Sunday, September 30, 2012

Tornado hits fair in Spain, flood deaths reach 8

A man to clear muddy water from his house, after heavy rain caused flash floods in the town of Villanueva del Rosario, Malaga, southern Spain, Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Homes were destroyed and at least one woman was killed. Rescue workers are searching to determine if there are more victims. (AP Photo/Sergio Torres)

A man to clear muddy water from his house, after heavy rain caused flash floods in the town of Villanueva del Rosario, Malaga, southern Spain, Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Homes were destroyed and at least one woman was killed. Rescue workers are searching to determine if there are more victims. (AP Photo/Sergio Torres)

Residents walk on a muddy street after heavy rain caused flash floods in the town of Villanueva del Rosario, Malaga, southern Spain, Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Homes were destroyed and at least one woman was killed. Rescue workers are searching to determine if there are more victims.(AP Photo/Sergio Torres)

Residents walk by a wrecked car carried away by flash floods after heavy rain in the town of Villanueva del Rosario, Malaga, southern Spain, Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Homes were destroyed and at least one woman was killed. Rescue workers are searching to determine if there are more victims. (AP Photo/Sergio Torres)

A women cleans a muddy street after flash floods in the town of Villanueva del Rosario, Malaga, southern Spain, Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Homes were destroyed and at least one woman was killed. Rescue workers are searching to determine if there are more victims.(AP Photo/Sergio Torres)

Residents walk by wrecked cars carried away by flash floods after heavy rain in the town of Villanueva del Rosario, Malaga, southern Spain, Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Homes were destroyed and at least one woman was killed. Rescue workers are searching to determine if there are more victims. (AP Photo/Sergio Torres)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? A tornado swept through a fair ground in a Spanish town, knocking down a Ferris wheel and injuring 35 people, while the death toll from flooding in the southern part of the country rose to eight, authorities said Saturday.

The Friday tornado damaged several rides and cut electricity in the temporary fair set up in the main square of Gandia, according to its town hall website. It said 15 of the injured were seriously hurt, all of whom were treated on site.

Local media reported the fair was closed to the public at the time of a thunderstorm and that all the injured were fair workers.

Just inland from the Mediterranean coastal town, three more victims of Friday's flash floods were found overnight. They included a middle-aged woman in the town of Lorca. Last summer Lorca was hit by Spain's deadliest earthquakes in more than 50 years, leaving nine dead.

A spokeswoman for the regional government of Andalucia told The Associated Press on Saturday that the heavy downpours and resulting high waters had claimed the lives of four people in the province of Murcia, three in Almeria and one in Malaga.

The spokesman, speaking on condition of anonymity in keeping with government policy, said that a 52-year-old British woman was missing in Almeria as well as one homeless man. Five people originally declared missing had been found alive.

Local media reported that hundreds of citizens had to be evacuated throughout the region.

The flooding disrupted high speed train service between Madrid and Valencia and various regional lines, while bridges and roads were also made impassible.

The heavy rains which started on Friday morning are expected to continue throughout Saturday, with the front moving north toward Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-09-29-Spain-Flooding/id-6769c1ca16f84ea8abfdf967f9b41742

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Spain crisis fuels Catalan separatist sentiment

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? Three weeks after a massive Catalan separatist march in Barcelona ? the biggest since the 1970s ? the independence flags still flutter from balconies across Spain's second largest city.

Spain's crushing recession has had this divisive consequence: soaring popular sentiment in Catalonia that the affluent region would be better off as separate nation.

On Thursday, regional lawmakers voted to hold a referendum for Catalonia's seven million citizens to decide whether they want to break away from Spain. The Spanish government says that the referendum would be unconstitutional. And it's unclear if the "Yes" vote would win ? even in these restless times.

But it looks more likely than ever that Catalonia may ask to go its own way.

"I have a big Catalan flag on the balcony. I put it up a week before the demonstration on Sept. 11 and it is still hanging there," said Gemma Mondon, 46, a mother of two. "I think we would be better off if we can manage our money. I think we would do much better."

Catalonia, a northeastern region that is historically one of Spain's wealthiest and most industrialized, has always harbored a strong nationalist streak. Separatism is especially entrenched in the rural towns and villages outside its more cosmopolitan capital Barcelona, where people switch between speaking Spanish and Catalan with ease and at times without even noticing.

In the peaceful transition from the Franco dictatorship to prosperous democracy, Catalans were content just to recover the freedom to openly speak, teach and publish in their own Catalan language, a right denied under Franco for over 30 years.

But now, generations-old grievances for more self-government and recognition of their culture are rising to the surface as the economic downturn bites.

Many Catalans feel their quest for a sense for nationhood has been frustrated by the intransigence of the central government in Madrid. The most recent of these clashes came in 2010 when Spain's Constitutional Court weakened the Statute of Autonomy for Catalonia, a sweeping package of laws that devolved more power to the region and would have recognized Catalonia as a nation, albeit one within Spain.

Spain's slump, which has led to a spike in unemployment and harsh austerity cuts, has proven to be the tipping point for many Catalans who used to be against or ambivalent about seeking their own state.

Mondon, who works for a family run real estate management firm, said that just over a year ago she voted "No" in a nonbinding referendum organized by pro-independence groups. Now, she says she has changed her mind.

"I always felt Spanish and Catalan and I never had the urge to be independent. A year ago I just wanted to be left alone to speak my language and raise my children in a Catalan school," said Mondon. "My attitude was 'don't bother me,' but now that has changed."

Catalonia will go to the polls on Nov. 25, with regional president Artur Mas' center-right nationalist party Convergencia i Unio expected to increase its hold of the regional parliament. Mas has said he will hold a referendum on Catalonia's self-determination, whether the Spanish government permits it or not. The date has yet to be set.

"If the Spanish government authorizes (the referendum), more the better," said Mas. "If the Spanish government turns its back on us and doesn't authorize a referendum or another type of vote, well, we will do it anyway."

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy insists the country's constitution doesn't allow a region to secede on its own, and experts say it would be virtually impossible for Catalan separatists to get it changed. Spain's Basque region, the other part of the country with a strong separatist movement, tried to get such a move approved in Parliament in 2005 but failed.

