MADRID, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Lionel Messi has rarely been accused of failing to deliver in big games, having scored in two European Cup finals, but after subdued performances against AC Milan and Real Madrid, questions are being asked. The four-times World Player of the Year and leading scorer in one of the greatest club teams of all time, was a shadow of his usual self at the San Siro in a Champions League last-16 first leg last week, when Barcelona slumped to a 2-0 defeat. ...
Every week the Editor-in-Chief selects the Article of the Week from the current issue of BJUI. The abstract is reproduced below and you can click on the button to read the full article, which is freely available to all readers for at least 30 days from the time of this post.
In addition to the article itself, there is an accompanying editorial?written by a prominent member of the urological community. This blog is intended to provoke comment and discussion and we invite you to use the comment tools at the bottom of each post to join the conversation.
Finally, the third post under the?Article of the Week?heading on the homepage will consist of additional material or media. This week we feature a video of Matthew Cooperberg?discussing his paper.
If you only have time to read one article this week, it should be this one.
Primary treatments for clinically localised?prostate cancer: a comprehensive lifetime?cost-utility analysis
Matthew R. Cooperberg, Naren R. Ramakrishna?, Steven B. Duff*,?Kathleen E. Hughes?, Sara Sadownik?, Joseph A. Smith? and Ashutosh K. Tewari?
Departments of Urology and Epidemiology and Biostatistics, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center,?San Francisco, CA, *Veritas Health Economics Consulting, Inc., Carlsbad, CA, ?Department of Radiation Oncology,?MD Anderson Cancer Center, Orlando, FL, ?Avalere Health LLC, Washington, DC, ?Department of Urologic?Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, and ?Department of Urology, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
Read the full article
OBJECTIVE
? To characterise the costs and outcomes associated?with radical prostatectomy (open, laparoscopic, or?robot-assisted) and radiation therapy (RT:?dose-escalated three-dimensional conformal RT,?intensity-modulated RT, brachytherapy, or combination),?using a comprehensive, lifetime decision analytical?model.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
? A Markov model was constructed to follow?hypothetical men with low-, intermediate-, and high-risk?prostate cancer over their lifetimes after primary?treatment; probabilities of outcomes were based on an?exhaustive literature search yielding 232 unique?publications.
? In each Markov cycle, patients could have remission,?recurrence, salvage treatment, metastasis, death from?prostate cancer, and death from other causes.
? Utilities for each health state were determined, and?disutilities were applied for complications and toxicities?of treatment.
? Costs were determined from the USA payer perspective,?with incorporation of patient costs in a sensitivity?analysis.
RESULTS
? Differences across treatments in quality-adjusted life?years across methods were modest, ranging from 10.3 to?11.3 for low-risk patients, 9.6?10.5 for intermediate-risk?patients and 7.8?9.3 for high-risk patients.
? There were no statistically significant differences among?surgical methods, which tended to be more effective?than RT methods, with the exception of combined?external beam + brachytherapy for high-risk?disease.
? RT methods were consistently more expensive than?surgical methods; costs ranged from $19 901?(robot-assisted prostatectomy for low-risk disease) to?$50 276 (combined RT for high-risk disease).
? These findings were robust to an extensive set of?sensitivity analyses.
CONCLUSIONS
? Our analysis found small differences in outcomes and?substantial differences in payer and patient costs across?treatment alternatives.
? These findings may inform future policy discussions?about strategies to improve efficiency of treatment?selection for localised prostate cancer.
In this Feb. 20, 2013 file photo, former Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr leaves federal court in Washington after he entered a guilty plea to criminal charges that he engaged in a scheme to spend $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
Former Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and his wife Sandi leave the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, after Jackson entered a guilty plea to criminal charges that he engaged in a scheme to spend $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items. Sandi also plead guilty to a related tax fraud charge. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. enters U.S. District Court February 20, 2013 in Washington, DC. Jackson and his wife, Sandi Jackson, pleaded guilty to federal charges after being accused of spending more than $750,000 in campaign funds to purchase luxury items, memorabilia and other goods. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
In this Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012 photo provided by the office of former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, Kennedy, left, meets with U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. (AP Photo/Office of Patrick J. Kennedy)
In this April 4, 2012 file photo, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, right, and Rep Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill. tour the Ford Motor Company Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights, Ill. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
In this March 20, 2012 file photo, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill. speaks in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)
This March 20, 2012 file photo shows Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., his wife Chicago Alderman Sandi Jackson, and their children Jessica, 12, and Jesse III, 8, thanking supporters at his election night party in Chicago after his Democratic primary win over challenger, former Rep. Debbie Halvorson, in the Illinois' 2nd District. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)
This March 9, 2012 file photo shows Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. , D-Ill., and his wife, Chicago Alderman Sandi Jackson, asking each other for their support and votes as they arrive at a polling station for early voting in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green, File)
In this Oct. 16, 2011 file photo, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Ill., is seen during the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Ill., talks to reporters after attending a Democratic caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Aug. 1, 2011. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
In this Aug. 5, 2010 file photo, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., right, and his wife, Chicago Alderman Sandi Jackson, greet President Barack Obama at the Ford Motor Company Chicago Assembly Plant. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
In this April 14, 2010 file photo, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., center, speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg, File)
In this March 21, 2010 file photo, Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr., D-Ill., uses his PDA to photograph demonstrators outside on the U.S. Capitol as the House prepares to vote on health care reform in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)
This photo taken March 31, 2009 shows Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill. on Capitol Hill in Washington. Jackson is the subject of a preliminary inquiry from a congressional ethics board looking into his attempts to be appointed to the Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
In this Monday, Aug. 25, 2008 picture, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., speaks at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Jesse Jackson Jr. and Sandi Jackson in 2007.
