CA-NEWS Summary

Afghanistan's Karzai in Qatar, Taliban talks in focus

DOHA (Reuters) - President Hamid Karzai held talks with Qatari leaders on Sunday, official media reported, on a visit the Kabul government has said would seek to explore the possibility of talks with Taliban insurgents on ending Afghanistan's war. Karzai's trip to the Gulf Arab state, a U.S. ally which has mediated in conflicts in Arab or Muslim countries, follows years of stalled discussions among the United States, Pakistan and the Taliban about a possible Afghan settlement.

IMF team to arrive in Egypt on Wednesday for loan talks

CAIRO (Reuters) - An IMF delegation will arrive in Egypt on Wednesday for talks with the government on a $4.8 billion loan, a government spokesman said on Sunday, as Cairo seeks to conclude a deal vital to easing a deep economic crisis. Spokesman Alaa El Hadidi added that Egypt would not seek any emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund and faced no "crisis" in funding the import of essential commodities.

Kenya mostly calm after vote ruling; minor clashes in west

NAIROBI/KISUMU, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenyan police clashed on Sunday with a few dozen protesters angry at a court's confirmation of Uhuru Kenyatta as president-elect, but the unrest was minor compared with the nationwide bloodshed after the last disputed election. There was little sign of violence beyond Kisumu, a city in the west of Kenya where there is strong backing for Prime Minister Raila Odinga, loser in the presidential election.

Fighting erupts after car bombing in Mali

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Malian soldiers backed by French fighter jets battled Islamist rebels in Timbuktu on Sunday after insurgents used a car bomb as cover to infiltrate the northern desert town overnight, sources said. The French-led offensive in Mali has pushed a mix of Islamists out of their northern strongholds and remote mountain bases but the militants have hit back with several suicide attacks.

German opposition parties warn each other: don't team up with Merkel

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's two main opposition parties traded warnings on Sunday against joining forces with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives after September's election if they fail to win their own left-of-center majority. The leaders of the Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens party issued unusually shrill messages to each others' supporters about the risk their votes might end up going to a party that could join forces in a coalition with Merkel.

Cyprus details heavy losses for major bank customers

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Major depositors in Cyprus's biggest bank will lose around 60 percent of savings over 100,000 euros, its central bank confirmed on Saturday, sharpening the terms of a bailout that has shaken European banks but saved the island from bankruptcy. Initial signs that big depositors in Bank of Cyprus would take a hit of 30 to 40 percent - the first time the euro zone has made bank customers contribute to a bailout - had already unnerved investors in European lenders this week.

Egypt satirist questioned for insulting Mursi, released on bail

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian prosecutors questioned Egypt's most prominent television satirist on Sunday over allegations he insulted the president and Islam, a case that has increased opposition fears of a crackdown on dissent. Bassem Youssef turned himself in after the prosecutor general issued an arrest warrant for him on Saturday. He was released on bail of 15,000 Egyptian pounds ($2,200), an official in the prosecutor's office said.

Pope appeals for end to Korea tensions in first Easter message

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, appearing before more than 250,000 people for his first Easter Sunday address, called for world peace, respect for the environment and a diplomatic solution to the crisis on the Korean peninsula. In his "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message, he also appealed for a resumption of peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, an end to the civil war in Syria and political solutions to conflicts in several African countries.

NATO eyes missile shield progress with Russia after U.S. move

MOSCOW (Reuters) - NATO hopes a U.S. change to global missile defenses will dispel Russian concern and foster cooperation on an issue that has long strained relations, alliance Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said in an interview. Russia has said U.S. missile shield plans could erode its nuclear deterrent. It has softened criticism since Washington announced on March 16 that it would station 14 missile interceptors in Alaska in response to North Korean nuclear threats and at the same time forgo a new type of interceptor that would have been deployed in Europe.

Afghans warned: the taxman is coming after you

KABUL (Reuters) - One of Afghanistan's most surprising success stories lies tucked away on a potholed street notorious for suicide bombings and lined with rusting construction equipment. The work of the country's top tax collector is more inspiring than the view from his office in Kabul. Taxes and customs raised $1.64 billion last financial year, a 14-fold increase on 10 years ago. That means, now, the government can pay just over half of its recurrent costs such as salaries.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ca-news-summary-012101133.html

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Shroud of Turin goes on display amid new research

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? The Shroud of Turin has gone on display for a special TV appearance amid new research purporting to date the linen some say was Jesus' burial cloth to around the time of his death.

Pope Francis sent a special video message to the event in Turin's cathedral, which coincided with Holy Saturday, when Catholics mark the period between Christ's crucifixion on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

The Vatican has tiptoed around just what the cloth is, calling it a powerful symbol of Christ's suffering while making no claim to its authenticity.

Francis toed that line Saturday, calling the cloth an "icon" ? not a relic.

Many experts stand by carbon-dating of scraps of the cloth that date it to the 13th or 14th century.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shroud-turin-goes-display-amid-research-164019211.html

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Pope leads Good Friday rite at Rome Colosseum

By Philip Pullella

ROME (Reuters) - Thousands of people holding candles turned out at Rome's Colosseum to see Pope Francis mark the first Good Friday of his pontificate with a traditional "Way of the Cross" procession around the ancient amphitheatre.

Francis, who was elected on March 13, sat under a red canopy on Rome's Palatine Hill as representatives of the faithful from around the world alternated carrying a wooden cross on the day Christians commemorated Jesus's death by crucifixion.

"Sometimes it may seem as though God does not react to evil, as if he is silent," the Argentine pope said, speaking slowly in Italian and in a somber voice at the end of the evening service.

"And yet, God has spoken, he has replied, and his answer is the Cross of Christ: a word which is love, mercy, forgiveness. It is also reveals a judgment, namely that God, in judging us, loves us," he said.

"Christians must respond to evil with good," he said, urging them to beware "the evil that continues to work in us and around us".

The meditations for the 14 "stations of the cross" which commemorate events in the last hours of Jesus's life - from when Pontius Pilate condemned him to death to his burial in a rock tomb - were written by young people from Lebanon.

The wooden cross was passed from one group and person to another - including a person in a wheelchair. Those who carried it came from Italy, India, China, Nigeria, Syria, Lebanon and Brazil.

Several of the meditations, read by actors, referred to conflict in the Middle East and the suffering of its people.

One meditation called the Middle East "a land lacerated by injustice and violence".

Francis praised those Lebanese Christians and Muslims who tried to live together and who, he said, in doing so gave a sign of hope to the world.

Prayers were read out for exploited and abused children, refugees, the homeless and victims of religious intolerance, war, violence, terrorism, poverty, injustice and drug addiction.

There were also prayers against abortion and euthanasia.