"It's not a scenario planned by the constitution," said Francisco Perez-Latre, a communications professor at the University of Navarra who has closely monitored the Catalan independence movement for years.

The new political uncertainty about the economically important region and major tourism destination is unsettling for investors already worried about Rajoy's ability to keep his country's shaky economy afloat, and within the euro currency club.

There are also doubts about how well-equipped Catalonia would be to go it alone.

Catalonia, sitting on its own mountain of debt, has in fact asked Spain for a ?5.9 billion bailout. But many Catalans argue that the region is only heavily indebted because it has to pay more than its fair due in taxes compared to services and funding it gets in return. Spain's other better-off regions also give more than they receive. Rajoy, however, has emboldened Catalan separatists by flatly rejecting demands for more power in levying tax revenues and deciding how it is spent, privileges granted to two other Spanish regions: the Basque Country and Navarra.

Rajoy's stance has combined with Spain's gloomy prospects to push Catalans who never wanted to break away from Spain before to conclude that the country itself is a failure.

"I put the Catalan flag on my balcony for the first time. Normally, I have been very discreet with my political ideas. But I think now I have to go a step further," said architect Albert Estanyol, 48, whose mother came from southern Spain. "Before, when asked about independence, I would say 'Why?' Now, I say, 'Why not?'"

Catalonia has over 800,000 unemployed, almost 22 percent of its population. That's slightly lower than Spain's national jobless rate, but the back-to-back recessions have been particularly hard on young workers in Catalonia. Since 2007, over 100,000 Catalans under 25 have lost their jobs, and the unemployment rate for workers under 25 has skyrocketed to over 50 percent, close to the national level for the same age bracket.

"I have looked for work. Since I was 18 I have had six or seven jobs, they have all been unstable, poorly paid, like filling in for two weeks at IKEA. They have had nothing to do with what I studied," said Roger Cervino, a 23-year-old who holds a degree in history.

"The economic situation is bad and one of the solutions to ending the crisis is secession. It would be complicated, but Catalonia has the capacity to reach full employment," he said. "What stops it is Spain, and above all the Spanish government, which has been a disaster."

___

Alan Clendenning contributed from Madrid.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spain-crisis-fuels-catalan-separatist-sentiment-073933870.html

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Thousands attend NYC concert highlighting poverty

NEW YORK (AP) ? K'naan kicked off a free concert in Central Park on Saturday evening that also included performances by Black Keys and John Legend to call attention to poverty worldwide.

Dubbed the Global Citizen Festival, the concert lineup featured Neil Young, Band of Horses and Foo Fighters as well. Video of the event was streamed worldwide as about 60,000 music fans poured into the park.

The concert included a surprise appearance from Legend, who played "Imagine" at a piano on the Great Lawn stage, a short walk from where the song's author, John Lennon, once lived.

The concert was scheduled around the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week and organizers used an innovative approach to ticket distribution so that many concert-goers were forced to learn about an array of global problems, such as polio, malaria, child mortality, and polluted drinking water, in order to get a ticket.

Anyone wanting free tickets had to register at globalcitizen.org, which then required users to watch videos or read information about poverty-related issues. Each time material was consumed, users could earn points toward a drawing for tickets. Points were also accumulated by sharing information via Twitter or Facebook.

"Our social media campaign has been off the charts," said Hugh Evans, CEO and co-founder of the Global Poverty Project. The approach demonstrates a new model for harnessing digital tools that may be repeated for other big events with political or social messages.

Organizers said more than 71,000 people had signed up online, resulting in more than 3.5 million page views. On average, they spent just over six minutes consuming content or sharing information. Nearly 200,000 pieces of information were shared on Facebook, and just a bit more than that on Twitter. About 170,000 people signed petitions via the site, and there were 98,000 videos viewed to completion.

Evans said the project achieved its goals, set out last year, of getting more than 100,000 people to take action related to extreme poverty while telling a new story about the challenges. To that end, the site conveys information in detailed, documentary-like accounts and uses an array of video, graphics and stories that are friendly for mobile and digital consumption.

Financially, he said, the project also achieved its yearlong goal ? working with an array of organizations like the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the Earth Institute and Rotary International ? of garnering $500 million in commitments to help fight poverty.

So now what?

Evans said that he's hoping the audience, built online and at the concert, will continue efforts by tweeting President Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney to halve extreme poverty by 2015, which is the key U.N. anti-poverty goal. And Evans is working on an announcement in October or November about "a major rock band" getting involved with the anti-poverty efforts.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-attend-nyc-concert-highlighting-poverty-225827247.html

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How to Ditch Cash and Pay for Everything Electronically [How To]

It's 2012, and we're still fussing with paper currency. Why isn't everything electronic? Or at the very least, exclusively utilizing magnetic strips on plastic rectangles? Where are those ID/Passport/money-replacing cards we were promised in the 90s? More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/tvQcurDQE5U/how-to-ditch-cash-and-pay-for-everything-electronically

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Miami-based Venezuelans to vote in New Orleans

In this June 26, 2012 photo, Beatriz Olavarria smiles during an interview in South Miami, Fla. Olavarria, who has done election work in the last eight Venezuela elections in Miami, leads a commission to send information to voters and mobilize volunteer observers for the polling stations, as well as volunteer ushers outside the convention center. Venezuela's government closed the Miami consulate and told Venezuelans to vote in New Orleans in the Oct. 7 presidential election. Olavarria is hoping that at least half of the 20,000 Venezuelan voters will make their way to New Orleans. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

In this June 26, 2012 photo, Beatriz Olavarria smiles during an interview in South Miami, Fla. Olavarria, who has done election work in the last eight Venezuela elections in Miami, leads a commission to send information to voters and mobilize volunteer observers for the polling stations, as well as volunteer ushers outside the convention center. Venezuela's government closed the Miami consulate and told Venezuelans to vote in New Orleans in the Oct. 7 presidential election. Olavarria is hoping that at least half of the 20,000 Venezuelan voters will make their way to New Orleans. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

(AP) ? By bus and car, commercial flight and charter, U.S.-based Venezuelans are traveling en masse to New Orleans in the coming days, spending hundreds of dollars and in some cases more than a day of their time to cast a vote in their country's presidential election.

