American tomato growers, upset at Mexico's growing share of the US market, are taking steps that could lead to new tariffs on Mexican tomatoes. Mexico's ambassador threatened retaliation.?
By Ron Scherer,?Staff writer / September 28, 2012
Tomatoes grow in a hothouse in San Luis de la Paz, Mexico, in February 2012.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor
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The tomato, one of America?s favorite vegetables, is the focus of a burgeoning cross-border food fight that Mexican officials say could escalate into a broader trade war.
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Mexican exporters currently supply about half the tomatoes consumed in the US. American growers, upset over what they see as a steady incursion of low priced Mexican produce, are trying to quash a deal that has kept the price of Mexican tomatoes low. The move could lead either to new tariffs on Mexican tomatoes or an agreement by the Mexicans to sell their produce at higher prices.
The Mexican government is threatening retaliation if the US tacks on any new tariffs.
?If Mexico?s interests end up being affected, Mexico will respond,? said Arturo Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador to the US in a statement. ?When Mexico aims, Mexico hits the target.?
What does this mean for US consumers? Whether the US action results in higher tomato prices is hard to say. In public filings over the issue, large buyers of tomatoes, such as Wal-Mart, worry that any disruption of a stable and predictable supply of tomatoes from Mexico will hinder their ability to provide consistent pricing to the US consumer.
But the US growers say those fears are unfounded, maintaining that the US has the ability to grow enough tomatoes to keep every salad bar stocked at a reasonable price.
?I don?t anticipate consumer prices will be impacted significantly at all,? says Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, which represents growers there.
The Mexican government, meanwhile, is deeply suspicious over the timing of the tomato flap since it involves growers from politically sensitive Florida. Mexico?s minister of the economy, Bruno Ferrari, told Reuters this week it was ?obvious? the request was timed to put political pressure on the White House ahead of the election.
Over the last several months, the Obama administration has become more aggressive in charging importers with dumping. This summer the US charged Chinese companies with unfair trade actions regarding cars and auto parts. The president touted that trade action while campaigning in Ohio, but Mitt Romney called it too little too late. Romney says he would get tough on China regarding trade issues if elected president.
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I just got some shocking news. His father -- age 81 -- is leaving his wife of 60 years! Mom is not entirely self-sufficient and seems dependent on him.Dad found himself a younger woman -- a "chick" of 70. He has announced that he still has sexual needs and wants to enjoy the rest of his life. My husband thinks it will be a short-term fling and he'll return to Mom, but she says she won't be taking him back. (Who knows how she'll feel later?)My problem is, no matter what happens between them, I'm having a hard time even considering forgiving him for his selfishness. ...
Students, some as young as 14, will now have access to Plan B contraception ? more commonly known as the ?morning after? pill ? without parental consent.
It?s a progressive pilot program being introduced in 13 New York City public schools.
Parents do have the right to opt out of the program at the beginning of the school year.
The program, titled CATCH (Connecting Adolescents to Comprehensive Health) is part of a wider effort to lower the rate of teen pregnancy, as some 7,000 New York residents under the age of 17 get pregnant each year.
CATCH provided Plan B contraceptives to more than 1,000 students, and gave them access to Depo-Provera, an injection form of birth control.
Not surprisingly, some have expressed fury over the program.
But a 2009 Associated Press poll reported that more parents ? 67 percent of respondents ? support distribution of contraceptives in schools.
I?m always in awe over the number of people that object to greater access to birth control by teenagers.
I understand that as a parent you would prefer your kids not be sexually active until they are 1) married or 2) mature enough to understand both the complexity and the consequences of a sexual relationship.
I?d actually prefer my kids were 30 before they become sexually active, but according to the Kinsey Institute, the average age of first intercourse by males is 16 and?17 for females.?By the time they are 18, 70 percent of females are sexually active, compared to 62 percent of males.
Girls between ages 14-17 only use condoms 58 percent?of the time and even less, as they get older.? That?s a recipe for an awful lot of teenage mothers.
It?s shocking to me that some parents are willing to insist on abstinence.? Or worse yet, are burying their heads in the sand about the probability that their own children could very well be among the almost half of the teenage population, who are having partnered sexual relationships.
It?s also shocking that people complain about who?s going to pay for Plan B, which costs between $10 to $70. Compared to the $235,000 on average, it now costs to raise a child, I?d say the state of New York is being ?fiscally responsible.?
From the New York City?Department of Health, the statistics for teenage pregnancies are as follows:
7,000 girls under age 17 got pregnant last year citywide.
90 percent of those pregnancies were unplanned
64 percent were aborted
2,200 became moms by age 17, and approximately 70 percent drop out of school
I?m almost positive the proper and widespread use of birth control would have a staggering effect on those statistics.
To me, it?s absolutely imperative to discuss sex and your wishes for abstinence with your children, if that is your position. I also think it?s irresponsible to withhold contraception from sexually active high school students because you?d prefer they didn?t have sex in the first place.
After all, isn?t it possible that open and honest communication about sexual relationships, birth control, pregnancy and its consequences could encourage your children to wait anyway?
Amy Grace is married with two children. You can read her every Friday on momaha.
The book on South Asian birdsPublic release date: 28-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Layne Cameron layne.cameron@cabs.msu.edu 517-353-8819 Michigan State University
EAST LANSING, Mich. When it comes to the birds of South Asia, Pamela Rasmussen wrote the book on it. Literally. Twice.
Rasmussen, Michigan State University assistant professor of zoology and assistant curator of mammalogy and ornithology at the MSU Museum, recently completed the second edition of the two-volume "Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide."