Good Friday is the second of four hectic days leading up to Easter Sunday, the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar.

On Holy Thursday, two young women were among 12 people whose feet the pope washed and kissed at a traditional ceremony in a Rome youth prison, the first time a pontiff has included females in the rite.

After celebrating an Easter eve service, on Easter Sunday he will deliver his first "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message in St. Peter's Square.

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-leads-traditional-good-friday-rite-rome-colosseum-005958820.html

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HDHomeRun Prime firmware featuring DLNA streaming comes out of beta

You'd really like to stream some HD cable TV to a DLNA client from your HDHomeRun Prime, but aren't willing to risk introducing beta firmware into your fully functional entertainment system? We have good news: after a little more than two months of beta, your wait is over. Today's official HDHomeRun Prime update comes with release notes detailing its newfound ability to stream Copy Freely content to any DLNA playback device (like XBMC, PS3 or Samsung's HDTVs, for example) that supports MPEG-2 and AC3. Protected content, like anything marked Copy Once, works as well if your device happens to be one of the few that supports CableLab's transmission DRM of choice, DTCP-IP. So while we warned that this feature might not be worth injecting beta software into the mix back in January, a number of fixes in this release plus weeks of testing should push HDHomeRun Prime owners to update now.

[Thanks, Rob]

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/DwX1T0Kj6Wk/

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Pain-Topics.org News/Research UPDATES: CAM Exercises Aid ...

Within the scope of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), a number of exercise modalities ? such as tai chi, qigong, yoga, and lesser-known movement therapies ? have been studied as aiding persons with fibromyalgia. A meta-analysis of the current research literature found some evidence for the beneficial effects of these exercise types, with tai chi appearing to be most favorable.

Fibromyalgia affects an estimated 15 million persons in the United States alone, a majority are female, and diminished aerobic fitness and poor physical function in afflicted patients have been well documented. Exercise has been strongly recommended as an adjunct to medication therapy for fibromyalgia, but traditional forms of strenuous aerobic, stretching, and strength-building exercise often appear to have limited benefits for reducing pain while improving function, and patient discontinuation rates are sometimes unacceptably high.

In view of these concerns, Scott Mist and colleagues at the Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, conducted a systematic research review and meta-analysis of land-based CAM exercise therapies that have been increasing adopted by patients with fibromyalgia, including: qigong, tai chi, yoga, and several less familiar movement therapies [Mist et al. 2013]. For purposes of their review, the following definitions were used:

1. Exercise was defined as ?planned, structured physical activity whose goal is to improve one or more of the major components of fitness ? aerobic capacity, strength, flexibility, or balance.? (Studies of exercise therapies conducted in water were excluded in this review.)
2. CAM was defined as ?a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally considered to be part of conventional medicine.? (CAM approaches involving low levels of exertion, such as brief yoga with an emphasis on mindfulness or breathing, were excluded.)

Their search discovered 16 qualifying studies; 10 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 6 of a more observational nature in design. In total, 832 patients with fibromyalgia participated, with 490 allocated to CAM exercise interventions. The mean sample size in the studies was 52 (range 6?128 participants), and the median retention rate in all studies was 81%. The researchers noted that the studies were largely conducted in middle-aged women, but demographics summary data were not provided in the report. Overall, the strength of the included studies was rated as moderate-to-low.

The primary outcome endpoint of interest was FIQ total scores or FIQ pain scores, converted to standardized mean differences (ie, Cohen?s d) as measures of effect size [interpreting effect sizes was discussed in an UPDATE here]. The FIQ (Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire) is a widely used, self-administered, 20-question tool for assessing the current health (ie, physical function, pain, other symptoms) of patients with fibromyalgia in clinical and research settings [more info on FIQ here].

Writing in the March 2013 online edition of the Journal of Pain Research, Mist et al. report the following results [data adapted from tables in the report]:

• Six studies of tai chi demonstrated a pooled, large-sized effect = 1.14 (95% Confidence Interval, 0.88?1.39; P<0.001). Only 1 of the 6 studies did not achieve statistical significance and the remaining 5 were of good size with narrow confidence intervals, all of which suggest a reasonably strong level of evidence.
• There were 3 studies of yoga, with a pooled, moderate-sized effect = 0.45 (95% CI, 0.12?0.76; P=0.005). Only 2 of the 3 studies were statistically significant.
• Qigong was examined in 6 studies and there was a pooled, moderate-sized effect = 0.47 (95% CI, 0.25?0.69; P<0.001). However, only half of the individual studies achieved statistical significance and the outcomes overall varied extensively from each other, with wide confidence intervals (ie, the studies were highly heterogenous).
• Individual trials also were reported for the following modalities (with effect size, 95% CI, P-value): Pilates (0.77, 0.19?1.35, P=0.009); BMP, or Body Movement and Perception therapy (2.25, 1.67?2.84, P<0.001); Biodanza (3.92, 3.05?4.80, P<0.001). All 3 modalities exhibited large, statistically significant effect sizes, with relatively narrow confidence intervals; however, these were single trials of each modality needing replication for further confirmation.

  NOTE: The individual trials itemized above add up to more than 16 in total because some studies examined more than one modality. Pilates involves nonimpact strength, flexibility, and breathing exercises. Body Movement and Perception (or, Ress?guier) is based on selected low-impact gymnastic movements integrated with postural exercises. Biodanza, or ?life dance,? most often uses dance and related movements to optimize self-development and deepen self-awareness.

According to the researchers, only 2 participants reported any adverse effects (increased shoulder pain and plantar fasciitis), and none of the studies found any serious adverse events. Therefore, given the lack of negative effects, and the medium-to-high effects sizes for pain reduction and other benefits, Mist and colleagues state, ?there is little risk in recommending these modalities as a critical component in a multimodal treatment plan, which is often required for fibromyalgia management.?

COMMENTARY: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses can be robust methods for establishing the quality and strength of evidence for pain management therapies. An understanding of these statistical methods was discussed in an UPDATE article [here].

In this meta-analysis by Mist et al., the modality with the best data profile and largest effect size ? suggesting a higher level of strongly favorable evidence ? was tai chi. Second choice would be qigong (albeit the data were somewhat inconsistent), and yoga would be third. The other 3 modalities appear to have promise, but they were solitary trials, so the reliability and strength of evidence cannot be determined. [Note: the Mist et al. article is open access, allowing interested readers to download and examine the forest plots and other data for themselves. See link in the reference below.]

The generally small sample sizes in the included studies (mean n=52) and predominance of middle-aged female subjects limits the statistical power and generalizability of study outcomes to other clinical populations. Another limitation, noted by the researchers, was that only a single interventionist (ie, exercise instructor) was involved in each of the trials. It is possible that a skilled, caring, and/or charismatic instructor in some trials, but not others, might have influenced beneficial outcomes.