FILE - In this Nov. 9, 2006 file picture, U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., speaks at a news conference in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., on hand for former President George W. Bush's signing of the Rosa Parks statue bill in 2005.
President Bush picks up 2-year-old Jesse Jackson III after signing a bill authorizing a statue of civil rights leader Rosa Parks be placed in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2005, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr. is at left. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
U.S. Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-IL) is interviewed by U.S. funded Arabic language television station corresspondent Sara Hessenflow at the 2004 Democratic National Convention July 27, 2004 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) gets interviewed by a television crew follow a meeting of the Illinois delegation for the Democratic National Convention July 26, 2004 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., speaks to attendees of the United Negro College Fund's annual Martin Luther King Jr. Festival at the Minneapolis Convention Center Monday, Jan. 15, 2001. (AP Photo/Adam M. Bettcher)
Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., left, "chokes" coach Rep. Martin Olav Sabo, D-Minn. prior to the start of the 37th annual Congressional Baseball game at Prince George's Stadium in Bowie, Md. Tuesday June 23, 1998. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Kweisi Mfume, right, greets Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., before the State of the Union Address Tuesday, Feb. 4, 1997, at the Capitol. (AP Photo/Doug Mills)
Two generations of Jacksons and Sununus prepare to debate the issues facing the 105th Congress before the start of CNN's "Crossfire" Wednesday, Jan. 8, 1997 in Washington. From left are the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., Rep. John Sununu Jr., R-N.H., and John Sununu. (AP Photo/Tyler Mallory)
Rev. Jesse Jackson hugs his son Jesse Jackson Jr. after being introduced to speak to delegates at the United Center Tuesday, Aug. 27, 1996, in Chicago during the Democratic National Convention. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
Democrat Jesse Jackson Jr., left, thanks supporters as his father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, right, looks on Tuesday night, Dec. 12, 1995, in Matteson, Ill. (AP Photo/Michael S. Green)
Jesse Jackson Jr. reads to toddlers at Operation Headstart during a campaign appearance in Chicago Heights, Ill., on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 1995. (Charles Bennett)
Jesse Jackson Jr., center, receives a kiss from his wife, Sandi, as the returns solidly show Jackson as the winnner in the 2nd Congressional District primary, Tuesday night, Nov. 28, 1995, in Markham, Ill. Jackson's father, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, is behind his son at right. (AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser)
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, center, poses for pictures with sons Jesse Jr., left, and Jonathan, right, after they graduated from North Carolina A&T, May 9, 1988, at the Greensboro Coliseum, and Jackson Sr. gave the commencement address. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)
Jesse Jackson Jr., left, son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, shown with film director Spike Lee at a luncheon with the candidate at Sylvia?s restaurant in the Harlem section of New York on April 10, 1988. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
A cookie-favoring physicist has created what appears to be the world's first Oreo separator.
David Neevel, an artist and inventor based in Portland, Ore., was commissioned by the popular cookie brand to produce the machine as part of its "Cookies vs. Creme" campaign.
"My Oreo machine is based entirely on my dislike for creme and my preference for cookie," Neevel said in a short video that could easily be mistaken for a "Portlandia" sketch.
The OSM, as Neevel calls it, was constructed of scrap aluminum, wood, a hatchet and floss in a Portland garage.
After the hatchet blade is lowered to split the Oreo, a pair of mechanical arms are dispatched to collect the cookie halves, which are transferred to a router table where the creme is removed.
The electric-powered contraption took about two weeks to build. "It was a big time commitment," Neevel said. "I had to work some long hours?I didn't see my girlfriend or my dog for hours at a time."
"Outstanding. I applaud your efforts," one YouTube commenter wrote. "For your next design, how about an automatic sock pair singlifier?
Three other inventors were commissioned by Oreo to come up with concepts, with the next one slated to be unveiled later this week.
There was some serious brainpower assembled at the recent Multicore World 2013 conference in Wellington.
Some of the subject matter was way-beyond the once over lightly understanding that I have of computers and computing. But the clear message was that there?s currently a big gap between what multicore computers (many cores on one chip) are capable of, and the programs to run them.
As an analogy, it is as if a car engine has eight cylinders, but there?s only fuel getting through to one or two of them ? vastly decreasing its possible performance.
Put another way, multicore hardware is way, way ahead of multicore software. (When you consider that 64+ cores on a chip are now being manufactured, it is obvious, as has often been stated, that hardware capability is no longer an issue). How this clear gap is resolved is very much a problem in search of an answer.
It would?ve been good to see a heavier concentration of government and corporate IT heavyweights at the two-day conference held at the Wellington Town Hall.
The line-up of speakers would grace any northern hemisphere conference (and no doubt pull in hundreds of attendees), looking over the horizon at where the actual bits and bytes of computing is heading.
