Finals Preview? Heat visit Spurs on Sunday

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade looks up at a scoreboard after he was called for a foul on Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade looks up at a scoreboard after he was called for a foul on Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) goes to the basket in front of New Orleans Hornets forward Al-Farouq Aminu (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Friday, March 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan reacts after he was fouled while shooting against the Denver Nuggets during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, in San Antonio. San Antonio won 100-99. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich signals to his team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets, Wednesday, March 27, 2013, in San Antonio. The Spurs won 100-99. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

By the time the Miami Heat get on their plane to come home late Sunday night, they could have a stranglehold on the race to finish with the NBA's best record.

All they have to do is win at San Antonio. That, of course, is no easy task.

The Heat (57-15) take a two-game lead in the NBA standings over the Spurs (55-17) into their matchup on Sunday. A win would essentially provide Miami a four-game cushion with nine remaining, given that the Heat also would control any potential head-to-head tiebreaker with San Antonio.

If the Heat lose, the race for home-court advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs could turn into a frantic, down-to-the-wire deal.

"It's always good to play the best, to play against the best," LeBron James said. "It'll be an opportunity for us. We just want to get better, man. The game Sunday doesn't define our season or how we go from there. We just want to continue to move forward and get better throughout the rest of the season."

Miami has won 28 of its last 29 games overall, getting back on the winning track at New Orleans on Friday, two days after Chicago snapped a 27-game Heat winning streak. But San Antonio has won 28 of its last 30 games at home, and facing the Spurs on the road is traditionally a painful expedition for many members of the Heat ? as it tends to be for everyone else in the NBA.

Dwyane Wade is 1-4 at San Antonio, sitting out three other Heat losses there during his career. Chris Bosh is 1-7. James is 3-7. Shane Battier ? a longtime player in the Western Conference ? has enjoyed eight wins from the visitors' side when facing the Spurs, and also been on the losing end 16 times there.

"It's obviously a very, very, very good team," Wade said. "Very tough place to play, so I think our mentality and how we approach the game is going to be important. You just try to go out there and compete, as we do every night, try to get a great road win. It's not going to be easy but that's kind of what we enjoy."

The only other meeting between the clubs this season was Nov. 29 in Miami, a strange game in that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich ? citing a desire to rest his best players at the end of a long road trip ? sent Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Danny Green home before the game.

With guys like Patty Mills, Nando De Colo and Matt Bonner filling out the starting lineup ? they've combined to make four other starts this season ? the Spurs almost beat the Heat anyway, leading by five with 2:13 left before getting outscored 12-2 in a wild Miami finish that gave the Heat a 105-100 win.

Ginobili played just under three minutes in Friday night's win over the Los Angeles Clippers because of a hamstring issue, and Popovich indicated he probably won't be ready to face the Heat.

"I don't think he can play," Popovich said.

The Spurs have won six of their last seven games. Of those six wins, only one came by double figures, an 11-point victory over Golden State. The average margin of the other five wins in that span, over Dallas, Cleveland, Utah, Denver and Clippers was 3.4 points, and the only loss was a one-pointer at Houston.

"It's great challenges, good preparation for us for the playoffs," Parker said. "Denver is a great team, Clippers a great team and now we've got Miami. They're the best in the league. They went on the unbelievable run and it's going to be another great game."

This game could have been one of the most-watched among regular-season games in years if Miami had not lost in Chicago on Wednesday. Had the Heat won there and won in New Orleans, as they did on Friday, they would have been going for their 30th straight win on this trip to San Antonio in what will be touted either way as a potential NBA Finals preview.

"I just want you to know the Heat are going to be just fine," said President Barack Obama, a noted Bulls fan during a stop in Miami on Friday. "They're going to be OK. They are playing basketball the right way."

The Heat streak is gone, but standings-wise, it's still a big deal.

"Very good team, obviously the defending champs," Duncan said. "I think they won 62 in a row or something like that. It'll be a great game. I know our crowd will be excited and we'll be excited to continue our homestand."

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has said everyone on his roster should be considered day-to-day for the remainder of the regular season. This is when teams like to ensure that players get some rest wherever they can.

And the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is already clinched, meaning all that's really left on the Heat to-do list before the opening round of the playoffs is finish atop the NBA's regular-season standings.

"The mindset will be, first and foremost, playing our game and making sure that we establish our identity," Spoelstra said. "That's the whole thing with us. When we do that and play the way we're capable, results take care of themselves.

"We don't want to get caught up in too much of the results. We have a big goal in mind. That's the No. 1 goal and that's the only goal we've talked about."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-30-BKN-Heat-Spurs-Clash/id-4e44a4d3cd8e439aa2b7e44cea23d222

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From Click to Brick: Ecommerce Redefines In-Store Retail

"Click-to-brick" stores typically fall into of two categories: temporary pop-up stores meant to stir up publicity, such as those launched by Etsy and Birchbox, and permanent showrooms, including ones run by Warby Parker and Bonobos. These permanent locations sometimes do not even have items for sale, thus eliminating the need to carry inventory or invest in a large, expensive retail location.

When he first launched menswear retailer Bonobos, Chief Executive Andy Dunn was wary of the brick-and-mortar concept.

(Read More: Lululemon CEO Says 'Man Up' for Success)

"We were wrong at the beginning," he said. "In 2007, we started the company, and we said the whole world is going online only. All we're going to do is be online."

Since then, the company rolled out their version of the in-person retail store in several locations. The stores are focused on service and do not carry items for sale.

"We think that ecommerce is going to be the flagship store and possibly as much as half of retail for any brand," Dunn added. "But what we've learned recently is that the offline experience of touching and feeling clothes isn't going away. People still want to try stuff on, and so for a brand like ours that's built on fit we want to provide that."

For e-tailers that decide to venture into physical locations, analysts listed several benefits inherent in their business model.

"The advantage they have is that they are omnichannel from the start?they don't have to invest millions in retrofitting their systems to accommodate the web channel," Mulpuru said.

(Read More: Wal-Mart's Wild Plan for Delevieries (Hint You're Involved) )

But because their core business is online, it's not always easy also to launch a store, which requires a focus on visual merchandising and a different labor model, she added.

Still, IBM's Puleri said ecommerce stores have the luxury of being nimble since they can change assortment and price on the fly online. But the brands must figure out how to keep their brand in sync across the various channels, she added.

?By CNBC's Katie Little; Follow her @katie_little_

Questions? Comments? Email us at consumernation@cnbc.com.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/id/100597529

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Morning Show-Down: Today vs. GMA vs. CBS!

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Romo gets paid

AP

Sometimes, wishes are quickly granted.? Sometimes, they already were.

