মঙ্গলবার, ৩০ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

Lingerie Letters ? April 2013 | Pout Perfection

Hi Poutlings!

20130417_174226If you didn?t see my Lingerie Letters product & service review from last month ? clickety click! I just thought I?d share my April letter with you? and for everyone that giggled about my personal remark about sharing my knickers online, I?m doing it again?.

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This month was a pair of French knickers, and Lingerie Letters had gone very tres chic with their love notes they send out along with the knickers!

20130417_174416I don?t think I own another pair of French knickers, which I believe are also called ?tap pants? in the USA? They are more similar to a pair of boxer shorts, compared to traditionally fitted underwear. If you wear these during the day, be sure to pair them with very loose fitting pants or a flowing skirt as they can create quite a large visible panty line with the likes of wearing skinny jeans for example.? I think might become a new part of my nightwear, haven?t decided yet though.

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This month Lingerie Letters also sent along with the knickers ?Comfitex Feminie Wipes?, which I assume are of a similar nature to the other products of the same genre on the market, but I have never read or can find any information on the company to be more informed, maybe Lingerie Letters would have more info on this?

Don?t forget to check out their website?LingerieLetters.co.za and sign up for the one month option, for R95,?if you are not sure about how this thing works, it?s fun, cute, a bit cheeky and a very unique idea! They are also quite interactive on their Facebook Page and I?m sure will respond to any queries you may have, alternatively, check them out on Twitter ? @LingerieLetters

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Source: http://poutperfection.com/2013/04/29/lingerie-letters-april-2013/

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Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/302595277?client_source=feed&format=rss

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The business case for monarchies - Fortune Management

By Jeroen Ansink

Queen Beatrix and Crown Prince Willem Alexander of The Netherlands

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his mother, recently abdicated Queen Beatrix

FORTUNE ? It's good to be the king. But, when it comes to a nation's economic health, it's also good to have a king ? or queen ? on hand. Monarchs open economic doors.

"In the presence of royalty, companies can enter circles they wouldn't be able to get in by themselves," says Ang?lique Heijl, deputy director of international economic affairs at VNO-NCW, the largest employers' organization in the Netherlands. "This holds particularly true for countries where the government plays a large role in the economy."

Monarchs typically serve their respective nations longer than democratically elected heads of state: the recently abdicated Dutch Queen Beatrix was on the throne for 33 years, Elizabeth II of Britain has held her position for 61 years and counting. This kind of leadership stability gives these particular figures additional sway in the business community.

"The presence of the queen gives a mission just a little bit more cachet," says Erik Oostwegel, vice-chair at engineering consultancy Royal HaskoningDHV, who joined Queen Beatrix on visits to Oman, Qatar, and the UAE.

MORE: Offshore account holders win a victory in government tax case

While the impact of these visits is hard to quantify, they do generate cultural, political, and economic benefits, says architect Ben van Berkel, whose agency UNStudio went along on a royal trip to Singapore. "For companies who already have established contacts, an essential benefit is that your clients become aware that you have royal and political support in your own country. This is extremely beneficial in generating trust."

"The use of the Queen, in a dignified capacity, is incalculable," wrote the 19th-century British businessman and editor-in-chief of The Economist Walter Bagehot in The English Constitution.

In a 2007 study, Harry van Dalen, economist at the Dutch University of Tilburg, attempted to determine the effects of a royal head of state on real GDP growth. Comparing World Bank data from constitutional monarchies with other forms of government, he concluded that, on average, the presence of a royal house accounts for 0.8 to 1.0 percentage points of additional economic growth. According to van Dalen, a ruler in a constitutional monarchy adds stability, efficiency, and social capital in the form of trust. In the case of the Netherlands, this "monarchy bonus" has added an estimated 4 to 5 billion euros to its 2006 GDP. Not a bad investment, considering the royal family's budget of roughly 100 million euros a year.

Dual-nation firms like Anglo-Dutch oil giant Royal Dutch Shell and Unilever have the option of traveling with two monarchs. However, the royal bump will only take you so far, says Wim van de Wiel, spokesman for Royal Dutch Shell. "In the end, it is still up to us to prove ourselves."

Just the same, monarchies do offer a competitive edge when it comes to international trade, especially with other kingdoms, says Herman Matthijs, political scientist and monarchy expert at the Belgian Universiteit Gent. "Royal visits to monarchies such as Thailand, the Gulf States, or Brunei bring in much more government contracts than those to countries like Vietnam or China. For instance, when the British government organizes a trade mission to the Persian Gulf, they send Prince Charles. He always comes back with enormous orders for the defense industry."

MORE: Have headquarters, will travel

As members of an exclusive club, royals feel connected to each other, even though differences between countries and political systems may be enormous. "Autocratic rulers may not like democracies," Matthijs says, "but they do look up to royal titles. If King Willem-Alexander decides to go to Riyadh, the Saudi King will want to see him that very night. He will probably pick him up from the airport personally. I don't see that happening to, say, the president of Italy."

This diplomatic equality allows small European monarchies to punch above their weight. Although nothing trumps a trade mission led by a U.S. president. "That opens all doors," says Matthijs.

Royal families also offer several branding lessons to businesses, says Harvard Business School marketing professor Stephen Greyser, who collaborated in a study of monarchies as corporate brands. "Monarchy is a symbol of nationhood and has a target market of a wide range of stakeholders. In that respect, they almost behave like corporations themselves."

Businesses can profit when a royal family endorses high-end domestic brands. "These forms of co-branding show that the monarchy is supporting national products competing in a global market," Greyser says.

Monarchies also inspire businesses to do good. "Members of the royal family are making countless appearances in support of various organizations, especially in the philanthropic realm," says Greyser. "Corporations engaging in charitable causes can certainly learn from that."

Companies that operate within monarchies can also be awarded royal designations, a remnant of Napoleon's reign over large swaths of Europe. This royal stamp of approval indicates that an enterprise is of impeccable integrity, has national importance, is a leader in its field, and has been around for at least a century. Such companies can also incorporate a crown in their logos.

MORE: Suspicious spending: $605K for coffee with Apple's CEO

While a royal designation is considered somewhat old-fashioned in Western Europe, the effect is still tangible in the Middle East, says Oostwegel of Royal Haskoning. After designing the Port of Duqm in Oman, the company is aiming at developing its airports as well. "In those cases, it certainly helps to have a reputation as a solid and reliable partner."

Source: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/04/30/the-business-case-for-monarchies/

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Newsmakers: April 30 - Business Weekly

DSS, Spring Township, hired Debra Smolnik as manager of human resources. Smolnik of South Heidelberg Township will oversee human resource compliance, employee recruiting and training, compensation and performance reviews, and benefits management. Previously, Smolnik served as the human resource manager for VF Outlet Inc. She earned a master?s degree in business administration and a bachelor?s degree in business management and human resource management from Alvernia University.

