Price tag says $115 billion, study authors find Medicaid expansion in Texas ?affordable?

With the unveiling today of a new report on the cost of expanding Medicaid under Obamacare, we are confident we have now heard the last three words on the subject: Smart, Affordable and Fair.

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured said pretty much the same thing in a lot more words with its study released back in November.

By affordable, the Kaiser Commission meant $1.03 trillion with the cooperation of all 50 states from this year through 2022.

The cost for Texas to be smart, affordable and fair is about $115 billion during the same decade, according to the new report by Billy Hamilton Consulting for Texas Impact, a grassroots religious non-profit based in Austin.

This figure is considerably less than the $150 billion the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation estimated in its study, as much as $38 billion of it to comply with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

What this flurry of studies is selling, particularly in states like Texas with recalcitrant political leaders, is that all this expanding isn?t just affordable but practically free. And by free these analysts mean paid for by the magic money machine in that far off land where all dreams come true: Washington, D.C.

Of that trillion in the Kaiser study, why, only $76 billion would come from the states. And of the $115 billion only $15 billion would come from Texans, according to the Hamilton study.

What?s more, in the best tradition of John Maynard Keynes, all this free federal money will multiply itself in a direct and indirect boon to the Texas economy, $27.5 billion yielding $67.9 billion during the fiscal years 2014 through 2017, the study says.

Should you like to believe all that we?ve said here about the money being free and multiplying like fishes and loaves, feel free to ignore those marginalized cranks like this one suggesting all of Medicaid is paid for by taxpayers.

Next thing these folks will have you believing is that we are running national debt of $16 trillion.

***
Contact Mark Lisheron at 512-299-2318 or mark@texaswatchdog.org or on Twitter at @marktxwatchdog.

Keep up with all the latest news from Texas Watchdog. Fan our page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Scribd, and fan us on YouTube. Join our network on de.licio.us, and put our RSS feeds in your newsreader. We're also on MySpace, Digg, FriendFeed, and tumblr.

Photo by flickr user Lance McCord, used via a Creative Commons license.

Source: http://www.texaswatchdog.org/2013/01/price-tag-says-115-billion-yet-study-authors-find-medicaid-expansion-texas-obamacare/1359413118.column

roy orbison the third man 2012 nfl draft order mohamed sanu chris polk chicago bulls st louis blues

Menendez denies he was with Dominican prostitutes (The Arizona Republic)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/281552502?client_source=feed&format=rss

diners drive ins and dives jeff who lives at home 49ers news saint louis university leprechaun night at the museum pope shenouda

Floods hit two Australian states, thousands evacuated

CANBERRA (Reuters) - Massive summer floods have killed four people and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes across two Australian states on Tuesday, disrupting air and rail travel and coal production.

A deluge fed by the ex-tropical cyclone Oswald dumped more than 200 millimeters (8 inches) of rain in some areas of the Queensland and New South Wales states over the past three days, swelling rivers and swamping towns.

The worst-hit areas were around Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Ipswich in the Queensland state, and around the northern New South Wales towns of Grafton and Lismore.

A fleet of 14 helicopters rescued more than 1,000 people across Queensland overnight and rescue efforts continued on Tuesday.

"Across Queensland the wild weather has broken a lot of hearts," Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard said.

Among the four people killed was a three-year old boy, who died in hospital after being hit by a falling tree as he and his mother watched floodwaters in parts of Brisbane, Australia's third largest city.

In Bundaberg, one of the worst hit towns, more than 2,000 homes were swamped and 7,500 people evacuated. People clung to rooftops calling on passing boats to rescue them and television footage showed people being winched from floodwaters.

Brisbane residents have been warned to boil all drinking water as the city's main water treatment plant had been shut, unable to cope with the torrent of muddy water flowing down stream and swelling the Brisbane River.

But the floodwaters have peaked much lower than similar floods in 2011, which inundated Brisbane, and cost more than A$6.6 billion ($6.87 billion) to repair. The 2011 floods cut Australia's gross domestic product by 0.5 of a percentage point, cutting coal production in Queensland by A$6 billion and cutting agricultural production by round A$1.9 billion.

"It is far too early to be talking about the full financial impact," Treasurer Wayne Swan told reporters in Queensland.

COAL, RAIL AFFECTED

The heavy rains inundated areas of Australia's eastern coalfields, dumping up to 400 millimeters of rain on Queensland's Bowen Basin, home to giant open pit mines owned by BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Peabody Energy and others.

A levee bank surrounding the Middlemount open cut mine in the Bowen Basin was breached and water flowed into the mine, according to part owner Yancoal, with production likely to be affected for three weeks.

Transport group Aurizon Holdings Ltd was forced to shut parts of its rail operations that haul coal to the port of Gladstone, a key export terminal on the eastern seaboard.

Aurizon said its Moura and Blackwater networks, which links coal mines in the Bowen basin to two export terminals at Gladstone, remain closed due to the rain and floods.

"Aurizon cannot fully assess some locations because the rail line is still under water. However the current expectation is that the Moura and Blackwater systems will be re-opened within seven to 10 days," the company said in a statement.

The floods were not expected to have a major impact on Australia's sugar crop, which has avoided major damage.

Insurer Suncorp said it had already received 4,500 claims related to Queensland's flooding and storm-related damage in Queensland, adding it was prepared for the financial impact.

The number of claims drove Suncorp's stock down 2.0 percent, although the company said it had made provisions for natural hazard claims of A$520 million for the 2013 fiscal year.

The Insurance Council of Australia said insurers had received 6,100 claims by early Tuesday, estimated to be wroth A$72 million, although more claims were expected.

Airline Virgin Australia cancelled 20 flights along the east coast, while Qantas Airways said its schedule was returning to normal on Tuesday after all flights to Queensland's Gold Coast were cancelled on Monday.

