Brain pathway triggering impulsive eating identified

Feb. 28, 2013 ? New research from the University of Georgia has identified the neural pathways in an insect brain tied to eating for pleasure, a discovery that sheds light on mirror impulsive eating pathways in the human brain.

"We know when insects are hungry, they eat more, become aggressive and are willing to do more work to get the food," said Ping Shen, a UGA associate professor of cellular biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. "Little is known about the other half-the reward-driven feeding behavior-when the animal is not so hungry but they still get excited about food when they smell something great.

The fact that a relatively lower animal, a fly larva, actually does this impulsive feeding based on a rewarding cue was a surprise."

The research team led by Shen, who also is a member of the Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute, found that presenting fed fruit fly larvae with appetizing odors caused impulsive feeding of sugar-rich foods. The findings, published Feb. 28 in Cell Press, suggest eating for pleasure is an ancient behavior and that fly larvae can be used in studying neurobiology and the evolution of olfactory reward-driven impulses.

To test reward-driven behaviors in flies, Shen introduced appetizing odors to groups of well-fed larvae. In every case, the fed larvae consumed about 30 percent more food when surrounded by the attractive odors.

But when the insects were offered a substandard meal, they refused to eat it.

"They have expectations," he said. "If we reduce the concentration of sugar below a threshold, they do not respond anymore. Similar to what you see in humans, if you approach a beautiful piece of cake and you taste it and determine it is old and horrible, you are no longer interested."

Shen's team also tried to further define this phenomenon-the connection between excitement and expectation. He found when the larvae were presented with a brief odor, the amount of time they were willing to act on the impulse was about 15 minutes.

"After 15 minutes, they revert back to normal. You get excited, but you can't stay excited forever, so there is a mechanism to shut it down," he said.

His work also suggests the neuropeptides, or brain chemicals acting as signaling molecules triggering impulsive eating, are consistent between flies and humans. Neurons receive and convert stimuli into thoughts that are then relayed to the downstream mechanism telling the animals to act. These signaling molecules are required for this impulse, suggesting the molecular details of these functions are evolutionarily tied between flies and humans.

"There are hyper-rewarding cues that humans and flies have evolved to perceive, and they connect this perception with behavior performance," Shen said. "As long as this is activated, the animal will eat food. In this way, the brain is stupid: It does not know how it gets activated. In this case, the fly says 'I smell something, I want to do this.' This kind of connection has been established very early on, probably before the divergence of fly and human. That is why we both have it."

Impulsive and reward-driven behaviors are largely misunderstood, partially due to the complex systems at work in human brains. Fly larvae nervous systems, in terms of scheme and organization, are very similar to adult flies and to mammals, but with fewer neurons and less complex wirings.

"A particular function in the brain of mammals may require a large cluster of neurons," he said. "In flies, it may be only one or four. They are simpler in number but not principle."

In the fly model, four neurons are responsible for relaying signals from the olfactory center to the brain to stimulate action. Each odor and receptor translates the response slightly differently. Human triggers are obviously more diverse, but Shen thinks the mechanism to appreciate the combination is likely the same. He is now working with Tianming Liu, assistant professor of computer science at UGA and member of the Bioimaging Research Center and Institute of Bioinformatics, on a computer model to determine how these odors are interpreted as stimuli.

"Dieting is difficult, especially in the environment of these beautiful foods," Shen said. "It is very hard to control this impulsive urge. So, if we understand how this compulsive eating behavior comes about, we maybe can devise a way, at least for the behavioral aspect, to prevent it. We can modulate our behaviors better or use chemical interventions to calm down these cues."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Georgia. The original article was written by April Reese Sorrow.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Yonghua Wang, Yuhan Pu, Ping Shen. Neuropeptide-Gated Perception of Appetitive Olfactory Inputs in Drosophila Larvae. Cell Reports, 2013; DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.02.003

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/top_news/top_health/~3/w47egAsfD9E/130228124644.htm

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Retirees turn to communal living in NY

Jim Fitzgerald , The Associated Press ? ? ? 3 hrs.

CHESTNUT RIDGE, N.Y. - At the Fellowship Community's adult home, workers are paid not according to what they do, but what they need; aging residents are encouraged to lend a hand at the farm, the candle shop or the pottery studio; and boisterous children are welcome around the old folks.

It's a home for the elderly in a commune-like setting ? 30 miles from Manhattan ? that takes an unusual approach, integrating seniors into the broader community and encouraging them to contribute to its welfare.

"It's a great place to live, and I think there's probably no better place in the world to die," says Joanne Karp, an 81-year-old resident who was supposed to be in her room recovering from eye surgery but instead was down the hall at the piano, accompanying three kids learning to play the recorder.

The 33-bed adult home is at the center of Fellowship Community, a collection of about 130 men, women and children founded in 1966 that offers seniors ? including the aging baby boom generation ? an alternative to living out their final years in traditional assisted-living homes or with their grown sons and daughters.

At most adult homes, a resident in decline would eventually have to go to a hospital or nursing home. But Fellowship has an exemption from state law that allows dying residents to stay there because "people have wanted to stay, and we have wanted to keep them," said administrator Ann Scharff, who helped found the community.

"We provide a space in which people can prepare to die in a way that is accepted and nourishing to them and fraught with meaning," Scharff said. "It's not something you run away from, but it's part of the whole spectrum of life, just as birth is part of life and is prepared for."

Like living in a village
Situated on a hilltop in suburban Rockland County, Fellowship looks a bit like a village out of the past. Besides the farm and the pottery and candle shops, there are a dairy barn with 10 cows, a print shop, a metal shop, a "weavery" and a wood shop.

The 33-acre farm goes beyond organic, running on "biodynamic," or self-sustaining, principles, as much as a small farm can, said Jairo Gonzalez, the head gardener. Solar panels sparkle on the barn roof, and cow manure becomes compost.

Most of the adult home workers live in buildings surrounding it, as do about 35 independent seniors who don't yet need the services but plan to live out their days in the community. At meals, elders, workers and children dine together.

"We don't subscribe to 'Children should be seen and not heard,'" Scharff said.

Caring for the elderly is the main activity, but all the workers also have other responsibilities.

"In a typical work week, someone will be inside helping the elderly, meaning bringing meals, bathing, meds," said Will Bosch, head of the community's board of trustees. "But they'll also be doing building and grounds maintenance, planting, harvesting, milking."

Organizers decline to call it a commune but concede the spirit is similar. The philosophy behind it is called anthroposophy, "a source of spiritual knowledge and a practice of inner development," according to The Anthroposophical Society in America.

Elder care is practiced in somewhat similar fashion in at least two other anthroposophy-inspired communities: Camphill Ghent in Chatham, N.Y., and Hesperus Village in Vaughan, Ontario, near Toronto.

The area around Fellowship has several other organizations with ties to anthroposophy, including a private school, a bookstore and a co-op grocery that sells some of the community's crops. Fewer than half the adult home residents at Fellowship Community have any connection to anthroposophy, at least when they enter, Scharff said.

"We're an age-integrated community built around the central mission of care of the elderly," Bosch said. "The members want to be of service. They come because they know this is a place where they can contribute."

So Karp, the 81-year-old, teaches music and entertains the community at the piano.

