Thursday, June 28, 2012

Information and Advice on Freelance Careers. Building Business ...

Ever wonder why your competitors get featured in the local paper or magazines and you don't? It's not just luck that brings the reporters to their door - chances are it's a press release.

When you or your business is featured in a publication, unless the article's there to highlight something you've done wrong, it's a very good thing. That article is free advertising, and even the short one-paragraph blurbs can lead to a nice increase in business. Such articles help build credibility and educate the public about your philosophies, commitment, and the business itself.

Should you put out a press release?

Naturally, you'd like to benefit from such free advertising. But is this the right time to send a press release? Generally speaking, your release will be ignored if it's not newsworthy enough to interest the publication's readership. Grand openings, awards, major client contracts (really big ones!), seminars you're hosting, important policy changes, and other events that interest the business community or the public may qualify.

If you can't think of a reason to issue a release, consider doing something newsworthy just for that purpose. Hold a contest, launch a frequent buyer program, or host a seminar on a topic related to your business.

Goals of a press release

A press release has two main goals:

1. To be published as written, OR

2. To interest a staff writer in contacting you for further coverage.

The temptation to "just let them do it" is strong, especially if you're not a particularly strong writer. Even if your goal is to bring a reporter to your door, a professional writer can help you state things in a way that will hook the editor's interest and separate your release from the many - possibly hundreds - that hit his desk each day. A well-written press release also gives the reporter an easy structure to follow, copy points, and phrases he can use. This isn't plagiarism - it's teamwork.

There's an advantage to getting it published as written, though, and many publications will do just this if they're short on time or space...or if it's perfect as is. When you do this, you have control over the words. No need to worry about being misquoted, misunderstood, or having key elements omitted.

The key is having it perfect, as is, or as close to perfect as possible. A professional writer, with experience in writing press releases, can do this. It's not always easy to craft a piece that covers everything you need while still appearing objective. If the article is too much like an advertisement, the publication will reject it and instead suggest that you purchase ad space. But if the press release reads like "news", is in the publication's standard news article format and adheres to editorial policies, you've got a good chance of seeing it as submitted, or at least close.

Anatomy of a press release

A press release consists of five main parts: Contact information, Release Date, Title, Body, and Call to Action. Depending on the situation, a sixth part may also be included - the boilerplate.

Contact information states who the publication's editor - not the reader - should contact if additional information is needed. Release date is usually "for immediate release" but if a later date is specified, perhaps to tie in with a holiday or a specific event, the publication will honor it.

Title is important, because obviously it's the first thing the editor will read, but also because it may very well end up as the title of the published article - even if the reporter re-writes the body. The body itself delivers the information, and the call to action is the part that tells your reader what you want them to do after reading the article. Should the call you? Come in on a certain day? Don't leave that out.

A boilerplate is background information, and is crucial if you or your business isn't already well known in the community. This isn't part of the release and won't get printed; it just gives the editor and staff writers a bit more information about why your release is important.

What to do with a press release Your press release's destination depends on which segment of the population you wish to reach, and which publications are most likely to use such a release. Generally the larger the publication, the less likely it will use your release as written - it may use part, or may use the release as a launching point for something entirely different.

You can send your release directly to the publications via e-mail or regular mail, and as with any submission to an editor, it helps to know the correct person's name and title. A professional writer can help you there, too.

Also, services such as PR Newswire (http://www.prnewswire.com) or EWorldWire (http://www.eworldwire.com) can help, for a fee.

Many professionals also advocate purchasing advertising space in the publication for the issue that will run your press release, if it's possible to find that date out in advance.

When your press release has been distributed and published, the benefits don't stop there. You can often use the press release itself for other marketing purposes, such as assisting with copy for brochures, the wording for smaller print ads, sales letters, etc.

About the author: Pamela Kock is a freelance commerical copywriter. She can be reached at (513) 284-7124. Visit her website to find out more about her services: http://www.wayswriter.com.

Author: Pamela Kock

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Role of urban greenery in CO2 exchange demonstrated

ScienceDaily (June 27, 2012) ? In what might be the first study to report continuous measurements of net CO2 exchange of urban vegetation and soils over a full year or more, scientists from UC Santa Barbara and the University of Minnesota conclude that not only is vegetation important in the uptake of the greenhouse gas, but also that different types of vegetation play different roles.

Their findings will be published July 4 in the current issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research -- Biogeosciences, a publication of the American Geophysical Union.

"There has been little research of this type in the urban landscape," said Joe McFadden, an associate professor in the UC Santa Barbara Department of Geography, and a co-author of the study. While continuous CO2 measurements have been made in natural ecosystems all around the globe, only in the past few years have researchers attempted to use them in developed areas such as cities and suburbs, which often contain large amounts of green space.

"The net exchange of CO2 between the land and the atmosphere is determined by the balance between things that release CO2, such as burning fossil fuels and respiration of living organisms, and the uptake of CO2 by plant photosynthesis," said first author Emily Peters, from the University of Minnesota.

Using a method of measuring CO2 exchange that involves placing sensors high above the ground to record tiny changes in CO2, temperature, water vapor and wind, McFadden and Peters set out to monitor the suburbs just outside of St. Paul, Minn., a place with distinct seasonal changes and enough rainfall for plants to grow without irrigation.

"The question was: Can we see what the green space is doing against the backdrop of human activities?" said McFadden.

The researchers found that typical suburban greenery, such as trees and lawns, played significant roles with respect to CO2 uptake. For nine months out of the year, the suburban landscape was a source of CO2 to the atmosphere; but during the summer, the carbon uptake by vegetation was large enough to balance out fossil fuel emissions of carbon within the neighborhood. Compared to the natural landscape outside the city, the peak daily uptake of CO2 in the suburbs would have been at the low end uptake for a hardwood forest in the region.

However, the activity of the vegetation also differs by type, according to the study.

"Lawns' peak carbon uptake occurred in the spring and fall, because they are made up of cool-season grass species that are stressed by summer heat," said Peters, "while trees had higher CO2 uptake throughout the summer." Evergreen trees maintained their CO2 uptake for a longer period of time than deciduous trees because they keep their leaves year-round; deciduous trees lose their leaves in fall and winter.

