Safe sex practices among African American women

Public release date: 31-Jan-2013
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Contact: Camille Gamboa
camille.gamboa@sagepub.com
905-410-7441
SAGE Publications

Los Angeles, CA (January 31, 2013) Researchers have found that African American women exhibit a higher risk for sexually transmitted infections including HIV/Aids. But what motivates this group of women to have sex? And when are they more likely to use protection?

A new study published today in Health Education & Behavior (a SAGE journal) found that regardless of motivations for having sex, condom use expectations were less than 50% for all types of sexual encounters, including the riskiest types of sex.

Researchers Julianna Deardorff et. al used a combination of interviews and focus groups to conduct the study. Participants were African American women with low incomes who had had an average of 1.2 sexual partners in the past month. Their average age was 20.4 years old.

While the participants in the study labeled love, feelings, and fun as their top reasons for sexual encounters, expectations for condom use were the lowest when women were pressured to have sex, for example when they were inexperienced or controlled by peers or sexual partners.

"Findings highlight the need for tailored interventions to increase condom use in casual relationships, where perceived risk is already high, and in primary relationships, where motivations for condom use may be low." the authors wrote. "Interventions that address mediators of sexual risk, including self-esteem and coping, may be more effective than those focusing solely on risk perceptions."

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Find out more by reading the article "Motivations for Sex Among Low-Income African American Young Women" by Julianna Deardorff, Ahna B. Suleiman, Teresa S. Dal Santo, Michelle Flythe, J. Barry Gurdin, and Stephen L. Eyre in Health Education and Behavior: http://heb.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/01/24/1090198112473112.full.pdf+html

Health Education & Behavior (HEB) is a peer-reviewed bi-monthly journal that provides empirical research, case studies, program evaluations, literature reviews, and discussions of theories of health behavior and health status, as well as strategies to improve social and behavioral health. HEB also examines the processes of planning, implementing, managing, and assessing health education and social-behavioral interventions. This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). http://heb.sagepub.com/

Impact Factor: 1.536

Ranked: 50 out of 131 in Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

Source: 2011 Journal Citation Reports (Thomson Reuters, 2012)

SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology, and medicine. An independent company, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC. www.sagepublications.com

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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: 31-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Camille Gamboa
camille.gamboa@sagepub.com
905-410-7441
SAGE Publications

Los Angeles, CA (January 31, 2013) Researchers have found that African American women exhibit a higher risk for sexually transmitted infections including HIV/Aids. But what motivates this group of women to have sex? And when are they more likely to use protection?

A new study published today in Health Education & Behavior (a SAGE journal) found that regardless of motivations for having sex, condom use expectations were less than 50% for all types of sexual encounters, including the riskiest types of sex.

Researchers Julianna Deardorff et. al used a combination of interviews and focus groups to conduct the study. Participants were African American women with low incomes who had had an average of 1.2 sexual partners in the past month. Their average age was 20.4 years old.

While the participants in the study labeled love, feelings, and fun as their top reasons for sexual encounters, expectations for condom use were the lowest when women were pressured to have sex, for example when they were inexperienced or controlled by peers or sexual partners.

"Findings highlight the need for tailored interventions to increase condom use in casual relationships, where perceived risk is already high, and in primary relationships, where motivations for condom use may be low." the authors wrote. "Interventions that address mediators of sexual risk, including self-esteem and coping, may be more effective than those focusing solely on risk perceptions."

###

Find out more by reading the article "Motivations for Sex Among Low-Income African American Young Women" by Julianna Deardorff, Ahna B. Suleiman, Teresa S. Dal Santo, Michelle Flythe, J. Barry Gurdin, and Stephen L. Eyre in Health Education and Behavior: http://heb.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/01/24/1090198112473112.full.pdf+html

Health Education & Behavior (HEB) is a peer-reviewed bi-monthly journal that provides empirical research, case studies, program evaluations, literature reviews, and discussions of theories of health behavior and health status, as well as strategies to improve social and behavioral health. HEB also examines the processes of planning, implementing, managing, and assessing health education and social-behavioral interventions. This journal is a member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). http://heb.sagepub.com/

Impact Factor: 1.536

Ranked: 50 out of 131 in Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

Source: 2011 Journal Citation Reports (Thomson Reuters, 2012)

SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology, and medicine. An independent company, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC. www.sagepublications.com

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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/2013-01/sp-ssp013113.php

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Texas woman's execution halted; DA won't appeal

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) ? The first woman scheduled to be executed in the U.S. since 2010 won a reprieve Tuesday, mere hours before she was scheduled to be taken to the Texas death chamber.

State District Judge Larry Mitchell, in Dallas, rescheduled Kimberly McCarthy's punishment for April 3 so lawyers for the former nursing home therapist could have more time to pursue an appeal focused on whether her predominantly white jury was improperly selected on the basis of race. McCarthy is black.

Dallas County prosecutors, who initially contested the motion to reschedule, chose to not appeal the ruling.

District Attorney Craig Watkins said the 60-day delay was "appropriate." If no irregularities are discovered, he said he'd move forward with the execution.

"We want to make sure everything is done correctly," he said.

The 51-year-old McCarthy was convicted and sent to death row for the 1997 stabbing, beating and robbery of a 71-year-old neighbor. She learned of the reprieve less than five hours before she was scheduled for lethal injection, already in a small holding cell a few feet from the death chamber at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Huntsville Unit.

"I'm happy right now over that," she told prison agency spokesman John Hurt. "There's still work to be done on my case."

Hurt said McCarthy was in good spirits and "didn't seem tense or nervous" even before she learned she would live.

A Dallas County jury convicted her of killing neighbor Dorothy Booth at the retired college psychology professor's home in Lancaster, about 15 miles south of Dallas.

"We are very pleased that we will now have an opportunity to present evidence of discrimination in the selection of the jury that sentenced Kimberly McCarthy to death," said Maurie Levin, a University of Texas law professor and McCarthy's lawyer.

"Of the twelve jurors seated at trial, all were white, except one, and eligible non-white jurors were excluded from serving by the state. ... These facts must be understood in the context of the troubling and long-standing history of racial discrimination in jury selection in Dallas County, including at the time of Ms. McCarthy's trial," Levin said.

Investigators said Booth had agreed to give McCarthy a cup of sugar before she was attacked with a butcher knife and candelabra. Booth's finger also was severed so McCarthy could take her wedding ring. It was among three slayings linked to McCarthy, who'd been addicted to crack cocaine.

McCarthy would have been the 13th woman executed in the U.S. and the fourth in Texas, the nation's busiest death penalty state, since the Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976. In that same time period, more than 1,300 male inmates have been executed nationwide.

Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics compiled from 1980 through 2008 show women make up about 10 percent of homicide offenders nationwide. According to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 3,146 people were on the nation's death rows as of Oct. 1, and only 63 ? 2 percent ? were women.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-womans-execution-halted-da-wont-appeal-201259603.html

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Welcome to the 'Jack and Jackie Harbaugh Show' where we learn ...