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0430_newsmaker-Smith-BruceNational Penn Bancshares Inc., Boyertown, named Bruce G. Smith president of the Central Region. Smith of Wyomissing will lead the management of business and consumer relationships in Berks, Schuylkill and Western Montgomery counties. In addition, he remains head of National Penn?s companywide cash management, international and government banking groups. He has been with National Penn since 2004. Smith has a bachelor?s degree in government and a master?s degree in business administration from Lehigh University.

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0430_newsmaker-Stuart-RothenbergerSHW Group, Austin, Texas, named Stuart Rothenberger associate principal. Rothenberger of Robeson Township will be responsible for leading teams on the East Coast in managing and planning projects for higher-education clients. In addition, he will be part of SHW Group?s research and benchmarking program. Rothenberger will work out of the firm?s Baltimore office.

Source: http://businessweekly.readingeagle.com/newsmakers-april-30/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=newsmakers-april-30

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Israel leader: Iran has not yet crossed 'red line'

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israel's prime minister says Iran is edging closer to nuclear-weapons capability but has not yet reached the "red line" he laid out in a speech to the United Nations last fall.

Benjamin Netanyahu told his Likud Party on Monday that Iran is "systematically" getting closer to developing a weapon. He says Israel cannot let Iran cross this point.

Israel says a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat to the existence of the Jewish state, citing Iran's repeated calls for the destruction of Israel. Netanyahu has repeatedly hinted that Israel would be prepared to attack Iran unilaterally if international pressure fails to curb the Iranian nuclear program.

In his U.N. speech last September, Netanyahu said the international community has until the summer of 2013 to stop Iran from getting a bomb.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-leader-iran-not-yet-crossed-red-line-160224093.html

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সোমবার, ২৯ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

SoftBank allows Sprint to conduct talks with Dish

(AP) ? Sprint Nextel says SoftBank is allowing it to seek more information from Dish Network related to its rival bid for the third-largest U.S. cellphone company.

Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint has agreed to sell 70 percent of itself to Japan's Softbank Corp. for $20.1 billion. But it recently got a competing $25.5 billion offer from Dish Network Corp. for the whole company.

Under the agreement with SoftBank, Sprint can enter into a non-disclosure agreement and talks with Dish so it can clarify and obtain additional information from Dish related to its bid for the company.

Sprint isn't allowed to provide non-public information to Dish and can't enter into negotiations with the company.

SoftBank says it remains confident in its offer and expects the deal to close in July.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-04-29-SoftBank-Sprint/id-09abc435a1ce4b52a7d23b4206d213f8

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Nintendo now selling refurbished DSi XL and 3DS units for $100 and up

Nintendo now selling refurbished 3DS and DSi XL

It's easy for us to go shopping for a refurbished Nintendo handheld at stores and auction houses, but not if we're looking for a huge bargain: small discounts and dodgy quality often make it wiser to buy new instead. Nintendo has just offered us some better reasons to scrimp and save by quietly offering both the DSi XL and 3DS through its refurb shop. The used (and occasionally bruised) systems respectively start at $100 and $130, or $30 and $40 less than they'd normally cost -- enough to justify splurging on a game or two. While the selection is currently scarce, we'll set that qualm aside when everything gets the same year-long warranty as a new unit. About the only debate left is whether or not we're looking for a dedicated game machine in the first place.

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Via: Nintendo Everything, Ars Technica

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/P8SRXJZa0Ok/

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রবিবার, ২৮ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

Kentucky woman ordained as priest by dissident Roman Catholics

John Sommers / Reuters

Ordaining Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan (C) presents Rosemarie Smead (R), a 70-year-old Kentucky woman, to the audience after she was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest during a Celebration of Ordination at St. Andrew's United Church of Christ in Louisville, Kentucky April 27, 2013.

By Sofia Perpetua, NBC News

A dissident Roman Catholic group ordained a 70-year-old woman a priest in Louisville, Kentucky, during a ceremony attended by hundreds on Saturday.

About 150 women from all over the world have been ordained in defiance of the Roman Catholic Church that bans them from becoming priests.

Rosemarie Smead will be starting her own congregation and she told Reuters she is not worried about being excommunicated.

"It is a medieval bullying stick the bishops used to keep control over people and to keep the voices of women silent,? she said. ?I am way beyond letting octogenarian men tell us how to live our lives."

Smead, a former Carmelite nun with a bachelor's in theology and a doctorate in counseling psychology, wept throughout the ceremony.

According to a recent New York Times/CBS News poll, seventy percent of U.S. Catholics believe women should be allowed to be priests.

In a statement last week, Louisville Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz called the planned ceremony by the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests a "simulated ordination" in opposition to Catholic teaching.

"The simulation of a sacrament carries very serious penal sanctions in Church law, and Catholics should not support or participate in Saturday's event," Kurtz said.

Reuters contributed to this story

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653381/s/2b479a89/l/0Lusnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A40C280C179592150Ekentucky0Ewoman0Eordained0Eas0Epriest0Eby0Edissident0Eroman0Ecatholics0Dlite/story01.htm

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New conservative lobbying push for gay marriage

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) ? A national group of prominent GOP donors that supports gay marriage is pouring new money into lobbying efforts to get Republican lawmakers to vote to make it legal.

American Unity PAC was formed last year to lend financial support to Republicans who bucked the party's longstanding opposition to gay marriage. Its founders are launching a new lobbying organization, American Unity Fund, and already have spent more than $250,000 in Minnesota, where the Legislature could vote on the issue as early as next week.

The group has spent $500,000 on lobbying since last month, including efforts in Rhode Island, Delaware, Indiana, West Virginia and Utah.

Billionaire hedge fund manager and Republican donor Paul Singer launched American Unity PAC. The lobbying effort is the next phase as the push for gay marriage spreads to more states, spokesman Jeff Cook-McCormac told The Associated Press.

"What you have is this network of influential Republicans who really want to see the party embrace the freedom to marry, and believe it's not only the right thing for the country but also good politics," Cook-McCormac said.

In Minnesota, the money has gone to state groups that are lobbying Republican lawmakers and for polling on gay marriage in a handful of suburban districts held by Republicans. So far, only one Minnesota Republican lawmaker has committed to voting to legalize gay marriage: Sen. Branden Petersen, of Andover.

"I think there will be some more. There are legislators out there that are struggling with this," said Carl Kuhl, a former political aide to former GOP Sen. Norm Coleman and Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Kuhl's public affairs firm is contracted by Minnesotans United, the lead lobby group for gay marriage in Minnesota and main recipient of American Unity's Minnesota spending.