The government of President Hugo Chavez earlier this year closed the country's consulate in Miami, where most Venezuelans living in the U.S. have cast ballots in the past. It later said voters would have to travel to New Orleans if they want to participate on Oct. 7.

It's a hardship in terms of time and money for many potential voters. But some, especially those who want to stop Chavez from being re-elected after 13 years in power, are determined to make the trip anyway.

Carolina Guevara, a 21-year-old college student, plans to take the 15-hour bus ride from Miami to New Orleans, an 870-mile (1,400-kilometer) trek.

"We want to demonstrate to the government that even if they put obstacles in our path, we will practice our right to vote," said Guevara, who hopes to return to Venezuela after completing her political science studies at Miami Dade College.

The Venezuelan government closed its Miami mission after the State Department expelled consul Livia Acosta amid an investigation into recordings that seemed to implicate her in an Iranian plot for a cyber-attack against the U.S.

The closure affected nearly 20,000 Venezuelan voters living in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina who had registered to vote at the Miami consulate. Most Venezuelan voters in the United States live in the Miami area and the vast majority of those are critical of the Chavez government.

After the Miami mission closed, Venezuelan election officials said that voters registered there would have to cast ballots in New Orleans, where the next-nearest consulate is located. Venezuelan opposition leaders accused the government of trying to disenfranchise voters, a charge officials denied.

"They tried to do everything possible to prevent us from voting," said Gisela Parra, a former judge who left Venezuela in 2005 after being accused of conspiring against Chavez. "The pressure was such that they had to open a voting center far away, in New Orleans. It's like punishing us."

Parra, who plans to volunteer at the New Orleans voting center, said Venezuelan electoral officials "had the obligation" to make another Miami location available.

But Tibisay Lucena, president of Venezuela's Elections Council, countered that voters registered in Miami "were relocated using the same criteria used inside the country, telling them to go to the nearest polling station."

About 15,800 Venezuelans in the U.S. voted in their country's Dec. 2006 presidential election, three-quarters of them in Miami.

Of the 10,800 Venezuelans voting in Florida, 98 percent cast ballots for the opposition candidate and 2 percent for Chavez. Thirty-four percent of registered voters did not participate, according to figures from Venezuela's Elections Council.

Most Venezuelans in the U.S. are professionals or businesspeople who left their country after Chavez became president in 1999. The number of Venezuelans in the U.S. burgeoned from 91,500 in 2000 to 215,000 in 2010, according to the 2010 Census, with 57 percent of them living in Florida.

Numerous groups surfaced to assist U.S.-based Venezuelan voters, with information distributed on the Internet and social media, as well as at coffee shops and bookstores frequented by Venezuelans.

The groups include Voto Joven and Voto Donde Sea, comprised mostly of young people, and the Mesa de la Unidad Democratica, or Democratic Unity Table, a coalition of political parties backing opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles.

Beatriz Olavarria, who leads a commission created by the opposition alliance to distribute voter information and mobilize observers, said she hopes at least half of the voters registered in Miami will cast ballots in New Orleans. "Something tells me that many people will get on board at the last minute," she said.

Olavarria, who has volunteered in Miami during past Venezuelan elections, created the website www.Miami7octubre.com, to provide information about the New Orleans vote.

The group's major push now is figuring out how to get registered voters to the Louisiana city, where balloting will be held in a convention center. Opposition members complain that voting will not occur inside the mission itself, but Lucena, the electoral council president, said "the rules state that the polling center must be as near as possible to a consulate."

In most cases, traveling from here to New Orleans to vote would require at least one night away from home.

With travel costs a major obstacle for many potential voters, financial adviser Andres Casanova and his childhood friend Andres Morrison are collecting donations to pay for charter planes to ferry Venezuelans to New Orleans.

So far, they have received almost $355,700 in donations, enough to pay for trips for 1,100 voters. But far more people ? as many as 3,000 ? have registered on the organization's website, www.aerovotar.com , for seats assigned on a first-come, first- served basis.

Voto Donde Sea, meanwhile, is collecting donations to subsidize bus fares for voters, said group leader Vanessa Duran.

Milagros and Fernando Nunez Noda are renting a car with another couple to make the trip from Miami.

"We're going no matter what," said Nunez Noda, a journalist and businessman.

"It's like they threw down a challenge," he said of the government's decision to move the balloting to New Orleans. "We will prove our strength."

____

Associated Press writer Jorge Rueda contributed to this story from Caracas.

____

Gisela Salomon at http://www.twitter.com/giselasalomon

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-09-30-Venezuelan%20Voters/id-92e437a0f99c4b7b8916efee79130a2c

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Ways To Make Camping Fun For Everyone | Content for Reprint

Author: Greg James | Total views: 41 Comments: 0
Word Count: 773 Date:

Camping is a great activity and can be done with those around you that you love. Yet, many never try it because it sounds so hard to do. As long as you have the information you need ahead of time, camping is very easy. Continue reading this article for some excellent camping tips that will make you an seasoned camper quickly.

Remember that everything you bring will get dirty on your trip. Being prepared for the inevitable is the best way to avoid unneeded stress. Have fun in nature and don't be afraid to get dirty! You can get back to normal after returning home.

Make sure you know how to use a compass and map before you go camping. You can get lost in the woods even if you have been to the area before. You will be able to avoid possible tragedy when you learn how to use both of these life saving items.

After your trip, be certain you leave the campsite cleaner than it was when you found it. You will want to bring trash bags for cleaning up all refuse. Do not leave food there, either. A golden rule for departing a campsite: leave only your footprints behind.

Safety procedures should be acknowledged when you're out camping. Keep away from animals, both large and small. Even small animals in the wild can be dangerous. This should not have to be said, but never feed any bears you see.

Never assume that you will find enough wood to burn, because rain can change that in an instant. Bringing your own small supply of wood and keeping it dry is a wise decision.

Learn how to use a map or a compass before going camping. Even if you know what your campsite is like, you may still get lost because a lot of areas look similar around where you are. You can prevent disaster by knowing how to use these lifesaving items.

Never assume that you will find enough wood to burn, because rain can change that in an instant. It's important that you bring extra wood with you that you can keep in a dry area.