The study was funded by NASA and is a "first step" toward quantifying the role of vegetation in extensive developed areas, like suburbs, which are the parts of urban areas growing most rapidly in the country. Potential uses for this type of research include urban planning -- where land use and vegetation choices are major decisions -- and policy decisions based on reducing greenhouse gases.

There are a couple of caveats to consider before deciding to lay out the turf or make any big changes in urban tree planting, McFadden noted. The amount of CO2 taken up by vegetation in the suburban area was not enough to balance out, or "offset," the total amount of CO2 released by burning fossil fuels over the course of the year. "Unfortunately, far from it," said McFadden, "We will still need to find ways to lower our carbon footprint."

Additionally, in more arid places like the western United States, where irrigation is a must for lawns and landscaping, the delivery of water comes with its own cost in carbon, as water is pumped from elsewhere. McFadden says further projects in California urban areas are underway.

"This study just gives us a lens into what the green spaces in developed areas are doing," he said.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Santa Barbara.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Emily B Peters, Joseph P. McFadden. Continuous measurements of net CO2 exchange by vegetation and soils in a suburban landscape. Journal of Geophysical Research, 2012; DOI: 10.1029/2011JG001933

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

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

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Hot Yankees breeze past Indians

By MIKE FITZPATRICK

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:43 p.m. ET June 25, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) - Robinson Cano and Hiroki Kuroda have both rebounded from slow starts, two big reasons the New York Yankees are on such a merry roll.

Cano homered and drove in three runs to extend his recent tear, Kuroda took a shutout into the eighth inning and New York beat the Cleveland Indians 7-1 on Monday night.

Nick Swisher and Dewayne Wise also went deep for the homer-happy Yankees, who opened a seven-game homestand against the top two teams in the AL Central with their third consecutive victory and 13th in 16 games. After winning an intense Subway Series across town against the Mets over the weekend, New York roughed up Josh Tomlin (3-5) early and breezed the rest of the way.

"Everything's just real chill right now," Swisher said. "Everything's just real mellow. We're having a good time."

Cano hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning Sunday night at Citi Field and picked up right where he left off in this one. He smacked a two-run double in the first inning and a solo homer in the third to the short porch in right.

"It feels good. Everything is connecting," said Cano, who raised his batting average with runners in scoring position to .164.

After slumping early this season, Cano has hit six of his 17 homers in the last eight games while increasing his overall average to .302. Earlier in the day, the three-time All-Star moved ahead of Texas second baseman Ian Kinsler in fan balloting for the American League squad.

"You can hold him down for a while, but he's going to get hot," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

It was a painful night for catcher Carlos Santana and the Indians, who dropped their third in a row following a four-game winning streak. Despite wearing a protective guard, he drilled two foul balls off his right foot during a three-pitch span in the fourth, leaving him on the ground in anguish.

Later, he took a foul ball off his glove hand.

"It was a bad day, but I'll be all right," Santana said.

The scuffling Indians were held to one run for the third straight game, getting outscored 22-3 during that span, after managing a 2-0 victory Friday in Houston.

"Josh didn't have it and Kuroda did," Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. "From the get-go, you could tell Josh didn't have command of his pitches. ... Everything was up and this is the wrong place to pitch behind in the count, up in the zone. Wrong place, wrong team."

Wise added an RBI triple in a rare start and Cano made one of several fine defensive plays to back Kuroda (7-7), who improved to 4-1 with a 1.93 ERA in his last six starts.

The 37-year-old right-hander was rarely in trouble besides the fourth, when he walked the first two batters and still escaped unscathed. He easily handled a lineup loaded with nine left-handed bats, giving up five hits while walking two and striking out seven.

Kuroda was lifted after allowing a single and double to start the eighth, walking off to a warm ovation from the crowd of 42,290.

"It's a great feeling and I'm glad I was able to pitch as I did," Kuroda said through a translator. "The fans expect that."

Jason Kipnis hit a sacrifice fly off Clay Rapada. The effervescent Swisher jogged off the field with a big smile after all five balls in the inning were hit to him in right field, sending him sprinting to both his right and left as the roar from the crowd increased with each play.

"You can always debate whether winning causes fun or fun causes winning," Swisher said. "I feel like we have both of that right now, and when we come to the ballpark we feel we're going to be successful every single day. And it's just a great feeling to have right now."

Swisher followed Cano's homer with one of his own, an opposite-field drive that tucked into the left-field corner. Swisher also connected Sunday night, a three-run shot off a knuckleball from previously untouchable R.A. Dickey.

Wise, making his eighth start of the year, hit a long two-run shot in the second for his first homer with the Yankees. He played center field, where Curtis Granderson had started the first 71 games this season.

Granderson was the designated hitter, and third baseman Alex Rodriguez was given the night off.

"I was just happy to walk in today and see my name in the starting lineup. To be honest, I think the team was more happy than I was," Wise said. "I know my role. These guys in front of me have to play every day. I just need to stay ready."

NOTES: The Bleacher Creatures chanted ex-Yankee Johnny Damon's name when he took his position in left field for Cleveland. Damon (2,750 hits) went 1 for 4 with a double. He said he'd like to reach 3,000 hits but isn't sure he'd try to hang on just to do it. He said bouncing from one team to another every year is getting difficult. ... Yankees SS Derek Jeter turns 38 on Tuesday. ... Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira was hit by a pitch on his right hand but remained in the game and said he's fine. ... The Yankees began their annual Hope Week by celebrating Flying Manes, a therapeutic horse-riding program for special-needs children. The team's weeklong charity and community initiative is in its fourth year and includes the organization's minor league affiliates for the first time this season.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Twins spoil Youkilis' debut with White Sox

Francisco Liriano spoiled Kevin Youkilis' first game with Chicago, throwing a season-high seven innings to lead the Minnesota Twins to a 4-1 victory over the White Sox on Monday night.

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From cuisine to circuses, summer camps target bored kids

HIGHGATE, Vermont (Reuters) - Ten-year-old Max Oreck had been planning to spend much of his summer vacation playing computer games and watching television.