"I think the reason people really appreciate this place is because they can be active and they can contribute and there's always something that needs doing," Karp said. "And it's nice when kids are glad to see you."

Importance of community
Other residents, or members, as they're called, have found similar niches.

Gwen Eisenmann, 91, a retired poet, leads poetry discussions and also likes to set the table before meals. Larry Fox, 74, a psychologist, treats patients at the Fellowship's medical office and said, "Where could I be at my age and be so happy to get up in the morning and look forward to the day?"

It's difficult, Bosch said, to find people to sign up for the communal life and work. It appeals to "people who are dismayed with the materialism of the world and are trying to get above it," he said. "People who are interested in an alternative lifestyle , not based on pocketing the most money they can for the least amount of work."

When elders come in, they pay a "life lease" of $27,500 to $50,000, depending on the space they will occupy in the adult home or the "lodges" surrounding it. In addition, they pay $700-$1,500 per month in rent, and up to $3,000 a month for care, depending on what they need.

Revenue from the adult home provides 60 percent of the nonprofit Fellowship Community's $3 million operating budget, with the rest coming from donations and the sale of produce, milk and crafts, home officials said. Donations completely fund the capital budget, make up any annual shortfall and subsidize the adult home.

The adult home is licensed and inspected by the state and is in good standing. It doesn't accept federal or state aid. Workers are paid according to need, and their housing, food and transportation ? there are community cars ? are included.

"Two people doing the same job might get very different stipends," Bosch said. "One might have children, one might not."

Matt Uppenbrink, 44, a former businessman in the fashion world who now lives at Fellowship with his wife and two children, is on the community's "financial circle" but also does his bit in the adult home.

"When I got my MBA, I didn't think I'd be helping somebody to go to the toilet," he said. "But years ago, with Grandma and Grandpa in the house, that's how it was done. What we do here is like helping a friend or helping a loved one. My dad is in a nursing home, and I wish he had this instead."

Rachel Berman, a 47-year-old former New York City teacher, lives at the community with her 10-year-old daughter.

"We cook, we farm, we care for the elderly," Berman said. "I was in the Peace Corps, and I lived for a while on a kibbutz in Israel, so community life was important to me."

The workers "get to see the stages of an elder's journey, different approaches to the end of life," Uppenbrink said. "You get to see the process happen. It gives you something to work with in terms of your own future."

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/retirees-turn-communal-living-ny-1C8595106

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Crowd-sourced funding provides missing help for rare genetic diseases

Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University researcher heads first international branch of the Rare Genomics Institute

Tel Aviv For the estimated 250 million people worldwide who suffer from rare diseases, there is little hope for diagnosis or treatment. Because each individual disease impacts so few people, hardly any funding is allocated to research, leaving many without medical options. The US-based non-profit organization Rare Genomics Institute (RGI) is working to address this problem by "crowd-funding" allowing people to donate on the Internet towards genetic testing for individual children who are struggling with a rare disease.

Now, thanks to Dr. Noam Shomron of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, RGI's vital mission has come to Israel the first international branch of the organization. Its online home is http://raregenomics.org/world_Israel.php, and it has launched its first appeal for two Israeli children at http://raregenomics.org/donors.php.

Based at the TAU-affiliated Sourasky Medical Center and Rabin Medical Center, RGI-Israel will help families with children impacted by rare genetic diseases find support and care through advanced genetic testing. The Israeli branch is run in collaboration with three of Israel's top geneticists, Drs. Lina Basel, Shay Ben-Shachar, and Hagit Baris.

The services that the organization provides are sorely needed in Israel, says Dr. Shomron, who is the director of Israel's RGI. Both Jewish and Arabic populations in Israel are plagued by a unique pool of genetic diseases. "There are decades of genetic puzzles in the Israeli population, and we are hoping to solve a few of them," he says, hoping that RGI-Israel will help provide the funding to support these families in need.

A community effort

A decade ago, the human genome was sequenced for the first time. The process cost over a billion dollars and took more than ten years to complete. But now a more advanced technology, deep sequencing, can sequence the entire human genome in a matter of days and at a less prohibitive cost. Dr. Shomron's TAU lab is a world leader in this field of research.

RGI's approach is straight-forward. It maintains online donation pages with pictures and personal stories of children in need of genetic testing for mutations as the first step toward treatment or a cure. Donors can then contribute to the cost of DNA testing for each individual child. "Deep sequencing costs around $1,500 per person now, and the fundraising goal for each child is less than $8,000, which is used for sequencing and confirmation of the genomes of the affected child and their relatives, depending on the family's genetic history and the genetics of the disease," says Dr. Shomron, who notes that Israeli families are already reaching out to RGI Israel for help. This allows families to avoid the difficult and expensive process of testing for mutations gene by gene.

One family, for example, has been plagued for generations by what appears to be mental retardation but the medical cause of this condition remains a mystery. "They have been living for many years without knowing what causes this problem in their family. They don't know whether their DNA is the cause and if it is, what mutation causes it," he says.

Once the genetic testing has been completed, RGI-Israel's doctors will meet with each family to discuss the results. And the support won't end there. The next phase is to link each family with researchers who study the genes in question, building a network of researchers and patients who work together to investigate these rare diseases. Ultimately, this process assures each patient that they are not facing their disease alone.

Family planning

For many families, simply knowing the cause of their child's disease gives a sense of relief and hope. It also helps doctors to develop better treatment plans, and in a few "miracle" cases, RGI's work has even led to a successful therapeutic management. With the very first child whose genome was sequenced, doctors discovered that he had a mutation in a haematological-related gene, says Dr. Shomron. With a stem cell related transplant, they were able to completely eradicate his disease.

Genetic knowledge can also be invaluable in terms of future family planning. Many affected parents want more children but are afraid of similar complications with subsequent births. Once the genetic mutation is identified, these couples can use IVF and advanced scanning methods such as Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) to ensure that their future children are healthy.

###

For more information on RGI-Israel or to donate, please visit the website at:

http://raregenomics.org/world_Israel.php

American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israels leading, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning. Independently ranked 94th among the world's top universities for the impact of its research, TAU's innovations and discoveries are cited more often by the global scientific community than all but 10 other universities.

Internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, Tel Aviv University consistently produces work with profound implications for the future.

---

[ | E-mail | 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.

Public release date: 27-Feb-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: George Hunka
ghunka@aftau.org
212-742-9070
American Friends of Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University researcher heads first international branch of the Rare Genomics Institute

Tel Aviv For the estimated 250 million people worldwide who suffer from rare diseases, there is little hope for diagnosis or treatment. Because each individual disease impacts so few people, hardly any funding is allocated to research, leaving many without medical options. The US-based non-profit organization Rare Genomics Institute (RGI) is working to address this problem by "crowd-funding" allowing people to donate on the Internet towards genetic testing for individual children who are struggling with a rare disease.

Now, thanks to Dr. Noam Shomron of Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, RGI's vital mission has come to Israel the first international branch of the organization. Its online home is http://raregenomics.org/world_Israel.php, and it has launched its first appeal for two Israeli children at http://raregenomics.org/donors.php.

Based at the TAU-affiliated Sourasky Medical Center and Rabin Medical Center, RGI-Israel will help families with children impacted by rare genetic diseases find support and care through advanced genetic testing. The Israeli branch is run in collaboration with three of Israel's top geneticists, Drs. Lina Basel, Shay Ben-Shachar, and Hagit Baris.