If you have any type of medical issue, no matter how minor, you should always discuss camping with a medical professional beforehand. He or she can tell you about important things you may not have thought about for your trip that can affect your health in a harmful way. Maybe only one small thing needs to be done that won't interfere but will make your camping trip less dangerous for you.

Have you just bought your first tent and want to begin camping? It's vital to learn all that you can before you leave about your tent. You should know what you need and how to do it before you actually have to do it. This will also help you be able to accomplish the task quickly and efficiently once you arrive at your campsite, even if it is near dark.

Find the softest, flattest ground possible to set up your tent. If you pick out a sloped or a rocky spot it can make sleeping and hanging out in the tent very uncomfortable. Also, put a tarp down on your site to repel water in the best fashion.

Buy yourself some camping pillows for your trip. The typical pillows will become sticky in hot and humid climates. The will also pull moisture from the air and mildew will form quickly. Pillows specifically designed for camping will not draw in wetness like regular pillows will.

For a cheap and disposable tarp to place under your tent, save an old shower curtain! You can also use it as a way to control run-off as you are washing or cooking. Instead of getting rid of an old shower curtain, use it for your next camping trip.

Improper food packing leads to food poisoning in many campers each year. Food poisoning can happen when food is spoiled, which is something you risk when you take food not properly preserved, vacuum sealed or canned. Make sure you keep all perishable food on ice, but keep the drain open!

Now that you've reached the end of this article, you are ready to do some planning. Camping is not intended to be an intense event, but there is a bit of know-how required to make it stress free. Use the information shared here and have a great trip!

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Saturday, September 29, 2012

How Do We Get Out Of A Contract With A Real Estate Broker ...

questions

Q: We listed our home with a broker in May. Since the listing we found out through another Realtor that the asking price of our home was dropped $2000.00. We were not aware of the drop because we had not spoken to the listing broker about any price drop. When we called our Realtor and asked about the price drop she denied it.(This was in the middle of August). She was also questioned that same day about signs that where suppose to have been placed in different locations leading to our house the day it was listed.(That where not). She said that she would put the other signs out and put a brochure box on the sign in front of the house. We drove to the listed house about a week later (as we have already moved into a new home) to mow the yard and trim before it was to be shown the next day. While at the listed home we grabbed a brochure out of the box. The price did reflect a $2000.00 price drop, which we were told did not happen. Called the realtor the next day and asked what was going on? Why did she lie and tell us the price hadn?t dropped when in fact she had dropped it without our consent). Point being she LIED?. After asking what was going on she lied again to cover the first lie. This time as shes talking to my husband she says ..Well I know I talked to somebody, Your wife said it was OK.(NOT) Another Lie. We hadn?t talked to her (the Realtor in about 2 months) No communication of any sort good bad or otherwise. My Husband told her to take her signs and lockbox of our door she was done. We are not about to deal with a Realtor that has no morals or ethics. LONG STORY SHORT WE WANT HER OUT!! ?Deb, Glencoe, MN

A: If your Realtor is with a company, she probably has a managing broker (unless she is the managing broker). You should speak with the managing broker about terminating the listing contract. Given the facts and circumstances you describe, that should not be a problem. If that doesn?t help, you can file a complaint with your state?s division of real estate. Phil Lunnon is a Realtor? with Lunnon Realty in Lakewood, CO.

Are you interested in having a qualified REALTOR answer your questions? Click through to Ask a REALTOR? now.

Are you a REALTOR who would like to answer consumer questions? Click through to become an Ask a REALTOR? participant.

Related posts:

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  3. Can A Listing Agent Take Offers On A Home Under Contract?
  4. Do I Owe A Commission To The Listing Agent After My Contract Expires?
  5. Can I Fire My Realtor For Not Showing Up To Appointments?

Source: http://www.realtor.com/blogs/2012/09/28/how-do-we-get-out-of-a-contract-with-a-real-estate-broker/

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Man fatally shoots self on TV after Arizona chase

In this video grab provided by Fox 10 News, a vehicle involved in a police car chase is followed on an interstate highway by a television station helicopter west of Phoenix, Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Police say a man fatally shot himself in the head on live national television at the end of the high-speed chase that began in Phoenix when the driver stopped, ran into the desert and placed a handgun to his head and fired. (AP Photo/Fox 10 News)

In this video grab provided by Fox 10 News, a vehicle involved in a police car chase is followed on an interstate highway by a television station helicopter west of Phoenix, Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Police say a man fatally shot himself in the head on live national television at the end of the high-speed chase that began in Phoenix when the driver stopped, ran into the desert and placed a handgun to his head and fired. (AP Photo/Fox 10 News)

Map shows Tonopah Arizona, where a suspected car-jacker appears to shoot himself on live television.

(AP) ? Authorities still haven't released the identity of a man who fatally shot himself in the head on live national television at the end of a high-speed carjacking chase that began in Phoenix and ended close to the California border.

Fox News was covering the chase that began about midday Friday using a live helicopter shot from Phoenix affiliate KSAZ-TV. The man driving a copper-colored four-door sedan stopped, ran into the desert and placed a handgun to his head and fired.

The man was declared dead at the scene, according to Sgt. Tommy Thompson, a Phoenix police spokesman.

Fox News anchor Shepard Smith told viewers that the video was supposed to be on a 10-second delay so it could be cut off from airing if something went awry.

"We really messed up, and we're all very sorry," Smith said.

Fox apologized for showing the violence on air.

"We took every precaution to avoid any such live incident by putting the helicopter pictures on a five second delay," said Michael Clemente, executive vice president of news editorial. "Unfortunately, this mistake was the result of a severe human error and we apologize for what viewers ultimately saw on the screen."

More frequently than its rivals, Fox News Channel picks up car chases from its local affiliates and airs them live. It's gripping television, a live mystery with no clear resolution, and often provides a short-term ratings boost as viewers tune in to see how it ends. Critics say the chases themselves rarely rise to the level of national news. The Phoenix station was not airing the chase live when it ended.

Thompson said the man allegedly stole a car from a couple at gunpoint outside a Phoenix restaurant just before 11 a.m. MST.