Gay marriage's fate in Minnesota may rest with the House, where support is seen as shakier than in the Senate. A handful of votes from Republicans could put it over the top. Nearly two dozen House Republicans represent more socially moderate suburbs and might be candidates to vote yes.

House Speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, said he has encouraged advocates of the marriage bill to round up Republican votes, if nothing else than to send a message to Minnesota residents that it's not a partisan proposition. But that will be politically risky; the main opposition group to same-sex marriage, Minnesota for Marriage, has said it will seek consequences for Republicans who stray on gay marriage.

Part of American Unity PAC's original mission was to spend money on behalf of Republican gay marriage supporters. Many GOP lawmakers have faced primary challenges funded in part by anti-gay marriage groups such as the National Organization for Marriage, which argue that the lawmakers had betrayed the party's core principles.

Since forming the lobby group last month, American Unity also spent money to win over Republican lawmakers in Rhode Island, where last week all five Republicans in the state Senate jumped on the gay marriage bandwagon. Rhode Island is on track to legalize gay marriage by next week, which would make it the 11th U.S. state where gay marriage is legal.

There are also plans to lobby federal lawmakers on gay rights issues.

"We intend to work on this effort until every American citizen is treated equally under the law," Cook-McCormac said. Other wealthy, traditionally Republican donors giving money to the group include Seth Klarman, David Herro and Cliff Asness.

Though only one current GOP officeholder in Minnesota is on record supporting gay marriage, a handful of prominent Republicans have spoken out in favor of it. They include former state auditor Pat Anderson and Brian McClung, who was spokesman for former Gov. Tim Pawlenty. Prominent Republican donors including former politician Wheelock Whitney and businesswoman Marilyn Carlson Nelson have also lent support and donated money.

Since it first formed to campaign against last fall's gay marriage ban and then shifted to pushing for its legalization at the Capitol, Minnesotans United has been building Republican alliances, hiring multiple lobbyists with Republican ties.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/conservative-lobbying-push-gay-marriage-050802280.html

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Petersen Museum Paying Tribute To Baja 1000 Glory - autoMedia

Honda Racing - 2012 Baja 1000

1971 Ford Bronco "Big Oly"

There is no race quite like the Baja 1000, and there is no better place to pay tribute to the legendary event like the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Next weekend, they?ll do just that with a trip down memory lane to celebrate the race that started with two motorcycles and turned into one of the most grueling competitions in motorsport.

Launched in 1962, with Honda eager to prove the mettle of their new CL72 Scrambler, drivers Dave Ekins and Bill Robertson blasted down the coast of Baja California and ended in La Paz. Ekins completed the 952.7-mile run in 39 hours and 56 minutes. Five years later, the first official NORRA Mexican 1000 Rally took place and media coverage brought the intense desert race into the magazines and televisions of fans all over the world. The rest is history, and it will all be on display at the Petersen on Saturday, May 4.

Today, the event includes more than 20 classes of trucks and buggies, plus about a dozen classes of motorcycles and ATVs. Overall winners in the past have included almost all major manufacturers, from the dominance of Ford and Chevrolet in recent years to an incredible nine wins from 1973-85 for Volkswagen, and even a couple of victories for Toyota sprinkled in there.

But it all comes back to Honda, the originators, and presenters of the Braving Baja: 1000 Miles to Glory event. The original CL72 Scrambler will be on display, alongsidethe Harley Davidson Baja 100 that won the 100cc class in 1971, the 1970 winning Miller Havens Volkswagen and a replica of the famous ?Big Oly? Ford Bronco that racing icon Parnelli Jones took to victory in 1971. Owners of Baja racers are encouraged to bring their own rides to the show, as well. For more information, click here to visit the official Braving Baja: 1000 Miles to Glory page.

*

Visit the?autoMedia.com?Honda Research Center?for quick access to reviews, pricing, photos, mpg and more. Make sure to follow?autoMedia.com?on?Twitter?and?Facebook.

Source: http://www.automedia.com/Blog/post/Petersen-Museum-Paying-Tribute-To-Baja-1000-Glory.aspx

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Wall Street opens lower after GDP data

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - Arsenal will keep with tradition and form a guard of honour for new Premier League champions Manchester United when the sides meet at The Emirates on Sunday. "That is part of the tradition of English football and I want that, of course, to be respected," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told a news conference on Friday. "I'm French, I work in England and the English tradition should be respected. When you work somewhere abroad you have to respect the culture of the country," he added. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stock-index-futures-fall-focus-gdp-data-091008483--finance.html

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শনিবার, ২৭ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

AP PHOTOS: Survivors found in Bangladesh collapse

Working round-the-clock, rescuers have pulled more than two dozen survivors from the rubble of a Bangladesh garment factory that collapsed 4 days ago, killing some 350 people.

From within the wreckage, "We are still getting response from survivors though they are becoming weaker slowly," said Brig. Gen. Ali Ahmed Khan, the head of the fire services.

"The building is very vulnerable. Any time the floors could collapse. We are performing an impossible task, but we are glad that we are able to rescue so many survivors," he said.

The disaster is the worst ever for the country's booming and powerful garment industry, surpassing a fire five months ago that killed 112 people and brought widespread pledges to improve worker-safety standards.

Here are some images from the recovery scene.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-photos-survivors-found-bangladesh-collapse-163536116.html

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Tons of linemen drafted, but Te'o waits for Day 2

NEW YORK (AP) ? More than 2? tons of linemen, five trades, one quarterback and no Manti Te'o.

The first round of the NFL draft delivered an enormous portion of beef, with 18 teams devouring linemen from the opening pick of offensive tackle Eric Fisher by Kansas City to center Travis Frederick by Dallas at No. 31.

But perhaps the biggest story of the first round was Teo's name not being called by Commissioner Roger Goodell during the 3-hour, 33-minute session Thursday night.

Te'o, the All-America linebacker from Notre Dame, became a tabloid sensation in January with revelations that the girlfriend who supposedly died during the season was actually a hoax. But what may have hurt his draft status most was his poor play in the national title game loss to Alabama, and his slow 40-yard dash time at the NFL combine.

Te'o wasn't the only big-name player who will have to wait until Friday's second round. West Virginia's Geno Smith was expected to be taken, but instead the only quarterback picked was Florida State's EJ Manuel by Buffalo with the 16th spot, acquired in a trade with St. Louis. It was the lowest the first QB was taken since 2000, when Chad Pennington went 18th to the Jets.

The Bills, of course, are optimistic about Manuel.

"If we can develop this guy, he has the talent to take you to the dance," Bills general manager Buddy Nix said. "This guy was further along than most of them as far as his knowledge of the game. ... This guy, to us, has got leadership qualities. He's smart. And he's big."