Jack and Jackie Harbaugh regaled the Super Bowl media with story after story Wednesday about their sons, who?ll be dueling coaches Sunday when Jim?s 49ers take on John?s Baltimore Ravens.

The Harbaugh parents sat in leather chairs and their 45-minute session could have doubled as a talk show or fireside chat (if only there was a fireplace nearby).

Their opening line was an obvious choice: ?Who?s got it better than us? Nooooo-body!!!? That?s not only been the family?s catchphrase but it?s been the 49ers? postgame victory shout in Jim Harbaugh?s two seasons as coach.

The family storyline goes deeper than the brothers? matchup. Jack Harbaugh made sure to apprise reporters of one more story: Jim Harbaugh?s son Jay works on the Ravens? coaching staff with video and weight-room tasks.

?You?ve got a father-son component Sunday as well,? Jack Harbaugh said about Jay, who just finished serving as an undergrad assistant atOregonState.

Aside from touching family anecdotes, Jack Harbaugh shared some insight into the 49ers? 2011 drafting of quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Reflecting back to that 2011 draft, the elder Harbaugh was concerned that the 49ers didn?t select a quarterback in the first round, when they instead wisely took linebacker Aldon Smith.

Jim Harbaugh was driving in his car on the way home after that opening draft night when he called his father, who said: ?Then in the second round, surely you?ll draft a quarterback??

That question was greeted with dead silence, Jack recalled, until his son vowed him to secrecy and clued him in on the 49ers? plan to move up and pick Kaepernick. Jack Harbaugh recalled Jim telling him: ?Do I not only think he?s the best quarterback in the draft? I think he?s the best football player in the draft.?

Kaepernick will be making only his 10^th career start when the 49ers face the Ravens in the Super Bowl. The Harbaugh parents will be in attendance but said they don?t know whose tickets they?ll use, where they?ll sit or what their postgame plans are.

The Harbaugh brothers have briefly chatted with their parents this week, but ?not about football or strategy,? Jack said, and no family dinners or meetings are planned, Jackie said. Both brothers have pleaded for their parents to enjoy the experience and they said they?re trying their best.

While reminiscing about how Jim took him to the home of Willie Mays ? Jack?s baseball idol ? last fall to watch the Giants? playoff game against the Reds, Jack at one point stopped his story to ask: ?Am I talking too much.?

Jackie predicted that it will be a ?cleanly played game? Sunday, and Jack expects another football-purist battle like the teams? encounter on Thanksgiving Night 2011. After the game, Jackie said: ?All our thoughts will be with the one that comes up a little short.?

Once the Jack and Jackie Show finished entertaining the standing-room-only crowd of about 150 media, Jack stepped off the podium and said: ?Our goal was to come and not lay an egg.? His sons, meanwhile, have loftier goals Sunday.

Source: http://blogs.mercurynews.com/49ers/2013/01/30/welcome-to-the-jack-and-jackie-harbaugh-show-where-we-learn-more-on-kaepernick-family-tree/

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How do I remove applications from my Android smart phone?

When you no longer use an application, you may want to uninstall it. Removing unnecessary applications will also be useful in freeing up the internal memory of the smart phone.

Note: The names of icons may vary between different versions of the Android operating system. There are two ways to uninstall applications:

• Via Manage Applications:
  1. Open the Applications tray and tap the Settings icon.
  2. Tap Applications, and then Manage Applications.
  3. Select the application you wish to uninstall and tap Uninstall.
  4. Tap OK to confirm.
• 
  
• Via Play Store, for applications obtained from Google Play:
  1. Open the Applications tray and tap Play Store.
  2. In Play Store, tap the Downloads button in the top right corner.
  3. Select the application you wish to uninstall and tap Uninstall.
  4. Tap OK to confirm.

Note: You may be unable to remove pre-installed applications.

Source: http://acer.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/10995

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Volkswagen?s Super Bowl Ad Isn?t Racist (OliverWillisLikeKryptoniteToStupid)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/281351059?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Kyocera Torque coming to Sprint's Direct Connect lineup in March, we go hands-on (video)

Going to be in the market for a new Direct Connect device soon, but the current offerings seem so... drab? Enter the Kyocera Torque, the latest Sprint smartphone featuring the network's CDMA-based Push-to-Talk service. The phone, which should be available sometime in early March, brings with it LTE connectivity, (mostly) stock Android 4.0, a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, HD Voice, 4-inch WVGA display, 4GB internal storage and a 2,500mAh battery. As you'd come to expect on a Direct Connect device, it's also certified mil-spec 810G and IP67 and is water-resistant (it can be in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes). It's also the first on this side of the Pacific to utilize Kyocera's Smart Sonic Receiver tissue-conduction tech, a system that foregoes the traditional earpiece and transmits audio to your ear via vibration.

The Torque packs a lot of average features that would likely put it somewhere in the mid-range (we haven't been given pricing yet), but it's definitely not going to win any beauty awards -- it's still a Direct Connect device, after all. Its outer layer is dressed with Dura-Grip and the phone is plenty bulky as a result; however, it's also much more durable than your standard piece of electronics. We threw the phone at the wall, slammed it repeatedly on the table, dunked it in water and even let it sit in ice for at least 20 minutes, all without incident.

On the software side, the Torque uses a version of stock Android 4.0 with only a small amount of tweaking. Essentially, the only major change added in by Sprint and Kyocera is Eco Mode, a power management system on the Torque that blocks background data connections for nonessential apps. We've put together a gallery of pics for you below. Follow us past the break for a full spec listing and our hands-on video.

Kyocera Torque specs:

• Military spec 810G and IP67-certified
• IPX5 / IPX7-certified "waterproof" (up to one meter for 30 minutes)
• 5.54 ounces (157g)
• 113 x 60.5 x 14.3mm (4.44 x 2.38 x 0.56 inches)
• Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
• 1.2GHz dual-core MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 Plus
• 4-inch WVGA IPS display, Gorilla Glass 2
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB internal storage
• MicroSD (up to 32GB)
• 2,500mAh battery
• 5MP rear camera, 1.3MP front-facing
• NFC, WiFi b/g/n 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 4.0+LE/EDR
• HD Voice

Mat Smith contributed to this post.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/28/kyocera-torque/

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Windstream receives 2012 unified communications excellence award

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. ? Windstream (NYSE:WIN, news, filings), a leading provider of advanced network communications, announced today that TMC, a global, integrated marketing company, has named Windstream as a recipient of the 2012 Unified Communications Excellence Award presented by INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine.

The award honors products that demonstrate innovation, distinctive features and major contributions toward improving technology in unified communications.

Windstream, which serves more than 450,000 business customers nationwide, provides businesses with a full suite of unified communications solutions, from VoIP to communications equipment and managed services.