Steelers safety Troy Polamalu wants player input in rule changes.? But the players already have input.

?I do wish . . . that the NFL did have a voice from the players? side, whether it?s our players? union president, or team captains, or our executive committee on the players? side,? Polamalu said earlier today on ESPN.? ?Because we?re the guys that realize the risk, we?re the guys on the field.?

As MDS pointed out, the players have a voice in the rule-revising process.? Specifically, this year?s the rule changes were discussed with NFLPA president Domonique Foxworth, who worked with Lester Archambeaux, Charlie Batch, Ernie Conwell, Matt Hasselbeck, Brandon Moore, Jeff Saturday, Ben Watson, and Eric Winston in providing input to the Competition Committee.

Also, Will Montgomery of the Redskins presented video to the Competition Committee in connection with the rule that makes the snapper a defenseless player.

Former players also had a voice with the Player Safety Advisory panel, which includes John Madden, Ronnie Lott, Ernie Accorsi, Antonio Freeman, Patrick Kerney, Willie Lanier, Oliver Luck, Steve Mariucci, Anthony Munoz.

So, basically, Polamalu already got what he wanted, without finding a lamp or losing an eyelash.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/29/report-deal-done-romo-gets-more-guaranteed-money-than-flacco/related/

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Grand jury indicts about 3 dozen educators in Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal

By Jason Szep SIT KWIN, Myanmar (Reuters) - The Muslims of Sit Kwin were always a small group who numbered no more than 100 of the village's 2,000 people. But as sectarian violence led by Buddhist mobs spreads across central Myanmar, they and many other Muslims are disappearing. Their homes, shops and mosques destroyed, some end up in refugee camps or hide in the homes of friends or relatives. Dozens have been killed. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/grand-jury-indicts-3-dozen-educators-atlanta-public-213500486.html

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Fear becoming a 'bag lady' someday? Many others do, too

By Amy Langfield, TODAY contributor

If you spend time worrying that you'll end up on the street in your old age with your belongings stuffed into plastic bags in a shopping cart, you have good company.

A new survey shows that almost half of American women fear they will become "bag ladies" some day, and the anxiety ripples across all income groups.

Even among women with household earnings above $200,000, 27 percent harbor the bag-lady fear, according to a new online survey?issued by Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America.

While Allianz is promoting the survey to encourage women to seek more financial-planning advice, the underlying concern is valid, according to a labor economist who studies aging and income issues.

Because women typically earn less and have more sporadic work histories, their pensions and benefits are less sturdy, said Barbara Butrica, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute?s Income and Benefits Policy Center. ?They are starting retirement at a disadvantage,? she said.

Women also tend to live longer than men.??So she?ll have to make that income last a lot longer time,? Butrica said.

Among the over-65 set, non-married women have the highest poverty rates. While only 4 percent of married women over 65 fell below the poverty line in 2010, that number rose to?14 percent for widows over 65 and 18 percent for divorced women over 65, Butrica said.

For men over 65 living in poverty, 4 percent were married; 11 percent were widowers and 12 percent were divorced. The gender differences are even more striking, Butrica said, when you consider that in 2010, only 29.5 percent of men age 65 or older were not married, compared with 56.3 percent of women. Those numbers come from the Social Security Administration's 2012 report on ?Income of the Population 55 or Older, 2010.?

But should?even women with very good jobs?fret about being homeless one day?

?It?s highly unlikely. But it could happen,? Butrica said, citing the likelihood that a catastrophic illness is more likely to strike as you get older. ?The fact that these women are thinking about it is a good thing.?

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a23671b/l/0Llifeinc0Btoday0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C290C17517960A0Efear0Ebecoming0Ea0Ebag0Elady0Esomeday0Emany0Eothers0Edo0Etoo0Dlite/story01.htm

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Republicans Blast Don Young Over Racial Slur (ABC News)

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Obama pitches public works spending to create jobs

MIAMI (AP) ? Trying to show that the economy remains a top priority, President Barack Obama promoted a plan Friday to create construction and other jobs by attracting private money to help rebuild roads, bridges and other public works projects.

Obama fleshed out the details during a visit to a Miami port that's undergoing $2 billion in upgrades paid for with government and private dollars. The quick trip was designed to show that the economy and unemployment are top priorities for a president who also is waging high-profile campaigns on immigration reform and gun control.

Obama said the unemployment rate among construction workers was the highest of any industry, despite being cut nearly in half over the past three years.

"There are few more important things we can do to create jobs right now and strengthen our economy over the long haul than rebuilding the infrastructure that powers our businesses and economy," Obama said. "As president, my top priority is to make sure we are doing everything we can to reignite the true engine of our economic growth ? and that is a rising, thriving middle class."

Among the proposals Obama called for, which require approval from Congress, are:

?$4 billion in new spending on two infrastructure programs that award loans and grants.

?Higher caps on "private activity bonds" to encourage more private spending on highways and other infrastructure projects. State and local governments use the bonds to attract investment.

?Giving foreign pension funds tax-exempt status when selling U.S. infrastructure, property or real estate assets. U.S. pension funds are generally tax exempt in those circumstances. The administration says some international pension funds cite the tax burden as a reason for not investing in American infrastructure.

?A renewed call for a $10 billion national "infrastructure bank."

Arriving at the expansive port in Miami, Obama stood inside a double-barreled, concrete-laced hole in the ground, touring a tunnel project that will connect the port to area highways. The project has received loans and grants under the programs Obama touted and is expected to open next summer.

The president made private-sector infrastructure investment a key part of the economic agenda he rolled out in his State of the Union address last month. In the speech, he also called for a "Fix-It-First" program that would spend $40 billion in taxpayer funds on urgent repairs.

Congressional approval is not a sure bet, considering that House Republicans have shown little appetite for Obama's spending proposals. In fact, the infrastructure bank is an idea Obama called for many times in the past, but it gained little traction during his first term.

Obama's focus on generating more private-sector investment underscores the tough road new spending faces on Capitol Hill, where Republican lawmakers often threaten to block new spending unless it's paid for by cutting taxes or other spending. "These are projects that are helpful to the economy and shouldn't break down on partisan lines," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

But Florida Republicans, including Gov. Rick Scott, faulted Obama for being "late to the party." Before Obama arrived in Florida, Scott argued that state taxpayers have had to pick up too much of the tab for this and other port projects because the president was slow to support them.

Alan Krueger, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, told reporters traveling with Obama that the initiatives discussed Friday will cost $21 billion, not including the $40 billion for "Fix-It-First." Krueger said any increased spending associated with the proposals would not add to the deficit.

Krueger said details of how the programs would be paid for would be included in the budget Obama is scheduled to release on April 10.

