Notebook
October 23rd, 2008 by matthew99201

When you think of tequila, you probably think of a margarita. The margarita is one of the most popular tequila drinks around today. And it

October 23rd, 2008 by matthew99201

The foundation - and a flimsy one it may turn out to be - of the proposition to raise the legal age limit of the NBA to 21 is that both the league and the colleges will be best served by the restriction.

The colleges will benefit because the great players that would otherwise be pros will be plying their talents for their dear old schools for an additional year, raising the level of the college game. And the NBA will benefit because rookies coming in will be armed with the requisite skills and savoir-faire to better represent themselves and, by extension, the NBA’s product.

These seem to be sound arguments, on both sides. The only thing they ignore is the voice of the one in the middle - the athlete himself.

Let’s say you are a 20-year-old college basketball player, and gifted. You’re six-eight or six-nine, you can run like a horse and fly like a bird, and you’re busting at the seams to test your mettle in the crucible of the NBA.

But the powers-that-be say you need to wait another year - for your own good, of course. Even though you’re old enough to be sent overseas to fight and possibly to die, you’re not quite mature enough for the rigors of professional basketball.

Another year of school is what you need, they agree - another year of seasoning and sophistication. Never mind that you have yet to see the inside of a classroom - that the only two buildings on campus you’ve visited are the field house and the cafeteria.

Your university is all for you staying - at least your coach and the fans are - but you can’t see how hanging around for another year is going to make you any smarter. And for the life of you, you can’t see how one more year at State U will satisfy the people who are always shouting about the importance of higher education.

No, you’re no scholar, but you can’t help but get the idea that you’re being used.

You see that your college is getting your services for another year when you could be offering them on the open market. And you figure out that the NBA is keeping its future labor down on the farm, cultivating it at the college’s expense. But since the college is raking in millions in revenue from its basketball program…

The age-limit restriction is patently unfair to the athletes, and maybe even an illegal violation of their right to earn a living.

I’m a writer living near Nashville, and maybe the only one within a 50-mile radius who’s never written a song. Writing fiction is my preference, but journalism provides my daily bread. I’m from the Clark Kent school of journalism — I never carry a pad to take notes, but rely on my super-memory. Actually, in my stories I make up quotes, making people sound more interesting and well-spoken than they are, so they never object. You know how Truman Capote (”In Cold Blood”) gave birth to the “non-fiction novel?” I’m working on popularizing the “fictional news” story.


Variety
Casting Couch: Bardem Gets Biutiful
E! Online - 7 hours ago
The Oscar-winning actor is joining forces with acclaimed Mexican helmer Alejandro González Iñárritu for a Spanish-language drama.
Javier Bardem is Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu

October 23rd, 2008 by matthew99201

The US Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act 2002 (the Bioterrorism Act) requires domestic and foreign facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for human or animal consumption in the United States to receive a FDA registration number by December 12, 2003. This act also requires that the FDA receives a prior notice of food imported into the United States so that fda certification is not refused. A fda prior notice is an advance notification to the FDA that food is being imported into the US. The prior notice includes information usually provided by foreign companies to the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) when they send food to the US. FDA will now use this data in advance of the arrival of the food product to assess and evaluate the information and decide whether to inspect the imported food.

Companies often use a Certificate of FDA Registration that lists their FDA registration number as proof that the facility has complied with this rule by registering with FDA. There are instances when some companies and their products can be refused under the prior notice ACT. If a foreign manufacturer who is not registered with FDA sells an article of food, imports or offers to import it, then the item of food can be refused under section 801 of the ACT of prior notice. Similarly, if registration is required and and the correct registration number of the foreign manufacturer is not submitted then the facility is considered incomplete for the purposes of prior notice.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act generally requires that drugs marketed in the United States be shown to be both safe and effective prior to marketing and widespread use in the general population. Drugs that are marketed without required FDA approval may not meet modern standards for safety, effectiveness, quality, and labeling.