Windstream was awarded the 2012 Unified Communications Excellence Award for its ability to provide customized unified communications solutions for its business customers. Windstream designed a customized, fully managed Unified Communications solution for Pratt Industries ? the fifth largest box manufacturer in the U.S. ? that allowed the company to connect and centralize communications among their 72 locations nationwide.

?We are pleased to grant a 2012 Unified Communications Excellence Award to Windstream for its commitment to excellence while addressing real needs in the marketplace,? said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. ?Congratulations to the team at Windstream on receiving this award, and we look forward to future innovations.?

About Windstream

Windstream Corp. (NASDAQ: WIN) is a leading provider of advanced network communications, including cloud computing and managed services, to businesses nationwide. The company also offers broadband, phone and digital TV services to consumers primarily in rural areas. Windstream has more than $6 billion in annual revenues and is listed on the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit www.windstream.com.

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About TMC

TMC is a global, integrated media company that helps clients build communities in print, in person and online.?TMC publishes multiple magazines including CUSTOMER, INTERNET TELEPHONY, M2M Evolution and Cloud Computing. TMCnet is read by more than 1.5 million unique visitors each month, and is the leading source of news and articles for the communications and technology industries. TMC is also the producer of ITEXPO, the world?s leading B2B communications event, as well as industry events: M2M Evolution; Cloud4SMB Expo; DevCon5; HTML5 Summit; Super Wi-Fi Summit, CVx; AstriCon; StartupCamp; MSPWorld and more. Visit TMC Events for a complete listing and further information.

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Windstream Media Contact:

Alice Hartnett

704-887-0327

PR Archives: Latest, By Company, By Date

Source: http://newswire.telecomramblings.com/2013/01/windstream-receives-2012-unified-communications-excellence-award/

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Study shows climate change could affect onset and severity of flu seasons

Public release date: 28-Jan-2013
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Contact: Rebecca Howe
REBECCA.HOWE@asu.edu
480-727-6577
Arizona State University

The American public can expect to add earlier and more severe flu seasons to the fallout from climate change, according to a research study published online Jan. 28 in PLOS Currents: Influenza.

A team of scientists led by Sherry Towers, research professor in the Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center at Arizona State University, studied waves of influenza and climate patterns in the U.S. from the 1997-1998 season to the present.

The team's analysis, which used Centers for Disease Control data, indicates a pattern for both A and B strains: warm winters are usually followed by heavy flu seasons.

"It appears that fewer people contract influenza during warm winters, and this causes a major portion of the population to remain vulnerable into the next season, causing an early and strong emergence," says Towers. "And when a flu season begins exceptionally early, much of the population has not had a chance to get vaccinated, potentially making that flu season even worse."

The current flu season, which is still in high gear in parts of the nation, began early and fiercely. It followed a relatively light 2011 season, which saw the lowest peak of flu since tracking efforts went into effect, and coincided with the fourth warmest winter on record. According to previous studies, flu transmission decreases in warm or humid conditions.

If global warming continues, warm winters will become more common, and the impact of flu will likely be more heavily felt, say the study's authors.

Mathematical epidemiologist Gerardo Chowell-Puente, an associate professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, adds that the findings could inform preparedness efforts following mild winters: "The expedited manufacture and distribution of vaccines and aggressive vaccination programs could significantly diminish the severity of future influenza epidemics."

###

This study was partially supported by the Multinational Influenza Seasonal Mortality Study, overseen by the National Institutes of Health's Fogarty International Center. Other team members are Rasheed Hameed, Matthew Jastrebski, Maryam Khan, Jonathan Meeks, Anuj Mubayi and George Harris of Northeastern Illinois University. The goal of the overarching study is to better grasp the character and trajectory of influenza in all its forms.

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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: 28-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Rebecca Howe
REBECCA.HOWE@asu.edu
480-727-6577
Arizona State University

The American public can expect to add earlier and more severe flu seasons to the fallout from climate change, according to a research study published online Jan. 28 in PLOS Currents: Influenza.

A team of scientists led by Sherry Towers, research professor in the Mathematical, Computational and Modeling Sciences Center at Arizona State University, studied waves of influenza and climate patterns in the U.S. from the 1997-1998 season to the present.

The team's analysis, which used Centers for Disease Control data, indicates a pattern for both A and B strains: warm winters are usually followed by heavy flu seasons.

"It appears that fewer people contract influenza during warm winters, and this causes a major portion of the population to remain vulnerable into the next season, causing an early and strong emergence," says Towers. "And when a flu season begins exceptionally early, much of the population has not had a chance to get vaccinated, potentially making that flu season even worse."

The current flu season, which is still in high gear in parts of the nation, began early and fiercely. It followed a relatively light 2011 season, which saw the lowest peak of flu since tracking efforts went into effect, and coincided with the fourth warmest winter on record. According to previous studies, flu transmission decreases in warm or humid conditions.

If global warming continues, warm winters will become more common, and the impact of flu will likely be more heavily felt, say the study's authors.

Mathematical epidemiologist Gerardo Chowell-Puente, an associate professor in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, adds that the findings could inform preparedness efforts following mild winters: "The expedited manufacture and distribution of vaccines and aggressive vaccination programs could significantly diminish the severity of future influenza epidemics."

###

This study was partially supported by the Multinational Influenza Seasonal Mortality Study, overseen by the National Institutes of Health's Fogarty International Center. Other team members are Rasheed Hameed, Matthew Jastrebski, Maryam Khan, Jonathan Meeks, Anuj Mubayi and George Harris of Northeastern Illinois University. The goal of the overarching study is to better grasp the character and trajectory of influenza in all its forms.

---

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?

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/2013-01/asu-ssc012813.php

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Report: Grand jury indicted JonBenet Ramsey's parents

In 1999, the district attorney in Boulder Colorado made the decision that there was not enough evidence to file charges against anyone in the death of JonBenet Ramsey, but members of the grand jury in the case are now revealing they voted to indict Ramsey's parents. NBC's Erica Hill reports.

By Daniel Arkin, Staff Writer, NBC News

A Colorado grand jury voted to indict the parents of slain child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey more than 13 years ago, but prosecutors reportedly refused to go forward on the case, according to the Boulder Daily Camera?newspaper.

The grand jury voted in 1999 to indict John and Patsy Ramsey on charges of child abuse resulting in death, three years after their 6-year-old daughter was bludgeoned and strangled in the basement of her family's house on Christmas Day.

But former Boulder County District Attorney Alex Hunter declined to sign the indictment, believing he could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, the Daily Camera reported.

"I and my prosecution task force believe we do not have sufficient evidence to warrant the filing of charges against anyone who has been investigated at this time," Hunter told reporters in October 1999.

June 24: Patsy Ramsey, the mother of murder victim JonBenet Ramsey died of cancer at 49. NBC's Mark Mullen looks back at Patsy Ramsey's life and her daughter's unsolved murder.