Also left out in the first round were running backs ? none was taken for the first time since 1963. Among running backs who could go in the second round are Eddie Lacy of Alabama and Montee Ball of Wisconsin. Other quarterbacks still waiting for their names to be called include USC's Matt Barkley, Oklahoma's Landry Jones and Syracuse's Ryan Nassib.

This first round showed off the beef. The breakdown: nine offensive linemen, nine defensive linemen.

"It's always nice when the O-line gets some respect," offensive tackle Luke Joeckel said after being taken No. 2 by Jacksonville. "We usually get the crummy meeting room, the crummy chairs in our meeting room.

"A lot of teams are realizing how important the position is. The guys, they look pretty scoring the touchdowns, but they get space to score those touchdowns from us."

And on the other side of the ball, teams need players to break through the line to get to the quarterbacks and running backs.

That's why Miami was in a trading mood, moving up from No. 12 to No. 3 in a deal with Oakland to grab defensive end Dion Jordan of Oregon.

"We took a player we coveted quite a bit," Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland said of the player he hopes could be the next Jason Taylor. "You've got to knock the quarterback down, you've got to take the ball away. This guy can do one of those two things."

After the opening two picks, the stampede was on. The first seven picks were all linemen.

"That's a lot of love for the big boys up front, which we usually don't get," Fisher said.

Fisher became the first Mid-American Conference player selected at the top when Chiefs new coach Andy Reid chose the 6-foot-7, 306-pound offensive tackle.

"This is so surreal," Fisher said. "I'm ready to get to work right now. I'm ready to start playing some football. I can't process what's going on right now."

After Joeckel and Jordan were taken, it was BYU defensive end Ziggy Ansah to Detroit, LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo to Cleveland, and North Carolina guard Jonathan Cooper to Arizona.

Fisher was only the third offensive tackle picked No. 1, joining Orlando Pace (1997) and Jake Long (2008) since the 1970 merger of the NFL and AFL. It's also the first time since '70 that offensive tackles went 1-2.

Even without a high-profile passer, runner or tackler going at the outset, the fans in the home of the Rockettes were pumped. They chanted "U-S-A, U-S-A" when Goodell paid tribute to the first responders at the Boston Marathon bombings and to the victims of the explosion in West, Texas. They roared when Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath began the countdown to the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather site by taking the podium and screaming: "New York; Super Bowl 48."

The crowd didn't seem to care that early on the picks were all heifers, not hoofers. No Andrew Lucks or RG3s at the top of this crop.

New Eagles coach Chip Kelly got a road-grader for his uptempo offense in Johnson.

"Tackle is not a very sexy position," Johnson said. "But it's a position of dire need."

In another trade, the Rams moved up eight spots ? and sent four picks to Buffalo to do so. St. Louis then grabbed West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin, all 5-8, 174 pounds of him.

The New York Jets may have found a replacement for star cornerback Darrelle Revis ? traded to Tampa Bay ? when they picked Alabama All-American Dee Milliner. That was the first of three straight selections from two-time national champion Alabama: Tennessee took guard Chance Warmack and San Diego got offensive tackle D.J. Fluker.

Oakland used the pick it got from the Dolphins for Houston cornerback D.J. Hayden, who nearly died last November after a collision in practice tore a blood vessel off the back of his heart. He was taken to a hospital and had surgery.

Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, who also had a heart scare at the NFL combine but then checked out fine, went 14th to Carolina, followed by Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro to New Orleans.

Former Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi, who carried an injured female runner to safety after the Boston Marathon explosions, displayed a jersey with the city's 617 area code and "Boston Strong" written on the front. He was supposed to announce New England's pick, but the Patriots dealt it to Minnesota, giving the Vikings three first-round selections.

Andruzzi, a native New Yorker, said, "There's a new saying in Boston: Boston Strong" before unveiling the jersey as "Sweet Caroline" was played on the loudspeakers.

Pittsburgh, which always seems to find standout linebackers, took the highest-rated one in Georgia's Jarvis Jones. The Rams went with another Georgia linebacker, Alec Ogletree with the No. 30 pick.

Notre Dame ended up with a first-rounder when tight end Tyler Eifert was chosen 21st overall by Cincinnati.

Atlanta's choice of Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant gave that family three brothers in the league. His older siblings, Marcus and Isaiah, preceded him.

One major surprise was the New York Giants' selection of Justin Pugh ? yet another tackle, but one who wasn't projected to go in the opening round by many draft analysts.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tons-linemen-drafted-teo-waits-day-2-070542343--nfl.html

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The Modern American Farmer

Farmer loading a grain truck in Illinois.

Bill Raben loads a grain truck as he helps harvest corn on land he farms with his brother near Carmi, Ill.

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images

A new magazine hit newsstands last week, and, given the state of print media, that fact alone is notable. But the launch of this magazine also reflects a significant shift in American culture. Its cover resembles that of a design publication: It?s matte-printed on thick paper stock, and it features an arty photograph of a rooster so close up as to appear life-size. The bird?s deep red comb against the dramatic black background directs readers? eyes upward to where, in an elegant font, the magazine?s title appears: Modern Farmer.?????????

What kind of person is a modern farmer? That question has been on my mind since I walked last fall into the first meeting of New York City?s Farm Beginnings?a class taught, implausibly, in an old office building amid the concrete canyons of lower Manhattan. Nearly three dozen aspiring farmers gathered every other Saturday over four months to participate in a U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded program to support new farmers. Each developed a business plan, most in preparation to buy or lease land within 200 miles of New York City to meet the requirements for selling at the city?s greenmarkets. The majority of students were minorities and first-generation Americans, immigrants both newly arrived and long established, in their 30s, 40s, and 50s (a fact that sheds light on why the National Young Farmers? Coalition defines ?young? in farming as anyone who has been doing it for less than 10 years). And they reinforced how the dominant stereotypes of farmers?either a white, rural corn farmer in a state that starts with the letter ?I? (the kind hailed in Dodge?s much-lauded ?So God Made a Farmer? Super Bowl ad), or a hip, white, urban grower on the East or West coast (the kind of person to whom Modern Farmer seems to be marketed)?fail to convey the diverse reality of the country?s changing agricultural landscape.

Farm Beginnings is one of several educational initiatives serving a growing interest in farming. Aspiring farmers vie for coveted apprenticeships at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, whose annual Young Farmers Conference gathers some 250 beginning farmers to learn sustainable farm practices (and last fall sold out in less than two days). And Farm School NYC, a two-year-long certificate program that features courses on propagation, crop planning, irrigation, animal husbandry, and more, attracted so many applicants in its first two years that its selectivity rate matched that of an Ivy League college.

