Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Voice From the End Of Town: Don't Make Me Call Security

Friendship and relationships are considered to many to be basic conversations on basic topics, things that you would have learned growing up. ?Sadly though, because many consider it to not be an important topic it gets pushed to the back burner so we can talk about more important things. ?So now, we are surrounded by people that really don't get or understand?relationships/friendships in the right way... and maybe you're one of them. ?It's ok. ?Sometimes we just need a trusted friend to sit down and privately talk to us without judgement and pass on pointers or just a little wisdom. ?I hope that's how you'll feel as you listen to my conversation on friendship.

This is my first attempt at an audio post and I haven't figured out how to embed it yet so here's the link. ? ? ? ? ?Don't Make Me Call Security? ?enjoy!

Source: http://hsmentormom.blogspot.com/2012/02/dont-make-me-call-security.html

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Woods' agent criticizes book by former swing coach

Tiger Woods signs autographs during a practice round for the Honda Classic golf tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Palm Beach Post, Allen Eyestone) MAGS OUT TV OUT NO SALES

Tiger Woods signs autographs during a practice round for the Honda Classic golf tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Palm Beach Post, Allen Eyestone) MAGS OUT TV OUT NO SALES

Tiger Woods tees off during a practice round for the Honda Classic golf tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Palm Beach Post, Allen Eyestone) MAGS OUT TV OUT NO SALES

FILE - In tis March 3, 2006, file photo, Tiger Woods putts on the 18th green during the second round of the Ford Championship golf tournament at Doral in Doral, Fla. Donald Trump is buying the Doral Hotel & Country Club, home of the Blue Monster golf course and host to numerous professional tournaments over the years, for $150 million. The Trump Organization said it is buying Doral, which has been in bankruptcy for about a year, from Paulson & Winthrop Realty. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) ? Tiger Woods' agent lashed out Tuesday against Hank Haney's book, saying his "armchair psychology" about Woods was "ridiculous" and that it was clear the former swing coach only cares about self-promotion.

Haney's book about his six years as Woods' coach is titled, "The Big Miss." It is to go on sale March 27, a week before the Masters.

Golf Digest began releasing small excerpts Tuesday on its tablet applications and on its website. Haney's book was written with help from Jaime Diaz, a senior writer at the magazine who has covered Woods more extensively than anyone over the years.

In one of the excerpts, Haney, a McKinney, Texas, golf guru, said his job became more difficult in 2007, when Woods had 12 majors and was getting closer to the record 18 won by Jack Nicklaus.

"There was more urgency and less fun. ... He never mentioned Nicklaus' record, but it started to weigh more heavily at every major," the excerpt said. "And Tiger's actions indicated he believed he had less time to do it than everyone thought."

Haney said the objective of revamping his swing was to preserve his left knee.

He also said Woods was seriously considering becoming a Navy SEAL. Woods' father, Earl, was a green beret in the Army who did two tours during the Vietnam War.

"I didn't know how he'd go about it, but when he talked about it, it was clear he had a plan," Haney writes in the excerpt. "I thought, 'Wow, here is Tiger Woods, greatest athlete on the planet, maybe the greatest athlete ever, right in the middle of his prime, basically ready to leave it all behind for a military life.'"

Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent at Excel Sports Management, said in a statement that excerpts show Haney's claim of the book being about golf is "clearly false."

"His armchair psychology about Tiger, on matters he admits they didn't even discuss, is ridiculous," Steinberg said. "Because of his father, it's no secret that Tiger has always had high respect for the military, so for Haney to twist that admiration into something negative is disrespectful."

Haney also mentions the time Woods spent four days of special operations training in 2004 at Fort Bragg, N.C.

"Tiger did two tandem parachute jumps, engaged in hand-to-hand combat exercises, went on four-mile runs wearing combat boots, and did drills in a wind tunnel," Haney wrote. "Tiger loved it, but his physical therapist, Keith Kleven, went a little crazy worrying about the further damage Tiger might be doing to his left knee."

Haney said he was in the kitchen when Woods returned from a long run wearing Army boots. He said Woods told him he's worn the boots before on the same route and told Haney, "I beat my best time."

Woods is playing the next two weeks in south Florida, at the Honda Classic and Cadillac Championship at Doral, as he prepares for the Masters. Woods has not won at Augusta National since 2005.

"The disruptive timing of this book shows that Haney's self-promotion is more important to him than any other person or tournament," Steinberg said. "What's been written violates the trust between a coach and player and someone also once considered a friend."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-02-28-Woods-Book/id-fbc3d60f102b412dbbf3cbf5f1565a4e

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The Ingenious Toyota Prius Hybrid Car ? Your Car O | Education

Many accolades have been given to the Prius Hybrid automobile by Toyota. With its growing recognition, the Toyota Prius is changing the way consumers look at the automotive industry. Hybrid cars, just like the Prius, have delivered a bold statement against rising gas prices, as well as environmental issues. The Prius is in fact the first hybrid car to be mass-produced for the general public. From 1997, the Prius was only available in Japan, but in 2001 it was released worldwide. Try checking out cobra laser radar detector for more information.

The Prius received much notoriety from environmentalists who claimed that it would get rid of air pollution. North American sales have been steadily growing ever since the Prius was introduced in that market. The Prius was in huge demand along with an extremely long waiting list at the end of 2006. Toyota?s perception for their hybrid car is to allow consumers an energy-efficient option that can reduce pollution. Today, the name Prius is synonymous with the hybrid car and is highly respected around the world.

