silencer reflection: November 2012

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Sailing boat smashes world speed record

Robin Hague, contributor

(Image: Vestas)

Ah, sailing. Idyllic, lazy days out on deck amid the flapping of sails, the cry of the circling seagulls and a long cool drink.

Not for the Vestas Sailrocket team. They have just smashed the world sailing speed record, reaching more than 60 knots (110 kilometres per hour) at Walvis Bay in Namibia in a custom-designed, carbon-fibre boat that skims above the water.

The problem for Vestas Sailrocket was that at over 50 knots small bubbles begin to form around the hydrofoil that sits underneath the boat to keep it balanced. This effect, known as cavitation, drastically increases the drag and meant that the team struggled to get much beyond 50 knots. The team spent 2012 designing and analysing new hydrofoils, but still experienced the same 50 knot limit: there seemed no way past this "bubble barrier". Last week, they finally found the answer by adding small perpendicular "fences" at several positions along the hydrofoil, which seemed to solve the problem.

On the first test with the new set-up, the boat surpassed 60 knots for the first time, and on the third run, they broke the record with an average over 500 metres of 59.23 knots. The previous record was set by kite surfer Rob Douglas at 55.65 knots (103.06 kilometres per hour) in October 2010.

The Vestas team hit a top speed on this run of 64.78 knots (120 kilometres per hour). For pilot and project leader Paul Larsen that one record-breaking run was payback for ten years of hard work.

"These latest runs represent a real breakthrough in the world of sailing. It's the hydrodynamic version of going supersonic...and it feels like it," he told New Scientist. "The acceleration just kept coming. It was like a rev limiter was removed.

"Things went into fast forward and my mind had to race with the decision-making process required for this new reality, i.e. can I stop the thing at the end. We have now hit over 60 knots a number of times and are just starting to explore this wonderful new world. The boat is in its element. It's truly a machine in harmony with plenty more still to offer."

And he isn't finished yet. "The aim is to take the outright record average over 60 knots."

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/25c58a8c/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Conepercent0C20A120C110Csailing0Eboat0Esmashes0Eworld0Espe0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

w.e. episodes idris elba kelsey grammer martin henderson mlk day golden globes 2012 winners

India v England - live!

137th over: England 356-5 (lead by 26 runs; Cook 175, Prior 91): Khan does find some good reverse swing, throwing in a yorker that Cook deals with. His next ball, however, is a pearl. Cook, I think, was leaving it but it cut back in and missed the stumps by the proverbial paint lick. Two byes, and clip off his pads for four follows.

So that's 16 runs in the first half hour, plus a ludicrous lbw appeal. This is going to be a long, grinding, battle. Or at least it is as long as these two are in. I'm not sure how much stomach Broad or Swann, for example, have for the long, grinding battle.

136th over: England 350-5 (lead by 20 runs; Cook 171, Prior 91): Here's Ojha, rattling through his overs again. Cook seems happy to get off strike and leave Prior to deal with his looping, tossed-up left-arm spinners and nurdles a single first ball. He's bowling a good length to Prior, who is playing him both back and forwards without looking entirely comfortable with either.

135th over: England 349-5 (lead by 19 runs; Cook 170, Prior 91): Khan is working hard on the ball, trying to get something out of it. He's finding a little reverse. I said it yesterday, but this is one of the greenest outfield I've ever seen in India - a Fletcher plan, perhaps, to nullify England's seamers. However, it's not helping Khan much at this point either. He sets Cook up with three outside off, then brings in a sharp inswinger. The England captain nudges it to leg to bring up the 150 partnership.

"This is Roy in Brighton," emails Roy from Brighton. "Talking of hope - an entire US presidential election was decided on who could read that word off a TelePrompter in a convincing manner. Hope works - unless it's a Test match. Oh wait ... I think England will lose the match, but not before giving us lots of hope. At least till Lunch. Then India will win by tea. I am told they have a plane to catch. Which will be just around the time BCCI will announce truce with the camera bearers."

134th over: England 348-5 (lead by 18 runs; Cook 169, Prior 91): Ojha continues, and Prior slaps the ball through silly point. But Tendulkar is there in the covers to prevent a run. Prior then goes back to a ball that was a touch quicker than he expected, causing him momentary alarm. Another maiden.

133rd over: England 348-5 (lead by 18 runs; Cook 169, Prior 91): Cook runs a quick single to cover to get off the mark for the morning, before Prior works Khan to gully for another. Khan is keeping the ball very tight, hoping to get Cook lbw before his feet are moving properly. He does rap him on the front shin with his last of the over, but the ball was going down.

"Good morning Tom," emails Chris Bourne. "Glad to hear you're not encumbered with women when the only thing on any true Englishman's mind should be a forward defensive prod. If we are going to riff on the great philosophers today, then I think Albert Camus had something important to say about Cook's innings: 'Au milieu de l'hiver, j'ai d?couvert en moi un invincible ?t?.' If ever a batmsan carried an invincible summer in him, it must be Alistair." Tell you what, let's not riff on philosophers. I need little enough temptation to question my existence at this time of the morning.

132nd over: England 346-5 (lead by 16 runs; Cook 168, Prior 90): Ojha has an ambitious lbw shout, pitching the ball outside leg stump and not turning it enough to hit them. Two balls later, though, he bowls a stunner: the ball turns sharply, keeping very low, and just avoids Prior's edge. Yikes. A maiden, and blimey, India are cracking through the overs.

131st over: England 346-5 (lead by 16 runs; Cook 168, Prior 90): That eases the pressure. Khan bowls shortish and wide to Prior and, batting out of his crease, he flays the ball to the point boundary. He feels for a better, wide one later in the over, the one slip in to Prior momentarily twitching. A drive then brings him both a single and into the 90s.

"Apparently if you don't sweat it's very dangerous," emails Dr Ian Forth. "There must be a chance that at some point Cook will overheat, then spontaneously combust, like Mr Krook in Bleak House. I'm guessing he would be the first visiting captain to India to do so (though I haven't checked statsguru). How many more records will he break?"

130th over: England 341-5 (lead by 11 runs; Cook 168, Prior 85): Ojha, two wickets in this innings, starts at the other end. He bowls to Prior who has no maker's name on his bat - the theory being that he's gone out and bought a local piece of timber rather than use his more usual one. These are the tense overs as they try to get their eyes back in. Prior works a single to the deep

"The most concerning aspect of this test from an England point of view is not necessarily many of the players' inability to play spin, but the fact that our supposed strength in fast bowling has been proven totally illusory," emails Peter Hook from a cool and cloudy Sydney. "Our trio have barely reached 80mph on the speed-gun, where as Yudav has been managing close to 90mph and both he and Zaheer have extracted swing, where as Bresnan, Broad and Anderson were barely able to move the ball in the air or off the wicket. There is a point where blind loyalty just becomes blind, and Bresnan and Broad need to replaced by Finn and Monty. Samit may have got a couple of dubious LBWs but he needs to be replaced by a specialist who can score a century (ie Morgan). While I'd love Captain Cook and Sgt Major Prior to bat England to safety it will tend to cover over the very obvious selection mistakes England have made. But can we have both a draw and selection overhaul, pleeease?" I think both Broad and Bresnan need to have a bit of a think.

129th over: England 340-5 (lead by 10 runs; Cook 168, Prior 84): Zaheer Khan opens the bowling on the fifth day with no slips and a split field. Cook prods forward at his first ball and misses it by a margin. He's better with the erst of the over, which is largely full and straight. A maiden, England are basically 10 for five.

Good lord, it's early for this from Liam Drew. "Nietzsche's take on hope: Zeus intended that man, notwithstanding the evils oppressing him, should continue to live and not rid himself of life, but keep on making himself miserable. For this purpose he bestowed hope upon man: it is, in truth, the greatest of evils for it lengthens the ordeal of man."

3.57am: Oh, well there's the tin lid on it. Ian Botham says he has no reason not to believe England will save this. Go back to bed everyone. Night, night. Never going to happen now.