The second edition features the newest findings on classifications and vocalizations. It features several new species to the region, including newly discovered species. One new species, observed for the first time this year, is a Great Nicobar Crake photographed foraging on Great Nicobar Island.
The field guide also has short vocal descriptions as well as sonograms, which visually chart bird sounds, from screeches and trills to chirps and warbles. The new guide is being released as a paperback, which makes it easier to tote in the field. It can be found at www.lynxeds.com/product/birds-south-asia-0.
"The field guide volume has short voice descriptions for almost every species, so it is more user-friendly," Rasmussen said. "Several species new to South Asia and even two species new to science are now illustrated and featured in the new book."
Along with writing the authoritative book, Rasmussen also has pioneered work to document and catalog bird vocalizations from around the world.
At MSU, Rasmussen founded the Avian Vocalization Center, a database providing free downloads of bird sounds of more than 4,000 species around the world, including sonograms, photos and maps of their habitat.
The book was produced jointly by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, MSU Museum, MSU's Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, and Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
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Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The book on South Asian birdsPublic release date: 28-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Layne Cameron layne.cameron@cabs.msu.edu 517-353-8819 Michigan State University
EAST LANSING, Mich. When it comes to the birds of South Asia, Pamela Rasmussen wrote the book on it. Literally. Twice.
Rasmussen, Michigan State University assistant professor of zoology and assistant curator of mammalogy and ornithology at the MSU Museum, recently completed the second edition of the two-volume "Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide."
The second edition features the newest findings on classifications and vocalizations. It features several new species to the region, including newly discovered species. One new species, observed for the first time this year, is a Great Nicobar Crake photographed foraging on Great Nicobar Island.
The field guide also has short vocal descriptions as well as sonograms, which visually chart bird sounds, from screeches and trills to chirps and warbles. The new guide is being released as a paperback, which makes it easier to tote in the field. It can be found at www.lynxeds.com/product/birds-south-asia-0.
"The field guide volume has short voice descriptions for almost every species, so it is more user-friendly," Rasmussen said. "Several species new to South Asia and even two species new to science are now illustrated and featured in the new book."
Along with writing the authoritative book, Rasmussen also has pioneered work to document and catalog bird vocalizations from around the world.
At MSU, Rasmussen founded the Avian Vocalization Center, a database providing free downloads of bird sounds of more than 4,000 species around the world, including sonograms, photos and maps of their habitat.
The book was produced jointly by the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, MSU Museum, MSU's Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, and Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
###
Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
The Miami Herald reports that two separate polls from Republican and Democratic third-party groups have arrived at the same conclusion: Rep. David Rivera (R-FL) is losing his reelection effort.
"Rivera, under separate federal criminal investigations into his personal and campaign finances, trails Democratic challenger Joe Garcia by nine percentage points in a Democratic poll and he's behind by 10 points in the Republican survey -- just outside the poll's error margin."
WASHINGTON (RNS) President Obama on Tuesday (Sept. 25) gave a forceful speech at the United Nations, in which he challenged much of the world's assumptions about free speech and religion.
Here are five points from his address, which together, add up to as close to an Obama Doctrine on Religion as we've seen:
1. Blasphemy must be tolerated, however intolerable
The idea that the U.S. protects even vile speech, so ingrained in American culture, seems counterintuitive to much of the world. It's an especially tough concept when speech targets a religion, but Obama argued that restrictions on speech too often become weapons to suppress religion -- especially the rights of religious minorities.
"Given the power of faith in our lives, and the passions that religious differences can inflame, the strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, it is more speech," Obama said.
Moreover, he continued, no one can control speech even if he or she wanted to.
"When anyone with a cell phone can spread offensive views around the world with the click of a button, the notion that we can control the flow of information is obsolete," Obama said.
2. Religious respect is a two-way street
Obama went on the offensive: If you're going to denounce intolerance against your own religion, he said, you must also call out those who demean the religion of others.
"The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam," the president said. "Yet to be credible, those who condemn that slander must also condemn the hate we see when the image of Jesus Christ is desecrated, churches are destroyed, or the Holocaust is denied."
3. Turn the other cheek
In the wake of riots across the Muslim world sparked by the anti-Muslim film "The Innocence of Muslims," Obama called violence an illegitimate reaction to offensive speech, religious or otherwise.
"There are no words that excuse the killing of innocents. There is no video that justifies an attack on an embassy. There is no slander that provides an excuse for people to burn a restaurant in Lebanon, or destroy a school in Tunis, or cause death and destruction in Pakistan."
4. One nation under God
Obama drew on the religious diversity of the U.S. to make his case for tolerance abroad.
"We are a country that has welcomed people of every race and religion. We are home to Muslims who worship across our country," he said. "We understand why people take offense to this video because millions of our citizens are among them."
Religion scholar Diana Butler Bass said the president went further, presenting a modern vision of American exceptionalism from which the rest of the world can learn, "where the U.S. is uniquely positioned to offer a vision of pluralism."
"It's a compelling explanation of what America can be in a diverse and connected world," she said.
5. The danger of extremism
The democratic movements sweeping the Arab world could be derailed by intolerance rooted in religious difference, Obama warned. He made the preservation of the Arab Spring a global responsibility.
"It is time to marginalize those who -- even when not resorting to violence -- use hatred of America, or the West, or Israel as a central principle of politics," he said. "For that only gives cover, and sometimes makes excuses, for those who resort to violence."
(CNN) ? Fourteen can be a time of total transformation. It is an age when gangly adolescent limbs may morph into lithe, stronger ones. It is when the first signs of adulthood ? breasts, hair (on faces and other places) ? start cropping up.
Fourteen is also the soonest any child should be tackling on a football field, heading a soccer ball, or body checking an opponent on an ice hockey rink, according to a leading concussion expert.