The researchers write that all but 2 studies report positive outcomes; however, the study outcomes data indicate that only 1 of the studies was negative (ie, effect size = ?0.42 in a study of qigong). Furthermore, while the rest of the data point-estimates were indeed positive (ie, point effect size estimates >0.0) a third of them (5/15) were statistically non-significant, which might temper enthusiasm regarding the strength of the evidence overall.

Prior Pain-Topics UPDATES have discussed exercise modalities ? including tai chi and, most commonly, yoga ? as benefitting various acute and chronic pain conditions [series here]. More specifically, a study by Wang et al. reported in 2010 [UPDATE here] found that tai chi afforded significant relief from muscle pain, better sleep, and a higher quality of life with less depression in persons with fibromyalgia (this study also was included in the meta-analysis by Mist et al.).

It is of some concern that most of the trials in the meta-analysis by Mist and colleagues, no matter how small the number of subjects, used multiple assessment instruments for detecting numerous endpoints. This increases the chances that at least some positive statistically significant results might be produced; however, it also increases the risk of Type I error, or finding significant results due to random chance alone (ie, false positives). Mist et al. were wise to focus only on one measure ? FIQ scores ? even though this might have limited the scope of potentially beneficial therapeutic effects that could be assessed and discussed in their report.

Meta-analyses in most areas of pain research also highlight the problem of studies examining the same topic using different patient-selection criteria, disparate outcome measures, and other methodological variations. This sort of inconsistency challenges the validity of combing data from the different studies in aggregated, or pooled, estimates of effect size. In fact, Mist et al. noted that there ?was a significant amount of heterogeneity? across the studies they examined [particularly evident in the analysis of qigong] and, while they did not report calculating tests of heterogeneity, they did appropriately use random-effects modeling in their pooling of data.

As often is the case, Mist and colleagues advise that there is a need for large, meticulously designed and rigorously executed trials with active parallel arms ? such as comparing traditional aerobic exercise with a CAM-oriented approach ? to extend this body of evidence. However, it could be a many years before such studies are conducted and, then, it is questionable whether they will use methodologies that are statistically comparable to earlier trials. Clinical research is sometimes a very ?messy business.?

REFERENCE: Mist SD, Firestone KA, Jones KD. Complementary and alternative exercise for fibromyalgia: a meta-analysis. J Pain Res. 2013;6:247-260 [available here].

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Source: http://updates.pain-topics.org/2013/03/cam-exercises-aid-fibromyalgia-meta.html

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Guitar maker Gibson buys majority stake in TEAC, develops taste for electronica

That gruff American rocker, Gibson Guitar Corp., has gotten tired of its old life. Instead of just suing copycats and putting out the occasional robot axe, it's now looking to diversify, having spent $52 million on a 54 percent stake in Japanese firm TEAC. The last we heard from TEAC, it was making things like headphones and retro-styled radios, which maybe gives us a hint as to where this new partnership is headed. After all, it's not like the path between music brand and consumer electronics hasn't been trodden to a pulp already.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio/Video, HD

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Source: AV Watch (Japanese)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/29/gibson-buys-stake-in-teac/

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Icycle 2 takes nude bicycling and fish-kissing to a whole new level

The folks at Chillingo were showing off Icycle 2 at GDC 2013, and it broke my brain just a little. The game mechanics themselves are very simple; the controls are ultimately the most basic ones you could have for a platformer game. The real trip is in the art style and storyline.

Players control the chilly and lovelorn Dennis, who, for whatever reason, is chasing the woman of his dreams naked on a bicycle. Eventually, her head turns into that of a fish, but I'm not quite sure why. My demo of the game ended with Dennis mere millimeters away from smooching this aquatic goddess. Players are ranked out of three stars for each of the positively surreal levels based on how many little icicle pellets they pick up along their twisted route. Over time, players can unlock new and ridicuclous outfits to make sure Dennis doesn't have to do all of his chasing in the nude.

Those of you that have played Wonderputt will be familiar with the level of graphical polish and left-field thinking that the developer, Damp Gnat, is capable of. I'll go so far as to say that Icycle 2 is the most interesting and refreshing mobile game that I've seen between GDC and PAX East. The Chillingo folks are being coy about a release date, opting for a "it'll be ready when it's ready" approach, but expect it to cost about a buck in the App Store.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/QYMlUXXoSQk/story01.htm

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When cash is no longer legal tender

Workers at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing surrounded by piles of money (Discovery)Have you ever wondered what happens to all of the damaged dollar bills floating around the economy? How long does paper money actually last before it disintegrates into torn shreds or a pulpy mass that is indistinguishable from regular old paper? And at what point is paper money just too damaged to be used as legal tender?

On March 30 9 p.m. ET/PT, the Discovery Channel will give viewers an inside look at ?The Secret Life of Money,? which seeks to answer these questions along with offering many other insights into the world of money, including the history of how gold became a standard form of currency around the world.

David Kestenbaum and Jacob Goldstein from NPR?s "Planet Money" contributed to the special and chatted with Yahoo News about some of the stranger things they?ve learned about cash.

?To me, what?s most interesting is that there is a bigger idea at work here: Money is this thing that we take for granted,? Goldstein said. ?When you stop and think about money, it gets really weird, really fast.?

For example, if your money is damaged, you can legally exchange it with the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. But only to a point. The bureau says it receives upwards of 300 envelopes per day, containing ?torn, blackened, blood-soaked, shrunken or otherwise maimed money.? However, so long as 51 percent of that blood-soaked bill remains intact, you can get a freshly issued replacement bill.

?It?s not paper the way we normally think of paper. It?s 75 percent cotton and 25 percent linen. It?s like a T-shirt,? Kestenbaum says, explaining why money is actually more physically durable than some might think.

Still, that hasn?t stopped thousands of people each year from testing its limits in strange ways.

For example, one Florida man attempted to dry his money after it became wet by putting it in the microwave. But instead of returning to its crisp, clean form, the money was crisped and burst into flames.

These sort of incidents resulted in the bureau exchanging $28 million worth of paper money in 2011 alone.

Of course, Goldstein and Kestenbaum note that similar incidents are on the decline as money moves toward becoming a predominantly electronic transaction between buyer and seller.

?There is no truck full of dollar bills going from my employer?s bank to my bank,? Goldstein says, noting that the very basic idea of money is really more about trust than physical value. ?The U.S. dollar is already basically an electronic currency.?

And with the advent of independent currency providers such as Bitcoin, some people are trying to establish that trust without relying on a government.

Still, Kestenbaum says that for all its shortcomings, paper money is likely to stay with us for years to come. ?I am more bearish on the future of physical money,? he said. ?At some point, we won?t be using cash at all. Not in the next year, but in 50 years? Probably.?