This entry was posted in Automotive by admin. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://alfrente.org/automotive/the-ingenious-toyota-prius-hybrid-car-your-car-o/

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Why the S Corp Might Not Be Right for Your Startup

If you?re launching a business, you?ll inevitably encounter the tough decision of picking a legal business structure. It?s a significant issue, one you?ll want to consider carefully from all angles and potentially discuss with a tax advisor or accountant.

The S Corporation has become one of the most popular business structures in the U.S. thanks to its favorable ?pass through? tax treatment. And while it?s an advantageous way for small businesses to optimize their taxes, the S Corp isn?t right for every business. With the S Corp election deadline approaching on March 15, it?s a good time to examine this business entity and determine if it?s the right structure for you.

An Introduction to the S Corp

An S Corporation begins as a general, for-profit C Corporation. After the corporation has been formed, the business can elect ?S Corporation Status? by filing Form 2553 with the IRS in a timely manner. With this election, the company is now taxed as a sole proprietor or partnership rather than as a separate entity like the C Corp.

A C Corporation files its own tax form and has its own tax rates (C Corp tax rates). If the company makes a profit, it can choose to retain the earnings in the company as part of its operating capital or distribute the profits as dividends to shareholders. With a C Corporation, these dividends are essentially taxed twice: first at the corporate level when the company files its taxes and then at the individual level with each shareholder?s 1040 form.

S corporation Why the S Corp might not be right for your startup

By contrast, the S Corporation is not subject to corporate tax rates. Its profits and losses are passed through and reported on the personal income tax returns of the shareholders. That?s why the S Corp is known as a ?pass-through entity? and avoids this double taxation of dividends.

Of course, bear in mind if a shareholder also works in the business, they must be paid a reasonable wage for their activities. And these wages are subject to the personal income tax rate (in other words, you can?t just compensate yourself in dividends).

Drawbacks of the S Corporation

While this pass-through tax treatment can certainly be advantageous, the S Corp isn?t for everyone. If you?re trying to choose a business structure, here are several circumstances where the S Corporation might not be the right choice:

1. You?re a sole proprietor who doesn?t want the hassle: The S Corporation entails extra structure, formalities, and compliance obligations for the solo entrepreneur with a ?payroll of one.? If you incorporate as an S Corporation, you need to set up a board of directors, file annual reports and other business filings, hold shareholder?s meetings, keep records of your meeting minutes, and generally operate at a higher level of regulatory compliance than your business might need or want to deal with.

shutterstock 93673810 520x346 Why the S Corp might not be right for your startup

You also will need to do payroll to pay your employees, even if you?re the only employee. This can create extra costs and operational challenges. Instead of dealing with all this red tape and complexity, forming an LLC (Limited Liability Company) might give you greater simplicity and ease of doing business. With an LLC, as a sole proprietor you don?t have to create a board of directors or jump through as many regulatory hoops. And, the LLC still gives you the pass-through tax treatment just like the S Corp.

2. You want flexibility in how you distribute profits (dividends) among shareholders:?The other downside of the S Corp is its strict allocation of income. In an S Corporation, each owner/shareholder must share in the income in direct proportion to their ownership.

What does this mean? Let?s say you start a business with three colleagues, each owning 25% of the business. You do the bulk of the work in Year 1, your company makes a big profit, and everyone decides that you should take home 50% of the extra profit. Since income and loss are strictly based on the pro-rata share of ownership in an S Corp, this isn?t possible (at least in terms of personal income tax reporting). Each owner will be taxed on 25% of the profits, regardless of any other agreement. In contrast, an LLC offers more flexibility when it comes to allocating income amongst the owners.

3. You plan to reinvest any profits back into the company:?As profits pass through entities, individual owners of an S Corporation or LLC are liable for any taxes owed on profits ? whether that money is retained in the company or put in their wallet.

For example, if you own 50% of an S Corporation (or LLC for that matter) and that company makes $50,000 in profit, you need to report $25,000 in income on your personal tax return. It doesn?t matter whether that $25,000 actually ended up in your pocket or you decided to keep it in the business in order to boost your marketing efforts next year. This is known as ?phantom income? and can obviously cause a problem for some shareholders. If you plan on retaining money in the company, you should consider the C Corporation over both the LLC and S Corp.

4. You can?t qualify:?Lastly, the IRS places certain restrictions on S-Corporations, including:

  • An S-Corp cannot have more than 100 shareholders
  • All shareholders in an S-Corp must be individuals (not LLCs or partnerships) and legal residents of the United States.

Your choice in business structure will ultimately depend on all the unique aspects of your business, financial situation, and short-term/long-term goals. Regardless of which business type you choose, taking a serious look at your legal structure is essential to set your business up for success.

Dmitriy Shironosov?and STILLFX?via shutterstock

Source: http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2012/02/28/why-the-s-corp-might-not-be-right-for-your-startup/

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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

WorkLife Essentials: March in WorkLife Essentials - Motherhood


This month in WorkLife Essentials, we've collected a series of valuable resources related to Motherhood and career. ?Thinking about becoming a mother? ?Is Motherhood new to you? ?Or are you always looking for ways to make balancing motherhood and career easier? ?Well, that's what March is all about at WLE.com.
Our first featured article below is about helping work through the common questions women have when deciding to start a family. ?Also, inside WorkLife Essentials, we are featuring more articles in line with starting or growing your family, such as "The Biological Clock", or with particular focus on being a single parent in "Choosing to Become a Single Parent". ?Or, in dealing with obstacles such as infertility in "Dealing With the Stress of Infertility While Working". ?As always, we also feature a number of related resources which can help guide you or your employees in their search for information related to starting a family as a career woman. ?Please look for the Motherhood?promotion link on your homepage once you have logged in, where you can find all of the highlighted articlesOur second featured article is focused on helping a mother with the home side of the Motherhood-Career balancing act, with help for many family types. ?Are you a single parent? ?Are your kids grown up and about to leave the family home on their own for the first time? ?Do you have a blended family? ?Read our collection of articles focussed on any of these situations starting with "Ideas to Help Single Parents", or "When the Children Leave Home", or "Adjusting to Stepfamily Life".We encourage you to follow along with the latest in WorkLife Essentials news and announcements as well as the latest happenings in the Work-Life Balance field at our Blog. ?We also highly encourage feedback and comments and interaction and that's the best place for it. ?As always, you can communicate with us through our Suggestion Box?inside WLE.com. ?If you have trouble viewing our Blog in your area, we also update our "What's New" page with the latest promotion and teaser info regularly.