?If kids don?t have axillary (underarm) or pubic hair, they aren?t ready to play,? said Dr. Robert Cantu, a neurosurgeon at Emerson Hospital in Massachusetts and author of a new book, ?Concussion and Our Kids.?
?And I have absolutely no problem with parents who want to hold a child out for longer, say 16 or 18.?
No tackling? No body checking before 14?
Heading a soccer ball before 14 in soccer might be sacrificed ? if studies eventually bear out the debatable link to concussion ? but tackling and body checking essentially define football and hockey.
Limit hits, limit concussions in young brains
In Cantu?s words, ?These are sports in which smashing into your opponent isn?t just a possibility ? it?s the object of the game.?
And there is some substance behind the argument for waiting until 14, says Cantu, not the least of which is protecting young, developing brains. At 14, he says, several things enhance the body?s ability to protect against head trauma.
Before 14, there is a size disparity between the head and the body, causing what concussion experts call a ?bobble-head? effect ? the head snaps back dramatically after it is hit.
?Our youngsters have big heads on very weak necks and that combination sets up the brain for greater injury,? said Cantu, a clinical professor of neurosurgery at Boston University School of Medicine.
However, around age 14, a child?s skull is about 90% the size of an adult?s, and the neck and body are strong enough to steel the head against the force of a blow, according to Cantu. The more developed the neck muscles, the less dramatically the head (and thus the brain) is rocked after a tackle or a body check.
And then there is the issue of brain development, and a protein called myelin. Myelin acts as insulation, a sort of buffer, for nerve fibers in the brain.
By 14, Cantu says children have a ?better myelin-ated? brain, making them less vulnerable to injury.
Of course, such a bold proposition, one that would effectively change the way sports are played, causes a minor stir among experts.
?I don?t know what is magic about the number 14,? said Dr. Julian Bailes, co-director of the NorthShore Neurological Institute. ?People suggest radical solutions, but is it practical? Is it going to be done
Bailes acknowledges the debate as complicated. On one hand is a real need to protect children, on the other the unavoidable and possibly insurmountable cultural questions that enter the discussion.
?What does the sporting public want and what is something we can really accomplish?? said Bailes, who also is chairman of the Pop Warner medical advisory board. ?As a society, as sporting fans and participants, are we ready to say we?re not going to play football??
Apart from the cultural implications of placing broad limits on contact, there also is the question of what age-specific limits on hitting actually imply about a child?s long-term risk for brain damage.
There is no definitive set of risk factors for diseases like chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a dementia-like illness that is associated with blows to the head ? although cases as young as 17 have been identified ? and no clues yet from the scientific community about when and precisely how it starts.
And then there is the pesky question of science.
?I would very clearly disagree with the concept that there is research to support (no contact before age 14),? said Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, chair of the Sports Neurology Section of the American Academy of Neurology.
?I don?t feel like we need to have all the science lined up before we make policy decisions, but those decisions should be made based on common sense and science rather than randomness.?
Yet even Kutcher has difficulty dismissing the idea outright. The reality, he says, is that brains don?t like to be hit a lot and younger brains are still developing, which could cause problems down the road.
Kutcher says he advocates ?diminishing versus outlawing? head contact, adding that waiting to tackle until age 14 sounds arbitrary.
?Some of the sports we?ve introduced children to involve hundreds of hits to the head,? said Chris Nowinski, a concussion expert and author of ?Head Games.?
?Show me the scientific evidence that that?s a good idea.?
What everyone seems to agree about is that hits to the developing brain are bad; that agreement can dissolve once the emotionally charged conversation about the sanctity of sport begins.
?I would love to debate anyone, anytime, anywhere about this,? said Cantu. ?What the other side will say is you have to teach the kids the skills of a sport at a very young age otherwise they?re at a competitive disadvantage. It?s just plain B.S.?
?I?m pro-sports. I just want them to be played more safely,? said Cantu, adding that youth athletes have the least-experienced coaches and few medical personnel on the sidelines, putting them at a compelling disadvantage.
What he wants is for parents to carefully consider the potential long-term consequences of brain blows in their children ? to advocate for their safety.
?Reform should be happening much faster at the youth level than it does,? said Nowinski, who is co-founder of the Sports Legacy Institute with Cantu. ?We?re saying wake up, your child has so many disadvantages.
?Your kids only have one life and you should think twice about putting your kid in a sport where they?re hitting their head repeatedly.?
As for the magic number 14? Cantu says that age matters less than maturity and that parents might even decide to wait until after age 14 to expose their children to contact.
?The mantra of the book is that no head trauma is good head trauma,? said Cantu. The brain cannot be conditioned to take head trauma so make it as little as possible.?
Questions lingers about long-term impact of subtle hits to the head.
