বৃহস্পতিবার, ৩১ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Does Your First Time Determine Every Time? | YourTango

Losing Virginity
What was your first time like?

A new study says how you lost your virginity stays with you the rest of your love life.

You know how you mother always told you first impressions tend to stick? She might have been right ? even in ways she was certainly not referring to. According to new research, the tone set when you lose your virginity apparently stays the rest of your love life ... forever.?

More from YourTango: Coming Out Lowers Stress In Canada, But Would It In The US?

University of Tennessee psychology doctoral student Matthew Schaffer and C. Veronica Smith, Ph.D., University of Mississippi assistant psychology professor, designed a study to observe the ways in which your virginity loss affects your future sex life. The study, published in the Journal of Sex and Martial Therapy, looks at whether or not there are consequences or benefits to how unpleasantly or happily you first had sex.

Researchers questioned 331 young men and women about the way they lost their virginity, including the accompanying emotional anxiety, contentment and/or regret. Then, the respondents were asked questions about their present sex life. Topics such as how much control they felt over theirs, as well as how much satisfaction and well-being they feel.

More from YourTango: Love Bytes: Do Weddings Make Single Women Crazy?

Those who stated their first times were fulfilling and satisfying reported happier sex lives later on, while the ones who stated their virginity loss was accompanied by negative feelings reported lower sexual functioning overall. "While this study doesn't prove that a better first time makes for a better sex life in general, a person?s experience of losing their virginity may set the pattern for years to come," said Shaffer.

The strange thing is that most of us have kinda weird first times, I think. Not bad, just awkward. As I read this research, I initially thought, "That can't be right; most people have a kinda uncomfortable first time then go on to have perfectly fine sex lives." But the more I pondered it in my head, the more I started matching up my own experiences as well as those of my friends to how we behave and feel now.

I, for one, know that my first time was an overall positive experience comparatively because I'm still sort of friends with the guy (even though it happened 9 years ago). He was super sweet about it being new to me and we had been dating for just a few months so I wasn?t particularly dead inside when we broke up a couple more months thereafter. That said, it was definitely awkward, but the rest of my sex life has been overwhelmingly not awkward. Keep reading ...

More sex stories from YourTango:

Source: http://www.yourtango.com/2013172569/does-your-first-time-determine-every-time

zipper armenian genocide asteroid mining memorial day ivan rodriguez planetary resources mothers day gift ideas

বুধবার, ৩০ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

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=a9e168c61c5c770bee3d4c2b3b5a9d77&p=4

David Boudia David Rakoff Bourne Legacy Chad Johnson London 2012 Soccer dwight howard Olympics closing ceremony

Google Currents (for Android)


Google can't stand to have users doing anything on other platforms, which is perhaps why it launched a free Flipboard (free, four stars) competitor called Google Currents for Android. After a fairly major update, the Currents app still isn't as social as Flipboard, but it's getting better and delivers a stylish, magazine-like reading experience on Android phones and tablets.

Flipping Through Currents
Users on Google Play have praised a recent update to Currents that changed the app's user interface. A hidden left tray, revealed by swiping to the right from the far left, shows several content categories such as business, news, lifestyle, etc. Each of these include subscriptions from major publications, including ABC News, Huffington Post, Popular Science, Saveur Magazine, Forbes, Fast Company, and others by default.

Select a publication, and you can scroll up and down through the stories. You can also select a category, and swipe left and right through? the various publications for more of an overview. Each category ends with a "breaking news" section, culled from Google News.

Most stories are visually appealing on Currents, with lots of space, pictures, and comfortably sized text. While browsing, categories are demarcated with a large, beautiful picture, while stories carry a headline, an image, and a blurb. Individual stories are paginated with a large image on the top, and you swipe or tap the left side of the screen to move through the story.

Be careful not to swipe too hard in a story, or you'll jump into the next in the publication. This quirk can be irritating, but Currents remembers your spot in each story so you can simply jump back into the one you left. On the plus side, it lets you quickly escape a dull article and jump into another.

Current's navigational paradigm feels a bit problematic at first. The ebook-style format for stories works for articles, and the combination horizontal and vertical scrolling works well for the higher-level view, but together they can be confusing. When I started with the app, I frequently lost my place, and kept panic-mashing the "back" button on the Galaxy S III.? After some getting used to it, though, the app feels quite natural.

Adding new publications is easy in Google Currents. A large plus sign on the top of the left-hand tray launches a new pane filled with recommendations, a search field, and categories with more publications. You can also add RSS feeds by searching for a URL. On the Currents website, you can subscribe to publications from a list, and if you're a publisher, access tools to get your media into the app.

A Flipboard Foe
While Google breaks subscriptions into categories, you add new subscriptions one at a time. This is a critical difference between Currents and Flipboard, which focuses more on adding broad, curated channels than media from publications, and could be a smart move on Google's part as it may give individual publications more exposure.

Some publishers do a better job adapting their content to the Currents platform than others. ABC News, one of the default publications, has beautiful, high-resolution images for each story. PRI, on the other hand, seems to favor low-res images, all of which look awkward and pixelated in Currents.

Flipboard and Currents also diverge sharply with social media. Both allow you to share stories to Twitter, Facebook, and even online storage services like Google Drive. Google, however, has no place for Twitter or Facebook within Currents. Flipboard treats the services like just another feed, so you can see Facebook updates and Twitter @ replies in your curated Flipboard magazine-esque content, for example. If you want familiar voices in your feed, Currents will leave you wanting.

You can also save stories for offline viewing in Google Currents, but that's almost not necessary. When the app starts up, Currents appears to immediately download the text for all subscriptions. I found that despite not being connected to a data network, the full text for stories still appeared, sans images. Flipboard, on the other hand, won't allow you to view anything but headlines without a data connection.

The Benefits of Google
One of the major benefits of Currents is that it's already part of Google. New users simply need to log in with their Google accounts and start reading.

Google attempted to leverage the success of its online RSS aggregator Google Reader into Currents but with mixed success. You can add RSS feeds from Reader by clicking the plus button at the top of the hidden left-hand navigation tray. Scroll all the way down, and you'll see a list of your RSS feeds from Google Reader.

Unfortunately, that's where synergies between the two services end. Read stories don't sync between Reader and Currents, meaning that you're effectively choosing one over the other. What's more, RSS feeds aren't like the purpose-created publications for Currents, and don't look nearly as nice. Some of them are just a paragraph with a link to the story online, and may not even have images.

Google leverages another of its technologies by adding a translate option. In the settings menu, users can designate a secondary language from a preset list from a list of over two dozen options. Users can switch language modes from the options menu, translating everything on the page (where available). Of course, if I am correct in assuming this is powered by Google Translate, who knows how accurate it is.?

Despite strong features, Google Currents for Android doesn't feel as focused or polished as Flipboard.? Google Currents has its own unique design, and is enjoyable to read, with nicely formatted articles from top-tier sources to draw you in. It fits seamlessly into your existing Google footprint (though perhaps not seamlessly enough, in the case of Google Reader). If you're a Flipboard user, and it works for you, stick with it. If you're looking for a new way to read the news on Android, flip through Currents.

