U.S. Senator Reid, son combine for China firm's desert plant

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Harry Reid recognized nine years ago that connections between his official duties and the lobbying activities of his relatives could lead to ethical questions.

In 2003, the Nevada Democrat publicly banned relatives from lobbying him or his staff after newspaper reports showed that Nevada industries and institutions routinely turned to Reid's sons or son-in-law for representation.

Now, questions surrounding family ties are flaring again in Nevada around the Senate majority leader. He and his oldest son, Rory, are both involved in an effort by a Chinese energy giant, ENN Energy Group, to build a $5 billion solar farm and panel manufacturing plant in the southern Nevada desert.

Reid has been one of the project's most prominent advocates, helping recruit the company during a 2011 trip to China and applying his political muscle on behalf of the project in Nevada. His son, a lawyer with a prominent Las Vegas firm that is representing ENN, helped it locate a 9,000-acre (3,600-hectare) desert site that it is buying well below appraised value from Clark County, where Rory Reid formerly chaired the county commission.

Craig Holman, a lobbyist for the non-partisan advocacy group Public Citizen, said the senator is dealing with "an iffy ethical landscape" because of the family connections and should recuse himself from the project. "Is this just happening because ... it benefits the Reid family, or did Harry Reid actually believe in this?" Holman said.

The senator has supported numerous clean energy projects in Nevada. Rory Reid cites energy as one of his specialty areas at the law firm.

The two Reids deny discussing the ENN project.

"I have never discussed the project with my father or his staff," said Rory Reid. Kristen Orthman, a spokeswoman for the senator, said he had not discussed the project with his son.

The Langfang, China-based ENN Energy Group hopes to build what would be the largest solar energy complex in America. The site chosen with Rory Reid's guidance is in tiny Laughlin, Nevada, a gambling town of 7,300 along the Colorado River, 90 miles south of Las Vegas.

County officials have said that they were so thrilled to recruit a company to the area, with the prospect of thousands of new local jobs, that they were eager to negotiate.

ENN is headed by Chinese energy tycoon Wang Yusuo, who made a fortune estimated by Forbes at $2.2 billion distributing natural gas in China. Wang escorted Reid and a delegation of nine other U.S. senators on a tour of the company's clean energy operations in Langfang, and Reid featured Wang as a speaker at his 4th annual National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas last year.

NEVADA'S LARGEST LAW FIRM

To advance the Nevada project, ENN retained the state's largest and most prestigious law firm - Lionel Sawyer & Collins, where Rory Reid works. It is headed by Richard Bryan, a former Nevada attorney general, governor and member of the U.S. Senate.

Rory Reid faced a one-year cooling off period from lobbying the Clark County commission after leaving his post in January 2011, and Bryan took the lead on ENN's negotiations with the county.

Since the one-year ban expired, Rory Reid has been ENN's primary representative before the county, according to Steve Sisolak, the board's vice chairman.

Rory Reid acknowledged representing ENN at both the county and state levels since January. He declined to discuss the project otherwise.

Two months after Harry Reid's China trip, Lionel Sawyer registered ENN Mohave Energy LLC as an American subsidiary of the Chinese company. The firm negotiated with the county to buy the land rather than lease it, as the county's staff had recommended.

In December, Clark County commissioners voted unanimously to sell up to 9,000 acres of public land to the subsidiary at pennies on the dollar.

The deal spurred local controversy. Separate appraisals valued the land at $29.6 million and $38.6 million. The commission agreed to sell it to ENN for $4.5 million.

The county did build in certain conditions before the project could begin, including milestones for jobs creation and investment. ENN also must assure the county that it has a power company willing to commit to buying energy from the solar farm. But in the eight months since the commissioners approved the deal, no utility has signed a power purchase agreement.

However, Harry Reid stepped up again.

The Democrat recently used an online discussion related to his annual energy summit for an as-yet unsuccessful effort to pressure Nevada's largest power company, NV Energy, to sign up as ENN's first customer.

In the July 30 discussion, Reid said the project "would start tomorrow if NV Energy would purchase the power." The utility controls "95 percent of all of the electricity that is produced in Nevada and they should go along with this." Reid's online comments were first reported by the Las Vegas Review Journal.

The power company responded by saying it had exceeded its minimum renewable energy requirements both last year and this year, though it would consider buying power from ENN in the future. A spokesman for NV Energy declined to discuss the matter further.

Bryan, the head of the law firm, did not return repeated phone calls and emails.

An official with ENN in Langfang did not respond to emails.

In 2007, after a controversy over the number of lawmaker relatives engaged in lobbying, Congress passed the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, sharply restricting the lobbying activities of close relatives of members of Congress.

The law only applies to registered lobbyists and Rory Reid is not registered as a federal lobbyist in Washington or a state lobbyist in Nevada, according to records in both jurisdictions.

(Reporting By Marcus Stern; Editing by Marilyn W. Thompson, Martin Howell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-senator-reid-son-combine-china-firms-desert-050833711.html

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Google engineer finds British spyware on PCs and smartphones

Two security researchers have found new evidence that legitimate spyware sold by British firm Gamma International appears to be being used by some of the most repressive regimes in the world.

Google security engineer Morgan Marquis-Boire and Berkeley student Bill Marczak were investigating spyware found in email attachments to several Bahraini activists. In their analysis they identified the spyware infecting not only PCs but a broad range of smartphones, including iOS, Android, RIM, Symbian, and Windows Phone 7 handsets.

The spying software has the capability to monitor and report back on calls and GPS positions from mobile phones, as well as recording Skype sessions on a PC, logging keystrokes, and controlling any cameras and microphones that are installed.

They report the code appears to be FinSpy, a commercial spyware sold to countries for police criminal investigations. FinSpy was developed by the German conglomerate Gamma Group and sold via the UK subsidiary Gamma International. In a statement to Bloomberg, managing director Martin Muench denied the company had any involvement.

"As you know we don't normally discuss our clients but given this unique situation it's only fair to say that Gamma has never sold their products to Bahrain," he said. "It is unlikely that it was an installed system used by one of our clients but rather that a copy of an old FinSpy demo version was made during a presentation and that this copy was modified and then used elsewhere."

Parallel research by computer investigators at Rapid7 found command and control software servers for the FinSpy code running in Indonesia, Australia, Qatar, Ethiopia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Mongolia, Latvia, and the United Arab Emirates, with another server in the US running on Amazon's EC2 cloud systems. Less than 24 hours after the research was published, the team noted that several of these servers were shut down.

Gamma and FinSpy gained notoriety last year when documents apparently from the company were found in the Egyptian security service headquarters when it was ransacked by protestors after the fall of Hosni Mubarak. These appear to be a proposal that the Egyptian government buy a five-month license for the software for ?287,000. Again Gamma denied involvement.