The-CNN-Wire/Atlanta ? & ? 2012 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
As we get ready for three television debates between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, much is being written about the first one between John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon 52 years ago. The problem is that so much of it is wrong. Rarely have so many inaccuracies become part of an event's mythology. Over the years I've written about the pivotal Kennedy-Nixon debate several times. I watched it twice...? Read?More
Aug. 27, 2012 5:31 pm
When Steve Jobs died, a satrical publication called The Onion lamented that Jobs was the last American who knew what the hell he was doing. It was a different time and a different world, but Neil Armstrong, who died August 25 at 82, knew what he was doing, too. The first man to walk on the moon; it doesn't get any better than that. In this utterly dispiriting presidential campaign - something...? Read?More
Aug. 21, 2012 5:26 pm
Scott McKenzie may have died, which he did a few days back at the age of 73, but his song San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) lives on, which is too bad because I hate the damn thing. Always have, by the way. I am no Robert-come-lately. I hated it as much in the summer of 1967, when it first abraded the nation's ears, as I do now. That song has more sap than an entire forest...? Read?More
Aug. 16, 2012 1:47 pm
We live in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which bills itself as "The City Different" - and let me tell you, it isn't kidding. Don't misunderstand - after more than three years, we love it here. Great sunsets, great food, lots of art, very outdoorsy. But to call Santa Fe different doesn't get the job done. This place is nuts. Let me offer some examples: The Woo Woo Factor We lived in California for...? Read?More
Aug. 8, 2012 4:01 pm
I don't watch much television news and every so often it's good to be reminded why. A couple of days ago two self-inflating gas bags on Fox News - where else? - were releasing hot air all over Gabby Douglas and her double gold medal-winning gymnastics performance at the London Olympics. Alisyn Camerota, guest host of Fox's "America Live," pointed out that it was noticed by "some folks,"...? Read?More
Jul. 19, 2012 3:23 pm
You probably weren't at all wondering why 90-plus year old British mystery writer P. D. James thought I was gay. That's okay, I gave it enough thought for all of us. Me, my wife, Dana, and another couple recently indulged ourselves in a trans-Atlantic cruise from New York City to Great Britain via the Queen Mary II. Unlike the standard port-a-day cruises, we got on the ship in New York City and...? Read?More
Jun. 7, 2012 3:08 pm
It seemed as if the great Ray Bradbury always was and always would be, and it does not seem possible that he could die. Many will praise the extraordinary literary legacy he left behind with his death at age 91 - more than 27 novels, 600 short stories, and many classic short story collections, including "The Martian Chronicles," "Fahrenheit 451," "Dandelion Wine," and one of the the greatest...? Read?More
May 28, 2012 4:13 pm
And so, like the song says, another one bites the dust. In this case, "another one" is the New Orleans Times-Picayune, which sometime this fall will go out of business as a daily newspaper, leaving New Orleans as the largest city in the country without one. We should be used to this by now. The newspapers that now Rest In Peace include the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, the Seattle...? Read?More
May 23, 2012 1:10 pm
There was a time, back long before the earth cooled, when you had to get up to change the channel! What! those who are not of a certain age may cry. Impossible! The horror! The brutality of it all! Trust me, it's in all the history books. And who is the man who helped lead us out of this dark and terrifying time? I give you Eugene Polley, inventor of the first wireless channel changer,...? Read?More
May 6, 2012 2:18 pm
A friend recently sent me a copy of an essay by the writer Hilary Mantel that confronted a problem faced by all historical novelists: How did those people talk? As Mantel, author of the excellent novel "Wolf Hall," pointed out, in any era the language in preserved letters, speeches and documents is much more formal than how people really spoke to each other. In Mantel's case, that era is Tudor...? Read?More
May 4, 2012 12:13 pm
I have been asked time and time again - that makes twice - why I was interested in writing two novels about Sam Houston, a man whose name is well known but without anything specific coming to mind for most people. Which is one reason I wanted to write about him. He was, to say the least, colorful, which makes writing about him a lot more enjoyable. I'm sure there are people who yearn to write...? Read?More
The workshop is carrying out the lean production of high tech cell phone jammer . Pass with complete exchange of identity. Mobile video mobile communication technology, transmitted through the wireless communication network, mobile video user as the recipient of the terminals used in this process to obtain information from the passive acceptance of information into active choice, and the audience to choose the content in Meanwhile, the information can also be received via SMS to participate in feedback, such as news events that are taking place to express their views, live sports events are forecast to comment on and even affect the development of the story is being played mobisodes, content The provider can also build exclusive mobile phone power video chat programs. And then the quality and performance of high tech cell phone jammer can be guaranteed for the customer. During this time, you can play the informational video and news. Lunchtime Video. After a morning of busy work, people want to use a short lunch break to relax tense nerves and brain, the entertainment Gao Xiaolei particularly suitable to play during this time. Evening video. The end of the day's work, most people will choose to watch TV, but more and more people want their own entertainment space, the privacy of the mobile phone is well in line with the psychology of such people, so the TV shows and movies class The video programs are particularly suitable for viewing during this time. Content to build due to the different mobile video has a different function from the function of the content and the user is vastly different. Recently, the factory pays more attention to the implementation of the lean production of high tech cell phone jammer . For example, some kinds of cell phone jammer have the remote control function Propagation time and interest in the personalized requirements of the corresponding products. On the build of mobile video content to note is that the customization of mobile video content is not intended to cover everything, because in the present circumstances, too personalized content to the lack of sharing, mobile video services also need to continue to focus on popular culture strive for different groups of people on the basis of the program creation form of audience fragmentation. Can encourage user-generated video content, upload own mobile phone network as a platform to build a platform of communication between a user, entertainment. Interactive content interaction is also a mobile video content in a question worth considering. SMS in the dissemination of its pass with almost one, send and receive SMS. And which kind of material of high tech cell phone jammer is out of stock.
Pantech was the first manufacturer to introduce an under-$100 smartphone?on AT&T's network earlier this year with the Pantech Burst?. That phone is now free, but Pantech has seriously upped the budget phone ante with the $49.99 Pantech Flex. With the Flex, you get a blistering dual-core processor, blazing fast LTE data speeds, and a strikingly thin, attractive design. There's also a starter mode that modifies the software for smartphone beginners. It's a tremendous value for the money, with features and performance comparable with much pricier smartphones. It's our Editors' Choice for budget smartphones on AT&T.