"Child abuse resulting in death" is a Class II felony punishable by up to 48 years in prison, according to the Daily Camera.

"We didn't know who did what," a juror told the Daily Camera on the condition of anonymity. "[B]ut we feel the adults in the house may have done something that they certainly could have prevented, or they could have helped her, and they didn't."

Hunter, who left his post in 2008 after 28 years as district attorney, declined to discuss the grand jury's decision, according to the Daily Camera.

But in a 2001 interview with NBC News, Hunter said he had no regrets about his decision not to charge anyone.

"I have enough people that I respect that have said to me, 'You know, you made a tough call, you made a call the public didn't like. But you were true to the law, you were a good prosecutor, and that's plenty for me.'"

Dec. 20: As the anniversary of JonBenet Ramsey's murder approaches, her father John Ramsey -- once considered a suspect -- tells TODAY's Katie Couric that the family is confident the killer will be caught.

Lin Wood, John Ramsey's attorney, backed up Hunter's decision in a statement to NBC News.

"The DNA tests performed after the time of the Boulder grand jury not only prove the Ramseys to be innocent and the grand jury wrong, they also make D.A. Alex Hunter a hero who wisely avoided the miscarriage of justice," Wood said.

Patsy Ramsey died of ovarian cancer in 2006. The couple and their older son, Burke Ramsey, were exonerated in the case in July 2008, even though they were never formally charged in connection with JonBenet's death.

"To the extent that we may have contributed in any way to the public perception that you might have been involved in this crime, I am deeply sorry," former Boulder County District Attorney Marcy Lacy wrote in a letter to John Ramsey in 2008. "No innocent person should have to endure such an extensive trial in the court of public opinion."

Ramsey family via AP, file

This image made from an undated family video shows JonBenet Ramsey performing during a beauty pageant.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/28/16736352-report-colorado-grand-jury-indicted-jonbenet-ramseys-parents-in-1999?lite

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Give Your Ideas Room to Grow - MOMeo Magazine

Posted by Carla Young on January 28, 2013 ? Leave a Comment?

For every ?Yes? you say to something, there is a corresponding ?No? to something else ? either because you don?t have the ability to say ?Yes? or because that something else never materializes.

This is why we fail to achieve what we most desire in our overscheduled and overcommitted lives. We are constantly committing to stuff we aren?t all that interested in, defacto pushing what we really want to the back.

If you really want to get to that ?sometime? project, you must make room for it. You need to give your ideas room to grow, not just in your mind, but in your calendar because if left to its own devices, your calendar will magically fill itself full of unnecessary and unwanted tasks.

How to Create Space for New Opportunities

Ditch the Unnecessary ? Make a list of everything you are committed to doing or end up doing by default and cross off everything that falls under the categories of unnecessary or unwanted. It?s time to let another mom take over the role of classroom volunteer or ask your family to step up to help with the household tasks.

Decide What You Want ? Put of making space for new opportunities is identifying what types of opportunities you would like to manifest in your life. Do you want to attract new clients or do you want to tackle that book project that has been sitting on your shelf for the last year? Set the intention.

Make a Plan ? Don?t wait for that new client to appear out of nowhere or for the editor to come knocking on your door ? MAKE IT HAPPEN! Create an action list that outlines the exact steps you need to take this week to step closer to that goal (and keep on mapping out steps as you go).

Stick to It ? Do not give yourself a break! If you commit to an action step by a certain date, consider it an unbreakable promise. So often we put ourselves at the very bottom of our list ? it?s time to make you a priority.

Find Accountability Partners ? Connect with likeminded people who will hold your feet to the fire and call you on your bullshit excuses when you fail to hit a milestone. Tell them upfront that you want (and need) tough love.

Celebrate Your Achievements ? Remember that momentum begets more momentum (hence the name of this column). Take time to celebrate your achievements, even if it?s just a quick happy dance in your office before you get back on task.

Happy Monday ? now go get ?em!

About Carla Young
Carla Young, MOMeoMagazine.com Publisher If there?s living proof that women can have it all ? and then some ? it?s Carla Young. Building her multiple businesses on a virtual work-at-home model, Carla is an inspiration to other mothers who want to start a lifestyle business. During her early days as a mom entrepreneur, Carla made every single mistake in the book (and a few new ones for good measure). Realizing that ?doing it all? was unhealthy and unsustainable, Carla started by getting organized to the extreme, developing support systems for both her work and family. After other mothers started asking how they too could enjoy her lifestyle, Carla launched MOMeoMagazine.com to support moms at work, at home and at play (because every mommy deserves a little me-time)!

Source: http://www.momeomagazine.com/give-your-ideas-room-to-grow-how-to-create-space-for-new-opportunities/

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Canada's wine and spirits market to continue rapid growth ...

Note: A Vinexpo study forecasts that growth in Canadian wine and spirits consumption will continue to grow up to 2016 and will be three times greater than that of the rest of the world. What follows are the results of the study.

TORONTO ? The unveiling of Vinexpo?s 11th study on the Current trends in the international wine and spirits market and outlook to 2016, conducted by British firm, The International Wine and Spirit Research (IWSR) on behalf of Vinexpo was held in Montr?al and Toronto, with the participation of the prestigious fair?s spokespersons, Robert Beynat, general manager and Xavier de Eizaguirre, chairman.

A veritable benchmark for sector professionals, this much-anticipated study confirms that Canada will maintain its impressive growth rate with regard to wine consumption between 2012 and 2016 (+14.27 per cent), three times greater than the global average.

Between 2012 and 2016, Canada will become the world?s fifth biggest wine consumer, behind China, the United States, Russia and Germany.

Vinexpo, the international wine and spirits fair, will open its doors in five months, running from June 16 to 20, 2013. Held every two years, the fair highlights the achievements made by sector professionals. More than 650 Canadian operators will join the event?s 48,000 expected visitors.

Accelerated growth within the international wine market

Still and sparkling wines posted a +2.8 per cent increase between 2007 and 2011, for a sales total of 2.679 billion 9-litre cases, representing 32 billion bottles. The Vinexpo study forecasts that said consumption growth rate will increase between 2012 and 2016 and re-establish the pace it set in the early 2000s at +5.3 per cent over five years. The study further estimates that international consumption in 2016 will reach 2.873 billion 9-litre cases, representing 34.48 billion bottles.

?This growth is easy to explain,? comments Robert Beynat, general manager of Vinexpo. ?China, the United States and Russia are core markets that drive international growth. In 2010, China became the world?s fifth biggest wine consumer, while the United States took the lead.?

These three markets and Australia alone saw their consumption jump by 1.55 billion bottles between 2007 and 2011.