The services that the organization provides are sorely needed in Israel, says Dr. Shomron, who is the director of Israel's RGI. Both Jewish and Arabic populations in Israel are plagued by a unique pool of genetic diseases. "There are decades of genetic puzzles in the Israeli population, and we are hoping to solve a few of them," he says, hoping that RGI-Israel will help provide the funding to support these families in need.

A community effort

A decade ago, the human genome was sequenced for the first time. The process cost over a billion dollars and took more than ten years to complete. But now a more advanced technology, deep sequencing, can sequence the entire human genome in a matter of days and at a less prohibitive cost. Dr. Shomron's TAU lab is a world leader in this field of research.

RGI's approach is straight-forward. It maintains online donation pages with pictures and personal stories of children in need of genetic testing for mutations as the first step toward treatment or a cure. Donors can then contribute to the cost of DNA testing for each individual child. "Deep sequencing costs around $1,500 per person now, and the fundraising goal for each child is less than $8,000, which is used for sequencing and confirmation of the genomes of the affected child and their relatives, depending on the family's genetic history and the genetics of the disease," says Dr. Shomron, who notes that Israeli families are already reaching out to RGI Israel for help. This allows families to avoid the difficult and expensive process of testing for mutations gene by gene.

One family, for example, has been plagued for generations by what appears to be mental retardation but the medical cause of this condition remains a mystery. "They have been living for many years without knowing what causes this problem in their family. They don't know whether their DNA is the cause and if it is, what mutation causes it," he says.

Once the genetic testing has been completed, RGI-Israel's doctors will meet with each family to discuss the results. And the support won't end there. The next phase is to link each family with researchers who study the genes in question, building a network of researchers and patients who work together to investigate these rare diseases. Ultimately, this process assures each patient that they are not facing their disease alone.

Family planning

For many families, simply knowing the cause of their child's disease gives a sense of relief and hope. It also helps doctors to develop better treatment plans, and in a few "miracle" cases, RGI's work has even led to a successful therapeutic management. With the very first child whose genome was sequenced, doctors discovered that he had a mutation in a haematological-related gene, says Dr. Shomron. With a stem cell related transplant, they were able to completely eradicate his disease.

Genetic knowledge can also be invaluable in terms of future family planning. Many affected parents want more children but are afraid of similar complications with subsequent births. Once the genetic mutation is identified, these couples can use IVF and advanced scanning methods such as Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) to ensure that their future children are healthy.

###

For more information on RGI-Israel or to donate, please visit the website at:

http://raregenomics.org/world_Israel.php

American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israels leading, most comprehensive and most sought-after center of higher learning. Independently ranked 94th among the world's top universities for the impact of its research, TAU's innovations and discoveries are cited more often by the global scientific community than all but 10 other universities.

Internationally recognized for the scope and groundbreaking nature of its research and scholarship, Tel Aviv University consistently produces work with profound implications for the future.

---

[ | E-mail | 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/2013-02/afot-cfp022713.php

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Boston Acoustics MC200 Air

Boston Acoustics has joined the AirPlay speaker parade with the MC200 Air, a $299.99 (direct) system that also features the ability to stream wireless audio from DLNA-compatible devices. From the visual design to the audio performance, there's nothing wrong here, but the MC200 just doesn't do enough to stand out from the pack. The setup process isn?t as streamlined as some of the competition, and low-end lovers will want to steer clear?this system doesn't offer much of a sub-bass presence, but it also doesn't distort on deep bass, even at high volumes. The overall sound here is crisp and bright, while the user experience is, after initial setup, friendly enough. The MC200 Air isn't especially compelling, however, when compared with competing AirPlay systems.

Design
The MC200 Air measures 6 by 15.8 by 5.3 inches and is available in glossy back or white plastic finishes. Its long front panel is dominated by a metallic speaker grille, with the Boston Acoustics logo below it. On the top panel, a series of buttons, backlit in various colors, control Power, Mute, Air, and Aux (choose either to switch your sound source), and Volume?seeing this many physical controls on an AirPlay system is a rarity.

A 3.5mm Aux input and a headphone jack are located on the left side panel. Along the rear panel are a power adapter connector, Ethernet port, USB port, Setup button, and a flip-up, rubberized plastic antenna. The speaker unit is also wall-mountable using the two keyhole mounts on the back panel.

Setting up the MC200 Air requires far more effort than most popular, competing AirPlay models. The process is pretty much a one-time thing, but because many AirPlay docks have free apps that do all the legwork for you, the MC200 Air starts to feel primitive. There are three different methods you can use to set up the system for wireless play. According to the manual, the "easiest" involves pressing the Setup button on the rear panel and then pressing the WPS button on your router, then waiting. That's fine, but you shouldn't have to even walk over to your router to set up an AirPlay system. The other methods involve doing all the work that more user-friendly speaker systems take care of for you: logging onto a Boston Acoustics network setup web page, clicking on "Profile Configuration," and selecting a few different options from pull-down menus. Again, the process is not confusing, and it's a one-time thing, but it is an annoyance, for sure.

You can also use the MC200 Air as a wired Ethernet speaker?you'll still stream via your iOS device or computer's AirPlay functionality, but connecting to your router via Ethernet means a more reliable signal. That said, AirPlay has improved since its debut roughly two years ago, and the wireless streaming quality is now pretty solid. You also have the option to connect your iOS device via the USB charging cable that came with it and get a digital-quality direct signal (or just charge the device). You can connect a 3.5mm stereo cable to the headphone jack as well, but no cable is included, unfortunately.

The included remote needs to be authorized in iTunes in order to control AirPlay audio?this option is under the Preferences menu. Again, no big deal, but this is not something you have to do on most other AirPlay systems we've tested. Thankfully, the entire point of an AirPlay system is to stream from computers or iOS devices, and generally, you tend to use these systems as their own remotes. (You'd just pause playback on your iPhone itself, for instance).

If you have a DLNA device, you can also stream shared content that way?most of the set up process will occur on your specific device, and not so much on the MC200 Air itself.

Performance
The MC200 Air does not distort on tracks with deep bass at high volumes, but it seems to be employing some digital signal processing (DSP) to limit the deep bass frequencies as things get louder. This prevents distortion, but the end result is a speaker system that, at top volumes, sounds as if it lacks sub-bass response on any level. The thunderous electronic drum hits on the Knife's "Silent Shout" sound like fingernails tapping on a tabletop. Lower the volume a bit, and things start to beef up in terms of bass response. This is because the distortion threat is more or less eliminated, so there's no need for heavy DSP. Even at modest volumes, the MC200 Air doesn't sound terribly powerful in the low frequency department, but it delivers a sound that's much closer to the ideal.

On certain genres that rely less on sub-bass elements, the MC200 Air sounds crisp and powerful, with a rich delivery of the lower frequencies that would be covered by a woofer, not a sub-woofer. Arcade Fire's "Rococo" offers a nice example of a song with rich low-end content that doesn't creep too far into the sub-bass realm, and at mid-to-high volumes, the MC200 Air delivers this track cleanly and crisply, with clear vocals and a nice edge to the strumming of the guitars.