In other words, as opposed to the frothy apps and gee-whiz retail end of things, this conference was about where all the hard work of computers, memory, transactions and data crunching takes place.
One of the underlying themes of the conference put together by Oamaru-based Nicolas Erdody (Open Parallel) is that NZ Inc has an opportunity as the world grapples with how to utilise the huge amount of power available, but not yet being accessed.
The (parallel) programming required to take advantage of multicore, where the instructions to and from each core has to inform and be informed by every other core, is not easy.
As Poul-Henning Kamp, a Danish software writer and inventor of ?Varnish? commented; ?parallelism is hard?..really, really hard.?
And one thing that hasn?t been decided is what computer language is best suited for writing parallel programming is still unclear ? and indeed numbers of languages could evolve.
New Zealand has the opportunity to be a niche operator and software supplier in this emerging world ? providing answers where others find it too difficult.
Ex-patriot Kiwi Dr Ian Foster (originally from Wellington, and these days among other roles the Professor of Computer Science at the University of Chicago) helped frame some of the already apparent and emerging possibilities capable through multicore in his keynote address.
(His, and the other presenters talks can be found here).
He described the exponentialism that multicores potentially provide as offering new paradigms that ?can bring about huge transformations?.
Where he sees the grunt of multicore having near-future effects are:
-????????? Digital visual effects
-????????? Digital fabrication (additive manufacturing)
-????????? Industrial internet (heavy industrial internet)
-????????? Data analytics (big data)
Foster says multicore is a hugely disruptive technology ? New Zealand has an opportunity to ride its wave, or (especially if the country doesn?t build a second fibre optic cable linking us to the rest of the world) be left behind.
Disclaimer:
I helped write some of the publicity and press releases around Multicore World 2013. The thoughts above are mine alone however.
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sticK is by Peter Kerr, a writer for hire. I have a broad science and technology background and interest, with an original degree in agricultural science. My writing speciality is making the complex understandable. I am available for outside consultancy work, and for general discussions of converting a good idea into something positive
The Imaging Technologies & Communications Group of Canon U.S.A., Inc. recently announced an Instant Rebate on select EOS Cameras (see models listed below).
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Feb 25 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 2. Matt Kuchar $1,987,000 3. Hunter Mahan $1,412,965 4. John Merrick $1,296,014 5. Phil Mickelson $1,232,760 6. Dustin Johnson $1,200,125 7. Tiger Woods $1,144,000 8. Russell Henley $1,129,080 9. Brian Gay $1,089,181 10. Charles Howell III $1,087,944 11. Jason Day $1,009,164 12. Chris Kirk $990,013 13. Steve Stricker $940,000 14. Josh Teater $870,934 15. Bill Haas $816,300 16. Jimmy Walker $812,620 17. Scott Piercy $789,592 18. Charlie Beljan $785,800 19. ...
We've already seen Dell's XPS 10 Windows RT slate torn open for an FCC-certified peek at its internals, but here it is in the filings again with an extra bonus: cellular connectivity. Thanks to its Snapdragon S4 CPU it was already LTE ready and this J42A tags on a W to its part number, packing LTE equipment for bands 4 and 17 which are compatible with AT&T's network. Dell originally mentioned an HSPA+/LTE model would appear after the WiFi version launched and that day is likely close at hand -- a good thing, if you're waiting for an alternative to the Tegra 3-powered ASUS VivoTab RT with LTE.
Susmita Mohanty, the founder of India?s first private space company, Earth2Orbit, wants India to claim bigger piece of the space-launch pie
How active is India's space programme? The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which was founded in 1969, launches rockets, builds and uses satellites extensively for earthly applications and has recently started planetary exploration. It tested its first astronaut capsule for atmospheric re-entry in 2007, and is planning to build a residential astronaut training facility. ISRO is also planning a lunar lander mission for 2014 and will launch a mission to Mars this year.
How does your company, Earth2Orbit, fit in with this programme? We want to commercialise India's space capabilities, in particular the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. It is one of the world's most reliable in its class. I want to make it the rocket of choice for international satellite-makers looking to get to low Earth or sun-synchronous orbits. India could build and launch up to six each year, but currently launches only two. We need to step up to full throttle. The same goes for satellites and ground equipment. Over the next decade or two, I think India should be aiming for at least a quarter of the multibillion-dollar global space market, if not more.
What do you think of the way spacecraft for carrying humans are currently designed? The way the world aerospace industry is set up, it is closely linked to the defence sector ? they share the technology, the tooling and the cumbersome contractual processes. Unlike commercial automobile or consumer-product companies, where the end user is the primary design driver, aerospace companies tend to please government customers. As a result, we often end up with over-engineered, under-designed crew craft with an exorbitant price tag.
How can we improve on these designs? I want us to push the boundaries of technology and design and build intelligent spaceships ? spaceships that think. Imagine if an international consortium of companies such as Apple, Samsung, Pininfarina, Space X and MIT Media Lab got together to design and build a spaceship! What would it look like? Could it think? Could it self-repair or self-clean? Would it challenge the crew?
The private sector is changing how we get into space. How has the X Prize contributed? It created a tectonic shift in mindsets and showed how we can accelerate innovation in space exploration without having to spend taxpayer money. The first X Prize led to the first privately funded and designed spaceplane built by Burt Rutan. Then Richard Branson seized the opportunity: if all goes well, Virgin Galactic could fly more people to space in a year than the Russians or Americans have over the past 50 years!
