Debates 'diminished' Obama, says Romney

RENO, Nev.?Mitt Romney continued to claim momentum in the aftermath of his debates with President Barack Obama, insisting the forums boosted his campaign but "diminished" his Democratic opponent's.

"He's now been reduced to talking about Sesame Street characters and word games and misplaced attacks on me," Romney told a crowd of roughly 2,500 people here.

The GOP nominee said Obama had "four debates"?including the vice presidential debate?to "lay out" a plan for the future but failed to do so.

"You can boil down what he's saying to four simple words: 'more of the same,'" said Romney.

For months, Romney has mocked Obama's campaign slogan ("Forward"), telling audiences it should have been "forewarned" instead. Today he revised that attack, telling the crowd Obama's plan "doesn't feel like forward. It feels like backwards."

As he has in recent weeks, Romney expressed confidence he'll win the election, telling the crowd here he understands how to jumpstart the struggling economy and "that's why I'm going to win."

Yet in a sign of how close the election is, Romney shook up his usual stump speech. He peppered his remarks with examples of voters in their "40s or 50s," women and younger people who he said would benefit under his presidency.

Speaking in a swing district in a swing state, Romney called the upcoming election a "defining" moment for the country.

"I think the choice you make here in Nevada?and perhaps right here in Reno?will make a difference for the nation, will make a difference for the families of the nation and will make a difference for your family," Romney said.

It was a theme he hit repeatedly while urging his audience to consider the impact of their vote.

"This election is about your family and families across this country, and the choice we make will have an enormous impact on your family," Romney said. "I understand what it's going to take to get this country strong again and to provide the answers that your families need. This is an election about two very different pathways for America."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-debates-diminished-obama-193927721--election.html

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Yahoo In Talks To Buy Open Table - Business Insider

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Marissa Mayer, who earned a reputation for decisive action and intensity during her 13-year stint at Google Inc, has spent her first months as Yahoo Inc CEO quietly moving the Internet pioneer back to its roots in technology.

Long torn between whether it should focus on media content or on tools and technologies, Yahoo under Mayer is being positioned firmly in the latter camp, according to sources inside and outside the company.

Her hires, acquisition musings, and other early moves hint at an ambitious, technology-driven comeback plan designed to revitalize aging but well-trafficked properties such as Yahoo Mail, Yahoo Finance and Yahoo Sports.

Yahoo has been criticized for allowing these sites to stagnate - they look very much like they did five years ago, and do not have many bells and whistles to encourage users to spend more time on them.

Mayer, 37, wants to make Yahoo's properties much more interactive, on PCs and on mobile devices, using social media tools to personalize the user experience and new technology to boost advertising sales. Her well-known focus on user design is expected to result in a simpler, less-cluttered email and home page, one source said.

Yahoo declined to comment for this article. Mayer, who gave birth to her first child weeks ago, will unveil details of her comeback plan when Yahoo reports quarterly results on Monday.

Mayer's focus on technology in many ways reverses a course set by her predecessors, who had concentrated on media content deals, such as those that gave prime billing to Walt Disney Co's ABC News or CNBC, or to bring an original program starring actor Tom Hanks to its website.

The new strategy is not without risks: it positions Yahoo squarely against Facebook Inc and Google. It also risks alienating a large, media-focused contingent that is already weakened by the departure of Ross Levinsohn, who had championed a media-centric approach when he was interim CEO before Mayer's arrival in July.

Mayer has been meeting with Internet gurus including AOL Inc CEO Tim Armstrong, another ex-Googler; Silicon Valley lawyer Larry Sonsini; and Wall Street investment bankers, according to people familiar with the matter.

Bankers have pitched Mayer and her team on a slew of potential acquisitions, and they appeared to show interest in restaurant reservation site OpenTable Inc and advertising technology companies PubMatic, Turn and Millennial Media, one of the people said.

Caterva, a small start-up whose technology analyzes social media activity, has also been in low-level talks with Yahoo, said another source familiar with the situation.

OpenTable and PubMatic declined comment. Millennial Media and Caterva did not respond to requests for comment.

With more than $2 billion in cash and short-term securities, Yahoo has the money to acquire engineering talent or bolt-on services. Two types of deals are under consideration: companies that will increase user engagement, including on mobile, and those that will boost advertising returns, source said.

"What they've signaled so far is that the deals will be more niche in nature, smaller deals that maybe have a lot of promise," said Ken Allen, a director at Blackstone Advisory Partners.

TALENT HUNT

Many industry insiders believe Mayer is Yahoo's final hope for reversing a years-long decline from the pinnacle it once attained as the leading gateway to the Internet. Four of her predecessors have tried in vain to right the ship - Yahoo's market value of $19 billion, is less than half its $44 billion value in 2005.

Mayer, who earned a masters degree in computer science from Stanford University specializing in artificial intelligence, has moved quickly on the personnel front, shelling out rich pay packages to attract ex-colleagues from Google and elsewhere.

She brought in ad technology systems guru Henrique de Castro as chief operating officer; a new finance chief in Ken Goldman, who also has tech chops, to replace Tim Morse; and Jacqueline Reese to assume the dual role of hiring and acquisitions, suggesting the start of a train of "acqui-hires" or buying small companies for their engineering talent.

"She's spending almost all her time with the product folks. She's spending it on technology. She's talking about engineering hires," a person close to Yahoo said about Mayer's early days.

Yahoo's advertising technology products, headed for the auction block before Mayer's arrival, are back in favor. De Castro, her highest-profile hire, is known for a deep-understanding of the complex advertising landscape, where dozens of businesses and technology providers are interlinked.

Mayer has also shown an interest in the company's ad tech platform, including Right Media, an automated exchange that allows marketers to blast ads across a network of websites.

The group has been a long-standing source of division among Yahoo's management, including with Levinsohn, who was keen on divesting the unit, according to two sources close to the matter. But shortly after Mayer's arrival, Yahoo told AdAge that it had no intention of selling Right Media.

Yahoo's advertising salesforce, responsible for signing splashy home-page ad deals and premium marketing campaigns, has received scant attention from the new CEO, say people close to the company. Michael Barrett, Yahoo's chief revenue officer hired by Levinsohn shortly before Mayer's arrival, recently announced his resignation, according to a source familiar with the matter.

FOCUS ON MOBILE

Roughly 700 million users visit a Yahoo website every month - putting it in the top ranks globally. But the amount of activity people engage in on many sites is steadily declining, and its smartphone offerings are deemed lackluster.