Bill Callahan's unique baritone vocals on "Drover" sound excellent on the MC200 Air, nicely combining the richness of his voice with its treble edge, while the pounding drumbeat in the background never overtakes the mix. On some systems with seriously boosted bass, both his vocals and the drums can sound too rounded and dull-edged, and the mix gets muddy.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the vocals are once again crisp and prominently featured, but the kick drum loop and the sub-bass synth hits sound a little too thin, robbed of their low frequency power, and the net result is a less compelling overall mix. In other words, this is not a system for lovers of deep bass and the genres that employ it, like most hip hop and electronic music. The MC200 Air is a far more appropriate choice for genres like folk, jazz, and some less bass-heavy rock.

Classical tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," benefit from the clearly defined, crisp high-mid and high frequency sound signature of the system. The lower register strings and percussion, however, can sound slightly lacking. It's not nearly as thin-sounding as the Jay-Z and Kanye West track, but the resonant, rounded sound you might expect to hear from a large drum hit or the bowing of large stringed instruments is dialed back a bit here. On the upside, the wooden percussive content, in the high frequencies, sounds amazingly bright and clear, and helps to add a certain sense of spatial depth.

At $300, the MC200 Air is less expensive than some other systems, like the $400 Audyssey Audio Dock Air, but the best AirPlay systems are priced much higher. Why do such expensive systems seem to deliver such inexpensive-sounding audio? AirPlay, as a feature, is not inexpensive to employ, so much of the price you pay is just to have that built-in wireless functionality, making a speaker system that would normally be priced far lower suddenly ascend.

If you can spend more, you'll find better wireless audio options, like the $500 JBL OnBeat Xtreme, a Bluetooth speaker that outperforms most of the more-affordable AirPlay options and also has a physical dock for iOS devices.

But if AirPlay's wireless functionality is the main draw for you here, you can get some far more powerful, better-sounding systems?you just have to plunk down more cash. The Klipsch Gallery G-17 Air?offers a refined, near-audiophile Airplay experience, while, if we really climb the price ladder, it's hard to say anything bad about the intense Bowers & Wilkins A7, except that it costs $800. For the price, the MC200 Air isn't a bad deal, but make no mistake: You'll be paying a premium for the freedom of wireless audio, not for stellar audio performance.

More Speaker reviews:
??? Boston Acoustics MC200 Air
??? Yamaha YAS-101
??? Xmi X-Mini Max
??? Beats By Dre Pill
??? JBL OnBeat Micro
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/skSvUJWefJo/0,2817,2414701,00.asp

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SES New York Keynote Speaker Says Internet is TV's Best Friend ...

The Internet didn?t kill TV! According to Mike Proulx, the Internet has become TV?s best friend. Proulx will be the opening keynote speaker at SES New York 2013. The leading event for experienced marketing and advertising professionals will take place March 25-28, 2013, at the New York Marriott Marquis.

Proulx is a Senior Vice President and the Director of Social Media at Hill Holliday, a renowned advertising agency based in Boston, where he leads a team with a focus on cross-channel integration, emerging and social media. He has spent the last 17 years working at various interactive, high-tech, and new media companies on the agency-side, client-side, and as an entrepreneur. He has spoken at dozens of events and has been widely featured in the press including The New York Times, Fast Company, TV Guide, Forbes, BusinessWeek, Mashable, BuzzFeed, and NPR.

Proulx conceived, produced, directed, and co-host the TVnext summit, which took place in early 2011 and 2012. He is the co-author of Social TV, a best-selling book from Wiley publishing that launched in February of 2012. He is also the host of the social TV web series, ?The Pulse on Lost Remote?. He holds a Master?s degree in Computer Information Systems from Bentley University and in 2012 was named the Ad Club?s Media All Star.

His opening keynote is titled, ?Social TV: How Marketers Can Reach and Engage Audiences by Connecting Television to the Web, Social Media, and Mobile.?

Search Engine Watch (SEW) asked Mike Proulx (MP) five questions about his upcoming keynote. Here are his answers:

SEW: How does the convergence of television with the web, social media, and mobile change our behaviors and shake up our long standing beliefs about TV?

MP: There are those who believe that television is a traditional medium with an impending death. The web, social media, and mobile have evolved TV into a multi-screen experience that transcends devices. Not only are we watching more television than ever before, we?re interacting with programming on the ?second screen? in ways that enrich storylines and bring us together to virtually co-view. The modern era of television is a new media that?s more social, more connected, and more portable?and because of this TV is more alive than it?s ever been.

SEW: How has social media created a new and powerful "backchannel" and why does this fuel the renaissance of live broadcasts?

MP: There are a ton of posts happening in social media about any given TV show as it airs. Since Twitter is open and public, it acts as television?s backchannel filled with real-time commentary and conversation ? And it?s not just about TV series but also TV commercials giving producers and marketers instant feedback about their content. Live television events are seeing some of the highest ratings in years and social media brings a level of community and connection to TV watching the likes of which the medium has never before experienced.

SEW: Can you give us some examples of how mobile devices allow us to watch and interact with television whenever and wherever we want?

MP: Tablets, smartphones, and laptops enable television?s portability but it?s apps like HBO Go, ABC Player, Xfinity Remote, and CNN that deliver ?TV? content via those devices. And in the 4G world of mobile, we can watch TV in places once inconceivable. My favorite spot? Laying out on the roof deck on a warm summer night with my iPad in hand streaming HBO?s The Newsroom.

SEW: Why would ?connected TVs? blend web and television content into a unified big screen experience that will bring us back into our living rooms?

MP: Apple TV, Roku, Boxee TV, Google TV, Samsung Smart TVs, etc. stream online video (that was once relegated to our computer screens) onto the ?big screen? of our living rooms. HD YouTube clips suddenly come to life in ways that are far more impactful and dynamic than tiny smartphone screens further blurring the lines of what?s ?TV.? While the notion of TV everywhere lets us watch TV at will regardless of our physical location, the increasingly seamless ability to channel streaming video through the TV set makes the living room that much more compelling.

SEW: With the television landscape changing, why should brands approach the medium once labeled ?traditional? as new media?

MP: TV has become mashed up with the Web, social media, and mobile. Television networks, providers, brands, and agencies must continue to unshackle themselves from dated business and advertising models and rediscover television as a new medium. This means planning television and digital together to tell stories across devices and engage viewers with TV experiences not just TV shows. The speed, scale, and degree of change that has and is happening create enormous opportunity for those brands who have the courage to innovate.

SES New York 2013 offers a variety of conference passes and on-site training. If you register by Thursday, March 7, 2013, you can save up to $600 on Platinum or All Access passes.

For more information, click on Rates and Registration Details. Group discounts for 4 or more pass holders from the same company are also available by contacting [email?protected] and are the best value for the lowest price possible.

I should disclose that SES New York is a client of my agency. But, trust me, TV is not dead yet.

---

Become an Expert Digital Marketer at SES New York
March 25-28, 2013: With dozens of sessions on Search, Social, Local and Mobile, you'll leave SES with everything and everyone you need to know. Hurry, early bird rates expire February 21. Register today!

Source: http://searchenginewatch.com/article/2250850/SES-New-York-Keynote-Speaker-Says-Internet-is-TVs-Best-Friend

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Should IRS report tax deadbeats to credit bureaus?