Design, Connectivity, and Call Quality One thing's for sure: The Flex certainly doesn't look like a budget phone?or even a phone from Pantech, for that matter. At 5.11 by 2.63 by 0.31 inches (HWD) and 4.66 ounces, it's supermodel-thin. Made from a mix of rubberized black plastic and gray aluminum, it feels more premium than the top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy S III .
The 4.3-inch, 960-by-540-pixel Super AMOLED display looks bright and rich, but the Pentile pixel layout means it doesn't look as crisp as the IPS LCD on the LG Escape. On-screen buttons lend the phone an ultra-minimalist look, especially when the display is off. It's very comfortable to hold, and there's plenty of room on screen to type comfortably. There's a Power button and microUSB port on the right side of the phone, a volume rocker on the left, and a 3.5mm headphone jack up top.
The Flex runs on AT&T's EDGE, HSPA+ 21, and LTE networks. There's also support for 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. Reception is average, and the phone turned in some truly excellent data speeds. Downloads averaged 18.5Mbps, and uploads hovered around 13Mbps. That's a little faster than the LG Escape, though the Escape's data speeds were more consistent, so it's an equal tradeoff. If you take a look at our Fastest Mobile Networks?survey, you'll see that AT&T's LTE can exceed Verizon's LTE speeds, though Verizon's LTE is more consistent and covers more of the nation.
Voice quality was about average in my tests. Incoming calls sounded a little thready, with a hollow, ambient buzzing in the background. On the other end, calls made with the Flex sounded a little choppy, but good noise cancellation was able to drown out the sounds of moderate construction. The speakerphone sounds fine, but it's too low for outdoor use. Calls sounded good through a Jawbone Era?Bluetooth headset and standard Android voice dialing worked accurately. Talk time was very good, at 9 hours and 33 minutes.
Processor, Android, and Apps Powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8960 processor, the Flex is super fast. It's the same chip you'll find in higher-end phones, like the Motorola Atrix HD. Benchmark scores were excellent, and this phone won't have trouble running any of the 500,000+ apps in the Google Play store for some time to come.
The Flex runs Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich). There's no word yet on an update to Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), but you do get to choose whether you'd like to use Pantech simplified UI, which it calls Easy Experience. ?
The Cobra Wallet is the latest wallet design to seek funding via Kickstarter. This wallet features a curved design that offers storage for up to 8 cards and a couple of bills (there’s also a hidden area that can hold a key). At only .5 inches thick, the Cobra Wallet helps reduce pocket bulge while [...]
Researchers at Rice University have created a lithium ion battery which can be painted on virtually any surface.?
By Joao Peixe,?Guest blogger / September 24, 2012
A Dell notebook computer battery is shown in this August 2006 file photo, in Farmers Branch, Texas. A team at Rice University has recently developed a battery made from paint, according to OilPrice.com.
Matt Slocum/AP/File
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One of the biggest problems with batteries is the weight and bulky nature of their packaging. It is the major limiting factors for electric vehicles. Several years ago, to overcome this problem, scientists started researching ultra-thin batteries which would be able to hold the same charge but in a much smaller space. In 2009 researchers from the University of Stanford announced that they had created a battery out of a single piece of plain copier paper by using carbon nanotubes to store energy and generate electricity.
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The announcement of such a thin battery led some to predict that one day someone would invent printable battery technology.?(More from Oilprice.com:?Japan Steps Away from Nuclear Power)
That day has arrived.
A team at Rice University has made a battery from paint. They created a lithium ion battery which they are able to paint onto virtually any surface. In tests they combined the battery with a small solar cell and found that the system worked as a perfect energy generating unit. In one test the batteries were even able to power light-emitting diodes that spelled out "RICE" for six hours, with a steady 2.4 volts.?(More from Oilprice.com:?Ignore the Political Optimism, the Planet is in Trouble)
Neelam Singh, the team leader, said that she can already imagine integrating paintable battery technology withpaintable solar cells.
They have already filed for a patent, and are now looking to use the technology to create batteries that can be connected together like LEGO and attached to anything.
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best energy bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link in the blog description box above.
Showings are up. Inventory is down. And homes keep selling in the Rochester, Minnesota area real estate market.
The inventory of homes for sale continued to contract last week with 20% fewer active listings compared to the same time period a year ago, which in turn were down 23% from the previous year. Available listings have been steadily decreasing week over week, with just 672 homes currently for sale in the Rochester, Minnesota area. The average asking price for these homes, $225,602, is up 9.1% compared to last year, with the average market time of 137 days down 17.5%.
In August, showings were up nearly 15% year over year with the absorption rate at just 5.36 months. Last September the absorption rate was 6.95 months, declining steadily through the fall to a low of 4.92 in January 2012. After a brief upward spike through the early selling season the absorption rate resumed its downward trend through the spring and summer months.
There are currently just 672 homes listed for sale in Rochester Minnesota. Average asking price for these homes is $225,602 and average market time is 137 days.
Last week (September 14 to 20, 2012) there were 40 new residential listings in Rochester Minnesota last week with an average listing price of $171,434. There were 30 homes that went off the market under contract to pending last week. Average asking price for these homes was $162,969 and average market time was 93 days.
Last week?s 46 closings on Rochester area homes had an average sold price of $150,164 and an average 92 days on the market.
To view this past week?s area?real estate activity, click here for new listings and click here for pended listings.