"The largest change is to be deadly serious about mobile," said a former Yahoo manager who remains in touch with people at the company.

Yahoo faces tough competition from Facebook and Google, two companies that have taken consumers' time, engineering talent and market value from Yahoo. They are also trying to make the transition to mobile, but it has been difficult.

Some say the direction signaled by Mayer is not so different than strategies espoused by previous CEOs that Yahoo has consistently struggled to implement. A fragmented culture in which short-term finances usually trump product plans is to blame, according to those who know the company.

The recent departure of CFO Tim Morse could signal a change in approach, said several former Yahoo employees.

Morse was considered the force behind Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group and Yahoo's $7.6 billion deal over the summer, which saw Yahoo sell about half of its 40 percent stake in Alibaba after years of wrangling over terms.

But now Yahoo's Asian partners, including Yahoo Japan Corp, are not on the front burner for Mayer, one source familiar with the situation said.

Whether Wall Street has the patience for yet another Yahoo revival plan remains to be seen.

"Every CEO needs time to have their full vision articulated and understood," said Dan Rosensweig, a former Yahoo chief operating officer, who now serves as CEO of online textbook rental company Chegg.com. "To count Yahoo out would be an enormous mistake, because the users have not counted Yahoo out," he said. "It's not like MySpace, where all the users went away."

(Reporting By Nadia Damouni in New York and Alexei Oreskovic in San Francisco; Editing by Edwin Chan, Jonathan Weber and Tiffany Wu)

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoo-in-talks-to-buy-open-table-2012-10

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APNewsBreak: Questions for Medicare in outbreak

FILE - In this May 15, 2012 file photo, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks in Bethesda, Md. Medicare, overseen by Sebelius' department, is coming under scrutiny in the meningitis outbreak that has rekindled doubts about the safety of the nation?s drug supply. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

FILE - In this May 15, 2012 file photo, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks in Bethesda, Md. Medicare, overseen by Sebelius' department, is coming under scrutiny in the meningitis outbreak that has rekindled doubts about the safety of the nation?s drug supply. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Medicare is coming under scrutiny in the meningitis outbreak that has rekindled doubts about the safety of the nation's drug supply.

The giant health insurance program for seniors long ago flagged compounded drugs produced for the mass market without oversight from the Food and Drug Administration as safety risks. In 2007, Medicare revoked coverage of compounded inhaler drugs for lung disease.

But Medicare doesn't seem to have consistently used its own legal power to deny payment, and critics say that has enabled the compounding business to flourish.

Now program officials are scrambling to find out how many Medicare beneficiaries are among the more than 270 people sickened in 16 states in a still-growing outbreak that has claimed 21 lives.

The illnesses have been linked to an injectable steroid used to treat back pain, made by the New England Compounding Center, a Massachusetts specialty pharmacy. The medication was contaminated with a fungus.

A senior lawmaker and consumer advocates are raising questions about Medicare's role, including an apparent lack of coordination between Medicare and the FDA, the two most powerful agencies within the federal Health and Human Services Department.

In response, a department spokesman says Congress needs to provide the FDA with stronger powers.

The meningitis outbreak has called attention to the role of compounding pharmacies in supplying medications routinely used by hospitals and doctors to treat patients. Regulated primarily by states, the pharmacies specialize in customizing doses for individual patients who have allergies to ingredients in an FDA-approved drug, or who might need a smaller dosage than what's available commercially. But some pharmacies have pushed into full-scale manufacturing.

Medicare has long been aware of the risks.

"By compounding drugs on a large scale, a company may be operating as a drug manufacturer within the meaning of (federal law), without complying with requirements of that law," Medicare's coverage manual, a reference for contractors that handle payments, says in a section dealing with compounded drugs.

That situation, adds the manual, fails Medicare's basic standard, that treatments must be "reasonable and necessary" in order to be covered. "This means, in the case of drugs, the FDA must approve them for marketing," says the manual.

It goes on to say that billing contractors should wait for instructions from Medicare before cutting off payment in specific cases where the FDA has determined that a company is producing compounded drugs in violation of the law.

"Medicare indicates in its own policy documents that it can cut off payments for compounded drugs produced under manufacturing-like conditions," said Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who over the years has pushed for stronger government oversight of the pharmaceutical industry.

"Medicare should explain whether it uses this step, and if not, why not. Every avenue for explaining how this health crisis occurred and preventing others like it needs exploration," he added.

Joyce Lovelace of Albany, Ky., says she doesn't understand how the outbreak could have happened. Eddie Lovelace, her husband of 55 years, died of a stroke after receiving injections of the steroid implicated in the outbreak as a treatment for pain from an auto accident.

"I'm 100 percent behind not paying ... whether it's Medicare, Blue Cross, or whatever," she said. "Somebody dropped the ball and as a result my husband is gone." Eddie Lovelace, 78, a long-serving judge, was still working at the time of his death and Medicare was not his primary insurance.

Medicare officials are looking into whether the program paid for drugs that have sickened patients.

"If the FDA determines a company is producing compounded drugs in violation of (federal law), Medicare will not reimburse for drugs produced in that facility," said HHS spokesman Tait Sye. "The FDA's regulatory authority over compounding pharmacies is more limited by statute than it is for typical drug manufacturers. We urge Congress to strengthen the FDA's authority."

FDA records show that in 2006 the agency issued a warning letter to the New England Compounding Center for producing anesthetic creams, but officials were unable to say if Medicare was alerted.

In a separate case, Medicare seems to have taken sweeping action on its own without much prodding from the FDA. In 2007, Medicare stopped coverage for compounded inhalation drugs used to treat lung disease.

"Compounded drugs are not considered interchangeable with FDA-approved products," said an information bulletin at the time from Noridian, a major Medicare payment contractor. "The absence of testing for safety and effectiveness has the potential of putting a patient at increased risk of injury, illness or death."

Michael Carome, deputy director of Public Citizen's health research group, says Medicare's policy on compounded drugs seems "internally contradictory."

"They do appear to have a policy for which the default setting is that Medicare does not cover drugs that have not been approved by the FDA," said Carome. "That essentially applies to many, if not all, drugs made by compounding pharmacies."

Medicare's defenders say the agency may be reluctant to act for a number of reasons. Cutting off compounding pharmacies could aggravate drug shortages. Also it could open Medicare to a political counterattack from industry, even charges of rationing.

But Carome, a physician who once served in an HHS regulatory office, says the alternative is that compounding will continue with little federal oversight and recurring outbreaks.