More Android App Reviews:
??? Google Currents (for Android)
??? Plume for Twitter (for Android)
??? TripIt Travel Organizer Free (for Android)
??? Minecraft?Pocket Edition (for Android)
??? Temple Run 2 (for Android)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/ibLJy9uTJP0/0,2817,2399864,00.asp

daylight savings time 2012 Where To Vote james harden breeders cup Mitch Lucker Red Cross CMA Awards 2012

PHOTOS: Prince Charles & Camilla Ride The London Tube!

It's not every day that a British royal hops on the tube -- would you bother with public transportation if you had a luxurious private car service at your disposal?

Some days, however, these nobles have photo opps to fulfill, which means we get to see them doing what the common folk do. Well, sort of. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the London tube, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall took a spin on the train. And by "spin," we mean they traveled one whole stop.

The royal couple caught the Metropolitan line at Farringdon station to King's Cross. And even though their journey was a mere three minutes, we have to give Charles extra points because he managed to swipe his very own Oyster card despite the fact that it was his first trip on the tube in 33 years (the last time he visited, he ended up driving the train instead). According to The Telegraph, Camilla probably took the train at some point in the more recent past.

Of course, they weren't just thrown on any old tube. Charles and Camilla rode on a brand new walk-through, air-conditioned train (swanky), which Camilla remarked was "very nice, very smart." Perhaps the transport system has a new pair of loyal customers?

But the best photo opp of the entire trip had to be when the pair stopped by "Platform 9 3/4" -- you know, where Harry Potter catches the Hogwarts Express. Very cute, guys, very cute. So while we're sure Charles and Camilla bathed themselves in Purell as soon as they stepped off the train, we'd say this was a successful "just like us" moment, wouldn't you?

PHOTOS:

prince charles tube

prince charles tube

prince charles tube

Prince William & Kate are also just like us sometimes!

  • They Grocery Shop

    (BauerGriffin photo)

  • They Do Community Service

    (Getty photo)

  • They Enjoy Pottery

    (Getty photo)

  • They Like To Paint

    (Getty photo)

  • They Drink

    (Getty photo)

  • They Go To The Rodeo

    (Getty photo)

  • They Iron

    (AFP photo)

  • They Play Hockey

    (Getty photo)

  • They Wear Matching Hoodies

    (Getty photo)

  • They Go Canoeing

    (Getty photo)

  • They Like To Garden

    (Getty photo)

  • They Cover Their Ears When There's A Loud Noise

    (AFP photo)

  • They Take Photographs

    (Getty photo)

  • They Practice Safety First

    (Getty photo)

  • They Play Games

    (Getty photo)

  • They Get Amazed By Magic Tricks

    (AFP photo)

  • They Stop To Smell The Roses

    (AFP photo)

  • They Drink Water

    (Getty photo)

  • ...And Coffee

    (AFP photo)

  • They Prepare Meals

    (Getty photo)

  • They Get Down

    (AFP photo)

  • They Go To The Movies

    (WireImage photo)

  • They Hang With Their Parents

    (Getty photo)

  • ...And Their Grandparents

    (AFP photo)

  • They Love Animals

    (AFP photo)

  • They Get Caught In The Rain

    (Getty photo)

Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.
--
Do you have a style story idea or tip? Email us at stylesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/prince-charles-camilla-tube-photos_n_2580574.html?utm_hp_ref=world&ir=World

jackie robinson virginia tech emancipation proclamation april 16 tornadoes mitch hedberg secret service scandal

মঙ্গলবার, ২৯ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Cognitive Dissidence: Shrill's Family Tree

By Jeff Simpson

Shrill Labarre, was caught on video talking to her family tree.?? One would think that if Shrill had found an Ent, she could have at least found an intelligent one!?? I personally would have figured that Shril's family lineage would have been that of a bunch of rocks, but trees make sense also.??

H/T Blue Cheddar:


Unfortunately the three time assembly loser, and failed recall leader, would have picked up on the hint? of her perpetual rejection by her friends and neighbors that they have no interest in anything she has to say.? Unfortunately this time she comes very well funded, to the great dismay of the people and wildlife of Northern Wisconsin.?

By the way Shrill, it turns out Global Climate Change is worse than we even thought!?

Lord Stern, author of the government-commissioned review on climate change that became the reference work for politicians and green campaigners, now says he underestimated the risks, and should have been more ?blunt? about the threat posed to the economy by rising temperatures.

In an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Stern, who is now a crossbench peer, said: ?Looking back, I underestimated the risks. The planet and the atmosphere seem to be absorbing less carbon than we expected, and emissions are rising pretty strongly. Some of the effects are coming through more quickly than we thought then.?


Looks like someone forgot to tell the tree! ?

EDIT NOTE:? Looks like we have uncovered the unedited version of Shrillee and the Tree!? Enjoy!

Source: http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/2013/01/shrills-family-tree.html

mike the situation jacksonville jaguars jacksonville jaguars benjarvus green ellis shaka smart hungergames bagpipes

Truth About Cats, George Carlin | Steve Dale's Pet World

By Steve Dale, Monday at 4:02 pm

"You don't have to pet a cat, just put your cat over him and he'll do all the work," George Carlin on cats.

"Ever pet a cat who's lying flat. Before you're finished his ass his halfway up in the air. It's llike you pressed the ass button, or something."

Clearly an expert on all things feline, here's a routine from the brilliant mind of the late George Carlin.

Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/steve-dales-pet-world/2013/01/truth-about-cats-george-carlin/

west memphis three taxes game of thrones season 2 trailer sag award winners girl scout cookies screen actors guild royal rumble results

Spotlight: Leaders in Commercial Banking in 2013 ? North Bay ...

Individuals are alphabetized by name of institution.

Larry Tidwell

AltaPacific Bank

3725 Westwind Blvd., Ste. 100, Santa Rosa 95403,?apbconect.com, 707-236-1521
Larry Tidwell

Larry Tidwell

Larry Tidwell has served as the executive vice president in the real estate industries group at AltaPacific Bank in Santa Rosa since April 2009. He oversees all construction lending, a responsibility he held in his previous position as executive vice president in the real estate industries group at Temecula Valley Bank.

Mr. Tidwell was born in Roswell, N.M., and has lived in the North Bay for 30 years. He cited the retention of customers over more than 15 years as a major accomplishment.

?I think one thing we will see in 2013 is more banks throwing their hat in the ring with regards to lending,? he said.??This will lead to healthy competition amongst lenders, which will be good for borrowers as they will have more choices.?

AltaPacific Bank was founded in 2006 and has assets of $222 million.

Gus Zijlstra

American River Bank

90 S. E St., Ste. 11, Santa Rosa 95404, americanriverbank.com, 707-528-6300

Gus Zijlstra

Gus Zijlstra is vice president and relationship manager at American River Bank and has 16 years of experience in commercial lending.

A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Mr. Zijlstra has a management and accounting degree from Sonoma State University and a master?s degree from the University of San Francisco. He moved to Santa Rosa in 1985 after graduating from the Argentine Naval Academy and a successful naval career.

Mr. Zijlstra said the one-on-one customer service he provides is what clients expect from a community bank, and those interactions are enhanced by his experience in the banking industry. He is also a frequent volunteer for community organizations, including his work to help mentor elementary school students through Operation Getting Together and to teach financial concepts at the junior high level through Junior Achievement of the Redwood Empire.

