Sunlight yields more efficient carbon dioxide to methanol model

Feb. 20, 2013 ? Researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington are pioneering a new method for using carbon dioxide, or CO₂, to make liquid methanol fuel by using copper oxide nanowires and sunlight.

The process is safer, simpler and less expensive than previous methods to convert the greenhouse gas associated with climate change to a useful product, said Krishnan Rajeshwar, interim associate vice president for research at UT Arlington and one of the authors of a paper recently published in the journal Chemical Communications. Researchers began by coating the walls of copper oxide, CuO, nanorods with crystallites made from another form of copper oxide, Cu₂O. In the lab, they submerged those rods in a water-based solution rich in CO₂. Irradiating the combination with simulated sunlight created a photoelectrochemical reduction of the CO₂ and that produced methanol.

In contrast, current methods require the use of a co-catalyst and must be conducted at high operating pressures and temperatures. Many also use toxic elements, such as cadmium, or rare elements, such as tellurium, Rajeshwar said.

"As long as we are using fossil fuels, we'll have the question of what to do with the carbon dioxide," said Rajeshwar, a distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry and co-founder of the Center for Renewable Energy, Science & Technology, CREST, at UT Arlington. "An attractive option would be to convert greenhouse gases to liquid fuel. That's the value-added option."

Co-authors on the recently published paper, "Efficient solar photoelectrosynthesis of methanol from carbon dioxide using hybrid CuO-Cu2O semiconductor nanorod arrays," are Ghazaleh Ghadimkhani, Norma Tacconi, Wilaiwan Chanmanee and Csaba Janaky, all of the UT Arlington College of Science's Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and CREST. Janaky also has a permanent appointment at the University of Szeged in Hungary.

Rajeshwar said he hopes that others will build on the research involving copper oxide nanotubes, CO₂ and sunlight.

"Addressing tomorrow's energy needs and finding ways to stem the harmful effect of greenhouse gases are areas where UT Arlington scientists can connect their work to real-world problems," said Carolyn Cason, vice president for research at the University. "We hope solutions in the lab are only the beginning."

In addition to the journal, the new work also was featured in a recent edition of Chemical and Engineering News. That piece noted that the experiments generated methanol with 95 percent electrochemical efficiency and avoided the excess energy input, also known as overpotential, of other methods.

Tacconi, a recently retired research associate professor at UT Arlington, said the two types of copper oxide were selected because both are photo active and they have complementary solar light absorption. "And what could be better in Texas than to use the sunlight for methanol generation from carbon dioxide?"

Other than fuel, methanol is used in a wide variety of chemical processes, including the manufacturing of plastics, adhesives and solvents as well as wastewater treatment. In the United States, there are 18 methanol production plants with a cumulative annual capacity of more than 2.6 billion gallons, according to the paper.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Texas at Arlington.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Ghazaleh Ghadimkhani, Norma R. de Tacconi, Wilaiwan Chanmanee, Csaba Janaky, Krishnan Rajeshwar. Efficient solar photoelectrosynthesis of methanol from carbon dioxide using hybrid CuO?Cu2O semiconductor nanorod arrays. Chemical Communications, 2013; 49 (13): 1297 DOI: 10.1039/C2CC38068D

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/hM_Fy9cJ5n0/130220153703.htm

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Domenici acknowledges having son outside marriage

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ? Former Sen. Pete Domenici of New Mexico fathered a son outside of his marriage more than 30 years ago with the then-24-year-old daughter of a Senate colleague, the retired Republican has acknowledged.

The revelation stunned many who know the state's longest-serving senator as a family man who advocated honesty.

Domenici and Michelle Laxalt sent statements to the Albuquerque Journal identifying their son as Nevada attorney Adam Paul Laxalt. They said they decided to go public with their decades-old secret because they believed someone was about to reveal the information in an attempt to smear Domenici.

"I deeply regret this and am very sorry for my behavior," Domenici, 80, said in his statement, published in the Journal's Wednesday editions. "I hope New Mexicans will view that my accomplishments for my beloved state outweigh my personal transgression."

Domenici and Michelle Laxalt agreed to keep his fatherhood secret because he and her father, Paul Laxalt of Nevada, were senators at the time she gave birth.

Michelle Laxalt is a former Capitol Hill staffer who now works as a prominent lobbyist in the Washington, D.C. area. Public records show she is now 58 and her son is 34.

Laxalt said in a statement that she chose to raise her son as a single parent.

"One night's mistake led to pregnancy more than 30 years ago," she said.

The Albuquerque Journal reports she worked for several senators, but never Domenici.

During six terms in office In New Mexico, Domenici was known for his unflagging support of the state's national laboratories and military installations. In Washington, he became a power broker for his work on the federal budget and energy policy. He also was an advocate for insurance coverage for mental health.

Domenici declined to seek a seventh Senate term in 2008, saying he had been diagnosed with an incurable brain disorder.

Edward Lujan, former chairman of the Republican Party of New Mexico, said he had heard rumors about the child years ago, but "I didn't pay much attention. I didn't care. Those kinds of things honestly are between the families and has nothing to do with how he did his job."

Domenici voted for the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton after his affair with Monica Lewinsky, but his floor statement focused on the fact that Clinton had lied under oath, noting that the trial "has never been about the President's private sex acts, as tawdry as they have been."

But he did note that "truthfulness" is the first pillar of good character in a program he helped establish for school children in New Mexico.

"I don't think there was anything hypocritical about anything," Lujan said. "... I admire him as much today as I did yesterday and the day before."

In his statement, Domenici said he was sorry that he caused hurt and disappointment for his wife and other family members. Domenici is the father of eight children with his wife, Nancy. He said he disclosed the situation to his family several months ago.

"I have apologized as best as I can to my wife, and we have worked together to strengthen our relationship," Domenici said.