If Medicare had expanded its compounding crackdown beyond just lung disease medications, "that might have prevented the widespread use of these drugs," Carome said. "Without coverage, things don't get used."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-10-19-Meningitis%20Outbreak-Medicare/id-29c7c4ef545a448a96c0a6afa7e2d3f7

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Uganda denies supporting Congo rebels

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Ugandan officials on Wednesday dismissed allegations in a United Nations report that Uganda supports rebels in eastern Congo, saying the claims are intended to undermine efforts by regional leaders to stem violence in the central African country.

Ugandan Foreign Affairs Minister Okello Oryem said the claims were made "in bad faith and intended to cause mischief."

"It's a heap of rubbish," said Oryem, whose ministry received a copy of the U.N. experts' report, which has been leaked. "It's malicious and it's intended to undermine the efforts of Uganda to bring peace to the Democratic Republic of Congo."

James Mugume, the permanent secretary in Uganda's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the report accuses Uganda of actively supporting the M23 rebels in eastern Congo, whose mutiny has caused more than 200,000 villagers in the province of North Kivu to flee their homes.

The allegations come as Uganda is leading a regional effort to resolve Congo's rebel crisis by deploying a peace-enforcement force in eastern Congo. The regional effort, called the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), has recently held a series of meetings in which a "natural international force" of 4,000 troops contributed by regional governments would be sent to police eastern Congo. But the force has not yet been deployed, as it lacks funding and its mandate is not clear.

Oryem said the regional efforts have exposed the unreliability of the U.N. peacekeeping force in the Congo. He said there had been a "lull in the violence" since the ICGLR started meeting over the Congo crisis, even though the well-armed rebels still control a huge part of eastern Congo.

"They want to sabotage our efforts," Oryem said, referring to the U.N. "They have been there and they failed."

The U.N. maintains nearly 20,000 troops in eastern Congo, the largest peacekeeping force in the world.

The M23 rebels ? the latest incarnation of a group of Congolese Tutsi rebels set up to fight Rwandan Hutu rebels in Congo ? launched their rebellion in April after accusing the Congolese government of breaking promises made in a March 2009 peace deal that integrated them into the Congo army. The rebels are allegedly led by Bosco Ntaganda, a renegade general who is wanted for war crimes but whose current whereabouts are not known. The rebels, who now control hills within 30 kilometers (20 miles) of the eastern provincial capital Goma, have set up parallel administrative structures in the territories they control.

Rwanda, which faced allegations of arming the rebels in an earlier report by U.N. experts, has denied the charges.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uganda-denies-supporting-congo-rebels-155356957.html

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Earth-sized planet found just outside solar system

This artist?s impression made available by the European Southern Observatory on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012 shows a planet, right, orbiting the star Alpha Centauri B, center, a member of the triple star system that is the closest to Earth. Alpha Centauri A is at left. The Earth's Sun is visible at upper right. Searching across the galaxy for interesting alien worlds, scientists made a surprising discovery: a planet remarkably similar to Earth in a solar system right next door. Other Earth-like planets have been found before, but this one is far closer than previous discoveries. Unfortunately, the planet is way too hot for life, and it?s still 25 trillion miles away. (AP Photo/ESO, L. Calcada)

This artist?s impression made available by the European Southern Observatory on Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2012 shows a planet, right, orbiting the star Alpha Centauri B, center, a member of the triple star system that is the closest to Earth. Alpha Centauri A is at left. The Earth's Sun is visible at upper right. Searching across the galaxy for interesting alien worlds, scientists made a surprising discovery: a planet remarkably similar to Earth in a solar system right next door. Other Earth-like planets have been found before, but this one is far closer than previous discoveries. Unfortunately, the planet is way too hot for life, and it?s still 25 trillion miles away. (AP Photo/ESO, L. Calcada)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? European astronomers say that just outside our solar system they've found a planet that's the closest you can get to Earth in location and size.

It is the type of planet they've been searching for across the Milky Way galaxy and they found it circling a star right next door ? 25 trillion miles away. But the Earth-like planet is so hot its surface may be like molten lava. Life cannot survive the 2,200 degree heat of the planet, so close to its star that it circles it every few days.

The astronomers who found it say it's likely there are other planets circling the same star, a little farther away where it may be cool enough for water and life. And those planets might fit the not-too-hot, not-too-cold description sometimes call the Goldilocks Zone.

That means that in the star system Alpha Centauri B, a just-right planet could be closer than astronomers had once imagined.

It's so close that from some southern places on Earth, you can see Alpha Centauri B in the night sky without a telescope. But it's still so far that a trip there using current technology would take tens of thousands of years.

But the wow factor of finding such a planet so close has some astronomers already talking about how to speed up a 25 trillion-mile rocket trip there. Scientists have already started pressuring NASA and the European Space Agency to come up with missions to send something out that way to get a look at least.

The research was released online Tuesday in the journal Nature. There has been a European-U.S. competition to find the nearest and most Earthlike exoplanets ? planets outside our solar system. So far scientists have found 842 of them, but think they number in the billions.

While the newly discovered planet circles Alpha Centauri B, it's part of a system of three stars: Alpha Centauri A, B and the slightly more distant Proxima Centauri. Systems with two or more stars are more common than single stars like our sun, astronomers say.

This planet has the smallest mass ? a measurement of weight that doesn't include gravity ? that has been found outside our solar system so far. With a mass of about 1.1 times the size of Earth, it is strikingly similar in size.

Stephane Udry of the Geneva Observatory, who heads the European planet-hunting team, said this means "there's a very good prospect of detecting a planet in the habitable zone that is very close to us."

And one of the European team's main competitors, Geoff Marcy of the University of California Berkeley, gushed even more about the scientific significance.

"This is an historic discovery," he wrote in an email. "There could well be an Earth-size planet in that Goldilocks sweet spot, not too cold and not too hot, making Alpha Centauri a compelling target to search for intelligent life."

Harvard planet-hunter David Charbonneau and others used the same word to describe the discovery: "Wow."

Charbonneau said when it comes to looking for interesting exoplanets "the single most important consideration is the distance from us to the star" and this one is as close as you can get. He said astronomers usually impress the public by talking about how far away things are, but this is not, at least in cosmic terms.

Alpha Centauri was the first place the private Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence program looked in its decade-long hunt for radio signals that signify alien intelligent life. Nothing was found, but that doesn't mean nothing is there, said SETI Institute astronomer Seth Shostak.

The European team spent four years using the European Southern Observatory in Chile to look for planets at Alpha Centauri B and its sister stars Alpha Centauri A and Proxima Centauri. They used a technique that finds other worlds by looking for subtle changes in a star's speed as it races through the galaxy.