When the first Farm Beginnings class convened, among its students were a few fitting the hipster stereotype: young, white, Brooklyn-based, wearing ?80s vintage glasses, and working in fashion or design. But they were outnumbered. When students introduced themselves, they cited countries of origin such as Haiti, Guyana, Sierra Leone, Ecuador, India, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, and Canada, prompting one woman?a spoken word performer from Staten Island?to exclaim, ?We have the whole world here!?

But unlike programs that seek to help new immigrants launch agricultural businesses, this class attracted many highly educated and long-established first-generation Americans. Among my classmates was Suresh Murugiyan, a software engineer in his 40s, who emigrated from India in 2000 and lives in Queens. His father, also an engineer, had been the first in the family to forgo a life of farming and move to a city. But as a child, Murugiyan often visited his grandparents, most memorably during the annual Tamil agricultural festival of Pongal, and as a result he has long felt the urge to farm. ?It is something I want to do,? he says, ?something I want to do which my ancestors did.? As he learned about organic farming?and realized the market potential of a South Asian community that, like many others, is becoming more conscious about eating healthy, locally grown food?Murugiyan understood that the small-scale, greenhouse-based farming he finds appealing could be economically viable in the suburbs of New York City. Another classmate, a Turkish emigrant who runs a grocery store in Brooklyn, wants to farm not only because he sees firsthand the demand for such artisanal products as chestnuts but also because he wants to share with his new countrymen the taste and quality of the produce he ate as a child. After 20 years in the U.S., he has saved the capital to buy farmland in New Jersey.

American-born minorities made up a decent portion of Farm Beginnings students, too. Some class members described a desire to restore African-American traditions: to help bring black farmers back from the brink of extinction, reconnect urban youth with agrarian values, and reclaim farming from its association with slavery and sharecropping. Says Michelle Hughes, former director of Farm Roots at GrowNYC and the class co-instructor, ?They?re looking to reconnect with where their food comes from and with nature. And because African-Americans have that history?the stigma of the soil?it?s healing.?

Many came to agriculture through an interest in food systems and social justice. They included young men and women who believe organically grown local food should be available to people of all races and income levels. Such activists believe the U.S. food system needs to get out from under the control of multinational corporations, and that a warming planet demands sustainable, regional food systems. To make these things happen, they seek careers in farming.

The students in New York City?s first Farm Beginnings class represent a new chapter of an enduring American story. Immigrants and ethnic minorities have always gone into farming?some against their will, some willingly. But in an important way, this is a different version of that story. When software engineers from India and social justice activists from the South Bronx want to enter agriculture, something has changed in American culture. Farming?s new cachet is impossible to deny?and its appeal is more widespread than many cynics believe.

Modern Farmer, to its credit, acknowledges that renewed interest in agriculture isn?t limited to upper-middle-class coastal progressives (even if they dominate the community-supported agriculture membership to whom half the first issue?s print run was distributed for free). Among three American growers profiled in the first issue, only one conforms to that stereotype: Mark Firth, a former Brooklyn restaurateur who now owns a farm and a restaurant in Massachusetts. The other two look a lot like the people I met in Farm Beginnings: ?Juan Murillo, the son of a former farm laborer, who grows fruit and vegetables organically on a half-acre of land he leases through the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association in Monterey County, Calif., and Kelvin Graddick, a 24-year-old African-American with a computer science degree who revived a farmers cooperative in Georgia founded by his grandparents. The only farming demographic missing from Modern Farmer?s pages, in fact, is the rural, Midwestern old guard.

It remains to be seen whether any farmer will subscribe to a magazine that, at first glimpse, looks like an over-the-top romanticization of agriculture (and one that?s probably too expensive for many actual farmers to buy). Some of the farmers I know have expressed skepticism about its usefulness to them even as they admire its prettiness. The magazine?s deputy editor, Reyhan Harmanci, acknowledged in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle that the magazine?s ?core audience probably won?t be farmers, necessarily.? But even as the magazine?s assumptions about its readers may hew to stereotypes about urban foodies?there?s a how-to on growing cocktail ingredients, and a fashion spread featuring a $320 sunhat from Barneys?its representations of farmers are, thankfully, rightly diverse.

Slate?s coverage of food systems is made possible in part by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=657663eb79e9d14eb3337d12e992d54e

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'American Idol' Is Full Of Surprises ... And Drake!

Top four ladies all survive to sing another week, and the rapper drops in on Candice Glover.
By Adam Graham

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1706369/american-idol-drake-surprise.jhtml

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Rental Perks You Might Get ? If You Ask | Zillow Blog

ExtraBy Doug Mack for MyFirstApartment.com

Most apartments will never come with the same perks as hotels. No room service. No wake-up calls. No daily housekeeping. No fancy soap in the bathroom or mint on your pillow.

But while your typical apartment lacks these instant-gratification niceties, most come with at least one or two alluring perks of their own. A yard, rooftop deck or other outdoor space for hanging out. A pool or fitness room. On-site laundry (or even that elusive, magnificent find, free on-site laundry). Most of these amenities are well-advertised as part of the landlord?s sales pitch.

Other perks, for various reasons, are more discreet: You have to ask for them. There?s no guarantee your landlord will say yes to any of these extras, but it?s worth making the inquiry.

Parking and storage

In all buildings, particularly in big cities, space is at a premium. Income-generating use (that is, rentable space) typically gets priority over everything else ? hence the tiny studio apartment wedged into the basement corner, just past the mechanical room. Even in these buildings, though, there may well be a parking spot or two in back, or a storage room down a dank hallway, If they exist, however, there?s probably not enough space for everyone in the building. So how can you grab one of the spots? It may be a simple as just asking. You may have to settle for putting your name on a waiting list, or you may have to pay a nominal additional monthly fee, but at least you?ll end up with more options than you had otherwise.

Pets

You?ve found your dream apartment, and the price is perfect, too. But the fine print of your lease bars your four-legged companion from living there. Bummer. Don?t walk away quite yet. As with all the lease terms, it?s worth asking the landlord directly if there?s any flexibility. Sometimes, especially if you?re dealing with a landlord who owns just one or two properties, the lease may be all boilerplate that even the landlord doesn?t wholly understand (and didn?t draft). Explain that your pet is well-behaved and you?re a good neighbor (now would be a good time to provide references from previous places you?ve lived). And know that even if your landlord gives the OK, you may be charged slightly higher rent or an additional damage deposit.

If you?re renewing an existing lease and decide to get a pet, you have an even better bargaining chip: You?ve already established yourself as a responsible renter. The landlord knows you, trusts you and most likely doesn?t want to lose you.