Domenici told the Journal his son participated in the drafting of his statement. But it was unclear if the two had a prior relationship.

Reached at his home in Washington Wednesday morning, Domenici said he had nothing more to say.

The Laxalts did not immediately respond to emails and phone calls seeking comment.

Michelle Laxalt's statement said her interaction with Domenici "consisted of telling him my decision, asking that he avail himself for health-related purposes, and asking that he agree that this remain private between the two of us."

The website for Adam Laxalt's law firm, Lewis and Roca, said he is a former U.S. Navy officer and lawyer who served in Iraq. He also worked for then-Sen. John Warner, R-Va., and as a special assistant to an undersecretary of state, according to the website.

Former colleagues said they doubted the revelations would impact Domenici's strong legacy.

"His contribution to our country, to our state, our community, cannot be diminished in my view by personal events," said former Gov. Garrey Carruthers.

Carruthers, who is also Republican, said Domenici called him Tuesday night to tell him the story was coming out.

"It's regrettable," he said. "I guess most of us were quite surprised."

Domenici served New Mexico well and "deserves to be left alone, Democratic Party Chairman Javier Gonzales said.

"People need to step away and allow the senator and his family to focus on this in the privacy of their own home."

___

Associated Press writer Russell Contreras contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/domenici-acknowledges-having-son-outside-marriage-135116005.html

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The Sweat Factory Opening This Week in Summit - The Alternative ...

SUMMIT, NJ - The Sweat Factory, a Cardio Kickboxing, Health and Fitness facility located on 485 Springfield Avenue in Summit, will officially be opening its doors to fitness fanatics and beginners alike this week. Owner and head instructor, Emerson W. Laohoo said his idea to open his own fitness studio began when he realized that quite a bit of instructors are not focus on correct forms in the classes he observed, so he wanted to break the chain and implement proper techniques given his experience of being a personal trainer for over 5 years, 3 years at Equinox Fitness in NYC and an avid Martial Artist for over 20 years.?

?Kickboxing and Martial Arts is really my passion and I want to teach and share my passion with others," Emerson said. "Cardio Kickboxing along with any type of fitness should focus on proper forms and techniques to build a strong foundation.?

Emerson explained that with his 20 years of extensive background and experience from competitions in various Martial Arts from Kickboxing, Brazilian Jujitsu to Boxing, and being a personal trainer he has the experience and qualifications necessary to provide excellent training and instruction. He will be the head instructor along? with one other full time instructor, Ricardo Datts, a natural bodybuilder and a few part time instructors all with extensive Martial Arts background like Frank Caruti, a retired police officer with 33 years of martial arts experience. Black Belt USA Goju, Brown Belt in Tae Kwon Do and Blue Belt in Brazialian Jujitsu under the legendary Gracie Family.? Business partner and brother Edwardson will be also instructing.

The class offerings will consist of Cardio Kickboxing daily morning and evening classes. Cardio Fit Lunch will be offered at noon, and Kids Kickboxing classes and strength and conditioning classes such as Reach Your Limit, Leave You Breathless and Intermediate Kickboxing will also be offered, which vary in intensity depending on each class, to improve strength and cardiovascular overall fitness.

Personal training will also be available at the facility for members seeking more personalized training and the class schedules will be progressive as time goes on, Emerson explained. ?I guarantee anyone who attends a class will sweat,? Emerson said. ?Kickboxing burns over 1,000 calories per class and you acquire self-defense skills along the way.

?Emerson and brother/business partner, Edwardson, explained that Sweat Factory classes are different because they incorporate kickboxing and various fitness disciplines all rolled into one. ?These classes will be a different dynamic compared to how others teach typical kickboxing classes because we will have one instructor teaching front and one constantly walking? around to correct form,? Edwardson said.
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Emerson added that the first class is free for each new member and walk-ins are always welcome.

Source: http://thealternativepress.com/articles/the-sweat-factory-opening-this-week-in-summit

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Life Insurance From Marriage Into Midlife | Bankrate.com

Life Insurance ? Life Insurance From Marriage Into Midlife

Sliding out of your 20s and into your 30s means you're probably about to face some serious life changes. For many people, the next couple of decades are a time to focus on family, whether that means starting a new one or expanding the one you already have.

As your life moves on, your life insurance needs will, too. Here are the life insurance issues you may encounter at the mile markers people reach in their 30s and 40s.

Parenthood

As you add members to your clan, you'll also need to add life insurance to ensure your babies are taken care of if something happens to you or your spouse. For new parents, figuring out how much coverage you'll need isn't easy and means figuring what your family's future costs might be, says Glenn E. Stevick Jr., an adjunct professor of insurance at The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pa.

"When (new parents) think about life insurance, most people kind of focus on what we call 'final expenses.' What does it take to bury me or cremate me, pay off my debts, and so on?" he explains.

But what parents typically forget, he says, are the major bills the family will encounter in the future, such as the cost of sending the children to college. You need enough life insurance so the family would be able to cover these sorts of expenses if a breadwinner dies.

Most new parents in their 30s will need "somewhere between 15 to 20 times their income" in life insurance coverage, says Onofrio Cirianni, a partner with New York-based EisnerAmper Financial and Insurance Services LLC. People in their 40s will need 10 to 15 times their income, he says.

Employers provide many families with a head start toward their life insurance needs. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 73 percent of full-time workers in the private sector are eligible for some life insurance benefits through their company.

To do a comprehensive analysis of your family's potential expenses in the future and determine how much coverage you need beyond your employer-sponsored life insurance, Cirianni recommends enlisting the help of an insurance agent or financial planner.

Remarriage

Most people get married in their 20s, but it's not uncommon to walk down the aisle again in your 30s or later. A survey released in 2011 by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that the median age for second marriage is about 36 for men and 33 for women.