What is next for space travel? It barely takes 10 minutes to reach low Earth orbit. It probably takes longer for most urbanites to commute to work. I want to be able to "cab it" to low Earth orbit. I am dreaming of private astronaut taxis. The first generation will take paying passengers into orbit. The second generation will ferry us to the moon and Mars.
This article appeared in print under the headline "One minute with... Susmita Mohanty"
Profile
Susmita Mohanty is CEO of Earth2Orbit, which recently launched its first client satellite. She has worked at NASA and Boeing, and holds a PhD in aerospace architecture
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Mobile World Congress isn't just about the phones. Sometimes a company's got a little tablet love to give as well. HP's out in Barcelona talking up the new Slate 7, a Jelly Bean-sporting tablet with a 1.6GHz dual-core ARM processor inside. The tablet's got a (you guessed it) 7-inch display, plus front and rear facing cameras and, as the red backing not-so-subtly suggests, built-in Beats Audio. The device's biggest selling point, however, has to be that $169 starting price. The Slate 7's due out in April. In the meantime, have a read of the press release after the break.
Will Gluck's upcoming "Annie" remake has found its leading lady in the form of "Beasts of the Southern Wild" star Quvenzhane Wallis. The same weekend she made her appearance as the youngest ever Best Actress Oscar nominee, she was confirmed for the starring role. That part had originally gone to Willow Smith, but she passed [...]
ZTE does more than make Android phones that we rarely see in the U.S. They're also a big vendor to the folks who build out cellular networks, and provide all manner of equipment to folks like Verizon and other carriers. Today at Mobile World Congress 2013 they have launched what they are calling a 4G Cloud Radio solution.
It's technical, and a look at the white papers and press release is bound to bring on some serious head scratching for even the most seasoned smartphone veteran. In a nutshell, "cloud radio allows operators to address interference and coordination that affect OAM and arise as a result of the coexistence of multistandard networks. Wireless network performance can be optimized for given bearer resources, and user experience can be significantly improved. Cloud radio also protects investment, increases revenue, and helps operators secure a leading position in the wireless market."
I told you it was complicated. What we, as users, need to take away from this is that this new technology will allow carriers and the industry as a whole to make the transition from legacy 2G networks to 4G LTE smoother, more cost effieient, and cheaper. All of that trickles down to us and is reflected in our monthly bill. The full press release is after the break.
Highly available Windows Server 2012 systems using shared, directly-attached storage can be built using either Storage Spaces or a validated clustered RAID controller.
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Option 1 ? Storage Spaces
You can build a highly available shared SAS system today using Storage Spaces.
Storage Spaces works well in a standalone PC, but it is also capable of working in a Windows Server Failover Clustering environment.?
For implementing Clustered Storage Spaces, you will need the following Windows Server 2012 certified hardware:
Any SAS Host Bus Adapter or HBA (as long as it?s SAS and not a RAID controller, you should be fine)
SAS JBODs or disk enclosures (listed under the ?Storage Spaces? category on the Server catalog)
SAS disks (there?s a wide variety of those, including capacity HDDs, performance HDDs and SSDs)
You can find instructions on how to configure a Clustered Storage Space in Windows Server 2012 at http://blogs.msdn.com/b/clustering/archive/2012/06/02/10314262.aspx.
A good overview of Storage Spaces and its capabilities can be found at http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/15198.storage-spaces-overview.aspx
There's also an excellent presentation from TechEd that covers Storage Spaces at http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2012/WSV315
?
Option 2 ? Clustered RAID Controllers
The second option is to build a highly available shared storage system using RAID Controllers that are designed to work in a Windows Server Failover Cluster configuration.
The main distinction between these RAID controllers and the ones we used before is that they work in sets (typically a pair) and coordinate their actions against the shared disks.
Here are some examples:
The HP StoreEasy 5000 cluster-in-a-box uses Clustered RAID controllers?that HP sources and certifies. You can find details at the HP StoreEasy product page.
LSI is working on a Clustered RAID controller with Windows Server 2012 support. This new line of SAS RAID Controllers is scheduled for later this year. You can get details?on?availability dates from LSI.
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Both options work great for all kinds of Windows Server 2012 Clusters, including Hyper-V Clusters, SQL Server Clusters, Classic File Server Clusters and Scale-Out File Servers.
You can learn more about these solutions in this TechEd presentation: http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/Europe/2012/WSV310
Well, this might just be the biggest news to come out of Mobile World Congress. Long after discontinuing the TouchPad (and the rest of its mobile devices, for that matter) HP is back with a new tablet. This time, though, it runs not webOS, but an old safety: Android. Interestingly, though, HP is returning to the tablet space not with a high-end flagship, but a lower-end device priced to sell. The Slate 7 is priced at $169, with modest specs that include a dual-core A9 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of built-in storage, a 7-inch, 1,024 x 600 display and dual 3MP / VGA cameras. All that said, it could be worth a second look when it goes on sale in April. Meet us past the break to see what we mean.
FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in Chicago. The president and congressional Republicans each seem content with the political ground they hold and are prepared to let across-the-board spending cuts take effect on March 1, unlike during earlier rounds of budget brinkmanship that saw last minute frantic dealmaking. This time, there is no market-rattling threat of a US. default to force the two sides to compromise, no government shutdown on the short-term horizon and no year-end deadline to prevent a tax increase for every working American. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 15, 2013 file photo, President Barack Obama speaks in Chicago. The president and congressional Republicans each seem content with the political ground they hold and are prepared to let across-the-board spending cuts take effect on March 1, unlike during earlier rounds of budget brinkmanship that saw last minute frantic dealmaking. This time, there is no market-rattling threat of a US. default to force the two sides to compromise, no government shutdown on the short-term horizon and no year-end deadline to prevent a tax increase for every working American. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama says a little compromise is all Congress needs to turn off automatic, across-the-board budget cuts set to kick in a week from now.
In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama says the cuts will slow the economy and hurt the middle class. He says thousands of teachers will be laid off and air traffic controllers will be forced into unpaid leave, leading to airport delays. He says almost 800,000 defense workers will also face furloughs.
Obama says he wants a balanced plan to deal with the deficit that mixes spending cuts with more tax revenue.
In the Republican address, Sen. John Hoeven of North Dakota says Obama should approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada to Texas, as a way to create jobs and grow the economy.
Tunis (Reuters) - Thousands of Tunisians protested on Saturday against the new prime minister-designate Ali Larayedh, a hardliner from the main Islamist Ennahda party.
President Moncef Marzouki asked Larayedh to form a government on Friday, in the aftermath of the February 6 assassination of secular opposition politician Chokri Belaid.
Outgoing prime minister Hamadi Jebali resigned on Tuesday because Ennahda rejected his plan for an apolitical technocrat cabinet to prepare for elections.
Larayedh, the new premier-designate, is controversial because opposition secularists accuse the Interior Ministry which he headed of failing to curb Islamist violence.
About 3000 secularists flocked to the capital's main street Habib Bourguiba raising banners hostile to the Ennahda party and Larayedh.
They chanted "Larayedh out" and "The people want to bring down the regime".
Tunisia plunged into political crisis on February 6 when the assassination of secular opposition politician Chokri Belaid ignited the biggest street protests since the overthrow of strongman Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali two years ago.
Larayedh, 57, is viewed as part of Ennahda's hardline wing, which rejects any role for parties linked to the Ben Ali era.
A maritime engineer, Larayedh spent 15 years in jail under Ben Ali.
(Reporting By Tarek Amara; Editing by Stephen Powell)
Author: Robert Strong | Total views: 178 Comments: 0 Word Count: 873 Date:
With the growing powers and capabilities of the internet and smart phones, businesses are less and less needing to be centered in an office setting. Many businesses now are operated from home. This can be advantageous in so many ways. This article will offer some tips about being a home businesses operator.
Running your home based business is a challenge, it is important to reward yourself so you will stay motivated. For instance, for every work related task that you complete from your list, you could reward yourself with fifteen minutes of non work activities. This will help to keep you focused and motivated.
Ensure that your home business is properly insured, by discussing the business with an insurance agent. You should also make sure that your home business complies with local zoning laws and city ordinances. You don't want to start a dog care business, if there is a limit to the amount of animals you can have on your property.
Keep an attitude that will bring you success in your home business venture. If you go about your day thinking of your home business as a hobby, you are not going to see the success that you would if you really considered it to be your real job. Keep a business attitude even when your business is in your home.
It is wise to engage the services of a professional accountant early in your home business career. Even the simplest home business owner is in a far more complex tax situation than a salaried employee. A tax expert can ensure that you avoid any pitfalls awaiting you in home business ownership, and make sure you meet all of your tax obligations.
Use a spreadsheet to keep track of your business activity. You can enter mileage, purchases, income and other business related transactions all in one spreadsheet using different columns. Use formulas to run totals on the columns and tax time will not seem quite so threatening.
One way you can keep your home business on track is to set fixed hours for working on it. Running a business out of your home can tempt you to put off your work or prioritize other interests ahead of it. By committing to a relatively inflexible schedule, you can encourage yourself to treat your business professionally.
In order to make your home business successful, make your website attractive. The number one thing a person notices when they click on a website is its design. If the website is too flashy or too plain, it may turn customers off. If you are unsure how to design your website, there are many tools online.
Keep everything you commonly use on your desk or at your workbench within easy reach. That may seem like an obvious tip but if you always have to over extend or even get up from your work area to get something you need then your aren't organizing your area efficiently. Organize according to need.
In order to make a home business successful, your business must be found in the Google search results. Search engine optimization is key in succeeding in today's business world. Many different companies offer tools for search engine optimization, and it is imperative that you employ a few different strategies in order to obtain success.
Leveraging social media for your home business is an absolute must! Both brick-and-mortar stores as well as online-only companies will find that it not only expands your reach but also creates a conversation with your customers. People love it when a company replies to their questions or comments on Twitter or Facebook!
Get your friends and family to promote your home business for you. Give them business cards so they can hand them out to the people they know who might want to use your services. You can even make it a fun game by putting a coupon code on the card which is specific to the individual you give it to, and then the person with the most referrals wins a prize!