By Herb Weisbaum, TODAY contributor

Here?s a scary thought, especially if you owe back taxes: What if the Internal Revenue Service reported your payment history to the big national credit bureaus?

Unlike many other debts owed to the federal government, unpaid taxes are not reported to credit bureaus. The IRS is not allowed to directly share this information because of federal privacy laws.

Of course, Congress could always change the law to allow the IRS to directly report all delinquencies to the credit bureaus. No one has proposed making this change, but last year the Senate Finance Committee did ask the General Accounting Office to look at the issue.

The GAO did not make any recommendations in its report released in October, but it did list arguments for and against the idea. It also provided some hard numbers about the staggering amount of money owed to the federal treasury in unpaid taxes.

As of October 2011, about $343 billion was owed in unpaid federal tax debts. That?s more than the federal deficit of $207 billion for the 2012 budget year. Most of the outstanding debts are relatively small ?less than $5,000.

Some tax information does make it to the credit bureaus. When the IRS files a tax lien to collect back taxes, that information is public record and can be picked up by credit reporting agencies. The GAO found that liens have been filed for more than half of all the dollars owed in tax debts.

Why change the current system?

Simply put: the possibility of more revenue.

If this information were reported to the credit bureaus it would have an effect on credit scores and that might change behavior. Some people might be encouraged to pay their taxes on time or pay off existing debts to improve their credit scores.

It might also provide another way to enforce the tax code. Anyone who owed more than a certain amount of back taxes could be barred from receiving certain benefits, such as government contracts, grants or loans.

Would this really make a difference? According to the GAO report there?s no way to be sure.

?Some taxpayers have agreed to installment agreements, so reporting their debts many not influence their willingness to pay because they are already making payments. IRS classifies other debts as uncollectible, and reporting those debts many not make the debts any more collectible.?

There?s also the belief that providing tax payment history to credit bureaus would give potential lenders a more complete ? and possibly more accurate ? picture of the person or business applying for credit.?

Under the current system, the credit reporting agencies know the dollar amount of a tax debt when a lien is filed. They don?t know if the debt grows because of penalties and interest. They don?t know when it?s reduced as the amount owed is paid down.

Direct reporting, supporters say, would provide more current information which would give the taxpayer an incentive to pay off the debt because the declining balance would improve their credit history.

The GAO did offer this caution: reporting tax payment information on an ongoing basis could increase the risk that negative information shows up in a person?s credit file twice.

Would it really make a difference?

The General Accounting Office did not come to a conclusion on that.

It noted that such a system could cost the IRS money because it would have to handle transmission of information to the credit bureaus and deal with taxpayer inquiries and disputes.

?Taxpayers would be forced to either dispute the inaccurate information to have it corrected or face possible serious consequences such as denial of credit, employment, or housing due to the inaccurate negative information on their credit histories. IRS would incur additional costs as it would have to respond to related inquiries and disputes.?

The GAO report also included a caution from the National Taxpayer Advocate that full reporting could result in some people choosing not to file tax returns ? or to file inaccurately ? if they know they owe money to the IRS.

The credit reporting industry hasn?t taken a position on this idea. And since nothing has been proposed, consumer groups haven?t really focused on the issue.

Chi Chi Wu, staff attorney for?the National Consumer Law Center said her main concern was the potential harm that could be caused by reporting errors.

?Would tax debts show up in the wrong credit reports?? she asked. ?I?d be concerned that adding a whole new batch of data would increase the number of errors credit bureaus make and how difficult it can be to get them fixed.?

Wu noted that American taxpayers share some very private and confidential information with the IRS and in return Congress prohibits the IRS from sharing that information.

?If that bargain is going to be changed,? Wu said, ?we want to think long and hard about why and how it would be changed.?

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.

Herb will be a guest on the Jim Bohannon Radio show Tuesday night (Feb. 26) talking about current consumer issues. Listen live at 11 pm Eastern. Here?s how to find a radio station in your area.

Source: http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2013/02/26/17102095-should-irs-report-tax-deadbeats-to-credit-bureaus?lite

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Paul Russell: Euthanasia's euphemisms

Here's a great summary of the changes in language employed by those who support changes to the law. This is a time-honoured campaigning tool for anyone who has ever tried to win an argument - but when dealing with life and death - it's just not appropriate.

When a social movement must rely on euphemisms to obfuscate its goals, it is a good bet that there is something wrong with its agenda. From the very beginning of the modern movement, euthanasia advocates have euphemistically bent language as a means of convincing society to endorse killing?an accurate and descriptive term that simply means to end life?as an acceptable method of ending human suffering.

Euthanasia, from the Greek, literally means ?good death.? As the historian Ian Dowbiggin has noted, the term once described ?a calm and easy? natural death at home, ?so family members and friends could say their farewells.?

That changed after an 1870 essay by a teacher named Samuel D. Williams was published arguing that the value of human life depends on whether it is ?worthwhile??an idea known today as the ?quality of life ethic??and moreover, that mercy killing and assisted suicide should be allowed for those who are ?hopelessly suffering.? The essay went viral?to use today?s terminology?and within a few years, the word euthanasia had taken on its modern meaning. The euthanasia movement has been coining new definitions and idioms ever since.

The movement?s latest euphemistic phrase is ?aid in dying,? promoted most prominently by the (euphemistically) named assisted suicide advocacy organization Compassion and Choices (which came into being after a merger with the more descriptively named Hemlock Society). According to C&C, when a terminally ill patient swallows an intentionally prescribed lethal overdose of barbiturates, it isn?t really suicide. Why? Because the word ?suicide? has negative connotations, and C&C wants people to feel positive about some self-killings.

Here?s the idea: A terminally ill patient doesn?t really want to die, but has no choice. Hence, taking an intentionally prescribed lethal overdose of ?medication??another euphemism, since the purpose is not to treat but to poison oneself?doesn?t constitute suicide. Thus, in a C&C press release from a few years ago boosting use of ?aid in dying,? the (late) Peter Goodwin, a prominent assisted suicide-participating doctor, said, ?As a physician, I resent the term ?physician-assisted suicide.? I never felt I was assisting a suicidal patient, but rather aiding a patient with his or her end of life choice.? Since then, ?aid in dying? has become ubiquitous in media stories and assisted suicide advocacy.

Note that Goodwin?s complaint had nothing to do with accuracy and everything to do with emotions. He ?feels? rather than ?thinks.? And that?s how C&C wants listeners and readers to react?emotionally rather than rationally?toward the end that people are more likely to approve of legalizing assisted suicide if it isn?t called what it actually is.

But surely, accurate language must still mean something in public policy debates. Suicide is defined as ?the act or an instance of taking one?s own life voluntarily and intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and of sound mind.? Thus, under C&C?s reckoning, if the distraught owner of, say, a failed business intentionally takes an overdose of prescribed sleeping pills, it?s suicide. But if the same man takes the pills because he has cancer, and the doctor prescribed the pills for that purpose, it isn?t suicide. That?s nonsensical.

Assisted suicide proponents claim that changing the lexicon is necessary to avoid furthering a supposed stigma associated with suicide. I am not sure whether that stigma exists anymore. But if some suicidal people don?t kill themselves because they worry what others might think, why is that so bad? I mean, the outcome is a saved or extended life. Indeed, many once-suicidal terminally ill people later come to be glad that they didn?t do the deed. Aren?t their lives worth protecting?