Incentives for referring a friend

Your friend needs a new apartment. There?s one available in your building. Sweet! Your pal gets a place to live, and you get a cool new neighbor. Don?t forget one more perk: Some landlords and management companies offer referral incentives (say, $50 or $100) if you find them a new renter. Ask the landlord upfront, before your friend signs the lease, just so it?s clear that you really did recruit this new tenant. And, of course, if your landlord does give you something, it?s only fair to offer your pal a cut; at the very least, buy him or her a cup of coffee as you show off the new neighborhood.

New appliances/fixtures in your apartment

That rusty refrigerator or broken sink in an otherwise awesome apartment doesn?t need to be a deal-breaker ??if the landlord is willing to replace it. Explain your concern and make the case ? the sink seems like it?s going to fall and cause a flood or the refrigerator?s obvious problems are going to result in your calling the landlord to fix it on a weekly basis. Obviously, you can?t go overboard: No landlord is going to redo the bathroom just because you asked.

Getting first in line for another unit

You like your landlord and your neighborhood, but not your current living arrangement. Your unit is too small, too big or too expensive. Something?s not quite right. Ask your landlord to notify you of any openings in the building ? or any others under the same ownership ? and put you first in line for other units that better meet your needs. You may be able to upgrade without the hassle of application fees or a new rental deposit.

Lower rent if you sign a longer lease

A standard rental lease is 12 months; often, when you renew, the landlord will give you the option to sign on for another year or switch to month-to-month, which costs more but gives you more flexibility if you?re thinking about moving. But what if you?re quite happy staying put and have no desire to live anywhere else for the foreseeable future? Ask your landlord about longer leases ? not just one year but two or more. You might catch him or her by surprise ??such leases aren?t terribly common ??but if the answer is yes, you could end up saving a nice chunk of change.

With all of these perks, the key is to ask nicely. Don?t be too pushy. Not all landlords can or will offer all or any of the things listed above. And do your research to know what?s reasonable; get advice and guidance from friends in similar circumstances or other tenants in the same building. You?re asking for something extra, so you need to have the confidence and knowledge to make your case.

> Find Rentals on Zillow

Related:

MyFirstApartment.com helps novice renters successfully navigate the first year of living on their own. The blog shares proven tips and tricks for everything from finding the perfect rental or roommate, to furnishing on a small budget or no budget, to dealing with landlords or roommate?s girlfriends.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of Zillow.

Source: http://www.zillowblog.com/2013-04-24/rental-perks-you-might-get-if-you-ask/

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Missouri House Backs Income Tax Cut, Sales Tax Hike ? CBS St ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) ? Envious of income tax cuts in neighboring states, Missouri?s Republican-led House voted Wednesday to slice income taxes for individuals and businesses while imposing a higher sales tax that would fund schools and roads.

The legislation would mark the most significant change to Missouri?s tax code in at least a couple of decades. But Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon has voiced opposition to similar versions, citing the potential to shift the tax burden away from corporations and the affluent onto those who can least afford the higher sales tax.

The House passed the legislation by a 90-68 vote, though some members of the Republican supermajority defected to join Democrats in opposition. The bill now must go back to the Senate, because the House made changes to a version passed last month in the other chamber.

Republican supporters in both chambers have touted the tax changes as an important counter-move in an ongoing battle for businesses among Missouri and its neighboring states such as Kansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Kansas passed an income tax cut last year. Oklahoma, which cut its income taxes over the past couple decades, appears poised to make another reduction this year. And Tennessee doesn?t tax individual income.

Missouri?s GOP lawmakers asserted that the state hasn?t cut its individual income tax rates since 1921.

?We have to do something, or our state is going to lose out,? said Rep. Andrew Koenig, R-St. Louis County, who handled the bill.

Legislative researchers project the House plan would eventually reduce state revenues by $438 million annually. The Missouri Budget Project, a St. Louis-based nonprofit that has run ads against the proposed tax changes, estimates that the bill could eventually reduce state revenues by almost $1 billion annually.

Democrats suggested the proposed tax changes would bust the state?s budget.

?We?re being really irresponsible here,? said Rep. Jon Carpenter, D-Kansas City.

Under the House plan, the top individual income tax rate of 6 percent would be cut by two-thirds of a percentage point over five years, so long as state revenues continue to rise by $100 million annually. The corporate income tax would be gradually reduced by three-quarters of a percentage point. And a new 50 percent deduction would be phased in for business income reported on individual income tax returns.

The bill also contains several provisions meant to aid lower-income families and small businesses. It would nearly double the personal deduction on individual income taxes for those with adjusted gross incomes below $20,000 annually. It also would exempt the first $25,000 of corporate income from taxation.

To partially offset that lost revenue, the legislation would gradually increase the state sales tax by three-fifths of a cent, with most of those revenues earmarked to schools and a smaller portion dedicated to state roads and construction of a new mental hospital. Like the income tax cuts, the sales tax increase would take effect only if state revenues continue to rise by at least $100 million annually.

The various tax changes would start in 2014 and be fully implemented in 2018.

The legislation ?creates a tax structure that?s going to prompt growth and investment in Missouri,? said Rep. Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff.

No Republicans spoke against the legislation during a debate that was cut off by GOP leaders after an hour and a half. But 19 Republicans voted against the legislation, leaving it far shy of the 109 votes that would be needed to override a potential gubernatorial veto.

Rep. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, said in an interview that he voted ?no? primarily because of the potential hit on government revenues and services.

?I?m concerned, when we?re not fully funding the (school) formula now, how another tax reduction could affect our schools,? Hoskins said.

The House bill differs in several ways from the version previously passed by the Senate. For example, the Senate plan had a larger individual income tax cut of three-quarters of a percentage point and a smaller sales tax hike of one-half cent that would have gone to general state revenues instead of being earmarked for specific purposes.

The House version also includes an amnesty period from this August through October that would allow those with overdue Missouri taxes to pay up without penalties or interest. Supporters of that provision hope it can prompt the payment of tens of millions of tax dollars that Missouri might otherwise not collect.

? Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2013/04/24/missouri-house-backs-income-tax-cut-sales-tax-hike/

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৫ এপ্রিল, ২০১৩

Real Estate Dilettante Libet Johnson Lists Trump International Condo

Virtual staging is usually a bad sign.

Virtual staging is usually a bad sign.

Libet Johnson, heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune, appears to be in the mood for tying up loose ends. Two months ago she reconciled with her ex-boyfriend, celebrity weight loss-through-pregnancy-hormones guru Lionel Bissoon, reaching a joint custody agreement over a 9-year-old child that they ?found? in Cambodia and brought back to the U.S. on a humanitarian visa.

Now comes the shedding of the real estate: Ms. Johnson has just listed her 30th-floor condo at the?Trump International Hotel and Tower. She?s asking $4 million for the two-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom spread, or exactly double what she paid for it back in 2004.