Similarly, The FDA Federal Register generally requires that drugs marketed in the United States should be both effective and safe prior to coming in the market use in the general population. Drugs that are marketed without required FDA registration and approval may not meet modern standards for safety, effectiveness, quality, and labeling. Some older products may be in the market, that do not have FDA approval and since many health care providers are unaware of this status they have continued to prescribe them nonetheless. For this purpose, FDA has issued a guidance entitled

October 23rd, 2008 by matthew99201

One of the favorite activities of bird lovers and just folks who want to put a little bit of nature back into their yards is to put out bird feeders and bird baths in order to attract the local bird population. There are few things that match the simple pleasure of listening to the birds singing in your yard and watching their interaction as they take their turn around the feeders.

The type of feeder that one selects will often make a simple statement about the owner and the ambience they are trying to create in their yard. One can choose to go with a simple rustic design for a feeder, or something quite ornate and stately like a replica of a Victorian mansion.

But for many a simple statue or likeness of St. Francis is the perfect choice. The story of St. Francis and the local wildlife of his times are many. The source of this was the fact that Francis and his followers took a vow of total poverty and often lived in the wild.

One of the most famous was of a wild wolf that was causing a lot of problems for a local village, threatening not only the livestock but the citizens of the village itself. St Francis spoke to the wolf and made a pact with it such that the local villagers began to feed it and it was essentially domesticated and was no longer a threat.

Another equally popular one and probably the source of his association with bird feeding is a time when he was traveling with his followers, and stopped to preach to the birds that had gathered about the goodness of the Lord and how he provides for each of us just as he cares for for the birds of the field (echoing the passage from St. Matthew). The birds stayed and listened to him, and the story followed from there, and today he is considered the patron saint of animals and the environment.

It’s these images that account for the popularity of St. Francis bird feeders. You can find them in many styles, from simple statues with birds perched on his shoulders, holding a basket as a feeder. Others feature a larger bowl at his feet for a feeder. Another style is a plaque with a dish extending out from the plaque as the feeder. There are also some that combine a bird bath with a feeder.

If you enjoy these images of St Francis bird feeders you can find a selection of birding items including those and many other decorative feeders at http://www.birdfeederz.com/Decorative-Bird-Feeders.html


Citizen
Study: Leukemia Drug May Reverse Effects of Multiple Sclerosis
FOXNews - 9 hours ago
For the first time, a drug has been shown to reduce the disability caused by multiple sclerosis. And a study shows that, if the drug is given early enough in the progression of the disease, it may be able to reverse the symptoms all together.
Guarded Optimism for Experimental MS Drug WebMD
British Researchers Make Major Multiple Sclerosis Breakthrough Voice of America
InjuryBoard.com - ABC7Chicago.com - BBC News - MarketWatch
all 276 news articles

October 23rd, 2008 by matthew99201

Mats, balls, rings, straps … if you are interested in starting Pilates, you may become overwhelmed by the equipment available to you. Or if you need to replace several pieces of equipment, you might not want to find them separately at individual prices. Instead, consider the Pilates kit! A complete kit is a great way to start your experience or to round off the equipment you need to replace. And if you are ready to advance your routine, there’s a kit out there just for you.

A starter kit will come with equipment for the most basic and standard of Pilates routines. As your routine will be dedicated to improving flexibility and strength, your equipment should be both supportive as well as add resistance to certain stretches and poses. A basic kit will include a non-slip, thick foam mat. (Note: yoga mats vary from Pilates mats in thickness). Standard mats are usually 72″ to 86″ in length and 21″ to 39″ in width and are perfect for most average sizes.

A starter kit will also come with an exercise ball. These non-slip items provide resistance between body parts or between the body and floor or wall. Practitioners use them between their legs and/or arms to strengthen muscle tone or balance themselves on them in various positions in order to increase balance and spinal alignment. With a ball in your kit, you’ll be ensured the most basic routine requirements are met.

Resistance bands (also called body bands) are common in kits. These bands can be placed over the ankles or forearms, to create a resistance when extending one’s legs or arms apart, but still managing to provide a clean, supportive movement rather than a sloppy or painful experience.