But Marquis-Boire and Marczak told The New York Times that they appear to have found a link to Gamma in these latest code samples. The malware for Symbian phones uses a code certificate issued to Cyan Engineering, whose website is registered to one Johnny Geds.

The same name is listed as Gamma Group's sales contact on the FinSpy proposal uncovered in the raid on Egypt's security headquarters. Muench has confirmed they do employ someone of that name in sales but declined to comment further.

Commercial spyware is an increasingly lucrative racket, as El Reg has pointed out, and there's growing evidence that Britain is one of the leading players in the market. Privacy International has formally warned the British government that it will be taking legal action on the issue and this latest research only adds weight to the issue. ?

Source: http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2012/08/31/finspy_gamma_polcie_spying/

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Neil Armstrong, X Prize and SPACE.com: A True 'Right Stuff' Moment

Editor's Note: Neil Armstrong, the first person ever to walk on the moon, died Saturday (Aug. 25), but the legacy of his "one small step" will live on in the history books. Here, SPACE.com science and technology writer Dave Brody recalls a particular moment with Armstrong from 2004, when the iconic astronaut was serving on the board of trustees of SPACE.com.

On the morning of Sept. 29, 2004,?Neil Armstrong was participating in an executive meeting of SPACE.com in?New York City as an investor and board?member. ?At the same time, 2,600 miles to the west, Scaled Composites was preparing to launch its SpaceShipOne in the first of two competitive flights to capture the Ansari X Prize.

We interrupted the meeting at 11 a.m. and invited the board members to watch the video feed from X Prize (a media partner of SPACE.com) under way in Mojave, Calif.

Neil was standing about 10 feet from our large plasma monitor when Scaled's WhiteKight carrier aircraft released SpaceShipOne at 10 minutes past the hour. Moments into the drop, pilot Mike Melville fired the hybrid rocket motor and pulled up sharply.

The motor was capable of providing 82 seconds of thrust. Less than a minute into that burn, however, Neil quickly strode toward the screen, watching closely. He'd caught something nobody else saw. "That's a pretty good roll ...," he said very, very quietly. ?Slowly, the rest of us began to notice the rocket motor's contrail had taken on a corkscrew shape over the track of the last 17 seconds of powered flight.

None of us yet knew what Neil Armstrong had already figured out: Up on SpaceShipOne, Mike Melville had cut the engine?s power early. Mike was running out of atmosphere in which to use the ship's aerodynamic controls to damp that dizzying roll. [Mike Melville Rolls in SpaceShipOne (Video)]

What we could not see and could not have known (except Neil) was that out there, climbing past 250,000 feet over the Mojave, Melville was doing battle with roll rates upward of 180 degrees per second. Neil knew Mike?s world was literally flipping upside down every 2-3 seconds, and that Melville would have to block out disorientation while brain-working his way through a shift from correcting with flight control surfaces (in atmosphere) to correcting with thrusters (in vacuum).

In true "Right Stuff" fashion, Melville let the rolling continue as he climbed. He even let it roll while he reconfigured SpaceShipOne to its feathered?"shuttlecock" re-entry mode. Then he methodically and minimally damped it out, knowing that the feathered surfaces could also play a stabilizing role. (Melville would later comment that the roll was "pretty cool.")

As the vehicle ? which would fly again the following week to claim the Ansari X Prize ? made its way back into breathable space, Neil turned to our group. "I had one like that on the X-15," he said.

Armstrong explained to us that in such vehicles, the pilot's manually flown angle of attack is extremely critical to preventing any lack of symmetry in the motor's thrust from turning into "mission-threatening" rolls; and it makes a big difference in maximizing the final altitude of the ballistic arc.

Back on April 20, 1962, during a test of the X-15 rocket plane? in many ways, the direct ancestor of SpaceShipOne ? Neil had literally skipped off the atmosphere. His flight track ballooned far to the south of its plan, sailing over Pasadena and northern Los Angeles, before he got his ship turned around and down onto the dry lakebed of Edwards Air Force Base. At 12.5 minutes, it would be the longest flight of that X-15 program.

With those memories near to him that day at SPACE.com, Neil Armstrong could not have been less jealous, or more complimentary, of Scaled Composites' pilots and engineers.

Neil has been called a "pilot's pilot" and "an engineer's engineer." ?For so many of us, has was so much more.

?

Follow SPACE.com on Twitter?@Spacedotcom. We're also on?Facebook?&?Google+.?

Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/neil-armstrong-x-prize-space-com-true-stuff-135716812.html

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Webinar: How to create a crisis communications plan | Everbridge ...

Posted on August 30, 2012 by Everbridge in Current Events

Download the presentation slides

-

In times of crisis, having a well-constructed communication plan and an effective incident management strategy is critical.? As technologies have evolved, so have communication methods and recipient expectations. ?With an increasing number of contact paths available, it is no longer about targeting the device, it is about reaching the individual.

As part of incident management, it is important to remember that your key audiences expect you to manage the entire lifecycle of an incident ? not just a single phase!

When was the last time you updated your crisis communication plan or considered the effectiveness of your incident management strategy?

Join?Everbridge?crisis communication experts, Francis Willett, director of services deliveryand Bill Scerra, learning officer and worldwide best practices, as they?discuss best practices and key?elements?of a comprehensive??crisis communication plan.

Attend this webcast to learn how to:

1. Identify the key stages of a crisis.
2. Learn the steps needed to plan for each of the stages.
3. Download a template that you can use to create your communication plan.

Join the webinar now!

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Source: http://www.everbridge.com/wordpress/?p=1496

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Key step forward in state efforts to improve college/career readiness ...