($1 = 0.9608 Australian dollars)

(Additional reporting by Jim Regan and Colin Packham in Sydney; Editing by Michael Perry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/floods-hit-two-australian-states-thousands-evacuated-061939082.html

Pokemon X and Y Rob Ryan Silver Linings Playbook david bowie elvis presley elvis presley alex jones

Kyocera Torque specs

Specs list of the recently announced Kyocera Torque:

• Sprint 4G LTE / NFC
• Dimensions: 4.44 x 2.38 x 0.56 inches
• Weight: 5.5 oz
• Display: 4-inch WVGA LCD (480x800) Bright, High contrast touchscreen
• Android 4.0 (ICS)
• CPU: 1.2GHz MSM8960 Dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB ROM
• MicroSD card slot (up to 32GB)
• Battery: 2,500mAh Lithium-Ion
• IP67 and Military Standard 810G (MilSpec) water, dust, shock, vibration, temperature, low pressure, solar radiation, salt, and humidity protection.
• Housing includes reinforced corners
• Encased in a rubber, non-slip Dura-Grip material
• Ruggedized, impact-resistant glass (IPS)
• 5-megapixel (rear) camera w/ panorama, high dynamic range, facial recognition, smile/blink detection, macro and burst mode
• 1.3-megapixel (front) camera
• HD Voice enabled
• Bluetooth 4.0 LE/EDR
• Wi-Fi b/g/n
• Sprint Direct Connect
• Dual loudspeakers
• 3G/4G LTE mobile hotspot capability / Supports up to 5 Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/7PoB4lQve_8/story01.htm

sam young ncaa bracket ramon sessions portland trail blazers nba trade blagojevich new mexico state

The Boy Scouts Of America Are Considering ... - Business Insider

AP

The Boy Scouts of America are considering ending their ban on gay members and leaders, Pete Williams at NBC News reports.

The youth organization has maintained an across-the-board ban on gay members in spite of high-profile protests from gay Eagle Scouts?and rising public pressure for years. The ban was even tried ? and upheld ? in a?Supreme Court lawsuit.

According to the NBC report, the policy would eliminate the ban from the national organization's rules but would allow local sponsoring organizations to decide for themselves whether to allow gay scouts.?

On the local level, different troops have different chartering organizations, many of which are churches and other religious organizations. Lifting the ban nationally would push the issue to the local level and still allow individual troops to ban gay members.?

Deron Smith, a spokesman for the Scouts, told NBC that "the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with their organization?s mission, principles or religious beliefs."

Two corporate CEOs who sit on the board of the BSA ? Randall Stephenson of AT&T and James Turley of Ernst & Young ? have worked to end the ban. Stephenson is next in line to become the national chairman of the Boy Scouts.?

Most international affiliates of the Boy Scouts allow gay members. The Girl Scouts of America has had a full nondiscrimination policy?for years.

The BSA has lost sponsorships ? most recently?from the Merck Foundation?? due to their reticence on the issue.?

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/boy-scouts-of-america-ending-ban-gay-members-2013-1

bridge to nowhere primary results dale earnhardt jr michigan primary daytona 500 winner cleveland plain dealer barry sanders

More than 1 brain behind E=mc2

Monday, January 28, 2013

Two American physicists outline the role played by Austrian physicist Friedrich Hasen?hrl in establishing the proportionality between the energy (E) of a quantity of matter with its mass (m) in a cavity filled with radiation. In a paper about to be published in EPJ H, Stephen Boughn from Haverford College in Pensylvannia and Tony Rothman from Princeton University in New Jersey argue how Hasen?hrl's work, for which he now receives little credit, may have contributed to the famous equation E=mc2.

According to science philosopher Thomas Kuhn, the nature of scientific progress occurs through paradigm shifts, which depend on the cultural and historical circumstances of groups of scientists. Concurring with this idea, the authors believe the notion that mass and energy should be related did not originate solely with Hasen?hrl. Nor did it suddenly emerge in 1905, when Einstein published his paper, as popular mythology would have it.

Given the lack of recognition for Hasen?hrl's contribution, the authors examined the Austrian physicist's original work on blackbody radiation in a cavity with perfectly reflective walls. This study seeks to identify the blackbody's mass changes when the cavity is moving relative to the observer.

They then explored the reason why the Austrian physicist arrived at an energy/mass correlation with the wrong factor, namely at the equation: E = (3/8) mc2. Hasen?hrl's error, they believe, stems from failing to account for the mass lost by the blackbody while radiating.

Before Hasen?hrl focused on cavity radiation, other physicists, including French mathematician Henri Poincar? and German physicist Max Abraham, showed the existence of an inertial mass associated with electromagnetic energy. In 1905, Einstein gave the correct relationship between inertial mass and electromagnetic energy, E=mc2. Nevertheless, it was not until 1911 that German physicist Max von Laue generalised it to include all forms of energy.

###

Boughn S., Rothman T. (2013), Hasen?hrl and the Equivalence of Mass and Energy, European Physical Journal H, DOI 10.1140/epjh/e2012-30061-5

For more information, please visit www.epj.org.

Springer: http://www.springer.com

Thanks to Springer for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 43 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126477/More_than___brain_behind_E_mc_

pilar sanders andrew young real life barbie zipper armenian genocide asteroid mining memorial day

Sponsored By:

We were unable to forward you to the advertisement you clicked on.

The likely cause for this is that your browser, feed reader, or email application is configured to not accept cookies, or your reader may launch an external browser to view links without sharing cookies.

• If you're using Internet Explorer, make sure your privacy setting is at medium or below.
  • Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
  • Click the Privacy tab
  • Adjust your privacy setting if necessary
    ?
• If you're using a reader that embeds Internet Explorer (examples: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Feed Demon), you'll also need to select Internet Explorer as your default web browser.
  • Open Internet Explorer
  • Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
  • Click the 'Programs' tab and check the box for Internet Explorer to check if it is the default browser and save your change
  • Close your browser, re-open it, and when prompted, select Internet Explorer as your default
  • You can then click on an ad in your newsletter and visit the site you wish to view

Source: http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=304f5ada33e8db219eb9223ca71d131f&p=4

Fatboy Slim Rio de Janeiro Shark Week London 2012 closing ceremony Shark Week 2012 evelyn lozada UFC 150

Is This What the Next iPad Will Look Like?

9to5Mac has an image that shows a prototype design for the next iPad and guess what, it looks a lot like the iPad Mini. These pictures are only unconfirmed images, but if proven to be real, it looks like the big iPad might follow in the iPad Mini's footstep of lovely chamfered edges. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/IbZqpvzRvQg/is-this-what-the-next-ipad-will-look-like

carson daly heejun han donovan mcnabb donovan mcnabb lottery ticket megga millions what is autism

IRL: HTC 8X, Google Now and the iPod shuffle

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

We swear we didn't plan it this way, but it looks like we've got a little trifecta this week, with write-ups pertaining to Apple, Google and, last but not least, Microsoft. On the pessimistic end of the spectrum, Dana would rather have the third-generation iPod shuffle than the model she's using. Terrence is hooked on Google Now and Jon likes the HTC 8X -- just not as much as the Lumia 920.