"Morning Tom," emails Harry Tuttle, he of the startling revelations yesterday. "Fifth day, absolutely knackered but feeling better after managing to sleep in a socially acceptable fashion all through Sunday. As a final, decisive act of derision towards the BCCI, I present my artist's portrayal of yesterday's events. Can your readers do better? I think not ... Oh, and here's Matt Prior." Oh dear.

"Wake up!" hollers Zaph Mann. "The game starts again in 12 minutes!!! That woman you're holding is just a dream, wake up Tom! Wake up..." Have no fear Zaph. As if any woman, imaginary or otherwise, could be better than a grindingly defensive, rearguard Test innings.

Hope: it's a cruel mistress. Yesterday at this time of the morning, this felt like a wander into the masochist's parlour. England fans knew this was a doomed cause, they knew this would end in tragedy and farce. Yet still they watched, enjoying the curious pain and addiction unique to watching a Test cricket side being gently crushed.

But now? Now, it's even worse. Because after Cook and Prior's heroics, there's that glimmer of maybe. Just maybe. You suspect that, at the current rate of scoring, they'll probably need to bat to around tea in order to post a target they can defend. That's a mighty big ask. Mighty big. But can they?

But then there is a precedent of a solid, reliable England captain and opener batting with his wicketkeeper to save a Test. Vic Marks wrote a great piece on Mike Atherton and Jack Russell's 1995 innings against South Africa here, so there's no need to rehash it. It is worth pointing out, though, that India don't have an Allan Donald in their ranks, while Prior is a better (and less helter skelter) batsman than the tea, biscuit and baked-bean obsessed Russell. There's that hope again...

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/nov/19/cricket-india-england-first-test

restaurant week type 2 diabetes occupy congress juan williams victor martinez alcatraz cruise ship

Thursday, November 8, 2012

World congratulates Obama - but challenges loom

Difficult situations remain for President Obama in Syria, Afghanistan, Iran and Israel. NBC's Richard Engel discusses what Obama needs to do to overcome these challenges in his second term.

By NBC News staff

Updated at 8:32 a.m. ET: LONDON -- World leaders from Mexico City to Beijing were quick to congratulate Barack Obama on his victory early Wednesday ? but the re-elected president faces a slew of foreign policy challenges in his second term.

"I would like to congratulate re-elected President Barack Obama from the bottom of my heart," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told local television. "We know each other well and I am looking forward to our cooperation ... My heartfelt congratulations on this day today."

British Prime Minister David Cameron and?Enrique Pe?a Nieto, president-elect of Mexico, both posted goodwill messages on Twitter.

"It will give me great pleasure to congratulate him personally on my next visit to the United States and work together for the benefit of our countries," Pena Nieto said.

PhotoBlog: From Obama's old school to his ancestral village - world reacts to US election

Bars and U.S. embassies threw election-night parties to watch the returns came in. At the Redhook American-themed restaurant in London, many stayed up until 4:30 a.m. local time (11:30 p.m. ET) to watch TV networks call the result for Obama.

"I think he's shown a sort of diplomacy and maturity that maybe under George W. Bush we didn't see," Chris Padden, a 27-year-old education worker, told NBC News. "I think we are hoping that he's going to show the same diplomacy over the next four years."

Ciaran McCafferty, 30, who works in finance, said: "It's still very exciting, even though it's not our election. The United States is a big player in the world and it's important for everyone's life."

Across the U.K. capital at the U.S. Embassy, one Mitt Romney supporter told NBC's Jim Maceda: "I'm incredibly sad. This has been very long and grueling ... We did every single thing we could."

At an election night party in Frankfurt, Germany, student Teresa Isigkeit said: "I am pretty positive that Obama is going to have a great second term and he is a great president, so that's all we were hoping for."

Dr. Martin Thunert, political analyst at the University of Heidelberg in Germany, added: "I think most people in Germany and many western European countries were hoping for the re-election of President Obama. What I think is important for many Europeans that banking regulations that Obama introduced a couple of years ago will continue. And some were afraid that a Romney administration would repeal that, so I think in that sense they are quite happy."

Watch the drama of election night quickly unfold in a three-minute montage of sights and sounds.

China's Foreign Ministry said President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiaobao phoned Obama to congratulate him. Vice President Xi Jinping, who is to begin taking over this week in China's once-a-decade leadership transition, phoned Vice President Joe Biden to congratulate him.

At a party at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, student?Liu Xin, who is aged in her 30s, said watching the U.S. election was "like a window to learn U.S. politics."

"Personally, I'm in support of President Obama, because I feel himself is a symbol of realization of American dream," she told NBC News.

Special report: NBCNews.com's The World is Watching series

Zindzi Mandela, daughter of former South African President Nelson Mandela, told a party in Pretoria:?"As a mother and as a grandmother who raises boy children, I think that the symbolism of having a black man occupy the highest office is something that can make my children very aspirational to know that this is possible, you know, in their lifetime."

In Cairo, retail manager?Mohamed Hindawi, 42, stayed up half the night watching the results come in. "Really we are happy, it?s a very good morning," he said. "It?s a very good morning for all the Egyptians, not me, all the Egyptians.? If I were in the states I would vote for Obama.? All of my friends there they vote for him."

In Kogelo village in western Kenya, Obama's step-grandmother Sarah Obama congratulated her grandson on his victory.?"Take the great job that people have given to you and lead them well. They have shown immense love to have voted for you," she said.

Ben Curtis / AP

Kenyan villagers ride motorcycles and wave branches to celebrate Obama's re-election in the village of Kogelo, which is home to Barack Obama's step-grandmother on Wednesday.

However, NBC News' Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel said?Obama should "enjoy his victory" now, ?adding:"Starting very soon, the rest of the world will be crashing down on the president?s doorstep.?

?You have the issue of Syria ? a county that is imploding, and a conflict that could quickly spread to other countries in the region. You have the issue of?Afghanistan, the war that is still ongoing. The expectation now is there will have to be a refocusing on Afghanistan to try and end that conflict.

?There are many Israelis who are not keen on Barack Obama?? they did not want to see him elected,? Engel added.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has had a strained relationship with the American president over his policies on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, congratulated the president in a text message to reporters. "I will continue to work with President Obama to preserve the strategic interests of Israel's citizens," he said.?

Top 10 foreign policy issues facing Obama

Would a Romney victory have made a difference to the situation in Afghanistan? Not much, according to Daoud Sultanzoy, political analyst in Kabul. "The?bottom line would have been the same, I think - just their style of management would have been different.

"Mr. Obama...said some things that were good but he didn?t do them, he didn?t fulfill his commitments when it came to transparencies, when it came to credibility of both side?s commitment and accountability.? He just paid lip service in the past four years and that has damaged the Afghan people."

NBC's Tom Brokaw discusses the unlikely story of President Barack Obama's path to the White House and a second term as president.

In Iran, with whom?relations are tense because of Tehran's nuclear program, the semiofficial Fars news agency rolled out the vivid headline, "Republican's elephant crushed by Democrat's donkey."?

Professor Cyrus Izadi, from the department of social science at Tehran University, told NBC News: "There are two camps in Iran. One camp favored Romney because historically the Republicans have been less successful in putting Iran under pressure and they are unlikely to start a war so they would have been better for Iran. Another camp feels that the Republicans are serious about starting a conflict with Iran and it would be better to have Obama leading America because he does not have an appetite for war."

Engel speculated that Obama may seek to use his second term to attempt an Arab-Israeli peace deal to secure his legacy, even though he has already been awarded the Nobel Prize for peace.?

However, NBC Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell said: "I don't think he's got the opportunity. It has really died on the vine - you don't have the leadership on either side committed on this. I would be really surprise if they could find a way. It is clear this president is going to have to visit Israel, which he didn't do in his first term... and repair damage with Jewish Americans."

The election result made some late editions of European newspapers.?"OBAMA WINS" ran the giant?front-page headline in?the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph.