Life insurance needs are different for those in second marriages, especially when stepchildren are involved, says Sonali Virendra, a vice president with New York Life Insurance Co. In addition to examining each spouse's income, assets and debts, couples also must factor in alimony and child support payments they may be making or receiving, and coordinate with their exes to ensure that all children are adequately covered.

"If you have a family that's now a blended family, you need to now redo (a life insurance analysis) you may have already done in the past," Virendra notes.

Aging

Another major life insurance concern facing those in their 30s and 40s is time. Those who are eyeing life insurance, whether to cover a new baby or protect a new spouse, should do so as soon as possible to get the best rates, says Cirianni.

"Unlike investing, insurance always requires someone to be underwritten, and you have to qualify for it," he explains. "There's no better time to look at what amount of coverages you're eligible for than when you're young and healthy."

In most cases, life insurance premiums rise steadily as policyholders age. Plus, the older you get, the more likely you are to develop a condition that could spike your premiums dramatically or even render you ineligible for life insurance altogether, Cirianni says. Conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, cardiovascular issues, high cholesterol and abnormal liver function can increase your insurance rates by up to 50 percent.

"It's really unfortunate because where there may have been an opportunity to set up coverage earlier in life, they (now) may be stuck with a higher premium," he says.

To sidestep higher life insurance charges as you progress through your 40s and 50s, Cirianni says to start the needs-analysis process early and maintain healthy habits.

Source: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/insurance/life-insurance-from-marriage-into-midlife.aspx

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Spain?s Cervantes Institute to Help Brazilian Troops Learn Spanish

Published at 10:13 pm EST, February 19, 2013

The Rio de Janeiro branch of Spain?s Cervantes Institute will help train military instructors to teach Spanish to Brazilian army troops, as per an agreement announced Tuesday.

The pact was sealed on the occasion of a visit made to the military General Staff School by Spain?s ambassador to Brazil, Manuel de la Camara.

The envoy applauded the ?excellent initiative? for the course to train instructors, something that shows that ?the Cervantes Institute is acquiring more and more prestige in this country.?

?Spanish is recognized as being one of the world?s main languages and it couldn?t be any other way than for the armed forces of Brazil to be determined for its officers to speak and know Spanish,? he said.

The instructors will take a 40-hour course created by the Cervantes Institute to train them in the methodology of teaching Spanish.

Teaching a foreign language to future soldiers is necessary ?for the focus on integration with friendly forces and countries,? the commandant of the General Staff School, Gen. Walter Stoffel, told Efe.

The director of the Cervantes Institute in Rio de Janeiro, Antonio Martinez, noted that Brazil is surrounded by seven nations where Spanish is spoken.

Military sources calculate that 40 percent of the students at the General Staff School are asking for Spanish classes and that the figure is approaching the roughly 50 percent requesting English classes.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HSN-Notitas-De-Noticias/~3/bO1jgcPnuIM/22299

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Online Shopping Cart: Magento vs osCommerce | designrfix.com

The expansion of internet has really pulled in some interesting and unbelievable benefits to millions of people worldwide! It is because of the expansion of internet today we have surplus eCommerce solutions selling numerous products to customers worldwide.

Today we have many customers that shop blissfully from various remote locations without any fuzz. The easy-to-use product ordering systems with unique specifications preferred by customers have made ecommerce a sensation all around the globe. The advantages of ecommerce solutions are limitless and I don?t want to concentrate a lot on them as our topic is completely different from that discussion. Well, today we have an interesting topic ?Which shopping cart to favor ? Magento or osCommerce?? which could be beneficial for plenty of individuals or businesses that plan to host their ecommerce stores in the near future.

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Below, I have listed some of the crucial differences that are experienced by most customers that used both versions for their shopping processes.

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Web Hosting

Magento ? It is a robust open source platform but coded heavily. In order to relish the ultimate benefits of using Magento as a platform, it requires private or dedicated servers like Apache/MySQL/PHP to run smoothly. The overly complicated coding style of Magento makes it tough for the store owners as it runs fairly slow. In addition, it requires a great deal of skills and thousand files to run while customizing it.

osCommerce ? It is a feature-rich open source platform. It isn?t coded heavily and it doesn?t require any special or dedicated servers to host. All osCommerce requires is a web server with great PHP coding and MySQL installation for a smooth performance. Customizing and setting up the entire platform becomes absolutely easy and simple. As there is no heavy coding involved, it works pretty fast compared to Magento.

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Extensibility and functions

Magento ? It comes up with some sparkling and high-quality useful extensions with incredible functionality. In fact, Magento is highly extensible with some adorable features. The functionality like coupons, Meta tags, product comparisons are really powerful enough to fascinate most customers that visit your shops.

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osCommerce ? Though, it comes out with some interesting plugins and functionality, it really lacks the additional functions mentioned above for Magento. In fact, all the additional functionality mentioned above is exclusively important for attracting more customers and improving businesses.

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Shopping cart designing

Magento ? Offers exclusive and impressive shopping cart to customers. Adding multiple stores and managing them from a single admin panel is very possible. The ?store view? option proves to be too hot as it allows store owners to come up with multiple stores under one roof with diverse pricings, languages for the same products.

osCommerce ? it offers a tidy and impressive online shopping cart to visitors. But it never allows setting up multiple stores which could help your business grow effectively. Also, you could not meet the requirements of different users as it doesn?t come up with a ?store view? option as in the case of Magento.

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Backend coding

Magento ? it offers a commanding backend operation as it is designed with some solid and clean coding. The backend operation of Magento is extremely easy and it becomes quite easy to control the performance of your entire store without any hassles and bustles.

osCommerce ? Though it has a professional backend designing and coding, it is nowhere near to the proficiency level of coding designed for Magento. The web owners may find it difficult to control the entire functionality as well as adding new products to stores. Simply put, the coding isn?t up to the standard of the current market.