Then his mom told the Asheville, North Carolina fifth-grader he was going to summer camp.

Now Max is learning to wield a melon-baller, carve an orange into a basket-shaped dessert garnish and make flowers out of frosting at the Kids Culinary Camp of Vermont, one of dozens of summer camps that offer alternatives to traditional fare.

"I came for two reasons: I like to cook a lot, and my mom made me," says Oreck, dressed in a chef's hat and smock during a break from preparing grilled bacon and cheese sandwiches in the camp's commercial kitchen.

From high-wire walking to plankton propagation to posture lessons, summer camps are offering an increasingly diverse range of activities compared to the traditional canoe trips, swim lessons and marshmallow-roasting.

The popularity of alternatives is helping fuel growth among the estimated 12,000 summer camps in the United States.

Despite the stagnant economy, revenues at day camps grew by 23 percent between 2008 and last year and by 7 percent at sleep-away camps, according to the American Camp Association, which says the 2,400 organized camps it accredits have combined annual revenues of $2.8 billion.

"We see more specialty camps cropping up every year because there seems to be more of a demand for it," Peg Smith, chief executive of the American Camp Association, said in an email.

That includes demand for activities like pie-throwing lessons, which is how 10-year-old Elsie Harrison, an aspiring clown, concluded her recent stay at a day camp run by Vermont-based Circus Smirkus. Other activities included trapeze, juggling and spinning plates.

Her mother, Laurie Harrison, of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, said the five-hour drive each way for the one-day camp was worth it, despite having to "jump through hoops" to gain admission. Registration for the camp closed within hours after opening last November.

FUTURE OCCUPATIONS?

Some camps may help kids figure out what they want to do when they grow up, something their parents often didn't address until after high school.

Ocean chemistry, plankton biology and tidal studies are among the activities offered at Whale Camp on Grand Manaan Island, just across the Canadian border from Maine. For $1,395 campers get a week of activities like puffin photography, sea-kayaking and whale-watching in the Bay of Fundy.

"It's the closest kids can get to actually being a marine scientist before college," says Dennis Bowen, president of the camp. "Once they get immersed in this it really helps them become committed to preservation and conservation."

Meanwhile, kids as young as 7 or 8 years old who are interested in money, business and economics may attend one-week financial literacy day camps offered by the Young Americans Center for Financial Education in suburban Denver.

Activities include lessons on foreign currencies, banking and budgeting, and those 12 and older can also apply for a VISA credit card with a $100 limit issued by the center's bank.

"These are kids who really like to take ownership of their finances," says Katie Payer, a spokeswoman for the camp. "They have an entrepreneurial spirit."

Aspiring fashion designers in the San Francisco Bay area can attend a fashion day camp offered by the sewnow! studio, where activities include textile design, precision pattern cutting and an end-of-camp fashion show.

Tight budgets, family vacations and a desire to give children different, specialized experiences are driving a trend towards more varied offerings, says the ACA's Smith.

"Camps are responding to what they see as demand from families for more kinds of options and shorter sessions," she said.

TRADITIONAL VARIATIONS

Even more traditional cabins-and-campfires camps are broadening their offerings. Camp Lohikan in Pennsylvania offers a week-long Spy Camp for sleep-away campers, with a roster of activities including evasive driving lessons on all-terrain vehicles, surveillance techniques and code-breaking.

There seems to be a specialty camp for every niche, no matter how rough or refined. Outdoor Texas Camp offer kids as young as 9 years old hunting camps that typically last a week, with lessons on antler scoring, trailing wounded deer and duck and goose calling.

Alternatively the Charleston School of Protocol and Etiquette in South Carolina offers five-day "Civil Savvy" camps that include tea parties, thank you note etiquette and ballroom dancing for $1,295. The camp has two girls for every boy.

"We do dress, we do skin care, we do nail care - even for boys," says Cindy Grosso, the founder of the program. "Then every day we have a dining lesson."

The range of options has helped happy campers like Michael Watson, 12, from Dallas get a head start on his journey toward becoming a Renaissance Man. He has attended a traditional archery and swimming camp affiliated with a church in Texas, but prefers his days in the kitchen at Kids Culinary Camp.

"I love being outdoors and all," said Watson, who just finished sixth grade and enjoys making fettuccini by hand. "But this is what I want to do."

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg, Eric Walsh and Jim Loney)

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FDA probes safety issues with metal hip implants

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Metal hip replacements implanted in a half-million Americans may be failing earlier than expected, but it could be years before U.S. health regulators have a clear picture of the problem.

The Food and Drug Administration holds a two-day meeting starting Wednesday to scrutinize the safety of metal-on-metal hip implants, following years of patient reports of pain and swelling that sometimes requires removal of the devices. It is a challenging, but familiar, predicament for the FDA: reviewing the safety of a device that was expected to be superior, but which may actually be more dangerous than what came before.

For decades nearly all orthopedic implants were made from plastic or ceramic. But in the last 10 years some surgeons began to favor implants made with metal stems and sockets. Laboratory tests suggested the devices would be more resistant to wear and reduce the chances of dislocation.

But recent data gathered by surgeons in the U.K. appears to show just the opposite.

In March, British experts at the world's largest artificial joint registry told doctors to stop using metal-on-metal hip replacements, citing an analysis showing they have to be replaced more often than other implants. Hip replacements are supposed to last between 10 to 15 years, but more than 6 percent of patients with metal hips needed them replaced after less than five years. That compared with just 2 percent of people who had ceramic or plastic joints. Both types of devices are prescribed for people suffering hip pain and limited movement due to arthritis or injury.

British regulators now recommend that people who have the implants get yearly blood tests to make sure no dangerous metals are seeping into their bodies as the components rub against each other.

The FDA has not made any recommendations of its own for the estimated 500,000 American patients with the devices.

FDA scientists say they want to consider all available information before making their recommendations ? not just the data from the U.K.

"Why look at a single registry when there's data from around the world?" said Dr. William Maisel, FDA's chief scientist for medical devices, in an interview with the Associated Press. "This is an opportunity for us to look at all the available information so that we can have a thoughtful conversation about what clinical recommendations can be made."