Our most recent pledges

Mary-Kate Poling : Committed to - Brooklawn School ... Read More

Our most recent pledges

Jeri Swinton : Committed to - Big Brothers Big Sisters has implemented numersous strategies to support a college going culture: ** A graduation celebration is held every year to celebrate the graduations of Little Brothers and Sisters AND Big Brothers and Sisters ** College visits have been scheduled and implemented for matches, to make the idea of going to college realistic for Little Brothers and Sisters, whose parents may have not even graduated from high school ** A partnership with JFCS included workshops to assess career selection and readiness. ** We have invested resources and worked with JCPS to get access to academic data. ** We have launched a collaboration with numerous youth service organizations that supports THEIR education efforts through our service of one-to-one mentoring relationships. ** Have served as a catalyst to coordinate efforts of African-American civic groups to close the achievement gap in the Newburg neighborhood: Rico's Roundtable (named after a Little Brother who is getting his college degree in criminal justice) ... Read More

Our most recent pledges

Lynn Rippy : Committed to - YouthBuild Louisville prepares Opportunity Youth to complete their GED and enter college ready to persist. YBL offers ongoing support with fiancial aid, scholarship, AmeriCorps awards. We continue to support our young people long past graduation. ... Read More

Our most recent pledges

Ann Coffey : Committed to - advocating for, and furthering the goals of 55,000 Degrees ... Read More

Our most recent pledges

Kevin Fields : Committed to - We coordinate several programs relevant to college-going culture and college readiness, including: Boys to Men, Parent Booster Club, Teen Leadership Council, Home Ownership Counseling, Free Tax Filing Services, Notary Service, and Financial Literacy Training Our 55K commitment to Youth & Adult Services includes: * Dissemination of 55K information and materials to parents/children and our adult clients * Support of academic success of our youth through tutoring, mentoring, motivation, and positive reinforcement * Exposure of youth and adult clients to college and career options * Provision of career-readiness and job-specific skills training to enhance employability of adult clients * Engagement and support of the Teen Leadership Council * Engagement of parents and adult clients in dialogue, meetings, and community events to support and empower post-secondary educational attainment ... Read More

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Ben Ruiz : Committed to - Community interaction with families, students and schools. / A complex interaction in motivation, learning, college culture and social-psychological adaptation. / Custom case approach methodology. ... Read More

Our most recent pledges

Jenni Edwards : Committed to - LouCAN will promote a College-Going Culture through the network of organizations who participate in LouCAN meetings by sharing upcoming events, inviting members to participate in community-wide activities around college-going, and share information about resources available to nonprofits that they may not be aware of. LouCAN will build capacity of members through sharing effective practices, new resources, and professional training for staff of nonprofits seeking more specialized knowledge around "Know How To Go" to college. ... Read More

Our most recent pledges

Alan Jimenez : Committed to - I will try to create a climate for conducive to learning. Teach the student that with hard work and commitment he can attain his goals. I will try to use the skills that I learned in college and provide the student with the necessary skills to succeed in obtaining his degree. ... Read More

Our most recent pledges

John Asher : Committed to - advocating for, and furthering the goals of 55,000 Degrees ... Read More

Our most recent pledges

Noel Harris : Committed to - advocating for, and furthering the goals of 55,000 Degrees ... Read More

Source: http://55000degrees.org/key-step-forward-in-state-efforts-to-improve-collegecareer-readiness-and-high-school-graduation/

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Samsung announces Series 5 and Series 7 Windows 8 tablets with S Pen apps, optional keyboards

Samsung already showed off its Series 5 Hybrid back at Computex, but what we didn't know was that Sammy had yet another tablet / laptop mash-up in the works. The company just formally announced the Series 5 and it turns out it's going to be joined by the next-gen Series 7 Slate as well. The two 11-inch tablets more or less look alike, except the Series 5 is powered by an Atom-based Clover Trail processor, while the Series 7 packs Core i5 guts. Both support pen input, and will come with the same S Pen apps found on the Galaxy Note 10.1. As for that optional keyboard dock, Samsung previously touted its magnetic hinge, but the dock has since been retooled with a sturdier latch-based mechanism. (Check out the video below to see it in action -- the tablet really does seem incapable of falling out.)

As you can imagine, that difference in processor entails more than just different clock speeds. The two-watt Atom chip inside the Series 5 is rated for about nine hours of battery life, whereas the Core i5-powered Series 7 is expected to last between four and five hours on a charge. (The Series 5 is lighter, too, at 1.65 pounds, compared with 1.89 for the Series 7.) And, being a lower-powered device, the Series 5 has no vents. Last major difference: the Series 7 has a 1080p screen, while the Series 5's resolution tops out at 1,366 x 768.

On the software side, Samsung is loading all of its Win 8 systems with its various Media Hubs -- yes, just like the ones you'll find on the company's Android devices. You'll also find AllShare, a DLNA media-sharing app; S-Launcher, a widget that replicates the missing Start Menu in Windows 8; and eSettings, a centralized options menu for folks who maybe haven't learned where all the settings are in Win 8. As for those S Pen applications, you've got S Note, among other carry-overs from the Android side. As with the Note 10.1, the pen itself can recognize 1,024 degrees of pressure sensitivity.

Both tablets will arrive October 26th, the day Windows 8 starts shipping. The Series 7 will be available in one $1,119 configuration with 4GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD and the keyboard. The Series 5, meanwhile, will cost $649, and will include 2GB of RAM and a 64GB solid-state drive. If you like, you can purchase the keyboard for $99, or you can buy the two as a bundle for $749. We'll be back with reviews in October but until then, check out our walk-through below. (Note: we didn't get a chance to play with AllShare, the S Pen apps or the Hubs, but hopefully we can give you a more detailed demo of the software soon.)

Gallery: Samsung Series 5 and Series 7 Slate

Continue reading Samsung announces Series 5 and Series 7 Windows 8 tablets with S Pen apps, optional keyboards

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets

Samsung announces Series 5 and Series 7 Windows 8 tablets with S Pen apps, optional keyboards originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/fxOM09nvNqQ/

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Ingenious | Mummy..Mummy..Mum!

Posted by admin in reviews | 0 comments

I have lots of lovely childhood memories of playing board games with my Dad and I REALLY want my children to have the same, so we are always on the look out for new games. Z loves a game which make him think and he is remarkably patient and logical for a 5 year old. I was a little worried Ingenious would be too complicated for him, but he understood what to do straight away, although does still need a little help working out his score.

We have played at least twice a day since opening the box, so he definitely likes it as do my husband and I. It is lovely to have a game that is fun and challenging for us and for him.

As with some of the best games the rules themselves are simple. ?From a rack of six tiles you have to place matching colours to achieve the best score. ?There are six colours to choose from and you place your tile so it is connected to as many of the same colour as possible. ?For each colour you have a peg on a score board which you advance as and when you connect with other tiles of that same colour. ?The catch is that by the end of the game it is your lowest scoring peg that determines your fate. ?Leave behind a straggler and you will more than likely lose.

The game board and pieces are high quality, it really is a great family game, I would definitely recommend it.

Ingenious retails at about ?24.99 and is recommended for children age 8 +.

We received a Ingenious for the purpose of this review.

?

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Source: http://www.mummymummymum.com/2012/08/28/ingenious-a-great-family-board-game/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ingenious-a-great-family-board-game

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Malaysia's Sime Darby Q4 profit down 16 percent

Malaysian palm oil giant Sime Darby said Wednesday its net profit sank 16.2 percent in the fourth quarter due to a decline in its plantation business earnings.