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Update facilities

Magento ? it follows trends and reads the market performance closely. It is the reason why Magento often comes up with some interesting and innovative updates which pleases most users which in turn web owners. In general, Magento comes up with an update for every 10 to 15 days to maximize the shopping performance of the users.

osCommerce ? On the contrary, Os web owners as well as users rarely enjoy any updates. As it is a platform that originated more than 12 years before, it isn?t showing keen interest on releasing updates and improving the performance of the site. It is really one of the biggest setbacks that have forced many businesses to go with Magento.

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Customer management

Magento ? it offers some attractive facilities to woo customers as it helps the store owners to create distinct user groups. Attacking the different customer groups with distinct product pricings could be beneficial for the rich sales. In fact, there are more features for better representing your products online and appeasing customers.

osCommerce ? it never encourages the store owners with such kinds of innovative customer management features. None of the features and facilities mentioned for Magento is applicable for OsCommerce which makes store owners to reconsider their decisions on moving to different platforms.

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Designing, security, and customization

Magento ? it is a feature-rich platform which is perfectly designed to meet the customer needs in mind. It offers unprecedented security to the web owners as well as the customers. Though it is proved to be heavily coded, customizing Magento online stores are not that difficult as it offers incredible extensions to provide scintillating shopping experience to users.

osCommerce ? Though, designing, security and customization are not below par the industry standards. Adding personal touch using different contemporary extensions is never possible in this platform. It never comes up with regular updates and new updates.

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However, both the ecommerce platforms are reliable and worthy to invest in. But, Magento overshadows osCommerce by the innovation and forward-looking parameters. So, analyze your business and products carefully before choosing the best ecommerce solution for your online business.

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FrontPage Image provided by Shutterstock

FrontPage Image:?Abstract vector shopping cart made from barcode ? sticker via Shutterstock

Source: http://designrfix.com/web-design/online-shopping-cart-magento-oscommerce

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Who?s to Blame for the Sequester?

Whose ?idea? was the sequester, and why should it matter? My Twitter feed these last couple of weeks has been overflowing with people going beyond the usual ?communist? and ?idiot? name-calling that I get every day and throwing the occasional ?liar? in there because I ?withhold? the information that the sequester was the Obama administration?s idea. Very well, consider that nugget hereby unwithheld. Let?s grant that this is true. But it?s true only because the Republicans were holding a gun to the administration?s head?and besides, the Republicans immediately voted for it. In any case the important thing now is that outside of Fox News land, it?s an unimportant fact whose ?idea? it was. The Republicans are partial owners of this idea, and as the party that now wants the cuts to kick in, they deserve to?and will?bear more responsibility for the negative impacts.

A trip back through the full context of this saga tells the story. The idea of having these deep budget cuts called ?sequestration? goes back to the summer of 2011 and the debt-ceiling negotiations. You?ll recall readily enough that it was first time in history that an opposition party had attempted to attach any conditions to increasing the debt limit. You?ll also recall that the Republicans made this intention quite clear from the beginning of 2011; indeed, from campaign time the year before. Remember Obama?s quotes from late 2010 in which he said he felt sure the Republicans would behave more reasonably once the responsibility to govern was partly theirs?

READ MORE The Anti-Christie

Instead, they almost crashed the economy. And they were also clearly the side pushing for drastic spending cuts. Let?s go back quickly over a partial 2011 timeline. In April, Obama spokesman Jay Carney said it was the president?s position that raising the debt limit ?shouldn?t be held hostage to any other action.? On May 11, Austan Goolsbee, then Obama?s chief economic adviser, said that tying a debt-limit increase to spending cuts was ?quite insane.?

On May 16, the United States went into technical default, but the Treasury Department was able to string things along a few more weeks. Tim Geithner made it clear that the real problem would hit August 1. A key moment, as Scott Lilly of the Center for American Progress wrote in The Huffington Post, came on May 31. That?s when the GOP-run House voted on Obama?s request for a ?clean? debt-limit increase. It failed, and all 236 Republicans voted no.

READ MORE The GOP?s Homophobia Problem

All this time, and right on up to August 1, Republicans were screaming for deep budget cuts, and the administration was saying no. But the Republicans had the leverage because it actually seemed plausible they were crazy enough to push the country into default. And so at that point, at least according to Bob Woodward in his new book, Jack Lew, then the budget director and now Obama?s nominee for Treasury secretary, originally came up with the notion of sequestered cuts. Or maybe it was Gene Sperling. The White House?s idea was based on language from the 1985 Gramm-Rudman-Hollings deficit-reduction act. It was also the White House?s notion that if the ?trigger? was hit, what would kick in would be not only automatic budget cuts but also automatic revenue increases (an idea Republicans refused to go along with).

So fine, the White House proposed it. It did so only after months of Republicans publicly demanding huge spending cuts and refusing to consider any revenues and acting as if they were prepared to send the nation into default over spending. In other words, this was the administration?s idea in much the way that it?s a parent?s ?idea? to pay ransom to a person who has taken his child hostage. There was a gun to the White House?s head, which was the possibility of the country going into default.

READ MORE The Jack Lew Double Standard

And then, when it was all put into legislation, it was the Republicans who passed the Budget Control Act of 2011 in the House, with 218 of them voting yes. So even if administration officials proposed it, it would have remained just a proposal if those 218 Republicans hadn?t supported it (no House Democrats backed it). Most Republicans agreed at the time that the sequestration trigger was a good thing?that it would force everyone to get together and agree to a path forward and a long-term budget deal.

Let?s say that I?m having a dispute with a neighbor I don?t really like or trust about some invasive weeds infesting both of our properties. We consider a range of options and then finally he proposes a solution that isn?t very appetizing to either of us?it?s expensive, might kill a lot of grass, say, or a couple trees. It?s not exactly desirable to either of us, but I endorse his suggestion and share the costs of implementation of his plan. If it ends up killing grass or trees, am I really then on firm moral ground in pointing my finger and saying, ?Hey, it was your idea, bub??