___

AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Follow Josh Lederman on Twitter: http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-pitches-public-works-spending-create-jobs-185930569--finance.html

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FBI 'flying saucers' NM memo bureau's most viewed

ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) ? An FBI report of "flying saucers" in New Mexico sent to then-Director J. Edgar Hoover in 1950 has become the most popular file in the bureau's electronic reading room.

The Roswell Daily Record reports (http://bit.ly/1647qm6) the memo sent by FBI Washington, D.C.- field office chief Guy Hottel has been viewed nearly a million times.

The document is about a report of three flying saucers allegedly recovered in New Mexico, each occupied by three small human-shaped bodies. It says an informant told officials that the UFOs had ended up there because a government radar in the area interfered with their controlling mechanisms.

The FBI never followed up on the report.

The memo is available in the "The Vault," an electronic reading room launched by the FBI in 2011 that contains around 6,700 public documents.

___

Online:

'The Vault' memo, http://vault.fbi.gov/hottel_guy/Guy%20Hottel%20Part%201%20of%201/view

___

Information from: Roswell Daily Record, http://www.roswell-record.com

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-03-29-FBI-UFO%20Memo/id-e2f484f3963343868c448f8b5f36c5f6

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Trapped man rescued from Calif.'s Mount Rubidoux

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) ? Ramon Llamas was taking his usual hike on busy Mount Rubidoux when his dog, Mole, began whimpering and tugging at his leg.

"He was talking to me in his language, he was pulling me from my pants to go down and see the hole," the Riverside man told KTTV-TV (http://bit.ly/109Ew0o).

The puzzled Llamas turned back up the dirt trail he'd been using. The dog led him off the path to some rocks.

In a crack between the boulders was the thin, dirty face of a man who may have been trapped there for days without food or water.

On Tuesday, the man, whose name hasn't been released, remained hospitalized for severe dehydration but he was alert and listed in good condition, city fire Capt. Bruce Vanderhorst said.

Mole, meanwhile, was being praised as a hero.

If Mole hadn't acted, "I think it would be too late," Llamas told the Riverside Press-Enterprise (http://bit.ly/11E37kr). "We find him at the right time."

No one reported hearing the man shout for help even though Mount Rubidoux is popular with hikers and daily exercisers.

Located within the city east of Los Angeles, it has both paved and dirt trails that can draw hundreds of people every day.

Llamas is one of them, hiking every day that he doesn't work.

His dog pulled him to a place off the dirt path and about 100 feet below the paved main access road.

When he first saw something in the boulders, he thought it might be an animal.

"It was dark and it was dusty because he was digging the dirt and I see his big eyes in his face and I thought it was a bear," Llamas said.

Eventually, he and another hiker recognized that the dirty, weak figure was a man caught in a hole in between two boulders. The man called himself Paul.

"He said, 'I need water, please don't leave me.' So I gave him water from my backpack and in a minute he said, 'You got more?' So I give more water," Llamas told KABC-TV (http://bit.ly/YEahyP).

"He said he'd been there between four and six days with no food," Llamas said.

Rescuers were called and pulled him up from the Dumpster-sized rocks in about 90 minutes, Vanderhorst said.

The man seems unclear about how long he'd been trapped, Vanderhorst said.

"He's claiming up to five nights but also said he came up Sunday," which would be a single day, the captain said.

"It looked like he slipped and fell down between two boulders, almost like a funnel into a hole," he said.

The man's shoes remained in the hole and his pants came off during the rescue, Vanderhorst said.

The pants were later retrieved. Llamas told KTTV-TV that he went back up the mountain on Tuesday and retrieved the red-laced, dirt-scuffed white sneakers in order to return them.

He also said Mole, a year-old brindled shepherd-chow mix, has become a celebrity.

"I went for a walk today," Llamas said. "The walk was OK but everybody stopped me just to pet Mole. They don't care about me, they care about Mole.

"Somebody give him a medal up there on the mountain. He's a hero right now."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/trapped-man-rescued-calif-mount-rubidoux-194318784.html

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Wachowskis to make sci-fi series for Netflix

FILE - This Oct. 24, 2012 file photo shows Co-directors Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski at the Los Angeles premiere of "Cloud Atlas" in Los Angeles. Netflix announced Wednesday that it will stream ?Sense8? late next year for subscribers. The series is the first foray into television for Andy and Lana Wachowski, the filmmaking siblings who directed ?The Matrix? and last year's ?Cloud Atlas.? (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision, file)

FILE - This Oct. 24, 2012 file photo shows Co-directors Lana Wachowski and Andy Wachowski at the Los Angeles premiere of "Cloud Atlas" in Los Angeles. Netflix announced Wednesday that it will stream ?Sense8? late next year for subscribers. The series is the first foray into television for Andy and Lana Wachowski, the filmmaking siblings who directed ?The Matrix? and last year's ?Cloud Atlas.? (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision, file)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Netflix's newest original series will be science-fiction from the duo behind the "The Matrix" trilogy.

Netflix announced Wednesday that it will stream "Sense8" late next year for subscribers. The series is the first foray into television for Andy and Lana Wachowski, the filmmaking siblings who directed "The Matrix" and last year's "Cloud Atlas."

Netflix called the 10-episode series "a gripping global tale of minds linked and souls hunted." The show runner will be J. Michael Straczynski, creator of "Babylon 5," which aired for five seasons in the 1990s.

Netflix made its biggest splash with an original series last month with the debut of the political thriller "House of Cards," starring Kevin Spacey. This spring, it will premiere the horror series "Hemlock Grove" and the reborn comedy "Arrested Development."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-27-Netflix-Wachowskis%20Series/id-f37364fe817a4d1a96a71e1a13a292b6

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Video: PFT: Getting to know Alabama's Lacy

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Letter | Parks & Rec senior golf is good exercise, fun - Mercer Island ...

I?m writing to inform the people on Mercer Island of a wonderful senior golf program sponsored by the Parks and Recreation department. This program is for those wanting to play 9 or 18 holes. We depart every Monday (except holidays), April through October, with transportation provided and all tee times and schedules included.

A friend encouraged me to join though I?d never played the game, but at 82+ gathering all my equipment at the Mercer Island Thrift Shop (in case I was a dud), I hadn?t much outlay! I?ve put in eight-plus years. It?s great company, wonderful scenery, great lunches after 9 holes. So come on ? give it a try; you?ll be glad you did. Call 275-7609 and check it out.

Barbara Tourtillotte

?

Source: http://www.mi-reporter.com/opinion/letters/200315451.html

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Man pleads not guilty to extorting A&M professor

HOUSTON (AP) ? James Arnt Aune was regarded as a fine scholar, mentor and friend by students and his fellow professors at Texas A&M University, where he headed the school's Department of Communication.