American River Bank is a 30-year-old regional business bank with $585 million in assets.

David Meddaugh

Bank of America Merrill Lynch

10 Santa Rosa Ave., Ste. 210, Santa Rosa 95404,?bankofamerica.com, 707-293-2553

David Meddaugh

David Meddaugh is the senior vice president and market manager of the North Coast commercial banking office of Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He has been with the bank for more than 30 years. In his current capacity, he manages the unit?s largest client relationships, with particular focus on the wine and specialty food and beverage industries.

Mr. Meddaugh also serves as the bank?s liaison with the California wine industry. He has presented at the Wine Industry Financial Symposium, Unified Wine and Grape Symposium, Leadership Forum, Sonoma State University Economic Outlook and Moss Adams Wine Industry Roundtable.

He earned bachelor?s degrees in both economics and finance from California State University, Chico, and holds an MBA in corporate finance from the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

Mr. Meddaugh was raised in Santa Rosa. He lives there with his wife and two children at their Buckshot Ranch property, which has been planted to Italian varietal olive trees.

Beth Reizman

Bank of Marin

504 Redwood Blvd., Ste. 100, Novato 94947,?bankofmarin.com, 415-763-4520
Beth Reizman

Beth Reizman

Beth Reizman?is a seasoned lender and manager who has held various positions over her 17-year tenure at Bank of Marin. As commercial banking manager, she is based in?the bank?s headquarters in Novato. She also is a member of the senior management team, helping set the strategic direction of the bank. Ms. Reizman claims her greatest banking accomplishment is helping contribute to the growth and success of Bank of Marin.

Ms. Reizman is currently treasurer of the Marin Workforce Housing Trust Board and serves on their finance committee. She has served on numerous local non-profit boards in the past, including Novato Human Needs Center, North Bay Children?s Center, and Novato Sunrise Rotary. She has also been a long time community volunteer with Lucas Valley Swim Team, Lucas Valley Community Church, and Marin Catholic High School.

Born in the Philippines, she attended the International School in Manila then graduated with a degree in economics from Stanford University. Ms. Reizman started her career at Crocker Bank in the Asia Pacific division then held numerous private and commercial banking positions with Crocker, Hibernia Bank and Bank of California.

Larry Fletcher

Bank of Napa

2007 Redwood Rd., Ste. 101, Napa 94558,?thebankofnapa.com, 707-257-7777
Larry Fletcher

Larry Fletcher

A 30-year resident of Northern California, Larry Fletcher is the executive vice president and chief credit officer at Bank of Napa. He has more than 30 years of experience as a banking executive, 26 of them in Napa and Solano counties. He is responsible for all aspects of the bank?s loan portfolio.

Born in Southern California, Mr. Fletcher graduated from Long Beach State University in 1974 with a degree in business administration. He graduated with honors from the Pacific Coast Banking School in Seattle in 1988.

Prior to joining Bank of Napa, Mr. Fletcher was the manager of the commercial lending hub for Vintage Bank. He also held the previous role of chief credit officer for Solano Bank, a subsidiary of Vintage Bank in Vacaville, and began his banking career as a consumer loan officer for United California Bank in Los Angeles.

Outside of the bank, he serves on the board of directors for Child Start, a nonprofit that operates the Head Start child-development organization in Napa and Solano counties.

Tom LeMasters, president and CEO, credited Mr. Fletcher with helping the bank to grow a strong portfolio during tumultuous economic times. The bank reported nearly $150 million in assets at the end of 2012.

Don Mercer

Bank of the West

20 S. Petaluma Blvd., Petaluma 94952,?bankofthewest.com, 707-778-3313

Don Mercer

Don Mercer, senior vice president and national sales manager, has been with Bank of the West for 13 years. In this role for the bank, he manages the region?s SBA team for small business and commercial lending.

Previously, Mr. Mercer served as a branch manager, regional business development officer and regional manager at the bank. He began his banking career while in college, and assumed his current position in 2007.

A graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School, Mr. Mercer also holds a bachelor?s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. Born in Anaheim and raised in Fullerton, he has lived in the North Bay for more than 10 years. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking and reading.

Founded in 1874, $63 billion-asset Bank of the West operates 700 branches and offices in 19 states. The bank has several branches in the North Bay, including a commercial lending office in Petaluma and a wine-focused lending office in Napa.

Michael Silva

Comerica Bank

2 Embarcadero Ctr., Ste. 300, San Francisco 94111, comerica.com, 415-477-3274

Michael Silva

Michael Silva is a senior vice president at Comerica Bank, heading the bank?s commercial lending group in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties. He has served in his current role for nine years and has been with Comerica for a total of 15 years. That followed 12 years at Union Bank.

Mr. Silva has a bachelor of science degree in finance from Santa Clara University?and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

Comerica serves a number of specialty food manufacturers in the North Bay, and the wine industry represents about 25 percent of the bank?s regional portfolio, he said.

?There are a lot of companies in the region that are emerging from a smaller size and looking to grow,? Mr. Silva said.

He said that the bank also sees growth opportunities for other sectors in the region, such as helping to finance the purchase of the North Bay Business Journal, Santa Rosa Press Democrat and the Petaluma Argus-Courier last year.

?You?re seeing the impact of local business people owning their local newspaper,? he said.

Comerica Bank had $63.3 billion in assets in its most recent report.

Steve Herron

Exchange Bank

545 Fourth St., Dept. 410, Santa Rosa 95401,?exchangebank.com, 707-524-3102
Steve Herron

Steve Herron

Steve Herron has served as senior vice president and manager for commercial lending at Exchange Bank since 2000. He focused on business lending for seven years prior to that as a business development officer at the bank.?

Mr. Herron?s banking career began in Los Angeles, where he participated in a commercial lending training program for Union Bank. The program included a one-year assignment in Sacramento, which led to his transfer to the bank?s small banking office in Santa Rosa as a commercial lender in 1987.

Since 1996, Exchange Bank has steadily developed?its?growing?niche as a commercial lender catering to Sonoma County?s artisan?winemakers, growers and vineyard managers, growing that portfolio?to more than $150 million.?

A resident of the North Bay since 1987, Mr. Herron grew up in Fresno. In his spare time he loves to listen to music, read business periodicals, follow the stock markets and collect fine wine.

?I personally think there is a reasonable level of pent-up demand within the business community ? most sectors ? for growth in hiring, capital expansion and expanded business lending,? he said.??I think it will start slowly in 2013, held back by the second phase of the fiscal/budget cliff, but accelerate during the second quarter and into the back half of 2013.?

Exchange Bank was founded more than 120 years ago and reported more than $1.6 billion in assets in its last financial filing.

Barbara Larson

First Community Bank

438 First St.,? Santa Rosa 95401,?fcbconnect.com, 707-636-9711

Barbara Larson is vice president and commercial loan officer at First Community Bank.

Barbara Larson

Barbara Larson

Ms. Larson has been in the banking industry since 1996, and joined First Community Bank in 2008. She specializes in commercial lines of credit, equipment financing and SBA financing. The bank describes her as a client favorite who brings a wealth of business expertise and customized personal service to each relationship.