Choosing the "Right" Time to Start a Family
If you are thinking about starting a family, you are probably thinking a lot about the timing issue. How will parenthood fit in with your career plans and goals? How will you know when it is the ?right? time in your life to start a family?...


Read more?*


Helping Your Young Baby Grow Through Play
During your baby?s first six months of life, they are likely to astonish you. They will learn to nurse or take from a bottle almost immediately.?They will gaze into your eyes. Soon they will raise?their head, kick off?their covers, and let you know that?they are?a special person unlike anyone else you?ve ever known...


Motherhood and Career: Challenges and Choices
How can you create a working life that fits with raising a family? How can you find a balance? How do other families do it? Working mothers have been struggling with the ?having it all? question for decades. Is it possible to have a family, a fulfilling career, and still find time for yourself? The experts agree that ?having it all? is a myth. But...


Read more?*

Source: http://blog.worklifeessentials.com/2012/02/march-in-worklife-essentials-motherhood.html

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SSea View Garden Hotel Bowling ll Qingdao Sports & Recreation ...

By Ram Ji - Mon Feb 27, 3:01 pm

Sea View Garden Hotel Bowling
2 ZhangHua Road
Telephone: +86 (532) 8587-5777
ShiNan District > Maidao Island Area
Qingdao, Shandong Province. P.R. China
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Source: http://qdxpat.com/sea-view-garden-hotel-bowling-in-qingdao/

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Monday, February 27, 2012

Baghdad film festival turns eye to human rights (Reuters)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Reuters - In a country where there still isn't a single public cinema, where detainees complain of torture and militants blow people up because of their sect, supporters of Iraq's first human rights film festival know they face a tough task.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120226/film_nm/us_iraq_film_rights

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Eating Disorders Guide - RSS USA Directory



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Sunday, February 26, 2012

Bibliophile By the Sea: Saturday Snapshots - Motherhood

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce @ AT Home With Books.

Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don't post random photos that you find online.

My brain has been on overload lately because of so much going on in the next month: (2) baby showers - co-hosting one, a trip to. I haven't been snapping any photos, and was actually running out of ideas for Saturday posts, until the wonderful Denise @ An English Girl Rambles, gave me an idea recently. She featured a post about some of her favorite art she's collected.

I have also always loved meaningful pieces of art as well. Every item hung on our home has some meaning to me.? So although the lighting wasn't perfect when I took these, (we have lots of windows and sun glare), I decided to feature (3) of about (15) this week.

(this one reminds me of my wonderful days as a young mother)

(more memories of when my (2) children were young)

(this one is above a landing half way above?

a winding staircase so it was really tough to capture)

Source: http://bibliophilebythesea.blogspot.com/2012/02/saturday-snapshots-motherhood.html

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Europe tops G-20 finance meeting in Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Pressure mounted on Europe Saturday to build an even bigger financial stabilization fund to head off sovereign debt concerns, with the United States, Brazil, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development all urging an increase.

While the advice coming out of a meeting of G-20 finance ministers, senior officials and central bank heads seemed overwhelming, Germany - Europe's main financial engine - appeared loath to fund yet another increase to stabilization funds that already have about 500 billion euros.

Angel Gurria, the head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, set the tone at the conference, calling for about $1.5 trillion in "firewall" funds aimed at restoring confidence in European countries' debt.

"We still have to build the mother of all firewalls," Gurria said. "The thicker the firewall is, the less likely we'll have to use it."

Guido Mantega, the finance minister of Brazil, said "there is a very strongly shared opinion that first, the European countries should strengthen their firewall."

"The emerging countries are only going to help under two conditions," Mantega said. "First, that they reinforce their firewalls, and second that reforms are implemented in the International Monetary Fund." Brazil wants more representation for developing nations in the U.S.-led IMF.

Many want the IMF, which is already participating in European stabilization, to do more.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner added to the pressure, saying "I hope that we'll see, I expect that we'll see continued efforts by the Europeans ... to put in place a stronger, more credible firewall," though he didn't mention any amount.

Geithner acknowledged the work of European leaders, saying they have "made quite a bit of progress in convincing the world that they are not going to allow a catastrophic financial failure" in their countries.

But he also noted, "It's important not to rest on that progress, and recognize that progress is there in part based on the expectation that there are more things to come, more actions to come" on the financial firewall.

"They are not done. They know they've got more to do," Geithner said. He added that leaders had moved "slower than some people would like."

The Germans, whose powerful economy represents the economic keystone of Europe, seem loath to help fund yet more stabilization efforts.

In an editorial in the El Universal newspaper on the eve of the meeting, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble wrote that "should we increase even more the firewalls? The response is a resounding no." Schauble also rejected sharing other Euro-zone country debts, or expanding the euro money supply to meet countries' budget gaps.