Shawn Buryska, Coldwell Banker Burnet Realty, Licensed in the state of Minnesota
If you found this page useful, consider linking to it. Simply copy and paste the code below into your web site (Ctrl+C to copy) It will look like this: Rochester Minnesota Residential Real Estate Market Conditions ? Monday Morning Market Update (09/24/2012)
FILE - In this Friday, July 13, 2012 file photo, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi speaks to reporters during a joint news conference with Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, unseen, at the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. On the eve of his first trip to the United States as Egypt?s president, Mohammed Morsi has told the New York Times, in his first interview with an American publication, that he envisions the longtime strategic allies to be ?real? friends but said Washington should not expect his country to live by its rules. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)
FILE - In this Friday, July 13, 2012 file photo, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi speaks to reporters during a joint news conference with Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, unseen, at the Presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. On the eve of his first trip to the United States as Egypt?s president, Mohammed Morsi has told the New York Times, in his first interview with an American publication, that he envisions the longtime strategic allies to be ?real? friends but said Washington should not expect his country to live by its rules. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File)
FILE -- In this Saturday, June 30, 2012 file photo, Egypt's newly inaugurated President Mohammed Morsi speaks at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt. On the eve of his first trip to the United States as Egypt?s president, Mohammed Morsi has told the New York Times, in his first interview with an American publication, that he envisions the longtime strategic allies to be ?real? friends but said Washington should not expect his country to live by its rules. (AP Photo/Ahmed Abdel Fattah, File)
CAIRO (AP) ? On the eve of his first visit to the United States as Egypt's president, Islamist Mohammed Morsi said he will demonstrate more independence from the U.S. in decision-making than his predecessor Hosni Mubarak and told Washington not to expect Egypt to live by its rules.
Morsi sent that message in an interview with the New York Times after a wave of violence erupted across the Muslim world over an amateur film produced in the U.S. that was deemed offensive to Islam and its prophet Muhammed. The film raised news tensions between Washington and Egypt.
Morsi criticized U.S. dealings with the Arab world, saying it is not possible to judge Egyptian behavior and decision-making by American cultural standards. He said Washington earned ill will in the region in the past by backing dictators and taking "a very clear" biased approach against the Palestinians and for Israel.
"Successive American administrations essentially purchased with American taxpayer money the dislike, if not the hatred, of the peoples of the region," he told the paper in the interview published late Saturday, drawing a clear distinction between the American government and the American people. Those administrations "have taken a very clear biased approach against something that (has) very strong emotional ties to the people of the region that is the issue of Palestine."
He stressed that unlike his predecessor, Mubarak, he will behave "according to the Egyptian people's choice and will, nothing else."
Morsi, who was sworn in on June 30 after the first democratic elections in Egypt's modern history, has been cautious not to sharply depart from Mubarak's foreign policy path, particularly the longstanding alliance with the United States.
But with an Islamist president at the helm of the Arab world's most populous country, there are already differences and changes of focus. Morsi has been expected to distance himself from what many Egyptians saw as Mubarak's compliance with Washington's agenda in the Middle East, especially because his Muslim Brotherhood group has been a vocal critic of U.S. policy in the region and in the Muslim world.
In the interview, Morsi dismissed criticism that he responded too slowly when protesters managed to scale the walls of the heavily fortified U.S. Embassy in Cairo on Sept. 11. The demonstrators replaced the American flag with a banner carrying the Islamic declaration of faith.
Morsi said he needed to deal with the situation "wisely" and took time to avoid a backlash from an angry but small crowd of protesters.
While he praised President Barack Obama for moving "decisively and quickly" to support Arab Spring uprisings against longtime authoritarian leaders, he said Arabs like Americans want to live "free in their own land, according to their customs and values, in a fair and democratic fashion."
To this end, Morsi urged the U.S. to live up to its commitments to support an independent Palestinian state.
Since taking office, Morsi, 61, has been immersed in largely foreign policy issues. He has strongly criticized the Syria regime for violently repressing the uprising there, tried to warm relations with the Palestinians, and has dealt with tensions between the Middle East and the West over the anti-Islam film.
Reflecting the tension with Washington over the protests, Obama was asked about Egypt a day after anti-U.S. protests broke out in Egypt on Sept. 11 and he said he does not consider it an ally or an enemy.
The Times asked Morsi if the U.S. was an ally, to which he replied with a laugh by saying: "That depends on your definition of ally."
But he quickly followed by saying he wants a real friendship with the U.S.
"I think what I am trying seriously (is to) look into the future and to see that we are real friends."
Every week, the research staff at Football Night In America puts together extensive notes and research for every game.? Every Sunday morning (ideally), I review those notes.? Carefully (ideally).
In order to ensure that I review the notes, I?ll try (ideally) to post one intriguing fact per game, every Sunday morning.
Rams at Bears:? Michael Bush has had 25 or more carries five times in his career.? His team has never lost when that?s happened, and he has rushed for 684 yards in those five games combined.
Bill at Browns:? Trent Richardson became the first rookie to run for more than 100 yards and score a rushing and receiving touchdown since Samkon Gado in 2005.
Bucs at Cowboys:? Tony Romo has never lost to Tampa, winning all three times he has faced them.? In those three games combined, Romo has thrown 11 touchdown passes, zero interceptions, and has generated a passer rating of 144.8.
Jaguars at Colts:? With his next rushing touchdown, Maurice Jones-Drew will become the all-time leader in franchise history.? He?s currently tied with Fred Taylor at 62.
Jets at Dolphins:? Reggie Bush, who has a 6.8-yard rushing average against the Jets, has three straight 100-yard rushing games at home.
49ers at Vikings:? Move over Joe Montana and Steve Young.? Alex Smith has thrown 216 passes without an interception, a franchise record.
Chiefs at Saints:? Lost in the Saints? 0-2 start is the fact that Drew Brees is now only two games behind matching John Unitas with a touchdown pass in 47 straight games.
Lions at Titans:? Matthew Stafford has 2,504 passing yards since December 2011, most in the league.