HTC 8X

What's this? Another Windows Phone 8 test? Yes, while I was trying the Lumia 920 and before I reviewed the ATIV S, I felt it was only fair to give the third flagship of the platform, HTC's Windows Phone 8X, a proper shakedown. I spent a few weeks with one to gauge the differences and came back with the impression that HTC has a worthy flagship -- but not necessarily the one I'd choose for myself.

If you talk solely about ergonomics, the 8X is undoubtedly my first pick. It's much lighter and grippier than the Lumia 920, and the smaller screen makes it easier to reach every corner with one hand than the ATIV S. About the only reservations I have are that hard-to-press power button and the relatively sharp edges. The stand-out appearance can't help but sway me, too. If you get the phone in one of the bolder colors (read: not black), it's simply iconic. No one will mistake an 8X for another phone, while both the ATIV S and Lumia 920 have familiar-looking peers.

Yet there are a few ingredients missing that make it hard to call HTC's creation my perfect Windows Phone 8 device. Simply speaking, the camera just isn't as good as it needs to be in early 2013. While the 8X is sometimes a better pick for up-close photography than the Lumia 920, it falls apart in low-light situations where the Lumia is a champ. Nokia Maps isn't vital, but I missed its navigation when I switched devices -- at least there's now the Drive+ beta for those that need it. And I'll have to admit that being Canadian skews my preferences towards the Nokia phone's glove-friendly screen: it's great to avoid the binary choice of making a phone call versus preserving my fingers. While I'd be inclined to choose the 8X over the ATIV S as long as storage wasn't a priority, I would still give Nokia the ultimate nod as the most relevant to real-world use.

-- Jon Fingas

Google Now

Pretty much from the moment I first launched Google Now it changed the way I interacted with my phone. I've used Siri and toyed with S Voice, but Now is the only virtual assistant that seems like more than an occasionally useful gimmick. Truth is, at this point I unlock directly into it almost as often as I go to the home screen. Sure, in the early days its functionality was fairly limited (and still is), but there was enough information presented by default to keep me coming back. When Gmail was added to its repository of information, the app became a true game-changer for me. While other "assistant" apps are little more than voice commands with personality, Now actually helps track information for you and presents it at valuable times. I don't have to ask what the weather is like or how long it'll take me to get to my next appointment -- it just tells me without prompting.

Of course, things aren't perfect. Now still has a lot of rough edges to work out. For one, the mobile boarding pass feature has yet to work as advertised for me, though, its flight tracking feature turns out to be quicker and more accurate than United's own app. It also stumbles a bit on tracking packages. I like that it recognizes tracking numbers and presents them to me with a quick link, but Now doesn't actually do any tracking itself. Instead it simply shows the card to you for a predetermined amount of time. That's fine if you're enjoying free two-day shipping thanks to Amazon Prime, but if your delivery takes more than a couple of days the card disappears before the box hits your doorstep. It also has an unfortunate habit of presenting me directions to a "new place" almost any time I perform a web search. Oh, and some higher-res icons for the sports score cards would be greatly appreciated.

None of that is enough to ruin the experience, however. If I need to know when my bus is coming, what the temperature is, if my flight is on time or even how many steps I took this month I simply swipe up on my Nexus lock screen and let Google do the work for me. What's more, things can only get better as the company improves its algorithms, opens up new sources of data and, hopefully, develops an API to let other apps tap into the power of Now.

-- Terrence O'Brien

iPod shuffle (fourth generation)

We runners are a superstitious bunch. In my training group, "Nothing new on race day" is our mantra, and it's one to which I've adhered earnestly. It goes without saying that new shoes, running shorts and Snozberry-flavored energy gels are out of the question, but I even get antsy about wearing my Spibelt around my waist instead of my hips. Yeah, I'm neurotic, but running 26.2 miles is scary, yo.

So I was none too pleased when I had a gadget emergency the week before the 2011 New York City Marathon. I'd been training with the Sansa Clip Zip for two months when it abruptly began having mood swings. It started repeating songs, even when I had set my library to shuffle. Sometimes, if it encountered a song it didn't like, it just froze. On a good day, I could side-step the issue by selecting a different artist or song. At its worst, the only way to revive it was to perform a hard reset.

Obviously, that wasn't going to cut it for my epic run, so I did what any desperate person would do: I went to Best Buy and spent $50 on an iPod shuffle. Truly, I would have preferred something like the nano, which would have let me choose specific songs, but I wasn't about to drop $149 on what was essentially an impulse buy. Fifty bucks was about as much as I was willing to spend without having had the opportunity to hem and haw over my purchase.

So I used it. And it was okay. The clip doesn't feel as strong as on the third-generation model. Also, it came with regular headphones (i.e., ones without inline controls), which meant I had to press the player on the device to pause the music and skip tracks. To this day, I find the keys a bit too small, and I often hit the wrong one, mistaking pause for fast-forward, etc. Fortunately, I've since subbed in a pair with an inline remote, which means I barely have to touch the device anymore (except, perhaps, to reposition it in a place where the clip will stay put). Battery life was initially awesome -- I got through that nearly six-hour marathon (oof) with plenty of juice to spare. It's since seen better days, though, to the point where I now have to recharge it several times a week. Faint praise, if ever you've heard it, but at least it doesn't force me to listen to the same Madonna song over and over. That would just be cruel.

-- Dana Wollman

Filed under: Misc, Apple, HTC, Google

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/27/irl-htc-8x-google-now-ipod-shuffle/

Beach Volleyball Olympics 2012 Jessica Ennis Oscar Pistorius Aliya Mustafina Kirk Urso London 2012 Javelin roger federer

Hackers claim attack on Justice Department website

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hackers sympathetic to the late computer prodigy Aaron Swartz claimed on Saturday to have infiltrated the website of the U.S. Justice Department's Sentencing Commission, and said they planned to release government data.

The Sentencing Commission site, www.ussc.gov , was shut down early Saturday.

Identifying themselves as Anonymous, a loosely organized group of unknown provenance associated with a range of recent online actions, the hackers voiced outrage over Swartz' suicide on January 11.