"This would not only not solve the problems of debt and competitiveness that brought the affected countries to their current state of affairs, it would also discourage their governments from carrying out consolidation and reform."

German central bank president Jens Weidmann noted Friday that Euro-area political leaders will meet in March to decide whether to further increase the current 500-billion-euro financial stabilization effort, and while he didn't rule out increased funding, he said money alone won't do it.

"Higher walls of money can buy time, but that time must be used to tackle the roots of the crisis," Weidmann told a seminar prior to the ministers meeting. "Ultimately, Greece cannot be forced to comply with the program," he said of the indebted country's commitment to make fiscal, wage and other reforms in exchange for the European bailout.

"But it should be clear that no further disbursements will be warranted if Greece fails to keep its side of the bargain," Weidmann said.

Mexican central bank Governor Agustin Carstens said Friday that the "IMF's lending capacity is an issue that will be discussed" at Saturday's meeting among finance ministers and central bankers.

But one Canadian finance official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said that "on the issues of IMF funding, I don't think we are near a consensus."

Source: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/L/LT_MEXICO_G_20?SITE=MOJOP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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Saturday, February 25, 2012

LightSquared CEO made curious max donation to DNC while seeking White House audience (Daily Caller)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Daily Caller - Broadband company LightSquared?s CEO made a maximum-allowable political donation to the Democratic Party on the same day his lawyers were trying to arrange a meeting between him and top White House technology officials, records and emails obtained by The Daily Caller show. Those same records also show a questionable inconsistency, listing the CEO?s employer as a company he hadn?t worked for in a decade.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/democrats/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20120224/pl_dailycaller/lightsquaredceomadecuriousmaxdonationtodncwhileseekingwhitehouseaudience

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Miracle diet pill? A safe drug is elusive

(AP) ? The battle of the bulge has been a big, fat failure for U.S. drugmakers. But that hasn't stopped them from trying.

For nearly a century, scientists have struggled to make a diet pill that helps people lose weight without side effects that range from embarrassing digestive issues to dangerous heart problems.

But this week, federal health advisers endorsed the weight loss pill Qnexa even though the FDA previously rejected it over concerns that it can cause heart palpitations and birth defects if taken by pregnant women.

The vote of confidence raises hopes that the U.S. could approve its first anti-obesity drug in more than a decade. It also highlights how challenging it is to create a pill that fights fat in a variety of people without negative side effects.

"Having a drug for obesity would be like telling me you had a drug for the fever," said Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of bariatric surgery at Northern Westchester Hospital in New York. "There can be millions of different reasons why someone is obese; it's really a symptom of various underlying mechanisms."

An effective and safe diet pill would be an easy sale in the U.S.: With more than 75 million obese adults, the nation's obesity rate is nearing 35 percent. But the biggest problem in creating a weight-loss drug is that there's no safe way to turn off one of the human body's most fundamental directives.

For millions of years, humans have been programmed to consume calories and store them as energy, or fat. It's this biological mechanism that makes it almost impossible to quickly lose weight by not eating. Cutting down on food instead sends stronger signals to the body to store more calories.

"Throughout most of human history calories were scarce and hard to get, so we have numerous natural defenses against starvation," said Dr. David Katz of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. "We have no defenses against overeating because we never needed them before."

The drug industry has been on a nearly 100-year search for a drug that can help the body shed pounds. They've mostly failed to come up with an effective one and many of their experiments have proven fatal to patients:

? Early attempts focused on speeding up metabolism to burn more calories. In the 1930s, doctors prescribed an industrial chemical called dinitrophenol, which accelerated metabolism, but also caused fever, swelling and deadly toxicity in some patients. The 1938 law establishing the Food and Drug Administration was a response to untested drugs like dinitrophenol.

? In the '50s and '60s, amphetamines became a popular because they boost metabolism and suppress appetite. But the pills proved to be highly addictive, and doctors discovered they increase blood pressure and heart rate. The amphetamine phentermine remains approved for short-term weight loss, usually less than 12 weeks, though it is seldom prescribed because of the potential for addiction.

? Perhaps the worst diet pill safety debacle came in the 1990s and involved the combination of phentermine and another weight loss drug marketed by Wyeth called fenfluramine. The combination of the two pills, dubbed fen-phen, was never approved by the FDA but more than 18 million prescriptions were written for it by the mid-90s.

But after studies in 1997 suggested that up to a third of patients taking fen-phen experienced heart valve damage, Wyeth was forced to recall two versions of fenfluramine and eventually paid more than $13 billion to settle tens of thousands of personal injury lawsuits.

? In the last decade, drugmakers have moved toward other weight loss concoctions. Currently, the only drug approved for long-term weight loss in the U.S. is orlistat, which is sold as the prescription drug Xenical and over the counter as alli. The drug works by blocking the absorption of fat.

When launched in 2007, alli received a high-profile marketing push from drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline, complete with TV ads and a celebrity endorsement by country singer Wynonna Judd. But it never took off due to unpleasant side effects, including loose bowel movements. Educational pamphlets for alli even recommend people start the program when they have a few days off work, or bring an extra pair of pants to the office.

? Most drugmakers now are focusing on medications that block brain signals associated with food craving and appetite. Vivus' Qnexa is one of a trio of drugs seeking FDA approval. The diet pill, which was initially rejected due to the risks of heart palpitations and other safety issues, is a combination of two older drugs.

It uses amphetamine phentermine, which suppresses appetite. The other drug is topiramate, an anticonvulsant sold by Johnson & Johnson as Topamax. Topiramate is believed to make patients feel more satiated, though it's unclear exactly how. J&J initially studied Topamax alone as a weight loss treatment but concluded the psychiatric side effects, such as memory loss and difficulty concentrating, were too significant.