Ironically, one of the reasons Goldstein and Kestenbaum say the U.S. dollar has a future in its physical form is its popularity outside of America. They note that there are currently more $100 bills outside the U.S. than within the borders of the country that printed them.

If you add up all of the cash, "there?s a lot missing because of how much is used overseas,? Kestenbaum said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/secret-life-money-revealed-172617707.html

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Long-serving Boston mayor won't seek re-election

BOSTON (AP) ? Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, struggling to keep his emotions in check, told well-wishers gathered at historic Faneuil Hall on Thursday that he won't seek re-election to an unprecedented sixth term after nearly two decades in office.

"I am here with the people I love, to tell the city I love, that I will leave the job that I love," Menino said, with his wife Angela and family by his side. "I can run, I can win and I can lead, but not in the neighborhoods all the time as I like."

Menino, who used a cane to walk to the podium, has had persistent health problems including a six-week hospital stay last year to treat a respiratory infection and a compression fracture in his spine. Menino also was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

But the city's longest serving mayor told the crowd that he is on the mend. Still, he said, it's not enough to maintain the pace that has become his trademark.

"I'm back to a mayor's schedule, but not a Menino schedule," he said. "Spending so much time in the neighborhoods gives me energy.... It may not be the only way to lead Boston, but it's the only way for me."

Menino spoke for about 12 minutes and received a three-minute standing ovation.

During his comments, Menino alluded to a poll that once indicated that more than half of the city's residents had said they'd personally met him.

He also acknowledged that his decision not to run again is expected to trigger a political stampede.

"I have no plans to pick the person to fill this seat," he said. "I just ask that you choose someone who loves this city as much as I do."

President Barack Obama praised Menino.

"Boston is the vibrant, welcoming, and world-class city it is today because of Tom Menino," Obama said in a statement. "For more than two decades, Mayor Menino has served the city and every one of its residents with extraordinary leadership, vision, and compassion."

Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who won a critical endorsement from Menino in last year's U.S. Senate race called him "the best mayor in America" and "the best friend to the neighborhoods and people of Boston."

Although Menino wasn't always the smoothest of political figures, he earned a reputation as one of the hardest working, from filling potholes to shaping the city's skyline.

A recent Boston Globe poll showed the 70-year-old Menino was viewed favorably by a wide margin of city residents, although less than half said they wanted him to run again. Most political watchers assumed Menino could have cruised to another victory.

Menino said he's not done yet.

"I have nine months left. Just think what I can do in nine months," he said. "We can have some real fun."

Menino's long stewardship of the city came a critical moment in Boston's history when traditional urban ethnic enclaves began to give way to waves of new immigrants and younger professionals.

He worked to make Boston more fun and livable. Despite its famously narrow, twisting streets, Menino ushered in a bicycle-sharing program and named a "bicycle czar" to negotiate conflicts between bicyclists and Boston drivers.

He also struggled to try to improve the Boston school system and wasn't shy about wearing his sympathies on his sleeve.

Last year Menino, a strong gay rights supporter, vowed to block Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant in the city after the company's president spoke out publicly against gay marriage.

Lawrence DiCara, a former city councilor, said Menino's success stemmed from his attention to detail and ? unlike many of his predecessors ? his lack of interest in higher office.

"He kept his eye on the ball," DiCara said. "He was not interested in running for governor. He was not interested in running for Congress. He had one thing he wanted to do and that was being mayor of Boston."

Menino was the city's first Italian-American mayor, breaking a nearly century-long domination of city politics by Irish-Americans that began with John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, the grandfather of President John F. Kennedy and Sens. Robert and Edward Kennedy, and included the legendary James Michael Curley.

Menino grew up in Hyde Park, far from the city's traditional political power bases.

"He grew up an Italian kid in an Irish city and he grew up in a neighborhood that no one came from," said DiCara.

Menino's departure will create only the second open mayoral election in the last half century and the first since 1983, when Kevin White chose not to seek re-election.

Boston City Councilor John Connolly had already indicated his intention to run. Other potential candidates include state Rep. Martin Walsh, city councilors Tito Jackson and Rob Consalvo, state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, and Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley.

Menino became acting mayor when his predecessor, Raymond Flynn, left office in 1993 after being named ambassador to the Vatican. Menino, then president of the City Council, was automatically elevated to the mayor's job.

The circumstances prompted some critics to label him the "accidental mayor." But he was elected mayor in his own right in November 1993 and won re-election by wide margins in 1997, 2001, 2005 and 2009.

James Brett, a former state lawmaker who was the Menino's first mayoral opponent in 1993, said he immediately recognized Menino's tenacity as a campaigner.

"Anyone who would underestimate him would be foolish to say the least," said Brett, who now runs the business-backed New England Council. "He was grounded and focused as a candidate."

Peter Meade, director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, said Menino had an "unbelievable" work ethic, often making two or three more stops around the city after most of his staff had gone home.

While a demanding boss, Meade said Menino "never asked anyone to do anything he wasn't willing or anxious to do himself."

Menino earned the nickname "Urban Mechanic" by focusing on the nuts and bolts of city management ? fixing potholes, cleaning streets, and even discouraging the practice of saving a shoveled-out parking space by putting folding chairs or trash cans along the curb.

More recently, Menino became a prominent voice for stricter gun control measures, joining New York Mayor and Boston-area native Michael Bloomberg as co-chairs of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

"He will be remembered as one of the most influential and important mayors in Boston's long history, and ? it is my fervent hope ? someone who began to turn the tide against the scourge of gun violence in this country," Bloomberg said in a statement.

Menino also built an impressive political machine that handily defeated challengers and propelled allies into office.

Despite his political savvy, Menino was also known for his sometimes tortured phrases and malapropisms, which earned him the nickname "Mumbles" from detractors but endeared him even more to the populace.

He once confused former New England Patriots placekicker and Super Bowl hero Adam Vinatieri with former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek and referred to Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo as "Hondo," which was the nickname of former Celtics great John Havlicek.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boston-mayor-announces-wont-seek-election-202207109--election.html

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NHS Scotland chooses Carestream technology for breast cancer ...

SCOTLAND ? (HealthTech Wire / News) - NHS Scotland has further strengthened its strategic partnership with Carestream Health by signing an amendment to the long standing contract between the two organisations. The company will supply CARESTREAM Vue Mammography PACS to all of Scotland?s Breast Screening Centres located at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee and Irvine. These centres provide breast cancer screening to more than 175,000 women each year.

• NHS Scotland has signed long standing contract with Carestream to supply Vue Mammography PACS to all of Scotland?s Breast Screening Centres
• New system to provide convenient access and synchronisation of all patient information, procedures and status
• ?This latest development for Mammography PACS across all Breast Screening Centres in Scotland will transform the Breast Screening Service from a film based system into a digital enterprise.?