NBC News' Andy Eckardt, Ali Arouzi, Ed Flanagan, Michelle Kosinski, Charlene Gubash, Atia Abawi,?F. Brinley Bruton, Shanshan Dong, Michele Neubert, Peter Jeary and?Alastair Jamieson?contributed to this report.

More election coverage from NBCNews.com:

Follow NBC Politics on Twitter and Facebook

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/07/14987105-world-leaders-welcome-obamas-2nd-term-but-many-challenges-wait-on-his-doorstep

greg kelly cujo karen handel hangout

Everest Hill Academy

Every school has it's flaws, and Everest Hill, to that rule, is no exception. Here at this prestigious preparatory academy, both students and teachers alike have their secrets. What's yours?

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Everest Hill Academy?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

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

Can I reserve Troian Bellasario?

Luck is a lot like Fairies
~*~If you believe in it, then it's more likely to be real ~*~

The*Lucky*Teacup: Member for 0 years

I've read for the rules, like, 5 times and still can't find a password... is there something wrong with me or something?! xDDD

The*Lucky*Teacup: Member for 0 years

I've also read them, and I can't find it either haha. I even highlighted the post and nothing was invisible or hidden, but I'd like to reserve Kat Dennings.. and when I find that password.. I'll let you know. :P

Mishie: Member for 0 years

Post a reply

RolePlayGateway is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. The site has no intention of earning any profit, and is paid for out of their own pockets.

If you appreciate what they do, feel free to donate your spare change to help feed them on the weekends. After selecting the amount you want to donate from the menu, you can continue by clicking on PayPal logo.

Who is online

Registered users: Abridged, Ace Darkfire, AdmireAtStuff*, Adoration*, Aisl*, Alexander_Right, almostinsane, amyreinreaper*, Aniihya*, Arch_Demon666, ArhaHitomi888*, arteech0kee, AugmentationAudit*, AugustArria*, austyn101*, BBClock*, Beach-Born-Boy, BIGBADpanda*, Bonjour51*, Brock10, Bromander Shepard, Canibelle, Carlos_Joaquin*, ceh12*, Celaira*, chrono*, cirrus_sd, Cloasse*, cmpuncle*, Conquerer_Man, coricidinForte, cosmopolitanlove*, Crazy4Wolves99*, cucumbersome, Curtsive*, CuteAsKaylah*, danio13, Dark Star, DarkCookie97*, dealing with it, delfiler, DemonDante, Digital_Muse*, Disarmhxc*, Draruto, DuBois_Scarlett*, EKRonnie, Elenore, Eli the Walker, EmbracingIllusions*, Emily*, Endgame*, EnigmaticallyEerie*, Erik7622*, Exabot [Bot], fauxtruth*, Flexar*, freemixer25*, Frozen Soul*, Gamer_Templar, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, Gypsy*, Half-Dragon, Hawk.EXE, Heather1205, holothewisewolf*, Holy|Orders, Hydrall, iCat*, Imagine That!, Imbecile, Inspector-Storyhead*, jackrules158*, Jadeling Hawkins, Jewliet115*, Juular*, Kai, KameJLa*, kexia*, Korrye, Kuroe, LadyNightshade, Lee*, Lenyx, Lexen, Little Fox*, LittlexVamp, Lord Saladin*, Madmoiselle, MaliceInWonderland, marksmanoftruth*, masato22*, Mela*, Merchant, Midnightclub*, Mishie*, missjmiles*, mistsong99*, mjlavalleejr*, Modesty, Morganville, MSNbot Media, Nekohina*, Nevan*, Nevermore90, nibblesnbits, nightwolf, noonshine, Nulix*, OpalePhantasmagoria, OverTheRainbow, Peaches-N-Cream*, Princess Awinita*, PrincessOfTorment*, Psyche, Raidose*, RawkFist, Rhasslairiel*, RoseAmedori*, Rulke*, Saika, SarcasticIrony*, Scarlett_Rose*, Seirei*, SerenityMist, Shadetree76, shadowalchemist935*, ShadowsoftheNine*, shandypoo, Shiva*, silentawakening*, SkullJester*, SkullsandSlippers*, Soki*, StandardFiend, stormwolf321*, SugarPlum2*, Sunlight*, SuperChocoMilk*, SuperNinjaRoo*, SuperSmash*, supertoastgirl, Sweet Angel Jocelyn, sweetgal, Syn.!, Tainted Twinkee, TemplarWarden*, Tenill*, Terrus*, The Great Thundorz*, The*Lucky*Teacup, TheFlag*, Thundergod1020*, tigerking1292, Tiko*, tornadofan2*, TurtleSoup, twi-twi, Uniquah*, UniqueYetUnoriginal*, Verum Umbra, ViceVersus, VitaminHeart*, ViviOrunitiaFF9*, waa37*, WadeJackel*, Wake*, Whispers..x*, wolfoftheage*, X64, xLevesquex*, xoxMissClairexox*, XShishioX, Yahoo [Bot], YokoKitsune*, YuukiiLover*, Zenia*, ~Lonesome Butterfly~

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/UqY3MhvxEaY/viewtopic.php

the killers julianne hough brandy calvin johnson calvin johnson michael pineda charles taylor

Good Reads: ugly oil harvests; dueling environmentalists; and morality in animals

This week's long-form good reads look at 'out of sight, out of mind' environmental costs of energy extraction, animals' 'moral' behavior, and the hard work of a luxury repo man.

By Gregory M. Lamb,?Staff writer / November 2, 2012

The US presidential campaign kept a laser focus on ?jobs, jobs, jobs? that left environmentalists wondering if anyone still cares about the condition of the planet. A remarkable photo essay in the Daily Mail puts the need for economic development versus the preservation of wild places in high relief. Aerial photos of the mining of tar sands in northern Alberta ? the world?s third-largest oil reserve ? reveal how a landscape of what was once lush green forests, an area larger than England, is being turned into an oily, nightmarish desert.

Skip to next paragraph

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

New storm bears down on Sandy-battered NYC, NJ

NEW YORK (AP) ? A nor'easter blustered into New York and New Jersey on Wednesday, bringing wet snow to some areas, knocking down tree limbs and power lines, and inflicting misery all over again on tens of thousands of people still reeling from Superstorm Sandy.

Under ordinary circumstances, a storm of this sort wouldn't be a big deal, but large swaths of the landscape were still an open wound, with the electrical system highly fragile and many of Sandy's victims still mucking out their homes and cars and shivering in the deepening cold.

Thousands of people in low-lying neighborhoods staggered by the superstorm just over a week ago were warned to clear out. Authorities said rain and 60 mph gusts in the evening and overnight could swamp homes again, topple trees wrenched loose by Sandy, and erase some of the hard-won progress made in restoring power to millions of customers.

"I am waiting for the locusts and pestilence next," New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said. "We may take a setback in the next 24 hours."

Ahead of the storm, public works crews in New Jersey built up dunes to protect the stripped and battered coast, and new evacuations were ordered in a number of communities already emptied by Sandy. New shelters opened.

In New York City, police went to low-lying neighborhoods with loudspeakers, urging residents to leave. But Mayor Michael Bloomberg didn't issue mandatory evacuations, and many people stayed behind, some because they feared looting, others because they figured whatever happens couldn't be any worse than what they have gone through already.

"This is nothing," Staten Island nurse Elena McDonnell said as she weathered the storm in a dark, flood-damaged home that she fled last week when cars on her block began floating away.

Still, authorities urged caution. The city manager in Long Beach, N.Y., urged the roughly 21,000 people who ignored previous mandatory evacuation orders in the badly damaged barrier-island city to get out.

All construction in New York City was halted ? a precaution that needed no explanation after a crane collapsed last week in Sandy's high winds and dangled menacingly over the streets of Manhattan. Parks were closed because of the danger of falling trees. Drivers were advised to stay off the road after 5 p.m.

Airlines canceled at least 1,300 U.S. flights in and out of the New York metropolitan area, causing a new round of disruptions that rippled across the country.