Maisel said the FDA is working to combine data from foreign countries and the U.S. to determine which groups of patients and implants are most problematic. On Wednesday and Thursday the FDA will ask a panel of experts to recommend the best practices for monitoring patients with the devices. Panelists will consider blood tests, medical imaging and laboratory tests.

But some U.S. orthopedic specialists say they have already reached their own conclusions about metal hips.

"In my personal opinion there is very little room, if any, for metal-on-metal implants because the alternatives we have on the market are likely safer and as effective," said Dr. Art Sedrakyan, professor of public health at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York.

The FDA's deliberative approach to tackling the hip implant issue is in some ways a necessity. Unlike other countries, the U.S. has no national registry to track the performance of implants over time.

The FDA received 16,800 negative event reports involving metal hips between 2000 and 2011, but regulators stress that number is not very useful. Many doctors do not report problems to the FDA, and the volume of reports is influenced by news reports on safety issues.

A registry set up by Minnesota's HealthEast Care System recorded four times as many replacement surgeries for patients with metal-on-metal hips as those with other implant types. However, a similar registry set up by health care provider Kaiser Permanente found no difference between the two groups.

With little definitive data on U.S. hip implants, the agency has asked manufacturers like Johnson & Johnson, Zimmer Holdings Inc. and Biomet Inc. to conduct long-term, follow-up studies of more than 100 metal-on-metal hips on the U.S. market.

FDA scientists say the studies will help "fill in the blanks" on a number of scientific questions, including the effects of metal particles that often seep into the bloodstream as the implants wear down.

But Sedrakyan and others say it could be a decade or more before that information is available. In a commentary published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, Sedrakyan and two co-authors pointed out those studies must run at least eight years to return the information FDA is seeking. Based on the authors' analysis of FDA records, the FDA has reached agreements on the design of less than 25 percent of the studies, and it's unclear whether any of the studies have actually begun. The FDA notified the companies last May.

The prospect of safety findings arriving in eight or 10 years is little comfort to patients like Mary Weaver, 48, who had both hips replaced with a metal implant from Johnson & Johnson in 2007 and 2008. J&J recalled the ASR hip replacement in 2010, after reports that it was failing in some patients after only a few years of implantation.

Due to increasing pain and elevated metal levels in her blood, Weaver had both implants removed in 2011. She was let go from her job due to the time needed to undergo both surgeries, and is currently unemployed.

"I hope that no one has to go through this ? it's frustrating, it's emotionally draining," said Weaver, who lives in Mount Jackson, Va. "It's not just hard on you, it's hard on your whole family because your quality of life is not what it used to be."

Like 90 percent of medical devices sold in the U.S., most metal-on-metal hips were approved via the FDA's fast track program for medical devices. Under the so-called 510k system, the agency waives clinical testing requirements for devices which appear similar to others already in use. Since plastic and ceramic hip replacements had been on the market since the 1950s, most metal hip replacements were approved without new clinical testing.

"I am so furious they would use my wife as a lab rat, along with the other 500,000 people who don't have a clue what is happening," said Dwight Schrag, 69, of Bellevue, Wash. Schrag's wife Mary received J&J's ASR hip in 2006 and had it removed due to pain and other side effects in 2010. Schrag is one of a number of speakers who have signed up to speak during a public comment session at the FDA meeting.

It's not the first time the FDA's fast-track program for clearing devices has come under fire.

Last summer the Institute of Medicine said in a report that the FDA should abandon the 35-year-old system because it provides little assurance that the implants are actually safe. The Institute is composed of medical experts who advise the federal government.

Although the FDA itself requested the report from the Institute, agency officials rejected the group's conclusions, saying the 510k system works well for the vast majority of devices.

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Monday, June 25, 2012

Summer weekends at home ? Tri Fatherhood

It can all be pretty exhausting.

Dear Izzy, Max, and Kate,

We had a great weekend. It was one of those rare times when there was no where we had to be: no birthday parties, no trips out of town, and no events. As a busy family I wish we had more of those kinds of weekends. Truth is, I wish our life was more like this past weekend. I think that?s what we?re striving for. More simple pleasures like sunrises, sunsets, popsicles,? and backyard adventures. Fewer distractions, less technology, less stuff that owns us, and fewer things we ?have? to do.

We had a garage sale on Saturday morning (ugh) and then we stuck pretty close to the house, with the exception of taking you kids to see Madagascar 3 on Sunday. It was your first movie, Max and Kate! I loved watching you three kids laugh during the movie and sharing the candy I snuck in in Mommy?s purse and the giant $18 refillable bucket of popcorn. I only had to take you out of the theater once, Max, after you decided that hopping up and down the steps was more interesting than actually watching the movie.

I managed to get a couple of bike rides in this weekend since I?m still nursing my injured calf and am not running. Here are some pictures I took during my rides. I went 25 miles in the mid day heat on Saturday and 40 miles starting at 5:30am on Sunday.

This is a picture I took of the sun coming up over the hills near Leipers Fork. I always stop on this ridge to look out over this valley. It?s peaceful there.

I took this picture on the other side of High Meadow Alpaca Farm in Leipers Fork. I?m lucky to live in such a great place for riding and running.

Old meets new. My Kestrel Talon beside the actual Beverly Hillbilly?s truck outside of Pucket?s market.

The lawn chair theater in Leiper?s Fork.

Who needs Boulder Creek?! This is how I recover from a hot 40 mile ride. Clark Griwald?s got nothing on me! ?I?m putting in a pool!?

Here?s to more family weekends at home! I know you kids will remember our trips and the special things that we do, but somehow I think we?ll all remember weekends like the one we just had the most.

I love you,

- Daddy

Last week?s Training:

Mon: REST

Tues: Swam 1800

Wed: REST

Thurs: Swam 2600 / Biked 1:25 hard effort group ride

Friday: Swam 2000

Sat: Biked 25 miles

Sun: Biked 40 miles

?

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Sunday, June 24, 2012

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Saturday, June 23, 2012

US Supreme Court throws out FCC indecency fines

The ruling was very narrow, however, and left similar future fines in an uncertain place.