However, the situation is reversed across Europe, where wine consumption is undergoing a downturn. For the first time in 15 years, the United Kingdom and Germany posted a respective drop of -4.07 per cent and -2.73 per cent between 2007 and 2011. France and Italy were similarly affected during this period, with respective drops of -7.13 per cent and -2.51 per cent, while Spain underwent a significant free-fall of 19.67 per cent over the past five years. The United States, France and Italy were the period?s top three consumers.

On the export side, the French have reaffirmed their international leadership position with an export sales figure of US $9.9 billion (+5.24 per cent since 2007).

Italy, Spain and Australia are hot on their heels, posting significant sales volume increases. Sadly, said boosts are not proportional to their sales figure increase, reflecting a notable average price drop among export wines.

Evolving consumption habits

The Vinexpo study underscores several major changes in consumption habits, namely the rapid growth of sparkling wines, with an 8.52 per cent increase between 2012 and 2016, as well as the steady rise of ros? wines, which will rise 7.58 per cent by 2016.

Red wines are still dominating the international market, as they represented 54.7 per cent of still wine consumption in 2011 and will post a 9.1 per cent increase by 2016.

It also bears mentioning that consumers are looking for quality. Bottles sold at over $10 per unit totalled 213.566 million 9-litre cases in 2011 and said volume will undergo significant growth (+29.93 per cent) between 2011 and 2016.

Canadian consumers are no different, with 69.5 per cent of wines bought in Canada valued at over $10. Furthermore, the Vinexpo study believes this consumption rate will increase by 30.45 per cent by 2016.

Fast-growing Canadian market

Between 2007 and 2011, wine consumption in Canada increased by +14.55 per cent, for a total of 43.21 million cases consumed in 2011. By 2016, this rate should stay the course, reaching 50.70 million cases, representing 14.27 per cent increase between 2012 and 2016, three times greater than the average international growth.

Consumption trends are stable, with a 17.49 per cent increase in red wine consumption between 2012 and 2016, representing 61.7 per cent of Canada?s still wine consumption, while ros?s continue their rapid ascension, with a 45.41 per cent boost between 2012 and 2016.

As for value, sales figure growth keeps pace with volumes, with wine sales in Canada expected to increase by +14.75 per cent, for a total of $5.7 billion in 2016.

Import wine consumption is going strong, totalling 31.27 million cases in 2011 and expected to post 37.59 million cases by 2016, representing a 17 per cent increase. However, the domestic wine consumption rate is likely to drop slightly (from +10.71 per cent to +7.72 per cent) by 2016.

Coming as a major change since 2011, France has lost its status as Canada?s foremost supplier to Italy, whose exports to Canada posted a +16.1 per cent increase, while France saw its Canada-bound exports drop by -3.74 per cent.

Spirits market stabilization

According to the Vinexpo study, world spirits consumption should stabilize, posting a +8.98 per cent growth rate increase by 2016, well below its +32.64 per cent growth between 2007 and 2011.

The Asia-Pacific region is the world?s foremost spirits consumption zone (61.5 per cent of global consumption). This region posted a tremendous growth rate of +74.31 per cent from 2007 to 2011, which should stabilize to +13.63 per cent between 2012 and 2016.

In Canada, spirits consumption should grow +3.70 per cent between 2012 and 2016. This accelerated growth stems from an increase in import spirits consumption (+4.16 per cent) in 2012 and a drop in domestic spirits.

Vodka, the most popular spirit in Canada (4.76 million cases in 2011), is expected to grow +9.83 per cent between 2012 and 2016. It is followed by rum, which saw its consumption rate increase by +6.55 per cent between 2007 and 2011.

About Vinexpo

Created in 1981 by the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Vinexpo exhibition has stood out over the years as being the largest global world wine and spirits exhibition for decision-makers, distributors and producers in the field. Held in Bordeaux every other year, Vinexpo has seen an impressive growth since its creation. In 2011, Vinexpo welcomed 2,400 exhibitors from 47 countries, 48,122 visitors from 148 countries and more than 1,254 journalists and writers. An exceptional showcase for products from around the world, Vinexpo is an exchange and debate point in the heart of the world?s most renowned wine-producing districts. Beyond the exhibition itself, Vinexpo has succeeded in providing wine and spirits professionals with a genuine tool for strategic reflection and planning through studies, symposia and conferences.

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Source: http://winesinniagara.com/2013/01/canadas-wine-and-spirits-market-to-continue-rapid-growth-according-to-vinexpo-forecast/

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Hackers take over sentencing commission website

This screen shot shows the website of the U.S. Sentencing Commission after it was hijacked by the hacker-activist group Anonymous, early Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, to avenge the death of Aaron Swartz, an Internet activist who committed suicide. The website of the commission, an independent agency of the judicial branch, was replaced with a message warning that when Swartz killed himself two weeks ago "a line was crossed." (AP Photo)

This screen shot shows the website of the U.S. Sentencing Commission after it was hijacked by the hacker-activist group Anonymous, early Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, to avenge the death of Aaron Swartz, an Internet activist who committed suicide. The website of the commission, an independent agency of the judicial branch, was replaced with a message warning that when Swartz killed himself two weeks ago "a line was crossed." (AP Photo)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The hacker-activist group Anonymous says it hijacked the website of the U.S. Sentencing Commission to avenge the death of Aaron Swartz, an Internet activist who committed suicide. The FBI is investigating.

The website of the commission, an independent agency of the judicial branch, was taken over early Saturday and replaced with a message warning that when Swartz killed himself two weeks ago "a line was crossed."

The hackers say they've infiltrated several government computer systems and copied secret information that they now threaten to make public.

Family and friends of Swartz, who helped create Reddit and RSS, say he killed himself after he was hounded by federal prosecutors. Officials say he helped post millions of court documents for free online and that he illegally downloaded millions of academic articles from an online clearinghouse.

The FBI's Richard McFeely, executive assistant director of the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, said in a statement that "we were aware as soon as it happened and are handling it as a criminal investigation. We are always concerned when someone illegally accesses another person's or government agency's network."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/495d344a0d10421e9baa8ee77029cfbd/Article_2013-01-26-Commission%20Website%20Hacked/id-f42f432efbaf45548fe63f8144f08374

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Analysis - Lengthy 787 probe, fixing problem, may cost Boeing dear

SEATTLE (Reuters) - The slow progress of investigations into battery problems on Boeing Co's 787 Dreamliner jets suggest the new plane could be grounded for months, raising fears that the financial hit to Boeing will be greater than had been initially predicted.

Wall Street had been working on the assumption that safety inspectors would find the root cause of two battery incidents in the United States and Japan within weeks and Boeing would implement a speedy fix costing no more than a few hundred million dollars.

But on Thursday, the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it was only "early" in its investigation of a fire on a Japan Airlines Co Ltd jet in Boston on January 7, while Japanese aviation authorities appear no closer to resolving a battery problem that caused an emergency landing of a domestic All Nippon Airways Co Ltd flight last week.