By the afternoon, the storm was bringing rain and wet snow to New York, New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. Huge waves pounded the beaches in New Jersey. Firefighters in New York City responded to reports of tree branches falling into buildings, blocking streets and knocking down electrical wires.

The early-afternoon high tide came and went without any reports of serious flooding in New York City, the mayor said. The next high tide was early Thursday morning. But forecasters said the moment of maximum flood danger may have passed in the afternoon.

"We're petrified," said James Alexander, a resident of the hard-hit Rockaways section of Queens. "It's like a sequel to a horror movie." Nevertheless, he said he was staying to watch over his house and his neighbors.

On Staten Island, workers and residents on a washed-out block in Midland Beach continued to pull debris ? old lawn chairs, stuffed animals, a basketball hoop ? from their homes, even as the bad weather blew in.

Jane Murphy, a nurse, wondered, "How much worse can it get?" as she cleaned the inside of her flooded-out car.

Forecasters said the nor'easter would bring moderate coastal flooding, with storm surges of about 3 feet possible Wednesday into Thursday ? far less than the 8 to 14 feet Sandy hurled at the region. The storm's winds were expected to be well below Sandy's, which gusted to 90 mph.

Sandy killed more than 100 people in 10 states, with most of the victims in New York and New Jersey. Long lines persisted as gas stations but were shorter than they were days ago. Ahead of the nor'easter, an estimated 270,000 homes and businesses in New York state and around 370,000 in New Jersey were still without electricity.

The storm could bring repairs to a standstill because of federal safety regulations that prohibit linemen from working in bucket trucks when wind gusts reach 40 mph.

Authorities warned also that trees and limbs broken or weakened by Sandy could fall and that even where repairs have been made, the electrical system is fragile, with some substations fed by only a single power line instead of several.

"We are expecting there will be outages created by the new storm, and it's possible people who have just been restored from Sandy will lose power again," said Mike Clendenin, a spokesman for Consolidated Edison, the main utility in New York City.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Jonathan Fahey, Tom Hays, David B. Caruso, Meghan Barr, Kiley Armstrong and Jennifer Peltz in New York; Jim Fitzgerald in White Plains, N.Y.; and Angela Delli Santi in Harvey Cedars, N.J. Eltman reported from Garden City, N.Y.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/storm-bears-down-sandy-battered-nyc-nj-191635773.html

tupac hologram tupac back tax deadline death race buffet rule carlos santana baa

Baidu Pay Per Click: 7 Tips for a Successful ... - Search Engine Journal

Baidu is the most popular search engine in China, with over 400 million users. When Western marketers think of entering the Chinese market, Baidu is often the first marketing channel they consider, especially for paid search marketing.

I?ve had the opportunity of working with many Western companies that are experienced with Google AdWords, but new to Baidu. I?ve prepared seven tips for doing well on Baidu based on the most common issues and questions I?ve come across.

1) Localization is Key

China is a huge market that is highly competitive, so Chinese consumers are accustomed to having companies do things their way. At the bare minimum, the website and ads should be in Chinese. However, that really is the bare bare minimum.

The process of localization is a lot more than translation of content. The business strategy and marketing campaign should be considered from the ground up. If you?re going to be entering the Chinese market, you should be prepared to adjust your business to China, even to the point of coming up with products tailored to the Chinese market.

When it comes to pay-per-click campaigns specifically, keyword research and competitor research should be done anew, rather than relying on research done for English-language readers.

2) Provide Real-time Support

If you?ve ever spent time poking around Chinese websites, you probably noticed that they love chat boxes! Chinese consumers expect to be able to speak to a human very soon, if not instantly. The most common methods of communication are chat box, QQ messenger, and phone.

Chinese Internet users use real-time chat to get information, but also just so they can reach out and make a connection with a human being. When adding real-time support to a campaign, we typically expect to see an increase in conversions of three to four times. In fact, for e-commerce type sites, I think real-time chat is a must.

Real-time chat functionality isn?t totally new to English-language marketers either. For example, it?s widely used on hosting websites.

3) You?re Probably a ?David?, Your Competitors are ?Goliaths?

In most cases, the foreign company entering China will be facing competitors that have a much bigger ad budget and are much more experienced with the Chinese market. I?ve come across this scenario many times, especially with small businesses.

To beat them, you can?t rely on brawn. So, let them have the top rankings for now. Be prepared to strike intelligently. Create a better product, better landing pages, a better website and/or better ads. Choose keywords and bids strategically. Continuously test and improve until you have high enough profitability to increase the budget and become one of the big competitors yourself.

4) Flaunt Your Foreignness

What do you think when you read ?Made in China?? Do you think ?cheap?? ?Low quality?? Perhaps you even think ?unsafe.? Well, Chinese people tend to think the same thing.

A foreign brand, and especially a Western brand, will be perceived as being higher quality in most cases. This perception can be used to your advantage. If your company is Italian for example, tell them! Make it part of your brand image, include it in your ad copy and website copy.

This point may seem confusing since I?ve already mentioned how you need to do things the Chinese way in points one and two above. To clarify, this is what I mean: Adapt your product and service to China, but present a foreign brand image.

5) The Baidu Account Setup Process is Not as Simple as AdWords

Unlike Google, Baidu does not setup ad accounts itself. Instead, it outsources this task to a network of resellers. Some of these resellers are clueless when it comes to working with non-Chinese clients. Reseller regulations and authority also varies.

Regardless of the reseller, Baidu always requires a scanned version of the business certificate of incorporation or other proof of business documentation. Plus, they require that the business name on the certificate of incorporation is used on the website to be advertised. They usually request other minor changes to the website, as well. However, advertisers can usually get away with making these edits to their website, then reverting them back after the account has been setup.

Advertisers do not need a .cn domain, or a Chinese government ICP license, or a Chinese phone number in most cases.

Baidu currently requires an initial deposit of 5,000 Chinese Yuan (About 800 USD) which will be used for account credit. Plus, there is a standard account setup fee of 1,200 Yuan, but there may be room for negotiation on that.

6) Search Marketing Agencies Are Different in China

If you hire a search marketing agency, make sure you know what you?re getting. There?s a breed of marketing agency in China that isn?t quite the same as their Western counterpart.

For one, the marketing agency may be a reseller itself, which means they?re working on commission from Baidu. They?re paid by the client to manage the account, but they?re also paid by Baidu, which provides motivation to increase expenditure.

Second, such agencies are focused on working with the Baidu platform only. That means they aren?t doing any analysis or work on the website. They may not even use any Web analytics at all. Some of them are really just ?operators? who make changes to the account based on feedback from the advertisers.

Finally, they may have different views when it comes to working with multiple competing businesses simultaneously. Guess what happens when a marketing agency is on Baidu commission, and they?re promoting you and two of your competitors? They definitely have a strong incentive to ramp up the expenditure to the maximum possible amount.

7) Plan Your Web Analytics Integration

AdWords integrates very well with Google Analytics; Baidu?s pay-per-click platform does not. If you are using Google Analytics, the Baidu ads will need to have Google custom URL parameters added in order to provide Google Analytics with useful data such as the keyword used.

Another option is to use Baidu?s analytics platform, which integrates very well with their ad platform. There are other advantages to using ?Baidu Analytics? as well such as reporting on the activities of individual users, and a nice heat map tool. However, there are major drawbacks: Baidu Analytics has major accuracy issues, is only available in Chinese, and doesn?t allow for highly customizable reports.

Image source: http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-2199299812

Tait Lawton is the founder of Nanjing Marketing Group, a company that provides Baidu paid search advertising management services and other Chinese-language digital marketing services to Western clients. Tait has over 10 years experience with search engine marketing and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. He publishes a blog on Chinese digital marketing at East-West-Connect.com. If you have further questions about Baidu advertising, feel free to contact him or leave a comment below!