In a video posted online, the hackers criticized the government's prosecution of Swartz, who had been facing trial on charges that he used the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's computer networks to steal more than 4 million articles from JSTOR, an online archive and journal distribution service.

Swartz had faced a maximum sentence of 31 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million.

The FBI is investigating the attack, according to Richard McFeely, of the bureau's Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch.

"We were aware as soon as it happened and are handling it as a criminal investigation," McFeely said in an emailed statement. "We are always concerned when someone illegally accesses another person's or government agency's network."

(Reporting by Deborah Zabarenko; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hackers-claim-attack-justice-department-website-062545910.html

ed reed football schedule jo paterno dead south carolina tuskegee airmen mike james red tails

Gastronomically yours' | Chef Brian Henry

?

So what?s in a name anyway? Well there can be a lot of history to the origins of our lexicon?for example ?cuisine? comes from the Latin word ?coquna? and is now a French term meaning the manner or practice of food preparation.? The word restaurant originally meant ?food that restores? and pertained more directly to a particular soup that was believed to have restorative capabilities. Now hang on as we pick up the pace a bit.

One foggy morning you awaken to a Tequila (town in Jalisco, Mexico where this strong liquor is made from fermented and distilled Agave sap.) Sunrise (cocktail made with orange juice, tequila and a shot of grenadine) and head down to the local caf? (French noun for coffee pertaining to a coffee house.). For breakfast you order Huevos Ranchero (Spanish for ?Country Eggs? or ?Rancher?s Eggs? served with salsa and fresh tortillas.) with a side of Chorizo (spicy Mexican sausage). You drink a couple of cups of caf? con leche (Spanish for coffee and milk also known as caf? au lait.) to wash down breakfast.

As the day goes on you find yourself in need of a nosh (Yiddish for snack or light meal.) You decide to lunch al fresco (Spanish for fresh and cool outdoor dining) at a bistro (French for small restaurant that serves simple food and drink). Your waitron (American circa 1980?s unisex term for waiter/waitress.) comes to the table and presents you with a Tapas (Spanish verb to cap or to cover, its original purpose was to cover your drink and keep the flies out of it. Mmm. Now it is used to describe small appetizer-size portions of food.) .You order a Roasted Portabello (Spanish word referring to an over grown Crimino mushroom. The word was invented, as a marketing ploy in the early 80?s to sell the oversized mushrooms that other wise would end up as pig fodder. Marketing psychobabble) Mushroom with basil aioli (French Provence style garlic mayonnaise.) and marinated Aubergine (eggplant) served on a Ciabatta bun (Italian for slipper, a long, slender sweet bun.). When your lunch arrives, you notice that it has a Mesclun (mixture of shoots and leaves from a variety of plants including dandelion, spinach, and tat soi.) salad with it. You drizzle your salad with a Balsamic (Italian vinegar made from Trebbiano grapes.) vinaigrette (French for oil and vinegar that has been emulsified into a salad dressing.). While enjoying your Po? Boy (American for a sandwich served on a elongated bun stuffed with what ever is on hand) you quietly sip away at a Cuba Libre (cocktail made from dark rhum, lime juice and cola). You decide on having Cr?me Brulee (French for Burnt cream. A stirred custard that is baked and dusted with sugar that has been caramelized under extreme heat.) for dessert.

After lunch you decide that you will skip High Tea (British tradition of an early supper), but decide to call for dinner reservations (this is a concept represented by proper etiquette to call well in advance to notify an establishment that you are coming. This allows the people who will be servicing your needs to be better prepared to do so.).

You punctually arrive for your reservation (see above aforementioned). The Sommelier (French for Wine Steward.) presents you with the wine list and recommends a Pinot Noir (French for a red grape used to produce French red burgundies as well as Pinot Noir itself. A wine made very popular this year by movie marketing psychobabble.) With notes (tasting notes, or flavors) of Cassis (French European currant.) and tobacco.

The Maitre d?h?tel (French for headwaiter or house steward), approaches your table with the evening?s table d?h?te menu (French for table of the host, in restaurants it?s a multi-course menu at a fixed price.). The maitre d? (shortened version of Maitre d?h?tel) then begins to describe how the New Zealand Orange Roughy (white flesh fish from New Zealand whose original name was Slimehead? more marketing psychobabble.) is prepared. The description of the Baked Slimehead with a dollop (small glob of food) of this and a tuile (French for tile, a crisp thin cookie) of that is too much to resist. You close your menu in surrender and order the Slimeheaded Roughy. As you begin your appetizer (small course of food prior to the entr?e [American for the main course of meal, French for the course served between the fish and meat courses or Australian for appetizer] Whew!) of Escargot (French for snail), the maitre d? returns looking quite flustered. Apparently the chef (French for chief) 86?d(kitchen patois for being out of something) the Orange Headed Slimy thing you ordered. As the trumpet horns of death (strong flavored, black mushroom) sound in you ears with disappointment you throw down your napkin in disgust and begin to walk out of the restaurant. You are stopped at the door by the restaurateur (the owner of the restaurant. Note that there is no ?N? in restaurateur) who apologizes for the situation, but it?s too late, you had your heart set on the Roughy, you leave vowing never to come back.

Out on the street you find that you?re still hungry and you head towards a neon sign. Alas a sushi (Japanese culinary preparation of rice sweetened with rice vinegar also known as sushi meshi.) house. You order nigiri sushi (thin layers of raw fish formed over rice.), hosomaki (sushi wrapped and rolled in seaweed with fish and/or vegetables) and sashimi (thin slices of raw fish served with daikon [Japanese radish], pickled ginger and wasabi {green Japanese horseradish.}). For wine you order Sake (Japanese wine made from rice, served cold with hot foods and hot with cold foods) and finish the evening with a steaming pot of Gunpowder (the highest quality of Japanese green tea).

?

Tags: @ChefBrianHenry, Caterer Kawartha`s, Caterer Lakefield, Caterer Peterborough, Catering, Chef, Chef Algonquin Park, Chef Bobcaygeon, Chef Brian Henry, Chef Cottage Country, Chef Haliburton, Chef Muskoka, Chef Peterborough, consultant, cooking classes, Food Safety Training, food writer, ice carving, ice sculptures, Kawarthas, Personal Chef, Private chef, professor

---

Posted on Sunday, January 27th, 2013 at 2:01 pm and is filed under Catering, Cooking Classes, Events, Private Chef Services, Recipes.
Follow responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

---

Source: http://www.chefbrianhenry.com/gastronomically-yours-47/

real housewives of new jersey Kanye West sex tape emmys emmys torrey smith torrey smith oakland raiders

Thomas: No sympathy for steroids-tainted stars

CHICAGO (AP) ? Retired Chicago White Sox slugger Frank Thomas feels even better about his career after watching steroids-tainted stars Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Roger Clemens fail to gain entry to the Hall of Fame.