"Saying we are in the early stages of the investigation sent a resounding message to those who thought this was a quick fix," said Carter Leake, aerospace analyst at BB&T Capital Markets.

"If it comes out that ultimately it's a six-month issue or a nine-month issue, everything changes. All of this optimism and all of this costing assumption, starts to become bigger numbers. Once you get past six months, you have to consider cancellations."

Investors do not appear to be in a panic yet. Boeing shares are down only about 2.5 percent since the 787 was grounded worldwide following the emergency landing in Japan on January 16.

"Wall Street reaction shows confidence in Boeing's ability to solve the 787 problem," said Michel Merluzeau, managing partner at G2 Solutions, an aerospace and defense consulting firm in Kirkland, Washington.

Boeing does make four other kinds of jets, including the best-selling 737, and the company earns 40 percent of its revenue from its defense arm.

Still, the world's biggest planemaker is producing 787s, but not delivering any, a situation that could stretch the company financially and test investors' faith.

"One of our big concerns is that this investigation continues to drag on, and it looks like it may be more than just the battery overheating itself," said Russell Solomon, an analyst at Moody's Investors Service. "You start getting into three, six months out and it has a bigger impact and my guess is that they (Boeing) would have to potentially cut the production rate."

BREAKING DOWN THE COST

Besides the actual cost of fixing the 50 787s in service, plus another 50 or so in production or waiting for delivery, Boeing will have to compensate carriers unable to use 787s as planned and pay penalties for late deliveries, most likely in the form of discounts on future purchases.

It also is not clear whether any fix - particularly if the probes lead to the identification of a major design fault - would also be costly.

At the same time, it will be starved of the cash it was expecting for delivering 787s it is still producing at the current rate of five per month, which could add up to $300 million per month, analysts estimate.

And the longer the planes are grounded, the more Boeing is exposed, as airlines may start to reconsider orders and - in extreme cases - cancel some, especially if the battery fix adds weight to the plane and reduces its vaunted fuel efficiency.

Boeing, which is expected to report a drop in fourth-quarter earnings next Wednesday, is not talking specifically about costs of the 787 issue yet.

"It's too early to know the financial effects," said Boeing spokesman Charles Bickers. "We're focused on working through the process, getting to a resolution and returning the airplanes to service."

Douglas Harned, an analyst at Bernstein Research, puts the cost of a fix at no more than $350 million, or about 30 cents per Boeing share, in a worst-case scenario. Howard Rubel at Jefferies estimates the cost at somewhere between $250 million to $625 million, but notes that some of the cost may be borne by suppliers.

"There's still the hope of a relatively easy fix followed by a return to service within a week or two, but there's also the strong and growing risk that they'll need to redesign the battery system, which could mean another six to nine months," said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst at aerospace research firm Teal Group.

PRODUCTION DELAY LOOMS

More important is the effect on Boeing's production rate, which is scheduled to jump to 10 a month by the end of this year, from five now.

That jump is crucial to Boeing's plans to eventually make a profit on the 787. Most of the investment in a new plane occurs early in the program, which means earlier planes cost more to build than later ones.

The quicker Boeing can refine the process and ramp up numbers of planes produced, the quicker it will reach the target of 1,100 planes, where it calculates it will break even on the program. At planned production rates that would take about a decade.

If Boeing makes fewer planes than it has budgeted for and is not getting cash in the door for deliveries, that could add up to more than $1 billion per month in "incremental working capital spend," according to Solomon at Moody's.

With $6 billion of cash on its balance sheet at the end of the third quarter, Boeing looks strong enough to deal with that, but the longer it goes on, the more the worries mount, said Solomon.

"If a billion to a billion and a half of incremental working capital consumption is the right number in terms of cash burn every month, you start getting into three, six months out and it has a bigger impact," he said. "My guess is that they would have to potentially cut the production rate if that were the case."

Cutting production of 787s, or halting it altogether, would be a huge blow for a plane program that is already three years behind schedule.

"The market really only cares about one thing right now and that is, will production change?" said Leake at BB&T. "I believe it will not, Boeing can't afford to do that. It's too expensive to ramp down and ramp up again."

Production delays would ripple down the supply chain, could cost jobs and could even mean the loss of future orders if airlines lose patience with Boeing.

Rubel at Jefferies said this is unlikely, but in the worst case scenario could result in a $5 billion write-off for Boeing, if it loses orders it was counting on to offset expenses it has already laid out in building the 787.

That would take its toll on earnings and likely mean taking a provision against those losses.

"It will impact equity investors," said Solomon at Moody's. "The company will grow much more slowly if they can't ramp to 10 a month and the program is not successful."

(Additional reporting by Tim Hepher in Paris, Alwyn Scott in New York, Jim Wolf in Washington; Editing by Martin Howell and Andre Grenon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lengthy-787-probe-fixing-problem-may-cost-boeing-000923262--finance.html

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IAEA stresses Iran nuclear "dialogue", Tehran defiant

VIENNA/ZURICH (Reuters) - The U.N. nuclear watchdog signaled on Friday it would keep trying to secure Iran's cooperation with a long-stalled investigation, but a senior Iranian lawmaker suggested Tehran would only cooperate it if it won sanctions relief in return.

The comments by Alaeddin Boroujerdi, who chairs parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, add to Western suspicions that Iran may be using its talks with the U.N. agency as a bargaining chip to win concessions from world powers.

"Lifting sanctions against Iran is a national right of ours ... If we are supposed to have more cooperation with the Agency, Westerners should know that this is a two-way road," parliamentary news agency Icana quoted him as saying.

The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency has been trying for a year to negotiate a framework agreement with Iran that would enable the Vienna-based IAEA to resume its investigation into suspected nuclear weapons research by the Islamic Republic.

Iran, a major oil producer which is facing tightening Western sanctions, says its nuclear program is entirely peaceful and that Western and Israeli intelligence information pointing to possible weapon aims is forged and baseless.

The IAEA's talks with Iran are separate from, but still closely linked to broader negotiations between Tehran and six major powers aimed at reaching a diplomatic settlement to the decade-old dispute and avert the threat of a Middle East war.

Only the powers can decide to ease sanctions on Iran and their immediate demand is that Tehran curbs its uranium enrichment, work which can have both civilian and military uses, and shuts an underground nuclear facility.

Both Iran and the powers - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia - say they want to resume talks after a seven-month hiatus. But they have yet to announce a date and venue for their next meeting.

The IAEA and Iran failed in two days of talks last week to bridge their differences on how the investigation should be conducted and a new session has been scheduled for February 13.

In a meeting with Israel's president this week, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano underlined the need to resolve differences with Iran diplomatically, the U.N. agency said on Friday, rather than war as Israeli leaders have mooted.

MILITARY SITE ACCESS

Israel, widely believed to be the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, has threatened possible military action if diplomacy and sanctions fail to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

Amano told Israeli President Shimon Peres at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland on Thursday that the U.N. agency had intensified "dialogue" with Tehran, the IAEA said.