Part of the problem is that the star is so close and so bright ? though not as bright as the sun ? that it made it harder to look for planets, said study lead author Xavier Dumusque of the Geneva Observatory.

One astronomer who wasn't part of the research team, wondered in a companion article in Nature if the team had enough evidence to back such an extraordinary claim. But other astronomers said they had no doubt and Udry said the team calculated that there was only a 1-in-1,000 chance that they were wrong about the planet and that something else was causing the signal they saw.

Finding such a planet close by required a significant stroke of good luck, said University of California Santa Cruz astronomer Greg Laughlin.

Dumusque described what it might be like on this odd and still unnamed hot planet. Its closest star is so near that it would always hang huge in the sky. And whichever side of the planet faced the star would be broiling hot, with the other side icy cold.

Because of the mass of the planet, it's likely a rocky surface like Earth, Dumusque said. But the rocks would be "more like lava, like a lava planet."

"If there are any inhabitants there, they're made of asbestos," joked Shostak.

___

Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-10-16-US-SCI-Nearby-Planet/id-cca58548a0484e1e81831b7796a36b70

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?Chinese Warren Buffett? launches his defence with attack on OSC

The fraud trial of Toronto businessman Weizhen Tang was already somewhat unusual, but the proceedings took a bizarre twist Monday when Mr. Tang took the witness stand to launch his defence.

Once sworn in, Mr. Tang attacked securities regulators as destroyers of businesses, proclaimed his many investment successes and explained that he was once questioned by CSIS agents who thought he was spying for the Chinese government. ?They asked me not to tell,? Mr. Tang told the jury with a smile.

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As for the Ontario Securities Commission, Mr. Tang said he is being unfairly persecuted, and then cited the commission?s track record in fraud cases, saying it ?has a hard time to convict [anyone] because they don?t know how.?

Mr. Tang, who calls himself a ?Chinese Warren Buffett,? has been a colourful defendant since being charged with one count of fraud over allegations he misused more than $20-million of investors? cash in his investment fund, the Overseas Chinese Fund. Not only has he denied the allegations, he also ran for mayor of Toronto in 2010 on a platform that consisted largely of attacking the criminal charge and the OSC, which shut his fund in 2009.

Crown prosecutors and the OSC have alleged Mr. Tang falsified documents, ran a Ponzi scheme and did not register his fund with regulators. Several witnesses have testified about their losses and alleged misrepresentations by Mr. Tang.

Mr. Tang, 54, is representing himself and, on Monday, he called himself as his first witness. He addressed the jury in broken English, declining a Mandarin translator he has used for most of the trial. Before taking the stand, he gave each juror a copy of his book: The Chinese Warren Buffett. The King of 1% Weekly Returns.

With the help of a court-appointed legal adviser, Peter Boushy, Mr. Tang spoke about growing up in a small village in China, studying science and moving to Canada in 1988 to earn a postgraduate degree in biology from the University of Waterloo. He eventually got a job as a research assistant at Toronto?s Hospital for Sick Children and became fascinated with the stock market. Soon he was investing money given to him by colleagues at the hospital, trading mutual funds in his spare time from his lab duties. He said he generated a 40-per-cent return in his first year, adding: ?Nobody knows how to make money. ? Everybody comes to me.?

He left Sick Kids in 1996 to start an investment business with $4-million from colleagues. He quickly became well known in the Chinese community in Canada and parts of the United States, giving seminars, writing books and managing money. He won an Ontario volunteer award, served on several volunteer boards and became a ?media sensation.?

He caught the attention of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in 2008 after organizing a large pro-China rally in Ottawa. Agents questioned him for hours about whether he worked for the Chinese government. Mr. Tang denied any government ties and said CSIS never questioned him again.

In early 2009, his fund ran into trouble and some investors panicked, prompting the OSC to close it. The OSC alleges Mr. Tang used money from new investors to cover losses for others. On Monday, he acknowledged using a $1-million investment to cover losses but insisted the money was his own, because it was an investment in his company. He said the allegations and the proceedings have left him so penniless he can?t get a job and the gas to his house has been cut off twice. ?I have no intention, never, to defraud any investor,? he said.

Crown prosecutors will cross-examine Mr. Tang later this week.

More Related to this Story

Source: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/chinese-warren-buffett-launches-his-defence-with-attack-on-osc/article4613960/?cmpid=rss1

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'Peeping Tom' on Japan flight avoids charges: reports

AFP - A "peeping Tom" who used a pen-shaped camera to take an upskirt shot of a cabin attendant during a domestic flight in Japan has avoided charges after prosecutors failed to decide which prefecture the plane was flying over at the time, reports said.

The 34-year-old man extended his hand with the micro-camera while seated and took the picture of the flight attendant, the Asahi daily said on its website on Sunday.

He was arrested by police and admitted what he had done, saying he was "aroused by uniforms," the report added.

The man was on a Japan Airlines flight from Takamatsu in the southwest of the country to Tokyo last month, according to an earlier report by Kyodo News.

The police tentatively determined the photo was taken over the western prefecture of Hyogo based on witness accounts and their analysis of flight data, it said.

But prosecutors judged they were unable to rule out the photo may have taken when the plane was over neighbouring prefectures, Kyodo added.

"Peeping Tom" offences typically fall under prefecture-level law to prevent public nuisances and their applications require prosecutors to state exact locations of the crime.

Source: http://www.france24.com/en/20121015-peeping-tom-japan-flight-avoids-charges-reports

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Mauritanian president lightly wounded by soldiers

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania (AP) ? Mauritania's Minister of Communication says President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz has been lightly wounded by friendly fire after his vehicle was fired upon by the military on the outskirts of the capital, Nouakchott.

Hamdi Ould Mahjoub said that Aziz was shot in the arm when the military unit opened fire on his convoy. The president was returning from a trip to the desert and the incident occurred 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the capital.

Mahjoun said the president's life was not in danger. He is being treated at the military hospital in Nouakchott.

It's unclear why the military opened fire on the presidential motorcade Saturday, but reports in local media indicated the military unit had not been told of the president's trip.

Mauritania has been destabilized by an al-Qaida affiliate, which has launched attacks in Mauritania from neighboring Mali.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mauritanian-president-lightly-wounded-soldiers-232235424.html

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V-Moda's M-100 audiophile headphones get ready for mass production, we go ears-on

V-Moda's been seriously edging for the audiophile crowd lately -- namely with its Crossfade M-80 on-ear headphones, the VAMP headphone amp for the iPhone 4/4S, and a soon-to-be disclosed followup dubbed as Vamp Versa. That brings us to its soon-to-be released M-100 headphones, which haven't really been a secret since their inception, making them a special set. Unlike many companies who strive for secrecy in regards to upcoming products, V-Moda's taken a drastically different approach with its latest cans, with owner Val Kolton stating that they're effectively the first crowd-sourced set of headphones.