READ MORE Enough With the Deficit!

I guess maybe conservatives think that way, but of course I don?t. I assented to the plan. I share responsibility for the consequences. Where my little analogy collapses is that in my hypothetical, my neighbor and I are more or less equally affected by the negative outcome. The Republicans? ace card is that they know, or they hope they know, they are not equally affected. Austere cuts will harm the economy, and the blame will fall on the president.

Normally yes. But the majority of the people are onto them. And it sure isn?t going to be looking very responsible to people, as the March 1 sequestration deadline approaches, for Republicans to be going before the cameras and saying that the cuts are unfortunate but necessary medicine, or whatever formulation they come up with. They?ve wanted these spending reductions for two years. It hardly matters much who invented the mechanism for the cuts. What matters, as the Republicans will find out, is that the people don?t want them.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blame-sequester-094500970--politics.html

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Ex-boyfriend: McCready left rehab too soon

HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) ? Mindy McCready threatened suicide after losing custody of her sons earlier this month, yet she was allowed to leave a court-ordered drug rehabilitation program just days before she apparently killed herself at her Arkansas home, her ex-boyfriend said Monday.

Billy McKnight, who was in a long, stormy relationship with McCready and is the father of her oldest child, Zander, said the 37-year-old mother of two stayed in the substance abuse treatment center for about 18 hours before she was allowed to walk free.

McCready died Sunday at her home in Heber Springs, a vacation community about 65 miles north of Little Rock. She was found dead on the front porch, where her longtime boyfriend, musician David Wilson, died last month of a gunshot wound to the head. Authorities are investigating both deaths as suicides but haven't determined an official cause of death.

McKnight told The Associated Press during a phone interview from Tampa, Fla., that McCready and Wilson, the father of her youngest son, were recently engaged. He wondered how she was allowed to go free, given all the turmoil in her life.

"That was a big mistake on the part of whoever released her," McKnight said. "She was in a terrible state of mind. She doesn't perform any more. She wasn't working. She has two kids and her fiance was just killed. There's no way she should be out by herself in a lonely house with nothing but booze and pills. That was a really, really bad mistake, and the end result is tragic."

Arkansas courts were closed for the holiday Monday, so local case documents weren't immediately available.

Neighbors reported hearing two shots Sunday afternoon when they called the Cleburne County Sheriff's Office. Authorities found Wilson's dog dead next to McCready's body at the home, where yellow crime-scene tape looped through a grove of pine trees and around the one-story brick house Monday afternoon.

"Based on what we have found at the scene at this time, we do believe that she took the life of the dog that we are being told by family members belonged to Mr. Wilson before she took her own life," Sheriff Marty Moss said.

The sheriff said McCready's two sons were safe. McKnight said the boys remained in foster care, where they were at the time of their mother's death. McKnight said he was trying to get custody of his son, Zander, but that he was not privy to what was happening with her other son, Zayne, who was born last year.

McCready's sons were put in foster care and she was ordered into rehab earlier this month after McCready's father expressed concern. He told a judge his daughter had stopped taking care of her children and herself after Wilson's death, and that she was abusing alcohol and prescription drugs.

Moss said McCready's cause of death would be released soon, but that "all indicators" point to suicide. Her body has been sent to the state crime lab for autopsy.

For all the highs McCready had early in her career, thanks to the spunky anti-chauvinist hit "Guys Do It All The time," and her first album, "Ten Thousand Angels," which has sold more than 2 million copies, there were many more lows. She previously attempted suicide at least three times, and her fragile state of mindwas always a concern to family and friends. She acknowledged in a 2010 interview that her life was turbulent at times, sometimes self-inflicted.

Over the years her relationships often made the biggest headlines. McKnight was charged with attempted murder after being arrested for beating and choking her. She claimed to be in a long relationship with baseball great Roger Clemens that started when she was 15 and he was 28 and married, but Clemens denied the relationship. She was once engaged to actor Dean Cain.

She also was arrested several times on drug charges, probation violations and a misdemeanor assault charge against her mother.

But there was a period in her life where McCready thought she might be able to escape that pattern. She reluctantly joined the "Celebrity Rehab 3" cast with Dr. Drew Pinsky, and left the show believing she might be able to change.

"She was doing great," Bob Forrest, a chemical dependency counselor who frequently works with Pinsky and appeared on the show, told the AP on Monday. "She would go through these periods of three to six months where she didn't want to drink, didn't have an interest in drinking. And if she didn't drink, she didn't do drugs."

Just months after her appearance on the show in early 2010, McCready told the AP about the release of a new album, "I'm Still Here," her new love in Wilson and plans to reunite with her son, who was in her mother's custody at the time. But the progress seemed to unravel by late 2011. Her album debuted at No. 71 on the country albums chart and failed to gain significant radio airplay, and plans for a book and reality show failed to materialize.

She also was unable to immediately regain custody of Zander. McCready then took the boy from her mother, his legal guardian, and fled to Arkansas over what she said were child abuse fears. She was later found hiding in a home without permission.

McCready is the fifth participant in Pinsky's "Celebrity Rehab" shows to pass away since appearing on the show, and the third from Season 3. Pinsky has been criticized for the deaths and for showing such personal struggles on television.

In a statement, Pinsky said he had recently reached out to the singer after hearing about Wilson's death.

"She was devastated," Pinsky wrote. "Although she was fearful of stigma and ridicule she agreed with me that she needed to make her health and safety a priority. Unfortunately it seems that Mindy did not sustain her treatment."

___

AP writer Jeannie Nuss in Arkansas contributed to this report. Music Writer Chris Talbott wrote from Nashville, Tenn.