"I think I've done enough to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer," he said Saturday at the team's fan convention.

"Watching all the nonsense unfold and not really knowing what was going on, it makes me much more proud of my career," he said. "I competed in that era. I played at a high level in that era. There are a lot of great players, but as it unfolds, a lot of it was not the real deal. I know 100 percent I was the real deal."

Bonds, Sosa and Clemens were denied in their first year of eligibility amid suspicions by some voters that their accomplishments were boosted by performance-enhancing drugs. Mark McGwire, 10th on the career home run list, received 16.9 percent of the vote on his seventh try, far short of the 75 percent needed for election.

"I wouldn't say I feel bad for them," Thomas said. "I respected them on the field, but they chose this. They made their own decisions off the field and they've got to live with it."

He said their numbers were "incredible" but "fake."

"Any time you look at the PED situation, you look at the Lance Armstrong situation ? you look at stuff like that, it's serious out there," Thomas said. "Thank God I'm blessed I did it the right way. I had a good family base that made me outwork everybody else because that's the only way I made it to the big leagues."

A two-time American League MVP with a .301 average and 521 homers, will join Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine as first-time eligible on the ballot sent to voters this autumn.

Thomas was surprised Craig Biggio did not gain election despite having 3,060 hits. Biggio appeared on 68.2 percent of the 569 ballots and fell 39 votes shy.

Thomas thinks baseball's drug-testing is on the right path. Players will be tested for human growth hormone throughout the regular season following blood testing during spring training last year. Those are in addition to urine tests.

"There won't be any more scandals. Baseball is going to be 100 percent clean," Thomas said. "They're going to have to be."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thomas-no-sympathy-steroids-tainted-stars-202218542--mlb.html

nfl playoff schedule Rex Ryan tattoo Alaska earthquake Psalm 91 Joe Webb Fiesta Bowl Jeanie Buss

Amy Koch: Affair gave GOP foes an opportunity (Star Tribune)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/279793662?client_source=feed&format=rss

quick silver where have you been rihanna kirk cousins mothers day ovechkin one world trade center bks

No. 1 Baylor women beat No. 20 Oklahoma 82-65

Baylor's Brittney Griner (42) blocks the shot of Oklahoma's Joanna McFarland (53) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in Waco Texas. It was Griners' 665th career blocked shot, surpassing the NCAA women's record set by Louella Tomlinson for St. Mary's in California from 2007-11. Baylor won 82-65. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Baylor's Brittney Griner (42) blocks the shot of Oklahoma's Joanna McFarland (53) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in Waco Texas. It was Griners' 665th career blocked shot, surpassing the NCAA women's record set by Louella Tomlinson for St. Mary's in California from 2007-11. Baylor won 82-65. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Baylor's Brittney Griner (42) shoots against Oklahoma's Nicole Griffin (4) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in Waco Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Baylor's Brooklyn Pope (32) shoots against Oklahoma's Aaryn Ellenberg (3) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, in Waco Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Baylor's Brittney Griner (42) shoots against Oklahoma's Nicole Griffin (4) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 26, 2012, in Waco Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Baylor's Odyssey Sims (0) drives the lane against Oklahoma's Morgan Hook, left, during the first half of an NCAAcollege basketball game Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013,. in Waco Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

WACO, Texas (AP) ? Brittney Griner now has the record she has always wanted.

How about a block party for the two-time All-American from Baylor who already holds the NCAA women's record with 11 dunks and is a three-point play from becoming the Big 12's career scoring leader.

Griner set the NCAA career record for blocked shots, getting the record-tying and record-setting blocks by swatting away a pair of shots by Oklahoma's Aaryn Ellenberg, as the top-ranked Lady Bears won 82-65 Saturday for their 50th consecutive win at home.

"Definitely happy I got that. Now I'm going to try to set it higher," the 6-foot-8 Griner said. "Blocked shots keep the other team from scoring, that's just how I look at it. Blocked shots kind of remind me when I played volleyball, I used to love to spike. ... That's why I like (blocks) the most."

With eight in the game, Griner has 665 career blocks, two more than Louella Tomlinson had for St. Mary's in California (2007-11).

"As good as she is on the offensive end, where she really changes games is on the defensive end," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "She obviously has the wingspan and the athleticism, but she also has that ornate sense that I think all great shot blockers have knowing when to go get it."

By fouling out for only the second time in her 131 career games, Griner missed a chance to also break the Big 12 scoring record before the Lady Bears (18-1, 8-0 Big 12) play their next two games on the road. Her 2,833 career points are two shy of matching Oklahoma State's Andrea Riley's (2007-10).

Griner finished with 15 points to lead six players in double figures for Baylor, which has won 36 consecutive Big 12 regular-season and tournament games since a loss to Oklahoma in the conference tournament three years ago.

Odyssey Sims had 12 points and 10 assists while Destiny Williams had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Ellenberg had 33 points for the Sooners (15-4, 5-2). Joanna McFarland had 12 points and 16 rebounds.

Griner got her 663rd career block with just under 13 minutes left. A similar play with 10:25 remaining was Griner's seventh of the game and broke Tomlinson's record.

With 5:14 to go, Griner was called for a foul on another shot by Ellenberg. It was the first time she fouled out since the second game of her freshman season.

"Disappointed I fouled out at the end of the game," Griner said.

That came less than a minute after Griner was called for a charge against McFarland for the second time in the game.

In a 30-second span of the first half, McFarland drew charges against Griner and Jordan Madden and hit a 3-pointer in between.

"It's not like a fear. You've just got to go in and bow up, like if she goes hard at me, I've got to go hard back," McFarland said. "It's a mutual thing."

McFarland's long-range shot pulled the Sooners within 26-21, but they never got closer.

The Sooners made 11 of 26 3-pointers, but were just 9 of 46 inside the arc.

"I'm really proud of our guys, I thought we competed and fought every step of the way, and did some really, really good things and attacked them, and went after them, and shot pretty well from 3," Coale said. "Obviously did not shoot well from 2, but there's a big reason for that. Her number's 42 (Griner)."