The world's largest listed palm oil producer by acreage said net profit for the three months ended June 30 was 1.10 billion ringgit ($353.2 million) compared with 1.31 billion ringgit during the same quarter a year earlier.

The company remained "mindful of the uncertainties in the business environment as we move ahead amidst volatility in the global economy," Mohamad Bakke Salleh, Sime Darby president and Group CEO, said in a statement.

Revenue for the quarter ending June 30 grew 8.1 percent to 14.12 billion ringgit from 13.06 billion ringgit, it said in a filing to the stock exchange.

The company said the quarterly profit decline came in large part due to a slight decline in fresh fruit production.

For the entire financial year, however, net profit increased 13.0 percent to 4.35 billion, up from 3.85 billion ringgit the previous year, it said.

Revenue for the fiscal year increased to 47.60 billion ringgit from 41.86 billion ringgit.

Sime Darby is involved in plantations, property and healthcare and operates in over 20 countries. It is one of the largest companies on the Malaysian stock exchange, with a market capitalisation of 58.9 billion ringgit.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/malaysias-sime-darby-q4-profit-down-16-percent-160153113--finance.html

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Malignant mesothelioma patients likely to benefit from drug pemetrexed identified, study suggests

ScienceDaily (Aug. 29, 2012) ? Previous studies have hypothesized that low levels of the enzyme thymidylate synthase (TS) likely mark patients who will benefit from the drug pemetrexed -- but results have been inconclusive at best and at times contradictory.

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the Journal of Thoracic Oncology provides an explanation of why: only in combination with high levels of a second enzyme, FPGS, does low TS predict response to pemetrexed in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma.

"The hope is that oncologists could test a patient for TS and FPGS levels and so discover if the patient should be treated with pemetrexed or if another therapy might be more appropriate," says the paper's first author, Daniel C. Christoph, MD, PhD, medical oncologist at the West German Cancer Center, working as an international postdoctoral researcher in the lab of CU Cancer Center investigator, Fred Hirsch, MD, PhD.

Pemetrexed works by inhibiting the enzyme TS, which cancer cells need in order to replicate their DNA. So it stands to reason that tumors already low in TS would be most affected by the drug -- blocking the remaining TS would effectively stop the ability of cancer cells to synthesize new DNA.

However, Christoph and colleagues tested 84 samples of mesothelioma in which patients had been treated with pemetrexed and found that low levels of TS only in combination with concurrently high levels of FPGS predicted patients' response to the drug.

The study also explained the mechanism by which FPGS increases the clinical effectiveness of pemetrexed: "High levels of FPGS allow pemetrexed to stay longer inside cells, giving the drug longer to work against TS," Christoph says. Of the samples tested, patients with low TS and high FPGS had more response to pemetrexed and longer durations of survival.

According to Christoph, the current study provides the preclinical work needed to justify exploring the predictive power of TS and FPGS in mesothelioma patients. A prospective observational study of these biomarkers could lead to their wide use in predicting patients' response to pemetrexed.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Colorado Denver. The original article was written by Garth Sundem.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Daniel C. Christoph, Bernadette Reyna Asuncion, Celine Mascaux, Cindy Tran, Xian Lu, Murry W. Wynes, Thomas C. Gauler, Jeremias Wohlschlaeger, Dirk Theegarten, Volker Neumann, Rodrigo Hepp, Stefan Welter, Georgios Stamatis, Andrea Tannapfel, Martin Schuler, Wilfried E. Eberhardt, Fred R. Hirsch. Folylpoly-Glutamate Synthetase Expression Is Associated with Tumor Response and Outcome from Pemetrexed-Based Chemotherapy in Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma. Journal of Thoracic Oncology, 2012; 7 (9): 1440 DOI: 10.1097/JTO.0b013e318260deaa

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/RYnklzlqE7I/120829141809.htm

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Summer Holidays Are For Camping ? Ib4x4n

We have three major holidays during the summer, Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day. These holidays are very popular with family campers and are probably the busiest camping weekends for families. I found the following article that explains why the summer holidays are for camping with the family.

By Judy Doiron

Do you have a holiday without anything to do or a weekend when you don?t want to do anything? How about taking your family holiday camping in the nature?

The main benefits for a family holiday in nature are:

#1: You and your family will become emotionally closer.

Camping is a great excuse for bonding with other people and especially with your family. That?s because while your family will be camping, each member will have his or her role. Every person will have to contribute with something.

#2: Reinvent your family life and make plans for the future.

Each individual has goals and aspirations. In the same way, a family can have goals and aspirations. Some of them are common to every family member and other goals are individual. One of the main purposes of a family is to help each other get better results than they could get on their own. When you are in the middle of nature with your family, it?s a great idea to fantasize and plan for the future. Come up with new goals and plans for their accomplishment.

#3: Become inspired by nature and recharge yourself.

It?s pretty easy to be and feel inspired while you are in nature. This is because you are in another environment. Your senses are attuned to the present moment because everything you are perceiving is new. As a result, you tend to think faster and more innovative.

#4: Eat healthier and lose a few pounds.

Most people have trouble losing weight because of their hectic schedule and lifestyle. While you are camping, you have a lot more willpower at your disposal that you can focus on eating healthy and less.

#5: The perfect weekly escape from your work schedule.

Some people say that camping is the best thing to do with their spare time. I don?t believe them. I believe that going camping each week is much better than just going camping once.

Camping is the perfect choice for a family holiday. Don?t waste any more time. I?ve already told you the benefits of why it?s so important to go camping with your family. Get busy, find the right camping site and plan your next camping trip.

Without the distractions of television, telephone, internet and alarm clocks, you will have a wonderful time. I?ll always remember something a dear friend of mine told me years ago, ?Time spent in our great outdoors is time added to your life.?

Judy Doiron has been spending her summer vacation camping with her family for many years. Working hard all year with children going to school, sports schedule, homework, it might be hard to spend valuable time with your family.

Don?t spend your summer holidays at home, even if you don?t have a huge vacation budget, Camping in New Brunswick

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Judy_Doiron
http://EzineArticles.com/?Family-Holiday?Benefits-of-Going-Camping&id=7175072

All camping families agree that the summer holidays are for camping. If you are one of the families that spend the summer holidays at home barbequing in the back yard, move that barbeque to the back country and enjoy the benefits of camping. Don?t have any camping equipment. Click Here and browse the selection at CampingATV.com

Related posts:

1. Riding the Dusty Summer Trails
2. Holiday Spirit

Source: http://www.ib4x4n.com/2012/summer-holidays-are-for-camping/

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5 Things You Didn't Know About Circumcision

A new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is likely to throw fuel on the fiery controversy surrounding male infant circumcision.