Many headphone lovers out there likely know that Kolton's been heavily in contact with the Head-Fi community, hoping to craft the best sounding, looking and fitting ear-gear possible. As he puts it, "the easter egg and inside joke is that the [M-100 headphones] can actually stand up. It is the first headphone that we know of that 'stands above the rest' and all others fall down/crawl. It also can stand on top of a few other new brand's models almost like Cirque De Soleil." It may be hard to tell based on the fashion-focused looks, but the company is adamant that its audio gear goes through more stringent research and testing than some of the biggest names out there, and that it'll show in the end products. Most notably, its TrueHertz testing where, for the M-100, "six points from 5hZ to 12kHz are measured to be within [its] obsessive quality control levels." According to Kolton, most companies only check at 1Khz, and allow for much wider variances. He followed up stating that "like fine wine, a headphone is only as good as its fit (taste buds) and its driver variances (grapes/cork). To us, all brands advertising 'HD' sound [aren't being forthright] unless they believe or even know these key components are "'fugazi.'"

Gallery: V-Moda M-100 (hands-on)

For perspective, the M-100 is essentially the third iteration of the Crossfade LP over-ear headphones. Aside from a few tweaks to the design, it's packing an audiophile-focused tuning (rather than DJ) that's based on blending the voicings of its M-80 on-ears and the LP2 over-ears. It wouldn't be unfair to say the company is aiming for a flat, yet fun sound -- all in a package that's fit to take to the streets like its earlier offerings. Those familiar may know that just under 150 of the first 200 production-quality models are currently floating around as early stock and test units for a final bit of real-world feedback before mass-production begins -- and this editor's been lucky enough to get his mitts on a set for some initial impressions. So, is the product shaping up to match all the hype? Click on past the break our take.

Continue reading V-Moda's M-100 audiophile headphones get ready for mass production, we go ears-on

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Miguel Smokes Out 'Letterman': Watch Him Perform ?Adorn? | Music ...

Fresh off the news that he?d be touring with Trey Songz later this year, Miguel stopped by the Late Show with David Letterman to perform his endlessly smooth, endlessly remixed hit ?Adorn? from his critically acclaimed LP Kaleidoscope Dream. It?s tough to stand out in the daily blitz of TV performances, but Miguel managed to do just that.

Miguel started off in black-and-white, back-lit and blanketed in fog, making him barely visible to the viewers at home ? a counterintuitive choice for an emerging act trying to be recognized. But it all pays off, and when the smokey cloud dissipates, his neo-Marivn Gaye jam picks up steam and the cameras blast back to color. Miguel was backed by a full band, and the guitar player was engaged in some legitimate shredding by the end.

What did you think of the foggy Wizard of Oz-inspired performance? Tell us on Facebook, Twitter or in the comments below.

Source: http://idolator.com/7110181/miguel-adorn-letterman-video

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Ibanez 9th-inning HR leaves Yanks, O's tied 2-all

New York Yankees' Raul Ibanez hits a home run during the ninth inning of Game 3 of the Yankees' American League division baseball series against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

New York Yankees' Raul Ibanez hits a home run during the ninth inning of Game 3 of the Yankees' American League division baseball series against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

New York Yankees' Raul Ibanez hits a solo home run to tie the game in the ninth inning in Game 3 of the American League division baseball series against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in New York. The Orioles catcher is Matt Wieters and the umpire is Brian Gorman. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

New York Yankees' Raul Ibanez follows through on a home run as Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters watches during the ninth inning of Game 3 of the American League division baseball series Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Baltimore Orioles' Manny Machado runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees in Game 3 of the American League division baseball series, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

Baltimore Orioles' Ryan Flaherty runs the bases after hitting a home run during the third inning of Game 3 of the Orioles' American League division baseball series against the New York Yankees, Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Raul Ibanez homered as a pinch hitter for Alex Rodriguez in the ninth inning, and the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles were tied 2-all going to the 11th Wednesday night in Game 3 of their AL division series.

With the best-of-five series tied at 1, Baltimore and reliever Jim Johnson were two outs from taking control. But with Rodriguez 1 for 12 with no RBIs and seven strikeouts, Yankees manager Joe Girardi sent up Ibanez, who lined a 94 mph pitch into the right-field seats.

It was the first time Rodriguez had ever been pinch-hit for in a postseason game, according to STATS LLC.

Orioles rookie Miguel Gonzalez had allowed one run and five hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and a walk. Ryan Flaherty and Manny Machado, the bottom two hitters in Baltimore's batting order, hit solo home runs off Hiroki Kuroda.

Coming in, the Orioles were 76-0 this year when leading after seven innings. They had also won 16 extra-inning games.

Flaherty homered with one out in the third and the 20-year-old Machado connected leading off the fifth, becoming the second-youngest player to homer in a postseason game. In between, Derek Jeter tied the score with an RBI triple in the third, a drive just past a bubble-blowing center fielder Adam Jones. Jeter, limping because of a sore ankle, came out after eight innings.

Jayson Nixon, who replaced Jeter, flied out to the left-field warning track against Brian Matusz in the 11th.

Taken by the Orioles from the Chicago Cubs in December's winter meetings draft of unprotected players, Flaherty connected on an 82 mph slider from Kuroda for Baltimore's first postseason home run since 1997. It was just the second at-bat of the series for Flaherty, who platoons with Robert Andino at second base.

Machado's home run, also off a slider, landed in Baltimore's bullpen in left-center. Atlanta's Andruw Jones, who was 19 years, 180 days when he homered in 1996, is the only player younger than Machado (20 years, 96 days) with a postseason home run.

Jeter tied the score with a drive deep to right-center. Adam Jones, a blowing a big, pink bubble as he tried to track it down, didn't anticipate it tailing to right as much as it did. The ball dropped just beyond the All-Star's outstretched glove as he crashed into the wall.

Gonzalez, a 28-year-old rookie released by Boston in December, started the season in the minor leagues and made his first major league start on July 6. He went 9-4 with a 3.25 ERA.