Keep your equipment up to date. If you buy equipment that you obviously need for your business, such as office supplies or a computer, you can deduct your expenses from your taxes. To avoid getting in trouble, do not write off expenses that might fit into what you bought for your home rather than your business.
To reduce distractions keep your office off limits to children. Have set work hours that enable you to run your business and still have time for your family. Older children should understand not to disturb you while you are working. For your business to succeed your family needs to be supportive and respectful of your work schedule.
It is extremely important to set up specific space and time to work. When you are interrupted, you must maintain those work-at- home boundaries. With small children, child care is required as if you were not home. As the owner, you don't have any benefits. Sick days, vacations, and paid holidays are a thing of the past.
Read More On Robert Strong site to read more about this blog post Read More And download his video training
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1: Understanding Online Business Success
Starting a home based business to earn income online takes a significant amount of time and energy upfront to get things going. Not seeing results immediately can be discouraging and cause people to give up too early. In this article, we look at the process of starting a home based business and working through the frustrations to be there when the sales come flowing in.
2: Why You Need To Build Multiple Streams of Income For Yourself
Being an entrepreneur and earning multiple streams of income is a dream that many have, but in reality it does take some initial hard work to achieve this. Earning multiple streams of income is the wave of the future, and here are some tips and advice for you when you are looking for ways in which to do this for yourself.
3: What is Cyber Marketing And Why It Is So Important For The Success Of Your Website
Cyber marketing has now become an indispensable segment of e-commerce as well as the internet and World Wide Web related topics. Cyber marketing simply refers to a technique of attracting potential customers by advertising your products or services through such means as websites, emails, and banners.
4: Article Marketing Strategy: Putting Together a "Class Schedule" For Your Article Topics
Businesses go to so much trouble when there is one sure-fire, simple, very inexpensive way to attract new clients to a business: Teach a free class. That is what article marketing is like. Your articles are just like free classes. You teach your target readers something helpful in your article. Your resource box then says, "If you enjoyed this article you can visit my website and apply what you have learned."
5: The Best Way To Optimise Your Website SEO For Google Panda
If you want your SEO to work you now need to concentrate on appeasing Google Panda, and to do this you need to know what Google Panda's spiders/bots will be looking for. Find out here how to search engine optimise your website for the latest Google Panda algorithm, and achieve the success you deserve.
Teachers walk the picket line outside Fallingbrook Community Elementary School during a one-day walkout in Ottawa on Dec. 12.
Photograph by: Chris Mikula , Ottawa Citizen
OTTAWA ? Angry Ontario teachers took to social media Saturday to sound off about a surprise late evening statement on Friday from the Ontario Secondary School Teachers? Federation, recommending its members suspend their political action and resume providing extracurricular activities.
But student trustees, gathered in Ottawa for the groups?s annual board conferences, called the recommendation by the teachers group a welcome sign that relations between the government and teacher unions are heading in a positive direction.
?It means that the provincial leaders in education were listening to the student demonstrations in order to get these things back,? said Hirad Zafari, the president of the Ontario Student Trustees Association.
?It also says a lot about the future of the relations in this province because this minister of education and this premier took merely weeks to resolve such a huge problem.?
Zafari, a Grade 12 student at Don Mills Collegiate Institute in Toronto, said reinstating extracurriculars will help schools return to normal after months of ?uncertainty.? Zafari?s soccer team qualified for city finals before school sports stopped running. Now, he says his team has a chance to get back on the field before the finals in May.
?I truly believe that it?s never too late when it comes to stuff like this,? he said. ?Now we have a couple months (for extracurriculars) that actually will do a lot of good for students.?
The trustees association acts as an advocacy group for more than two million Ontario students through elected student representatives from both public and catholic schools.
Trustees communications officer and catholic school student Noah Parker said he still felt the effects of the ban even though his extracurriculars weren?t suspended.
The Grade 12 student at Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School in Burlington said his volleyball team has had to travel to Kitchener and Waterloo in order to find teams to play. The school?s Reach for the Top trivia team couldn?t compete in tournaments because there weren?t enough other teams,? he said.
Even though teachers in charge of extra curriculars are now permitted to run their clubs or sports teams, it?s not mandatory. But Zafari said he?s confident that most teachers will come around to the idea and start getting involved again.
?When one teacher begins to restart their club, restart their team, I think other teachers will follow suit,? he said. ?I also think students will be putting on the pressure in a good way, saying, ?Now that the union heads are no longer preventing (extracurriculars), if you truly do care about your students, you?ll be going back to these as well.?
While the OSSTF?s recommendation was welcomed by the student trustees, as well as parents, the news has apparently created a divide among teachers, many of whom feel that they have been betrayed by their union leadership.
Union members have been left with no details about the reasoning behind the decision to suspend political action. Members have been informed that a press conference will be held with OSSTF officials on Monday at 9:30 a.m. to answer all questions.
Calls to the OSSTF and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, went unanswered Saturday.
With no comment coming from union leadership, many teachers took to Twitter, Facebook and other social media to voice their opinion on the matter, questioning union leadership and why the decision to halt all ongoing protests over extracurriculars was voted on by union executives and not by the union membership.
?The vote by the exec (sic) now puts the onus on individual teachers to make the decision. Pissed off enough, don?t volunteer your time, pretty simple really,? wrote one teacher with the Avon Maitland District School Board in Western Ontario, on a Facebook group for teachers called ?We ARE (sic) the Front Lines in Education?.