?I love working for a community bank, and First Community was the perfect fit for me professionally and personally,? she said.

The bank encourages community service, and Ms. Larson shares her time and talent in through a number of community organizations. She is the current treasurer of the Santa Rosa West Rotary Club, a position she has held for nine years. As a longtime advocate for children, young adults and seniors, she also serves as the treasurer for the Elder Care Expo board of directors.

Carol Landry

First Northern Bank

555 Mason St., Ste. 100, Vacaville 95688,?thatsmybank.com, 707-447-8600
Carol Landry

Carol Landry

Carol Landry is the senior vice president and western region commercial loan manager for First Northern Bank. She has been with the bank for eight years. In her current position, Ms. Landry manages commercial loan activities in Solano and Yolo counties.

She has more than 30 years of experience in commercial lending, including several community and national banks in Solano, Yolo and Napa counties.

Ms. Landry is past chairman of Vacaville Chamber of Commerce and Vacaville Library Commission. She has been a board member of several community organizations in Solano County. Ms. Landry holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of California, Davis, and is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at University of Washington.

First Northern Bank was founded in 1910 to provide better banking services to the Solano agribusiness community. Today, in addition to operating lines of credit and equipment lines and leases, the bank offers commercial solar financing and commercial real estate loans to small- and medium-sized businesses and farms. The 10-branch bank is a preferred SBA lender and reported $805.6 million in total assets on Sept. 30.

Ruth Edwards

Mechanics Bank

433 Soscol Ave. Ste. 161, Napa 94559,?mechanicsbank.com, 707-256-4343
Ruth Edwards

Ruth Edwards

Ruth Edwards, senior vice president and corporate banking regional manager for the Napa region of Mechanics Bank, has spent more than a decade as a North Bay banker. A longtime wine country resident who grew up in Santa Rosa, she joined the bank?s Napa corporate banking office in 2006. Previously, she was part of the Santa Rosa regional commercial banking office of?Wells Fargo. She lives with her husband, Gary, and two small children in Sonoma.

Mechanics Bank has been a North Bay fixture for 17 years. Its Napa client relationships, however, date back to the early 20th century, when it was a well-known lender to the wine industry. The bank has continued to lend during the economic downturn and focused on furthering its customer relationships as industries weathered the so-called Great Recession.

The 107-year-old bank passed the $3 billion asset mark last year with significant deposit growth. Offices throughout Northern California include Napa, a St. Helena and San Rafael. A new Napa office is set to open in late spring.

Mike Ledwich

Rabobank, N.A.

700 Trancas St., Napa 94558,?rabobankamerica.com, 916-797-8286

Mike Ledwich

Mike Ledwich is vice president and commercial banking officer for Rabobank, N.A. He is responsible for fostering new business relationships and providing solutions to meet the banking needs of business customers in Napa and Sonoma counties.

A banker for 26 years, Mr. Ledwich has spent his entire career in Napa. Before joining Rabobank, Mr. Ledwich was senior vice president and client relationship manager at Bay Commercial Bank as well as senior vice president and relationship manager at Charter Oak Bank.? He also served as vice president and senior relationship manager at Mechanics Bank in Napa for 10 years.

Mr. Ledwich earned a bachelor of science degree in finance and economics from Sacramento State University?and an MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. ?A lifelong resident of Napa, he is a member and past president of Napa Sunrise Rotary Club.

Rabobank is a California community bank with nearly 120 branches, including branches in Napa and Sonoma and a branch and agribusiness lending office in Santa Rosa.

Michael Downey

Redwood Credit Union

3033 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa 95403,?redwoodcu.org, 877-545-4100

Michel Downey

Michael Downey is senior vice president of business services for Redwood Credit Union, where he has managed the credit union?s business programs since 2006. He has a bachelor?s degree in business administration from Chico State University?and served on the city of Santa Rosa Board of Public Utilities for nearly 24 years.

Mr. Downey has many years of business management and financial services experience in Sonoma County. He owned a local business for 30 years. Recognizing the unique financial needs of small businesses, Mr. Downey started a financial services career more than 10 years ago to provide custom financial solutions to help local businesses grow and thrive.

Aging baby boomers will play a prominent role in commercial lending in 2013 as they execute business-exit strategies and transfer assets, he said.

?We are entering a period of the largest transition of generational wealth in the history of our country,? he said.

In 2008, Mr. Downey helped start Redwood Credit Union?s SBA program, which has ranked among the top lenders in the North Bay for the past four years. The credit union is a Small Business Administration preferred lender with more than $2 billion in assets and in excess 220,000 members.

Sunny Lapham

SAFE-BIDCO

1377 Corporate Center Pkwy., Ste. A, Santa Rosa 95407,?safe-bidco.com, 707-577-8621
Sunny Lapham

Sunny Lapham

Sunny Lapham joined SAFE-BIDCO as a loan officer in 2004. Ms. Lapham?s current responsibilities include underwriting and financial analysis of loan requests and overseeing the corporation?s Small Business Loan Guarantee Program and the Energy Efficiency Loan Program.

Ms. Lapham works extensively with community lenders to facilitate their small business lending. Under her stewardship, the Small Business Loan Guarantee Program tripled in volume this past year.

She has 25 years of experience in north coast banking and financial development, including stints at Exchange Bank and Redwood Credit Union. She has a degree in social psychology from University of Nevada?and trained to administer loan programs backed by the Small Business Administration, as well as general banking. Ms. Lapham has served on the board of directors for a number of businesses, nonprofits and educational organizations in the North Bay.

Rob McMillan

Silicon Valley Bank

899 Adams St., Ste. G2, St. Helena 94574,?svb.com/winedivision, 707-967-1367

Rob McMillan

Rob McMillan is the founder of the?St. Helena-based?Wine Division of??Silicon Valley Bank. Starting in 1992, he developed the division from the idea and startup phase to the point where it?s now regarded by many as the leading provider of financial services to the fine wine business on the West Coast.

Mr. McMillan?s banking career has spanned more than 30 years, over 20 with Silicon Valley Bank. In that time, he has moved though roles of increasing responsibility including a term on the bank?s Managing Committee.

Today, Mr. McMillan supports Silicon Valley Bank?s continuing growth and success in the wine business assisting the rest of the division?s clients and bankers: sharing views on the macro factors impacting the fine wine business, offering customized management presentations for clients, writing, speaking and managing a portfolio of client relationships.

He has published reports of varied and emerging trends to the wine industry over the past decade and is author of the bank?s annual Wine Industry Report. Mr. McMillan?s perspectives regarding the direction, opportunities and threats in the fine wine business continue to be cited in regional, national international and the wine trade press.

Mr. McMillan received a bachelor?s degree in finance and economics from Sacramento State University and an MBA from Leavey School of Business at?Santa Clara University. He is affiliated with, and supports numerous charities and industry associations both in and outside of the wine industry.

He is the father of two, enjoys the outdoors and travel, and takes any opportunity to play percussion and drums in live settings.