The AAP's statement touts the medical benefits of circumcision while stopping short of recommending the procedure, which opponents decry as painful and unnecessary. For instance, new research has found that circumcision lowers the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, genital herpes, human papillomavirus and syphilis.

Circumcision seems to be on the decline in the United States (a 2005 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality study put the rate at about 56 percent), but the practice has long religious and cultural roots. Here are five circumcision facts that may come as a surprise.

1. It was once touted as a cure for paralysis

In the late 1800s, doctors turned to circumcision to "cure" an array of ailments, from childhood fevers to brass poisoning to paralysis. This era was a boom time for genital surgery ? women were losing their ovaries to the knife in the name of curing hysteria ? but it was an 1870 case that shone the spotlight on circumcision.

Writing in the journal Transactions of the American Medical Association, Lewis Sayre, a professor of orthopedic surgery at Bellevue Hospital Medical College, told the tale of being called to the bedside of a 5-year-old boy whose knees were flexed and paralyzed, preventing him from walking.

During his examination, Sayre discovered that the boy's foreskin had contracted, causing the child great pain. Speculating that the foreskin problem could be the source of the boy's "physical prostration and nervous exhaustion," Sayre conducted a circumcision the next day. In less than two weeks, Sayre reported, the boy was walking again.

Whatever the cause of the boy's paralysis and miraculous cure, the foreskin can occasionally become trapped over the head of the penis, a condition called phimosis. Modern cures include circumcision, manual stretching of the foreskin, or preputioplasty, an operation to widen the foreskin. [Macho Man: 10 Wild Facts About His Body]

2. The foreskin is more complex than you might think

The foreskin isn't just skin. Think of it as more like an eyelid for male genitals. On the inside, the foreskin is made up of mucous membrane, analogous to the inside of the eyelid or the inside of the mouth. It's this moist environment that seems to be responsible for the foreskin's association with sexually transmitted infections. The foreskin also contains a large number of Langerhans cells, a type of immune cell targeted by HIV infection.

Women have a foreskin equivalent, too: the clitoral hood, which protects the clitoris much as the foreskin covers the glans. The foreskin and the clitoral hood, known in gender-neutral terms as the prepuce, evolve from the same tissue in the womb. [10 Odd Facts About the Female Body]

3. The first-recorded circumcision happened in Egypt

As far as we know from the historical record, the land of the pharaohs pioneered circumcision. The earliest reference to the procedure dates back to around 2400 B.C. A bas-relief in the ancient burial ground of Saqqara depicts a series of medical scenes, including a flint-knife circumcision and a surgeon explaining, "The ointment is to make it acceptable," likely referring to some form of topical anaseptic.

Ancient Egyptian circumcisions were not done in infancy, but instead marked the transition from boyhood to adulthood. The Greeks saw their Mediterranean neighbors' tradition as rather bizarre. In the fifth century, Herodotus made his opinion known in his work "The History of Herodotus."

"They practice circumcision for the sake of cleanliness," he wrote of the Egyptians, "considering it better to be cleanly than comely."

4. It may have caught on as a status symbol

An increase in hospital births and a perception of circumcision as promoting cleanliness certainly contributed to the rise of the procedure in the United States. But the procedure may have been a status symbol as well.

Writing in the University of Cincinnati Law Review in 2003, Seton Hall University law professor Sarah Waldeck points out that Sayre and his circumcision-promoting colleagues came onto the scene just as hospital births were becoming more common. The wealthy were more likely to go to the hospital and have a physician-attended birth; thus, circumcision became a marker of class. The need to circumcise essentially became a social norm, Waldeck writes. It was what "good" parents chose. As more and more parents made the choice, it became odder and odder not to, which then put more pressure on parents to choose circumcision so their child would be "normal."

5. Circumcisions leave unique marks???????????

Most circumcisions in the United States are done with one of three devices: the Mogen Clamp, the Plastibell and the Gomco clamp. The Mogen clamp is a scissorlike device consisting of two flat blades used that are clamped over the foreskin, cutting off blood flow. A scalpel is then used to slice away the tip of the foreskin.

The Plastibell is a plastic device that is placed over the head of the penis, under the foreskin. The doctor or nurse then ties a string around the foreskin, cutting off circulation. The string may be used as a guide for the surgical removal of the foreskin, or the Plastibell may be left on for a week or so, after which the dead foreskin will fall off on its own.

The Gomco clamp is also inserted between the head of the penis and the foreskin. Again, the surgeon clamps the device over the foreskin, cutting off circulation. After about five minutes, the blood around the clamp will begin to clot, and the surgeon uses a scalpel to cut away the foreskin. This method sometimes leaves a distinctive light brown scar on the head of the penis.

Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas?or LiveScience @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.?

Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/5-things-didnt-know-circumcision-121207406.html

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Expert Advice For Supporting Your Home-based Business!

Yet to a lot of folks, that would seem out of the question. Once you learn the way to it, functioning a successful home business of your own may actually be rather probable. Look at this post for great information on starting out and achieving success in your home business enterprise.

Try to minimize your expenses when you begin a house organization. Working from home can be quite a dollars-saver, simply because you already have a place to function and don?t must pay more rent payments. Prior to you making any acquisitions, it?s essential that you actually consider whether you require the piece you wish to acquire. Should you maintain a spending budget and stay with it you?ll find that you?re capable of offer you lower prices than the competition.

It is a great idea to meet using an organization legal representative prior to deciding to incorporate your home business. You will need to follow your condition laws and regulations when starting up your business. In the event you consult with a legal representative who offers in running a business, you can discover the regulations of your respective condition. You need to ensure you are abiding by them.

Don?t acquire fifty percent-procedures in terms of attractive your potential customers. Toss a bit gift item along with their get, or compose a personal give thanks to-you take note to exhibit your respect. 2 things people love have the freedom presents and admiration. They will likely truly feel they are not being utilized.

If your home business can be a daycare plan, you have to have ample adult assist to operate it smoothly. You will want help with keeping the youngsters carrying out what they are supposed to do.

Do appropriate background record checks on probable workers. Also, validate their work personal references. Your employees should be experienced in the area of your respective enterprise, or maybe your company could crash.

Help it become simple for men and women to speak to you by e-mail, cell phone or email. Keep track of the people who contacted you, and see which ones obtained your products once the questions. There is a chance their buy was a direct result your responses, and you will learn how to recreate the identical final results with every curious website visitor.

Community with like-minded company to aid get coverage. This may attract more targeted traffic to your site plus increase the way your website positions searching effects. Your customers will determine what they can be simply clicking in the event you publicize correctly.