___

Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-boyfriend-mccready-left-rehab-too-soon-224317945.html

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Rothenberg: In GOP Civil War, No Easy Answers : Roll Call Politics

Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo

The new group is aiming to defeat candidates who are viewed as less-electable, such as King, above.

Republicans continue to argue about whether the party needs to take steps to prevent the next Christine O?Donnell, Sharron Angle, Todd Akin and Ken Buck, as well as how it might do so.

Those inept and seriously flawed candidates lost races that other Republicans would have won easily.

Now, American Crossroads, the brainchild of Karl Rove and former Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie, has created a new organization, the Conservative Victory Project, to focus on getting more electable candidates through primaries against uncompromising, tea-party-type conservatives who successfully tap anti-establishment feelings in the GOP grass roots.

The new group is suppose to be a counter-weight to the Club for Growth and the Senate Conservatives Fund, both of which helped fund some of the problematic candidates

But announcing the formation of the Conservative Victory Project in The New York Times, a symbol of the elite, northeastern establishment, only gives ammunition to the groups it is seeking to combat since part of its appeal with supporters relies on something close to paranoia about the power and goal of the ?establishment.?

The truth is that while most insiders agree about the problem, nobody has come up with an easy solution. And that?s because there isn?t a quick fix.

It is both true and obvious that not all uncompromising conservatives lose general elections and not all pragmatic conservatives win them. But in competitive contests and during years without a huge pro-Republican wave, the quality of candidates definitely matters. And ideological positioning is only one part of what makes a ?quality? nominee.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a Club for Growth and tea party favorite who demonized conservative Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst as a moderate in a 2012 GOP primary, happens to be smart and politically savvy. The same goes for Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., a former president of the Club for Growth who once supported moderate Sen. Arlen Specter?s bid for re-election. Toomey also was helped in his Senate bid by the GOP wave of 2010.

But some ?anti-establishment conservatives? obviously lacked the agility to be strong nominees, while others had such out-of-the-mainstream values or such a misunderstanding about how a candidate should act ? or what qualities voters value ? that they kicked away almost certain victories.

Again, plenty of ?establishment conservative? candidates have run mediocre campaigns (Montana?s Denny Rehberg and North Dakota?s Rick Berg are often mentioned) and lost. But they certainly had a better chance of victory and were less likely to make silly mistakes during their campaigns than were the O?Donnells, Akins and Bucks of the world.

Source: http://www.rollcall.com/news/rothenberg_in_gop_civil_war_no_easy_answers-222501-1.html

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Unified Communications Strategies Blog ? Let's Not Confuse ...

If you look up the definition of ?collaboration,? you will see that it refers to ?teamwork? between a group of people working on a common project or issue. The people on the team may be in different locations and may work for different companies, so the means for them to ?collaborate? includes methods for communicating person-to-person synchronously (conferencing) and asynchronously (messaging). It also includes the means to exchange information in real time (e.g., during a conference call) or asynchronously with messaging. However, it has been well established that most information workers can work more efficiently alone, rather than always as part of a real-time group meeting.

While such communication functionality is applicable to interactions with customers, the relationship with a customer is not really the same and the benefits are different. So, even though the basic concepts of UC are similar for all types of communications with people, there will be differences in the ?use cases? and the business process applications that will exploit CEBP contacts with people (notifications, alerts).

What organizational teams do to ?collaborate,? will not be the same as what customer-facing staff will do with customers, even though it is all about person-to-person contacts and information exchanges. The big difference, of course, is that within a business group, there is common agreement and use of communication technology across the board. With customers, there is no such agreement and, with new mobile communication devices, customer contacts must now be more personalized and flexible. Even automated proactive notifications will have to be individually controllable by the consumers who receive and respond to them.

Mobile consumers, in effect, are no longer a consistent group of customers, all having the same kind of mobile endpoint device. Even more important, however, is the fact that each individual mobile user will be dynamically changing their contact accessibility needs all the time. That means, UC flexibility must also be dynamically controllable by mobile customers as recipients, regardless of what contact initiators do, especially when it comes to ?unified messaging.? So, whenever a contact attempt is made to a mobile user with a smartphone or tablet, that recipient must be able to dynamically control the mode of notification, as well as the modes of retrieval and response. (That?s why I always describe UC as being ?multi-modal!?)

There are many ways for collaborative teams to exchange information and even to work simultaneously in real time on a common informational target (e.g., diagramming a process, editing a document, etc.) So, we see ?collaborative? work including all modes of interaction between people, including situations where team members are focused on dealing with a customer support situation.? However, while a ?team? may collaborate between themselves in providing customer service, that doesn?t mean that they are ?collaborating? with the customer!

Tags: Contact Center, Mobile UC //

Source: http://blog.ucstrategies.com/index.php/2013/02/17/lets-not-confuse-collaboration-with-customer-service/

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Israel treats Syrians wounded along frontier

JERUSALEM ?

The Israeli military says troops have provided medical help to Syrians near the countries' border and transported them to a hospital in Israel for further treatment.

A military spokeswoman says soldiers treated five Syrians wounded Saturday near the northern security fence along the frontier in the Golan Heights. She would not elaborate and spoke on condition of anonymity in line with protocol.

Syrian activists reported fighting in the Quneitra region on Saturday, which is on the cease-fire line between Syria and Israel in the Golan Heights.

Israel and Syria are bitter enemies and have fought several wars.

Source: http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2020370197_apmlisraelsyria.html?syndication=rss

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Kilicli helps West Virginia edge Texas Tech 66-64

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - Deniz Kilicli scored a career-high 25 points as West Virginia held off a formidable comeback by Texas Tech for a 66-64 victory Saturday.

A potentially game-winning shot by the Red Raiders' Josh Gray hit the front of the rim at the buzzer.