Police officers located the vehicle and began a pursuit and the man fired several shots, Thompson said. He said at least one shot hit the police vehicle but the officers escaped injury.

The suspect headed west on Interstate 10, then pulled onto a dirt road near the town of Tonopah that Thompson said was "70 to 80 miles east of the California line."

TV footage showed the man exiting the vehicle and running erratically in a field before putting the gun to his head and firing. He then fell to the ground.

"Efforts to revive him were not successful and he was dead at the scene," Thompson said. "We don't have an ID yet."

Fox returned repeatedly to shots showing the car passing big-rig trucks that typically travel at about 70 mph as if they were standing still.

Police cars did not appear to be immediately behind the car during most of the chase.

Smith was narrating the video and clearly had his doubts about what was being shown from the moment the man stopped the car. "This scares me," he said.

"You wait for the end of these things and you worry about how they may end up," he said. "This makes me a little nervous, I got to tell you. A little nervous."

After the man shot himself, Fox's picture quickly cut to Smith, who was shouting "get off, get off, get off, get off."

Smith apologized repeatedly following the commercial break.

"That didn't belong on TV. We took every precaution we knew how to take to keep that from being on TV and I personally apologize to you that that happened," he said.

___

AP television writer David Bauder reported from New York. Associated Press writer Walter Berry in Phoenix also contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-09-29-Phoenix-Police%20Chase/id-343587dd4f85406fbf783f93c3a7be55

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This Screen Is Why iPhone 5 Sales Disappointed - Business Insider

The first weekend of iPhone 5 sales were pretty disappointing for Apple. ?

Five million units sold might sound like a lot, but it was serious deceleration off of prior year iPhone sales growth and actually marked a decline in units sold per country.

It has become increasingly clear that the reason for the poor sales was not user demand, however, but the tiny piece of glass in this photo.

The iPhone 5's super thin screen:

A new report from Reuters says that Apple has three manufacturers of this screen lined up: LG, making eight million a month; Japan Display, making eight million a month; and Sharp, making six million a month.

This same report, from Reuters' Tim Kelly and Yoshiyuki Osada, says that Sharp is only now finally up to speed.

That means for the past couple months, the source for more than 25 percent of the iPhone 5 screens has been behind schedule.

One analyst quoted by Reuters says that almost all the phones sold so far have screens made by LG and Japan Display. If that's the case, then supply has indeed been severely constrained.

Correction: An earlier version of this post called the screen plastic. Then we called it glass. Both are wrong. By "screen" Reuters actually seems to have meant "display." I'm not a hardware specialist and I screwed it up. Sorry for the confusion. ?

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/its-now-pretty-clear-this-flimsy-piece-of-plastic-is-the-reason-iphone-5-sales-were-so-disappointing-2012-9

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Order Body Beast | Tattler Extra

Widgetized Section

Go to Admin ? Appearance ? Widgets ? and move a widget into FooterLeft Widget Zone

Widgetized Section

Go to Admin ? Appearance ? Widgets ? and move a widget into FooterMid Widget Zone

Widgetized Section

Go to Admin ? Appearance ? Widgets ? and move a widget into FooterRight Widget Zone

Source: http://tattlerextra.org/2012/09/order-body-beast/

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Photo Release: Hilton Pattaya Welcomes Leading Indian Wedding Planners from New Delhi

You are here: Home / Travel / Photo Release: Hilton Pattaya Welcomes Leading Indian Wedding Planners from New Delhi




Posted by on September 29, 2012 ? Leave a Comment?

Bangkok?29 Sep?Hilton Pattaya

Well-designed hotel helps boost Indian Weddings in Pattaya, Thailand?s Famous Beach Resort, Positioning as an Ideal Destination for any Special Occasion

The award-winning, upscale Hilton Pattaya recently warmly welcomed Indian wedding planners organized by Tourism Authority of Thailand, New Delhi at Seaboard Ballroom on level 17 to showcase Hilton Pattaya?s wedding facilities as Thailand has become a popular destination for Indians.

Photo from left:
Khun Usa Sangsue, Assistant Director of Sales, Hilton Pattaya
Mr. Vikas Malhotra, Creative Travel Shoppe, India
Mr. Shangreiso Shimray, Secretary, Tourism Authority of Thailand, New Delhi
Khun Runjuan Tongrut, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand, New Delhi
Khun Dhaninrat Klinhom, Marketing Communications Manager, Hilton Pattaya
Ms. Ritu Batra, Shaadionline, India
Mr. Pramod Lunawat, Director,Marriageuana, India
Khun Nissara Pholouyporn, Marketing Communications Executive, Hilton Pattaya

Unique by design and centrally located, Hilton Pattaya is a stunning 302-room property set in the heart of the city overlooking Pattaya Beach and the Bay, all rooms and suites feature 180 degrees of unobstructed ocean views with private balconies and is part of Southeast Asia?s largest beachfront shopping complex, CentralFestival Pattaya Beach.

Filed under Travel ? Tagged with

Source: http://www.tivarati.com/news/129163

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Urban Clothing Stores Online

You can find almost everything you need to shop for online, whether it?s automobiles, household items, cosmetics, beauty products clothing etc. Speaking of clothing, you will be able to find plenty of urban clothing stores online that are selling the latest merchandise that are in fashion these days. These urban clothing sites that are selling clothing online are involved in selling all types of merchandise, both branded and unbranded.

You will find two types of online sellers; some of the websites will be selling clothing at retail prices. They will include stocks of clothing from different labels and their catalogues are updated on a regular basis to inform clients about the new arrivals in their stocks. You can find some websites that are selling branded clothing items as well, and their prices are generally lower than the prices that you will be charged in retail stores, because there are no overhead expenses that the businesses need to cater to when selling their merchandise online.

The quality of the items you will find online are just as good as the quality you will find in stores; most online retailers, selling urban clothing, make no compromise on quality and are very flexible with their return policy when they make deals with their clients.

The other types of sellers that are involved with selling urban clothing online are wholesalers. These are suppliers for retail businesses and usually only sell in bulk. There are some exceptions for this as well. If you?re interested in buying just a few items from these online wholesalers, there are some online wholesalers that will sell you merchandise no matter how small your order is. People have some reservations about the quality of the merchandise that these wholesalers are providing. But you don?t have to worry because these wholesalers make sure they don?t compromise on quality. Besides, there are a lot of retailers who buy their stock of merchandise from these wholesalers, which means that wholesalers cannot play around with quality or they will lose their clients to other competitive wholesalers online.