Working exclusively in the ease and comfort of your own house has its charms, but shortly you will skip getting together with people in a face-to-experience atmosphere. Satisfy on top of community consumers to help keep individual relationships.

Individual function time from personalized time by developing a regular span of labor time and staying on them. Set up a particular time after which you will will no longer acknowledge company calls. Take the time to enjoy yourself with your loved ones and friends.

The secret weapon to success in running your home-based business is the ability to know the best time to make changes and sometimes consider risks. Seeking new ideas can bring new business for your business, at some point resulting in higher revenue. By carrying out issues exactly the same way you always have, you?ll generally question regardless of whether making an alter will have created you more successful.

Search engine optimisation can be an useful tool for property companies to boost presence in on the internet google search results. This is extremely important for directing web site traffic for your website. Collect info on the techniques of search engine optimization from numerous sources to acquire a feel for which can work best for the program, because there are a thorough number of different types of thoughts on the topic.

Although reading this report, ideally you were inspired to consider your daily life to your individual hands and wrists. You had been provided plenty of suggestions about starting up a home company, and now is the time to grab the bull through the horns and do it! You can preserve this article for reference to read anytime you are not confident what the next thing you have to be getting is.

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Source: http://blog.thorsrubberhammer.com/2012/08/expert-advice-for-supporting-your-home-based-business-8/

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ARMA Montreal | September's Happy Hour ? Business Networking

?ARMA Montreal invits all those interested in document management to a?Happy Hour -?Business Networking, Thursday, September 13th starting at 5:00pm at Philips Lounge.??

For more information and to confirm your attendance (no later than Friday, September 6th), click?here!

Source: http://www.armamontreal.org/?p=3025

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International Business and Types of International Business | Rachel ...

Define International Business?? What are the types of International business?

Ans : business is increasingly becoming international or global in its competitive environment, orientation, content and strategic intent.? This is manifested or necessitated or facilitated by following :

(a) ? The competition can be in a firm local, national or foreign-now encounters, in many cases, is global, i.e. besides the competition from the domestic it has to competitive with products manufactured in India by foreign firms and imports.

(b) ? Because of liberalization, a firm has the challen ging opportunity to improve its competitiveness and scope of business by global sourcing of technology, material, finance, human resources etc.

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(c) ? Globalisation is facilitating globalization of operations management to optimize operations and to improve competitiveness.? Global value chain management is indeed a key factor of success.

(d) ? The universal liberalization and the resultant global market opportunities are taken advantage of by the firms to consolidate and expand of business.? Growing competition at home pushing many companies overseas.

(e) ? The global orientation of an increasing number of companies I evident from their mission statements and corporate strategies.

Types : International business is divided into following :

(a) ? Trading : Import and exports of goods and services have been very fast.? In countries like Japan, there are international trading houses, which transact enormous volume of business.? The export house, trading house, stare trading houses and superstar trading houses are merchant exporters they buy and resell goods.? They are comparatively small in size from giant trading house of Japan.

http://www.govindam.org/

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(b) ? Manufacturing and Marketing : ? The manufacturing exports are those who export goods manufactured by them.? Many MNCs and other firms both small and large do manufacturing and marketing

(c) ? Sourcing and Marketing : ? There are many MNCs and firms which outsource their products which they market at home and abroad.

Govindam Business School

?

(d) ? Global Sourcing for Production : There are many firms that outsource globally their raw material, intermediates etc required for their manufacturing.

(e) ? Services : Services is an enormous and fast growing sector of international businesses.? There is a large variety of services rendered Sinternationally.? The broad segment includes tourism and transportations, IT, banking, insurance, consultancies etc.

(f) Investments : International portfolio investment has been growing fast, as a result of globalization.

FDI are associates with establishment of manufacturing or marketing facilities abroad.

So, in short we can say that every business in today?s world is growing internationally and world is coming closer and with this there are greater chances of revenue generation.

Govindam Business School

Govindam Business School offers you an unparallel opportunity to study at advance level, to work within a challenging, stimulating and rewarding environment, to develop skills and competencies which will last throughout life, and most importantly, it will empower you intellectually to face the ever-evolving management world. http://www.govindam.org/

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Source: http://rachel-long.com/international-business-and-types-of-international-business/

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Small Businesses Find Success With Credit Union Backing

The owners of these businesses share a smart business practice: They all turned their dreams into reality with the help of credit union member business loans.

Funding dreams

Keith and Debbie Haden, owners of All American Swim Supply, Florence, Ala., understand the importance of funding dreams.

That's why All American sponsors swimmer Bryan Lundquist, a five-time All-American who holds the U.S. record for the 50-meter butterfly and was a serious contender in the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials.

Keith can relate to Lundquist and other competitors because he attended college on a swimming scholarship. Now he relishes the opportunity to continue working with the sport he loves by supplying swimming and aquatic-related merchandise at five stores and an e-commerce site.

"It's a business that's very well suited to what I know best," Keith says. "It's easy to be successful in the business when you have a passion for it."

Despite Keith's expertise, five banks turned down his applications for start-up loans before Listerhill Credit Union , Muscle Shoals, Ala., provided a loan to launch the business in March 2006.

"They made it happen for us," Debbie says. The company continues to rely on Listerhill for checking, loans, and other services.

These business owners turned their dreams into reality with the help of credit union business loans.

All American Swim Supply now has approximately 40 employees and has made Inc. Magazine's "Inc. 5000" list of the country's fastest-growing businesses since 2009. The Hadens credit their success to a commitment to customer service provided by great employees who are their second family.

"Despite a down economy, our business has thrived and grown," Keith says. "It can be done."

Creating a franchise

K-9 Resorts, Fanwood, N.J., tries to make the customer experience the best it can be for both its four-legged customers and their two-legged owners.

Jason Parker, president and co-founder, says special measures taken to satisfy its cage-free boarding and doggy daycare customers include:

• Installing floors made of materials that kill bacteria and odors
• Using hospital-grade disinfectant to clean facilities
• Recycling the air every two to three minutes

Launched in 2005, K-9 Resorts has grown 15% in each of the past three years. The company began selling franchise licenses for new K-9 Resort locations to other aspiring business operators in 2011 and named Financial Resources Federal Credit Union, Bridgewater, N.J., as a preferred franchise lender.

"Even through the recession our numbers have continued to grow," Jason says. "So far we've sold three franchises, with the first one scheduled to open in late 2012 in Middletown, N.J."

These business owners turned their dreams into reality with the help of credit union business loans.

Jason says offering franchising opportunities allows other business owners to share in K-9's success, including the ability to establish a relationship with a credit union lender.