We assume it was used as either a staff apartment or one for distant visiting relations, given that it lacks park views and sits more than 20 floors below her old penthouse at?1 Central Park West, supposedly the largest in the building, which she sold back in 2007 for $18.5 million. In any case, the apartment clearly hasn?t been lived in recently: it?s almost totally devoid of furniture or personal touches?the first listing photo is digitally staged?and what is in the apartment looks like castaways for the help.

It also looks like Ms. Johnson has had some difficulty selling the unit. It was previously listed with Brown Harris Stevens for nearly $3.9 million, but after being taken off the market for two years, it?s now listed with Stribling?s?Pamela D?Arc.

And it?s not the only home that Ms. Johnson has had a hard time selling. She picked up?the old Vanderbilt Mansion at 16 East 69th Street from fellow heiress Sloan Lindemann Barnett and her husband for?$48 million?Ms. Johnson got ?screwed? in the deal, said one broker?and it?s been sitting empty for want of a mid-$5o million buyer.

And then there was?85 Perry Street, her 200-year-old West Village townhouse that lost over $3.4 million in value between her 2008 purchase and her sale last year.

?She hasn?t been very lucky in her real estate?endeavors,? said one broker. Though given her trust fund, she probably hasn?t lost any sleep over it.

Follow Stephen Jacob Smith on Twitter or via RSS. ssmith@observer.com

Source: http://observer.com/2013/04/real-estate-dilettante-libet-johnson-lists-trump-international-condo/

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Baghdad car bomb kills eight people: police

MUNICH, April 23 (Reuters) - Barcelona centre half Gerard Pique acknowledged his team were thoroughly second best as Bayern Munich romped to a 4-0 win in their Champions League semi-final first leg at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. "They gave us a thrashing," he said. "We will try to turn it around in the return leg (on May 1) and put in a good performance for the fans. "They were better and faster than us. There is no point talking about the referee, there is no excuse." Arjen Robben, who sparkled on the wing for Bayern and scored one of the goals, hailed his team's spectacular performance. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/baghdad-car-bomb-kills-eight-people-police-171713665.html

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Delays in diagnosis worsen outlook for minority, uninsured pediatric retinoblastoma patients

Delays in diagnosis worsen outlook for minority, uninsured pediatric retinoblastoma patients [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Irene Sege
irene.sege@childrens.harvard.edu
617-919-7379
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

MIAMI When the eye cancer retinoblastoma is diagnosed in racial and ethnic minority children whose families don't have private health insurance, it often takes a more invasive, potentially life-threatening course than in other children, probably because of delays in diagnosis, Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) researchers will report at the 26th annual meeting of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology being held in Miami, April 24-27.

By analyzing data and tumor samples from 203 children across the United States who had been treated for retinoblastoma, the investigators found that the disease was more invasive at diagnosis in patients who were non-white, Hispanic, uninsured, or covered by Medicaid. Researchers now need to explore why the disease tends to be diagnosed later in such children and how those delays can be eliminated, said the study authors.

Retinoblastomas are tumors that develop during childhood in the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye. There are about 350 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. Treatment may require surgical removal of the affected eye and, if the disease is likely to spread, follow-up chemotherapy.

"The longer that retinoblastomas grow before they're diagnosed and treated, the more invasive they become," said the study's lead author, Adam Green, MD, of DF/CHCC. "In this study, we used tumor invasiveness as an indicator of delays in disease diagnosis."

Data and tumor tissue used in the study came from pediatric retinoblastoma patients participating in a clinical trial run by the Children's Oncology Group, a consortium of more than 8,000 childhood cancer experts on three continents. All the patients had the diseased eye surgically removed, and those whose disease was deemed likely to spread received chemotherapy.

Investigators collected data on patients' insurance status, race, and ethnicity. The tumor tissue samples were examined by pathologists for signs that the tumors would metastasize.

"We correlated the demographic data with the results of the pathology exams to see if children with retinoblastoma who were non-white, Hispanic, or who did not have private health insurance were more likely to have disease invasiveness at diagnosis requiring chemotherapy in addition to surgery, a stage of disease that may carry a lower survival rate," Green said. "The answer was yes."

Of the factors most associated with invasive disease, Hispanic ethnicity had the greatest impact on risk, researchers found, raising the possibility that not speaking English as one's primary language poses a particular barrier to timely diagnosis and treatment.

"We now need to find out where in the diagnostic process the delays are occurring," said the senior author of the study, Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, of DF/CHCC. "Is it because patients' families aren't familiar with the warning signs of the disease, because they have trouble getting to a primary care doctor or ophthalmologist for an exam, or some other factor? We hope to explore those questions in future studies."

###

Co-authors of the study include Bryan Langholz, PhD, of the University of Southern California; Murali Chintagumpala, MD, of Texas Children's Cancer Center; Patricia Chevez-Barrios, MD, of Methodist Hospital Research Institute; Daniel Albert, MD, MS, of the University of Wisconsin; and Ralph Eagle, MD, of the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia.

This research was funded by the National Cancer Institute (grants U10 CA98543 and T32 CA136432).

Written by Rob Levy, Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center

Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center

Since 1947, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have provided comprehensive care for children and adolescents with cancer through Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center. The two Harvard Medical School affiliates share a clinical staff that delivers inpatient care at Boston Children's and outpatient therapies at Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund Clinic. The Boston Children's inpatient pediatric cancer service has 33 beds, including 13 designated for stem cell transplant patients.

Boston Children's is also the site of DF/CHCC inpatient clinical translational research in pediatric malignancies and has long supported the operation of an effective and productive stem cell transplant service. It has a long history of investment in and support of both clinical and basic cancer research, with more than $7.3 million in National Cancer Institute research support and 47,000 square feet of space devoted to cancer research. It is a recognized center of excellence in angiogenesis, cellular/molecular immunology, cancer genetics, and molecular signaling research.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Delays in diagnosis worsen outlook for minority, uninsured pediatric retinoblastoma patients [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Irene Sege
irene.sege@childrens.harvard.edu
617-919-7379
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

MIAMI When the eye cancer retinoblastoma is diagnosed in racial and ethnic minority children whose families don't have private health insurance, it often takes a more invasive, potentially life-threatening course than in other children, probably because of delays in diagnosis, Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center (DF/CHCC) researchers will report at the 26th annual meeting of the American Society of Pediatric Hematology Oncology being held in Miami, April 24-27.

By analyzing data and tumor samples from 203 children across the United States who had been treated for retinoblastoma, the investigators found that the disease was more invasive at diagnosis in patients who were non-white, Hispanic, uninsured, or covered by Medicaid. Researchers now need to explore why the disease tends to be diagnosed later in such children and how those delays can be eliminated, said the study authors.