Some teachers even took to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne?s official Facebook page to voice their anger over the OSSTF decision.
?I don?t trust the new Liberal leadership one bit ... Count on many teachers to not return to volunteering at school as our good will has been taken for granted,? wrote a teacher with the Thames Valley District School Board near London, Ont. in response to a post Wynne made that applauded the union?s announcement.
?Many of us feel disrespected and undervalued. I have already committed to coaching hockey and soccer outside of school and will not have time to do any more. Don?t count on me to come back until a fair contract is in place, one that is negotiated and not imposed on us.?
Twitter lit up with hundreds of comments from disgruntled educators.
Michael Jursic, a teacher at Ryerson Community Public School in Toronto, was one who wasn?t afraid to use the social media platform to voice his disappointment with the union.
?Liberals 1, Teachers 0. Way to divide and conquer, Premiere (sic). You sold out your members, (OSSTF president) #KenCoran!.? said a message posted under his account name.
By noon Saturday a hashtag, #nobackrooms, had been created on Twitter to collect angry messages from teachers directed at the OSSTF and the governing Liberals.
?OSSTF has sold out members in deal with OLP (Ontario Liberal Party). #Nobackrooms. No collectively bargained agreements, no ECs (extra curriculars),? wrote a teacher at Toronto?s Western Technical & Commercial School.
In this Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, photo, a trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
In this Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013, photo, a trader works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Strong earnings results from big U.S. companies offered investors a whiff of hope Friday. Stocks rose after a two-day slump, but remained on track for their worst week this year.
Hewlett-Packard had the biggest gain in the Dow Jones industrial average and the Standard & Poor's 500 index. It posted fiscal first-quarter earnings late Thursday that beat all forecasts, a relief after months of bad news for the computer maker. H-P rose $1.76, or 10 percent, to $18.86.
Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. was the S&P 500's second-best performer, jumping a day after reporting earnings that beat analysts' expectations. It rose $4.21, or 8 percent, to $58.07.
American International Group Inc. rose after its fourth-quarter operating results exceeded forecasts. The company's net loss was $4 billion, mainly because of claims related to Superstorm Sandy, in the first full quarter after it finished repaying its $182 billion government bailout. Its stock rose 88 cents, or 2 percent, to $38.16.
The Dow was up 63 points at 13,943 as of noon Eastern time. The S&P 500 rose six to 1,508. The Nasdaq composite index rose 14 to 3,145.
All three U.S. indexes remain down for the week. The S&P 500 is on track for its first weekly loss of the year.
Bill Stone, chief investment strategist with PNC Wealth Management, said he expects stocks to hold up despite this week's volatility.
"You're going to get bumps and bruises along the way, but we do believe things are actually getting better, so I think there's underlying demand" for stocks, Stone said.
Stocks plunged Wednesday afternoon after minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest policy meeting spooked investors. The minutes revealed disagreement at the Fed over how long to keep buying bonds in an effort to boost the economy. The slide continued Thursday.
Many analysts believe that the Fed's bond-buying and resulting low interest rates have driven this year's stock rally, which lifted indexes to their highest levels since the 2008 financial crisis.
U.S. stocks followed European stocks higher after a survey of German business optimism rose sharply, adding to evidence that the country will avoid a recession. Germany's economic vitality is crucial for the beleaguered region, offsetting economic contraction in surrounding countries.
"Germany is really the bedrock" of the region's economy, Stone said. "If it gives way, then you have real problems."
France's CAC-40 closed up 2.2 percent, Germany's DAX 1 percent.
Among the other corporate news moving markets:
? Abercrombie & Fitch sank after a key sales metric declined in the all-important holiday quarter. Its stock fell $3.10, or 6 percent, to $45.95.
? WebMD Health Corp. soared after the health website operator reported better-than-expected revenue and an optimistic outlook for 2013. The stock rose $3.51, or 22 percent, to $19.81.
? Texas Instruments Inc. rose strongly after saying it will increase its dividend by one-third and buy back up to $5 billion more of its own stock. TI rose $1.47, or 5 percent, to $33.95.
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Daniel Wagner can be reached at www.twitter.com/wagnerreports .
Vestas Wind Systems ? which operates four factories in Colorado employing 1,100 people ? is cutting about 110 jobs from its blade factories in Windsor and Brighton.
Workers at the factories had been on a reduced 32-hour workweek; with the job cuts, the remaining employees will return to a 40-hour week, Aarhus, Denmark-based Vestas said in a statement.
The move comes in response to a drop in orders as the federal wind-production-tax credit, a key element in financing wind farms, was renewed in January for just one year, the company said.
Vestas knew the late timing of the federal production-tax credit, or PTC, extension, would result in a significant reduction in 2013 installations, the company
In this July 2010 photo, a Vestas employee walks past tower sections at the wind turbine manufacturing plant south of Pueblo. (Mike Sweeney, The Pueblo Chieftain via the Associated Press)
said.
"It may take a few months for the PTC to take effect," said Peter Kelley, a spokesman for the American Wind Energy Association, an industry trade group.
"But the extension of the PTC doesn't solve all the problems," Kelley said. "We are still faced with the uncertainty and this start-stop cycle that is hard on manufacturers."