Increasing opportunities

Bob Becker, president of Becker Contracting Inc., St. Louis, believes in creating long-term relationships with the general contractors who use demolition services from his 28-year-old company, also known as "Becker the Wrecker."

"We've never gotten bad feedback," Becker says. "It's about how we go about taking care of things. If something goes wrong, I assume its 100% our responsibility and work our way back from there."

Becker has a second business that buys homes to remodel and then resell. He discovered he could reduce his interest rate on real estate purchases by more than three percentage points when he went to West Community Credit Union, O'Fallon, Mo. He first borrowed money there 36 years earlier to buy his wife's wedding ring. A positive reception by business lenders at West Community prompted Becker to move all his business and personal accounts there.

"The people who manage and make the decisions at credit unions understand the local community," Becker says. "They're helping keep small businesses alive."

Becker's businesses had a rough year in 2008, when the recession drained demand for demolition and a flood swamped his office, destroying trucks, tools, and computers. He credits the credit union with providing the stability required to steadily rebuild the businesses as the economy began to rebound.

Funding was difficult to find?15 banks said no to applications for loans to buy a building and launch the program.

"My opportunities are increasing," Becker says. "It's not by leaps and bounds, but it's significant."

A family focus

The Frescas family grew up understanding the value of providing exceptional care for children. The mother, Graciela, had a long waiting list among parents who wanted their children to experience her in-home daycare in El Paso, Texas.

When father, Jose, was disabled by a work-related injury, the family decided to launch Grammies Daycare & Learning Center? named for Graciela?to offer care to more children.

The proposal for a commercial daycare center was designed to take advantage of the skills of the next generation of Frescas caregivers: Nick, Divina, and Tobias, who among them had degrees in early childhood development, education, and psychology.

"We had experience in daycare, we had backgrounds in education, our mom had developed the reputation, and we put our heads together and developed the commercial center," says Nick, who now is director of operations.

But funding was difficult to find, with 15 banks saying no to loan applications to buy a building and launch the program. The Small Business Administration suggested the Frescas family contact a credit union for a loan, making it possible for the family to open its first Grammies Daycare in November 2005 and a second facility in March 2008.

Grammies' relies on Security Service Federal Credit Union and GECU, both in El Paso, for business loans and financial services.

Funding was difficult to find?15 banks said no to applications for loans to buy a building and launch the program.

Nick notes that Grammies Daycare emphasizes learning throughout its curriculum, which includes a prekindergarten program that follows the Texas Education Agency (TEA) standards for kindergarten classrooms. Grammies also offers a Spanish-language enrichment program.

"That added layer of education is the most important thing we offer," Nick says.

Sharing the news

All four business owners have recommended their credit unions to other businesses.

Bob Becker recently rescued a friend's small business?placed in limbo when a bank arbitrarily canceled its lending and deposit services without notice?by referring his friend to West Community Credit Union.

"I want a relationship with a financial institution where they know me and, if I need them, they are willing to go that extra step because of who I am," Bob says.

Callout 3

"The people who manage and make the decisions at credit unions understand the local community."

Callout 3

"The people who manage and make the decisions at credit unions understand the local community."

Published September 17, 2012

? Home & Family Finance? Resource Center
? Copyright ? 1997-2012 - Credit Union National Association Inc.

Source: http://hffo.cuna.org/11270/article/3604/html

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National Program Aims To Fight Childhood Obesity In GeorgiaYour ...

From The Augusta Chronicle?..

Experts fear that this generation of kids may be the first to live shorter life expectancies than their parents, in large part because of the childhood obesity epidemic.

Today, more than 23 million of our nation?s children and teenagers are considered overweight or obese. It?s an epidemic that continues to plague this country. Not only is it debilitating physically, but it significantly affects our already-fragile health-care system. Simply put, we can?t afford to let this epidemic grow.

THOSE AFFECTED with childhood obesity are at serious risk for developing health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, cancer and other problems that usually affect adults. Each year, childhood obesity costs $14 billion in direct health costs! In Georgia alone, this disease affects 21.3 percent of your children, the second-highest in the nation.

Over the years, I?ve dedicated my efforts to raising awareness about childhood obesity and have made progress on this front. However, we have a long way to go. September is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and it provides us with a great opportunity to openly discuss this disease and share insights into what?s being done, and what can be done, to combat it.

Fighting obesity isn?t easy, and it will take a lot of helping hands to get, and keep, us on the right track. Parents, health-care providers, organizations, educators and others are key to making a positive impact in the health of our children.

In fact, all of these groups were instrumental in supporting my efforts to launch a fitness campaign in California that grew in 2011 to 1.4 million students, who all took part in a monthlong fitness challenge. Over the course of seven years, we saw a decrease in childhood obesity rates in California, and as a beneficial side effect, schools that participated in the campaign witnessed increased academic scores!

To read the full story?..Click here

Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/?p=3705

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Courtney Bisbee: Part of the Sorry Legacy of Andrew Thomas (Theagitator)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/243295177?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Movie review: Premium Rush | canada.com

Movie review: Premium Rush

By Katherine Monk

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Aasif Mandvi, Daniela Ramirez

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

Thanks to Michael Shannon, stunt cyclists and Google Maps, Premium Rush at least gives us something interesting to look at for 90 minutes. The plot, however, keeps slipping out of gear.

The first, and perhaps only, major motion picture to address the existential challenge of life as experienced through the eyes of a bike courier, Premium Rush spins on its own hub of chain-ring religion.

We hear the gospel in voice-over, as our anti-hero Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) takes to the streets of Manhattan with urgent packages that have to be delivered crosstown. An old-school cycling demon who eschews gears and derailleurs in favour of fixed links and a steel frame, Wilee loves to tell us how brakes are what get you into trouble.

Most of the time, in his experience at any rate, it?s best to just keep your momentum and spin through it, even if that means careening through intersections and getting bounced off the odd windshield or two.

Certainly, Wilee has found himself plastered to tempered glass before, and it?s what we watch him do in the opening sequence as he?s launched off his bicycle and flipped several meters in to the air.

The scene unfolds in super slow-motion, and at this point, director-writer David Koepp introduces the ever-dependable ? but always grating ? clock in the corner of the screen device.

Wilee gets hit at a climactic moment in the narrative, but we don?t know it yet because we have to spin back a few hours to see the whole set-up. After all, bike couriers hardly incite the kind of rage that would ever prompt a reasonable driver to act in a passive-aggressive manner.

Wilee must have made a mistake, or upset someone he shouldn?t have, in order to get launched off his wheels.

Dragging us into the back alley of back story, Koepp pummels the viewer with a sob story about a woman trying to get her son out of China. She needed to transfer the money to some smugglers, but she couldn?t do it through any bank: She needed to turn the money into a single envelope with a cash IOU that could then be taken to the coyote in Chinatown.