But Aune, who jumped to his death from the roof of a campus parking garage in January, battled depression in recent years. He struggled with the administrative duties of being a department head, and he was badly shaken by his 2007 battle with prostate cancer, which he survived but which forced him to face his own mortality, his widow said.

"He never really came all the way back," Miriam Aune said of his surviving cancer.

He began drinking heavily, and in December he started a sexually explicit online relationship with what he thought was an underage girl, according to prosecutors. He was soon contacted by a man purporting to be her outraged father, who threatened to expose Aune unless he paid him $5,000.

Aune paid the man $1,500, but he didn't know if he could come up with the rest, authorities say. He confessed to his wife, who pledged to stand by him, but about a week later, the 59-year-old Aune jumped to his death after sending a final text: "Killing myself now. And u will be prosecuted for black mail."

The man who got that text, according to prosecutors, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in a Houston federal courtroom to an extortion charge. The 37-year-old Metairie, La., resident was ordered to remain in jail without bail, and his trial is scheduled for May 28. If convicted, he faces up to two years in jail. His court-appointed attorney, Marjorie Meyers, declined to comment about the case.

Authorities allege that Aune was one of many victims of a scheme in which the man used his daughter to lure men into sexually explicit online relationships and later blackmailed them. The Associated Press isn't naming the man to protect the identity of his daughter.

In the criminal complaint, prosecutors contend that the man's daughter told authorities in Louisiana in 2011 that her father took naked photos and videos of her and used them "to scam men" through MocoSpace, a social networking website mainly for mobile devices.

On the site, "she would meet men, get their phone numbers and send them pictures and videos then (her father) would call them and say how she was his daughter and how she would need counseling and they had to pay for it."

At the time of that 2011 interview, her father was facing two counts of oral sexual battery and two counts of aggravated incest. The charges were dropped in February 2012 due to a lack of corroborating evidence, said Rachael Domiano, a spokeswoman for the 21st Judicial District Attorney's Office in Louisiana.

Federal prosecutors on Tuesday declined to comment about certain details of the alleged scheme, and it wasn't clear from the criminal complaint if prosecutors believe the defendant's daughter actually interacted with Aune, or if her image was used to allegedly dupe him.

Miriam Aune, 56, told The Associated Press that investigators told her that the defendant was the person who communicated with her husband and other men, pretending to be his daughter. She said her husband told her he began the online chats sometime in December and that by the third or fourth day after the chats began, the defendant reached out to him asking for money.

According to court records, undated texts show Aune scrambling to put money on prepaid credit cards for the defendant and asking for his forgiveness, saying "I am very sorry. It was a weak moment."

A week before his suicide, James Aune confessed to his wife. Miriam Aune said her husband never told her why he did it.

She pledged her support for him, but said he became despondent after his confession.

"I was just telling him there was nothing that we couldn't get through. We have two autistic children we have raised to adulthood. We've been through rough stuff. I thought we could get through this," Miriam Aune said.

According to a criminal complaint, the defendant continued bombarding Aune with profanity laced emails, texts and voicemails, including a Jan. 7 email in which he warned Aune that he had until noon the next day to pay or else "the police, your place of employment, students, ALL OVER THE INTERNET ...ALL OF THEM will be able to see your conversations, texts, pictures you sent ...."

On Jan. 8 at 9:21 a.m., the defendant texted, "3 more hours. If i don't hear from you the calls start," according the criminal complaint by FBI agent Nikki Allen.

At 10:29 a.m., Aune replied, "Killing myself now And u will be prosecuted for black mail."

He jumped from the parking garage roof about a minute later, shocking the A&M campus, which is about 100 miles northwest of Houston.

Miriam Aune doesn't excuse her husband's actions. She said it was his decision to go online and begin the conversations.

"It just shows you anybody can slip off the path. I know a lot of people are very surprised by this. He was very human with flaws, just like all of us," she said.

But she said it saddens her to know that some people will only remember her husband for what happened at the end of his life.

"To him, being a professor, it was a sacred duty to him. And he cared so much about his students," she said as she cried. "The people who know him, who loved him, they are not going to feel any differently about him."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/man-pleads-not-guilty-extorting-m-professor-004902354.html

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Phew! Joe Jonas Denies Sex Tape Rumor

Joe Jonas was put in an awkward position this weekend, when he was forced to deny a rumor that he and girlfriend Blanda Eggenschwiler had made a kinky sex tape. According to a dubious report from the website Blind Gossip, Jonas, 23, and Eggenschwiler, 28, shot the video in a Buenos Aires hotel room during the Jonas Brothers world tour. The website went on to claim that Eggenschwiler, a former model whom Joe has been dating since November, had signed a deal to release the tape behind her famous boyfriend's back. It appears, however, that this tape will never see the light of day -- because it doesn't exist.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/joe-jonas-denies-sex-tape-girlfriend-rumors/1-a-529996?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Ajoe-jonas-denies-sex-tape-girlfriend-rumors-529996

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Brookfield Place Progressive Dinner, Eat Drink Perth ? The Food ...

Brookfield Place was unveiled last year and opened up a host of new restaurants and cool bars in the Perth CBD. There?s an air of sophistication as you walk through the precinct, which combines modern architecture and thoughtfully restored heritage buildings. If you haven?t visited Perth since early last year, there?s an impressive line-up of venues to explore and experience here.

Last week, Jac and I attended the Brookfield Place Progressive Dinner, an Eat Drink Perth event which would take us on a gastronomical journey through four Brookfield Place venues.

There were around 25 people participating, mostly couples or groups of friends. We assembled at Bar Lafayette, located on the ground floor of the old Perth Technical School, for a cocktail and entr?e. First the drink, called Bloody Income Tax, made with Beefeater 24 London dry gin, Dolin de Chambery Dry and Rouge vermouth plus bitters and Bar Lafayette?s own handmade spiced blood orange soda. I?m not a big fan of bitter aperitifs; this one was particularly medicinal and not to my taste. I call this a pullface drink ? despite wanting to look like a grown-up, I pull a face whenever I take a sip.

We had better luck with the entr?e, which was steak tartare ? well seasoned raw beef mince with chopped capers, served with olive tapenade and a rather millipede-like, meticulously rolled anchovy and soft cooked tomato underneath a golden archway of crispbread.

I?ve been to Bar Lafayette a couple of times now for drinks and each time found the staff to be very friendly as well as the full bottle on cocktails. I?d like to come back for a Green Lady, made with Hendricks gin, lime and mint, and give the bar food menu a go. BBQ Pork buns and marinated grilled prawns with avocado, coconut and lime dip sound pretty good to me.