Kuroda, making his first postseason start in three years, gave up five hits in the first six innings, walked none and struck out two and hit two batters. The 37-year-old veteran of 11 seasons in Japan, is completing his fifth year in the big leagues and first with the Yankees. He was 16-11 with a 3.32 ERA and won his final two regular-season starts after struggling for much of the second half.

In Game 4 on Thursday night, Phil Hughes (16-13) starts for the Yankees. The Orioles had not decided between lefty Joe Saunders (9-13) or righty Chris Tillman (9-3).

Nate McLouth led off the game with a single to right but J.J. Hardy flied out and McLouth was caught stealing at second by Martin. McLouth reached the base in time but Jeter slapped him on the back of his left leg, pushing McLouth off the base. Orioles manager Buck Showalter argued unsuccessfully with second base umpire Mike Everitt.

Nick Swisher, who had been 0 for 6 with five strikeouts against Gonzalez, singled up the middle with one out in the second to become New York's first baserunner. Mark Teixeira, who had been 4 for 8 in the opening two games, bounced into a 3-6-3 double play.

Russell Martin hit a one-hop double off the left-field wall leading off the bottom of third. Martin advanced when Eric Chavez grounded sharply to first as Mark Reynolds made a diving stop. After Jeter's first triple since August 2011, Ichiro Suzuki flied out to center.

Baltimore loaded the bases in the fourth when Chris Davis walked leading off, Jones singled and Reynolds was hit by a pitch on the left forearm with two outs, but Flaherty hit a comebacker.

NOTES: Injured Yankees closer Mariano Rivera threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-10-10-BBA-ALDS-Orioles-Yankees/id-c62e1f9157154435830f22c87d01f082

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ASTD Job Bank: Human Resources jobs, Organizational ...

Overview

At Rayonier, we?re creating ?value from the ground up? every day, starting with our people. People are the foundation for success and the key to making us the best performing company in the forest products industry. We are proud of our long history of success, our diverse mix of businesses and our values-based work environment, and invite you to consider a career with Rayonier.

Description

This position has enterprise-wide responsibility for the organizational learning and development function to support and drive talent and business strategies. Scope includes leadership development, operator and technical skills training in manufacturing and organizational development.

Key Responsibilities

? Develops and executes a leadership development strategy and plan aligned with the company?s talent management strategy to develop future leaders and top talent of the organization. ? In close alignment with business leaders, oversees and manages the Employee Excellence training strategy and roadmap in manufacturing. Defines standards and drives consistency. ? Provides organizational development consultation, guidance and best practices to senior leaders and HR business partners. Designs and facilitates OD interventions and initiatives. ? Owns and negotiates a comprehensive organizational development plan for the enterprise with defined business objectives, approved measures and an annual budget.

Source: http://jobs.astd.org/jobs/4946754/manager-organizational-development

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ACA Nominations Are Announced! Who Scored the Most?

What cheating scandal? Jason Aldean seems to have shaken off the bad press that has followed him after he was caught cheating on his wife with former American Idol contestant Brittany Kerr by coming out the leader of the American Country Awards nominees.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/american-country-awards-nominations-jason-aldean-leads/1-a-493166?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aamerican-country-awards-nominations-jason-aldean-leads-493166

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Is omitting Jozy really that shocking?

The shock registered throughout our domestic soccer community over l?affair Altidore is, well, almost a little shocking.

Jozy Altidore?s omission from Monday?s national team announcement was certainly a surprise. Paired with Eddie Johnson?s restoration of national team grace, all this is certainly a curveball that deserves discussion, if only because it smacks of sending mixed messages. But it?s not that exactly staggering, now is it?

First, I?ve said on more than one occasion (having ?borrowed? the line from friend and fellow soccer journo Brian Straus), ?I am done trying to predict Jurgen Klinsmann.?

And I mean it. Klinsmann has always marched to his own quirky drumbeat, going back to his playing days. We always knew this about the guy; his penchant for less conventional thinking is among the reasons everyone wanted him in this position all along, and it played no small part in U.S. Soccer?s enduring pursuit. It?s part of the Klinsi charm, right?

So, using that as a starting point, shouldn?t any thunderbolts coming out of his Home Depot Center office strike with just a little less bang?

I certainly expected to see Altidore?s name on the roster. He?s Dutch league?s leading scorer, after all. The Eredivisie isn?t exactly La Liga, but top tier Dutch soccer would land solidly in the middle of any European league ordering.

So, yes, Monday?s news registered as an ?eye-opener.?

But all this? Reading comments across the answer web, some fans seemed utterly incredulous. A few media outlets used the words like ?shocker? and wondered about Klinsmann?s motives.

And the word ?snub? popped up with frequency, which seems to imply something personal. Frankly, I don?t get that at all. Coaches select squads and lineups based on a sliding scale of ability, experience, locker room chemistry, roster balance and positional cover. That?s about it. If they get it wrong, they get fired ? so they work hard to get it right.

This is no more a ?snub? in the conventional vernacular than Sacha Kljestan?s lack of call-ups in 2012 (before Monday, of course.) Klinsmann just reckons he?s got better people for a particular job.

There were little hints along the way; Klinsmann always sounded less than impressed last summer with Altidore?s fitness and commitment. He may not have said so overtly, but listening to Klinsmann talk up guys like Herculez Gomez and Terrance Boyd did serve to raise some antennae.

The boys from ESPN Press Pass weren?t shocked over Monday?s big talker; Steve Nicol and Shaka Hislop called it a little surprising and hoped that it would spur something more from Altidore.

If we removed the name and just examined the numbers, this wouldn?t even register much above ?mildly surprising.?? Altidore has no goals and one assist in six appearances this year. We would all look at that, mutter something about ?he has to do better,? and then go make a sandwich.

It?s that form in the Netherlands and the lack of selection criteria consistency that does make this one harder to swallow; that much is clear. On the other hand, coaches do this occasionally, hoping a kick up the old backside will unlock better focus, more effort in training, closer attention to game-day details or whatever. (Not saying Altidore is necessarily deficient in any of those areas, just speaking generally here.)

After all, this could quickly blow over. Altidore could get back into the squad, and the guy could be scoring goals regularly in final round World Cup qualifying ? assuming things don?t go horribly sideways over the next eight days.

?The decision is just for these two games,? Klinsmann said. ?The door is always open.?

?

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/09/reactions-and-overreactions-to-laffair-altidore-why-jurgen-klinsmanns-choice-isnt-that-shocking/related/

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Linen and Lace Baby Shower | Sweet Rose Studio

Last year at this same time, my best friend since third grade was getting married. I was so excited for her big day that I even dedicated an entire week to sharing wedding goodness here on the blog. My husband and I hosted a brunch at our house the day after the wedding at our home and I remember telling my the bride?s mom about how I stayed up the whole night planning her baby shower. Today, I feel so blessed that I am able to share the Linen and Lace Baby Shower that we put together to celebrate her sweet girl.