Jamie Williams

Sonoma Bank

1101 Fifth Ave., Ste. 360, San Rafael 94901,?sonomabank.com, 415-747-3202
Jamie Williams

Jamie Williams

Jamie Williams has been senior vice president and commercial banking regional director for Sonoma Bank since he was hired two and a half years ago. His focus has been on building strong commercial banking teams in Marin County, East Bay and Santa Rosa. He said hiring high-performing, well-known veteran bankers are key in the success of the bank?s commercial teams in the region.

Along with traditional business banking products and services, Sonoma Bank has experienced tremendous growth in owner-occupied commercial real estate lending.

Mr. Williams was born in Marin and has lived in Novato for more than 21 years. He has been in the banking industry for more than 30 years, always on the commercial or corporate banking side. Prior to joining Sonoma Bank, he was a founder of Greater Bay Bank Marin and was regional vice president for Westamerica Bank. His first position was in 1978 as a management trainee for Wells Fargo after graduating from Santa Clara University with a degree in economics.

Sterling Bank of Spokane, Wash., does business in California as Sonoma Bank.

Bill Fogarty

Summit State Bank

500 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa 95403,?summitstatebank.com, 707-568-6000

Bill Fogarty

Bill Fogarty is senior vice president and chief credit officer at Summit State Bank. Mr. Fogarty joined Summit at the end of 2011 with 25 years of banking experience, including chief credit officer and chief executive roles at other community banking institutions.

Mr. Fogarty attended Arizona State University and earned a bachelor?s degree in business administration at University of Phoenix. He also graduated from Pacific Coast Bankers School at University of Washington in Seattle.

He focuses on all areas of the bank?s lending programs and portfolio for safety, soundness and profitability.

?We are seeing indicators of an upturn in our economy due to a notable pickup in loan production in 2012 that was double the level of 2011,? Mr. Fogarty said. ?We heavily promoted our $50 million loan commitment in 2012, which we believe was part of our increased loan demand and production at Summit. But we also believe that the economic upturn was the foundation of this growth. Businesses are also beginning to activate their expansion plans and start projects that have been on hold for the last few years.?

In his spare time, Mr. Fogarty enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, wildlife photography and golf. He also enjoys spending time with his wife of 28 years, Sheryl, his two children and grandchild.

Mr. Fogarty has ?fallen in love with Sonoma County? and regularly donates his time to local nonprofits and chambers of commerce.

Founded in 1984, Summit State Bank has roughly $430 million in assets, 62 employees and five offices. Summit State Bank is a Top Performing Bank, earning the highest Findley Reports designation of all Sonoma County-based banks.

Francine Boards

Travis Credit Union

One Travis Way, Vacaville 95687,?traviscu.org, 707-469-1964

Francine Boards became vice president of business lending at Travis Credit Union in early 2012. It?s a newly created position that is part of a targeted approach to boost the $2.2 billion institution?s efforts in commercial lending. She served as senior commercial credit officer at the credit union since 2009.

Prior to joining Travis, Ms. Boards held senior management positions for commercial lending operations at One California Bank, Mechanics Bank and Civic Bank of Commerce. She has a total of 24 years of financial industry experience and is a graduate of the MBA program at St. Mary?s College of California as well as Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.

James Barrett

Union Bank

899 Adams St., Ste. F-1, St. Helena 94574,?unionbank.com, 707-968-9514

James Barrett

James Barrett?is vice president and senior relationship manager with the Wine Industry Services group at?Union Bank.

The Wine Industry Services group in Northern California is growing. Ttotal commitments to the industry increased by about 30 percent in the last two years. Mr. Barrett attributes this growth to the bank?s consistency in its approach to the business and to its strong relationships with clients.

In addition to the wine industry, he has clients in the retail, food and beverage, and manufacturing sectors, and has worked with clients in many other industries during his career.

Mr. Barrett said his biggest accomplishment has been to successfully balance a rewarding career with an active and happy family life. He likes to spend time with family and friends and enjoys sports, reading and cooking.

He earned a finance degree at?Auburn University?and a master?s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance at?Georgia State University?in Atlanta. He is a graduate of?Leadership Napa Valley?and a member of the?Napa Rotary Club.

Mr. Barrett has lived in Napa since 1995.

As of Sept. 30, Union Bank had assets of $88.2 billion and roughly 10,000 employees.

Conrad Figueroa

U.S. Bank

1 California St., Ste. 2000, San Francisco 94111,?usbank.com, 707.326.8397

Conrad Figueroa

Conrad Figueroa is a senior relationship manager in the?Bay Area Commercial Banking Group, which includes the North Bay, of U.S. Bank. The group caters to middle-market companies with a strong focus on relationship banking.? ?

Previously, Mr. Figueroa spent 10 years working for Wells Fargo Bank and five years for Comerica Bank. During his time at Wells Fargo and prior to becoming a vice president for commercial banking there, he was a branch manager and a licensed financial advisor.

Mr. Figueroa has lived in Northern California for over 20 years and is a graduate of University of California, Davis, in economics. Mr. Figueroa enjoys running in his spare time and is a 2011 Boston Marathon finisher.

U.S. Bank, based in Minneapolis, recently reported more than $350 billion in assets. ?

Scott Shapiro

Warren Capital Corp.

100 Rowland Way, Ste. 205, Novato 94945,?warrencapital.com, 415-898-1875
Scott Shapiro

Scott Shapiro

Scott Shapiro is senior vice president of Warren Capital Corporation. He is responsible for managing the lender?s portfolio and developing relationships with its partners, which include community banks and the health care and franchise markets.

Mr. Shapiro has been with Warren Capital for 12 years. His career in banking began at BankBoston in Boston during its merger with Fleet Bank. He attended Boston College, graduating with a business degree in finance and information systems.

Having grown up in the North Bay, Mr. Shapiro moved back to California after college. He began working at Warren Capital as a three-day-a-week intern in the 2001 recession and gradually worked his way up to senior vice president. He said that ascent is?one of his greatest accomplishments, leading to years-long relationships with repeat clients.

Over the past 29 years, Warren Capital has completed over $1.7 billion in financings, including $500 million in the North Bay, for more than 3,500 clients. The lender provides services that include equipment leasing and financing, large-scale debt placements and seller-focused merger-and-acquisition advisory.

James Kimball

Wells Fargo

200 B St., Ste. 300, Santa Rosa 95401, wellsfargo.com, 707-584-3147

James Kimball

?Kimball is a senior vice president and regional manager with the Wells Fargo Commercial Banking Group. He oversees the North Coast Regional Commercial Banking Office, responsible for a territory spanning from the Golden Gate Bridge to Oregon.

The team serves a variety of industries, but has specialists focused on wine, specialty food and agriculture.

Mr. Kimball has worked in financial services for more than 25 years, a career that has focused on commercial banking in Northern California and the western United States. He was regional president for wholesale banking at Wachovia when the bank merged with Wells Fargo and spent 22 years holding various leadership positions at Bank of America.

He received bachelor?s and master?s degrees in finance from Sacramento State University.

A lifelong Sonoma County?resident, Mr. Kimball is an active community leader in Northern California and has a history of service on the boards of the North Bay Leadership Council and the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University. He lives with his wife, Sharon, and two children in Petaluma.

Joseph Dietzen

Westamerica Bank

1108 Fifth Ave., San Rafael 94901, westamerica.com, 800-848-1088

Joseph Dietzen is senior vice president at Westamerica Bank. In that role, he oversees account relationships and loan production in the bank?s Sonoma and Mendocino regions.