Bar Lafayette
Lower Georges Lane, Brookfield Place
125 St Georges Tce, Perth
Telephone: 0408 817 250
Monday to Friday 11am to 12 midnight
Saturday 4pm to 12 midnight
Closed on Sundays

Ready for the main course, we ambled across to The Trustee. The floor-to-ceiling glass-enclosed wine cellar makes a stunning centrepiece as you walk in.

We were ushered into a dining room where tables had been pushed together to create two long tables for our party.

We were ready for something more substantial. The plates were large and as we discovered, the food deceptively rich. The main course was confit duck, rendered potatoes (which we delightedly translated as potatoes cooked in duck fat), wild mushrooms and beignet courgette. The duck fell off the bone easily and the crisp battered courgettes were delicious. But the clear winner was those tender fatty potatoes. The only thing missing was a simple leaf salad to cut through all the richness and fat. The matching wine was from Pemberton: 2010 Pemberly Pinot Noir.

The Trustee (warning, auto-play Flash music and animation)
133 St Georges Terrace, Perth
Telephone: (08) 6323 3000
Monday to Friday 11.30am to midnight (lunch, dinner and supper)
Saturday 5pm to midnight (dinner and supper)
Closed on Sundays

We strolled to Print Hall for dessert. Currently, Tuesdays are all-day oyster frenzy at Print Hall, and Perth?s king of oysters Jerry Fraser was in the house (you might like to read my recent post When an oyster hater met the King of Oysters). Print Hall?s got a new seafood platter menu in the main bar, and you?ll find more than oysters buried beneath the ice ? there?s cooked crayfish, crabs, yabbies and prawns, all bright and fresh. Sadly, there was no room among all the duck and potatoes. ?Another time,? we told Jerry.

Two mini desserts were delivered, along with a glass of moscato dessert wine. First, coffee panna cotta, a delicate vanilla panna cotta layered with a coffee gel, topped with crumbs. This was my favourite of the dessert dishes. I like sweet wines and the moscato was very easy to drink.

Second, mini lemon meringue pies. There may be a dress code in this joint but no one can look dignified when they bite into such soft, tall meringue. Meringue moustaches all around ? cheers and bottoms up!

Print Hall Bar and Dining Room
Brookfield Place
125 St Georges Tce, Perth
Telephone: (08) 6282 0000
Monday to Friday: 11.30am ? 12midnight
Saturday: 4pm to 12midnight (Dining Room open for dinner only)
Sundays and public holidays: Closed
Dress code: Upmarket casual or business attire at all times. Gentlemen must wear a collared shirt or collared jacket. No thongs or shorts at any stage of trade.

The final stop in our progressive dinner was Bob?che, a dark and cosy 20s speakeasy-style bar, located at the basement of The Heritage. We sat wherever we like, most sinking into soft leather lounges and old fashioned armchairs.

The Bob?che iced tea is a fragrant, refreshing brew, Bob?che?s version of Long Island iced tea, served chilled in teapots, poured into large china cups. It?s made from Absolut Vodka, Beefeater Gin, Havana Club 3YO Rum, Cherry Herring brandy, sweet spice tea (yes, there is real tea in it), fresh lemon and lemonade. It?s usually $62 per pot, which serves around 4 people.

Pouring Bob?che iced tea

After checking out Bob?che?s menu (of course!) I?d like to return and share a teapot of sangria with friends and try some of Bob?che?s food ? a double decker club sandwich and some cheese ? two of my favourites are on the menu, Marcel Petite Gruyere de Comte and Papillon Roquefort. Jac wasn?t so keen on the basement location of Bob?che ? she likes open windows, sunshine and even better, sitting outdoors. I?m like our cats ? I quite like a dark, cosy nook to curl up in. In fact, the armchairs and low tables were just begging for a naughty cat or two to jump on them.

The walk down the stairs and a dark corridor to access Bob?che adds an air of mystery and excitement (unless you?re Jac). Just for a while, you?ve escaped to a different world. It?s a shame progressive dinners tend to be scheduled on the quieter hospitality nights i.e. not a Friday or Saturday night ? this one was on a Tuesday night ? I?d loved to have lingered over the after-dinner drinks but we didn?t want too late a night out as we had to go to work the next day.

Bob?che
At the basement of The Heritage
131 St Georges Tce, Perth
Monday to Friday 4pm to midnight
Saturday 6pm to midnight
Closed on Sundays
No reservations taken

The progressive dinner was a great way to experience a number of venues in Brookfield Place. A couple of days earlier, we were emailed the menu and asked if we had any special dietary requirements ? we had no issues and really enjoyed the meal. The venues were all an easy stroll apart ? there was more chewing and chin-wagging than walking!

The dynamics of being in a group of 25 mostly strangers are interesting; especially at The Trustee, where we sat at two long tables ? the shyer, less sociable people may not feel so comfortable with a shared table setting. But it was easy enough to be in your ?own space? at Bar Lafayette, Print Hall and Bob?che.

All Brookfield Place progressive dinners offered during Eat Drink Perth were sell-outs. If you missed out this time around, I hope you won?t have to wait a whole year to experience a Brookfield Place progressive dinner? that?s a big nudge and hint to the organisers!

The Brookfield Place Progressive Dinner was an Eat Drink Perth event ? AU$140 per person.

TFP and Jac dined as guests of the City of Perth and Brookfield Place as part of Eat Drink Perth.

Brookfield Place
123-137 St Georges Terrace, Perth

Tagged as: Eat Drink Perth, Eating out, Perth, Perth CBD, progressive dinner, restaurant

Source: http://www.thefoodpornographer.com/2013/03/26/brookfield-place-progressive-dinner-eat-drink-perth/

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Viewers to choose ending of 'Psych' 100th episode

This publicity image released by USA Network shows Dule Hill as Gus Guster, left, and James Roday as Shawn Spencer in a scene from the 100th episode of "Psych," airing Wednesday, March 27 on USA. The network plans to let viewers of "Psych" choose the ending of Wednesday's episode, both a celebration of the drama's 100th episode and culmination of a two-year experiment at an exclusively fan-centered approach at marketing. (AP Photo/USA Network, Alan Zenuk)

This publicity image released by USA Network shows Dule Hill as Gus Guster, left, and James Roday as Shawn Spencer in a scene from the 100th episode of "Psych," airing Wednesday, March 27 on USA. The network plans to let viewers of "Psych" choose the ending of Wednesday's episode, both a celebration of the drama's 100th episode and culmination of a two-year experiment at an exclusively fan-centered approach at marketing. (AP Photo/USA Network, Alan Zenuk)

NEW YORK (AP) ? From a bank of chairs in an NBC Universal control room, technician Antonella Caruso counted down as if she were anticipating a rocket booster's liftoff: "Nine, eight, seven, six ..."