Keep reading to get all of the pretty details!

Let me start by reminding you all how much I love this girl.

We?ve been through everything together. We?ve been going to each other?s birthday parties all the way back to elementary school. We cheered together in high school and were room mates our solo year away at college; we figured out quickly that we both were very much homebodies. She stood next to me as I married the man of my dreams and was present as the photographer at the birth of both of my babies.

There was absolutely no question in my mind that we were going to make this celebration special for her. No question.

Before the baby shower started, I made sure to sneak in some pictures of the parents-to-be. I love their anticipation and sheer excitement of meeting their baby girl; there?s nothing like expecting your first child.

It was also important to me to get some pictures of the three generations while Miss Stella was still in her Momma?s tummy. Gail, Andrea?s mom, has been so close to me and I?m equally as thrilled for her that she?s finally getting to be a grandma.

Now on to the party! The guest list was ?healthy? ?to say the least (about 45 people came), so we didn?t plan for games that you had to sit for. A baby shower doesn?t seem complete, however, without the measuring of the Momma-to-be?s belly. We had the ribbon, scissors, and directions at each table so the guests could complete this at their leisure.

Also on each table were centerpieces of wildflowers placed in mason jars. The mason jars were then wrapped with lacy paper doilies and colored baker?s twine to give it a little something special.

Another aspect of the shower that I knew would be non-negotiable was the headband {?Pretties?} making station. I created a print that clearly laid out the directions and sizing needed and placed it inside a sweet distressed frame.

An entire table was dedicated to the headband creation. It was well stocked with silk flowers, rolled fabric rosettes, pre-made bows, lots of elastic, and oodles of pretty embellishments.

We had a blast stocking up Stella?s Pretties collection!

One of our other dear friends stumbled across this idea?and we knew we had to incorporate it into Andrea?s big day. I created our version to coordinate with the other printables I designed for the party.

We added some twine and lace covered clothespins to an open wall for guests to hang their completed cards. I?ll be putting them together as a book once I can get them back from Andrea.

Because the baby shower was held in the morning, we served an array of yummy breakfast foods, salads, and fruit.

My friend Traci runs her own bake pop business {Treats; if you?re in AZ, check her out!} and she made the most delicious cake pops that were served as thank you gifts to the guests on their way out the door.

Remember the Love Story Pallet Art I put together for them? It made for the perfect addition to the shower.

If you?ve enjoyed the Linen and Lace Baby Shower, stop back by tomorrow to get the printables!

Linking Here:

Tatertots & Jello?*?Lil? Luna

Whipperberry?*?I Heart Naptime

Pin It

Source: http://sweetrosestudio.com/2012/10/linen-and-lace-baby-shower.html

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make extra money online: Internet Marketing For Smart People ...

Internet Marketing For Smart People: Learn Internet Marketing Methods That Will Help You Make Extra Money Online

List Price: $4.99

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List Price: $4.99

Your Price: ?

A thorough manual that you need to start your own internet business or to increase your business? profits.

You?re going to learn:

* How I tapped into 17 PRIMAL human desires ? that almost immediately tripled my conversions ? after making a few simple changes to my websites I noticed a 255% increase in conversions (?and I started consistently making $3 PER CLICK)?

* 2 advanced (but easy to learn) characteristics of the world?s greatest entrepreneurs

* The ONLY way to instantly build up trust, rapport, and authority ? this will work in any niche (?and will NEVER become outdated)?

* The simple 4-step-writing-system ? that turns ?cold? prospects into life-long customers, eager to give you more money?

* My brain-dead simple method ? for increasing click throughs by 100% or more (?this will only take you about 5 minutes of ?work? to update!)?

* The dirty secret about most products on the market ? learn how to instantly identify a ?winner? that will help you get double-digit conversion rates (?one product I was promoting recently was converting at over 11%!)

* An easy way to increase the value of a customer by 5X (or more)?

* The ONE real business metric you should be tracking ? if you want to know whether you?re on the right track or you?re headed for a head-on collision with bankruptcy.

* Why striving to build the perfect internet marketing business is a complete and utter waste of time ? (?and what to do instead)?

* How to create a business that works for you ? making you money while you sleep (and if done correctly will help you create something you can pass on to your grandchildren)?

* The ?Lady Gaga School Of Business? ? learn the secrets of how she made over $100,000,000 last year?

* The exact tools I use ? to cut my work-load by 80% ? allowing me the free time to work on other areas of my business (?or simply relax with my family)?

* The simple way to get Google to love your site and leave your competition scratching their head in shock (?NOTE: this has nothing to do with getting more backlinks)

* The 1 mistake (that took me 2 years to finally figure out) ? that will KILL your internet marketing business dead in it?s tracks?

* How I can take a week off (or more) at a time ? and still get more done than 98% of other business owners?

* Why getting more done has nothing to do with what you do while you?re in ?work mode? ? the key to making this work is NOT to work harder or longer?

* What I learned from my ?hippie? college roommate ? that helped me simultaneously achieve a 3.9 GPA, start a successful offline manufacturing company, and build my online business (?all while having more free time than I ever thought possible)

* ?and a lot, lot more!

Your Price: ?

Source: http://emailmarketing.earn-cash-make-money.net/2012/10/08/make-extra-money-online-internet-marketing-for-smart-people-learn-internet-marketing-methods-that-will-help-you-make-extra-money-online/

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A new kind of killer

I was inspired to create a killer character, in the vein of Jeepers Creepers, Slenderman.

Im calling him The Havestman, nothing to do with havesting though, named after what are commonly known as Daddy long legs, which I didnt realize, are not actually Spiders....?

Anyhoo, once I create it, anyone interested can feel free to use.

He was created by God, the second angel, to serve as a friend to the fist angel Lucifer. Evolved along with mankind, becoming a myth or legend. Wears the decomposed skin of man, which he must dig out of graves every two weeks to a month. No features, he grows eyes, nose, mouth, only when he needs to, they form like shrivled sockets. Created from the bones of an angel of prophecy, the blood of a demon of wrath, the skin of God, and the viscera of a Nephilim. Etc etc.