Retinoblastomas are tumors that develop during childhood in the light-sensitive retina at the back of the eye. There are about 350 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States. Treatment may require surgical removal of the affected eye and, if the disease is likely to spread, follow-up chemotherapy.

"The longer that retinoblastomas grow before they're diagnosed and treated, the more invasive they become," said the study's lead author, Adam Green, MD, of DF/CHCC. "In this study, we used tumor invasiveness as an indicator of delays in disease diagnosis."

Data and tumor tissue used in the study came from pediatric retinoblastoma patients participating in a clinical trial run by the Children's Oncology Group, a consortium of more than 8,000 childhood cancer experts on three continents. All the patients had the diseased eye surgically removed, and those whose disease was deemed likely to spread received chemotherapy.

Investigators collected data on patients' insurance status, race, and ethnicity. The tumor tissue samples were examined by pathologists for signs that the tumors would metastasize.

"We correlated the demographic data with the results of the pathology exams to see if children with retinoblastoma who were non-white, Hispanic, or who did not have private health insurance were more likely to have disease invasiveness at diagnosis requiring chemotherapy in addition to surgery, a stage of disease that may carry a lower survival rate," Green said. "The answer was yes."

Of the factors most associated with invasive disease, Hispanic ethnicity had the greatest impact on risk, researchers found, raising the possibility that not speaking English as one's primary language poses a particular barrier to timely diagnosis and treatment.

"We now need to find out where in the diagnostic process the delays are occurring," said the senior author of the study, Carlos Rodriguez-Galindo, MD, of DF/CHCC. "Is it because patients' families aren't familiar with the warning signs of the disease, because they have trouble getting to a primary care doctor or ophthalmologist for an exam, or some other factor? We hope to explore those questions in future studies."

###

Co-authors of the study include Bryan Langholz, PhD, of the University of Southern California; Murali Chintagumpala, MD, of Texas Children's Cancer Center; Patricia Chevez-Barrios, MD, of Methodist Hospital Research Institute; Daniel Albert, MD, MS, of the University of Wisconsin; and Ralph Eagle, MD, of the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia.

This research was funded by the National Cancer Institute (grants U10 CA98543 and T32 CA136432).

Written by Rob Levy, Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center

Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center

Since 1947, Boston Children's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have provided comprehensive care for children and adolescents with cancer through Dana-Farber/Children's Hospital Cancer Center. The two Harvard Medical School affiliates share a clinical staff that delivers inpatient care at Boston Children's and outpatient therapies at Dana-Farber's Jimmy Fund Clinic. The Boston Children's inpatient pediatric cancer service has 33 beds, including 13 designated for stem cell transplant patients.

Boston Children's is also the site of DF/CHCC inpatient clinical translational research in pediatric malignancies and has long supported the operation of an effective and productive stem cell transplant service. It has a long history of investment in and support of both clinical and basic cancer research, with more than $7.3 million in National Cancer Institute research support and 47,000 square feet of space devoted to cancer research. It is a recognized center of excellence in angiogenesis, cellular/molecular immunology, cancer genetics, and molecular signaling research.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/dci-did042213.php

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Train plot suspect dismisses Canadian law, cites "holy book"

By Allison Martell

TORONTO (Reuters) - One of the two men accused of an al Qaeda-backed plan to derail a passenger train in Canada questioned the authority of Canadian law to judge him, telling a court on Wednesday that the criminal code is imperfect and is not a holy book.

Chiheb Esseghaier, a Tunisian-born PhD student, faces charges that include conspiracy to murder and working with a terrorist group.

He and another suspect allegedly hoped to derail a passenger train, perhaps at a bridge near the U.S.-Canada border, with possible heavy loss of life, authorities said.

In a brief hearing where he was ordered back into custody, Esseghaier, 30, said the allegations against him are based on laws that are unreliable because they are not the work of God.

"All of these conclusions was taken out based on (the) Criminal Code," he told a Toronto court. "The Criminal Code is not (a) holy book."

He added: "Only the Creator is perfect."

Esseghaier, who has a thick black beard and wore a blue-black windbreaker, declined to use an Arabic interpreter the court had made available. But he seemed to struggle at times to understand the proceedings.

Canadian authorities said they have linked the two to al Qaeda factions in Iran. They said, however that there is no indication the plans, which police described as the first known al Qaeda-backed plot on Canadian soil, were state-sponsored.

Tehran has vehemently rejected any ties to the arrests.

Authorities said there is also no connection to the Boston Marathon bombing. But U.S. officials say investigators are trying to establish if the two suspects were part of a wider network with associates in the United States, especially in New York.

Esseghaier, along with Raed Jaser, 35, of Toronto, were arrested on Monday in separate raids after what police said was a joint Canada-U.S. investigation that started last year after a tip from a member of the Muslim community.

Jaser was remanded into custody on Tuesday. He denies the charges against him, said his lawyer John Norris, who has also represented Canadian Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr.

Jaser was born in the UAE and came to Canada with his parents as refugees 20 years ago, although he only recently obtained status as a permanent resident, Canada's equivalent to a U.S. Green Card.

U.S. officials said that the suspects were believed to have worked on a plan to blow up a trestle on the Canadian side of the border as the Maple Leaf, Amtrak's daily run between Toronto and New York, passed over it.

Canadian police said there had been no immediate threat to rail passengers or to the public.

Police had tracked Esseghaier for a year before making the arrests. U.S. sources close to the investigation said he made several trips to the United States, with one official saying that "loose ends" were still being pursued in the United States.

CBC Radio cited Canadian official as saying they had monitored Esseghaier's visit to a conference in Cancun, Mexico in 2012.

Why the arrests were made on Monday was the source of speculation on Wednesday, with some reports saying officials felt a sense of urgency to act preventively after the Boston tragedy and others saying they decided to act after intelligence showed the plot was closer to being execution.

"I don't get into operational matters," Canadian Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said when asked to comment on the timing of the arrests.

Jaser's lawyer Norris called the timing of the arrests "notable", citing the events in Boston and anti-terror legislation being debated in the Canadian parliament.

The link to Iran has puzzled some experts, as there has been little evidence of attempts by the few al Qaeda figures there to attack the West.

However, a U.S. government source said Iran is home to a little-known network of alleged al Qaeda fixers and "facilitators" based in the city of Zahedan, very close to Iran's borders with both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Canada severed diplomatic ties with Iran last year over what it said was Iran's support for terrorist groups, as well as its nuclear program and its hostility towards Israel.

(Writing by Louise Egan; Editing by Janet Guttsman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canada-passenger-train-attack-plot-suspect-set-court-130711445.html

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