I want to make it very clear that I don?t think we should judge or condemn anyone who is suicidal or commits suicide. None of us knows what our own emotional limits might be. Given sufficient despair, fear, or pain, any of us might be attracted to the siren song of self-destruction. The good news is that such causes of despair can often be treated and overcome?including in the dying.

The real issue, then, is how we react to our brothers and sisters who have fallen into a darkness sufficient to make them want to end it all. Should we engage in suicide prevention for all, or only for some? I believe that the dying deserve to have their suicidal desires treated just as seriously as the despairing widow or the troubled teen.

That?s certainly the hospice philosophy, the truly compassionate approach to terminal illness. In contrast to assisted suicide?which is about dying?hospice is about living. Hospice does not seek to simply ?extend life? but maintain its quality to the natural end, and that explicitly includes suicide prevention.

Assisted suicide is suicide.The term is descriptive and accurate. When legalized, it amounts to state-approved suicide, an issue too culturally consequential for us to allow gooey euphemisms to serve as the sugar that helps the bitter hemlock go down.

Wesley J. Smith is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute?s Center on Human Exceptionalism. He also consults for the Patients Rights Council and the Center for Bioethics and Culture. His previous ?On the Square? articles can be found here.?

Source: http://blog.noeuthanasia.org.au/2013/02/euthanasias-euphemisms.html

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2013 NFL Draft Profile: Gavin Escobar, Tight End, San Diego State University

Home ? 2013 NFL Draft ? 2013 NFL Draft Profile: Gavin Escobar, Tight End, San Diego State University

Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

The Pewter Plank recently posted our review of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers contributions from the tight end position in 2012, and we pointed out that there was a?distinct?difference between the tight ends on the roster this past season. Luke Stocker and Nate Byham were both bruising blockers, contributing mostly by paving the way for the running of Doug Martin. Dallas Clark was the primary receiving tight end, failing to contribute to the blocking schemes, and instead adding a moderate amount of production as a pass receiver. With Clark aging and out of contract, it?s obvious that the Buccaneers will need a replacement for him, and it needs to be someone suited to his role in the offense. A tight end with reliable hands who can run good routes and provide a short to intermediate option for Josh Freeman.

That?s where Gavin Escobar is at his best.

The San Diego State prospect is a massive human being, measuring 6 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 254 pounds. He?s got long arms, big hands, and a solidly built frame, but doesn?t look awkward or uncoordinated considering his size. He?s certainly not the fastest player, even at his position, clocking in at 4.84 seconds in the 40 yard dash at the NFL Draft Scouting Combine. What he lacks in straight line speed, he more than makes up for in agility and change-of-direction, posting solid times in the 3-cone drill and 20-yard-shuttle. This means that Escobar has the natural ability to make cuts while running patterns and beat defenders by breaking hard to the football on timing routes. ?He combines this agility with amazing hands, snatching the ball out of the air with ease with his big hands. He impressed while running ?The Gauntlet? drill at the combine, where he runs in a straight line and receives passes from all directions. He caught every pass in stride and used his hands to secure the ball away from his body and bring the ball in naturally. So Escobar proved at the combine what we already knew about him, he?s a big target that runs good routes and has incredible hands.

Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Escobar was one of the best tight ends in the nation in 2012, hauling in 42 catches for 543 yards and 6 scores. He was a semifinalist for the Mackey Award (given to the nation?s best tight end), and first-team All-Conference in the Mountain West. He had an even more impressive 2011, including a two score game against Boise State. The decline in productivity is likely due to a drop in quarterback performance, as 2011 signal caller Ryan Lindley moved on to the NFL.

The knock on Escobar, aside from lacking in timed speed, is his inability to be a full-time blocker. Gavin was mainly used as a slot receiver at SDSU, providing a big target for his quarterback, and not often kept in to block for runners. He is somewhat capable of blocking, according to his CBSSports Draft Profile. This concern won?t be as big of an issue for the Buccaneers, who already have solid blocking tight ends. Escobar could play in passing situations more often than not, or line up as a slot receiver with Luke Stocker playing on the line. He could be called upon to block when needed, but he would not need to be a key part of the run blocking efforts for the Buccaneers. The other concern listed on his draft profile is his tendency to get pushed off his route at the line, but that this is something he?s been improving upon. Escobar will likely face tougher competition in the NFL when it comes to getting off the line and getting into his route, so this is something that teams must look at carefully when evaluating Gavin.

Overall, I believe that Escobar would fit perfectly in the offensive role left vacant by Dallas Clark. A taller receiver with soft hands would be a great target for Josh Freeman, who prefers to throw passes higher and allow his receivers to go up and get them. Escobar will be available on the second day of the draft, between rounds two and three, and I think the Buccaneers should definitely target him after?addressing?defensive back and defensive line needs at the 2013 NFL Draft.

Follow?@ThePewterPlank?for the latest Buccaneers news?and ?Like? us on our new Facebook?page.

Topics: NFL Draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Source: http://thepewterplank.com/2013/02/24/2013-nfl-draft-profile-gavin-escobar-tight-end-san-diego-state-university/

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Gold And Silver - The Market Oracle

Commodities / Gold and Silver 2013 Feb 24, 2013 - 01:21 PM GMT

By: Michael_Noonan

Developing market activity is the best and most reliable source for market information. All you have to do is follow what the activity is saying, and you will have the clearest idea of where the market is headed. For the near term, of heightened concern for many, the market says the current decline is far from over. Price may not be far from the low of the decline, but the trend is down, and it takes time to turn a trend around, so do not expect to see a dramatic rise in the price of either gold or silver.

Our downside target of $1600 gold has been exceeded, while the $28 target for silver has not been met, although in horseshoes, it would be a leaner. [See Decline Not Over, 1st and 3rd charts, click on http://bit.ly/WWXFlt]. Next week, who knows?

The biggest advantage in letting the market speak loudest is that all one need do is follow its path, for it always leads to a logical conclusion. The conclusion may not fit with one's hopes or expectations, many times, but the market never misleads in its intent. It is not always easy to read, occasionally, so during those times, it is best to do nothing until a clearer direction becomes more discernible.

This week, the silver charts lead because we see them as more telling than gold. The monthly is our starting point. It will become apparent why silver warrants more focus when compared to gold as you view the respective charts.

We continue to mention the bullish spacing because it puts the metals into an important context from a larger perspective, and the spacing lets us know that silver and gold remain in uptrends with gold net stronger, but just not for the near term. A look at the monthly gold chart will make that perfectly clear.

This does not mean gold/silver will not still go lower. For now, developing market activity continues to point in that direction. Prices may be at or near a low, but we see no ending action that says one has been reached.

There is a very positive development in silver, even after last week's sharp decline. An important change in behavior occurred in August 2012 when silver rallied out of the doldrums for two strong months, "2" on the chart. What is somewhat impressive about the current decline is how it has been labored relative to the two month rally in mid-2012. After 4+ months, [it says 5* on the charts, the * signifying the 5th month is not over, and no one knows where it will end], that breakout area is still holding.