The Mountaineers (13-12, 6-6 Big 12 Conference) were comfortably ahead 61-53 with 3:19 left, but Texas Tech (9-14, 2-10) made three 3-point shots in a span of 2:45 in an attempt to snap what is now a 6-game losing streak.

Kilicli's point total surpassed his 22-point effort against Providence on Feb. 5, 2012, when both teams were in the Big East.

Eron Harris had 15 points for West Virginia. It was his ninth double-figures effort since being inserted into the starting lineup by coach Bob Huggins 10 games ago.

Texas Tech sixth-man Jaye Crockett had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.kwes.com/story/21225449/kilicli-helps-west-virginia-edge-texas-tech-66-64

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NBA Insiders: The All-Star breakdown

We have asked our panel of NBA experts to look back at the first half of the NBA season as well as look ahead and predict All-Star Saturday winners.

They give their answers on everything from the NBA MVP, Slam Dunk Champion and which NBA team has been the biggest suprise of the season below.

Who is your MVP so far?

Michael Grange said, "LeBron James. A perfect meshing of talent and basketball intellect."

Paul Jones said, "LeBron James. He is the best player on the planet and much to the chagrin of NBA coaches, there isn't a player in the league over which he doesn't possess an advantage."

Tom Liston said, "Kevin Durant. Number of players in the history of the NBA with >52% FG%, >42% 3pt FG% and >90% FT%: Four. Highest true shooting percentage, rebounds and WS/48 of those players? KD."

Kevin Nielsen said, "Kevin Durant. Has taken game to next level in the absence of James Harden this season."

Evan Rosser said, "LeBron James. Only player ever to average 27 points, eight boards and 6.5 assists while shooting 56 percent from the floor."

Who is your Coach of the year?

Michael Grange said, "Gregg Popovich. Has a complete team concept; rests his stars and still wins nearly every night. Amazing."

Paul Jones said, "Vinny Del Negro. He has the Clippers sitting with the fourth-best record in the entire NBA. "

Holly Mackenzie said, "Frank Vogel. The Pacers have taken a huge step this season and their coach has been a big reason, getting everyone to buy in."

Ryan McNeill said, "Mark Jackson: Raise your hand if you thought Golden State would be fighting for home court in the first round of the playoffs. If your hand's up you're a liar."

Kevin Nielsen said, "Doc Rivers. Team seems to lose a player on a weekly basis yet the Celtics are still a playoff contender."

Eric Smith said, "Mike Woodson. In spite of injuries (some lengthy) to Camby, Wallace, Felton and Stoudemire the Knicks are #2 in the East."

Dave Zarum said, "Gregg Popovich. I mean, really, this is getting a bit ridiculous."

Who is your Defensive player of the year?

Michael Grange said, "Kawhi Leonard. Pops compared him to Bruce Bowen the other day, which tells you everything."

Paul Jones said, "Joakim Noah. He's a guy that anchors one of the best defenses in the league so give it to the big man from the Bulls."

Tom Liston said, " Larry Sanders. Top 5 in defensive adjusted statistical plus/minus, first in blocks per game, on court defensive point per 100 possessions: 100.6 versus off court: 108.9.."

Ryan McNeill said, "Avery Bradley. What he's done for the Celtics is truly amazing. His defence is a big reason why Celtics have won seven straight games."

Eric Smith said, "LeBron James. It seems like every coach, opposing player, member of the media and fan says "this guy can guard four if not all five positions". If that's true (and I believe it is), it's time for everyone to put their money where their mouth is and give the man THIS award too."

Dave Zarum said, "Joakim Noah. Monster numbers aside, Noah's defense is keeping the Roseless Bulls in contention for 2nd in the East."

Who is your most improved player of the year?

Michael Grange said, "LeBron James: It's crazy to say James is most improved, but how many other all-stars have made such significant leaps in shooting percentage and 3-point shooting percentage? Turnover percentage down too."

Tom Liston said, "Greivis Vasquez. 2012/13 vs 2011/12 -- PER: 16.9 vs 14.2, PPG 14.7 vs 12.4, APG 9.4 (third in the league) vs 5.4, RPG 4.8 (for a guard!) vs 3.4, 3 pt FG% 36.2% vs 31.9%."

Holly Mackenzie said, "Paul George. Greivis Vasquez is right there, but George has been so, so good this season."

Kevin Nielsen said, "Serge Ibaka. While he has always been a force on his own end of the floor, his offence has seemed more polished this season."

Evan Rosser said, "Paul George. Up 5.5 points, 2.2 boards and 1.6 assists a season over last year while playing better D."

Who will win the Dunk Contest?

Paul Jones said, "Gerald Green. The Indiana high-flyer has shown his imagination in the past and may just do it again."

Holly Mackenzie said, "Terrence Ross. (or? James White, but rolling with the kid repping Toronto)."

Evan Rosser said, "Terrence Ross. Ross skies, can draw on DeRozan's past gimmick-less inventiveness and I'm a homer."

Eric Smith said, "Terrence Ross. That's if the contest is judged by those looking at athleticism and actual DUNKING ability. If it gets into props and theatrics again (which I don't really like), I'm not sure that Ross' quiet/reserved demeanor will play-up to the cameras enough."

Dave Zarum said, "James White. He says, no preparation, he has four '50's in his back pocket ready to go. Based on his resume, I think he's being modest."

Who will win the three-point challenge?

Michael Grange said, "Steph Curry is the best shooter since Steve Kerr."

Tom Liston said, "Steph Curry. Accuracy with a quick release."

Holly Mackenzie said, "Steph Curry. The second coming of Jesus Shuttlesworth."

Ryan McNeill said, "Ryan Anderson. Gotta love it when a guy that is nearly seven feet can stroke it like he can."

Evan Rosser said, "If I was betting: Steph Curry. But based on the role ballsiness tends to play: Kyrie Irving."