By Mark Sherman,?The Associated Press / June 21, 2012

Madonna, center, performs with Nicki Minaj, left, and M.I.A. during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl football game broadcast on NBC in February from Indianapolis. During the performance, British rapper M.I.A. used an obscene gesture.

Michael Conroy/AP

Enlarge

Broadcasters anticipating a major constitutional ruling on the government's authority to regulate what can be shown and said on the airwaves instead won only the smallest of Supreme Court victories Thursday.

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The justices unanimously threw out fines and other penalties against Fox and ABC television stations that violated the Federal Communications Commission policy regulating curse words and nudity on television airwaves.

Forgoing a broader constitutional ruling, however, the court concluded only that broadcasters could not have known in advance that obscenities uttered during awards show programs on Fox stations and a brief display of nudity on an episode of ABC's "NYPD Blue" could give rise to penalties. ABC and 45 affiliates had been hit with proposed fines totaling nearly $1.24 million.

How much do you know about the Constitution? A quiz.?

Broadcasters had argued that the revolution in technology that has brought the Internet, satellite television and cable has made the rules themselves obsolete. The regulations apply only to broadcast channels.

The justices said the FCC is free to revise its indecency policy, which is intended to keep the airwaves free of objectionable material during the hours when children are likely to be watching.

The agency's chairman, Julius Genachowski, said the ruling "appears to be narrowly limited to procedural issues related to actions taken a number of years ago. Consistent with vital First Amendment principles, the FCC will carry out Congress's directive to protect young TV viewers."

It was the second time the court has confronted, but not ruled conclusively on the FCC's policy on isolated expletives. Justice Anthony Kennedy said in his opinion for the court that "it is unnecessary for the court to address the constitutionality of the current policy."

The narrow decision, coupled with the more than five months that elapsed between the argument in January and Thursday's decision, could mean that the justices struggled and failed to reach agreement on a broader outcome.

Broadcasters argue that viewers now have many options, unlike the handful of channels they had available in the 1960s and 1970s when the court last weighed in on indecency on the airwaves. In many cases, viewers don't even know when they are switching between the older broadcast channels and cable.

Still, the regulated broadcast channels provide what the government has called a safe haven of milder programming, and those channels remain dominant, even in the Internet age, the administration argued.

Paul Smith, a First Amendment expert and partner with the Jenner and Block law firm in Washington, said the court should expect more challenges until it rules definitively.

"The Supreme Court decided to punt on the opportunity to issue a broad ruling on the constitutionality of the FCC indecency policy. The issue will be raised again as broadcasters will continue to try to grapple with the FCC's vague and inconsistent enforcement regime," said Smith, who wrote a brief supporting the broadcasters.

The case arose from a change in the FCC's long-standing policy on curse words.

For many years, the agency did not take action against broadcasters for one-time uses of curse words. But after several awards shows with cursing celebrities in 2002 and 2003, the FCC toughened its policy after it concluded that a one-free-expletive rule did not make sense in the context of keeping the airwaves free of indecency when children are likely to be watching television.

But Kennedy, in the ruling throwing out the fines, said the commission did not adequately explain that under the new policy "a fleeting expletive or a brief shot of nudity could be actionably indecent."

The stepped-up indecency enforcement, which included issuing record fines for violations, also was spurred in part by widespread outrage following Janet Jackson's breast-baring performance during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show on CBS.

That incident and the FCC's proposed fine of $550,000 are not part of the current case. The government has an appeal pending of a lower court ruling that threw out the fine in that case.

The 2004 Super Bowl took place before the FCC later that year laid out its new policy and the possibility of fines for even one-time utterances of certain words.

Tim Winter, president of the Parents Television Council, said he read the new decision as a "green light" for the FCC to rule against broadcasters in the many pending complaints of indecent material that aired after the FCC explained its new policy.

"Once again the Supreme Court has ruled against the networks in their yearslong campaign to obliterate broadcast decency standards," Winter said.

The material at issue in Thursday's decision included the isolated use of expletives as well as fines against broadcasters who showed a woman's nude buttocks on a 2003 episode of "NYPD Blue."

In December 2002, singer Cher used the phrase "F--- 'em" during the Billboard Music Awards show on the Fox television network. A month later, U2 lead singer Bono uttered the phrase "f------ brilliant" during NBC's broadcast of the Golden Globes awards show. During the December 2003 Billboard awards show on Fox, reality show star Nicole Richie said, "Have you ever tried to get cow s--- out of a Prada purse? It's not so f------simple."

But the challenge went beyond just the penalties for the use of fleeting expletives.

The broadcasters wanted the court to free them from all regulation of content around the clock. The court's 1978 Pacifica decision upheld the FCC's reprimand of a New York radio station for airing a George Carlin monologue containing a 12-minute string of expletives in the middle of the afternoon.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in a brief opinion that she would have overturned the Pacifica ruling, which she called wrong even when it was decided. Justice Sonia Sotomayor did not take part in the current case because she was involved in an earlier version while sitting as an appeals court judge in New York.

The case is FCC v. Fox, 10-1293.

How much do you know about the Constitution? A quiz.

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Update to My Bio-energy blog

FYI -

I also just saw a report in Business Week that GE, the largest wind power company, will be dumping many suppliers who are not efficient and cost effective now that the wind power tax benefit will go away. They wrote, ?Vic Abate expects that many makers of gearboxes, towers, and blades for wind turbines will go under next year. He should know: As vice president of General Electric?s (GE) renewable energy business, Abate is the executive who will seal their fates. With a federal tax credit that subsidizes the U.S. wind industry set to expire at the end of 2012, GE is scrutinizing its supply chain?

Have you heard even a peep from our Iowa leaders about what impact that may have on Iowa wind firms and Iowa jobs?

Will Iowa voters support ?small government? politicians (not just Republicans) for state and national office in November? In turn will Republican politicians stay true to their opposition to what they call ?big government? programs and subsidies even when these clearly have helped make Iowa one of the most solvent economically?

Also, did you know that, ?If Congress doesn?t extend the production tax credit, [for wind power] that figure [of unemployed] will hit 37,000 next year?about half the industry?s workforce.? Business Week

?

?