Intermediate and advanced kits usually include added items such as cords, which usually come with varying degrees of resistance for all levels of practice. Rings are also added features in some kits. Adjustable, non-slip and of varying resistance, these items are utilized for a variety of poses and muscle toning.

Kits are also great because they can include instructions and visual aids. Through books, photo cards, drawing and/or video, DVD, CD media, beginners will have the ability to learn the technique, in the comfort of their own homes. Kits can include visual materials to show the precision of poses and extensions as well as audio materials to provide a soothing and supportive atmosphere.

Additionally, instructional videos can provide a supplemental session of body conditioning in addition to class sessions. Kits are also available for intermediate and advanced practitioners, each with routines and equipment suited for the individual’s particular goals.

Kits can also be geared towards certain aspects of Pilates. For example, some kits are focused on core work and will contain a variety of sized resistance bands. Various colors, various materials, and sometimes-adjustable sizing allows for an individual’s certain core strength routine to be improved.

Anne Clarke writes numerous articles for Web sites on gardening, parenting, fashion, and home decor. Her background also includes teaching, gardening, and fashion. For more of her useful articles on yoga and Pilates, please visit Pilates Equipment, home to many useful articles about health and fitness.


AFP
Europe calls for more help from Asia on financial crisis
AFP - 2 hours ago
BEIJING (AFP) - Europe on Thursday called for greater help from Asia in tackling the “unprecedented” challenges of the global economic crisis, on the eve of a summit here between leaders of the two regions.
EU and Asia ‘must work together’ BBC News
South Korean Markets, Currency Plunge on Eve of Asia-Europe Summit Voice of America
Hindu - Xinhua - Times of India - The Associated Press
all 709 news articles

October 23rd, 2008 by matthew99201

Summer is one of the best seasons for kids to have fun. There is so much to do because the kids are out of school and the weather is great. The days are also long so there is plenty of time to pack a summer full of activities.

Depending on what you have available, where you live, and what you want to do, there are several field trips you can go on. The zoo is usually open during the summer. In most states there are a good 5 or 6 zoos to choose from and each has something special about it. You could spend a few days checking out different zoos.

There are also a lot of water parks open all over the country during the summer months. Water slides are a huge part of these theme parks and kids absolutely love them. Other theme parks are open as well, such as Disney, Busch Gardens, Hershey, and lots more. No matter where you live you should be able to find something fun to take the kids to do for a day.

If you don’t want to spend money on fun, there is still a lot to do. Most cities have a public pool area, and a lot of places offer swimming lessons usually for pretty cheap, if not free. If you don’t have a pool in your area you could always hook up a hose and sprinkler, the cost is just for the water used, and the kids usually have a lot of fun.

Another idea for summer activities is going to the local state park. The beaches, trails, camping and boating would definitely keep the kids busy for quite some time. Most parks let them bring their bikes as well.

There are other things you can do around your own house to entertain the kids during the summer. They can play sports outside, but should drink a lot of water. You could go hiking in the woods behind your house, or a friend’s house. Summer afternoons are a great time to take a walk in your neighborhood, and the kids can jump through other people’s sprinklers, but only those that come out to the sidewalk. It might not be such a good idea to let them run through all the lawns.

If it is a rainy day, but muggy, you could let the kids dance in the rain, even in their bathing suits. You might want to stay in side and be air conditioned and watch movie together, or even better, go to a movie together. The summer season is one of the biggest times of the year that blockbuster movies are released.

When it comes to summer vacation, one thing is for sure, parents always get worried about keeping their kids occupied and kids just want to have fun. Keep these simple things in mind when planning your summer: Kids want to get wet, be outside and have their friends around, with these in mind, you are good to go when it comes to planning.

Tiffany Washko is the editor of Nature Moms, http://www.naturemoms.com and Instead of TV, http://www.insteadoftv.com After working several years in corporate healthcare marketing and public relations, she took time away to be a mother. This new pursuit lead her to a new passion, natural family living and writing about environmental and political issues. She currently works as a freelance writer and newspaper journalist.