Oklahoma won the opening tip and Ellenberg immediately hit a 3-pointer. The Sooners were up 10-8 when Ellenberg hit another 3 from the top left of the key 4 minutes later.

Baylor then scored 14 points in a row over the next 5 minutes and took the lead for good. The spurt ended with consecutive baskets by Brooklyn Pope, who finished with 10 points like Kimetria Hayden and Jordan Madden.

Even after shooting 60 percent from the field (35 of 58) and having six players in double figures against the Big 12's second-place team, there were still things for Baylor coach Kim Mulkey to emphasize to her team.

"You have to evaluate yourself and say if you shot like that and had that many players in double figures, why did you only win by 17?," Mulkey said. "Well then it goes back to two things. One, missed free throws, they make free throws. We missed 14 free throws, that's unacceptable. Then they made a lot of 3's."

Not nearly enough though.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-26-T25-Oklahoma-Baylor/id-9e76f4357d304446ba61c24ef38d5e1a

patrick witt leprosy tampa bay buccaneers birdman whip it gabby giffords gabby giffords

Fly Or Die: Vine

Twitter launched Vine, the mobile iOS app that lets users create six-second looping video and share it to various social networks, just two days ago and it's been the topic of many a media conversation since. Yesterday, Vine swung to the top of social in the App Store after being featured, and many have even called the app the Instagram of video. But does Twitter's new video-sharing venture have what it takes to maintain momentum?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Mk2YSa4A4fs/

st bonaventure ncaa tournament 2012 peyton manning 49ers andy pettitte tyler clementi kevin kolb sarah shahi

Potential benefits and threats of nanotechnology research

Jan. 25, 2013 ? Every day scientists learn more about how the world works at the smallest scales. While this knowledge has the potential to help others, it's possible that the same discoveries can also be used in ways that cause widespread harm.

A new article in the journal Nanomedicine, born out of a Federal Bureau of Investigation workshop held at the University of Notre Dame in September 2012, tackles this complex "dual-use" aspect of nanotechnology research.

"The rapid pace of breakthroughs in nanotechnology, biotechnology, and other fields, holds the promise of great improvements in areas such as medical diagnosis and treatment" says Kathleen Eggleson, a research scientist in Notre Dame's Center for Nano Science and Technology and the author of the study.

"But the risk of misuse of these breakthroughs rises along with the potential benefit. This is the essence of the 'dual-use dilemma.'"

The report examines the potential for nano-sized particles (which are measured in billionths of a meter) to breach the blood-brain barrier, the tightly knit layers of cells that afford the brain the highest level of protection -- from microorganisms, harmful molecules, etc. -- in the human body. Some neuroscientists are purposefully engineering nanoparticles that can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) so as to deliver medicines in a targeted and controlled way directly to diseased parts of the brain.

At the same time, the report notes, "nanoparticles designed to cross the BBB constitute a serious threat?in the context of combat." For example, it is theorized that "aerosol delivery" of some nano-engineered agent in "a crowded indoor space" could cause serious harm to many people at once.

The problem of dual-use research was highlighted last year when controversy erupted over the publication of findings that indicate how, with a handful modifications, the H5N1 influenza virus ("bird flu") can be altered in a way that would enable it to be transmitted between mammalian populations.

After a self-imposed one-year moratorium on this research, several laboratories around the world announced that they will restart the work in early 2013.

The FBI is actively responding to these developments in the scientific community.

"The law enforcement-security community seeks to strengthen the existing dialogue with researchers," William So of the FBI's Biological Countermeasures Unit says in the study.

"Science flourishes because of the open and collaborative atmosphere for sharing and discussing ideas. The FBI believes this model can do the same for our two communities?[and] create effective safeguards for science and national interests."

The scientists and engineers who conduct nanoscale research have the ability and responsibility to consider the public safety aspects of their research and to act to protect society when necessary, argues Eggleson.

"The relationship between science and society is an uneasy one, but it is undeniable on the whole and not something any individual can opt out of in the name of progress for humanity's benefit," she says.

"Thought about dual-use, and action when appropriate, is inherent to socially responsible practice of nanobiomedical science."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Notre Dame, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Kathleen Eggleson. Dual-use nanoresearch of concern: Recognizing threat and safeguarding the power of nanobiomedical research advances in the wake of the H5N1 controversy. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2012.12.001

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_technology/~3/3_zmdBmTbYE/130125154815.htm

Newtown Shooting Gangnam Style Ryan Lanza Sandy Hook justin bieber kanye west cbs

Childhood Obesity Prevention in Finland

Last time, we discussed the usefulness of cognitive behavioral therapy for people who want to escape obesity.?The fact that it works is wonderful, but it?s still unfortunate that this therapy or any other kind is needed at all. Many health professionals have become persuaded that therapy for the patient won?t be needed if therapy can instead be done with the parents of that potential future patient. Rather than have a person grow up to need counseling, maybe the problem can be caught hold of earlier, by applying the counseling to the person?s mother instead.

A project designed to shed some light on this was initiated by three Finnish institutions: the Foundation of Pediatric Research, Vaasa Hospital District?s Medical Research Fund, and Tampere?s Pediatric Research Centre. They began with the premise that ?there are only few reported early interventions to prevent childhood obesity, and these are mostly not implemented in normal primary care practice.?

Here is a list of the study?s components:

• intensified diet and physical activity counseling during pregnancy
• mothers are advised to breastfeed
• parents are advised to help children adopt healthy food preferences
• parents are advised to encourage physical activity and discourage sedentary pursuits
• parents are advised to make sure children get enough uninterrupted sleep

The researchers describe the study as:

[...] designed to be a pragmatic trial integrated in health care practice? Our intervention targeted several lifestyle factors that are known to affect the child?s weight gain. Multifaceted intervention programmes are thought to be suitable for pragmatic trials and most effective in preventing overweight, since obesity is a result of many lifestyle factors in addition to genetic susceptibility.

A multifaceted intervention program means they?re trying a lot of things at once. It?s not as simple as taking a pill; it?s as complicated as building a lifestyle. The Finnish call this a ?pragmatic trial,? which roughly translated means that the fact that it works means more than the reason why it works. According to the researchers:

The importance of pragmatic trials is that they help to define the best use of limited resources as well as policymakers and practitioners to make choices between customary care and the new counseling practice. Attempts to achieve methodological purity in explanatory trials can produce results that are not applicable in real life?