Still, on Wednesday, a panel of FDA doctors and other advisers voted 20-2 in favor of approving Vivus' Qnexa pill, which the drugmaker has resubmitted to the FDA for a second review.

The group touted the drug's benefits, which include weight loss of nearly 10 percent for most patients taking the drug over a year ? the highest reduction reported with any recent diet pill. But panelists stressed that the drugmaker must be required to conduct a large, follow-up study of the pill's effects on the heart.

The FDA is expected to issue its decision on Qnexa by mid-April.

"The potential benefits of this medication seem to trump the side effects," said FDA panel member Dr. Kenneth Burman of the Washington Hospital Center in Washington DC. "But in truth, only time will tell."

Tammy Wade of McCalla, Ala., is confident that the diet pill works. She lost nearly 40 pounds, dropping down to 167 while in a two-year Qnexa study.

"I never lost that much weight on any of the programs I've tried," said Wade, who's done everything from Weight Watchers to work out with a personal trainer.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-02-24-Battle%20for%20Diet%20Pill/id-7712401e69d34c04858cf16be6a56a71

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Friday, February 24, 2012

Academics Not Productive Enough? Sack 'em

It won't. Clearly. But you are missing the point.

The whole publish or perish paradigm is set up because publishing professors typically have a stronger ability to get grants, which then help fund the university (which typically takes a portion of the grant money into a more general fund). Grant givers almost always look at the publication record of the applicants, and those who are publishing more are MUCH more likely to get the grant. And yes, this is even in cases where supposedly the grants are given 'blind'. Well-known authors in any field develop a distinct style and those who are familiar with the field are likely to recognize that style. Thus grants are given to people who are already productive.

In the end, science research as funded via universities is a bit of a circular situation and it's all a bit self-congratulatory for the people at the top of their field. Which is of course why anyone wanting to do research in a field needs to attach themselves to one of the top researchers during under-grad/graduate years, so that they get the chance to be 2nd (or 3rd or 5th) author on a number of papers published by the BIGNAME. Then after they do that for a while, they get to be first author and BIGNAME moves to last author, but their names become strongly associated, and eventually the rising star gets to move into their own celebrity status, while the BIGNAME just keeps getting more recognition.

If I sound bitter, it may be because this is system is hardly designed to foster innovation, and is hardly conducive to outsiders being brought in. The real rule is conformity to the status quo. If you start out trying to make your own name, or trying to publish things that go against the grain, then you will get quietly ignored by the publishers. Personally, I'm no longer in research, and I'm just as well off gone from that particular insanity.

I have a good friend who has a PhD in astrophysics, but because all he really wants to do is teach, no one will ever know much about him. Will he ever make some great discovery about astrophysics? LIkely not, even though he's as intelligent as any person you'll likely meet. But because he has a passion for passing on the knowledge he has to new students of physics rather than spend years fiddling around with galactic simulations, he'll likely always have lower pay than most professors, and he'll likely never get mentioned as an important figure in astrophysics. And let's be honest, saying, "I inspired thousands of students to continue learning about physics" sounds trite and boring, but saying "I figured out why some stars go supernova and others don't" sounds much more 'important'. Honestly though, the professors that teach the rising students the basic grounding in a subject so that *the new students* of a subject can go on and make important discoveries are the ones that deserve a lot of credit. The professors that ignore students that aren't actively doing research *with them* are often (not always) doing little more than polishing an already sparkly name. Yes, they bring in money for the universities. Yes, the research they do is *often* important, and yes, we need people who are willing to do real research. Yet, at the end of the day, if we don't have people who are competent at actually *teaching*, then we are going to eventually get ourselves into trouble when all the students decide to go get an MBA so they can actually make a decent living.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/Vj4mVNjtMIw/academics-not-productive-enough-sack-em

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Thursday, February 23, 2012

Toddlers With Angry Parents May Have More Temper Tantrums (HealthDay)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) --
Toddlers are more likely to become easily upset and act out if their
parents anger quickly and overreact to their children's behavior,
according to a new study involving adopted youngsters.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/parenting/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20120223/hl_hsn/toddlerswithangryparentsmayhavemoretempertantrums

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Customer service is key to business success. 021712

World famous customer service expert John DiJulius on the elements of world class customer service in your small business operation. Get more great advice and tips on growing your business by regularly listening to our free audio seminars on your PC or mobile device. Go to http://www.sbam.org/radio and download at your convenience! New seminars every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A service of the Small Business Association of Michigan -- focusing the power of small business.


MP3 File

Source: http://sbam.typepad.com/focusingthepower/2012/02/customer-service-is-key-to-business-success-021712.html

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My Teen Daughter's Baby Experience | Black and Married With Kids ...

My initial reaction to a document from my teen daughter?s school requesting her participation in a health class project was confusion. The school was asking permission for my child to bring home a programmed baby doll to take care of during an entire weekend. This form highlighted how our family would be responsible for any damages that might occur to the baby under our care; apparently the doll is very expensive. However, it never stated the purpose, the grading system or any other specifics. My husband and I went back and forth regarding the issue. We both wanted a clear understanding of how this project would benefit our child.

With teen pregnancy being such a huge unfortunate epidemic, along with my daughter?s strange excitement at the idea of participating, I was just a little nervous. After receiving more specifics, the goal of the project was clear, but would it work? The idea was to discourage our youth from wanting to have children at this time by showing them how difficult teen parenting really is. I couldn?t imagine how a pretend baby would really demonstrate this particular level of parenting.