Access to radiology images and patient information

The new agreement builds on the success of Carestream?s Vue PACS System installed in all NHS hospitals in Scotland that has improved access to radiology images and patient information across the country?s highly rated healthcare system.

The agreement also includes Vue Mammography PACS for the fleet of mobile breast screening units run by NHS Scotland as well as the Pathology and Medical Physics departments at each site. Carestream will install its system during 2013 and early 2014, commencing with Edinburgh and Glasgow which are the two largest sites.

Immediate access to specialist advice across Scotland

?Currently all our breast screening centres are either completely film based or have digital modalities with no universal method of viewing, reporting and distributing images,? said Liz Blackman, Senior Programme Manager, NHS National Services Scotland. ?Carestream Mammography PACS will solve this issue as images will be immediately available for review and reporting and our clinicians can have immediate access to specialist advice across Scotland regardless of where the screening was carried out.?

The new system from Carestream will provide convenient access and synchronisation of all patient information, procedures and status across Scotland?s entire breast screening network to streamline reading workflow and accelerate the delivery of screening results.

Improving the speed and access to screening images, information and results

?This latest development for Mammography PACS across all Breast Screening Centres in Scotland will transform the Breast Screening Service from a film based system into a digital enterprise that will improve the speed and access to screening images, information and results,? said Charlie McCaffrey, Managing Director, Carestream in the UK. ?The success of CARESTREAM PACS across the country has streamlined care and enabled faster diagnosis and treatment for patients. This next step to include the Breast Screening Service is a logical progression and further deepens and strengthens the strategic relationship between NHS Scotland and Carestream.?

###

Source: HealthTech Wire

Source: http://www.healthtechwire.com/carestream-health-inc/nhs-scotland-chooses-carestream-technology-for-breast-cancer-screening-3425/

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Ex-Florida GOP chair gets 1? years for stealing

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? The former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida was sentenced Wednesday to one-and-a-half years in prison for stealing $125,000 in party funds, marking the fall of a man who once was one of the most powerful political figures in the state.

Jim Greer, 50, was sentenced in an Orlando courtroom, more than a month after he pleaded guilty to four counts of theft and a single county of money laundering. The guilty pleas in February ended Greer's trial before it started.

Circuit Judge Marc Lubet handed down a sentence Wednesday that was less severe than the three-and-a-half years in prison requested by prosecutors. Lubet explained that he went with a more lenient sentence because Greer had already paid $65,000 in restitution to the Republican Party of Florida and because Greer's former right-hand man, Delmar Johnson, had committed the same crimes but hadn't been charged.

Johnson had been scheduled to be prosecutors' star witness and was granted immunity in exchange for his testimony. He didn't return a phone call seeking comment on Wednesday.

"I feel that this crime deserves prison," Lubet told Greer. "You egregiously violated a position of trust."

After the hearing, Greer was led from the courtroom in handcuffs. His attorney, Damon Chase, said Greer had entered the guilty pleas to avoid the risk of a jury convicting him and getting a lengthy prison sentence.

"Mr. Greer did fall on his sword for this one," Chase said. "He did what he felt was best for his family. He feels good about it ... Next year, he will be spending time with his family and everything will be fine."

An attorney for the Republican Party of Florida said he received a $65,000 wire transfer representing Greer's restitution from Jacksonville attorney Hank Coxe on Monday. Stephen Dobson said he didn't know how Greer came up with the money, given that the former chairman has reported being financially strapped since his arrest in 2010. Chase refused to answer questions about where the money came from and Coxe didn't return a phone call and email Wednesday afternoon.

Greer also has agreed to drop a civil lawsuit against the Republican Party of Florida. The lawsuit accused the party of failing to pay him a severance.

"Eighteen months in prison for somebody like Jim Greer," Dobson said. "I don't think anybody thought a couple of years ago that he'd go to prison like this."

The trial had threatened to expose the underbelly of Florida's dominant political party and its formerly high-spending ways. Some of Florida's most powerful politicians were scheduled as witnesses, including former Gov. Charlie Crist, former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux, former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum and several state House and state Senate leaders.

Topics covered in pretrial depositions included allegations of prostitutes at a state GOP fundraiser in the Bahamas, the drinking habits of Crist and intraparty strife.

Prosecutors said Greer funneled almost $200,000 to a company he had formed with Johnson. He kept $125,000 of the money funneled to Victory Strategies for himself.

Greer was vice mayor of the small central Florida town of Oviedo when Crist surprisingly picked him to be the state party chairman after he led local efforts to help Crist get elected governor in 2006. He previously was the president and CEO of a company that provides training to the hospitality industry on how to comply with alcohol laws.

The plea arrangement was reached at the last minute. Jury selection was set to begin early last month, but neither Greer nor prosecutors had appeared in the courtroom an hour after the trial was supposed to start.

Until he entered his guilty pleas, Greer had contended that party leaders, including Crist, knew about the financial arrangement that gave Greer's company a cut of party money in exchange for fundraising efforts. Greer had said he was targeted because of his support for Crist, who later defected from the GOP to run as an independent for U.S. Senate but lost to Rubio.

Crist denied ever knowing about the arrangement.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-florida-gop-chair-gets-1-years-stealing-182352639.html

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Prekindergarten program boosts children's skills

Mar. 28, 2013 ? Boston Public Schools' prekindergarten program is substantially improving children's readiness to start kindergarten, according to a new study of more than 2,000 children enrolled there. The program uses research-based curricula and coaching of teachers, is taught primarily by masters-level teachers, and is open to any child regardless of family income.

The study, out of Harvard University, appears in the journal Child Development. Some of the study's findings on the effects of the program are the largest found to date in evaluations of large-scale public prekindergarten programs.

Researchers found that the program substantially improved children's language, literacy, math, executive function (the ability to regulate, control, and manage one's thinking and actions), and emotional development skills citywide. Children in the program were 4 and 5 years old and from racially, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds. While all students who participated benefited, the improvements were especially strong for Latino children.

Preschool has been shown to help prepare children for kindergarten and is an increasing priority among federal, state, and local policymakers. But many preschool programs struggle to attain good instructional quality.

"We can draw several important lessons from our findings about factors that support quality in prekindergarten," notes Christina Weiland, incoming assistant professor at the University of Michigan's School of Education, who was at Harvard when she led the study.

First, the combination of explicit, evidence-based curricula (in language/literacy and math) and in-classroom coaching of teachers as part of professional development likely played a major role in improving student outcomes. Investing in such quality supports for prekindergarten teachers may lead to gains in students' school readiness, the study found.