A native of Washington, he grew up in Yakima and came to California to obtain a bachelor?s degree in economics from Stanford University. Mr. Dietzen later received an MBA in finance from?University of California, Berkeley, and attended Pacific Coast Banking School.

He joined Westamerica Bank in 2005 when it acquired National Bank of the Redwoods.?He had been executive vice president and responsible for real estate loan production there.

Mr. Dietzen said that he was pleased to work closely with the low-income housing efforts of the Sonoma County Loan Consortium and Burbank Housing. He also?was?actively involved with Redwood Empire Food Bank during a time of expansion.

When away from his duties at the bank, Mr. Dietzen said that he enjoys working on a classic Victorian townhouse that has been in his wife?s family for generations.

Westamerica Bank reported $5 billion in total assets at the end of 2012.

Source: http://www.northbaybusinessjournal.com/67794/spotlight-leaders-in-commercial-banking-2013/

bo jackson hanukkah justin tv justin tv Sarah Savage Jaimie Alexander Army Navy Game

Cell Phone Towers Pluck Birds

60-Second Earth

Almost 7 million birds are killed each year when they fly into communication towers. David Biello reports.

More 60-Second Earth

  • Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...

    Read More??

As you chatter on your smartphone, the death toll rises?almost 7 million birds are killed each year when they fly into communication towers that make cellphone conversations possible. Worse, the towers often kill birds that are already rare. So says a study in the journal Biological Conservation. [Travis Longcore et al, Avian mortality at communication towers in the United States and Canada: which species, how many, and where?]

For example, tower impacts kill more than 2,000 yellow rails per year. That's roughly 9 percent of the total population. Ninety-seven percent of all birds killed are songbirds, especially warblers. The red-eyed vireo suffers some of the biggest losses, some 581,000 deaths annually, though that represents less than 1 percent of its population.

The Southeast and Midwest lead the country in tower-bird collisions. That's because these regions have the largest concentrations of the tallest towers, up to 900 feet high. While all of the more than 80,000 communication towers in North America cause problems, the roughly 1,000 tallest towers cause 70 percent of the bird deaths, luring birds to their doom with red warning lights that are always on.

A partial solution is relatively simple: replacing the always-on red lights with blinking ones could cut the deaths by as much as 70 percent. Otherwise, Twitter could have a monopoly on tweets.

?David Biello

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast]?

Yellow rail and red-eyed vireo sounds courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology


Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=aeb9cf3bc81e976b32fd176ed29c9914

lytro camera lytro camera andrew brietbart branson mo monkees songs rail gun harrisburg

সোমবার, ২৮ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Medicaid Expansion: States Face Big Decisions On Obama Health Care Measure

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama thinks his health care law makes states an offer they can't refuse.

Whether to expand Medicaid, the federal-state program for the poor and disabled, could be the most important decision facing governors and legislatures this year. The repercussions go beyond their budgets, directly affecting the well-being of residents and the finances of critical hospitals.

Here's the offer:

If states expand their Medicaid programs to cover millions of low-income people now left out, the federal government will pick up the full cost for the first three years and 90 percent over the long haul.

About 21 million uninsured people, most of them adults, eventually would gain health coverage if all the states agree.

Adding up the Medicaid costs under the law, less than $100 billion in state spending could trigger nearly $1 trillion in federal dollars over a decade, according to the nonpartisan Urban Institute.

"It's the biggest expansion of Medicaid in a long time, and the biggest ever in terms of adults covered," said Mark McClellan, who ran Medicare and Medicaid when George W. Bush was president.

"Although the federal government is on the hook for most of the cost, Medicaid on the whole is one of the biggest items in state budgets and the fastest growing. So there are some understandable concerns about the financial implications and how implementation would work," McClellan said.

A major worry for states is that deficit-burdened Washington sooner or later will renege on the 90-percent deal. The regular Medicaid match rate averages closer to 50 percent. That would represent a significant cost shift to the states.

Many Republicans also are unwilling to keep expanding government programs, particularly one as complicated as Medicaid, which has a reputation for being inefficient and unwieldy.

Awaiting decisions are people such as Debra Walker of Houston, a part-time home health care provider. She had a good job with health insurance until she got laid off in 2007.

Walker was recently diagnosed with diabetes, and she's trying to manage by getting discounted medications through a county program for low-income uninsured people.

Walker estimates she earned about $10,000 last year, which means she would qualify under the income cutoff for the Medicaid expansion. But that could happen only if Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas, reconsiders his opposition.

"I think that would be awesome if the governor would allow that program to come into the state," Walker said. "That would be a help for me, robbing Paul to pay Peter for my medicines."

She seems determined to deal with her diabetes problem. "I don't want to lose a limb later on in life," said Walker, 58. "I want to beat this. I don't want to carry this around forever."

As Obama's law was originally written, low-income people such as Walker would not have had to worry or wait. Roughly half the uninsured people gaining coverage under the law were expected to go into Medicaid. The middle-class uninsured would get taxpayer-subsidized private coverage in new insurance markets called exchanges.

But last year the Supreme Court gave states the right to opt out of the Medicaid expansion. The court upheld the rest of the law, including insurance exchanges and a mandate that virtually everyone in the United States have health coverage, or face a fine.

The health care law will go into full effect next Jan. 1, and states are scrambling to crunch the numbers and understand the Medicaid trade-offs.

States can refuse the expansion outright or indefinitely postpone a decision. But if states think they'll ultimately end up taking the deal, there's a big incentive to act now: The three years of full federal funding for newly eligible enrollees are only available from 2014 through 2016.

So far, 17 states and the District of Columbia have said they'll take it. That group includes three Republican-led states, Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer was prominent among GOP leaders who had tried get the law overturned.

An additional 11 states, all led by Republicans, say they want no part of it. Perry says it tramples states' rights.

The remaining states are considering options.

In some cases, GOP governors are trying to persuade balky legislatures led by Republicans. Hospitals treating the uninsured are pressing for the expansion, as are advocates for the poor and some chambers of commerce, which see an economic multiplier from the infusion of federal dollars. Conservative foes of "Obamacare," defeated at the national level, want to hold the line.

The entire debate is overshadowed by some big misconceptions, including that the poor already have Medicaid.

Many of them do, but not all. Medicaid generally covers low-income disabled people, children, pregnant women and some parents. Childless adults are left out in most states.

The other misconception is that Medicaid is so skimpy that people are better off being uninsured.

Two recent studies debunked that.

One found a 6 percent drop in the adult death rate in states that already have expanded Medicaid along the lines of the federal health care law. A second looked at Oregonians who won a lottery for Medicaid and compared them with ones who weren't picked and remained uninsured. The Medicaid group had greater access to health care, less likelihood of being saddled with medical bills, and felt better about their overall health.

Skeptics remain unconvinced.

Louisiana's health secretary, Bruce D. Greenstein, is concerned that the Medicaid expansion could replace private insurance for many low-wage workers in his state, dragging down quality throughout the health care system because the program pays doctors and hospitals far less than private insurance. He says the Obama administration and Congress missed a chance to overhaul Medicaid and give states a bigger say in running the program.