That was a reference to the IAEA's push since January last year, so far fruitless, to gain access to sites, officials and documents in Iran it says it needs for its inquiry.

Amano "made clear the Agency's commitment to dialogue, and the need to resolve issues with Iran by diplomatic means", the IAEA said in a statement.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, speaking on Thursday at Davos, sounded pessimistic on the prospect of Iran yielding to diplomatic pressure, which he deemed insufficient.

"There is a need for much more drastic sanctions ... something that you cannot easily convince the Russians and the Chinese to join," Barak said.

He sought to play down the destabilizing impact of any future war on Iran, saying a "surgical operation" would suffice and suggesting the United States was well-placed to launch it.

"Under this administration, the Americans, on orders from the White House, I believe, the Pentagon, have prepared quite sophisticated, fine, extremely fine 'scalpels'," Barak said.

Analysts say any brewing or actual military action against Iran will dim the chance of Iran opening up to U.N. investigators and spur Tehran to expel IAEA inspectors tasked with ensuring civilian safeguards on Iran's nuclear activity.

The IAEA's priority is to inspect the Parchin military facility, southeast of the capital, where it believes explosives tests relevant for nuclear weapons development may have taken place, perhaps a decade ago. Iran denies this.

Parchin "is a recognized military site and not engaged in our country's nuclear activities," Iran's state Press TV quoted Boroujerdi as saying.

He said there was no reason at this time to increase Iran's cooperation with the IAEA, "first because the inspection of Parchin is not among our commitments (under an existing nuclear safeguards agreement with the U.N. agency) and also because we are facing increasing sanctions."

(Additional reporting by Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iaea-israel-iran-nuclear-row-must-resolved-peacefully-112019249.html

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Cerebral Diva: Bullying, Transgender Women & Domestic Violence ...

I think it's common knowledge that most trans-people have/will be the victims of abuse at some point in their life. The perpetual abuse and lack of empathy or often the motivation for many in the gender variant community to end their own lives in the quest for eternal peace.

For those who choose to stay and fight the world can be a very cruel place, one filled with ostracism, prejudice, homelessness, excommunication and unemployment.

In order to survive in an unforgiving world you need more than a thick skin, you need a suit or armor and arsenal of weaponry (figuratively speaking).

After being beaten up in school on a daily basis, misunderstood at home and feeling an extraterrestrial of sorts, at some point trans-people grow tired of being the one on the receiving end of ass-whoopin's and you learn to fight back (verbally and physically). But through it all...what transgender people really want is love. They desire love and companionship just as most humans desire.

Its the quest for love, combined with a history of violence that can create a dangerous cocktail for many emotionally maladjusted trans-people and their prospective lovers.

Imagined feeling unloved and unwanted for most of your life and then finally finding that special someone that makes you feel complete. Compound that with years of beatings, ridicule, abuse and psychological trauma. You are in for a serious roller coaster ride. Especially if the gender variant person chooses a person who is not comfortable in their own skin or a person who lacks fidelity and sensitivity required to nurture a relationship with a transgender person.

I believe this is why transgender women (especially those of color) often find themselves in relationships where domestic violence is the norm. When you've been abused it creates so many layers of insecurity and unworthiness. It will allow you to make the illogical sound sane for the purpose of maintaining an unhealthy relationship.

If you've been beat up, called "faggot" and "he-she" for the bulk of your life you've essentially been conditioned for an abusive relationship. Violence isn't out of the ordinary, its the standard.

Violence is not atypical in the romantic relationships of many trans-people neither is the escalation and frequency of the violence. The problem is when the trans-person comes out on the winning end of a life or death domestic violence altercation.

There are many transgender women who are now imprisoned or on trial for the death of their lovers. Lovers who were in many cases equally culpable. Yet its the transgender person who is in jail for simply employing one of the most primitive laws known to man: "Kill or be killed".

Don't get me wrong...I am in no way endorsing violence in any capacity. If you do the crime....you do the time. Trans-people have to follow the laws of our society just like anyone else.

It's my hope that trans-people will learn to identify what a healthy relationship looks like and what true love feel like. It is not a fist to the eye or a glass being hurled in your direction form the other side of the room. Love is internal. It lives inward and emanates outward.

Source: http://cerebraldiva.blogspot.com/2013/01/bullying-transgender-women-domestic.html

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A Dramatic Company Turnaround Story: How ... - Franchising.com

Introduction of Small Group Training, Monthly Membership Model Fuels Double-Digit Sales Gains

Highlands Ranch, CO (Jan. 21, 2013) ? Living proof that a recession can lead to positive change, Fitness Together, a national franchise of one-on-one and small group personal physical fitness training studios, has muscled up its business model with key changes that have resulted in increased sales at studios across the country.

Responding to an economic climate that forced many consumers to cut their personal fitness program budgets, Fitness Together introduced a small-group personal training program (PACK?) in late 2011 to complement its popular one-on-one training packages, and also began offering clients a monthly membership payment option. While Fitness Together clients can still purchase packages of one-on-one personal training sessions, those members now have the option of paying for customized monthly packages that meet their unique fitness needs.

PACK training, about half the cost of one-on-one personal training, offers a highly personalized approach that is vastly different from the ?one-class-fits-all? approach to fitness found in large group training classes, boot camps, and big box gyms. During a PACK training session, certified personal trainers lead small groups of up to four people using state-of-the-art fitness techniques that are suited to each person?s individual fitness levels in a private Fitness Together studio setting.

?The introduction of PACK, combined with the option to offer monthly membership plans, has breathed new life into our franchise system,? said Jeff Jervik, CEO and President of Fitness Together Holdings, Inc. ?By re-engineering our model to meet the needs of our clients, our franchise owners have seen significant increases in their client base, their revenues, and boosted morale among their staff. The energy is at an all-time high.?

Alita Brown, owner of Fitness Together in Washington, D.C., launched small group training in November 2011. She adopted the membership pricing model in January, 2012, and has since seen a steady increase in monthly revenues when compared to 2011. Interestingly, Brown noted that not only has the membership model improved her revenue stability ? it also has led to increased fitness results among her clients.

?Clients are held more accountable to their workout program with the monthly payment system,? Brown said. ?So they are getting better fitness results, and our recurring revenues are higher. It?s a win-win. The PACK training has attracted a younger demographic to our studio, and even brought back previous clients. We went from almost closing our doors to this incredible renewed success. It?s been an amazing year.?

The one-on-one and small group personal training options at Fitness Together include three proprietary programs that can?t be found at big-box gyms or other fitness studios. ASPIRE8? is a custom fitness program based on scientific research that takes clients through eight progressive phases over the course of one year. Nutrition Together by Dr. Janet Brill was created exclusively for Fitness Together and teaches clients how to eat healthy, eat light, and eat often. Finally, Cardio Together is a unique cardiovascular program that works hand-in-hand with ASPIRE8 to extend the proven results of personal training.