You must know the tricks of the trade, especially if you want to get your hands on some branded items you see in retail stores on a daily basis. The first thing you?ll need to do is pick a brand whose merchandise you?re interested in buying. Visit their website to find out about any outlets they have near you. Once you?ve compiled a list of their outlets, try visiting as many as you can to inquire about their wholesalers. Some retailers buy from online wholesalers, so you can always ask the store manager for the web address. The next step is visiting the website and picking out the exact same item from the wholesalers catalogue. Ordering online is simple and you?ll have your goodies within a few working days.

Usually, your orders are delivered within 5-7 working days after you?ve placed your order. Most of the websites online are reliable and you can safely give out your details without any fear of misuse of information. There is an FAQ section on every website that you can visit to find out about the sellers return policy and how they operate before you decide to buy urban clothing from them.

The up-side of buying from these online retailers and wholesalers is that, even if the clothing items aren?t on sale, you?ll still benefit from the relatively lower prices. No more waiting till end of season sales to get your hands on the type of clothing that is in fashion. In addition to that, you also benefit from the convenience of shopping from your home. The reliability of these services and the quality of the clothing are no longer a concern for many because online sellers have established their reliable reputation in the market.

If you?re looking for urban clothing stores online, Apparel Zoo is a site that you must check out. They have a large collection of urban clothing on sale and they regularly stock up on new arrivals. Visit their website http://apparelzoo.com/ to find out more about the kinds of merchandise they sell.

Source: http://toddsblogs.com/shoppingandproductreviews/2012/09/29/urban-clothing-stores-online/

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Friday, September 28, 2012

?Taxpayers spent $1.4 billion on Obama family last year, perks ...

The Daily Caller:

Taxpayers spent $1.4 billion dollars on everything from staffing, housing, flying and entertaining President Obama and his family last year, according to the author of a new book on taxpayer-funded presidential perks.

In comparison, British taxpayers spent just $57.8 million on the royal family.

Author Robert Keith Gray writes in ?Presidential Perks Gone Royal? that Obama isn?t the only president to have taken advantage of the expensive trappings of his office. But the amount of money spent on the first family, he argues, has risen tremendously under the Obama administration and needs to be reined in.

Gray told The Daily Caller that the $1.4 billion spent on the Obama family last year is the ?total cost of the presidency,? factoring the cost of the ?biggest staff in history at the highest wages ever,? a 50 percent increase in the numbers of appointed czars and an Air Force One ?running with the frequency of a scheduled air line.?

?The most concerning thing, I think, is the use of taxpayer funds to actually abet his re-election,? Gray, who worked in the Eisenhower administration and for other Republican presidents, said in an interview with TheDC on Wednesday.

?The press has been so slow in picking up on this extraordinary increase in the president?s expenses,? Gray told TheDC.

?and also from the Daily Caller, Vern McKinley,?History suggests Obama is poised to win re-election?:

Historically, it has taken a recession in the two-year window before a presidential election for a challenger to knock off a sitting president. Data on recessions from the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) integrated with the relevant election results gives us the following summary of sitting presidents unceremoniously removed from office over the past century:

George H.W. Bush got the boot in 1992 after the recession of 1990-1991. Jimmy Carter got the boot in 1980 after the recession of early 1980. Gerald Ford got the boot in 1976 after the recession of 1973-1975. Herbert Hoover got the boot in 1932 after the recession that started in 1929 and ran to the election. William Howard Taft got the boot in 1912 after the recession of 1910-1912.

Going back even further, Benjamin Harrison and Grover Cleveland were both removed from office after recessions in the two-year window before their elections. In fact, this formulation holds for every case of a deposed incumbent going back to the 1850s, which is as far back as NBER?s data goes.

However, the most recent recession ended more than three years ago, outside the two-year window. And since there are no definitive signs we are currently in a recession, the prospects look quite good for the president. Like re-election winners such as George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Franklin Roosevelt before him ? other incumbents who saw downturns early in their first terms ? he is benefiting from a bounce-back late in his term. The inflection point between winners and losers appears to be around two years before re-election.

Republicans could argue that this has been a pitiful recovery and that it stacks up poorly against the Reagan-era recovery of the early 1980s, which followed a similarly deep recession with unemployment peaking in the double digits. That is all true, but foremost in most people?s memories is not the Reagan recovery of 30 years ago but the recession that started under Bush in late 2007 and which consumed the last presidential campaign in 2008.

The reality that the current weak economy looks good in comparison only emphasizes the deep hole of late 2008. Bush left office in the midst of a financialcollapse, panic-induced bailouts and deep debt used to finance, among other things, unpaid-for wars.

[...]

Based on the historical record, and despite all arguments against the performance of Obamanomics, it looks like the recovery has been strong enough to give the president four more years.

The millions of people who can?t find jobs ? many of whom who have left the voter rolls entirely ? could not be readily found to comment on the economic turnaround, mostly because none of them exist inside Mr McKinley?s collector?s edition Obama 2012 rose colored glasses.

Good lord, but we are screwed.

Posted by Jeff G. @ 12:20pm
16 comments | Trackback

Source: http://proteinwisdom.com/?p=43858

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Evolutionary psychologists study the purpose of punishment and reputation

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) ? For two decades, evolutionary scientists have been locked in a debate over the evolved functions of three distinctive human behaviors: the great readiness we show for cooperating with new people, the strong interest we have in tracking others' reputations regarding how well they treat others, and the occasional interest we have in punishing people for selfishly mistreating others.

In an article published September 27 in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers at UC Santa Barbara's Center for Evolutionary Psychology report new findings that may help settle the debate and provide answers to the behavioral puzzle.

As they go about their daily lives, people usually don't know the names of the people they encounter and -- in cities, at least -- typically expect never to see them again, noted Max M. Krasnow, a postdoctoral researcher in psychology at UCSB and the paper's lead author. Despite the fact that these encounters are brief, anonymous, and unlikely to be repeated, however, people often behave as if they are interested in the ongoing well-being and behavior of the strangers they meet.