Eric Smith said, " I admit my bias. Personally, I just want to see him win because I know he's been dying to be in this event for years."

Who will win the skills competition?

Paul Jones said, "Tony Parker is a defending champion and may still be one of the quickest in the league but let's go with Jrue Holiday."

Tom Liston said, "Michael Grange. Or Tony Parker."

Holly Mackenzie said, "Dame Lillard. Because, why not? It's been his year thus far."

Ryan McNeill said, "Tony Parker."

Kevin Nielsen said, "Jrue Holiday. Lightning-quick guard is pretty smooth on the floor."

Dave Zarum said, "Damian Lillard. Call it a hunch. More importantly, I think Dikembe Mutombo is going to be the MVP of the Celebrity game. "

What team is your biggest surprise this season?

Tom Liston said, "New York Knicks. Stoudemire out actually helped this team - and now coming off the bench works."

Holly Mackenzie said, "Los Angeles Lakers. Who would have ever thought?"

Ryan McNeill said, "Denver. 17 of their first 23 games were on the road and they are sniffing at home court in the first round of the playoffs."

Kevin Nielsen said, "Boston. Seventh in the East would have been disapointing to start the season but with their injuries it is impressive now."

Evan Rosser said, "Golden State. If they can stay healthy and get their D back on track they'll be dangerous in the post-season. ."

Eric Smith said, "Los Angeles Lakers. I had them as the favourites for the championship. I'm shocked at how average they look on most nights. ."

Dave Zarum said, "Golden State. Talent has always been there, but good to see it coming together. A healthy Bogut makes the Warriors a playoff sleeper"

What team is your biggest disappointment this season?

Paul Jones said, "The Los Angeles Lakers incarnation of the Big Three has never taken flight. If they miss the playoffs, there will be more theories and extra finger pointing."

Kevin Nielsen said, "Toronto Raptors. I didn't expect them to be a lock to make the playoffs but I didn;t think they would be this far off .500 either."

Evan Rosser said, "Minnesota. They could subtitle this season 'Injuries and Wasted Potential.'"

Eric Smith said, "Los Angeles Lakers. From the firing of Mike Brown to the hiring of Mike D'Antoni ? to Dwight Howard's "drama" continuing in LA, Pau Gasol's role, Steve Nash's injury and much more ? the Lakers have been a huge letdown."

Dave Zarum said, "Minnesota. Obviously it's more a case of injuries than it is poor play (although there's been enough of that, too)."

?

Source: http://www.sportsnet.ca/basketball/2013/02/15/nba_insider_allstar_breakdown/?utm_source=Home%20Lineup%20RSS&utm_medium=feed&utm_content=NBA%20Insiders:%20The%20All-Star%20breakdown

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Gillard announces new jobs plan

Major resources and infrastructure projects will have to give fair consideration to Australian suppliers under new laws Labor will put to parliament.

The government says this will be worth $1.6 billion a year in extra work to local firms.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the measure on Sunday when she released the government's industry and innovation statement.

The government says local industry has been concerned that major project developers have been importing materials and equipment rather than exploring what is available in Australia.

An Australian Jobs Act will give legislative requirements for the use of local suppliers and materials for the first time.

Under the proposed laws, projects worth $500 million or more will have to develop Australian industry participation plans that set out how the developer will give local suppliers a fair chance to win work.

Projects worth more than $2 billion will also have to set up an office of Australian industry capability in their procurement headquarters.

Under its plan for Australian jobs - a response to last year's manufacturing taskforce and economic and future jobs forums - Labor also aims to support industry to win new business overseas and help small- and medium-sized businesses grow.

It plans to establish 10 innovation precincts around the country by 2014, starting with a manufacturing one based in southeast Melbourne and Adelaide.

The precincts are designed to bring industry, research institutions, technology experts and government agencies to the same area so they can collaborate on new business opportunities.

The government hopes the networks will help more Australian firms to be able to compete globally.

Source: http://rss.skynews.com.au/c/34485/f/628636/s/28a4641e/l/0L0Sskynews0N0Bau0Ctopstories0Carticle0Baspx0Did0F8464240GvId0F/story01.htm

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Finding A Car Service That Will Work For Your Needs

Getting around an unfamiliar city for a special event or business meetings will be much easier if you hire a car service. If you are headed to city like this, then plan ahead and look for the best option for your needs. You will want good customer service, a comfortable vehicle, and a good price.

It is important when hiring a car service that you check into the background of possible drivers. You need to make sure that the individual transporting you has a good record and will not complicate your time with poor driving or not giving you the privacy that you need. You will want to see the company's policy on background checks to make sure everything looks good. Another aspect of this with customer service could include the vehicle arriving on time at your hotel for pick-up and being there to pick you up at the meeting place at the time appointed.

When you hire a car service, you should also consider your comfort. Make sure to find out what type of vehicle will be used for your needs, so that you will know what amenities will be available to you. If possible, you should try to look in the type of vehicle that you will be using. Make sure that the company does not allow smoking.

Affordability is another issue. Your business may be paying for it, but it is still a good idea to be frugal. If you are the business owner, then you might be more conscious of cost, but either way, it is always a good idea to make sure you get what you get for the best deal that you can find. To some people, that means spending hours looking for the best price. To others it might mean calling around for an hour or so and seeing what the best deal is that you can find.

After considering these areas, you might have a good idea of which company will be the best one to supply your car service while you are in the city at an event or business meeting. The worst that could happen really in the process is that you get to the airport and are picked up by an unpleasant company with uncomfortable vehicles. If this happens, you can call the company, cancel service, and ask the hotel where you are staying if they have any suggestions. To avoid being picked up by a disreputable company; you might consider calling the hotel from the start. They likely have numerous car service companies come through, and they may be able to give you some names into which you should look.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Finding-A-Car-Service-That-Will-Work-For-Your-Needs/4438629

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