Compare the two strong rally bars with the 5 overlapping decline bars. They tells us sellers are expending a lot more effort to drive price down to the starting level where buyers took over last August.

It could be that February will continue to fall and go under the 26 level, we do not know. All we can do is look at what is known, to date, and draw some conclusions. Seeing more detail in the weekly and daily charts may help.

When you compare the weekly gold chart to silver, you will see how gold is weaker for the near term. We do not follow any fundamentals, but it could well be that the underlying supply/demand factors for silver, with its industrial use, are far more important than viewing silver as a poor man's gold substitute as a store of wealth. Similar usage demands do not exist for gold.

Price remains in a down channel, just it is slightly under, and it is also near the breakout level from August 2012, both concurrently offering potential support in this negative market.

An explanation is provided in the left corner of the chart concerning the dashed portion of the lines. They extend from 3 and 2, respectively, at the point in time just after swing high 3 is known. How price reacts to these lines provides important market information.

In the previous article, Decline Not Over, http://bit.ly/WWXFlt, also on the third chart we commented how price failed to reach the upper channel line, see arrows below, and maybe head back toward $28? This is how one pays attention to the market's message in order to avoid surprises or be on the wrong side.

One reason why we say silver may be at/near a low point is the climatic volume, three days ago, which also drove price under the lower channel oversold line. Markets often end in excess, and sharply higher volume always warrants attention for it almost always entails a transfer of risk from weak into strong hands. Smart money buys bottoms, and they show their hand by increased volume.

The volume from last Wednesday is mostly all short-covering. Net new buying usually comes in after a bottom is confirmed, and that is a caveat for acknowledging that price can still go lower, maybe not by much, but sill lower, to whatever degree. There has been no indication of confirmed ending action, yet.

The last two trading days have much smaller ranges and overlapping bars. The market is telling us there was zero downside follow-through after Wednesday, and overlapping bars reflect a balance between buyers and sellers at a point where sellers have been in total control. These are littler messages, and they need confirmation before acting on them.

It is interesting to note how price stopped just above the $28 support. Why? Why not just crush buyers even more, while sellers have so much control? The questions address what we implied above, are sellers still in total control?

For different reasons, as explained so may times before, buy physical silver, especially at these lower levels. As to futures, stay away from the long side. Picking bottoms is one of the surest ways of losing money. Better to just give your broker a big check and make at least one person happy. You also limit your "loss" to the size of the check.

The trend is down. Consistent money is not made trading against the trend. Period.

The monthly gold chart screams bull market! The bullish spacing is huge. As a reminder, bullish spacing exists when the current swing low remains above the last swing high, and we have drawn heavy lines for each. When smart money is so positive on a market, there is no waiting to see how the last swing high will be retested. The urgency to buy is so strong that a "space" is left behind, and it says how strong is the buyers' conviction to the long side.

Context is important. Price could break the $1520+ lows and gold would still be in a very strong uptrending market. It will simply take more time to overcome resistance from the $1900 highs established in September 2011.

An important point to keep in mind: the market does not care about your timetable. In fact, it does not even know what your expectations are. All it does is provide price and volume information. It is otherwise neutral. How you choose to respond to the flow of information is up to you. For now, it is telling everyone that it will be some time before an uptrend resumes.

Here is where you can see how gold is weaker relative to silver. We placed a box around the four-month activity that is acting as a buffer to the current price decline, in addition to the previous occasions when this level held, forming strong support.

This is our read of what the market is saying, right now. Focus on the last two weekly bars. The last one is just slightly smaller than the second one, but the volume was greater. The energy behind a price move is volume. When you see greater volume but with a bar that is smaller than the previous one, it is saying buyers were entering and meeting the effort of sellers. This is what prevented the range of the last bar from extending lower. It is a small "tell," as it were, but worth noting.

We think there are no accidents in the market, which is why we pointed to the wide range up bar from August. It began an important rally, and gold's decline just happened to stop at that level. Were gold to continue lower next week and erase that support, then that low would lose its potential significance. Everything must be confirmed by subsequent action.

Observing the second and third bars from the end, the high volume on the third bar shows buyers were present, based on the location of the close, off the lows. The second to last bar made a new low, just barely, but closed on the high of the range and above the previous day's close, telling us buyers won the battle that day. This is another indication of buyers overcoming effort of sellers at a point where sellers are supposed to be in total control.

This may not turn the tide yet, but there is some evidence that buyers are making a show not seen in the past several trading days. As to the last bar, it was lower on the day, but not very deep into the last two days' lows, and that says a weak effort from sellers.

Buy physical gold, without blinking. Stay away from the long side of futures. Only some unexpected surprise can turn these markets around on a dime, and anything can happen, but barring that, it takes time for a trend to turn, and without evidence that the lows for this down swing are confirmed, gold and silver have a lot of work to do.

By Michael Noonan

http://edgetraderplus.com

Michael Noonan, mn@edgetraderplus.com, is a Chicago-based trader with over 30 years in the business. His sole approach to analysis is derived from developing market pattern behavior, found in the form of Price, Volume, and Time, and it is generated from the best source possible, the market itself.

? 2013 Copyright Michael Noonan - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

? 2005-2013 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.

Source: http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article39170.html

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Cuban leader Raul Castro says he will retire in 2018

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban President Raul Castro announced on Sunday he will step down from power after his second term ends in 2018, and the new parliament named a 52-year-old rising star to become his first vice president and most visible successor.

"This will be my last term," Castro, 81, said shortly after the National Assembly elected him to a second five-year tenure.

In a surprise move, the new parliament also named Miguel Diaz-Canel as first vice president, meaning he would take over if Castro cannot serve his full term.

Diaz-Canel is a member of the political bureau who rose through the Communist Party ranks in the provinces to become the most visible possible successor to Castro.

Raul Castro starts his second term immediately, leaving him free to retire in 2018, aged 86.

Former President Fidel Castro joined the National Assembly meeting on Sunday, in a rare public appearance. Since falling ill in 2006 and ceding the presidency to his brother, the elder Castro, 86, has given up official positions except as a deputy in the National Assembly.

The new government will almost certainly be the last headed up by the Castro brothers and their generation of leaders who have ruled Cuba since they swept down from the mountains in the 1959 revolution.

Cubans and foreign governments were keenly watching whether any new, younger faces appeared among the Council of State members, in particular its first vice president and five vice presidents.

Their hopes were partially fulfilled with Diaz-Canel's ascension. He replaces former first vice president, Jose Machado Ventura, 82, who will continue as one of five vice presidents.

Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdes, 80, and Gladys Bejerano, 66, the comptroller general, were also re-elected as vice presidents.

Two other newcomers, Mercedes Lopez Acea, 48, first secretary of the Havana communist party, and Salvador Valdes Mesa, 64, head of the official labor federation, also earned vice presidential slots.

Esteban Lazo, a 68-year-old former vice president and member of the political bureau of the Communist Party, left his post upon being named president of the National Assembly on Sunday. He replaced Ricardo Alarcon, who served in the job for 20 years.

Six of the Council's top seven members sit on the party's political bureau which is also lead by Castro.

Castro's announcement came as little surprise to Cuban exiles in Miami.

"It's no big news. It would have been big news if he resigned today and called for democratic elections," said Alfredo Duran, a Cuban-American lawyer and moderate exile leader in Miami who supports lifting the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba. "I wasn't worried about him being around after 2018," he added.