"Decisions are made by fiat," he said. "There is not any sense of a federal-state partnership, what this program was founded on. I don't feel in any way that I am a partner." The Obama administration says it is doing its best to meet state demands for flexibility.

But one thing the administration has been unwilling to do is allow states to partly expand their Medicaid programs and still get the generous matching funds provided by the health care law.

That could have huge political implications for states refusing the expansion, and for people such as Walker, the diabetes patient from Houston.

These numbers explain why:

Under the new law people making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, about $15,400 for an individual, are eligible to be covered by Medicaid.

But for most people below the poverty line, about $11,200 for an individual, Medicaid would be the only option. They cannot get subsidized private coverage through the new health insurance exchanges.

So if a state turns down the Medicaid expansion, some of its low-income people still can qualify for government-subsidized health insurance through the exchanges. But the poorest cannot.

In Texas, somebody making a couple of thousand dollars more than Debra Walker still could get coverage. But Walker would be left depending on pay-as-you-go charity care.

"It's completely illogical that this has happened," said Edwin Park, a health policy expert with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which advocates for low-income people.

Federal officials say their hands are tied, that Congress intended the generous federal matching rate solely for states undertaking the full expansion. States doing a partial expansion would have to shell out more of their own money.

"Some people are going to be between a rock and a hard spot," said Walker.

Also on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/medicaid-expansion_n_2567221.html

roland martin whitney houston dead at 48 whitney houston dead 2012 whitney houston passed away heartbreak hotel don cornelius whitney houston i will always love you

Stanley Tools 819841 51 Piece Pegboard Hook Assortment

Original Price: $ 7.99

Stanley Tools 819841 51 Piece Pegboard Hook Assortment

  • Made for 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch pegboard
  • For use in garages, sheds, workshops and basements
  • Ideal for storage of tools, paint brushes, extension cords and athletic equipment

Set of 51 hooks

Source: http://atixi.com/stanley-tools-819841-51-piece-pegboard-hook-assortment/

Waldo Canyon fire nba finals K Michelle roger clemens multiple sclerosis falling skies rodney king

রবিবার, ২৭ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Thomas: No sympathy for steroids-tainted stars

(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."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-26-White%20Sox%20Convention-Thomas/id-5e8aeb5d7e2a4ca39bba3952647e1e91

roger goodell psychosis dianna agron million hoodie march tebow trade mike the situation jacksonville jaguars

Leftist ex-PM Zeman wins Czech presidential election

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Leftist former prime minister Milos Zeman won the Czech Republic's first direct presidential election on Saturday, beating a conservative opponent he had accused of favoring foreign interests in a bitter campaign.

Zeman, a 68-year-old who favors more integration within the European Union, won by 54.8 to 45.2 percent over Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, results from 99.9 percent of voting districts showed.

Economic forecaster Zeman, a Communist Party member before the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, will steer Czechs closer to Europe's mainstream.

The anti-EU rhetoric of outgoing President Vaclav Klaus, who succeeded late playwright Vaclav Havel, has pushed the country towards the margins of the 27-member bloc.

Czech presidents do not wield much day-to-day power but represent the country abroad and appoint prime ministers, central bankers and judges.

Zeman said he wants to overcome divisions provoked by the election in the central European country of 10.5 million people. The final stage of the campaign was marked by doubts cast on the national loyalties of Schwarzenberg, a prince from a centuries-old aristocratic family who lived much of his life in Austria.

Zeman promised to tackle graft, an issue which has dominated political debate for years.

"I want to be president of the bottom 10 million. These include voters of Milos Zeman as well as Karel Schwarzenberg. I do not want to be president of mafias that act as parasites on this society," Zeman said.

Zeman served as Social Democrat prime minister in 1998-2002 under a power-sharing deal with Klaus's right-wing party that critics saw as a breeding ground for corruption.

Schwarzenberg conceded defeat and congratulated Zeman, but relations between the centre-right cabinet and new president may be strained.

Zeman, who has a folksy manner and a well-advertised appetite for sausages and alcohol, appeals to poorer and rural voters, unlike the government, which has raised taxes, cut social benefits and suffered several corruption scandals.

During his premiership, Zeman was credited with privatizing the main banks and attracting foreign investment. Opponents criticize his friendship with former communist officials and businessmen with links to Russia.

Previously, Czech presidents were elected by parliamentary votes that involved a lot of back-room dealing, which led to popular demand for a constitutional change approved last year.

GHOSTS OF THE PAST

The finale of the campaign was marked by appeals to nationalism, unusual for the Czech Republic, whose biggest trading partner is Germany.

Zeman accused Schwarzenberg of backing the cause of some three million ethnic Germans, known as Sudeten Germans, who were expelled from then-Czechoslovakia after World War Two.

Schwarzenberg has said that in today's world, the expulsion could be seen as a war crime, but denied allegations he would open the door for demands to return confiscated property.

Klaus backed Zeman in the vote, saying he wanted a president who had lived in the country all his life, unlike Schwarzenberg, whose family has large land holdings in Austria where he lived in exile during the 1948-1989 communist rule.

Schwarzenberg said the election was won by lies.

"The difference of 10 percentage points was the result of this kind of campaign," he said. "It is impossible to defend against certain type of bad-mouthing."

(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Jason Webb)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/leftist-ex-pm-zeman-wins-czech-presidential-poll-144915692.html

barney frank barney frank kim richards robert hegyes mary louise parker mary louise parker cher

Obama Birth Control Mandates Loosens Lawsuits | WSPA

By: Associated Press | News Channel 7

Lawsuits over the birth control rule in the federal health care overhaul seem headed to the Supreme Court.

The provision of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act requires employers to provide health insurance that covers contraception.

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed by faith-affiliated charities, hospitals and universities. They say the mandate forces them to violate their religious beliefs. For-profit business owners are also suing over the religious freedom issue.

The Obama administration is trying to come up with an accommodation for faith groups before the rule takes effect for them in August.

Meanwhile, the lawsuits by business owners are producing conflicting rulings in federal courts around the country. Legal scholars say it's very likely that the Supreme Court will have to decide the issues.

Source: http://www2.wspa.com/news/2013/jan/26/obama-birth-control-mandates-loosens-lawsuits-ar-5454008/

Kevin Krim Autumn Pasquale ann coulter Iron Man 3 Trailer minecraft Ben Wilson Latest Presidential Polls

শনিবার, ২৬ জানুয়ারী, ২০১৩

Scientists discover how epigenetic information could be inherited

Friday, January 25, 2013

New research reveals a potential way for how parents' experiences could be passed to their offspring's genes. The research was published today, 25 January, in the journal Science.

Epigenetics is a system that turns our genes on and off. The process works by chemical tags, known as epigenetic marks, attaching to DNA and telling a cell to either use or ignore a particular gene.

The most common epigenetic mark is a methyl group. When these groups fasten to DNA through a process called methylation they block the attachment of proteins which normally turn the genes on. As a result, the gene is turned off.

Scientists have witnessed epigenetic inheritance, the observation that offspring may inherit altered traits due to their parents' past experiences. For example, historical incidences of famine have resulted in health effects on the children and grandchildren of individuals who had restricted diets, possibly because of inheritance of altered epigenetic marks caused by a restricted diet.