McCain and Obama about as far apart as possible: Florida and Hawaii
Los Angeles Times - 3 hours ago
In Central Florida, John McCain continues his attacks on Barack Obama’s tax plans. Obama attends a rally in Indiana, then departs for Hawaii to visit his ailing grandmother.
McCain Escalates Populist Rhetoric New York Times
Obama takes campaign break to visit ill grandmother Reuters
Boston Globe - AFP - The Associated Press - ABC News
all 1,876 news articles

October 23rd, 2008 by matthew99201

He was probably nine or ten years old. I suppose he would be about four feet tall if he were standing normally. But he wasn

October 23rd, 2008 by matthew99201

It could be in the coming years, month, week or maybe even today. It’s uncertain when it’s going to happen but you will incur data-loss on your computer, or server. It’s simply enviable, computers are made by man, man is not perfect and likewise his machines, and eventually something will break. You’ll lose what you worked so hard on and you’ll be left in position regret or recourse.

If you think about all the data on your computer — or if in a corporate setting — all the data on the server that represents hours upon hours of work, knowledge, and capital invested; would it maybe be just a little bit stressful to lose this data without having the ability to restore it.

A Survey by the multinational data recovery institute known as Ontrack produced a survey results that demonstrate the causes of data loss and the potential of occurrence. Their findings may surprise you.

3%- Natural Disasters

7% - Virus

14% - Software Corruption

32% - Human Error

44% - Hardware Malfunction

These survey results show that next to a hard-drive malfunctioning, you are the biggest threat to your data. Humans make mistakes and sometimes there’s not an undo button to save you.

So perhaps you backup to CD’s or the IT guy will backup your corporate data to tape drive. Where are those CD’s and tapes being stored? In the desk beside your computer? In the room down the hall? Maybe those tapes are transported daily off-site, how can you be sure that physical transportation can be safe, or even consistently regular? The truth is, you can’t, relying on someone to transport physical media and monitor backups is risky and far from guaranteed.

The solution is to have an offsite backup service that occurs on a scheduled interval. Backing up locally and transporting your data offsite through the internet to another server. This will ensure you against all the formentioned causes of data loss. So when it occurs you’re the guy in position of recourse.

Sig Kappel is a Computer Engineering Technologist and Lead architect of the JetBack Offsite Backup Service. You’ll find more information on Jetback Offsite Backup Services at http://www.jetback.com


Sky News
Police arrest three for murder of Chinese couple
Times Online - 5 hours ago
Police arrested three men today on suspicion of the brutal double murder of a young Chinese couple in Newcastle. In a series of co-ordinated raids on addresses in the North East officers arrested 17 Chinese nationals following their investigation into
Three held in graduates murder case The Press Association
China Murders: Arrests Sky News
Northern Echo - AFP - InTheNews.co.uk - The Canadian Press
all 158 news articles

October 23rd, 2008 by matthew99201

Find Nutrition Graduate Programs in the United States and Canada. If you’d like to achieve a Masters or Ph.D. in nutrition, you should first review admission requirements to nutrition graduate programs. Typically, prospective students must take an aptitude test prior to enrollment. Additionally, applicants to nutrition graduate programs must have earned a minimum undergraduate degree with an above average GPA.

Common studies involved in nutrition graduate programs are research in genetic and metabolic foundations (in animal and human diets), nutritional biochemistry, pathology in relation to nutrition, nutritional epidemiology, and other related subject matter.

Nutrition graduate programs that result in a Master’s (MS) degree entail in-depth coursework in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, advanced nutrition, physiology, and advanced human nutrition. In addition, students will almost always have to complete a thesis, as well as residency. Generally, nutrition graduate programs like this require a minimum of two years to complete.

Doctorate (Ph.D.) nutrition graduate programs include higher studies, doctoral dissertation research, and advanced nutrition sciences and research, among other associated courses. Ph.D. program lengths vary, but usually take between three and four years to finish successfully.