Second, implementing consistent math, language, and literacy curricula might build children's executive function skills. "Our results suggest that curricula in these areas may also improve such domains as executive functioning, even without directly targeting them," according to Weiland. "Interestingly, research shows that these kinds of skills -- which reflect early brain development, the ability to focus, and behavior -- are critical to children's success down the road."

Third, students in the program also may have benefited from having more mixed-income peers than is typical in most public prekindergarten programs, which are means tested and therefore tend to include mostly low-income students.

"Given the particularly large impacts for Latinos, a group that tends to be underenrolled in preschool programs, efforts to increase the enrollment of Latino children in high-quality prekindergarten programs such as the one studied here may be beneficial," Weiland adds.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Society for Research in Child Development, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Christina Weiland, Hirokazu Yoshikawa. Impacts of a Prekindergarten Program on Children's Mathematics, Language, Literacy, Executive Function, and Emotional Skills. Child Development, 2013; DOI: 10.1111/cdev.12099

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/Dg2wGEGWtJQ/130328080227.htm

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Nigeria's fx reserves hit 4-yr high of $48.5 bln

By Martyn Herman LONDON, March 28 (Reuters) - Whether by design, necessity, self-interest or because of all three, nurturing youngsters has become fashionable for England's elite with no expense spared in the hunt for the new Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard. The length and breadth of the country, scouts from top clubs are hoovering up promising footballers barely old enough to tie their bootlaces in a bid to unearth the 30 million pounds ($45.40 million) treasures of the future. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nigerias-fx-reserves-hit-4-yr-high-48-112233643--finance.html

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Pope Francis Offers Holy Thursday Foot Washing To Inmates In Casal Del Marmo Jail (PHOTOS) (VIDEO)

ROME -- Pope Francis washed the feet of a dozen inmates at a juvenile detention center in a Holy Thursday ritual that he celebrated for years as archbishop and is continuing now that he is pope. Two of the 12 were young women, an unusual choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus' washing of the feet of his male disciples.

The Mass was held in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women currently are detained. Many of them are Gypsies or North African migrants, and the Vatican said the 12 selected for the rite weren't necessarily Catholic.

Because the inmates were mostly minors ? the facility houses inmates aged 14-21 ? the Vatican and Italian Justice Ministry limited media access inside. But Vatican Radio carried the Mass live, and Francis told the detainees that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples on the eve of his crucifixion in a gesture of love and service.

"If the Lord has washed his disciples' feet, you should do the same to one another," Francis said in his homily. "I have given you the example so that you may do the same."

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio would celebrate the ritual foot-washing in jails, hospitals or hospices ? part of his ministry to the poorest and most marginalized of society. It's a message that he is continuing now that he is pope, saying he wants a church "for the poor."

Previous popes would carry out the foot-washing ritual on Holy Thursday in Rome's grand St. John Lateran basilica and the 12 people chosen for the ritual were priests to represent the 12 disciples.

That Francis would include women in this re-enactment is symbolically noteworthy given the Vatican's prohibition on female priests.

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/28/pope-francis-holy-thursday-foot-washing_n_2972775.html

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Gun in shootout is the one used in Colo. prison chief slaying

By Keith Coffman

DENVER (Reuters) - The gun used by a white supremacist ex-convict who was killed in a shootout with police near Decatur, Texas, last week was the same weapon used to kill Colorado's prison chief two days earlier, law enforcement officials said on Monday.

Evan Spencer Ebel, a 28-year-old parolee from Denver, was killed in a gun battle with Texas police last Thursday after a high-speed chase through Decatur.

Ballistics tests established that his gun was used to kill Tom Clements, executive director of the Colorado Department of Corrections, the El Paso County, Colorado, Sheriff's Office said on Monday. Clements, 58, was shot dead on Tuesday when he answered the door at his home south of Denver.

Ebel, who according to law enforcement sources was a member of a white supremacist prison gang known as the 211 Crew, has been named as a suspect in the killing.

"The analysis done by ballistics experts has concluded the gun used by Evan Ebel in Texas was the same weapon used in the shooting death of Tom Clements," the sheriff's department said in a written statement.

"The confirmation goes well beyond acknowledging the same caliber and brand of ammunition being used, but rather is based on unique, and often microscopic markings left on the casings at both scenes," the sheriff's department said.

The department said investigators were seeking to determine whether Ebel acted alone in the shooting of Clements or if others were involved.

Ebel has also been identified by police as a suspect in the killing of pizza delivery man Nathan Leon in Denver last Sunday, two days before Clements was slain.

A Domino's pizza deliverer's shirt or jacket and pizza carrier were found in the trunk of Ebel's Cadillac following the gun battle with police, according to a search warrant filed in the case and posted online by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram newspaper.

A Denver police spokesman said detectives were meeting on the case on Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, authorities have been looking for ties between the death of Clements and the January killing of Mark Hasse, a prosecutor in the Kaufman County District Attorney's Office. Kaufman County is east of Dallas.

Ebel was paroled in the Denver area in January.

Emergency personnel carry the driver of a black Cadillac with Colorado plates who was involved in a high speed chase and shootout with police in Decatur, Texas, Thursday, March 21, 2013. The driver ... more? Emergency personnel carry the driver of a black Cadillac with Colorado plates who was involved in a high speed chase and shootout with police in Decatur, Texas, Thursday, March 21, 2013. The driver led police on a gunfire-filled chase through rural Montague County, crashed his car into a truck in Decatur, opened fire on authorities and was shot, officials said. Texas authorities are checking whether the Cadillac is the same car spotted near the home of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements, who was shot and killed when he answered the door Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Wise County Messenger, Jimmy Alford) MANDATORY CREDIT, MAGS OUT less? Hundreds of mourners packed into a church in Colorado Springs on Monday to pay tribute to Clements, among them his widow, Lisa, and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper.

Lisa Clements recalled how she and her husband were watching television at their home last Tuesday when their doorbell rang and her "life changed forever."

Hickenlooper, who was visibly moved as he spoke, called Clements, "without question, one of the most remarkable people I've ever known in my life."

(Reporting by Keith Coffman; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Scott Malone, Kevin Gray and Bernard Orr)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gun-texas-shootout-matches-weapon-killing-colorado-prisons-195523092.html

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Finally, DGCA allows lessors to reposess leased Kingfisher planes ...

The Indian civil aviation regulator has deregistered 15 Kingfisher planes paving the way for global leasing companies to take them back and easing worries that the dispute might hurt purchases by other Indian carriers.

The move comes a day after officials from German bank DVB, one of the largest global aviation financing banks, met DGCA chief Arun Mishra? to press for deregistration of the two aircraft.? Unless a plane is de-rigistered in a lessor country, it cannot be reclaimed or leased to other carriers.? The two planes were sent to Turkey for repair and maintenance where DVB seized them. But since they were? yet to be deregistered the aircraft could not be sold to other carriers.