It was a dress rehearsal for USA's plan to let viewers of "Psych" choose the ending of Wednesday's episode, celebrating the drama's 100th episode and culminating the network's two-year experiment at an exclusively fan-centered approach at marketing.

In the episode, Shawn (actor James Roday) and Gus (Dule Hill) try to solve a murder at a party hosted by an old rock star in a California mansion. There are five suspects: the groupie, the manager, the author, the host and, of course, the butler. During the show, the suspects are narrowed down to three and viewers are asked to vote on social media who they thought committed the crime. Three endings were filmed, each lasting three minutes, and the top vote-getter will be used.

The episode salutes the 1985 film "Clue" and features that film's actors Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren and Martin Mull, along with guest shots from Garrett Morris and Curt Smith of Tears For Fears.

Depending on where you live, you could see a different ending. USA is conducting separate votes for the East and West coast airings of the show. (Viewers in other time zones will see the Eastern version at 10 p.m. Eastern.) They estimate tabulating 190,000 to 250,000 votes.

Viewer-selected endings aren't necessarily unique (CBS' "Hawaii Five-0" did one this year), but here fans will be updated a handful of times during the show on how the vote is going. That's where Caruso's practice came in; she was counting down to an insert of a vote tally.

"Psych" is in its seventh season, a point at which most shows are considered "mature" and are losing viewers, but it does have a relatively young, devoted audience and is USA's third most-popular original show behind "Burn Notice" and "Suits." Instead of running general advertisements encouraging viewership when its sixth season started last year, USA sought to engage fans through social media and activities, said Alexandra Shapiro, USA's executive vice president of marketing and digital.

"It's great to be loved," Shapiro said. "But you have to love back."

USA set up online games for "Psych" fans to play, with real and virtual prizes. Particularly high-scoring fans even become part of the game. There was a fan appreciation day, with some invited to meet the cast. USA encouraged social media interaction with stars and others involved with the show. A "slumber party" of viewer-chosen shows that aired from midnight to 6 a.m. on a Saturday in February resulted in some 157,000 mentions on Twitter.

One goal is to make live viewing of new episodes an event, Shapiro said. DVR viewing is fine, but networks still reliably make more money when there is a strong audience for original airings.

So far, so good. The February debut of the seventh season saw stronger ratings than the sixth season opener in 2012, with a 22 percent increase in the desirable young audience of viewers aged 18-to-34, the Nielsen company said.

"Our job is so much harder than it was 10 years ago or even five years ago," Shapiro said. "We used to be content messengers. Now you have to be content creators. You as a marketer have to create compelling content that a fan is going to engage with."

It's not necessarily an approach that works with every show, she said. But it could be a template for some with similar audiences.

For this week, the chief concern is compiling the fans' votes, and making sure technicians in New Jersey charged with making sure the correct ending of Wednesday's episode is inserted.

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? David Bauder can be reached at dbauder(at)ap.org or on Twitter (at)dbauder.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-26-TV-Psych%20Ending/id-f70a322a709f4932acef90955d9fd9b9

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Both sides of gun debate make public appeals

In this photo combo, Wayne LaPierre, left, CEO of the National Rifle Association, makes remarks at CPAC 2013, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., Friday, March 15, 2013; and at right, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to the Economic Club of Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012, in Washington. Two of the loudest voices in the gun debate say it's up to voters now to make their position known to Congress. LaPierre and Bloomberg claim their views on guns have the support of the overwhelming number of Americans. (AP Photo, Ron Sachs, Manuel Balce Ceneta)

In this photo combo, Wayne LaPierre, left, CEO of the National Rifle Association, makes remarks at CPAC 2013, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Md., Friday, March 15, 2013; and at right, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to the Economic Club of Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2012, in Washington. Two of the loudest voices in the gun debate say it's up to voters now to make their position known to Congress. LaPierre and Bloomberg claim their views on guns have the support of the overwhelming number of Americans. (AP Photo, Ron Sachs, Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Two of the loudest voices in the gun debate say it's up to voters now to make their position known to Congress.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and National Rifle Associate Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre claim their opposing views on guns have the support of the overwhelming number of Americans. They are looking at the next two weeks as critical to the debate, when lawmakers head home to hear from constituents ahead of next month's anticipated Senate vote on gun control.

Bloomberg, a former Republican-turned-independent, has just sunk $12 million for Mayors Against Illegal Guns to run television ads and phone banks in 13 states urging voters to tell their senators to pass legislation requiring universal background checks for gun buyers.

"We demanded a plan and then we demanded a vote. We've got the plan, we're going to get the vote. And now it's incumbent on us to make our voices heard," said Bloomberg.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said Thursday that legislation would likely be debated in his chamber next month that will include expanded federal background checks, tougher laws and stiffer sentences for gun trafficking and increased school safety grants. A ban on assault-style weapons was dropped from the bill, fearing it would sink the broader bill. But Reid has said that he would allow the ban to be voted on separately as an amendment. President Barack Obama called for a vote on the assault weapons ban in his radio and Internet address Saturday.

Recalling the horrific shooting three months ago at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school that left 20 first graders and six school administrators dead, Bloomberg said it would be a great tragedy if Congress, through inaction, lost the moment to make the country safer from gun violence. Bloomberg said that 90 percent of Americans and 80 percent of NRA members support universal background checks for gun purchases.

"I don't think there's ever been an issue where the public has spoken so clearly, where Congress hasn't eventually understood and done the right thing," Bloomberg said.

But the NRA's LaPierre counters that universal background checks are "a dishonest premise." For example, mental health records are exempt from databases and criminals won't submit to the checks. Background checks, he said, are a "speed bump" in the system that "slows down the law-abiding and does nothing for anybody else."

"The shooters in Tucson, in Aurora, in Newtown, they're not going to be checked. They're unrecognizable," LaPierre said. He was referring to the 2011 shooting in a Tucson shopping center that killed six and wounded 13, including former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, and the July assault in a suburban Denver movie theater that killed 12 and injured 70. In both instances, as well as in the Newtown killings, the alleged shooters used military-style assault rifles with high-capacity ammunition magazines.

LaPierre slammed Bloomberg for the ad buy.

"He's going to find out this is a country of the people, by the people, and for the people. And he can't spend enough of his $27 billion to try to impose his will on the American public," LaPierre said, adding, "He can't buy America."

"Millions of people" from across the country are sending the NRA "$5, $10, $15, $20 checks, saying stand up to this guy," LaPierre said, referring to Bloomberg.

