to establish a career in music. This only strengthened Kevin's determined work ethic to successfully bring his dream into fruition. Nothing held him back from pursuing what he loved to do. Kevin believes, "Life is too short not to do what you love." Music had become his passion and he wanted nothing more than to share his gift with the world. Confidence, perseverance and faith became essential determining factors to his all of achievements. Kula continued extensive studies in performance and composition for piano and eventually an entire orchestra.

Kevin's faith in the healing aspect of music also continued to develop as he volunteered to play piano in senior centers. He witnessed how alert and receptive the elders became who had lost all ability to communicate. Kevin observed that once he started playing piano they began to tap their hands and move to the music. He observed that, "Even though they could not communicate verbally, the music was still able to touch their spirit." Kevin went on to performing live on piano throughout Utah and before long developed his "Music that Heals the Soul" concert series that continues to enthrall huge audiences nationwide.

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UDALL ASKS GOOGLE TO THINK BIG IN FARMINGTON.

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by New Mexico Senator Tom Udall:

U.S. Senator Tom Udall, D-N.M., has written Google's CEO Eric Schmidt in support of Think BIG Farmington's proposal to become a test site for the company's experimental project for ultra-high speed broadband internet networks in select locations across the country.

The project, called Google Fiber for Communities, will test new ways to make broadband internet connections faster and more accessible.

In his letter, Udall highlights Farmington's collaborative effort to win participation in the company's experiment and the benefits to San Juan County and parts of the Navajo Nation. He also notes the project's potential to spur new economic growth, distance learning and telemedicine initiatives which would greatly benefit the region.

"Although Google will receive applications from across the country," wrote Udall, "I believe Farmington is a perfect place for a trial fiber optic network. Think BIG Farmington's application is a community-wide effort that that would include towns and rural areas of San Juan county and part of the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico."

The senator also recalls a visit by former President Clinton to the Navajo Nation in 2000, which he attended. During the visit, President Clinton was introduced to a 13-year-old Navajo named Myra Jodie who had won an iMac computer but lacked a home phone connection and the capability to connect it to the internet.

Today, much of the area still lacks basic and essential services like electricity, water and telephones.

"The Navajo Nation still has some of the lowest telephone and Internet access in the country," Udall wrote. "The ultra high speed communications network proposed by Think BIG Farmington would help ensure that northwest New Mexico is finally connected."

Udall is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and a strong proponent of increasing broadband infrastructure and access. He has urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to expand internet capabilities - especially in rural and tribal areas - through its upcoming National Broadband Plan to grow economic and educational opportunities.

It's estimated that New Mexico's broadband connectivity is approximately 15 percent slower than the national average.

According to the Kauffman Foundation, the state also ranks 46th in percentage of Internet users.

Below is the full text of Udall's letter.

March 10, 2010

Mr. Eric Schmidt

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

Google Inc.

1600 Amphitheatre Parkway

Mountain View, CA 94043

Dear Mr. Schmidt:

I am writing in support of Think BIG Farmington's proposal to become a test site for the Google Fiber for Communities project. This letter follows the nomination for Farmington, New Mexico that I submitted through Google's website.

Although Google will receive applications from across the country, I believe Farmington is a perfect place for a trial fiber optic network. Think BIG Farmington's application is a community-wide effort that that would include towns and rural areas of San Juan county and part of the Navajo Nation in northwestern New Mexico. In earlier eras, networks that connected the country with transcontinental railroads, interstate highways, and international airports all bypassed the Four Corners region.

When President Clinton visited northwest New Mexico in 2000, he was introduced by a bright Navajo girl who had won a computer. Yet she could not connect her new computer to the Internet. In fact, her family could not even get a telephone line to their home. The Navajo Nation still has some of the lowest telephone and Internet access in the country. The ultra high speed communications network proposed by Think BIG Farmington would help ensure that northwest New Mexico is finally connected.

A gigabit speed Internet network would create new possibilities for economic growth, distance learning, and telemedicine. Exciting Internet services already exist in each of these areas. I believe deploying a trial fiber optic network in northwest New Mexico would lead to even more creative applications, services, and innovations that could be shared elsewhere.

Farmington owns its electric utility and already has dark fiber and other infrastructure that could be used to support the Google Fiber for Communities project. Given these assets and broad community support for proposal, I think Google would find Think BIG Farmington an excellent partner in exploring new ways to help make Internet access better, and faster for everyone.

Finally, I want to commend Google for its "Think Big with a Gig" initiative. The United States once led the world in Internet penetration but now ranks fifteenth among developed countries. As a nation, we must do more to ensure that high speed Internet access is available for all.

Thank you for your full consideration of Think BIG Farmington's proposal.