AFP

In fact, DVB even sued the aviation regulator and Kingfisher to have the two planes deregistered. The German bank has moved the Delhi High Court over the issue and the court was to take up the matter for hearing on 8 April.

Cash-poor and debt-hit Kingfisher has not flown for five months and finance and leasing companies have warned that India could be starved of the funding it needs to fuel aviation industry growth if repossessing its planes is not made easier.

Earlier this year, US-based International Lease Finance Corp (ILFC), one of the world?s largest leasing firms, sent a team to repossess planes from Kingfisher for unpaid bills. However, the planes remained stranded? due to administrative hurdles. According to media reports, ILFC today successfully removed one of six aircraft stranded in India post the deregisteration.

Earlier the Airports Authority of India and other vendors to whom Kingfisher owed large sums of money, had decided not to release these planes till such time the bankrupt airline does not clear their dues.

Arun Mishra, director general of civil aviation, also said the regulator would meet tax officials and airport operators today to? discuss issues related to other planes leased by Kingfisher, whose aircraft have been grounded for months.

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Source: http://www.firstpost.com/business/finally-dgca-allows-lessors-to-reposess-leased-kingfisher-planes-675412.html

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Bomb-making materials found in Colo. suspect's car

DECATUR, Texas (AP) ? Investigators found bomb-making materials and pants that appeared to have blood on them in the car of a man suspected of killing Colorado's prisons chief, according to documents made public Tuesday.

Authorities also found maps, handwritten directions and documents from the Department of Corrections in Evan Spencer Ebel's black Cadillac. Also found were a Domino's Pizza worker's shirt and visor, and a pizza carrier bag along with zip ties and duct tape.

Ebel was killed in a shootout with Texas authorities last week after a high-speed chase.

Authorities in Decatur, where Ebel's car crashed before the shootout, sent the items they found to Colorado agencies investigating the death of corrections chief Tom Clements and the slaying of a pizza deliveryman whose body was found two days before Clements was killed.

Investigators haven't released a motive or commented on Ebel's ties to a white supremacist prison gang. The documents from Texas authorities detailing what they found in Ebel's car are not specific enough to shed additional light on the matter.

But Capt. Kevin Benton of the Wise County Sheriff's Office in Decatur said the handwritten directions that were found would be useful to Colorado authorities' investigation. He didn't elaborate.

Also in the car were black powder, a surveillance system, a digital voice recorder, and handwritten documents and letters, according to the documents.

Colorado investigators refused to discuss the evidence.

"We don't want to speak about their relevancy or what they might mean to our investigation," said Sgt. Joe Roybal, spokesman for the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

A week after Clements died after opening his front door, investigators were still trying to determine Ebel's role in the slayings and whether others were involved. El Paso County authorities said they were able to match the gun Ebel used in the Texas shootout to the one used in Clements' slaying through microscopic marks left on the shell casings.

Authorities in Denver have said they're confident that Ebel is linked to the slaying of pizza delivery driver Nathan Leon, 28, a married father of two, but they have not said whether they've also been able to link the gun found in Texas to Leon's slaying.

Investigators are trying to determine whether Leon's slaying was to procure a pizza box and Domino's Pizza uniform to help persuade Clements to open his front door, El Paso County authorities said.

In Texas, authorities were trying to find out why Ebel was there and where he was going. After discovering bomb-making materials in his car, a Wise County detective was assigned to help the Texas Rangers investigating the case, Benton said.

"Everybody wants to know where he was headed to and why," he said.

A deputy in nearby Montague County who was shot by Ebel during a traffic stop before the March 21 chase was released from the hospital Tuesday and moved to a rehabilitation facility to recover from a severe concussion.

Clements' funeral was Sunday, and hundreds of law enforcement officers, corrections workers, lawmakers and state dignitaries attended a memorial service for him Monday. Clements was remembered as a prison system reformer with a strong belief in redemption and who worked to reduce the use of solitary confinement in Colorado prisons.

Lisa Clements said at the memorial that her husband of 28 years would want justice as well as forgiveness.

Ebel is the son of Hickenlooper's longtime friend, attorney Jack Ebel. Evan Ebel was on the governor's mind when he spoke to Clements before offering him the prisons job, citing the younger Ebel's prison sentence in solitary confinement as an example of needed prison reform.

Hickenlooper has said he did not mention Evan Ebel by name in that conversation, and there was no indication that his relationship with Jack Ebel played a role in the shooting. Hickenlooper also said he did not having any role in Evan Ebel's parole in January.

Evan Ebel's time in prison included solitary confinement, which his father testified to lawmakers two years ago was destroying his son's psyche. While in prison, Ebel was a member of the 211 Crew, a white supremacist prison gang in Colorado, according to law enforcement officials.

___

Banda reported from Denver.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bomb-making-materials-found-colo-suspects-car-204218512.html

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Need to Lower Your Tax Bill? Contribute to an IRA

By now most of us know that an IRA is a good investment for retirement, but it also saves a big chunk of money on your tax bill. Emily Brandon, writing for US News, explains:

Workers can contribute up to $5,000 to an IRA in 2012, or $6,000 if they are age 50 or older. The tax savings from making an IRA contribution in April can be enormous. If an employee who is in the 25 percent tax bracket contributes $5,000 to a traditional IRA, he will save $1,250 on his current tax bill. He is able to defer paying income on that $5,000 until the money is withdrawn. "If you paid those taxes today, that $1,250 is gone. You'd be much better off to have that $1,250 spending the next 30 to 50 years growing," says Donald Whalen, a certified financial planner for Versailles Financial in Alpharetta, Ga. "The longer you can defer taxes, the better, especially when you can let it grow and take it out at a much bigger number." And if you drop into the 15 percent tax bracket in retirement, you will only pay $750 in taxes on that $5,000 later when you withdraw it.

If you're short on money this may not seem like an ideal solution, but if you can save now you ought to. If you can afford it, paying fewer taxes later on money that will grow is pretty much a no-brainer.

Claim This Last-Minute Tax Break | US News

Photo by Alexandr Shebanov (Shutterstock).

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Sb0zi_VsND8/need-to-lower-your-tax-bill--contribute-to-an-ira

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Video: PFT: Joeckel clear-cut No. 1?? |? How about EJ?

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/51325341#51325341

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Direct Marketing Day @ Your Desk Recap: Mobile Strategy : Target ...

If you didn?t have the chance to attend Direct Marketing Day @ Your Desk, you missed out. Lucky for you, I wanted to quickly recap my session on creating a successful mobile strategy.