Tags: job losses, wind power subsidies

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Tropical Storm Debby forms in Gulf of Mexico

Updated 7:01 PM ET

(AP) MIAMI - Tropical Storm Debby formed in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday, interfering with oil and gas production and putting officials on alert for flooding and strong winds from southern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.

At least one tornado linked to the storm touched down in southwest Florida, but no injuries were reported.

Debby was about 220 miles (354 kilometers) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph).

The center of Debby is expected to linger over the northern Gulf during the next few days with no landfall in the immediate forecast. Forecasters warned of up to six inches of rain along the coast, with isolated amounts of 10 inches.

It was the first time four tropical storms have been recorded before July 1 during the Atlantic hurricane season since record keeping began in 1851.

Debby forced the suspension of 8 percent of the region's oil and gas production.

The government reported that nine production platforms and one drilling rig were evacuated. The suspended crude production amounts to about 2 percent of U.S production and about 0.1 percent of global production. The reduced production is not expected to impact oil prices unless the storm strengthens and forces more production platforms to close.

A tropical storm warning was issued for part of the Louisiana coast. Officials there have been monitoring the weather closely for the last several days. Some low-lying areas close to the coast flood easily in rough weather.

"We've already seen higher tides than usual," said Angela Rains, manager of the Terrebonne Levee District.

Near the mouth of the Mississippi southeast of New Orleans, Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said officials were making preparations to protect the main highway from tidal flooding.

A tornado touched down in Collier County in southwest Florida and forecasters warned other twisters were possible.

Several homes were damaged and tree limbs were down, The Naples Daily News reported.

"This is quite common with this type of storm," said senior hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart with the National Hurricane Center. "They tend to not be very large or long-lived, which can be difficult to detect on radar. So people need to keep an eye on the sky."

Out in the Gulf, Anadarko Petroleum removed all non-essential personnel and expects to close four facilities in the central and eastern Gulf by Saturday. Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and Marathon Oil said non-essential personnel were being removed but production was not being affected. ExxonMobil reported that its operations were unaffected.

Alberto was the first storm this year. It formed off the South Carolina coast on May 19, almost two weeks before the hurricane season officially began June 1.

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98% La Grande illusion (The Grand Illusion)

All Critics (59) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (1) | DVD (9)

It's among the most understated anti-war films ever made, effortlessly humanistic but far too subtle to indulge in preaching.

A model of simplicity and grace, with emotional effects that move you when you least expect it, the kind of great film that only a master can pull off.

It's still one of the key humanist expressions to be found in movies: sad, funny, exalting, and glorious.

It's an excellent film, with Renoir's usual looping line and deft shifts of tone, though today the balance of critical opinion has shifted in favor of the greater darkness and filigree of The Rules of the Game.

An artistically masterful feature, the picture breathes the intimate life of warriors on both sides during the [First] World War.

Renoir has created a strange and interesting film, but he owes much to his cast.

a monumental humanist work

Its very simplicity of utterance gives it a purity that makes other films that try to express similar sentiments feel forced and obvious.

Funny, heart-wrenching, nail-biting, caustic and profound, touting the futility of armed combat while turning imprisonment and escape into a microcosm for society's aspirations and contradictions.

Renoir's 1937 anti-war masterpiece created a new genre, the POW movie, and with his 1939 La R?gle du jeu constitutes a diptych of unparalleled excellence.

A timeless classic of acting and filmmaking genius that uses the artificiality of war to explore the very construct of society, and is a classic must-see.

The great illusion is that these men of the officer class are somehow different from the masses who suffered the bloodiest of wars. Renoir proves that they are not.

A vividly humanist, anti-war classic.

A sorrowful, acutely thoughtful, and wholly imperishable masterpiece...

Tragic. Moving. Funny. A pure joy.

The film makes its moral point about the futility of combat by emphasising the interconnectedness of all humanity via such shared experiences as hunger, desire and friendship. It's also a ripping yarn with a vein of charming and sometimes risqu? humour.

La Grande Illusion retains its power as an example of European camaraderie and co-operation.

It ranks proudly alongside The Rules Of The Game as Renoir at his stunning best.

La Grande Illusion is a sublimely poignant and lucidly insightful commentary on the social legacy of the Great War in Europe.

More Critic Reviews

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Friday, June 22, 2012

Feds probe engine stalling in Chrysler 200

FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2010 file photo, a 2011 Chrysler 200 sits at the Chrysler Sterling Heights Assembly plant in Sterling Heights, Mich. Federal safety regulators are investigating complaints about engine stalling in some Chrysler 200 midsize sedans. The probe includes about 87,000 of the cars from the 2011 model year that have 3.6-liter V-6 engines. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 6, 2010 file photo, a 2011 Chrysler 200 sits at the Chrysler Sterling Heights Assembly plant in Sterling Heights, Mich. Federal safety regulators are investigating complaints about engine stalling in some Chrysler 200 midsize sedans. The probe includes about 87,000 of the cars from the 2011 model year that have 3.6-liter V-6 engines. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

(AP) ? Federal safety regulators are investigating complaints about engine stalling in some Chrysler 200 midsize sedans.

The probe includes about 87,000 of the cars from the 2011 model year that have 3.6-liter V-6 engines.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that it has received 15 complaints that the engines stall without warning while coasting to a stop.

The probe could lead to a recall. The safety agency says it's looking into how often the problem happens.

NHTSA hasn't received any reports of crashes or injuries stemming from the problem, the agency said in documents posted on its website Friday.

Chrysler spokesman Eric Mayne says the company is working with the government. He says engine performance can be affected by many things like software and fuel quality. Mayne says the 3.6-liter engine is in 12 Chrysler models and has traveled millions of miles without problems.

Owners who suspect problems with their 200s should take them to dealers for testing, Mayne said.

Associated Press

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Thursday, June 21, 2012

Europeans get some relief with Euro 2012 wins

By DAVID RISING and MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 12:32 p.m. ET June 20, 2012

ATHENS, Greece (AP) - Chancellor Angela Merkel watched Germany weather the storm and emerge with flying colors, while other European countries simply floundered.