I learned very quickly I was wrong. This weekend was truly eye opening. From the moment we picked our daughter and ?her baby? up from school, it was quite clear we were in for a long weekend. About 20 minutes into our ride home, the baby was activated and motherhood kicked in for my daughter. The baby began to cry (and not your usual baby doll cry, but the loud irritating wail all of us parents know too well). My daughter and I both became immediately flustered as she struggled figuring out how to stop the crying. After reading the manual she eventually calmed the baby, but I could tell she wasn?t too thrilled about what she had signed up for.

All the tasks we are familiar with as parents, diaper changes, burping and middle of the night feedings, have all been a part of my daughter?s experience. A few times during this project my daughter even cried because she was drained and the baby wouldn?t stop crying. From that moment, I realized this project has the possibility of changing a young person?s mind. Its one thing for parents to drive home the point of teens abstaining from sex and saving themselves for marriage, but it?s another for them to have the opportunity to experience how much their lives change by becoming teen parents.

This weekend has been such an amazing teaching moment for our family. The baby has traveled with us to dental appointments as well as church. The baby has ignited healthy dialogue for my daughter with other trusted adults who have also felt the need to offer advice on how to avoid teen pregnancy. Although, we never miss an opportunity to have real life conversations with our children in regards to self-esteem, relationships and sex, this experience has truly added extra support to those talks.

In fact, as I am writing this piece it?s 11:30 pm and the baby just woke up crying to be fed. My daughter looks and sounds exhausted, while I am smiling on the inside. I realize this is just one weekend, but this experience combined with our continued teaching and guidance, complement one another quite nicely.

BMWK, what are your thoughts, would you allow your teen to participate in this project? Do you think it is a realistic strategy?


About the author

Tiya Cunningham-Sumter is a Certified Life & Relationship Coach, Founder of Life Editing. Tiya was featured in Ebony Magazine in the October 2008 and November 2010 issues. Tiya recently created and launched (Tuesdays with Tiya) Life Editing Radio show on blogtalkradio.com. She resides in Chicago with her husband and two children.


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Source: http://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2012/02/22/my-teen-daughter%E2%80%99s-baby-experience

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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Samsung's Learning Hub demonstrates a commitment to education, profits

Samsung's R&D department has been working overtime as it strives to break the idea it copies wholesale ideas from its competition. Yesterday we heard word about its planned new cloud service and today it's announced that it'll be unveiling a unique education-focused app for Galaxy Tabs 8.9 and 10.1. Learning Hub will provide free materials from 30 major educational establishments from elementary schools through to universities, although there's no word on what certificates you'll be able to earn at the end of your course. The program will expand to other devices in the Galaxy family later on, once the company's done showing off the software at MWC.

Samsung's Learning Hub demonstrates a commitment to education, profits originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSamsung Tomorrow (Translated)  | Email this | Comments


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

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Video: Martha lightens up comfort foods

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/46479953#46479953

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AnonOps Communications: #NSA Declares #Anonymous a Threat ...

Anonymous attracted the attention of the National Security Agency. In private meetings at the White House, NSA director General Keith Alexander warned that in a year or two the group could attack the energy grid and shut off power for millions.

Ridiculous! Why should Anonymous shut off power grid? Makes no sense!?
They just want to make you feel afraid.


Source: http://anonops.blogspot.com/2012/02/nsa-declares-anonymous-threat-to.html

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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

ZTE announces two LTE Android smartphones: high-spec PF200 and low-spec N910

Looks like ZTE couldn't hold its horses until MWC. It's just unveiled product names and key specs (but alas no product photos) for two Android 4.0 thoroughbreds that'll be shown off in Barcelona. The first and more interesting is the PF200, which the press release suggests will house an unidentified "1.2GHz chipset," along with a 4.3-inch qHD display, eight-megapixel rear camera and 1080p (i.e. two-megapixel) front-facer. The handset will support LTE, UMTS and GSM and come with the usual range of sensors and connectivity, as well as DLNA, mobile high-definition link (MHL) and NFC. Meanwhile, the N910 is possibly targeted at certain Asian markets, with LTE FDD, CDMA and EVDO support, a 800 x 480 resolution, five-megapixel camera, 1080p front-facer and a 1.5GHz processor. There are no prices or release dates, but these phones are claimed to be mere "fore-runners of a wide range of LTE devices ZTE will bring to the market in the coming months." At least one of those as to be Tegra 3, right? Full PR after the break.

Continue reading ZTE announces two LTE Android smartphones: high-spec PF200 and low-spec N910

ZTE announces two LTE Android smartphones: high-spec PF200 and low-spec N910 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments


Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/7FEiQj0HqVQ/

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Ask Slashdot: What Would Real Space Combat Look Like?

c0mpliant writes "Two friends and I were up until the wee hours of the morning over the weekend debating what real space combat would look like. I've spent some time looking it up online, and there doesn't seem to be any general consensus. So, I thought I'd ask a community of peers what they think. Given our current technology and potential near-future technology, what would a future space battlefield look like? Would capital ships rule the day? Would there be equivalents of cruisers, fighters and bombers, or would it be a mix of them all?"

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/1VCcmqDXYf0/ask-slashdot-what-would-real-space-combat-look-like

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LAF/Beautiful Womanhood ? New Ebook: ?When Motherhood Feels ...

Posted By Kelly Crawford on February 20, 2012

Profound. Powerful. Paramount.

These?are a few words that have been used to describe the new eBook, ?Devotions, Advice & Renewal for When Motherhood Feels Too Hard?.