When looking at businesses that are truly successful in mobile, you?ll find everything they do is based off of the Mobile Success Pyramid. This is based off of Bruce Hershey?s "4 Pillars of Mobile Marketing" in that with a pyramid, each section can only be supported by the piece beneath it, making the foundational elements more important.

Let?s look at the pyramid from the bottom up:

At the foundation, you have Strategy.

Strategy is made up of a handful of things:

• Who is your customer? If you haven?t already created customer avatars, you should do so in order to have a target marketing message.
• What are you trying to accomplish? This is where you identify your business objectives and goals and assess your current marketing strategy.
• Why are you in business? What is your mission, unique selling proposition or value proposition?
• When do you need to reach the goal? All good strategies have a time associated with them. Give yourself a deadline to reach your goal and create a roadmap to get there.

As you define your objectives, make sure:

1. They are measurable and quantifiable. Example: Increase sales by 15 percent.
2. A timeframe is associated to the goal. Example: Increase sales by 15 percent in six months vs. the same six months last year.
3. Your goal is realistic. Can you really increase sales by 15 percent? If your goal doesn?t mesh with your historical performance or competition, then adjust.

When you put these three together you may have a goal such as: ?Increase sales by 5 percent in six months vs. the same 6-month period last year.?

The next piece of they pyramid is Tactics.

Because you?ve already defined your customer persona, you want to understand how they use their mobile devices. Knowing how each persona uses their mobile devices will lead you to your tactics.

These new mobile personas will offer you the right mix of tactics to generate the most reach and engagement with your customers.

Making our way up the pyramid, we have Integration.

Ultimately, you need to promote your mobile initiatives via other marketing channels. Mobile is the most dependent channel that exists.

Review your media channels and promotional calendars and make sure you have mobile call to actions throughout your media.

Lastly, you need to consider CRM.

This is the most difficult part for marketers today, as most use separate systems. But your goal is to combine all your data from all media channels and create highly targeted messaging campaigns.

Collecting this data throughout the customer journey means you can learn what areas convert the best for each and every customer.

This ends up with you being able to send the right message to the right customer at the right time.

Now it?s on you.

If you are just getting started with mobile, you should complete the pyramid for your own business. Don?t jump right into the tactics as, although it may work in the short-term, you will likely fail in the long run.

So how are you getting started?

Source: http://www.targetmarketingmag.com/blog/direct-marketing-day-your-desk-recap-mobile-strategy

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Rebel mortar fire hits Damascus, army gunners retaliate

By Oliver Holmes

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian rebels lobbed mortar rounds into central Damascus on Monday, killing at least two people and drawing a fierce army response as bombardments shook the heart of the capital.

The state news agency said mortar bombs fired by "terrorists" had killed two people and wounded others near the Opera House on Ummayad Square, where Baath Party headquarters, Air Force Intelligence and state television are also located.

The military retaliated with artillery fire from Mount Qasioun, overlooking the city. "I've heard dozens of regime shells so far, pounding rebels," one resident said.

Photos posted by opposition activists showed black smoke rising from the square during what residents said was one of the heaviest bombardments in central Damascus since a revolt against President Bashar al-Assad erupted two years ago.

"The city is under attack," said one bewildered resident, adding that the explosions had begun at 6:30 a.m. (12.30 a.m. EDT).

The conflict in Syria has killed 70,000 people and forced a million to flee the country, the United Nations says. Sustained fighting in Damascus could send thousands more into neighboring states, especially Lebanon, which already hosts 370,000 of them.

There were no immediate reports that the rebels, who have pushed into the Kfar Souseh district, a few hundred meters (yards) from Ummayad Square, were trying to advance further.

Assad's forces have retained control of central Damascus and most other Syrian cities, while losing swathes of territory to insurgents elsewhere, especially in the north and east.

Colonel Riad al-Asaad, founder of the rebel Free Syrian Army (FSA), lost a leg in an overnight blast caused by a bomb placed beneath his car in the opposition-held eastern town of al-Mayadin, his deputy said. A Turkish official said Asaad was now being treated in Turkey and that his life was not in danger.

Asaad, who formed the FSA in 2011 as a popular uprising against Assad turned into an armed rebellion, was one of the first senior officers to defect from the Syrian military, but was sidelined last year from a new Western-backed FSA command.

Asaad's deputy, Malik al-Kurdi, told Al Jazeera television he believed the Syrian government had tried to assassinate the FSA founder with a bomb planted directly below his car seat. He said Asaad had also suffered face wounds.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

REBEL FORCES DIVIDED

Various rebel units fight under the banner of the FSA, which has struggled to find weapons supplies and build a disciplined command and control structure. It does not include some Islamist militants such as the powerful al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front.

Moaz Alkhatib, who resigned on Sunday as head of the opposition Syrian National Coalition, said the attack on Asaad was part of a drive to "assassinate the free leaders of Syria".

Despite stepping down, Alkhatib said he would address an Arab League summit in Qatar this week. "I have decided to give a speech in the name of the Syrian people at the Doha conference," he wrote on his Twitter account on Monday.

Alkhatib, named leader of the coalition formed in November, is a Sunni Muslim cleric who had been seen as a moderate bulwark against the influence of al Qaeda-linked jihadist forces.

He resigned after the coalition berated him for offering Assad a negotiated deal and after the group went ahead, despite his objections, with steps to form a provisional government that would have diminished his authority.

The coalition is backed by Western powers and many Arab states, but Russia and China are critical of its insistence that Assad quit as a precondition for negotiations.

A senior Russian diplomat said on Monday his country wanted Russian and Chinese experts to take part in a U.N. investigation into charges that chemical arms were used in Syria on March 19.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the inquiry on Thursday and made clear it would focus on a rocket attack that killed 26 people near Aleppo. Syria's government and opponents accused each other of firing a missile laden with chemicals.

Opposition activists said Syrian forces had used phosphorus on Monday when they fired multiple rocket launchers at fighters besieging an army base in Adra, a town near Damascus. Two rebels were killed and 23 wounded. The activists described it as another chemical attack. There was no independent confirmation.

U.S. and European officials say they have no evidence yet of any chemical attack. If one is confirmed, it would be the first use of such weapons by either side in the Syrian conflict.

Damascus has not confirmed it possesses chemical weapons, but says if it had them it would not use them on its own people.

Major General Yair Golan, head of Israel's Northern Command, told the Israel Hayom newspaper that Syria's chemical arsenal was "100 percent" under the control of the Damascus government.

(Additional reporting by Jonathon Burch in Ankara, Khaled Yacoub Oweis in Amman, Steve Gutterman in Moscow and Ari Rabinovitch in Jerusalem; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Louise Ireland)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rebel-mortar-fire-hits-damascus-army-gunners-retaliate-135238660.html

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