Bengals at Redskins:? Since 2005, only Devin Hester has more punt-return touchdowns than Adam Jones.? (Making Hester?s total more impressive is the fact that he didn?t enter the NFL until 2006.)
Eagles at Cardinals:? Darnell Dockett has 28.5 sacks since 2007, the most of any defensive tackle in the league.
Falcons at Chargers:? Philip Rivers is 200 passing yards away from 25,000 for his career.
Texans at Broncos:? The Texans are the only team to start each of the last three seasons 2-0, but the Broncos are 2-0 at home all-time against the Texans.
Steelers at Raiders:? Darren McFadden has 15 receptions so far this season, tying him with Reggie Wayne for the AFC lead.
Patriots at Ravens:? With 21 passing yards, Tom Brady will pass his boyhood idol, Joe Montana, who had 40,551 in his career.
Packers at Seahawks:? Marshawn Lynch has rushed for more than 100 yards at home in six straight games, with 712 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
Study finds germ-killing power in the eyesPublic release date: 24-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sarah Yang scyang@berkeley.edu 510-643-7741 University of California - Berkeley
Discovery could lead to new antimicrobial drugs
Berkeley When it comes to germ-busting power, the eyes have it, according to a discovery by University of California, Berkeley, researchers that could lead to new, inexpensive antimicrobial drugs.
A team of UC Berkeley vision scientists has found that small fragments of keratin protein in the eye play a key role in warding off pathogens. The researchers also put synthetic versions of these keratin fragments to the test against an array of nasty pathogens. These synthetic molecules effectively zapped bacteria that can lead to flesh-eating disease and strep throat (Streptococcus pyogenes), diarrhea (Escherichia coli), staph infections (Staphylococcus aureus) and cystic fibrosis lung infections (Pseudomonas aeruginosa).
The findings, to be published in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, could lead to a powerful new weapon in the battle against disease-causing invaders. These keratin fragments are relatively easy to manufacture, making them good candidates for low-cost therapeutics, the study authors said.
"What's really exciting is that the keratins in our study are already in the body, so we know that they are not toxic, and that they are biocompatible," said the study's principal investigator, Suzanne Fleiszig, a professor at UC Berkeley's School of Optometry who specializes in infectious diseases and microbiology. "The problem with small, naturally occurring, antimicrobial molecules identified in previous research is that they were either toxic or easily inactivated by concentrations of salt that are normally found in our bodies."
These new small proteins in the study were derived from cytokeratin 6A, one of the filament proteins that connect to form a mesh throughout the cytoplasm of epithelial cells.
"We used to think that cytokeratins were primarily structural proteins, but our study shows that these fragments of keratin also have microbe-fighting capabilities," said study lead author Connie Tam, an assistant research scientist in Fleiszig's lab. "Cytokeratin 6A can be found in the epithelial cells of the human cornea as well as in skin, hair and nails. These are all areas of the body that are constantly exposed to microbes, so it makes sense that they would be part of the body's defense."
In a commentary published alongside the study, Michael Zasloff, professor of surgery and pediatrics at Georgetown University's School of Medicine, said these "keratin-derived antimicrobial peptides appear to be exciting new biocompatible candidates for development as human anti-infective therapeutics."
The researchers in Fleiszig's lab came upon cytokeratin 6A in their efforts to solve the mystery behind the eye's remarkable resilience to infection. They noticed that the surface of the eye, unlike other surfaces of the body, did not have bacteria living on it, and that corneal tissue could handily wipe out a barrage of pathogens in lab culture experiments.
"It is very difficult to infect the cornea of a healthy eye," said Fleiszig. "We've even used tissue paper to damage the eye's surface cells and then plastered them with bacteria, and still had trouble getting bacteria to enter the cornea. So we proposed that maybe there were antimicrobial factors that are unique to the eye."
In the hunt for this mystery compound, the researchers cultured human corneal epithelial cells and exposed them to the P. aeruginosa bacteria. They used mass spectrometry to sort out which peptides were most active in fighting off the bacteria. Cytokeratin 6A-derived peptides emerged the winners, and surprisingly, peptide fragments as short as 10 amino acids were effective.
To confirm that they got the right protein, the researchers used gene-silencing techniques to reduce the expression of cytokeratin 6A in the cornea of mice. With a key defense disabled, the amount of bacteria that adhered to the corneas increased fivefold.
Tests showed that cytokeratin 6A-derived fragments could quickly kill bacteria in water and in a saline solution, showing that the salt contained in human tears would not dilute the protein's effectiveness. Other experiments indicated that cytokeratin 6A fragments prevented the bacteria from attacking epithelial cells, and that the proteins cause bacterial membranes to leak, killing the pathogen within minutes.
The researchers noted that further research could reveal numerous different keratin fragments in the body's innate defense system.
"Keratins may represent a novel class of antimicrobials with the potential to be designed to selectively kill specific pathogens," said Tam.
###
Other study co-authors from UC Berkeley's School of Optometry are James Mun, a former UC Berkeley Ph.D. student, and David Evans, a UC Berkeley associate research scientist and a professor of biological and pharmaceutical sciences at Touro University California in Vallejo.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health provided support for this research.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Study finds germ-killing power in the eyesPublic release date: 24-Sep-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sarah Yang scyang@berkeley.edu 510-643-7741 University of California - Berkeley
Discovery could lead to new antimicrobial drugs
Berkeley When it comes to germ-busting power, the eyes have it, according to a discovery by University of California, Berkeley, researchers that could lead to new, inexpensive antimicrobial drugs.