Source: http://www.searchenginejournal.com/baidu-pay-per-click-7-tips-for-a-successful-campaign/51002/

chesapeake energy dick clark death yom hashoah yolo liquidmetal gsa scandal kelis

Sheldon Whitehouse Election Results: Democrat Wins Reelection In Rhode Island Senate Race

Arizona

Last February, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) announced that he would not be seeking a fourth term in 2012. Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who emerged from a bruising, expensive Republican primary in August, will face Richard Carmona (D), a former surgeon general under President George W. Bush, in the general election. Flake and Carmona are deadlocked in the polls but many voters are still undecided, since the candidates were largely unknown to the broader Arizona electorate. Flake has faced criticism for his past <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/13/past-lobbying-becomes-issue-in-arizona-senate-race/?>tenure as a lobbyist</a> for Namibian mining interests with ties to the Iranian government. Carmona, who has been distancing himself from President Barack Obama, is relying on heavy Latino turnout and his centrist political profile to offset the Republican Party?s registration advantage in the state. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee bought airtime in the state for the week of October 2-8.

California

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who has served in the Senate since 1992, is heavily favored to defeat her challenger, Autism activist and former congressional candidate Elizabeth Emken (R).

Connecticut

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) announced in 2011 that he would be retiring from the Senate, creating an open seat in the Nutmeg State. Former World Wrestling Entertainment CEO Linda McMahon (R), who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2010 despite spending $40 million of her own money, is again the Republican nominee in 2012, and has run a much stronger campaign this time. Her opponent, Rep. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), started off as the frontrunner after the primary despite his low name recognition, but the race has been deadlocked since August. Both campaigns have been launching prolonged negative ad offensives, and the DSCC has unexpectedly been forced to intervene on Murphy?s behalf. McMahon has been trying to distance herself from the national Republican Party and position herself as a job-creating moderate.

Delaware

Two-term Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) is expected to soundly defeat challenger Kevin Wade (R) in November.

Florida

Despite middling job approval ratings, Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) is in a relatively strong position to win reelection. His opponent, Rep. Connie Mack IV (R-Fla.), was initially seen as a weak candidate due to his <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/elections/connie-macks-past-altercations-again-a-campaign-issue/1219639?>questionable past</a> and <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/57_155/Rep-Connie-Mack-IV-Still-Has-Uphill-Battle-for-Senate-Seat-215550-1.html?>lackluster fundraising</a>, despite his family?s fame in the state. Though polls pointed a close race over the summer, Mack has fallen behind Nelson in most polls since then. Several pro-Republican groups, such as the <a href="http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_politics/2012/05/u-s-chamber-of-commerce-targets-sen-bill-nelson-alan-grayson-in-new-tv-ads.html?>U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a> and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S2fTu4UHsdI?>Crossroads GPS</a> have aired ads attacking Nelson in an attempt to shrink his lead. However, time is running out and Nelson?s lead may now be insurmountable.

Hawaii

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) announced he was stepping down in 2012, creating a rare open seat opportunity in the Aloha State. Though Republicans landed a strong recruit in former Gov. Linda Lingle (R), she remains the underdog in the general election against Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), especially with native son President Barack Obama at the top of the ticket. However, Lingle narrowly defeated Hirono in the 2002 governor?s race and has raised more money than her opponent this year. This race has been sparsely polled so far, but Hirono has led by varying margins. Throughout the campaign, Lingle has been highlighting her <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6VdLrpmGANk?>bipartisan credentials</a> as governor -- she even posted a picture of herself and President Obama on Facebook. Lingle must continue to campaign to the center to close the gap in this deeply Democratic state.

Indiana

State Treasurer Richard Mourdock (R) handily defeated incumbent Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) in the May Republican primary by running far to his right, turning a safe Republican seat into a potential Democratic pick-up opportunity. Mourdock has a known disdain for compromise, and previously <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_eMZj_kW-4?>questioned the constitutionality of Social Security and Medicare</a>, which he has since distanced himself from. Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), the Democratic nominee, has sought to paint Mourdock as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=t0Svy9ll0pI?>too extreme for Indiana</a> while touting his own centrist record, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHORcUsJD2o&feature=player_embedded?>Democratic Majority PAC</a> has hit Mourock over his opposition to the auto bailout. Mourdock, meanwhile, has been <a href="http://thehill.com/video/campaign/245227-mourdock-attacks-obama-joe-donnelly-in-indiana?>trying to tie Donnelly to President Barack Obama</a>, citing his vote in favor of Obamacare. Though Mourdock started off as the favorite, the handful of public and private polling that has been conducted so far has shown it to be a very close race. The National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have both moved resources into the state in recent months.

Maine

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), one of the most moderate Republican senators, abruptly announced her retirement in February. Angus King, an independent former governor who <a href="http://www.rollcall.com/issues/58_7/In-Maine-Its-Good-to-Be-King-216226-1.html?>left office with high approval ratings</a> in 2002, emerged as the early favorite to replace her. He has typically led his two opponents, Secretary of State Charlie Summers (R) and state Sen. Cynthia Dill (D), by double-digit margins in most recent polls. Though King has not revealed which party he would caucus with if elected, his views seem to be more in line with Democrats, <a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/Archive/2012_ME_Senate_Angus_King.htm?>especially on social issues</a>. The DSCC <a href="http://www.pressherald.com/blogs/open_season/163097836.html?>has ignored Dill?s request for an endorsement</a>, fearing a split in the Democratic vote, which may allow Summers to eke out a victory. The NRSC started <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GayrVVcwrM?>airing an ad</a> in September targeting both King and Dill, while the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4a3blFhcDo&feature=player_embedded?>U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a> has only run ads against King.

Maryland

Freshman Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.), who defeated former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele in 2006, is strongly favored to beat former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino (R) in the general election this year. However, an independent candidate named Rob Sobhani <a href="http://atr.rollcall.com/maryland-independent-raises-eyebrows-in-senate-bid/?>launched</a> a $700,000 ad buy seemingly out of the blue in September, which raised some eyebrows in local Democratic circles.

Massachusetts

In the marquee Senate race of the cycle, Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.), who unexpectedly won Ted Kennedy?s old Senate seat in a 2010 special election, is facing a much stronger candidate this time in Elizabeth Warren (D), a Harvard Law professor and special advisor for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Polls have consistently shown an extremely tight race, while President Obama has consistently led Mitt Romney by double digits, which speaks to Brown?s popularity in the state. Brown has largely been campaigning as an independent with bipartisan credentials, while Warren describes herself as a champion for the middle class, highlighting her efforts to make Wall Street and big banks more accountable to consumers. Warren got a big boost in September when <a href="http://www.boston.com/politicalintelligence/2012/09/21/thomas-menino-declares-has-elizabeth-warren-back-senate-endorsement/ziuW74M94Vii5llaDKfWOJ/story.html?>Boston Mayor Thomas Menino endorsed her</a>, and vowed to put his entire political organization behind her campaign. The race had largely been positive until Warren <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8Lp66KISa4&feature=player_embedded?>launched an ad</a> in September going directly after Brown for supporting tax cuts for millionaires. The gloves have finally come off, and Brown once again <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0xWBRNrDfw?>accused</a> Warren of having used her Native American heritage to advance her career.

Michigan

Former Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R-Mich.) started off his campaign against incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) by running a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f69VmIgmhOk&feature=related?>controversial statewide ad</a> during the Super Bowl. It featured a giddy Chinese woman riding her bike through a rice paddy, speaking broken English and thanking Sen. ?Debbie Spend-It-Now? for causing the United States to borrow more money from China. The ad was <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20120206/NEWS15/120206008/Pete-Hoekstra-Super-Bowl-ad?>panned by Democrats, Republicans and Asian-American groups alike</a> for being racially insensitive, and Hoekstra subsequently saw his poll numbers drop. Stabenow has routinely led Hoesktra by double-digits in the polls since September and is poised for a convincing victory. The NRSC and outside Republican groups have not shown any interest in investing in this race.

Minnesota

Riding the Ron Paul wave at the Minnesota Republican Convention, Kurt Bills (R), a first-term state representative and high school economics teacher, won the Republican nomination to take on Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). Klobuchar, one of the most popular incumbents in the country, has posted double-digit leads over Bills in the polls and is expected to coast to reelection.