?I can?t believe how these words changed the way I view motherhood. Thank you, Kelly, for giving me new vision.? -Rebekah

Watch the TRAILER

The best part?for TODAY only, get it for $1! (offer ends Tuesday at 8 am, CST)


Also available in the KINDLE edition! ($1 offer does not apply)

Add to Cart

?This eBook is Kelly?s ?cup of cold water? to mothers. We all need refreshment and encouragement when the hard days come, and Kelly has provided bite-sized (but meaty and thought-provoking) daily devotionals that urge us to take our calling as mothers seriously but remember at the same time that we are vessels of clay in need of God?s filling. These words are true whether you are the mother of one or the mother of ten! Thank you, Kelly, for sharing your beautiful insights into the calling of motherhood ?from the trenches!? -Jennie Chancey, Ladies Against Feminism

?

Source: http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.org/mothering/new-ebook-when-motherhood-feels-too-hard-1-for-1-day/

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iPad 3 logic board with 'A5X' chip purportedly snapped by Mr. Not-so-Blurrycam

Well, if it looks real, sounds real and is halfway logical, we probably should distrust it all the more. Yes, it's the time when all the rumors, photoshops and general hysteria around Apple's next slab reaches its apex. The photo above was grabbed by the steady hand of sas126, a blurrycam snapper in name only, and posted to Chinese site Weiphone, purporting to be the logic board for the iPad 3. The big news (if true) is the "A5X" silicon, suggesting we'll see an incremental enhancement rather than the wholesale revolutions evident in the A4 and A5 chips that accompanied its predecessors. The SoC (with the Apple logo, to the right of the two Hynix memory modules) carries a date-stamp of 1146, suggesting it was produced in the 46th week of last year. Of course, now that we're getting so close to the actual event, whatever Tim Cook whips out on stage will never match whatever we'd conjured up on our own hearts: so try to dampen down that rampant excitement because we've still got 17 days left to wait.

iPad 3 logic board with 'A5X' chip purportedly snapped by Mr. Not-so-Blurrycam originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 20 Feb 2012 05:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MacRumors  |  sourceWeiphone (Translated)  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/20/ipad3-a5x-cpu/

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Monday, February 20, 2012

[Blogger] Games, Politics, and Society -Politics for Breakfast ...

Games, Politics, and Society
Politics for breakfast
February 19, 2012

Should Syria continue its costly war against terrorism? Did Myanmar?s junta make a good choice in letting Aung San Suu Kyi campaign for a parliament seat? Why did Ahmadinejad decide to disclose new nuclear projects amid apparent opposition of the US and NATO countries on its nuclear program? How will the Philippine Senate vote on the impeachment case of the Supreme Court Justice given the President?s obvious preference?

The political arena is defined by such decisions on conflict and cooperation involving civilians, political parties, religious groups, social movements, corporations, and even revolutionary groups. The process with which one can arrive at a rational, well-thought-of decision in politics seems to be overwhelming, given the complexity of individual and social behavior.

Read full article @ politicsforbreakfast.blogspot.com

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Source: http://hronlineph.com/2012/02/20/blogger-games-politics-and-society-politics-for-breakfast/

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Unpopular Opinion: On Friendship with Boys | coffeeandwizards

More and more it seems that YA fiction is focusing more on relationships and less on friendship and personal development. Yes, love is a wonderful thing, but it?s not the only relationship in someone?s life, but it?s the one we seem to put the most emphasis on.?I can understand why it happens. Reading about someone falling in love is akin to falling in love yourself and falling in love is a heart-poundingly terrifying and wonderful experience.

But do you know what is also awesome? Having a friend to be there if that romance turns sour. Having that person there that you know is there for you purely because they choose to be there for you and not some chemical or physical reaction. So why is it friendship is so often brushed aside in place of a romantic relationship? Why is it girls and boys can?t be friends without there being some underlying romantic reason?*

You?re probably wondering what brought this topic to my mind. (Okay, you?re probably not, but just play along.) It actually hit me while I was watching season one of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and I realized that despite the fact that there are two perfectly attractive girls and three (and then four) perfectly attractive guys, there is very little romantic interaction between them. Yeah, Tommy and Kim might make eyes at each other every once and awhile, but that?s about it.

When Trini climbs up a mountain to save Billy, she doesn?t do it because she?s expecting a kiss at the end.** Jason lets Kim and Trini cling to his arms without the hint of anything more than a friend wanting to comfort two friends. They support each other and cheer each other on because they?re friends. And it was so WEIRD for me because I can?t remember the last time I?ve seen that.

When trying to think of boy/girl friendships in YA fiction I could only think of three: Harry/Hermione from Harry Potter, Clary/Simon from The Mortal Instruments, and Katniss/Gale from The Hunger Games. Already, I think, you can see the problem.

Harry and Hermione were never romantically involved. Harry never once hinted that he had any feelings for Hermione, and considering the entire series is from his perspective, you?d think we?d have seen something.*** Then again, we really didn?t see anything about his feelings for Ginny until it was too late, so there is that. This didn?t stop the Harry/Hermione shippers! S. S. Harmony is still one of the biggest ships out there because it seems we cannot accept that girls and guys can really be just friends.

Clary and Simon, on the other hand, actually do have a romantic relationship. Not only does this?propagate?the idea that boys and girls can?t be friends without one or the other having ulterior motives but it also forwards the idea that once a guy makes it into the ?friend zone? they can never make it out again. Why would guys try to be the nice guy, the Simon, if all girls want is the new and exciting Jace?