Only this time, it wasn't a test of economic strength in the ailing eurozone. It was the first round of the European Championship - a soccer extravaganza lasting 3 1/2 weeks that dishes out elation and disappointment to millions of people from the Irish Sea to the Chinese border.

Just as Germany has enjoyed growth while other eurozone economies have sunk into recession, its team has emerged unscathed from arguably the toughest group at the tournament after beating Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark.

However, Germany hasn't been the only one to prosper at Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain may be struggling with waves of government austerity drives, high unemployment and either the prospect or the reality of embarrassing bailouts, but their soccer teams are doing just fine.

Among the 17-nation eurozone's financially troubled nations, only Ireland was sent home this week after failing to reach the quarterfinals. But - just as Irish people have received plaudits for coping so stoically with austerity, their hard-drinking, fun-loving fans have by far been the best of the tournament.

Important though the sporting stakes may be, the soccer gods have also proved to have a sense of humor.

Germany will be up against Greece in the quarterfinals in Gdansk, Poland - the biggest contributor to the bailout funds playing against the nation that ignited Europe's debt woes.

The irony wasn't lost on the Berliner Kurier newspaper, which printed a cartoon Tuesday of a German government spokesman telling the media that "our stance on Greece remaining in the eurozone depends entirely upon how the quarterfinal goes."

Germany's Bild newspaper put it like this: "Be happy dear Greeks, the defeat on Friday is a gift. Against (German coach) Jogi Loew, no rescue fund will help you."

Loew refused to be baited, laughingly telling reporters in Gdansk that the German team has a "close relationship" with Merkel.

"We've reached a deal in which she has no say in picking the lineup and tactics and we not in her political statements," he joked.

Here's a look at some key soccer results in the prism of the eurozone crisis:

---

GREECE 1, RUSSIA 0

For Greeks who have seen their living standards plummet in the debt crisis, their team's unexpected win against Russia on Saturday night was as much about national validation as sporting prowess. Street celebrations in Athens saw Greeks wrapped in their flag, wearing replica helmets of ancient Greek warriors and waving spears.

"Greeks are portrayed as garbage abroad, but at least on the field we're not," said 29-year-old high school teacher Alexis Vasiliou.

Greece may be a debt-engulfed country that's threatening to drag down the entire eurozone, but at least has a soccer team its people are proud of.

"The spectacle offers people an outlet, an escape to leave behind even for 90 minutes this flood of negativity from the crisis," said Demetris Vestarchis, the owner of Mentor Cafe in the Athens suburb of Thission. "Most Greeks identify with these players who are showing that we're not dead and gone."

"What the politicians can't do for this country, these players have," said Yiannis Minasian, an unemployed 44-year-old. "These guys have heart and guts, something that politicians don't have."

---

ITALY 2, IRELAND 0

Italy scored a goal in each half to reach the quarterfinals but the mood on the streets of the Italian capital was as listless as its hurting economy.

Romans packing a pub near the Campo dei Fiori, a popular square, to follow the match on TV. Afterward, they glumly described the victory as a metaphor for the state of the nation, which is facing concerns it could be the next country after Spain to need an international bailout.

"Look around, do you see people celebrating? No, because although it is a victory, we can only partially feel it," said Marco Cantelli, a 37-year-old banker.

"This team doesn't even help to forget the crisis. Actually, it makes it worse," said interior decorator Filippo Bich.

In Dublin, Irish fans walked out of pubs looking disillusioned after their Boys in Green bowed out of the tournament with three straight defeats. Some compared the ineptness of their athletes to the inability of their government leaders to negotiate better bailout terms.

"We're outgunned on the football pitch and in Europe. We need a win to feel better about ourselves," said Terry Rafferty, a retired Dublin bank manager.

---

PORTUGAL 2, DENMARK 1

In Porto, Portugal, fans jumped from bar stools in dismay when their team made mistakes Sunday night. But citizens of this tiny bailed-out country emerged elated and briefly forgot their deep economic misery with communal cries of "Golo!" each time the team scored and finally beat Denmark.

Flag-waving supporters clogged streets with their cars, honking horns as drivers and passengers yelled "Portugal!" over and over. However, fans said the mood was much more subdued than during Euro 2004, which was held in Portugal, when the country's economy was charging ahead following its adoption of the euro.

After years of overspending, Portugal took a bailout last year and now has high unemployment, recession and harsh austerity measures imposed by creditors.

"We can have a break from the crisis of at least a month with Euro 2012, but I think both are coexisting, the cheerful mood and the crisis," said Ricardo Teixeira, a 30-year-old doctor. "Our life is completely dominated by the crisis."

Unemployed housekeeper Fatima Santos, 45, watched the game on large-screen TVs in Porto's main plaza - happy to forget her economic worries for a few hours.

"Right now with the crisis we do what is possible to enjoy life," she said. "Being depressed isn't worth it and giving up would be like dying."

---

SPAIN 1, CROATIA 0

Spain's late goal Monday night against a skillful Croatia generated whoops of joy in Madrid's packed bars after a particularly depressing day. The country's risk of needing an international bailout increased dramatically when its key bond interest rate hit an unsustainable rate of more than 7 percent - a figure that had previously prompted Greece, Ireland and Portugal to ask for bailouts.

Fans said the win was redemption for a proud country and maybe - just maybe - a sign that Spain will emerge from its crushing financial chaos intact.

"Spain's economy is against the ropes, but watching our team struggle, suffer and win against tough opposition inspires us to think that if you work hard you can overcome," said Diego Escalante, a 28-year-old lawyer. "You can read a lot into this beautiful sport and translate it to life. Preparation and talent make up the base, and teamwork adds the cherry on top. Many Spaniards are talented, excellently prepared and educated to good levels. If we work together we will come through this."

Sales executive Ramona Zulma, 37, said her country's Euro 2012 performance showed that Spain is capable of achieving great things.

"Spain is not a backwater," she said. "It is a country that has worked hard to get where it is, and it is so sad and depressing to see that for reasons that many of us barely understand we are now suffering economic difficulties."