Mississippi

Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) should have no trouble with his reelection bid against Democratic nominee Albert N. Gore Jr. (D) -- and no, it?s not that Al Gore -- this November.

Missouri

Up until August, it looked as though incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a strong proponent of President Obama?s agenda from a Republican-leaning state, was on pace to be a one-term senator. Democrats saw conservative Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) as the weakest potential general election candidate and <a href="http://washingtonexaminer.com/democrats-spent-1.5-mil-to-help-akin-win-gop-primary/article/2505373#.UEZUimM9m5I?>spent $1.5 million on ads</a> calling him the ?true conservative? in the race right before the Republican primary, hoping to boost his chances at winning the nomination. They got their wish when Akin won the primary in August, and a few weeks into the general election Akin <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKa5CY-KOHc?>infamously said</a> that in cases of ?legitimate rape,? women can't get pregnant, causing a national uproar. Republicans of all stripes <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/21/politics/akin-controversy/index.html?>urged Akin to drop out</a> of the race, but he stubbornly resisted and his name will appear on the ballot. The NRSC and American Crossroads have <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/08/20/republicans-pull-money-from-missouri/?>pulled all funding</a> from the state, but Akin has started to go back on the offensive. While Akin now trails McCaskill in most polls, victory is not completely out of his grasp despite his <a href="http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com/contests/todd-akin-favorability-mo?>abysmal favorability rating</a>, which speaks to McCaskill?s unpopularity among Missouri voters.

Montana

Freshman Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) is facing a tough challenge in 2012 from Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.), a top-tier Republican candidate who has represented the entire state since 2001. Unlike most Republicans running in red states, Rehberg has <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heGSNJu51X8&feature=player_embedded?>highlighted his opposition</a> to Rep. Paul Ryan?s (R-Wis.) budget proposal, which would overhaul Medicare. Both campaigns and a bevy of outside groups have run ads on behalf of their preferred candidate. Rehberg and Tester have been running neck-and-neck in the polls for nearly two years now, and this race remains a pure toss-up.

Nebraska

When moderate Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) announced his retirement, Republicans saw it as a relatively easy opportunity to flip this seat in 2012. Democrats recruited former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.)</a> to run in Nelson's place. On the Republican side, state Sen. Deb Fischer (R) came from behind to defeat two better-known and better-financed opponents in the primary, helped by a <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/17/sarah-palin-s-latest-triumph-deb-fischer-wins-nebraska-gop-primary.html?>last-minute endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R)</a>. She has consistently held double-digit leads over Kerrey, who is also a former Nebraska governor, in the polls. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70DRGfIEDMQ?>American Crossroads</a> has run ads tying Kerrey to President Obama and portraying him as an out-of-touch carpetbagger, having spent the last decade living in New York City serving as president of The New School. Barring unforeseen events, Fischer seems to be well on her way to victory, moving the Republican Party one seat closer to a Senate majority.

Nevada

Amidst an ethics investigation, Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/21/us-usa-politics-ensign-idUSTRE73K8GU20110421?>announced his resignation</a> from the Senate in April 2011. Then-Rep. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) was appointed to take his place and is now running as an incumbent senator in 2012. His opponent is Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-07-09/berkley-ethics-probe/56117736/1?>who is being investigated</a> by the House Ethics Committee for allegedly using the powers of her office to aid her husband?s medical practice. Expecting a close race, the NRSC and DSCC have been flooding the airwaves with ads on behalf of their party's candidate. Most polls have shown Heller with a narrow edge over Berkley, but if Berkley can drive up Latino turnout and pull off the upset it would all but ensure that Democrats maintain a majority in the Senate.

New Jersey

Despite low name recognition, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) is likely to win a second full term this November. He is running in a Democratic state and has a <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2012/jul/13/menendez-kyrillos-raise-more-1m-nj-senate-race/?>significant cash-on-hand advantage</a> over his opponent, state Sen. Joe Kyrillos (R), who is even more unknown to New Jersey voters. Kyrillos, a former state GOP chairman, is close to Mitt Romney and Gov. Chris Christie (R), who recruited him to the race. Menendez, who was appointed by former Gov. Jon Corzine (D) in 2006, faced a tough challenge later that year from state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr. (R). Though Menendez has just recently reached 50 percent in the polls, he has held a comfortable double-digit lead over Kyrillos since the beginning of the year.

New Mexico

After Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) announced his retirement last February, Republicans were bullish on their chances to take over this seat. However, the Land of Enchantment has become much more Democratic over the last decade, and Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the Democratic nominee, has held a sturdy single-digit lead over former Rep. Heather Wilson (R-N.M.) in the polls. The NRSC tellingly <a href="http://www.nmtelegram.com/2012/08/28/nrsc-cancels-ads-in-new-mexico/?>canceled its ads</a> in the state, though other Republican-aligned outside groups, such as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=KH_yxDXpre8?>Crossroads GPS</a> and the <a href="http://nm.whosaidyousaid.com/video/u-s-chamber-martin-heinrichs-job-killing-voting-record-hurts-families/?>U.S. Chamber of Commerce</a>, have still been airing ads against Heinrich, particularly on energy issues. A coalition of environmentalist and conservationist groups have been <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MgRBcADM-Pk?>airing a barrage of negative ads</a> against Wilson. The shifting demographics of New Mexico may be too much for Wilson to overcome to pull off the upset.

New York

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), who was appointed to replace Hillary Clinton in 2009, has been leading challenger Wendy Long (R) by huge margins in the polls, and is heavily favored to win in November.

North Dakota

When Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) announced his retirement last year, most political observers expected this race to be an easy pickup for Republicans. Freshman Rep. Rick Berg (R-N.D.) announced he was running for the open seat and started off as the strong favorite to replace Conrad. However, Democrats recruited former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D) to run, and she is giving Berg a run for his money. All indications point toward a tight race: Heitkamp has been running neck-and-neck with Berg in the few polls that have been conducted and the NRSC <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/08/nrsc-shuffles-senate-map-reinforcing-north-dakota-133581.html?>pulled money from two other races</a> and moved it to North Dakota. Republican-aligned outside groups <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RGwqQJt9I0M?>have run ads</a> attacking Heitkamp for supporting Obamacare, while Heitkamp has been running to the center, especially on energy issues. Although Heitkamp has proven to be a strong candidate, she must still outperform President Obama by a significant margin to prevail in North Dakota.

Ohio

Many Republican-aligned outside groups have turned their attention to Ohio, where they have spent millions of dollars on ads in an attempt to sully the image of first-term Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio). While some polls have found that Brown?s lead has shrunk since the ad barrage, his numbers have largely held up against his opponent, state Treasurer Josh Mandel (R), a 34-year-old Iraq war veteran and fundraising magnet with a <a href="http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/national-govt-politics/treasurer-mandel-under-scrutiny-for-hiring-practic/nMzd7/?>spotty ethical track record</a>. The auto bailout has been a big point of contention in the race. Brown voted for it while Mandel remains strongly against it -- he even called Brown ?<a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/08/25/mandel-brown-take-off-gloves.html?>un-American</a>? for supporting it -- arguing that it hurt the pensions of non-union employees. Even if Mitt Romney wins Ohio, it may not be enough to put Mandel over the top, given his <a href="http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com/contests/josh-mandel-favorability-oh?>low favorability rating</a> in the state.

Pennsylvania

Republicans failed to recruit a top-tier candidate to run against freshman Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) in 2012, despite his mediocre approval ratings. Former coal company executive Tom Smith (R) emerged from the April Republican primary after spending <a href="http://articles.philly.com/2012-04-25/news/31399471_1_republican-candidates-bob-casey-fall-campaign?>$4 million of his own money</a> on television advertising. Smith also made an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tom-smith-rape-gaffe-out-of-wedlock-republican-senate-todd-akin-legitimate-2012-8?>unforced error</a> in the wake of the Todd Akin controversy, saying that having a child out of wedlock is ?similar? to rape. However, Smith began to start closing in on Casey in the polls in September and October after loaning his campaign $10 million, and has cut Casey's lead to the mid-single digits.