LaPierre said the NRA supports a bill to get the records of those adjudicated mentally incompetent and dangerous into the background check system for gun dealers, better enforcement of federal gun laws and beefed up penalties for illegal third-party purchases and gun trafficking. Shortly after the Newtown shooting, LaPierre called for armed security guards in schools as well.

LaPierre would like to see Congress pass a law that "updates the system and targets those mentally incompetent adjudicated into the system" and forces the administration to enforce the federal gun laws.

"It won't happen until the national media gets on the administration and calls them out for their incredible lack of enforcement of these laws," LaPierre said.

In Colorado, a state with a pioneer tradition of gun ownership and self-reliance, Gov. John Hickenlooper just signed bills requiring background checks for private and online gun sales. The legislation also would ban ammunition magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.

"After the shootings last summer in the movie theater, we really focused on mental health first then universal background checks," Hickenlooper said on CNN's "State of the Union." ''I think the feeling right now around assault weapons, at least in Colorado, is that they're so hard to define what an assault weapon is."

Hickenlooper said he met with a group of protesters against the bills in Grand Junction, Colo., were "very worried about government keeping a centralized database, which I assured them wasn't going to happen." The protesters, he added, view the background checks as "just the first step in trying to take guns away."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-03-24-Guns/id-905622d1cf7e4b7cb84314add69236bc

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The war at home

At the height of the insurgency in Iraq, when we took a moment to stop and look, we could try to imagine what life was like for Iraqi children?trying to go to school, trying to avoid the bullets and bombs that struck, seemingly at random, in their neighborhoods. Or think about the children who knew those killed by an American cluster bomb in Yemen, a bomb that was launched on the direct command of President Barack Obama after agreeing to a target identified in late 2009 by the Special Operations Command. Imagine waking up and trying to sleep wondering if you will accidentally be the next "effect" identified by a foreign force.

But the most vivid picture of what it's like to grow up in a warzone comes from a source much closer to home. A month ago, This American Life aired a two-part radio program about Harper High School in the West Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. ?You've probably heard of Chicago's gun violence problem in the abstract, or maybe became aware of it when a young woman who performed at President Obama's second inaugural was caught in a cross-fire a few days after she returned to Illinois. It's easy to be maudlin or bathetic about a subject like this, but the team at This American Life opted for a much simpler, more direct approach. ?They describe what life is like for an average teenager at a school where 29 current and former students were shot in the year before the radio producers arrived. ?

SEE MORE: Could Spotify become the next Netflix?

It's easy to blame U.S. policy for the loss of generational innocence in Iraq and Yemen and elsewhere; the good thing is that we can do something about that. We can withdraw our troops or change our targeting criteria. ?But the warzone outside Harper defies intervention.

Gangs? Where you live determines what gang you'll be a part of; you join your gang by default. If you don't want to join a hang, you have to actively work against the forces that structure your entire existence. ?The Chicago Police went after the big gangs and wound up fracturing the remnants into microgangs that control territory block by block. ?

SEE MORE: WATCH: Jim Carrey mocks gun lovers in new video

Drugs? Most shootings have nothing to do with drugs; the geography of drug distribution in Chicago is only indirectly linked to the geography of violence.

Police? Even saturating the neighborhoods don't help. When students walk home, they do so in the middle of a very busy street. Drivers have learned to let them crowd the road. Why? If they walk on the sidewalk near the trees, and if they're not walking with the right person (a rival gang), they're liable to get shot.?

SEE MORE: The myth of the superbaby

More activities? Kids don't go outside and they often stay at school as long as possible to avoid the violence that separates their school from their home.

Truancy? Why would a parent be eager to send her daughter to a school where this happens?

SEE MORE: Which is worse:?InAPPropriate Comedy or?Movie 43?

Gun control? These kids have illegal guns. They're going to have them for the foreseeable future, even if the most restrictive gun control measures are past.

Teachers? Some of them seem infinitely patient and wise.?

SEE MORE: The daily gossip: Kate Upton isn't going to prom with that kid after all, and more

Government policies? Funding has been cut for social services.?

And yet -- as we know -- violence is down everywhere. This lulls us into a false sense of tranquility. The bedlam of the 70s and 80s, cross-pressured by racism, redlining, inattention, lead paint concentrations -- that's all gone or it's much diminished.?

SEE MORE: Can Bill Gates help build a better condom?

The chaos at Harper's is hard to square with everything we think we know about guns and kids. ?That's why people need to hear about it.

?

SEE MORE: Is the U.S. preparing for a larger post-withdrawal role in Afghanistan?

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/war-home-200900722.html

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Office workers carry biomarker of potentially harmful flame retardant, study finds

Mar. 25, 2013 ? A flame retardant removed from children's pajamas 30 years ago but now used in polyurethane foam is prevalent in office environments, especially in older buildings, where urine testing of workers turned up widespread evidence of its biomarker, a new study led by Boston University School of Public Health researchers has found.

The study, published in the journal Environment International, found that the chemical known as TDCPP -- chlorinated tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate, or 'chlorinated tris' -- was present in 99 percent of dust samples taken from participants' homes, vehicles and offices, "demonstrating the widespread presence of this flame retardant in the indoor environment." The research team recruited 31 adults who worked and lived in the Boston area for the testing.

The study found that the office environment was the strongest predictor of metabolized TDCPP in urine, with significantly lower concentrations of the chemical among workers in a new office building than in older buildings. Similarly, the average concentration of TDCPP in dust was significantly lower in the new office building than in the older office buildings.

Urine samples were collected during the workday, which may explain why an association was found between the quickly metabolized chemical and characteristics of the office, rather than the vehicle or home.

"Overall, our findings suggest that exposure to TDCPP in the work environment is one of the contributors to the personal exposure for office workers. Further research is needed to confirm specific exposure sources (e.g., polyurethane foam), determine the importance of exposure in other microenvironments such as homes and vehicles, and address the inhalation and dermal exposure pathways," the research team concluded.

TDCPP, an additive to polyurethane foam used in upholstered furniture, is found in dust, where it can likely lead to human exposure. Potential health effects remain a concern. In 2011, TDCPP was added to the Proposition 65 list of chemicals known by the State of California to cause cancer.

In vitro studies suggest TDCPP may be neurotoxic, and one study found that increased concentrations in dust were associated with decreased semen quality and reduced free thyroxine in men, suggesting possible effects on fertility and thyroid function. Animal studies show TDCPP is readily absorbed through both the skin and gastrointestinal tract.

The researchers said the high concentrations observed in dust from offices could reflect requirements by the City of Boston that office furniture meet California fire retardant standards, a rule that is not required of residential furniture in Boston. The state of California has proposed a draft furniture flammability standard that could reduce the need for flame retardant chemicals in polyurethane foam. However, the standard used for office furniture has yet to be revised.