----

Rising reported from Berlin. Contributing to this report: Harold Heckle in Madrid, Ana Paiva in Porto, Paola Barisani in Rome, and Shawn Pogatchnik in Dublin.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

For Combat Vets, Brain Injury Symptoms Can Last Years

WEDNESDAY, June 20 (HealthDay News) -- Lingering symptoms from combat-related traumatic brain injuries -- even "mild" cases -- may persist for years, according to a new study of U.S. veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Veterans were still battling headaches, depression, dizziness and other symptoms up to eight years after their head injury occurred, researchers found.

The study looked at 500 veterans who underwent general health and depression screenings between 2008 and 2011 at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center and were found to have symptoms of mild traumatic brain injury and post-concussion syndrome.

The participants, mostly men, were grouped according to whether their head injury had occurred within the previous two years, three to four years, five to six years, or seven to eight years.

The patients self-rated six symptoms: headache, dizziness, balance problems, poor coordination, difficulty with decisions, and depression.

Whether the injury had occurred two years or eight years earlier made no significant difference in frequency or intensity of symptoms. And the type of injury made no difference.

"There was a tendency for depression to be a bit more common in the five-to-eight [year] group," said study author Dr. James Couch, a professor of neurology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. "So not only does this not go away, which is what we figured we would probably find -- it may tend to get worse."

Traumatic brain injury is considered a hallmark combat injury.

"About two-thirds of the people had primarily blast injuries, and about one-third had injuries related to falls, motor vehicle accidents, and so forth," Couch said. "One of my patients had a rocket hit a balcony right above him, and he was knocked out by the falling pieces of concrete."

Study cases fell on the lower end of the trauma spectrum.

"These are basically mild traumatic brain injuries," Couch said. "'Mild' meaning that that patient did not have lacerations that were severe, did not have a skull fracture, did not require surgery on the head because of the injury."

One expert described the prevalence of mild traumatic brain injury.

"Probably 10 percent to possibly over 20 percent of deployed service members develop [traumatic brain injury]," said Dr. Steven Cohen, a professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves. "Amongst those diagnosed with [traumatic brain injury], 40 percent to 50 percent are mild."

Both experts said the persistence of side effects seen in the study is discouraging.

"With almost any medical condition, the longer you have it, the less likely it is that it will ever go away," said Cohen, who works with patients at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

"One good thing: Now the military does a very good job of screening people and getting them treatment," Cohen said. "They all have case managers; they have wounded-warrior centers. I think it's more difficult in reservists and people with mild injuries. Because they end up leaving active duty and they don't have the same support system."

Study author Couch said that "the military's management and handling of these injuries has changed gradually but dramatically over time. In 2002 they'd probably say, 'Oh, you just got your bell rung a little bit; now get back out there.' Now they say, 'You got your bell rung and you're going to have to take off a day or two and we'll reevaluate and see if we can put you back on the line.'"

Physically, today's soldiers are much better protected, he said. "The helmets are far, far ahead of what was being used in World War II or in the Korean War, Vietnam," Couch noted.

He hopes to continue his research with a 10-year controlled, prospective study.

"We need to pair up the traumatic brain injury person with a person who is race-sex-deployment matched, and try to find out what types of problems arise just from being deployed to a high-danger, high-intensity situation where a person's got to be vigilant and highly alert all the time," Couch said.

Cohen said that the long-term prospects of head-injured soldiers warrant study. "Are these people more likely to die?" he said. "We know that people with severe head trauma are more likely to develop certain types of dementia. Not just eight years down the line, but what happens 30 years down the line?"

The study is scheduled for presentation this week at the American Headache Society's annual meeting in Los Angeles. The data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center has more about combat-related traumatic brain injury.

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This Week at Savannah State University ? June 17-23, 2012

This Week at Savannah State University ? June 17-23, 2012

Contact: Loretta Heyward, Communications Director, 912-358-3049

? Wednesday, June 20

Meet-and-greet with Phillip D. Adams, new vice president for University Advancement, from 3-5 p.m. in the president?s dining room at the King-Frazier Student Center on campus.? Adams? appointment was effective June 18; he comes to Savannah State from Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Va.? The event is closed to the public but open to the media.

? Saturday, June 23

?Building Your Portfolio? for high school students from 10 a.m.-noon in the Howard Jordan auditorium on campus.? Sponsored by the Gamma Zeta chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., the workshop is designed to teach high-school juniors and seniors how to build their own portfolio and educate them about the importance of having a portfolio when entering the workforce.? The event will include presentations on resumes, cover letters, recommendation letters, business cards and mock interviews and is free and open to the public.? For more information, contact Thomas Boucher at 360-421-7954 or tboucher@student.savannahstate.edu or Brandon Coleman at 912-695-6214.

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Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Boeing increases training capabilities in China

Boeing has expanded its Flight Services business in China by introducing a 787 training suite for pilots and maintenance personnel and a 747-400 full-flight simulator (FFS) at its Shanghai campus.

The new devices join a 757/767 FFS already installed at the facility. Boeing predicts huge demand for pilots and technicians in the Asia Pacific region, with a requirement for 72,000 commercial airline pilots and over 108,000 maintenance technicians in the next 20 years.

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Rangers Vs. Padres Final: Texas Wins 2-1

With injuries ravaging the Texas Rangers pitching staff, Matt Harrison continued his strong stretch of games recently, throwing six innings and giving up only 1 earned run in a 2-1 victory.

The 27-year old left-hander has racked up a win in five of his last six starts. He moved his record on the season to 9-3 with a very respectable 3.41 ERA.

The Texas offense, meanwhile, continued struggle on Monday. The free-swinging Rangers racked up 10 strikeouts against San Diego starter Jason Marquis, as they were shut down after scoring two runs in the first inning.

The only Texas batter to get anything going against Marquis was LF David Murphy, who drove in Elvis Andrus and Adrian Beltre with a two-run double in the first.

Josh Hamilton was a defensive replacement in the ninth inning, and Ron Washington said the Rangers MVP candidate would return to the starting line-up on Tuesday after a brief stint in the hospital for dehydration.

Read more on the Rangers at Lone Star Ball. Head over to Baseball Nation for news and notes around Major League Baseball.

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Monday, June 18, 2012

U.S. warns Iran dissidents they must close Iraq camp

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