Rhode Island

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) should easily be reelected to a second term in this Democratic stronghold, where he faces software entrepreneur Barry Hinckley (R).

Tennessee

It is not as though Tennessee is known for having a strong Democratic bench, but the state was thoroughly embarrassed when Mark Clayton (D), the vice president of Public Advocate USA -- a conservative advocacy organization which has been labeled as a ?hate group? by the Southern Poverty Law Center -- won the Democratic nomination. The state Democratic Party has <a href="http://content.usatoday.com/communities/onpolitics/post/2012/08/mark-clayton-tennessee-senate-bob-corker-hate-group/1#.UE9QTWM9m5I?>disavowed his candidacy</a> and plans on launching a write-in campaign. Regardless, Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) is beyond safe this election cycle.

Texas

After suffering a damaging loss to Gov. Rick Perry (R) in the 2010 Republican gubernatorial primary, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) announced that she would retire from the Senate at the end of her term. Most of the action in the race to replace her took place in the Republican primary, when former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz (R) defeated establishment favorite Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R) in the July runoff with the help of the Tea Party. Cruz, who is seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, is a strong favorite against former state Rep. Paul Sadler (D) in the general election.

Utah

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) fended off a primary challenge on his right flank from former state Sen. Dan Liljenquist (R), and should have no trouble beating challenger Scott Howell (D) in November.

Vermont

First-term Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a self-described democratic socialist, is a shoo-in for reelection in 2012. Sanders, who is very popular in deep blue Vermont, caucuses with Democrats in the Senate, and they are not running a candidate against him. He is facing former Massachusetts state Rep. John MacGovern (R) in the general election.

Virginia

After narrowly defeating incumbent George Allen (R-Va.) in 2006, Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) decided not to run for a second term in 2012, setting up a closely contested open seat race in an important swing state. Allen, who seems to have moved on from his 2006 ?<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r90z0PMnKwI?>Macaca? moment</a>, is running for his old seat. He is facing former Gov. Tim Kaine (D), who served as chairman of the Democratic National Committee under President Obama. The two men have been deadlocked in the polls for over a year and a half, but in September Kaine began to pull slightly ahead. In October, Kaine started to outperform President Obama in Virginia polls. Allen has repeatedly tried to associate Kaine with President Obama but Kaine appears to be embracing his ties to the president, which he expects will play especially well in Northern Virginia, while portraying himself as a centrist. Republicans will most likely have to win this race to have a shot at a majority in the Senate.

Washington

Though the Evergreen State features a competitive gubernatorial election in 2012, its Senate race is relatively low-profile. State Sen. Michael Baumgartner (R) has consistently trailed incumbent Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) in the polls. Cantwell, who was once considered to be potentially vulnerable, should cruise to reelection.

West Virginia

Though West Virginia has become reliably Republican at the presidential level, it remains blue at the state and federal level. That?s probably because the West Virginia Democratic Party looks very different from the national party, and state Democratic officials have gone to great lengths to distance themselves from President Barack Obama and the Democratic leadership. In the 2010 Senate special election, then-Gov. Joe Manchin (D) famously <a href="http://wyomingpublicmedia.org/post/democrat-tim-chesnut-vies-barrasso-s-seat?>aired an ad</a> in which he shot the locally unpopular cap and trade bill, championed by Obama, with a rifle. He went on to defeat businessman John Raese (R) by 10 points. Raese is running against Manchin again this year, but has been far behind in the polls and is expected to lose.

Wisconsin

The retirement of four-term Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) turned a sure-fire Democratic hold into a possible pick-up opportunity for Republicans. Emboldened by Gov. Scott Walker?s (R) recall victory in June and Rep. Paul Ryan?s (R-Wis.) presence at the top of the ticket, the GOP thinks that Tommy Thompson (R), a former health and human services secretary and four-term governor, has a real shot to flip this seat. Most polls initially showed Thompson leading Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), who represents the liberal bastion of Madison, but Baldwin moved into a slight lead in September. Since the primary, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ihWIy1YiSg?>Baldwin?s campaign</a> and several <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bhv3OaHGAM?>Democratic groups</a> have launched an ad blitz against Thompson over his past as a Washington lobbyist, claiming that he is beholden to special interests. Thompson, who survived a bruising, expensive Republican primary, spent that time refilling his campaign coffers and was largely off the airwaves. Baldwin, who has a liberal voting record, is expected to underperform Obama in Wisconsin, which would make the math very difficult for her if Mitt Romney carries or comes close to winning the state.

Wyoming

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) is heavily favored to defeat Albany County Commissioner Tim Chesnut (D) in the general election.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/sheldon-whitehouse-election-results_n_2049765.html

nick carter sister recruiting rankings san onofre paula deen birth control recall nick carter leslie carter

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Cancer data in the 'cloud' could lead to more effective treatment

ScienceDaily (Nov. 6, 2012) ? Storing music and photos on distant computers via "cloud" technology is nothing new. But Johns Hopkins researchers are now using this tactic to collect detailed information from thousands of cancer cell samples. The goal is to help doctors make better predictions about how a patient's illness will progress and what type of treatment will be most effective.

The project, supported by a new $3.75 million National Cancer Institute grant, was launched because researchers now realize that cancer cells affecting the same type of tissue can behave differently in different patients. Prostate cancers may grow rapidly in one patient, but expand at a glacial pace in another. A drug that kills a tumor in one patient may be useless or even harmful in the next patient.

To help doctors prepare a more personalized medical prognosis and treatment plan, Johns Hopkins has assembled experts in cancer and engineering, led by Denis Wirtz, associate director of the university's Institute for NanoBioTechnology. The team has begun characterizing and storing cancer data collected through a process called high-throughput cell phenotyping.

"We use scanning microscopy to take pictures of the size and shape of cancer cells," said Wirtz, who also directs the Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center. "We also extract information about what is happening inside the cells and at the genetic level. We make notes of the age and gender of the patient and any treatment received. Looked at as a whole, this information can help us identify a 'signature' for a certain type of cancer.

That gives us a better idea of how it spreads and how it responds to certain drugs." He added, "The long-range goal is to make this data available through the Internet to physicians who are diagnosing and treating cancer patients around the world."

Wirtz, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering in the university's Whiting School of Engineering, has been working with School of Medicine researchers Ralph Hruban and Anirban Maitra to begin the database with material from the files of thousands of cancer patients who have been evaluated and treated at Johns Hopkins. The patients' personal information has been deleted, but the remaining medical case data allows the researchers to trace the course of the disease from initial testing through treatment and outcome.

"This technology may provide a way to centralize specimen data, images and analysis in a way that hasn't been done before," said Maitra, a professor of pathology and oncology, "and we'll be using the information now to find better ways to treat disease."

The Johns Hopkins team will soon collect similar data from other major U.S. cancer research centers that are also supported by the National Institutes of Health. The initial focus will be pancreatic cancer, which is particularly aggressive and lethal.

"We may be able to correlate DNA changes that occur in individual pancreatic cancer cells with the appearance of these cells at the cellular level," said Hruban, a professor of pathology and oncology and director of the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center. "The potential for this approach to provide insight into the fundamental biology of pancreatic cancer is significant, as are the potential clinical applications in predicting a patient's prognosis and in guiding therapy."

Other types of the disease, including breast and prostate cancer, will be addressed in the near future. Early data is being stored on computers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory under an arrangement funded by the NIH.

According to Wirtz, the details recorded in the online database will differ from those produced in traditional biopsy evaluations. Typically, information about a patient's disease is obtained by averaging the results from trillions of cells that have been blended together.

With the new scanning system, however, the Johns Hopkins researchers will obtain views of individual cells retrieved from individual patients, even from different parts of the same organ.