A team of UC Berkeley vision scientists has found that small fragments of keratin protein in the eye play a key role in warding off pathogens. The researchers also put synthetic versions of these keratin fragments to the test against an array of nasty pathogens. These synthetic molecules effectively zapped bacteria that can lead to flesh-eating disease and strep throat (Streptococcus pyogenes), diarrhea (Escherichia coli), staph infections (Staphylococcus aureus) and cystic fibrosis lung infections (Pseudomonas aeruginosa).
The findings, to be published in the October issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, could lead to a powerful new weapon in the battle against disease-causing invaders. These keratin fragments are relatively easy to manufacture, making them good candidates for low-cost therapeutics, the study authors said.
"What's really exciting is that the keratins in our study are already in the body, so we know that they are not toxic, and that they are biocompatible," said the study's principal investigator, Suzanne Fleiszig, a professor at UC Berkeley's School of Optometry who specializes in infectious diseases and microbiology. "The problem with small, naturally occurring, antimicrobial molecules identified in previous research is that they were either toxic or easily inactivated by concentrations of salt that are normally found in our bodies."
These new small proteins in the study were derived from cytokeratin 6A, one of the filament proteins that connect to form a mesh throughout the cytoplasm of epithelial cells.
"We used to think that cytokeratins were primarily structural proteins, but our study shows that these fragments of keratin also have microbe-fighting capabilities," said study lead author Connie Tam, an assistant research scientist in Fleiszig's lab. "Cytokeratin 6A can be found in the epithelial cells of the human cornea as well as in skin, hair and nails. These are all areas of the body that are constantly exposed to microbes, so it makes sense that they would be part of the body's defense."
In a commentary published alongside the study, Michael Zasloff, professor of surgery and pediatrics at Georgetown University's School of Medicine, said these "keratin-derived antimicrobial peptides appear to be exciting new biocompatible candidates for development as human anti-infective therapeutics."
The researchers in Fleiszig's lab came upon cytokeratin 6A in their efforts to solve the mystery behind the eye's remarkable resilience to infection. They noticed that the surface of the eye, unlike other surfaces of the body, did not have bacteria living on it, and that corneal tissue could handily wipe out a barrage of pathogens in lab culture experiments.
"It is very difficult to infect the cornea of a healthy eye," said Fleiszig. "We've even used tissue paper to damage the eye's surface cells and then plastered them with bacteria, and still had trouble getting bacteria to enter the cornea. So we proposed that maybe there were antimicrobial factors that are unique to the eye."
In the hunt for this mystery compound, the researchers cultured human corneal epithelial cells and exposed them to the P. aeruginosa bacteria. They used mass spectrometry to sort out which peptides were most active in fighting off the bacteria. Cytokeratin 6A-derived peptides emerged the winners, and surprisingly, peptide fragments as short as 10 amino acids were effective.
To confirm that they got the right protein, the researchers used gene-silencing techniques to reduce the expression of cytokeratin 6A in the cornea of mice. With a key defense disabled, the amount of bacteria that adhered to the corneas increased fivefold.
Tests showed that cytokeratin 6A-derived fragments could quickly kill bacteria in water and in a saline solution, showing that the salt contained in human tears would not dilute the protein's effectiveness. Other experiments indicated that cytokeratin 6A fragments prevented the bacteria from attacking epithelial cells, and that the proteins cause bacterial membranes to leak, killing the pathogen within minutes.
The researchers noted that further research could reveal numerous different keratin fragments in the body's innate defense system.
"Keratins may represent a novel class of antimicrobials with the potential to be designed to selectively kill specific pathogens," said Tam.
###
Other study co-authors from UC Berkeley's School of Optometry are James Mun, a former UC Berkeley Ph.D. student, and David Evans, a UC Berkeley associate research scientist and a professor of biological and pharmaceutical sciences at Touro University California in Vallejo.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the National Institutes of Health provided support for this research.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
September 19th, 2012 by greendragon | No Comments ?
If you like quests, enjoy board games and are always on the look out for family fun, we have some good news for you!? The folks at Prolific Games, designers of innovative board games, are busy making The Hirelings, a traditional game which uses a board, dice and cards to create a world of myth and mayhem!? The premise is this: ?Deep in a dragon?s lair, the Heroes have been unceremoniously (but predictably) burnt to nothingness leaving the Hirelings to scramble their way to safety.?
Read more about the game after the break?
In keeping with the notion of the smallest people changing the world, the idea behind ?Hirelings? is that it?s the somewhat inept and incompetent??baggage carriers? who suddenly find themselves in the middle of an adventure.? Bill Sininger, one of the game?s creators, says, ?We designed it so kids can start learning to make choices, and parents can enjoy gaming with their kids.?? It?s a fairly straight forward game, suitable for kids from age 5, but the concept will appeal to adults and the artwork is, according to fathergeek.com in their review, ?simply outstanding?.
The catch is ? this game is in the development phase and needs funding!? You can learn more about the game at their kickstarter page, where you can support if you wish ? and maybe grab yourself a fabulous tshirt?into the bargain!? Looks like a lot?of fun to us here at TORn; and TORn old timers may be interested to know that designer Bill Sininger?is the nephew of former TORn staffer Balin, who sadly sailed into the West but is never forgotten round these parts.
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Public release date: 28-Sep-2012
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If you like quests, enjoy board games and are always on the look out for family fun, we have some good news for you!? The folks at Prolific Games, designers of innovative board games, are busy making The Hirelings, a traditional game which uses a board, dice and cards to create a world of myth and mayhem!? The premise is this: ?Deep in a dragon?s lair, the Heroes have been unceremoniously (but predictably) burnt to nothingness leaving the Hirelings to scramble their way to safety.?