"It is currently very difficult to avoid flame retardants. Hopefully, better options will become available in the near future," said Courtney Carignan, a doctoral candidate in environmental health who co-authored the study. "Currently, the best advice we have for people is to wash your hands, especially before eating. Dust control, good ventilation and air purifiers may also be useful for reducing personal exposure."

The low concentrations of TDCPP in the newer office building suggest that its newer furniture did not contain TDCPP, or that it had not yet had sufficient time to migrate out of the products, the researchers said. If the new furniture did not contain TDCPP, it likely contained a different flame retardant such as the controversial FireMaster 550. Other differences between exposures include the possibility of more efficient ventilation or HVAC systems or cleaning methods in the newer building.

The authors urged that "more research is needed to determine factors that influence TDCPP concentrations in dust, in relation to building contents and characteristics."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Boston University Medical Center, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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. Courtney C. Carignan, Michael D. McClean, Ellen M. Cooper, Deborah J. Watkins, Alicia J. Fraser, Wendy Heiger-Bernays, Heather M. Stapleton, Thomas F. Webster. Predictors of tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate metabolite in the urine of office workers. Environment International, 2013; 55: 56 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.02.004

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/~3/kPPaV4sRwpQ/130325135401.htm

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'NSYNC's 15th Anniversary: 'Five Normal Guys' Hit It Big

MTV News' first interview with the boy band features Justin Timberlake and company on the verge of superstardom back in 1998.
By By Christina Garibaldi

Justin Timberlake in 1998
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1704195/nsync-15th-anniversary.jhtml

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Pope Francis, pope emeritus Benedict XVI meet

By Philip Pullella

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (Reuters) - A reigning pope and a former pope faced each other for the first time in at least 600 years on Saturday when Pope Francis travelled south of Rome for lunch with his predecessor, pope emeritus Benedict XVI.

Francis, who was elected on March 13, flew by helicopter to the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, where Benedict has been living since he abdicated on February 28.

Footage released by the Vatican showed the two men, both dressed in nearly identical white clerical garb, including white skull caps, embracing shortly after the helicopter landed at the large estate.

The only difference in garb is that Francis also wears a short white cape over his cassock and a white sash around his waist - both symbols of his authority. On Saturday Benedict, who often suffered from chills, even indoors, wore a thick white vest over his cassock.

They then rode in the same car to the residence where they prayed together, spoke alone for about 45 minutes and then had lunch accompanied by their two secretaries. Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the atmosphere for the entire visit, which lasted just under three hours, was "family-like".

When they went to pray in the chapel, Benedict offered the place of honor, a kneeler before the altar, to Francis, who declined, saying, "We are brothers, we pray together," Lombardi said. Footage showed the two men praying at the same pew.

Asked about the health of Benedict, who became the first pope in 600 years to resign instead of ruling for life, citing diminishing strength, Lombardi said: "It is normal, he is an old man."

Benedict has been living temporarily in the summer residence in the Alban Hills and will move back to the Vatican after the restoration of a convent where he is expected to live for the rest of his life.

Shortly before his resignation, Benedict, now 85, said he would be "withdrawing into prayer" and would live out his remaining days "hidden from the world".

In February, on the last day of his nearly eight years as leader of the Catholic Church, Benedict pledged his unconditional obedience to whoever would succeed him. Lombardi said the meeting "gave Benedict the opportunity, through his gestures" to renew his pledge personally.

While Lombardi said there would be no statement on what the two discussed, it was likely that the conversation included problems of Vatican administration.

LEAKS SCANDAL

Before he resigned, Benedict left a secret report for Francis on the so-called "Vatileaks" scandal in which sensitive papal documents were stolen from the pope's desk and leaked to the media by his butler.

Last year, the butler, Paolo Gabriele, was arrested and sentenced by a Vatican court to 18 months in prison but Benedict pardoned him and he was freed last Christmas.

The presence of a reigning pope and a pope emeritus is new for the Church in the modern era, but experts say it should not cause difficulties unless Benedict tries to influence Francis's decisions, something he has promised not to do.

Some Church scholars worry that in the event that Francis undoes some of Benedict's policies while he is still alive, the former pope could become a lightning rod for conservatives and polarize the Church.

"Benedict XVI could turn into a shadow pope who has stepped down but can still exert indirect influence," Hans Kung, a dissident Swiss theologian who has clashed with Benedict in the past, told a German magazine.

Francis, who inherited a Church riven by problems such as the sexual abuse scandal in many countries, has indicated in his first few days that his papacy will be more austere.

He wants the Church to be poorer and to be closer to the poor and suffering. In this vein, he has decided to hold Holy Thursday service next week in a juvenile jail on Rome's outskirts rather than in the Vatican or in a Rome Basilica, where it has been held by all his predecessor in living memory.

(Additional reporting by Steve Scherer; Editing by Stephen Powell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-former-pope-meet-first-encounter-600-years-020149372.html

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How_A_News_Release_Can_Create_Traffic_To_Your_Website

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The highlighted Amateur battle set up to be on the card is Rocco's MMA product Bekbolot Baktybek (3-0) vs. present XFE: Cage Wars Champion Ryan Cafaro (5-3). Bekbolot is a Matrix Fights and Secured in the Cage veteran. He has finished all three of his opponents by Submission. Cafaro is presently on a 3 fight win streak over tough challengers, including the likes of LITC veteran Matt Ibbotson and XCC product Sharif Jones. Both of these boxers are exceptionally excellent and this one should be a technical battle.

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The law firm's press release example utilized in this article:
Akron Serious Injury Lawyer Chester Law
Chester Law Group Co., LPA
430 White Pond Drive
Akron, OH 44320
330-253-5678
800-218-4243
www.chesterlaw.com

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Potential Dell bidding war afoot as Blackstone Group and Carl Icahn reportedly making offers

Thought that Dell buy out was a done deal? Well, the Blackstone Group and investor Carl Icahn clearly don't think so, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that both have contacted the committee of Dell's board just before Friday's shutoff deadline. The would-be bidders are reported to be working on their actual offer amounts, and in the process buying them four more days thinking time. Reuters reports that Blackstone's tentative offer is already in, according to sources, but at this time the company is yet to comment. Despite a recent slump in profits, Michael Dell surprised many when he announced his intention to buy back the eponymous firm in a deal with Microsoft for $24.4 billion. So, if the founder thought he had the keys to the old estate back, he might just have to wait a little longer.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Dell

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Source: The Wall Street Journal, Reuters

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/XgiEkdwp1aM/

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