The tax credit is equal to $22 per megawatt that a new wind farm generates for the first 10 years.
In a scramble to get the tax credit before it expired , a record 13,000 megawatts for projects were installed in 2012, representing about $25 billion in investment, according to the Wind Energy Association.
The jobs cuts do not affect Vestas' nacelles factory, which manufactures casings, in Brighton or its tower factory in Pueblo, the company said.
"Vestas will continue to scale up or down depending on business needs and market demands," the company said.
In the past year, Vestas has reduced its Colorado workforce from 1,700 to about 1,000 with the current reductions.
In January, Vestas announced that it would start making towers at its Pueblo plant for other wind companies ? a deal that would create more than 100 new jobs.
For 12 years, Vestas had been the world's largest wind-turbine manufacturer, but in 2012 it was overtaken by the General Electric Co.
GE is also the top wind-turbine maker in the U.S. market, with Vestas second.
Mark Jaffe: 303-954-1912, mjaffe@denverpost.com or twitter.com/bymarkjaffe
Apple?s Siri voice recognition ushered in a whole new era in smart-phone technology. Now downloadable apps are trying to get in on the conversation. Consumer Reports just took a look to see how two of the leading free apps?Robin and Speaktoit?stack up.
Speaktoit is available on several platforms, including iPhone; Robin is exclusively for Android phones. Consumer Reports asked each similar questions. Both Robin and Speaktoit do well with some requests. But they struggle with other questions. Siri, on the other hand, has no problem with these requests.
Consumer Reports says Siri remains the voice-recognition standout. It?s hardwired into your iPhone and has access to much more of your personal information. And that?s an edge that none of the other apps can compete with yet.
If you don?t have an iPhone with Siri, Consumer Reports says downloading a free app gives you at least some voice-recognition capability. Speaktoit seems to be one of the best so far. It works on both the iPhone and Androids.
HELENA, Mont. (AP) - A Republican-led committee is rejecting Gov. Steve Bullock's plan to increase the mandatory hiring percentage of Montana workers on public-works projects in the state. ??? The House Business and Labor Committee tabled House Bill 490 Thursday with an 11-9 vote. ??? The measure would have required that at least 75 percent of the laborers on state or local projects be Montana residents. The current requirement is 50 percent. ??? Democratic Rep. Amanda Curtis of Butte is carrying the bill for the governor. She told the House panel that neighboring states have even more stringent mandates. ??? Idaho requires that 95 percent of public-works laborers are state residents. Wyoming and North Dakota have similar measures. ??? The Montana Contractors Association backed the measure during a Wednesday news conference.
GAUHATI, India (AP) ? Adolf Hitler is running for election in India. So is Frankenstein.
The tiny northeast Indian state of Meghalaya has a special fascination for interesting and sometimes controversial names, and the ballot for state elections Saturday is proof.
Among the 345 contestants running for the state assembly are Frankenstein Momin, Billykid Sangma, Field Marshal Mawphniang and Romeo Rani. Some, like Kenedy Marak, Kennedy Cornelius Khyriem and Jhim Carter Sangma, are clearly hoping for the electoral success of their namesake American presidents.
Then there is Hitler.
This 54-year-old father of three has won three elections to the state assembly with little controversy over being named after the Nazi dictator.
His father had worked with the British army, but apparently developed enough of a fascination with Great Britain's archenemy to name his son Adolf Hitler ? though he also gave him the middle name Lu, Hitler said.
"I am aware at one point of time Adolf Hitler was the most hated person on Earth for the genocide of the Jews. But my father added 'Lu' in between, naming me Adolf Lu Hitler, and that's why I am different," Hitler told The Associated Press from the small village of Mansingre, 200 kilometers (125 miles) west of Gauhati, the capital of the nearby state of Assam.
Hitler said his name has not stopped him from traveling the world, including to the United States and Germany.
"I never had problems obtaining a visa but I was asked many times during immigration as to why I should have such a name. I told the immigration staff I possibly didn't have a role in my naming," he said.
India had thousands of troops fighting alongside the allies in World War II, especially in North Africa and Burma, but many Indians view Hitler not as the personification of evil but as a figure of fascination. Hitler's book "Mein Kampf" is prominently displayed at many Indian bookstores. The owner of a menswear shop named his store "Hitler," then expressed puzzlement last year after Israel complained.
Musfika Haq, a teacher in Meghalaya's capital, Shillong, said such names are common in the state.
"Parents obviously get fascinated by names of well-known or great leaders, but must be unaware that some of them, like Hitler, had been highly controversial," he said.
Kids have it all these days -- tailor-madegadgets, their own little corners in mobile platforms, and of course, loadsandloads of content. The latest to hit the wires is the Nick app for the iPad, offering a slew of Nickelodeon programming wrapped in a swipe-driven, tyke-friendly interface. The goodies include animated shorts, videos, games, the ability to mark favorites, plus a smorgasbord of funny interactive elements and a "Do Not Touch" button that promises disruptive fun. Full episodes of the current shows can also be accessed if you've subscribed to Nickelodeon's TV package via any one of eight providers. Seems like a swell way to keep those tech-savvy rug rats occupied between outdoor adventures and some DIY action. The 45MB payload is waiting at the source link, yours for the hard-to-argue cost of free.