Sincerely,

Tom Udall

United States Senator

MindWizard 3.0: Inexpensive Expert System Creation.(Richter Paradigm Corp MindWizard 3.0 low-cost modeling program)(Product Announcement)

This low-cost modeling program helps developers build expert systems and simulation models

Richter Paradigm Corp.'s MindWizard 3.0 violates the old adage that you get what you pay for. At $149, MindWizard is by far the least expensive expert-system program available that provides full support for OLE Automation. Using MindWizard, developers and programmers can easily build compact expert systems ranging from simpler models that incorporate their business-decision rules to highly sophisticated models. The latter can include the rules that a bank uses to determine eligibility for a mortgage, complex shape identification programs that use fuzzy logic, or stock-market forecasting systems that incorporate Bayesian probability. And thanks to OLE Automation support, MindWizard models can process the data from a Microsoft Access or Excel form, return the results of this processing (size, interest rate, type of mortgage approved) to the OLE client application, and display it in numerous forms.

Despite the program's developer orientation, the first steps of building a simple model in MindWizard are straightforward, if somewhat burdened by MindWizard's unfamiliar interface. The interface doesn't conform with any Windows 95 or Microsoft Office design, nor does it make it obvious where to start. What you see when you first open the program is the Development mode, where you begin a process similar to drawing a flowchart in any flowchart modeling program. Just as in other modeling packages, you add new symbols to the workspace by clicking on the appropriate object, and then clicking wherever you want to place the element. MindWizard lets you add symbols for inputs and outputs as well as cells that add, multiply, or divide data they receive from other cells in the model. You can also add 35 math functions from a scrollable pick list when the Adding Function Objects dialog displays. The program provides support for logic cells and submodels as well. And defining the flow of data, by connecting any two elements with a line, is accomplished by selecting an input or reasoning cell and dragging the mouse to the reasoning or output cell that receives the data.

MindWizard's neural network terminology takes some getting used to as well; MindWizard uses terms like "Threshold Potential Stimulus" to describe actions that cause an element in its flowchart-like network to switch on.

As in a flowchart-based simulation program, it is generally recommended that you first create a model on paper by drawing a flowchart that incorporates the decision process you seek to model. You then translate the paper flowchart into a working model by creating a copy of it in MindWizard's model-building workspace, where each node in the MindWizard flowchart performs the function designated in the paper flowchart, and where the lines connecting nodes define the flow of data through the model.

The key to creating a MindWizard model, however, is figuring out how to supply the model with data. This is because MindWizard expects to receive data from the outside world via OLE Automation or batch files containing special codes (Richter Paradigm says that future releases will also support TCP/IP input and output for Internet/intranet use). You can also supply a model with data by typing it in from the keyboard, but this process is too slow and inefficient to be useful for more than demonstration, instructional, or debugging purposes.

Once you have defined the rules and relationships within a MindWizard model, the product's similarities with standard flowchart-like simulation programs melt away. Simulation programs such as the $700 Micrografx Optima 2.5 provide you with a rich array of tools for generating imaginary real-world data and help you experiment with ways of improving an existing business and manufacturing processes, seeing what efficiency gains occur (if any) when you change the model and probing your processes' ability to cope with real-world contingencies. MindWizard, however, lacks built-in tools for simplifying OLE Automation and batch-file creation (let alone generating data suitable for running simulations).

This places an extra burden on the documentation--and sadly, MindWizard's documentation doesn't rise to the challenge. The manual and online help's discussion of input/output topics presupposes considerable familiarity with OLE Automation and MindWizard's special batch-file language. The rest of MindWizard's documentation is often inaccurate or incomplete (the online help has a number of errors and omissions); the documentation seems geared to the needs of programmers, and to the rare power user blessed with the leisure time to learn a complex program by taking apart sample applications created in the product and studying them in detail. Power users short on time would benefit greatly from the kind of fine documentation that High Performance Systems provides for its $599 iThink 5.0 and $1,099 iThink Analyst 5.0 (neither of these programs, however, supports OLE Automation).

Aside from its lack of solid documentation, MindWizard does its job of fulfilling the needs of expert-system developers. What it lacks, like better built-in support for exchanging data with Excel and more extensive support for other OLE-compliant applications, Richter Paradigm intends to add with a forthcoming, more expensive version. Meantime, MindWizard 3.0's greatest strength remains expert systems. Therefore, it can be strongly recommended to companies that are willing to spend time and money on developers, or to individual Excel power users.

Advanced users can use batch files to simulate real-world events affecting process modeling outcomes in MindWizard.

MindWizard 3.0

   Richter Paradigm Corp.   150 Almaden Blvd., Ste. 750   San Jose, CA 95113   888-366-4269; 408-278-0360   Fax: 408-278-0366   www.mindwizard.com 

Support: Free live phone support, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays (PT)

Requires: P200 or faster recommended; 32MB RAM recommended; 15MB hard drive space; Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 or later

List Price: $149