Finally, Katniss and Gale probably come the closest to messing with this stereotype while completely following it at the same time. Katniss and Gale?s relationship began on mutual respect. And, you know what? I?d be totally okay with that growing into love. I think romance should stem from friendship. I think your partner should be your best friend. But it would have been so nice to just see a boy and a girl have a friendship without stupid hormones and feelings getting in the way.

I?m not saying I don?t enjoy romantic relationships in YA. In many books they turn into my favourite part of the book or even the only aspect of the book I actually enjoyed, but I think that?s because too many writers are focusing on that aspect of life. There is more to life than romance, but just try to find a popular YA novel without it.

*exception: one of them is gay, but how often homosexuality is represented in YA is probably a topic for another post and for someone much better read than me

**Also, how awesome is it that a GIRL saves the GUY for once?

*** He thinks of her as pretty, like, once or something at the Yule Ball, but really I can?t think of anything else. Can you?

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Source: http://coffeeandwizards.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/unpopular-opinion-on-friendship-with-boys/

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Owner Financing In Topeka Kansas | Owner Financing, Lease ...

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High court dilemma: Can lie about medal be crime?

(AP) ? Xavier Alvarez was in good company when he stood up at a public meeting and called himself a wounded war veteran who had received the top military award, the Medal of Honor.

Alvarez was lying about his medal, his wounds and his military service, but he wasn't the first man to invent war exploits.

He was, however, one of the first people prosecuted under a 2006 federal law aimed at curbing false claims of military valor.

Concerns that the law improperly limits speech and turns people into criminals for things they say, rather than do, are at the heart of the Supreme Court's review of his case and the Stolen Valor Act.

Veterans groups have come to the aid of the Obama administration, which calls the law a narrowly crafted effort to protect the system of military awards that was established during the Revolutionary war by Gen. George Washington. The high court will hear the case Wednesday, which is Washington's 280th birthday.

"They're committing fraud. They're impersonating somebody else. They take on attributes of somebody else, attributes of a hero who served honorably," said Pam Sterner, whose college term paper calling for the law wound up in the hands of members of Congress. "When you do that, impersonating someone else, that's fraud, not freedom of speech."

Civil liberties groups, writers, publishers and news media outlets, including The Associated Press, have told the justices they worry the law, and especially the administration's defense of it, could lead to more attempts by government to regulate speech.

When he established military decorations in 1782, seven years before he was elected as the nation's first president, Washington himself also prescribed severe military punishment for soldiers who purported to be medal winners but weren't. Since then, many men have embellished their war records, and some have won special recognition.

It long has been a federal crime to wear unearned medals, but mere claims of being decorated were beyond the reach of law enforcement.

The House of Representatives has more than once voted to name a post office after men who claimed awards they never received. The Air Force named an award after a man who falsely claimed to have survived the Bataan Death March and been awarded the Silver Star in World War II. The Boxing Writers of America named its perseverance award after the late Pat Putnam of Sports Illustrated because of his made-up tale of surviving a Chinese prisoner of war camp in the Korean War and receiving a Navy Cross.

The Stolen Valor Act aimed to solve that problem, and garnered significant support in Congress during a time of war.

"The admiration and respect for the military increased dramatically after 9/11 and the false claims, as well," said Thomas A. Cottone Jr., a retired FBI agent who investigated phony award cases.

Alvarez made his claims by way of introducing himself as an elected member of the Three Valleys Municipal Water District in Pomona, Calif. There is nothing to suggest that he received anything in exchange or that listeners especially believed him.

Even Alvarez' lawyers acknowledged their client sometimes has trouble telling the truth. "Xavier Alvarez lied," they declare in the first sentence of their Supreme Court brief and go on to recount six separate lies in the next few lines.

He lied when he claimed he played hockey for the Detroit Red Wings, married a Mexican starlet who made paparazzi swoon, was an engineer, rescued the American ambassador during the Iranian hostage crisis and was shot when he went back for the U.S. flag. Alvarez also lied, they said, when he talked about his military service.

But the lies Alvarez told harmed no one, they said, so what he did couldn't be considered fraud.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco struck down the law as an unconstitutional restraint on free speech and said the government might instead invest in an awards database that would make it harder for people to lay claim to medals they never won. Last month, the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld the law in a separate case, saying the First Amendment does not always protect false statements.

The issue might never have reached this stage if not for the efforts of Sterner, and her husband, Doug.

He is a decorated Vietnam veteran who has made it his work in recent years to ensure that service members get the recognition they deserve and expose those who falsely claim acts of heroism under fire. Rather than wait for the government to act, Doug Sterner has entered nearly 100,000 award citations since Civil War in his online database, including all 3,475 Medal of Honor winners in U.S. history. His archive is used by the Military Times newspapers, published by Gannett Co.

Pam Sterner went back to school in her early 40s at Colorado State University in Pueblo, Colo. In a political science course, she wrote a paper that grew out of her husband's frustrations over phony award claimants whose worst punishment was public embarrassment. That paper eventually led to the Stolen Valor Act.

Doug Sterner's database did not save Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, from some embarrassment when he invited cameras and reporters to watch him pin medals on an elderly Korean War veteran in June.

The veteran, Myron Brown of Utah, said his Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star were awarded belatedly, and he asked Chaffetz to present them to him publicly.

After the ceremony took place, Sterner and others raised questions about the medals and the Pentagon confirmed to Chaffetz in December that they were not authentic.

"Others have been burned by this. I have too, but I want to solve the problem," Chaffetz told the Salt Lake Tribune. He is planning a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee he leads to explore creating a government-run awards database.

___

Online:

Military Times Hall of Valor database: http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-02-19-Supreme%20Court-Stolen%20Valor/id-47c57bc0631042899a8d71b891b456fa

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