Oh and he has 6 arms

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/QCOiOBimaJk/viewtopic.php

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Report: Some dietary supplements illegally labeled

This undated photo released by the Office of Inspector General of Department of Health and Human Services shows a label from a dietary supplement. Federal watchdogs say many dietary supplements marketed to help consumers lose weight or boost their immune systems are illegally labeled and rely on shoddy evidence to support their health claims, according to a new report on government oversight of the $20 billion supplement industry. (AP Photo/Office of Inspector General of Department of Health and Human Services)

This undated photo released by the Office of Inspector General of Department of Health and Human Services shows a label from a dietary supplement. Federal watchdogs say many dietary supplements marketed to help consumers lose weight or boost their immune systems are illegally labeled and rely on shoddy evidence to support their health claims, according to a new report on government oversight of the $20 billion supplement industry. (AP Photo/Office of Inspector General of Department of Health and Human Services)

This undated photo released by the Office of Inspector General of Department of Health and Human Services shows a label from a dietary supplement. Federal watchdogs say many dietary supplements marketed to help consumers lose weight or boost their immune systems are illegally labeled and rely on shoddy evidence to support their health claims, according to a new report on government oversight of the $20 billion supplement industry. (AP Photo/Office of Inspector General of Department of Health and Human Services)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Dozens of weight loss and immune system supplements on the market are illegally labeled and lack the recommended type of scientific evidence to back up their health claims, government investigators warn in a new review of the $20 billion supplement industry.

The report, released Wednesday by the Department of Health and Human Services' inspector general, found that 20 percent of the 127 weight loss and immune-boosting supplements investigators purchased online and in retail stores across the country carried labels that made illegal claims to cure or treat disease.

In addition, many of those and other supplements lacked the scientific studies recommended to support their suggested uses.

Some products went so far as to state that the supplements could cure or prevent diabetes or cancer, or that they could help people with HIV or AIDS, which is strictly prohibited under federal law.

Consumers may not just be wasting their money on pills or tablets, but they could be endangering their health if they take a supplement in place of a drug thinking it will have the same effect, the report concluded.

"Consumers rely on a supplement's claims to determine whether the product will provide a desired effect, such as weight loss or immune support," the report said. "Supplements that make disease claims could mislead consumers into using them as replacements for prescription drugs or other treatments for medical conditions, with potentially dangerous results."

The market for dietary supplements ? which can include anything from vitamin C tablets to capsules of echinacea ? is a huge one with hundreds of products. The inspector general's investigation focused on one segment that officials said is booming.

Federal law doesn't require supplements to go through rigorous testing to prove they are safe or even that they work. The Food and Drug Administration can act only after consumers get sick or a safety issue comes to light.

The Office of Inspector General found that in numerous cases, when companies did submit evidence to back up their health claims, it fell far short of government recommendations.

One company submitted a 30-year-old handwritten college term paper to substantiate its claim, while others included news releases, advertisements and links to Wikipedia or an online dictionary, according to the report.

Overall, the review raises questions about whether the system is allowing companies to mislead consumers, investigators said, and recommended that FDA ramp up its oversight. The report did not name individual brands or products, and also did not estimate the total number of dietary supplements on the market.

In response, the FDA said in written comments it would consider asking Congress for more oversight powers to review supplement companies' evidence proving their products' purported health benefits. The agency agreed that it should expand surveillance of the market to detect spurious claims that supplements can cure or treat specific diseases.

The FDA recognizes the importance of the concerns raised about industry compliance and will address the recommendations as its resources and priorities allow, FDA spokeswoman Tamara Ward said in a statement Wednesday.

Investigators also found that 7 percent of the weight loss and immune support supplements they surveyed lacked the required disclaimer stating that FDA had not reviewed whether the statement on the label was truthful.

Executives from the supplement industry said the report highlighted a handful of bad actors.

"This small sample of supplements shouldn't smear the entire industry," John Shaw, executive director of the Natural Products Association, said in a statement. "Nevertheless, this report puts supplement makers on further notice about their responsibilities under the law."

Ashish Talati, a Chicago-based attorney whose firm represents about 350 dietary supplement and food companies from across the globe, said the industry is well regulated and it made sense for manufacturers to share the scientific evidence behind their claims with the FDA.

"Supplements are very, very safe compared to other products," he said. "Yes, there are companies that cross the line and make specific claims, but that is the enforcement area that FDA focuses on where there is a public health issue."

___

Online:

Inspector general's report: http://1.usa.gov/O5ZJHT

FDA advice and recent warning letters: http://1.usa.gov/O55vJT

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-10-03-Nutritional%20Supplements-Safety/id-ea13270c5fc6433ba195b4d5e4744f8f

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Expected Home Price Increase 2012 & Beyond ? CT Green Real ...

Each quarter, Pulsenomics surveys a ??distinguished panel of over 100 economists, investment strategists, and housing market analysts regarding their 4-year expectations for future home prices in the United States.? ??Here are the latest survey results.

Price appreciation/depreciation expected over the next four years:

• 2012: 2.31%

• 2013: 2.44%

• 2014: 3.25%

• 2015: 3.43%

Fiserv also released a report projecting home prices to appreciate at an average of 3.7% annually over the next five years.

The average pre-bubble (1987-1999) annual appreciation was 3.6%

source: ?The KCM Blog

?If you want more information check out your local Housing Data and get a Market Analysis for your home.

?

wendy@ctgreenrealestate.com ? ? 203.767.3444 ? ? Let?s stay in touch. ??Facebook? ? ??Twitter? ? ? ??LinkedIn

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Categories: Buying, Market Statistics, Market Statistics, Owning | Permalink.

Source: http://ctgreenrealestate.wordpress.com/2012/10/01/predicted-home-price-increase-2012-beyond/

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One Connect programme launched in Marine Parade Cluster

SINGAPORE - Private estate residents in the Marine Parade cluster, which includes Marine Parade GRC, Mountbatten SMC and Potong Pasir SMC, will now have a one-stop hotline to help deal with municipal issues such as drainage and cleanliness.

The programme, called 'One Connect, was launched in the cluster this morning by Acting Minister Tan Chuan-Jin. He was joined by grassroots advisors for the area Mr Seah Kian Peng, Mr Lim Biow Chuan and Ms Tin Pei Ling at the event.

The programme will provide residents with a hotline which will help connect them to the relevant Government agencies, an issue which many residents in the area had difficulty with before this service, according to Mr Willie Ho who will head the task force.

The 'One Connect' programme was first rolled out to Ang Mo Kio GRC, Sengkang West SMC and Moulmein-Kallang GRC in July this year.

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC120930-0000026/One-Connect-programme-launched-in-Marine-Parade-Cluster

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