"Imagine that, while grocery shopping, you see someone help a wheelchair-bound person he or she doesn't know get her bags across the parking lot to her car. For many people, witnessing the action would elicit feelings of kindness toward the helper," Krasnow explained. "Equally, if people see someone driven off the road by a reckless driver, they might become angry enough to pursue and even confront the driver. Evolutionary scientists are interested in why humans have impulses to help the kind stranger or to punish the callous one. At first glance, these sometimes costly impulses seem like they would subtract from the welfare of the individual who exhibited them, and so should be evolutionarily disfavored."

Other contributors to the paper include Leda Cosmides and John Tooby, professors of psychology and anthropology, respectively, and co-directors of UCSB's Center for Evolutionary Psychology; and Eric J. Pedersen, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Miami.

Scientists have struggled for decades to explain these behaviors in evolutionary terms, with two alternative theories gaining prominence. The first proposes that these social inclinations emerged because our ancestors lived in small populations, where every encounter -- even one with a stranger -- had a chance to develop into an ongoing relationship that yielded mutual gains from cooperation. In such a world, paying attention to how those around you treat others could help zero in on the partners most likely to cooperate with you. In addition, letting it be known that you wouldn't allow yourself to be treated poorly would increase the likelihood that you'd be treated well.

The second theory suggests that these behaviors emerged because our ancestors lived in groups that often fought with other groups -- interactions where groups with high levels of internal cooperation would have the advantage over groups in which the members were divisive and exploitative of each other. This theory proposes that these other-oriented social inclinations were designed to cultivate a group-wide culture of cooperation.

"The reason why the debate has dragged on so long is that previous studies unfortunately focused on situations where the two theories made very similar predictions," said Tooby. "We wanted to design studies involving situations where the theories made sharply contrasting predictions, so the results would falsify one theory or the other."

In the studies reported in this paper, over 200 participants were tested in a series of structured social interactions designed to capture the essence of real-world situations like the supermarket mentioned above. "We wanted to know exactly what kinds of information people actually use in deciding who to trust -- that is, who to cooperate with, and who to avoid," said Krasnow. "If our minds are designed to seek out the benefits of cooperative relationships with others, then participants should have preferred to trust those likely to cooperate with them in particular. On the other hand, if our reputational psychology is designed to support group-wide cohesion and cooperation, the participants should have resisted cooperating with those who defected on other group members."

The findings supported the individual cooperation account, not the group cooperation account. "Participants ceased responding to information about whether their partners cheated others when they had good information that their partners would not cheat them," Tooby emphasized.

The researchers were also interested in testing the diverging predictions about what situations should trigger the inclination to punish cheating. "We all recognize that punishing others is costly and unpleasant," said Cosmides. "So what benefits led it to evolve?"

The authors reasoned that tracking the triggers of punishment should illuminate which benefits favored its evolution. "If the impulse to punish evolved as a bargaining tool to defend the individual by deterring against future instances of being cheated, then participants should be inclined to punish others' defections when they themselves would be vulnerable to being cheated by that person in the future," said Kasnow. "On the other hand, if our punitive psychology is designed to defend the group against cheating, then participants should have punished those who mistreated others, regardless of their own personal exposure to continuing mistreatment by that person."

The researchers found that participants strongly conditioned their punishment of their partners' cheating on their own vulnerability to continued bad treatment from their partner. As Krasnow pointed out, people in these experiments systematically avoided expending effort to reform those who only posed a risk to others. Cosmides noted, "It's very hard to reconcile these findings with the group cooperation theory."

These results have significant implications for the science of cooperation. "The current research findings suggest that the human readiness to cooperate, our selectivity in who we cooperate with, and our tendency to respond negatively when we are cheated form an efficient package to forge and maintain strongly cooperative relationships," said Krasnow. "The human tendencies to care about how a person treats others and to protest bad treatment are not simply a thin veneer of cultural norms atop a cold and calculating core. Rather, they represent fundamental features of a universal human social nature."

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Story Source:

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

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Krasnow MM, Cosmides L, Pedersen EJ, Tooby J. What Are Punishment and Reputation for? PLoS ONE, 2012; 7(9): e45662 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045662

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/~3/Es--gt6RInQ/120927092126.htm

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Ruling in Pennsylvania voter ID case could come Thursday (reuters)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/251449441?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Car insurance inquiry steps up a gear | The Times

The ?dysfunctional? motor insurance market has been referred to the Competition Commission today for a full investigation into whether drivers are being fleeced.

The Office of Fair Trading has already raised concerns about features that might ?prevent, restrict or distort competition?.

Referral fees and rebate deals involving insurers, brokers, repair shops and credit hire companies could be forcing premiums up by ?225 million a year, or ?10 per policy, the OFT said.

After a six-month study of the market undertaken late last year, the OFT decided to make a provisional referral in May and made that move official today.

The

Source: http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/business/industries/banking/article3552410.ece

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Altidore scores for AZ in Cup win

By The Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 7:40 p.m. ET Sept. 27, 2012

ALKMAAR, Netherlands (AP) - Jozy Altidore scored a 76th-minute penalty in AZ Alkmaar's 4-1 win over SC Veendam in Dutch Cup play on Thursday.

Altidore already had seven goals for his club in

Viktor Elm had a hat trick for Alkmaar, which advanced to the third round. PSV Eindhoven also advanced, beating Achilles 29 3-2, and EHC Norad beat De Zouaven 1-0.

---

SIENA, Italy (AP) - Having started the season with a six-point penalty due to a betting scandal, Siena finally moved into positive territory with a 1-0 win over Bologna on Thursday in the final match of Serie A's fifth round.

Forward Emanuele Calaio scored in the 61st minute with a shot from outside the area that was deflected in off the foot of a defender.

Siena now has two points. Bologna remained with four points, nine behind co-leaders Juventus and Napoli.

Siena goalkeeper Gianluca Pegolo had a solid night at Siena's Artemio Franchi stadium, negating efforts from Alberto Gilardino and Marco Motta, among others.

Calaio nearly added another goal in added time.