The National Assembly meets for just a few weeks each year and delegates its legislative powers between sessions to the 31-member Council of State, which also functions as the executive through the Council of Ministers it appoints.

Eighty percent of the 612 deputies, who were elected in an uncontested vote February 3, were born after the revolution.

EFFORT TO PROMOTE YOUNGER GENERATION

Raul Castro, who officially replaced his ailing brother as president in 2008, has repeatedly said senior leaders should hold office for no more than two five-year terms.

"Although we kept on trying to promote young people to senior positions, life proved that we did not always make the best choice," Castro said at a Communist Party Congress in 2011.

"Today, we are faced with the consequences of not having a reserve of well-trained replacements ... It's really embarrassing that we have not solved this problem in more than half a century."

Speaking on Sunday, Castro hailed the composition of the new Council of State as an example of what he had said needed to be accomplished.

"Of the 31 members, 41.9 percent are women and 38.6 percent are black or of mixed race. The average age is 57 years and 61.3 percent were born after the triumph of the revolution," he said.

The 2011 party summit adopted a more than 300-point plan aimed at updating Cuba's Soviet-style economic system, designed to transform it from one based on collective production and consumption to one where individual effort and reward play a far more important role.

Across-the-board subsidies are being replaced by a comprehensive tax code and targeted welfare.

Raul Castro has encouraged small businesses and cooperatives in retail services, farming, minor manufacturing and retail, and given more autonomy to state companies which still dominate the economy.

The party plan also includes an opening to more foreign investment.

At the same time, Cuba continues to face a U.S. administration bent on restoring democracy and capitalism to the island and questions about the future largess of oil rich Venezuela with strategic ally Hugo Chavez battling cancer.

(Editing by Kieran Murray and Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cuban-leader-raul-castro-announces-retire-2018-004912977.html

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Sony announces PlayStation 4: Is it 'The Future of Play'?

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New App from Harvard Helps Doctors Monitor Concussions

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Microsoft?s Surface Pro Review: A Windows 8 Ultra Tablet

Is Microsoft?s Surface Pro an Ultrabook or a Tablet? Matt Tweety Tverberg, one of Microsoft?s Biz Dev guys in NY, calls it an Ultra Tablet. When you play with one, you?ll see his point. The Surface Pro tablet is a personal interface for Windows 8 that changes your relationship with the Windows programs you use through touch. It is profoundly different than using Windows 8 on an Ultrabook, laptop or desktop computer.?[Read More]

Shelly Palmer Digital Leadership Podcast Episode #25 ? Joe Atkin, President & CEO of Goal Zero

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?Shelly Palmer Digital Living Book Series
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'Silver Linings' leads Spirit Awards with 4 prizes

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) ? The oddball romance "Silver Linings Playbook" was named best picture Saturday at the Spirit Awards honoring independent film, Hollywood's last pre-game show before the Academy Awards.

"Silver Linings Playbook" led with four wins, including best actress for Jennifer Lawrence and director and screenplay for David O. Russell.

Lawrence is the best-actress favorite at Sunday's Oscars for her role as a young widow in a shaky new relationship with a man fresh from a mental hospital.

"The Sessions" earned two acting prizes, for John Hawkes as a man in an iron lung hoping to lose his virginity and Helen Hunt as the sexual surrogate helping him through it.

The award for best supporting actor went to Matthew McConaughey as a flamboyant stripper in "Magic Mike."

In barely three years, Lawrence has risen from a relative unknown to superstar hero of "The Hunger Games" franchise and potential Oscar winner at just 22. Her quick ascent began with another Spirit Awards nominee, "Winter's Bone," which won the top honor at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and earned Lawrence her first Oscar nomination.

Lawrence said she loves independent film for the thrill of freezing with the crew in the middle of the night because they all believe in a story.

"That's why I do what I do. I love that feeling. I mean, I'd rather be warm," Lawrence said.

McConaughey, also a best-actor nominee at the Spirit Awards for "Killer Joe," is a Hollywood A-lister but a relative newcomer to key film awards.

"I had to take my pants off to win a trophy," McConaughey said, adding that five of his last six films were independent productions and the "most creative fun of my acting career, hands down."

Hunt, also nominated for supporting actress at the Oscars, was coy backstage about what she'll be doing before Hollywood's big night.

"I will be eating breakfast and getting dressed," Hunt said of her day at the Oscars, where she previously won as best actress for "As Good as It Gets." ''I don't have any plans, but I'm going to put a dress on."

"Silver Linings Playbook" filmmaker Russell noted that his initial trip to the Spirit Awards was 19 years ago, when he won the prize for best first film for "Spanking the Monkey."

His son Matthew, an inspiration for "Silver Linings" because of his battle with bipolar disorder, was a year old at the time, and was in the crowd to watch his father claim his awards.

"He gave me this movie, so I want to thank him, Matthew, for this movie," Russell said.

"Silver Linings Playbook" centers on the relationship between a man (Bradley Cooper) just out of a mental hospital and a young widow (Lawrence). The film is up for best picture at the Oscars, where Russell is nominated for adapted screenplay and director and Cooper and Lawrence are in the running for the lead-acting honors.

The film's producers said they had expected fellow Oscar best-picture nominee "Beasts of the Southern Wild" to win the top Spirit Award and that they have no expectations of winning the big prize at the Oscars, where Ben Affleck's CIA thriller "Argo" is the best-picture favorite.

But they gushed praise for filmmaker Russell.

"Your brilliance as a filmmaker is without peer. Your spirit of collaboration knows no bounds," said producer Jonathan Gordon.

Russell said backstage that he was thrilled to go the Oscars, or as he called it, the "World Series," but he also has no illusions about winning there.

"Thank God, Monday, I'm going back to work," Russell said. "That's how you avoid the postpartum depression."

Hawkes won the supporting-actor Spirit Award two years ago as Lawrence's co-star in "Winter's Bone," a role that also earned him an Oscar nomination. He missed out on an Oscar slot this time but said that independent film is a "big part of my life, and I'm really happy for that. ... 'The Sessions' is a truly independent film made for very little money and shot very quickly."

Austrian writer-director Michael Haneke's old-age love story "Amour" won for best international film, a possible prelude to the Oscars, where his film is the favorite to win the foreign-language prize and is nominated for best picture.

"I have the impression I am the oldest man in the room," the 70-year-old Haneke joked in a room filled with young filmmakers.

The ceremony was hosted by Adam Samberg at the awards' usual venue, a tent along the beach in Santa Monica just west of Los Angeles. It is presented by Film Independent, a group of filmmakers, industry professionals and cinema buffs. The show was aired later Saturday on IFC.

Among other winners:

? Best first film: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower," from director Stephen Chbosky, who adapted the picture from his novel.

? First screenplay: "Safety Not Guaranteed," Derek Connolly.

? Cinematography: "Beasts of the Southern Wild," Ben Richardson.

? Documentary: "The Invisible War," directed by Kirby Dick.

? John Cassavetes Award for best film made for less than $500,000: "Middle of Nowhere," directed by Ava DuVernay.

___

AP Movie Writer Christy Lemire contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/silver-linings-leads-spirit-awards-4-prizes-232752810.html

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