It?s complicated and just a little tedious, but it?s completely unimportant. It?s just the set-up to excuse the series of extreme bike stunts in the streets of Manhattan, and depending on what kind of crankhead you are, this will either feel like the best movie ever made ? or being trapped in some 20-year-old?s personal fantasy.

Even if it?s the latter, there is some solace in the film?s clear possession of a thought pattern, and consistent point of view.

This is a movie about Wilee and his resistance to the status quo. Like all heroic rebels, Wilee had a chance at being a tool in a suit behind the wheel of a luxury car, but he decided to squander his law school education and not write the bar.

He wanted to live freely, and love freely, as a bicycle courier ? because that?s his idea of romantic truth. It?s also his community.

Wilee is surrounded by friends when he?s on the streets, so when he?s forced to dodge cops and bullets, he uses resources that only a bike courier can exploit ? whether it?s the handy placement of a tow bar or a friend and a colleague who?s good at swinging a bike lock.

Those crazy riders take care of each other, and in that way, they make a good foil to the villain in the piece: The ever-eerie Michael Shannon, who plays a dirty cop who needs the IOU to clear his gambling debt with the mob.

Every single scene featuring Shannon isn?t just menacing, it?s also wickedly fun because he finds the sweet spot between maniacal evil and goofy comedy.

When his mouth fills with blood after a goon dislodges a tooth, he stands up in shock and utters: ?There are rules!?

It?s this sanguine gap between tragic violence and gratuitous action comedy that Premium Rush gets the biggest buzz because it?s actually trying to deliver something new. The sad fact is, for all skinned knees and bent rims, it?s the same old action package ? just on a bike.

08/24/12 09:02 2012

Source: http://o.canada.com/2012/08/24/movie-review-premium-rush/

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2012 Georgia Prep Football Preseason Poll

The Top Ten teams in the Associated Press Georgia high school football preseason poll of the 2012 season with first-place votes in parentheses, win-loss record, total points and position last week at right:

Class A
Record Pts Prv
1. Eagle's Landing Christian (4) 0-0 83 -
2. Lincoln County (1) 0-0 73 -
3. Landmark Christian 0-0 72 -
4. Savannah Christian Prep. (5) 0-0 67 -
5. Wilcox County 0-0 56 -
6. Wilkinson County 0-0 35 -
7. Calvary Day 0-0 27 -
8. Prince Avenue Christian 0-0 24 -
9. Aquinas 0-0 19 -
10. Charlton County 0-0 17 -
Others receiving votes: Mount Paran Christian 16, Darlington 13, Clinch County 11, Seminole County 11, Dooly County 8, Emanuel County Institute 8, George Walton 5, Marion County 4, Warren County 1.

Class AA
Record Pts Prv
1. Calhoun (9) 0-0 99 -
2. Lamar County (1) 0-0 74 -
3. Fitzgerald 0-0 69 -
4. Cook 0-0 55 -
5. Dublin 0-0 51 -
6. Brooks County 0-0 50 -
7. Lovett 0-0 34 -
8. Westminster 0-0 27 -
9. Greater Atlanta Christian 0-0 20 -
10. Bremen 0-0 18 -
Others receiving votes: Thomasville 17, Wesleyan 14, Jefferson 12, Bowdon 5, McIntosh County Academy 2, Vidalia 1, Laney 1, Early County 1.

Class AAA
Record Pts Prv
1. Peach County (5) 0-0 95 -
2. Buford (4) 0-0 92 -
3. Carver-Columbus (1) 0-0 81 -
4. St. Pius X 0-0 64 -
5. Washington County 0-0 47 -
6. Elbert County 0-0 39 -
7. North Oconee 0-0 27 -
8. Appling County 0-0 23 -
9. Cedar Grove 0-0 21 -
(tie) Jefferson County 0-0 21 -
Others receiving votes: Thomson 19, Cartersville 6, Blessed Trinity 5, Pierce County 3, Adairsville 3, Dawson County 2, Henry County 1, East Jackson 1.

Class AAAA
Record Pts Prv
1. Sandy Creek (5) 0-0 92 -
(tie) Burke County (5) 0-0 92 -
3. Cairo 0-0 72 -
4. Carrollton 0-0 67 -
5. Baldwin 0-0 35 -
(tie)Marist 0-0 35 -
(tie)Statesboro 0-0 35 -
8. Griffin 0-0 25 -
9. Stockbridge 0-0 16 -
10. Westside-Macon 0-0 12 -
(tie) Stephens County 0-0 12 -
(tie) Perry 0-0 12 -
Others receiving votes: Mary Persons 10, Monroe 7, Jonesboro 7, Dalton 7, North Clayton 5, Ridgeland 3, Grady 3, LaGrange 3.

Class AAAAA
Record Pts Prv
1. Tucker (6) 0-0 93 -
2. Northside-Warner Robins (4) 0-0 90 -
3. Kell 0-0 64 -
4. East Paulding 0-0 45 -
5. MLK Jr. 0-0 42 -
6. Flowery Branch 0-0 41 -
7. Warner Robins 0-0 33 -
(tie)Stephenson 0-0 33 -
9. Gainesville 0-0 31 -
10. Ware County 0-0 24 -
(tie) Allatoona 0-0 24 -
Others receiving votes: Thomas County Central 18, Northgate 8, Pope 2, Clarke Central 1, Conyers Heritage 1.

Class AAAAAA
Record Pts Prv
1. Grayson (10) 0-0 100 -
2. Walton 0-0 78 -
3. Colquitt County 0-0 66 -
4. Camden County 0-0 59 -
5. Lassiter 0-0 50 -
6. Norcross 0-0 35 -
7. Hillgrove 0-0 31 -
8. Lowndes 0-0 30 -
9. Brookwood 0-0 21 -
10. Valdosta 0-0 18 -
Others receiving votes: Lovejoy 15, Peachtree Ridge 13, North Gwinnett 11, McEachern 9, Dacula 6, Alpharetta 4, Marietta 3, Etowah 1.

---
All Associated Press members in Georgia are eligible to participate in the high school football poll. Those who voted for this week's poll are: Albany Herald, Albany; Augusta Chronicle, Augusta; Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, Columbus; Daily Citizen, Dalton; Times, Gainesville; Gwinnett Daily Post, Lawrenceville; Marietta Daily Journal, Marietta; Telegraph, Macon; Savannah Morning News, Savannah; Valdosta Daily Times, Valdosta.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Source: http://sandersville.13wmaz.com/news/hs-sports/74772-2012-georgia-prep-football-preseason-poll

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