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


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Barca invites 3 Palestinians after Hamas boycott

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -Barcelona has invited three Palestinians to attend the Oct. 7 match against Real Madrid in response to Hamas calling for a media boycott of the club after it gave a complimentary ticket to an Israeli soldier.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44676751/ns/sports-soccer/

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Macrophages, Tuberculosis and Granulomas: A Video Tutorial


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How much do you really know about Tuberculosis, otherwise commonly called TB? The University of Michigan Department of Engineering (friendly rival to my home U of Illinois) has put out a very accessible animated tutorial so you can learn more.

Check it out:

This video is included as a comprehensive article entitled ?Peering into the black box of Tuberculosis? discussing TB as a worldwide problem and what some U-M researchers are doing to help understand the disease more fully.

Granulomas containing macrophages (red and green) and other white blood cells (blue).

If you are completely lost as to what a macrophage is, much less a granuloma, allow me to turn your attention to one of the videos in my series, Blood Cell Bakery, where I use expertly decorated cookies to demonstrate all of the different types of blood cells in their morphology (appearance) and function. This one discusses monocytes and their differentiated state, the macrophage.

Image courtesy of U-M

Joanne ManasterAbout the Author: Joanne Manaster is a university level cell and molecular biology lecturer with an insatiable passion for science outreach to all ages. Enjoy her quirky videos at www.joannelovesscience.com, on twitter @sciencegoddess and on her Facebook page at JoanneLovesScience Follow on Twitter @sciencegoddess.

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=cc9b4d7d598e0da300c064e68b845639

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The Difference Between Customer Service and Customer Experience

Every once in a while someone will ask, ?What?s the difference between customer service and customer experience??

My answer used to be easy. Customer service really drove the customer experience. That was during a time when the main way customers interacted with the companies they did business with was with people-to-people interactions. A customer could visit a store or business. Or a customer could call a phone number to ask a question, resolve a complaint, etc. It was all about delivering great customer service, which was 90% of the customer experience.

Today my answer is changing, as the customer?s experience goes far beyond delivering great customer service. Due to new and amazing technology, smart companies are interacting with their customers in ways never before imagined. Multiple social media channels allow companies to communicate with customers the way they want and like to communicate. Gameification, (I love that word) allows for interactions that get customers to engage in some of the most fascinating ways.

Some examples: Home Shopping Network has a game arcade featured on their website that features a number of interactive games including a daily jigsaw puzzle that customers can solve. When they do, they discover the new ?deal? or special promotion.

Coca-Cola has an app that allows you to buy someone a coke on the other side of the planet. The lucky recipient?s Coke machine has a video camera which allows the gift-giver to watch the expression of the person when they find out their drink is free. How much fun is that!

Television shows allow you to pull out your computer, smart phone, iPad, etc. and interact during the TV show. Sometimes comments from Twitter, Facebook, etc. can be seen on a ?feed? at the bottom or the side of the screen.

All of this takes customer experience from the customer service department to the marketing department. So, what does that mean to you and me?

Customer service is still as important as ever. However, it is no longer the sole focus of the customer experience. Now, the customer experience brings a company new ways of deepening their customer relationships through really cool technological breakthroughs. It?s changing the way we do business. Still, just as the way we?ve always conducted business, no matter how cool and fun the technology is, if there is a problem, complaint or question, we must be able to deliver the outstanding customer service that our customers have always expected.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/customer-experience/the-difference-between-customer-service-and-customer-experience-0284657

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Thursday, September 27, 2012

Learning requires rhythmical activity of neurons

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) ? The hippocampus represents an important brain structure for learning. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich discovered how it filters electrical neuronal signals through an input and output control, thus regulating learning and memory processes.

Accordingly, effective signal transmission needs so-called theta-frequency impulses of the cerebral cortex. With a frequency of three to eight hertz, these impulses generate waves of electrical activity that propagate through the hippocampus. Impulses of a different frequency evoke no transmission, or only a much weaker one. Moreover, signal transmission in other areas of the brain through long-term potentiation (LTP), which is essential for learning, occurs only when the activity waves take place for a certain while. The scientists even have an explanation for why we are mentally more productive after drinking a cup of coffee or in an acute stress situation: in their experiments, caffeine and the stress hormone corticosterone boosted the activity flow.

When we learn and recall something, we have to concentrate on the relevant information and experience it again and again. Electrophysiological experiments in mice now show why this is the case. Scientists belonging to Matthias Eder?s Research Group measured the transmission of electrical impulses between neurons in the mouse hippocampus. Under the fluorescence microscope, they were able to observe in real time how the neurons forward signals.

Jens Stepan, a junior scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, stimulated the input region of the hippocampus the first time that specifically theta-frequency stimulations produce an effective impulse transmission across the hippocampal CA3/CA1 region. This finding is very important, as it is known from previous studies that theta-rhythmical neuronal activity in the entorhinal cortex always occurs when new information is taken up in a focused manner. With this finding, the researchers demonstrate that the hippocampus highly selectively reacts to the entorhinal signals. Obviously, it can distinguish important and, thus, potentially recollection-worth information from unimportant one and process it in a physiologically specific manner.

One possible reaction is the formation of the so-called long-term potentiation (LTP) of signal transmission at CA3-CA1 synapses, which is often essential for learning and memory. The present study documents that this CA1-LTP occurs only when the activity waves through the hippocampus take place for a certain time. Translating this to our learning behavior, to commit for instance an image to memory, we should intently view it for a while, as only then we produce the activity waves described long enough to store the image in our brain.

With this study, Matthias Eder and colleagues succeeded in closing a knowledge gap. "Our investigation on neuronal communication via the hippocampal trisynaptic circuit provides us with a new understanding of learning in the living organism. We are the first to show that long-term potentiation depends on the frequency and persistency of incoming sensory signals in the hippocampus," says Matthias Eder.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Jens Stepan, Julien Dine, Thomas Fenzl, Stephanie A. Polta, Gregor von Wolff, Carsten T. Wotjak, Matthias Eder. Entorhinal theta-frequency input to the dentate gyrus trisynaptically evokes hippocampal CA1 LTP. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 2012; 6 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2012.00064

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/top_news/top_science/~3/eECZeTz6gCw/120926092628.htm

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