Fitness Together Holdings, Inc.

Fitness Together Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, is one of the largest wellness franchise organizations in the United States. Fitness Together Holdings owns Fitness Together Franchise Corporation (Fitness Together), which franchises one-on-one and small group personal physical fitness training studios, and Elements Therapeutic Massage, Inc. (Elements), which franchises Elements Therapeutic Massage studios, providing custom therapeutic massage to meet clients? individual needs.

Fitness Together began franchising in 1996 and currently has 240 locations across the United States, Brazil, and Canada. Elements began franchising in 2006 and has more than 100 locations in 26 states. If you would like more information about Fitness Together franchise opportunities, please visit http://fitnesstogether.com/franchise. If you would like more information about Elements franchise opportunities, please visit http://elementsfranchise.com.

SOURCE?Fitness Together Holdings, Inc.

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Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20130125_a_dramatic_company_turnaround_story_how_fitness_to.html

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U.S. mental health experts urge focus on childhood screening

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. mental health system has huge gaps that prevent many children with psychological problems from receiving effective treatment that could prevent tragic consequences later in life, experts told U.S. lawmakers on Thursday.

Just over a month after the shooting rampage in Newtown, Connecticut, mental health experts said psychological disorders usually emerge before people enter high school but that only one-quarter of children with problems see trained professionals and often the care is not enough.

"We see the results of insufficient mental healthcare in school failure and suicide. How do we do better?" Michael Hogan, head of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, said in written testimony to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

"While the gaps in children's mental healthcare are huge, there is also reason for hope," he added. "In part, this is because we know more about what works, and what doesn't."

Hogan, a former New York mental health commissioner, was scheduled to appear with two other experts Thursday at the Senate committee's first hearing on mental health issues since the presidency of Republican George W. Bush, who set up the commission Hogan now chairs.

The hearing was scheduled in response to the shootings at Newtown's Sandy Hook Elementary School where Adam Lanza, a young man described as having mental issues, gunned down 26 people including 20 young children with an AR-15-type assault rifle on December 14.

The tragedy and other mass shootings in recent years have ignited a debate about gun control and mental health, including a push by President Barack Obama for stronger gun controls and better mental health training for schools and communities.

Robert Vero, chief executive of a network of Tennessee clinics called Cornerstone, said mental health professionals who work with children also lack access to parents and other relatives whose problems may contribute to a child's troubles, sometimes due to inadequate insurance coverage.

"We need to be able to teach parenting skills if we want the child's behavior to change," said Vero. "We need to be able to address the parent's depression or addiction."

The experts credited Obama's healthcare reform law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, with making a step forward by requiring insurers including Medicaid to provide coverage for mental health issues.

But they said the American social safety net still fails to provide adequate access for the poor and elderly, noting that state mental health funding declined $4 billion from 2009 to 2012 as a result of budget constraints posed by recession and the weak economic recovery.

(Editing by Jilian Mincer and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-mental-health-experts-urge-focus-childhood-screening-150113461.html

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S&P 500 vaults 1,500 as Wall Street extends rally

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Standard & Poor's 500 index closed above 1,500 for the first time in more than five years on Friday as strong earnings reports, including Procter & Gamble's, helped the benchmark extend its rally to eight days.

The winning streak is the longest in eight years and left the S&P 500 about 4.1 percent away from its all-time closing high of 1,565.15 on October 9, 2007.

The equity market's strong start this year has been attributed to solid corporate results, an agreement in Washington to extend the government's borrowing power, encouraging signs from the global economy and seasonal inflows into stocks.

Procter & Gamble shares led the Dow and S&P higher with a 4 percent gain to $73.25 after the world's top household products maker's quarterly profit soared past expectations. The company also raised its sales and earnings outlook for the fiscal year.

Sales of new U.S. single-family homes fell in December but rose in 2012 to the highest level since 2009, a sign the U.S. housing market turned a corner last year.

"Economic data in the U.S. has been trending higher, albeit modestly. Things are incrementally better," said Quincy Krosby, market strategist at Prudential Financial in Newark, New Jersey.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> rose 70.65 points or 0.51 percent, to close at 13,895.98. The S&P 500 <.spx> gained 8.14 points or 0.54 percent, to 1,502.96. The Nasdaq Composite <.ixic> added 19.33 points or 0.62 percent, to end at 3,149.71.

The S&P 500 closed at its highest since December 10, 2007, and the Dow ended at its highest since October 31, 2007.

Apple shares dropped 2.4 percent to $439.88, and the iPhone maker lost its coveted title as the largest U.S. company by market capitalization to Exxon Mobil Corp .

Apple's market cap fell to $413 billion, down roughly $250 billion from its September peak. Apple's fall is about equal to the entire value of Google Inc .

"The market was able to move forward despite deterioration in Apple and that's also a positive," Prudential Financial's Krosby said.

There was heavy volume in Apple shares as it hit its session low shortly before the closing bell. The stock dropped by as much as $7, to $435 from $442, within the span of one second during the last minute of trading.

More than 50 orders were executed on NYSE Arca at $435 a share, according to Thomson Reuters time-and-sales data, in blocks as small as 100 shares and as large as 10,494 shares.

Adding to the overall bullish tone in the market, German business morale improved for a third consecutive month in January to its highest in more than six months. In addition, European banks said they will repay the European Central Bank much more than expected of the loans the bank gave them during the crisis.

"Good news in credit markets helps set the stage for (more investment in) riskier assets," Krosby said.

For the week, the Dow rose 1.8 percent, the S&P 500 gained 1.1 percent and the Nasdaq added 0.5 percent. It was the fourth straight week of gains for all three indexes.

Helping to lift the Nasdaq on Friday, Starbucks rose 4.1 percent to $56.81 after the coffee retailer reported stronger-than-expected sales in the United States and Asia. {ID:nL1N0ATH04]

Netflix added 15.5 percent to $169.56, following its massive 42.2 percent jump on Thursday after the company announced a surprising jump in subscribers to its video streaming service.

Thomson Reuters data through Friday showed that of the 147 S&P 500 companies that have reported earnings so far, 68 percent exceeded expectations. Since 1994, 62 percent of companies have topped expectations, while the average over the past four quarters stands at 65 percent.

Halliburton Co shares jumped 5.1 percent to $39.72 after the world's second-largest oilfield services company reported higher-than-expected earnings and sales for the fourth quarter.

About 6.4 billion shares changed hands on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and NYSE MKT, below the daily average during January 2012 of about 6.93 billion shares.

On the NYSE, more than three issues rose for every two that fell. On the Nasdaq, five stocks advanced for every four that declined.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Kenneth Barry and Jan Paschal)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/p-rises-seventh-day-1-500-too-steep-003249283--sector.html

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