However, it is thought that between each generation the epigenetic marks are erased in cells called primordial gene cells (PGC), the precursors to sperm and eggs. This 'reprogramming' allows all genes to be read afresh for each new person - leaving scientists to question how epigenetic inheritance could occur.

The new Cambridge study initially discovered how the DNA methylation marks are erased in PGCs, a question that has been under intense investigation over the past 10 years. The methylation marks are converted to hydroxymethylation which is then progressively diluted out as the cells divide. This process turns out to be remarkably efficient and seems to reset the genes for each new generation. Understanding the mechanism of epigenetic resetting could be exploited to deal with adult diseases linked with an accumulation of aberrant epigenetic marks, such as cancers, or in 'rejuvenating' aged cells.

However, the researchers, who were funded by the Wellcome Trust, also found that some rare methylation can 'escape' the reprogramming process and can thus be passed on to offspring ? revealing how epigenetic inheritance could occur. This is important because aberrant methylation could accumulate at genes during a lifetime in response to environmental factors, such as chemical exposure or nutrition, and can cause abnormal use of genes, leading to disease. If these marks are then inherited by offspring, their genes could also be affected.

Dr Jamie Hackett from the University of Cambridge, who led the research, said: "Our research demonstrates how genes could retain some memory of their past experiences, revealing that one of the big barriers to the theory of epigenetic inheritance - that epigenetic information is erased between generations - should be reassessed."

"It seems that while the precursors to sperm and eggs are very effective in erasing most methylation marks, they are fallible and at a low frequency may allow some epigenetic information to be transmitted to subsequent generations. The inheritance of differential epigenetic information could potentially contribute to altered traits or disease susceptibility in offspring and future descendants."

"However, it is not yet clear what consequences, if any, epigenetic inheritance might have in humans. Further studies should give us a clearer understanding of the extent to which heritable traits can be derived from epigenetic inheritance, and not just from genes. That could have profound consequences for future generations."

Professor Azim Surani from the University of Cambridge, principal investigator of the research, said: "The new study has the potential to be exploited in two distinct ways. First, the work could provide information on how to erase aberrant epigenetic marks that may underlie some diseases in adults. Second, the study provides opportunities to address whether germ cells can acquire new epigenetic marks through environmental or dietary influences on parents that may evade erasure and be transmitted to subsequent generations, with potentially undesirable consequences."

###

University of Cambridge: http://www.cam.ac.uk

Thanks to University of Cambridge 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 74 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126467/Scientists_discover_how_epigenetic_information_could_be_inherited

dodgers sale tami roman jetblue captain los angeles dodgers christie brinkley seattle mariners geraldo rivera

Help Build Your Arsenal Here For Home Improvement Projects

Many people, both experienced and new, are looking for information on how to improve their homes. A wealth of information can be found in a wide variety of media formats. The following information provides some great tips for learning how to do a good job on your home-improvement projects.

Plain lampshades can make your whole room look boring. By using stencils, creativity, and paint, you will be able to transform your boring lampshade into a masterpiece. By doing this, you will give your house a better look with more personality.

It is essential that you purchase top quality exterior paint when you paint the outside of your home. By getting a paint that has good quality, your paint will stay fresh a lot longer. Even though quality paint has a higher price tag, it will be more durable and it will cover the surface of your house more quickly and easily. Spend a few more bucks to get good paint instead of painting your home more often.

Consider installing ceiling fans. A ceiling fan installation is a cheap, straightforward project that practically any homeowner can handle. Ceiling fans can also reduce your costs. Ceiling fans promote air circulation, which means you can hold off on turning on the air conditioning in hot weather.

Search for a quality roofer as this is a very important improvement to your home. It is in your best interest to research the roofing company before signing any contract. Fortunately, there are many ways you can look into the company. You can look at user reviews online, check the BBB (Better Business Bureau), and plenty of other methods.

When making improvements, take a second to focus on your porch. This is the first things seen by visitors and it's your home's first impression. Make sure it is all neatly organized and, if possible, add a little style with outdoor decorations, such as flowers, varnish, lights, or furniture. This will pay off in real dollars, as a nice porch increases the value of a home.

Debris disposal is a consideration that you should think about well in advance of beginning any home improvement work, especially with extensive renovations. If the project includes demolition, you need a way to get rid of the rubble quickly and effectively. Therefore, it is important to make arrangements for unwanted debris before beginning any project.

Rather than buying a new home, think about making renovations to your current home if you want to make changes. You can design a renovation to suit your needs instead of hunting forever for a place that has everything you want. Renovations are also less expensive than new homes, and come with less stress too.

After reading these tips, you can begin to understand what it takes to become good at home improvement. Apply the tips from this article to begin your home improvement tasks. Start with small projects and keep acquiring new skills: soon you will be able to perform all the maintenance tasks you need to increase the value of your home.

Source: http://alioting.blogspot.com/2013/01/help-build-your-arsenal-here-for-home.html

tim tebow press conference tebow press conference trina rob dyrdek oberon donald driver donald driver

What is Risk Management? | Business 2 Community

What is Risk Management? image risk management 300x198Risk management. It?s a term that gets mentioned a lot here on YIQ. But what does it actually mean? Knowing what risk management is and how it works are two different things. There are a set of processes a risk management specialist must go through in order to establish the risk to a particular business. We?ll be outlining what risk management is and how risk is identified, for all those who?ve ever wondered: what is risk management?

Identification

One of the first things a risk management specialist does is to establish context. The risk for a construction site is going to be different than the risk in a classroom, for example. Once context is established the risk evaluation process can be planned and the types of risk inherent in the sector being evaluated can be narrowed down. Once context has been established, specific risks can then be identified. The risk specialist must identify where potential problems may begin. Once the source of a potential problem is know it can then be assessed and planned for.

Assessment

When risks have been established, each risk must be assessed based upon its likelihood and potential severity. Asset valuation is also an important part of the assessment process as it influences the priority of each risk. The probability of certain events can be difficult to measure, as can the exact value of assets. As a result, a lot of risk management is based on educated estimates and whatever statistics are available. At the end of the assessment process the priority and potential impact of each risk should be decided.

Plan

After the risks have been assessed and the possibility of them happening has been accepted, a plan must be made to avoid them. This may mean installing an extra fire extinguisher on every floor of a building or a company improving their anti-virus software. The risk management process won?t rid a business of all risk, but it well get it to a manageable level.

Management

Once risk has been established and a plan has been made, it must be managed. Risk for a business is constantly evolving so it needs to be monitored on a regular basis. A resolution cannot be applied and then forgotten about. New risks will emerge and they will require assessment and a prevention plan of their own.

Risk management is a circular process. Once risk has been identified, assessed and planned for, the process continues and begins over again. Being prepared for the hazards that can befall a business is of great importance. It would be a shame to put a lot of work into risk management for one year only to sit back and then watch it all fall apart in the next.

Do you have a question about comprehensive risk insurance? Ask it here and get an answer, for FREE.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/finance/what-is-risk-management-0388979

ketamine ground hogs day 2012 goundhog day punxsutawney facebook ipo facebook ipo egypt soccer riot