Now, a cynic could claim, ?This is a perfect way to disguise the fact that a study has not learned anything. Because it includes so many variables, the facts can never be sorted out. This is not the way to do research.?

And then another voice, arguing against the cynic, could say, ?Perhaps it is the way, if the subject of the research is how to actually make a difference. If the focus is not so much on assigning blame, but more on finding out what actually helps. And if it helps, maybe understanding exactly why, right now, is not so important.?

At any rate, this study is meant to cover each child for nearly six years ? starting before birth and continuing five years afterward, and it is still in progress. The mothers are chosen for being ?at risk of having overweight or obese offspring.? They are gaining too much weight and their glucose tolerance is impaired, or they have already had obese children.

The researchers admit that good results are more likely to be obvious in this population than if the participants were random. But that is fine, because random pregnant women are more likely to do okay without intervention, and the members of a selected risk group, who most need help, are enrolled in a program that was created to help them. So nobody loses.

The authors say their study ?was designed to be integrated in routine health care practice and to maximize the applicability of results to usual care setting.? So far, the intervention costs are low, and following this model looks like a good bet for municipal health care, i.e., the public sector. What they are trying do is find out not only what helps, but how to make it scalable.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: ?Behavioral counseling to prevent childhood obesity ? study protocol of a pragmatic trial in maternity and child health care,? BMC Pediatrics, 2012
Image by jordanfischer (Jordan Fischer).

Source: http://childhoodobesitynews.com/2013/01/25/childhood-obesity-prevention-in-finland/

big ten tournament 2012 dennis quaid bruce weber fired notorious big biggie smalls lyrics azores emmylou harris

AP Exclusive: possible USAID bid rigging probed

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into possible contract rigging by the general counsel at the government agency that distributes foreign aid, documents obtained by The Associated Press show.

Memos from the inspector general of the U.S. Agency for International Development also reveal that the IG is investigating whether Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg tried to interfere with an internal investigation.

Internal inspector general documents said he told the IG's office it shouldn't have investigated the alleged rigging, nor should the matter have been referred to the Justice Department.

Inspectors general are watchdogs within a federal agency and are supposed to operate independently.

The original investigation focused on whether Lisa Gomer, USAID general counsel, may have "wired" a contract last May so the winner of the solicitation would be the agency's retiring chief financial officer, David Ostermeyer.

The contract bidding for a "senior government-to-government assistance adviser" was canceled after questions were raised.

"If the solicitation was in fact designed for Ostermeyer to win, Ms. Gomer and USAID may have violated various federal laws, the Federal Acquisition Regulation and government ethics policies," according to a letter from two House members to USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah in November.

The letter was written by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the panel's national security subcommittee.

On Wednesday, the inspector general's office wrote Issa's committee saying the Justice Department authorized the inspector general to give the committee documents related to Steinberg's potential interference. The Justice Department said it would continue to investigate the original allegations. All the documents were described as "law enforcement sensitive."

One document said Steinberg told inspector general officials that Shah asked him to speak with the internal investigators about the review. Steinberg, according to another inspector general document, ripped into the independent watchdog.

"When people are slapping badges down, reading rights and monitoring who is calling who as it relates to career people, it is a mistake," Steinberg was quoted as telling his agency's investigators. Steinberg added, according to the document, "We are not that kind of agency. People are being told they need to hire lawyers and that is inappropriate."

The memo also quoted Steinberg as saying "now that Justice is involved, it is like the IG is out to get these people. Justice is going to proceed criminally. This should have come through the front office first."

The law governing inspectors general says that the internal investigators "shall report expeditiously to the attorney general whenever the inspector general has reasonable grounds to believe there has been a violation of Federal criminal law."

There was no response to a message requesting comment, left on the home answering machine of a David Ostermeyer.

Steinberg declined to comment, and Gomer could not immediately be reached for comment.

A senior USAID official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the subject, said Gomer has been reassigned from her general counsel's position and has submitted her resignation effective Feb. 9. The official said she was not ordered to resign.

The USAID spokesman, Kamyl Bazbaz said, "We take very seriously the independence of the inspector general and the importance of the agency's cooperation with IG audits and investigations."

He added, "It is the usual practice for the IG to brief the senior leadership of the agency regarding its ongoing investigations and audits."

In an inspector general's "memorandum of interview" last June, investigators described their probe into allegations that "Lisa Gomer, general counsel for USAID colluded with David Ostermeyer, chief financial officer for USAID, by working with him to write a scope of work for a personal service contract ... in the Office of General Counsel."

"Gomer planned to select Ostermeyer for the position," the memo said.

The job Ostermeyer would have received in working with foreign governments would have paid between $123,758 and $155,500, according the USAID solicitation document. The solicitation said "the work is generally sedentary and does not pose undue physical demands," an important factor in an agency where USAID workers can live in poor conditions in dangerous countries.

According to an inspector general's document from last June, Steinberg said he "had already looked into this matter thoroughly and knows there is nothing to it." Steinberg said the contract award was canceled because of issues raised about the procurement.

"He said it is a mistake to have a criminal investigation under way," the investigative document said. "To take a matter to the Department of Justice for criminal consideration without first reporting the issues to the front office is inappropriate and a judgment error on the IG's part."

According to the document the deputy assistant inspector general for investigations, Lisa McClennon, told Steinberg "the agency never has the right to instruct the inspector general's office on whether or not something is presented to Justice."

Issa said in a statement, "This interference by the top USAID official and his deputy in a corruption investigation of other top officials is disturbing and outrageous. Inspectors general can only be effective if they are independent. Efforts to intimidate or chastise an inspector general for investigating agency corruption and submitting findings to the Justice Department are simply incompatible with honest government."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-24-USAID%20Investigation/id-a931d1eacfd4474e9c8a335c2495f82b

masters tickets one direction tulsa news scalloped potatoes the ten commandments charlton heston moses

Ride Along with Peter Mel as He Wins the Mavericks Surf Competition

With frigid Northern Califonia waters, a treacherous coastline, and 50-foot waves, Mavericks is no place for amateurs. But when conditions are perfect, 24 of the world's most elite big wave surfers gather to compete in the annual Mavericks Surf competition. This year, Peter Mel took home the gold after battling through some truly monstrous waves and stiff competition. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/lVXty_Kq3FU/ride-along-with-peter-mel-as-he-wins-the-mavericks-surf-competition

hologram pulitzer prize winners nfl 2012 schedule gmail down tim lincecum ryan oneal file taxes online

California School Converts Strip Mall Into Rec Center | Earthtechling

When California Baptist University (CBU) decided it needed to expand its athletic and recreational facilities back in 2005, it could have set about demolishing nearby structures near its Riverside, Calif., campus and started from scratch. Instead, the private Christian college saved money and the use of raw materials by renovating an adjacent shopping center into a flexible multifunction facility.

This month, the university?s plans paid off with the grand re-opening of the more than 40,000-square-foot structure. Designed by KTGY Group, the two-story CBU Recreation Center represents Phase I of a major redevelopment of what used to be called Lancer Plaza, a former shopping center.

Image via California Baptist University

The chief environmental attribute of the refurbished facility will be its flexibility. In one building, CBU now now offer its 6,000 students a changeable court space that allows for two intramural basketball courts, a collegiate basketball court or three volleyball courts.

In addition, the space includes a rock-climbing wall, lounge areas, three racquetball courts, a weight room, fitness rooms, men?s and women?s locker rooms, and a cheerleading practice space. To further maximize the square footage of the converted building, the rec center includes a rooftop with soccer field and a running track.

Artist?s drawing of the new CBU Recreation Center. Image via California Baptist University.

These rooftop fields can?t be considered a ?green roof,? since the university is using artificial turf for the playing surfaces. However, because of the stormwater management systems and extra support needed to bear the weight of the athletes, the roof will have some similar thermal characteristics of a truly green roof, such as keeping the building cool and reducing its carbon footprint, said KTGY?s chairman Stan Braden.

CBU is not quite done with its renovation and expansion plans. Now that Phase I is finished, school officials will focus on Phase II, which will include the construction of a new 3,500-seat sports and events arena next to the rec center, as well as a student bookstore.

Source: http://www.earthtechling.com/2013/01/california-school-converts-strip-mall-into-rec-center/

Cam Cameron Ada Lovelace 12/12/12 manny pacquiao Chopper Live jerry brown michael buble

U.S. senators worried U.S.-EU trade talks may not address agriculture

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Four Republican farm state U.S. senators on Thursday expressed concern that possible free trade talks between the United States and European Union may not dismantle longstanding EU barriers to U.S. pork, beef, poultry and other farm products.

"Our trade negotiators must demand of EU officials that barriers to U.S. agricultural products be addressed in any potential trade agreement," the senators said in a letter urging Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat, to schedule a hearing with U.S. trade officials.

The United States and the 27 nations of the EU have been discussing for more than a year the possibility of launching free trade talks and are widely expected in coming weeks or months to make a decision to take that step.

The senators - Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Pat Roberts of Kansas, Mike Enzi of Wyoming and John Thune of South Dakota - said they wanted a hearing because Congress has not passed legislation, known as Trade Promotion Authority, giving the administration specific guidelines for any talks with the EU.

"It is important we know where the discussions with the EU stand, and what exactly has been discussed regarding barriers to agricultural products, so we can determine for ourselves whether the administration is adequately addressing this key trade priority," the senators said.

The United States has been frustrated for years by what it considers the EU's "non-scientific" approach to food safety.

The EU has blocked imports of U.S. genetically modified corn and soybeans, poultry treated with chlorine dioxide and beef with lactic acid to kill pathogens and pork produced from hogs given ractopamine, which promotes lean meat growth.

U.S. trade officials have said they are looking for progress from the EU on agriculture barriers before talks begin.

That is believed to be one of the main reasons that a high-level U.S.-EU working group report on the expected negotiations that was due in December still has not been released.

"I know there is a lot of interest in whether we will decide with our EU colleagues to launch trade negotiations," said Andrea Mead, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office. "Our work in that regard is ongoing. We want to take the time to get the substance right so that any agreement we might pursue would maximize job-supporting economic opportunities."

(Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-senators-worried-us-eu-trade-talks-may-231042776.html

rod blagojevich uconn ncaa march madness mario williams vcu unlv sam young

Studies provide insights into inherited causes of autism

Thursday, January 24, 2013

The most consistent finding of autism research lies in the revelation that the disorders are incredibly complex. Two new studies in the January 23 issue of the Cell Press journal Neuron that add to the growing appreciation of this complexity focus on identifying inherited genetic mutations linked with autism spectrum disorders. The mutations?which are distinct from the spontaneous mutations that have been the focus of previous studies?may provide valuable insights into the causes of autism.

"It's long been known that autism is a heritable condition and that some cases appear to run in families. Our studies are among the first to begin to address this heritable component," says Dr. Christopher Walsh of Boston Children's Hospital, who is the senior author of one of the papers.

Both groups sequenced the portion of the genome that codes for proteins, also known as the exome, in individuals with autism, their relatives, and controls. In one study, investigators focused on rare mutations that completely abolish the function of particular genes?and therefore the expression of a protein. "We utilized new genome-sequencing technologies to discover a component of autism that can be traced to recessive inheritance?that is, when a child inherits two broken copies of the same gene, one from each parent who is a carrier," explains senior author Dr. Mark Daly of Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute. "There were twice as many autism cases as control individuals that were apparently missing an important protein somewhere in the genome," he adds. Their findings suggest that 5% of autism risk is linked to inherited mutations that completely disrupt the functions of genes.

Like Dr. Daly and his colleagues, Dr. Walsh and his team identified and characterized cases of autism due to the inheritance of two gene mutations, one from each parent. In this work, though, the researchers found that the partial loss of a gene's function?not only complete absence of function?is linked to autism spectrum disorders. They identified several genes?such as those involved in neurometabolic pathways?that were not previously associated with autism risk, and they revealed a striking variability of autism severity despite inheritance of similar genetic mutations.

"These two studies firmly establish that recessive mutations contribute importantly to autism, not just in specialized populations but in the population at large," says first author Dr. Timothy Yu, of Boston Children's Hospital.

With follow-up work, identifying the various genes that are silent or partially disabled in autism cases can provide key clues to understanding the underlying biology of autism spectrum disorders and potentially help generate new therapies.

###

Cell Press: http://www.cellpress.com

Thanks to Cell Press for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 16 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126429/Studies_provide_insights_into_inherited_causes_of_autism

PacSun apple store bestbuy bestbuy gamestop black friday deals Sephora