Students may also opt to participate in nutrition graduate programs with an emphasis on food science. These studies generally focus on food chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology; food processing, and supplementary research, thesis and residency. These nutrition graduate programs generally require the same amount of time and prerequisites as typical M.S. and Ph.D. courses.

Candidates who have successfully completed nutrition graduate programs in North America have potential to earn well over $60,000 annually in a faster-than-average growing career field. In addition to the positive financial outlook, professional nutritionists and dieticians gain overall satisfaction in helping individuals to make effective dietary choices in the prevention of disease, improved health and overall wellbeing.

If you (or someone you know) are interested in finding nutrition graduate programs, let professional training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, cosmetology, acupuncture, oriental medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore career school programs near you.

Employment source: Bls.gov (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Nutrition Graduate Programs in North America
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Resource Box: CarolAnn Bailey-Lloyd - Freelance Writer and Web Consultant for HolisticJunction.com, in association with CollegeSurfing.com - Educational Resources for Nutrition Graduate Programs, Personal Trainer Schools, and other Career Schools.

Latest Gossip from the New York Post Online Edition, which delivers the Post’s world-renowned gossip, best sports in town, and more.

October 23rd, 2008 by matthew99201

Studies and anecdotal evidence alike are clearly showing that therapy based on music can have a significant impact on reducing the symptoms of autism in children including undesirable autistic behaviors. Music therapy is a form of autism treatment based on carefully planned musical exercises and experiences. It is carefully evaluated before, during, and after every session so that it can be altered to best suit the individual needs of the autistic child. There are many different elements involved in autism music therapy, including:

- Listening to music
- Creating music
- Singing along to music
- Moving or dancing to music
- Playing musical instruments of any kind

This form of music therapy can have a notable positive outcome when treating children with various types and levels of autism. Participation in this kind of therapeutic assistance provides the children with the chance to be exposed to carefully measured and chosen, non-threatening stimulation, since no human contact is required.

Music therapy is beneficial as it can be tailored to specifically meet the unique needs of the child based on their own autism symptoms and their tastes and preferences. This ability to customize the therapy is very important as every case of autism is different from others and what may be very effective for one child may create negative results in another. To accomplish this customization, there are several kinds of music therapy that can be used on their own or in conjunction with one another.

The results of autism music therapy is far reaching and touches on many elements in the child’s life. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

- Socio-emotional development - Autistic children frequently struggle with (or ignore) social contact efforts made by other people. Using music therapy, children can be drawn out of social withdrawal through their relationship with the music or an instrument of their choice. The music works as an intermediary between the child and people around them.

- Verbal and non-verbal communication - Singing and dancing to music helps autistic children to improve their speech vocalization and express themselves physically. Many mental processes are stimulated by listening to and producing music, such as symbolizing, conceptualizing, and comprehension. Often, autistic children find it easier to accept different sounds than verbal speech. Music is therefore a good transition to get them used to sounds. Furthermore, when playing wind instruments and singing, the children become more familiar with the various parts of their mouths and how to manipulate them for speech and other purposes.

- Emotional fulfillment - Many autistic children struggle to respond effectively with stimuli in their environment, making it difficult to enjoy a full emotional experience. Therefore, since the majority of autistic children respond well to the stimulus of music therapy experience, autistic kids can enjoy a fear-free experience for a full emotional moment.

Autism music therapy sessions are generally very flexible, allowing the children the opportunity to learn and express themselves at their own pace and to their own preferences and taste, achieving great emotional satisfaction.

Grab your free copy of Rachel Evans’ brand new Autism Newsletter - Overflowing with easy to implement methods to help you and your family find out more about autism music therapy and how this autism treatment can positively influence symptoms of autism.

THE downtown Palm Steakhouse, opening next month on Chambers Street, will feature Alex Gardega’s huge painting, “Fox News Last Supper,” with Bill O’Reilly as the Savior, flanked by Sean Hannity, Alan Colmes (as Judas), Geraldo Rivera, Shepard Smith…