This ability to examine single cells is important, Wirtz said, because scientists have discovered that even cells that possess the identical genetic makeup can vary in other small ways that affect the behavior of cancer. For example, these tiny variations in genetically identical cells can cause some to be vulnerable to a particular cancer drug.

"We've come to realize that it is the heterogeneity -- the diversity of cells that have different characteristics -- that is important in evaluating a cancer case," Wirtz said. "In the end, what matters is the cell properties. That's what we measure."

Researchers will begin their studies on clinical samples collected at Johns Hopkins to determine how well the technology works and validate it's potential before it can be used to aid clinical decision-making.

The software and hardware used in the high-throughput cell phenotyping process is protected by patents obtained through the Johns Hopkins Technology Transfer office. The $3.75 million National Cancer Institute grant (CA174388) will be disbursed to the Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology over a five-year period. The funds were allocated through the National Institutes of Health's Common Fund Single Cell Analysis Program.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Johns Hopkins, via Newswise.

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

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/w28Sz8VPsjw/121106143521.htm

fox mole manson bubba watson recent earthquakes fbi most wanted list stuttering james van der beek

Video: Candidates wrap up campaign marathon sprint

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/49691606/

st bonaventure ncaa tournament 2012 peyton manning 49ers andy pettitte tyler clementi kevin kolb sarah shahi

Biden stops in Cleveland, jokes about next run

Vice President Joe Biden hugs a patron during a visit to the Landmark Restaurant, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Cleveland, Ohio. Biden's daughter Ashley is at left. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Vice President Joe Biden, accompanied by his wife Jill Biden, board Air Force Two, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, at a Delaware Air National Guard Base in New Castle , Del., en route to Chicago. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Vice President Joe Biden accompanied by his wife Jill Biden and son Beau Biden waves to members of the media after casting his ballot at Alexis I. duPont High School, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Greenville, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Vice President Joe Biden waves as he exits a voting booth after casting his ballot at Alexis I. duPont High School, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012, in Greenville, Del. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Vice President Joe Biden was joking about his next run for office even before Tuesday's election results were in.

At a surprise campaign stop in Cleveland, Biden joked that he might run for a local office.

"I'm going to go back home and run for county council or something," Biden told a customer at the Landmark Restaurant. Home for Biden is Delaware.

Biden, who turns 70, in two weeks, recently has been making jokes about his 2016 plans. He told a Florida man last week that he should vote for Biden once his health insurance rates go down because of the health care law known as "Obamacare."

Biden's stop in Cleveland came as Republican candidates Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan made Election Day stops in the city at about the same time.

Ohio has become a central battleground in the presidential race.

Biden voted in Delaware on Tuesday morning and told reporters it might not be the last time he votes for himself in an election.

He said voting is a great honor and urged Americans to "stand in line as long as you have to" in order to vote.

"It's always a kick" to vote, Biden said.

Biden served six terms in the U.S. Senate before winning election to the White House in 2008.

Biden also said he would visit New York's hurricane-damaged borough of Staten Island on Friday. Many Staten Island residents are still without power, more than a week after Hurricane Sandy made landfall.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-11-06-Biden/id-e27860d0d10e4c989f61b16865967a4c

mariners mets shades of grey pittsburgh penguins record store day jennie garth space needle

Monday, November 5, 2012

US soldier faces hearing in Afghanistan massacre

FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2011, file photo, Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System photo, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, 1st platoon sergeant, Blackhorse Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division participates in an exercise at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. The preliminary hearing for Bales, accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians in March, begins Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, with villagers expected to testify by video from Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan. Bales is scheduled to appear at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the pretrial hearing, which is expected to last two weeks. (AP Photo/DVIDS, Spc. Ryan Hallock, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 23, 2011, file photo, Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System photo, Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, left, 1st platoon sergeant, Blackhorse Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division participates in an exercise at the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, Calif. The preliminary hearing for Bales, accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians in March, begins Monday, Nov. 5, 2012, with villagers expected to testify by video from Kandahar Air Field in Afghanistan. Bales is scheduled to appear at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the pretrial hearing, which is expected to last two weeks. (AP Photo/DVIDS, Spc. Ryan Hallock, File)

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. (AP) ? The U.S. soldier accused of carrying out one of the worst atrocities of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is appearing in a military courtroom, where prosecutors will for the first time lay out their case that he slaughtered 16 people, including children, during a predawn raid on two villages in the Taliban's heartland.

Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, a married father of two from Lake Tapps, Wash., is accused of slipping away from a remote outpost in southern Afghanistan early on March 11 with an M-4 rifle outfitted with a grenade launcher to attack the villages of Balandi and Alkozai, in the dangerous Panjwai district of Kandahar Province.

The massacre left 16 dead ? nine of them children, and 11 of them members of the same family. Six others were wounded, and some of the bodies set afire.

Monday marks the start of a preliminary hearing, called an Article 32 hearing, before an investigative officer charged with recommending whether Bales' case should proceed to a court-martial. The hearing is scheduled to run as long as two weeks, and part of it will be held overnight to allow video testimony from witnesses in Afghanistan.

"This hearing is important for all of us in terms of learning what the government can actually prove," said Bales' attorney, John Henry Browne. "The defense's job is to get as much information as possible. That's what our goal is, in preparation for what is certainly going to be a court martial."

Bales, 39, is an Ohio native who joined the Army in late 2001 ? after the 9/11 attacks ? as his career as a stockbroker imploded. An arbitrator entered a $1.5 million fraud judgment against him and his former company that went unpaid, and his attempt to start an investment firm in Florida also failed.

He was serving his fourth combat tour after three stints in Iraq, and his arrest prompted a national discussion about the stresses posed by multiple deployments. Another of his civilian attorneys, Emma Scanlan, spent the past week at Joint Base Lewis-McChord to prepare for the hearing. She declined to say to what extent the lawyers hope to elicit testimony that could be used to support a mental-health defense.

Bales faces 16 counts of premeditated murder, plus other charges of attempted murder, assault and using steroids. Prosecutors have kept mum about the evidence they plan to present.

Scanlan said she expects them "to try to narrow the issues to the events of 10 March and 11 March," but added, "We believe it's much broader than that."

One thing is clear: Bales himself will not make any statements, his lawyers said, because they don't think he would have anything to gain by it. During Article 32 hearings, defendants have the right to make sworn or unsworn statements. Making a sworn statement opens the defendant to cross-examination by the prosecutors.

No motive has emerged. Bales' wife, Karilyn, who plans to attend the hearing, had complained about financial difficulties on her blog in the year before the killings, and she had noted that Bales was disappointed at being passed over for a promotion.

Browne described those stresses as garden-variety ? nothing that would prompt such a massacre ? and has also said, without elaborating, that Bales suffered a traumatic incident during his second Iraq tour that triggered "tremendous depression." Bales remembers little or nothing from the time of the attacks, his lawyers have said.

The hearing will also feature the airing, for the first time publicly, of a surveillance blimp video that depicts Bales returning to Camp Belambay and surrendering.

Testimony from witnesses, including an estimated 10 to 15 Afghans, could also help fill in many of the details about how prosecutors believe Bales carried out the attack. American officials have said they believe Bales broke the slaughter into two episodes ? walking first to one village, returning to the base and slipping away again to carry out the second attack.

Members of the Afghan delegation that investigated the killings said one Afghan guard saw a U.S. soldier return to the base around 1:30 a.m. Another Afghan soldier who replaced the first guard said he saw a U.S. soldier leave the base at 2:30 a.m.

Some witnesses suggested that there might have been more than one killer. Browne said he was aware of those statements, but noted that such a scenario would not help his client avoid culpability.

Browne is traveling to Afghanistan to question the witnesses in person as their testimony from a small base near Kandahar city is beamed back to Lewis-McChord.

Scanlan said the Army had only recently turned over a preliminary DNA trace evidence report from the crime scenes, but defense experts have not had time to review it.

Bales, who spent months in confinement at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., before being transferred to Lewis-McChord last month, is doing well, Scanlan said.

"He's getting prepared," she said, "but it's nerve-wracking for anybody."

___

Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle