iJento, a provider of digital and multichannel customer intelligence for businesses who want to improve their customer targeting, has raised a new $8 million round of funding, led by MMC Ventures. Previous investors, Nauta Capital, and Oxford Partners also participated in what is for them effectively a follow-on round. The new funds will be used to "fuel growth" and support its recent U.S. launch, and maintain what the company claims is a market leadership position. (Well, they would say that, wouldn't they.)
Mind-Body Approaches to Coping with Cancer - DukeHealth.org
Date
Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012 Click here for a list of other dates
Time
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Organization
Duke Cancer Patient Support Program
Description
Patients with cancer are invited to participate in a class to learn mind-body approaches to coping with cancer. This group meets on the first and third Thursday of the month.
Contact
For more information, contact 919-684-4497.
Registration status
No registration required
Location
Duke Cancer Center
Location Specifics
01N1, 0-Level Conference Room beside the Cancer Center Caf?
As profitable as getting into the commercial real estate business can be, you must know what you are getting into and you have to have patience. Many people have become successful with it by reading and applying the tips below so that they can succeed in this lucrative field.
Emergency maintenance should always be on your need to know list. Ask the landlord who handles emergency repairs in your office or building. Know the phone numbers, and be aware of their response time. Consider how an emergency will affect your business operations, and have an emergency operating plan in place.
Research your prospective brokers to see how experienced they are with the commercial market. For better results they should specialize in the specific area that you want to buy or sell in. Also, consider entering into an agreement that will be exclusive between you and that broker.
TIP! Your business needs should be in check before seeking out commercial real estate! Determine what sort of office you will need to run your business. If you intend to have company growth, it might prove wise to purchase more square footage than you initially need, as doing so in a low market can yield savings later.
Keep an eye out for motivated sellers. You have to look for them, especially those who need to sell below the market value. In real estate, not much happens until you find a good deal.
Think bigger when you are investing in commercial properties. Managing five units might seem far less complicated than fifty, but the work that you put into financing and setting up lease agreements will be the same no matter how many units you manage. A small building requires the same paperwork and financing as a larger building, and larger buildings end up costing less per unit.
Calm and patience are both sound practices when you are searching for commercial property. Don?t enter into a commercial venture hastily. Without due consideration, you might find that the real estate purchase does not meet your criteria for successful financial gain. Some investors have to wait for a year or so before they find the right opportunity.
TIP! When you are constructing a letter of intent, make sure that you keep it concise by focusing on larger issues first. Save the smaller issues for future negotiations.
Commercial property investors need to be conscious of drastic inflation in upcoming years. One thing past leases had were clauses in them which based on Consumer Price Index protected the signers from inflation because there were adjustments in them. This generally doesn?t happen anymore, so unusually high inflation could cause unexpected losses.
Make sure your asking price is realistic. There are many variables that can greatly impact the true value of your lot.
Make certain that you know how to both recognize and benefit from good deals that present themselves. Seasoned investors can spot a good deal quickly. Their secret entails that they have an exit strategy, meaning that they know when to walk away from a deal. To be a professional real estate investor, you need to learn how to determine the risks inherent in every investment. Professionals can figure out the hidden costs of an investment, such as the need for extensive repairs, and only invest in properties that help them reach their financial goals.
TIP! Ask potential real estate brokers to describe how they make money. Legitimate brokers won?t mind answering this type of question openly and honestly.
If you are investigating multiple properties, make sure that you take a site checklist with you. Certainly take down initial proposal responses, but don?t get into anything further without informing the property owners. Consider allowing it to slip out that you are also looking at other properties. You may even get a more favorable deal!
You should take numerous, high-quality photographs of the property. Make certain your photos highlight specific defects such as carpet spots, wall holes and bathroom discolorations.
Add a blog to your website to help you create an image as an expert in the field. This can help you find people to buy what you have for sale or even those who will lease space.
TIP! If you want to invest in apartment complexes, you should know that in many cases smaller complexes are harder to maintain than larger ones. Some experts avoid any property that has less than ten apartments.
You should always remember that, when dealing with a new lease, one of the things that will effect the success of your investments the most are your rent rates and general strategies. Don?t enter into discussion with a possible renter without knowing your rental rate. Having this strategy determined upfront will assure you of meeting the benchmarks you established for accrual of your investment.
Pest Control
Another factor to be aware of when shopping for property to rent or lease is who pays for pest control. This is especially important when an area is known to have pest and rodent problems. Prior to signing a lease, ask your agent what the current pest control policies are.
TIP! Before you move into your new space, it may need to be improved. The improvements can just affect surface appearance like painting the walls or moving furniture around.
Experts recommend buying a large apartment complex, one with more than ten apartments. They say the small ones not only produce less income, but also can be more troublesome. This general advice may not always apply though. You should decide on buying a property based on your own research.
If you plan on investing in commercial real estate, you should consider the tax benefits you will receive. Depreciation benefits and interest reductions are given to investors in commercial real estate. There is a chance that an investor may receive money that must be taxed, but does not come in the form of cash; this is known as phantom income. You should be mindful of phantom income prior to investing.
Real Estate
TIP! If you have just begun investing, try to stick to one kind of investment. The best way to learn is to choose one type of property and concentrate solely on it.
By reading and applying the tips above, you can begin wisely investing in real estate. Commercial real estate presents may exciting and well-paid opportunities if you know where to look for them. Apply the above advice to your own needs in order to excel!
This NOAA satellite image taken Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 10:45 AM EDT shows Hurricane Sandy over the Bahamas with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph and moving toward the north. Farther north, a cold front moves into the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley with showers and thunderstorms. (AP PHOTO/WEATHER UNDERGROUND)
A woman cries out in front of her flooded house caused by heavy rains from Hurricane Sandy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. Hurricane Sandy rumbled across mountainous eastern Cuba and headed toward the Bahamas on Thursday as a Category 2 storm, bringing heavy rains and blistering winds. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
A fallen tree and toppled light poles block a road in Kingston, Jamaica, after the passing of Hurricane Sandy, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. Sandy, which made landfall Wednesday afternoon near Kingston, crossed over Jamaica killing an elderly man when a boulder crashed into his clapboard house, police said. (AP Photo/Collin Reid)
Residents wade through a flooded street caused by heavy rains from Hurricane Sandy in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012. Hurricane Sandy rumbled across mountainous eastern Cuba and headed toward the Bahamas on Thursday as a Category 2 storm, bringing heavy rains and blistering winds. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The pre-Halloween hybrid weather monster that federal forecasters call "Frankenstorm" is looking more ominous by the hour for the East Coast, and utilities and local governments are getting ready.
Meteorologists expect a natural horror show of high wind, heavy rain, extreme tides and maybe snow to the west beginning early Sunday, peaking with the arrival of Hurricane Sandy on Tuesday and lingering past Halloween on Wednesday.
With a rare mix of three big merging weather systems over a densely populated region, experts predict at least $1 billion in damage.
The stage is set as Hurricane Sandy, having blown through Haiti and Cuba, continues to barrel north. A wintry storm is chugging across the country from the west. And frigid air is streaming south from Canada.
And if they meet Tuesday morning around New York or New Jersey, as forecasters predict, they could create a big, wet mess that settles over the nation's most heavily populated corridor and reaches as far west as Ohio.
Utilities are lining up out-of-state work crews and canceling employees' days off to deal with expected power outages. From county disaster chiefs to the federal government, emergency officials are warning the public to be prepared. And President Barack Obama was briefed aboard Air Force One.
"It's looking like a very serious storm that could be historic," said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the forecasting service Weather Underground. "Mother Nature is not saying, 'Trick or treat.' It's just going to give tricks."
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecaster Jim Cisco, who coined the nickname Frankenstorm, said: "We don't have many modern precedents for what the models are suggesting."
Government forecasters said there is a 90 percent chance ? up from 60 percent two days earlier ? that the East will get pounded.
Coastal areas from Florida to Maine will feel some effects, but the storm is expected to vent the worst of its fury on New Jersey and the New York City area, which could see around 5 inches of rain and gale-force winds close to 40 mph. Eastern Ohio, southwestern Pennsylvania and western Virginia could get snow.
And the storm will take its time leaving. The weather may not start clearing in the mid-Atlantic until the day after Halloween and Nov. 2 in the upper Northeast, Cisco said.
"It's almost a weeklong, five-day, six-day event," he said from a NOAA forecast center in College Park, Md. "It's going to be a widespread, serious storm."
It is likely to hit during a full moon, when tides are near their highest, increasing the risk of coastal flooding. And because many trees still have their leaves, they are more likely to topple in the event of wind and snow, meaning there could be widespread power outages lasting to Election Day.
Eastern states that saw outages that lasted for days after last year's freak Halloween snowstorm and Hurricane Irene in late August 2011 are already pressuring power companies to be more ready this time.
Asked if he expected utilities to be more prepared, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick responded: "They'd better be."
Jersey Central Power & Light, which was criticized for its response to Irene, notified employees to be ready for extended shifts. In Pennsylvania, PPL Corp. spokesman Michael Wood said, "We're in a much better place this year."
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Thursday said the city was striking a tone of calm preparedness.
"What we are doing is we are taking the kind of precautions you should expect us to do, and I don't think anyone should panic," Bloomberg said. The city has opened an emergency situation room and activated its coastal storm plan.
Some have compared the tempest to the so-called Perfect Storm that struck off the coast of New England in 1991, but that one hit a less populated area. Nor is this one like last year's Halloween storm, which was merely an early snowfall.
"The Perfect Storm only did $200 million of damage and I'm thinking a billion" this time, Masters said. "Yeah, it will be worse."
As it made its way across the Caribbean, Sandy was blamed for at least 20 deaths. The 18th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season hit the Bahamas after cutting across Cuba, where it tore roofs off homes and damaged fragile coffee and tomato crops.
Norje Pupo, a 66-year-old retiree in Holguin, was helping his son clean up early Thursday after an enormous tree toppled in his garden.
"The hurricane really hit us hard," he said. "As you can see, we were very affected. The houses are not poorly made here, but some may have been damaged."
___
Associated Press writers Tony Winton in Miami, Fernando Gonzalez in Cuba, Ken Thomas on Air Force One, Michael Rubinkam in Harrisburg, Pa., and Karen Matthews in New York contributed to this report.
___
Seth Borenstein can be followed at http://twitter.com/borenbears
Term limits, redistricting and the June primaries produced an unlikely race for the Nov. 6 election: incumbent Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski versus ArLyne Diamond, a management consultant who never held office before.
"I'm the unknown long shot," the 75-year-old Diamond said.
In June, Milpitas Vice Mayor Pete "Primo" McHugh was favored to beat out Diamond and go head-to-head with Wieckowski. Instead Diamond garnered 30 percent of the votes to McHugh's 28 percent. Wieckowski led all with more than 40 percent.
"I think this time I will do even better," Diamond said.
The top issues in the district, Diamond said, are "jobs, jobs and jobs."
Diamond's job creation plan includes expediting building permits and eliminating regulations she believes are unnecessary. She favored preventing a minimum-wage increase and changing tax rates to make California more competitive. And she opposed Proposition 30, the state sales and upper-income tax increase that would help fund education. If voters reject the measure, Gov. Jerry Brown is threatening "trigger" cuts that won't necessarily reduce the excessive expenditures in government, Diamond said. "How about not spending on things like the high-speed rail?"
Diamond said she would improve education by pushing more money from administration to classrooms. She would make it easier to hold bad teachers accountable and reward high-performing teachers.
She favors giving parents the choice
of private school vouchers and charter schools.
Diamond is, however, a Republican in a district that is still dominated by Democrats.
She is going after the Republican and Libertarian vote, as well as Democrats willing to vote for her instead of the incumbent because they are anxious and angry over decisions made by Democrats in the state capital.
She has a psychology doctorate but works as a management and professional development consultant.
The state revoked her psychology license in 1989. Diamond said the revocation was retaliation for trying to stop false child-abuse allegations and said the past has nothing to do with her political aspirations.
Records show that the Psychology Examining Committee of the California Board of Medical Quality Assurance found Diamond improperly used her influence as a therapist to secure a $30,000 loan from a patient's mother. Diamond said California enacted rules about dual personal and professional relationships with patients and their families after the loan. She said she has about 75 reference letters attesting to her competence and ethics. The state board countered that the ethics code of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy applied at the time.
In 1992, the state Board of Psychology denied her request for license reinstatement, a refusal Diamond attributed to an ongoing backlash for her whistle-blowing.
Coordinating the unwieldy new 25th District is going to be "a challenge," Wieckowski said.
It's not even the district the 57-year-old former bankruptcy lawyer was originally elected in 2010 to represent.
Redistricting turned District 20 into District 25 and pushed the boundaries farther south into Santa Clara County from his stronghold of Fremont, where he served for six years as a city council member.
Like Diamond, Wieckowski singled out the importance of education, saying he wants "see all public schools improve" by bringing in resources and elevating the standards from the bottom up.
But he focused his first-term efforts in Sacramento on other issues, including requiring disclosure of chemicals used in "fracking," the common reference to controversial drilling process of hydraulic fracturing to free oil and gas trapped in rock.
He supported a constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling.
He passed bills to level the advertising playing field for local florists and help out the Fremont-based Tesla automotive company. Another bill required faster recording of titles after foreclosure sales.
He also introduced a bill that raised the amount workers who owe debt can earn before creditors are allowed to garnish their wages.
The new threshold does not make the debt go away, Wieckowski said. "But it's a big deal for the working poor."
STATE Assembly District 25
ArLyne Diamond Age: 75 Party: Republican Occupation: Business owner, management consultant Professional: Public speaker and published author. Taught at DeVry University Personal background: Single Education: Doctorate in psychology from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology Website: www.DiamondforAssembly.com
Bob Wieckowski Age: 57 Party: Democrat Occupation: District 25 assemblyman Professional/elected history: Admitted to State Bar of California in 1987. Served on city of Fremont Recreation Commission and Fremont Planning Commission. City Council 2004-2010. Elected to Assembly District 20 2010, which became District 25 after redistricting. Personal: Domestic partner Education: B.A. UC Berkeley; J.D. Santa Clara University Website: www.bobwieckowski.com
Guns N' Roses frontman showed up on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' Wednesday night for his first live TV interview in more than 20 years, and we were taking notes. By James Montgomery
Contact: Tim Parsons tmparson@jhsph.edu 410-955-7619 Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
On July 20, a gunman in Aurora, Colorado, used an assault rifle to murder 12 people and wound 58 others. Although this was one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, all mass shootings account for a small percentage of gun violence that occurs in the U.S. every day. In the past 100 days since the Aurora shooting, an estimated 3,035 Americans have died as a result of gun violence.
A new report by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examines policies and initiatives for reducing gun violence in the U.S. by reforming current gun policies. The report, a synthesis of prior research and analysis conducted by researchers with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, includes the following key findings:
Easy access to firearms with large-capacity magazines facilitates higher casualties in mass shootings.
"Right-to-carry" gun laws do not reduce violent crime.
Prohibiting high-risk groups from having gunscriminals, perpetrators of domestic violence, youths under age 21, substance abusers, and those with severe mental illnessesand closing loopholes that enable them to have guns are integral and politically feasible steps to reduce gun violence.
"Mass shootings bring public attention to the exceptionally high rate of gun violence in the U.S., but policy discussions rarely focus on preventing the daily gun violence that results in an average of 30 lives lost every day," said Daniel Webster, ScD, MPH, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research and lead author of the report. "Addressing weaknesses in existing gun laws by expanding prohibitions for criminals, perpetrators of domestic violence, youth, and drug abusers, and closing the loopholes that allow prohibited persons to obtain guns can be effective strategies to reduce gun violence. It is important to note that making these changes to our gun laws would not disarm law-abiding adults."
According to the report, guns were used to kill more than 31,000 people in 2010, including more than 11,000 homicides. The homicide rate in the U.S. is seven times higher than the average of all other high-income countries because the U.S. firearm homicide rates are 22 times higher. A 2012 study examined the direct and indirect costs of violent crime in eight geographically diverse U.S. cities, and found that the annual cost of violent crime averages more than $1,300 for every adult and child.
The authors point to numerous weaknesses in current gun laws in the U.S., which make it harder to keep guns from high-risk individuals. For example, compared to other age groups, 18- to 20- year-olds are the most likely to commit homicides, yet only five out of 50 states prohibit this age group from possessing handguns. Additionally, the report identifies several federal laws that have been enacted to protect licensed gun sellers from oversight and reduce sanctions for law violations, and a key loophole that exempts gun purchasers from background checks if they buy guns from private sellers.
The report cites studies which found that fixing lax gun laws reduces gun violence and associated costs. When states expand firearm prohibitions to high-risk groups and adopt comprehensive measures to prevent diversion of guns to prohibited persons, fewer guns are diverted to criminals and there is less violence.
While some polls indicate declining public support for stricter gun laws, Webster cautions against inferring that the majority of the U.S. public doesn't want lawmakers to fix weaknesses in current laws.
"Many people don't realize that, in most states, individuals convicted of violent misdemeanors with court-issued restraining orders for domestic violence or who have a serious history of mental illness or substance abuse, can legally possess firearms," said Webster. "Federal gun laws allow private gun sellers to sell their guns with no questions asked of purchasers or proof that the purchaser has passed a criminal background check. Survey research shows that 82 percent of gun owners want that loophole fixed."
The report also addresses the Constitutional legality of the reforms posed in the paper, and finds the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution would not prohibit the kinds of gun policy reforms in the report.
"The Supreme Court struck down laws in Washington, D.C. and Chicago that banned handgun possession in homes. However, since these rulings, lower courts have overwhelmingly upheld the constitutionality of a wide range of gun control laws other than the handgun ban," said report author Jon Vernick, JD, MPH, co-director of Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.
Despite the majority support among the general public and gun owners to remedy several current weaknesses in U.S. gun laws relevant to keeping firearms from dangerous people, the majority of gun-related state and federal laws passed in recent years have made it easier for high-risk people to purchase guns.
"There are real political hurdles to enacting new gun control laws, but politicians need to realize three things, there is broad support for policies keeping guns out of the hands of high-risk individuals, the reforms are constitutional, and the policies would save the lives of innocent Americans," said Webster.
###
Additional media contact: Alicia Samuels, MPH, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, 914-720-4635 or alsamuel@jhsph.edu.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Tim Parsons tmparson@jhsph.edu 410-955-7619 Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
On July 20, a gunman in Aurora, Colorado, used an assault rifle to murder 12 people and wound 58 others. Although this was one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, all mass shootings account for a small percentage of gun violence that occurs in the U.S. every day. In the past 100 days since the Aurora shooting, an estimated 3,035 Americans have died as a result of gun violence.
A new report by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examines policies and initiatives for reducing gun violence in the U.S. by reforming current gun policies. The report, a synthesis of prior research and analysis conducted by researchers with the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, includes the following key findings:
Easy access to firearms with large-capacity magazines facilitates higher casualties in mass shootings.
"Right-to-carry" gun laws do not reduce violent crime.
Prohibiting high-risk groups from having gunscriminals, perpetrators of domestic violence, youths under age 21, substance abusers, and those with severe mental illnessesand closing loopholes that enable them to have guns are integral and politically feasible steps to reduce gun violence.
"Mass shootings bring public attention to the exceptionally high rate of gun violence in the U.S., but policy discussions rarely focus on preventing the daily gun violence that results in an average of 30 lives lost every day," said Daniel Webster, ScD, MPH, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research and lead author of the report. "Addressing weaknesses in existing gun laws by expanding prohibitions for criminals, perpetrators of domestic violence, youth, and drug abusers, and closing the loopholes that allow prohibited persons to obtain guns can be effective strategies to reduce gun violence. It is important to note that making these changes to our gun laws would not disarm law-abiding adults."
According to the report, guns were used to kill more than 31,000 people in 2010, including more than 11,000 homicides. The homicide rate in the U.S. is seven times higher than the average of all other high-income countries because the U.S. firearm homicide rates are 22 times higher. A 2012 study examined the direct and indirect costs of violent crime in eight geographically diverse U.S. cities, and found that the annual cost of violent crime averages more than $1,300 for every adult and child.
The authors point to numerous weaknesses in current gun laws in the U.S., which make it harder to keep guns from high-risk individuals. For example, compared to other age groups, 18- to 20- year-olds are the most likely to commit homicides, yet only five out of 50 states prohibit this age group from possessing handguns. Additionally, the report identifies several federal laws that have been enacted to protect licensed gun sellers from oversight and reduce sanctions for law violations, and a key loophole that exempts gun purchasers from background checks if they buy guns from private sellers.
The report cites studies which found that fixing lax gun laws reduces gun violence and associated costs. When states expand firearm prohibitions to high-risk groups and adopt comprehensive measures to prevent diversion of guns to prohibited persons, fewer guns are diverted to criminals and there is less violence.
While some polls indicate declining public support for stricter gun laws, Webster cautions against inferring that the majority of the U.S. public doesn't want lawmakers to fix weaknesses in current laws.
"Many people don't realize that, in most states, individuals convicted of violent misdemeanors with court-issued restraining orders for domestic violence or who have a serious history of mental illness or substance abuse, can legally possess firearms," said Webster. "Federal gun laws allow private gun sellers to sell their guns with no questions asked of purchasers or proof that the purchaser has passed a criminal background check. Survey research shows that 82 percent of gun owners want that loophole fixed."
The report also addresses the Constitutional legality of the reforms posed in the paper, and finds the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution would not prohibit the kinds of gun policy reforms in the report.
"The Supreme Court struck down laws in Washington, D.C. and Chicago that banned handgun possession in homes. However, since these rulings, lower courts have overwhelmingly upheld the constitutionality of a wide range of gun control laws other than the handgun ban," said report author Jon Vernick, JD, MPH, co-director of Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research.
Despite the majority support among the general public and gun owners to remedy several current weaknesses in U.S. gun laws relevant to keeping firearms from dangerous people, the majority of gun-related state and federal laws passed in recent years have made it easier for high-risk people to purchase guns.
"There are real political hurdles to enacting new gun control laws, but politicians need to realize three things, there is broad support for policies keeping guns out of the hands of high-risk individuals, the reforms are constitutional, and the policies would save the lives of innocent Americans," said Webster.
###
Additional media contact: Alicia Samuels, MPH, Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research, 914-720-4635 or alsamuel@jhsph.edu.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock refused to apologize Wednesday for saying that when pregnancy results from rape then that is "something God intended."
State Republicans and a few congressional leaders defended Mourdock, whose prospects of winning the seat long held by the GOP are unclear.
But with female voters critical in the tight presidential race and other stalemated contests two weeks before Election Day, many in the party distanced themselves with varying levels of abruptness and clarity, underscoring the difficult nature of the uproar even among other anti-abortion Republicans.
Indiana gubernatorial candidate Mike Pence sought an apology from Murdock. Indiana House candidate Jackie Walorski, meanwhile, issued three statements Wednesday: two disagreeing with Mourdock and one suggesting that Republicans get back to talking about President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
That didn't happen Wednesday as the issue ricocheted around the nation's political landscape, from the presidential contest on down.
Mourdock, meanwhile, dove into damage control Wednesday, explaining that he abhors violence of any kind and regrets that some may have misconstrued and "twisted" his comments. But he stood behind the original remark in Tuesday night's debate.
"I spoke from my heart. And speaking from my heart, speaking from the deepest level of my faith, I would not apologize. I would be less than faithful if I said anything other than life is precious, I believe it's a gift from God," Mourdock said at a news conference Wednesday.
GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney's campaign quickly said he disagrees with Mourdock's initial remarks, but Romney did not cancel a television ad in which he endorses the Senate candidate. New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte canceled an event scheduled for Wednesday with Mourdock. Arizona Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, told CNN that his continued support of Mourdock "depends on what he does."
McCain said he wants to see "if he apologizes and says he misspoke and he was wrong and asks people to forgive him. It's when you don't own up to it that people will not believe in you."
Mourdock aides said the McCain spot was taped before Mourdock's Wednesday press conference. But Mourdock never apologized for those comments.
But Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and Texas Sen. John Cornyn issued statements of support, acutely aware that Mourdock's fortunes in Indiana could hold the key to winning control of the Senate. Republicans must gain four seats if President Barack Obama is re-elected, three if Romney prevails.
In Indiana, it wasn't supposed to be this way. Mourdock's upset of veteran Republican Sen. Richard Lugar in the May primary created an opening for Democrats looking to fight for what would have otherwise been a safe GOP seat. The surprisingly close race between Mourdock and Democrat Joe Donnelly has spurred national Republicans to send more money and national stars to Indiana recently in an attempt to hold the seat.
Although Ayotte cancelled plans to headline a fundraiser for Mourdock in Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Republican Women Club pushed on with the fundraiser. Speaking inside the closed-door event, Indiana Republican Party Chairman Eric Holcomb declined to comment on Mourdock's explanation Wednesday and said the loss of Ayotte from the trail Wednesday would not slow their efforts to elect Mourdock.
"I think we're moving full steam ahead," he said.
Mourdock's rape comment seemed to fall a few steps short of Republican U.S. Rep. Todd Akin's comment earlier this summer that a woman's body would block against pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape," both in terms of the comment itself and its potential impact in the race.
National Republican and conservative groups, including Crossroads GPS, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the Club for Growth, continued their on-air assault against Donnelly. A Democratic source tracking ad buys nationally said Wednesday there was no effort from Mourdock supporters to pull out of the state, as there was in Missouri, following Akin's comments.
Democrats capitalized on the remarks Wednesday, holding press calls and press conferences and cutting Web ads tying Romney to Mourdock. Donnelly appeared in downtown Indianapolis in front of the Julian Center, which counsels victims of rape, sex trafficking and abuse.
"It is hurtful to women, to survivors of rape and to their families," Donnelly said. "His words were extreme, but more important, hurtful to victims of sexual abuse."
Mourdock refashioned himself at the end of the summer, moving away from the tea party rhetoric that carried him to victory over Lugar and attempting to refocus the race on Donnelly's vote in support of the federal health care law.
Throughout a political career that dates back to the 1980s, Mourdock always has maintained that he opposes abortion except in cases where the life of the mother is at risk.
Donnelly opposes abortion but supports exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. However, the Democrat was among more than 200 lawmakers, most of them Republicans, who backed legislation last year that would have cut off federal aid for abortion services, even in cases of rape and incest. A spokeswoman later said the congressman didn't realize the bill would go that far.
It was still unclear Wednesday whether Mourdock's comments would hurt his chances in Indiana, a state that has increasingly become dominated by social conservatives over the last few election cycles. A federal appeals court blocked the Indiana General Assembly's effort to defund Planned Parenthood earlier Tuesday and state lawmakers will likely consider legislation next year to allow the teaching of Creationism.
Downtown Indianapolis workers taking their lunch break in the warm October sunshine for the most part said they didn't think Mourdock meant his remark the way it sounded, but they hadn't intended to vote for him anyway. Most said they hadn't watched the debate but had heard the buzz about what Mourdock said.
"It came across as that's God's will for that woman to be raped," said Judy Stratom, a 50-year-old administrative worker. "I don't think that's what he meant, but that's the way the world took it."
"I honestly don't think he meant to say that rape was a gift from God," said office worker Saundra Taylor, 48, who was relaxing on a bench on the steps of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. "I think he could have worded it better."
___
Associated Press writer Charles D. Wilson in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan is preparing to explain to low-income voters how he and Mitt Romney would do more to help them than President Barack Obama.
The Wisconsin congressman planned to outline the GOP presidential ticket's case during a speech Wednesday at Cleveland State University in political crucial Ohio. With two weeks to go until votes are counted, Ryan's trip to an urban campus suggests Romney's campaign is looking for any vote still available.
No Republican has won the White House without carrying Ohio.
Aides said Ryan's formal remarks would focus on upward mobility for millions of people looking for work and those struggling to get by on their current paychecks. For instance, that includes highlighting Romney's plan for more educational choices for parents and a strengthened safety net for people who need assistance.
To middle-class voters, Ryan was expected to argue that Washington is spending too much and that Obama's economic policies have not done enough to fix a struggling economy.
Ryan, a fiscal hawk and the top budget writer for House Republicans, planned to compare that record to Romney's proposal that he says would create 12 million jobs and help workers take home more of their paychecks.
Before the speech, Ryan planned to meet with civic leaders to promise that a Romney administration would work with them to fight poverty.
Amidst all the announcements made at the California Theatre earlier today, Apple very quietly pushed out a fresh version of its famed (and at times controversial) video editing software, Final Cut Pro. Inside v10.0.6 users can find an array of new additions and improvements that will most certainly be welcomed with open arms by the FCPX crowd, making this the most notable update since bundling in those multicam and broadcast monitoring features. Among these new traits are RED camera support for native REDCODE RAW editing, the ability to add freeze frames to the timeline with a simple keystroke, novel audio controls for use while tinkering with multicam clips and a revamped "Share" interface for exporting projects. The Final Cut Pro update can be downloaded now from the usual spot, and, of course, it comes at no extra cost for those who've already shelled out the $300. The full and hefty changelog can be found right after the break.
SPRINGFIELD--(ENEWSPF)--October 22, 2012. ?The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is alerting health providers across Illinois who received products from the New England Compounding Center (NECC) about new recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concerning the multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis.
Because of concern about possible contamination of additional medications, the FDA is requesting health providers contact patients who meet all the following criteria:
The medication was shipped by NECC on or after May 21, 2012, and
The medication was any injectable product purchased from or produced by NECC, including an ophthalmic drug that is injectable or used in conjunction with eye surgery, or a cardioplegic solution, and
The medication was administered to patients on or after May 21, 2012.
?The Illinois Department of Public Health wants to make sure health providers in Illinois are aware of the new FDA directive requesting them to contact patients who received specified medications from the New England Compounding Center on or after May 21, 2012,? said Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck. ?Physicians should conduct a thorough evaluation of patients who report symptoms of infection following exposure to one of these NECC products.?
For medications used in the eye, symptoms could include vision change, increased redness or drainage. Symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light and altered mental status. Symptoms for other possible infections may include fever; swelling, increasing pain, redness, warmth at the injection site; chest pain; or drainage from the surgical site.
IDPH and FDA do not urge patient follow-up at this time for NECC products of lower risk such as topicals (lotions, creams, eyedrops not used in conjunction with surgery) and suppositories, or for patients who may have received an NECC product before May 21, 2012.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continue to investigate the multistate outbreak of fungal infections among patients who received a steroid injection with a potentially contaminated product, methylprednisolone acetate, produced by NECC. As of October 22, 2012, the CDC reported 297 cases in 16 states, including 23 deaths. Patients who received implicated lots of methylprednisolone acetate have already been notified.
IDPH is continuing to report one probable case ? a Chicago resident who received an epidural steroid injection from one of three implicated lots of methylprednisolone acetate originally recalled by NECC. The person received the injection at one of the three APAC Centers for Pain Management that received the recalled medication. The person received the injection during the exposure period set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ? May 21 through September 26, 2012 ? and continues to undergo further testing and treatment.
The FDA has posted facility and product information provided by NECC on its website http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm323431.htm. Facilities should determine what NECC drugs meet the specified criteria and contact patients accordingly.
To date, there have been no confirmed reports of infections definitively inked to other products produced by NECC. However, out of an abundance of caution, the FDA and IDPH are recommending additional notifications.
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) has suspended NECC?s pharmacy license. The action taken by IDFPR follows the voluntary surrender of NECC?s license in several states, including Massachusetts. The license suspension is effective immediately and will stay in place indefinitely. If NECC seeks to restore its license in Illinois, it will have to meet stringent requirements outlined in a consent agreement.
For more information on the meningitis outbreak, log onto http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/meningitis.html.
Laptop or computer hardware supplier for a Little Company ought to provide particular essential services to Assistance the IT infrastructure. If you are operating a Small business of any type or kind, computers are the most important equipments that you might have following something you could require straight related with your Small business. Even if you have equipments and are operating a manufacturing unit or a workshop some kind, you could have computers hooked up to these machines for precise production or other of work. With out computers you merely can?t believe about operating a Small business.
Purchasing computers for your Company is not a really tough job. You have all sorts of models in the industry and choose up the ones these will meet your specifications. The market place is complete of Pc hardware suppliers who can meet any Computer system connected needs you have. Nonetheless, the real difficulty comes when it comes to IT Help for Smaller Company and upkeep. On Help and servicing parameters, most of the organizations fail miserably as they just lack the knowledge and the expertise to do so.
To run, your Smaller Enterprise smoothly, it is essential that you have an IT disaster recovery strategy in spot and have an annual upkeep contract with a excellent Small business. Just before you go for service provider with experience IT Help for Smaller Organization, please think the right after:
Examine the Company partners ? A superior Business giving IT services Sydney or any other Australia cities must have some of the top names as their partners. For instance, the Business could have Microsoft Little Organization Expert certification and at the similar time partner with brands like Hewlett-Packard or a top safety resolution provider and so on. Verify the customers ? It is important that you know who else are based on the Enterprise for their Computer system hardware servicing and Assistance. A excellent Organization must have familiar names as their clientele.
Networking and remote network Assistance ? Your Small business specifications many, networked computers and the Business that you pick need to have the important ability to setup, run and sustain networked atmosphere. They ought to employ certified networking specialists and must also have the important tools to supply remote network Assistance facilities.
Safety options ? although supplying IT services Sydney or any other city in Australia, it is vital that a superior IT Help Organization knows how to supply safety to their customers? Organization environments. Enterprise environments are continually subjected to threats from different quarters and your IT service provider need to know how to tackle those. In addition to giving great anti-virus options, they really should also have trustworthy firewalls and other IT safety tools as and when essential to safeguard your systems and information.
Emergency services and disaster recovery ? The It Assistance provider really should supply you with a great disaster recovery program as and when vital by you. Disaster may well come about anytime and the Small business must have a robust strategy in location. Make confident you evaluate the disaster recovery strategy with other same service providers.
Information storegae and backup facility ? If your Organization demands that you take care of substantial volumes of information, it is essential that your Organization presents you the appropriate hardware/application to backup. Your information is one of the most important resources of your Enterprise and teh IT service provider really should know this properly.
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AAA??Oct. 22, 2012?3:05 PM ET E.T. immortalized in wax around the world AP
This Oct. 19, 2012 photo made available on Oct. 22, shows a wax figure of ET from the 1982 Steven Spielberg film, "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," being carried in the basket of a bmx bicycle by Madame Tussaud's employee Amy, in central London, marking the Blu-ray edition release of the film. Tussauds will launch an ET wax figure in London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Sydney and Hollywood on Oct. 22. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
This Oct. 19, 2012 photo made available on Oct. 22, shows a wax figure of ET from the 1982 Steven Spielberg film, "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," being carried in the basket of a bmx bicycle by Madame Tussaud's employee Amy, in central London, marking the Blu-ray edition release of the film. Tussauds will launch an ET wax figure in London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Sydney and Hollywood on Oct. 22. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
This Oct. 19, 2012 photo made available on Oct. 22, shows a wax figure of ET from the 1982 Steven Spielberg film, "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," being carried in the basket of a bmx bicycle by Madame Tussaud's employee Amy, in central London, marking the Blu-ray edition release of the film. Tussauds will launch an ET wax figure in London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Sydney and Hollywood on Oct. 22. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
This Oct. 19, 2012 photo made available on Oct. 22, shows a wax figure of ET from the 1982 Steven Spielberg film, "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," being carried in the basket of a bmx bicycle by Madame Tussaud's employee Amy, in central London, marking the Blu-ray edition release of the film. Tussauds will launch an ET wax figure in London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Sydney and Hollywood on Oct. 22. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? E.T. the extra-terrestrial is making appearances around the world.
Madame Tussauds is unveiling wax likenesses of the otherworldly star of Steven Spielberg's 1982 film "E.T. ? the Extra-Terrestrial" at six of its international locations Monday.
The wax figures were crafted at Merlin Studios in London and will be on view at Madame Tussauds museums in Los Angeles, Sydney, Tokyo, London, Berlin and Amsterdam.
The exhibit features the iconic scene from the film where a blanket-wrapped E.T. rides in the makeshift basket of little Elliot's BMX bicycle.
"E.T. ? the Extra-Terrestrial" recently marked a 30th anniversary.
With two months left before Christmas, the last thing on many people?s minds is holiday shopping. But proactive planning can keep both your pocketbook and sanity intact.
Develop A Game Plan
Start by creating a list of the people for whom you?ll purchase gifts, then develop a tentative budget based on the list. Such a holiday shopping budget ensures that your gift spending doesn?t put the rest of your personal finances at peril.
And with nearly two months before Christmas you?ll even have time to put aside a sum of money each week to meet your budget goal. If your holiday budget is $800, for instance, start saving $100 a week to save enough money for your holiday shopping.
Take Advantage of New Retailer Price Matching Offers
Big box retailers have grown weary of shoppers using stores as showrooms to check out products they intend to purchase online. In response, several big box retailers recently announced they will match the prices of their major online competitors during the holiday season.
Target will run its price-matching guarantee between November 1 and December 16, matching the online prices of retailers like Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, and Walmart.com. Best Buy will also match prices found online for appliances and electronics.
Use these new price match policies to secure the best prices at some of your favorite bricks-and-mortars retailers.
Don?t Get Sucked Into Black Friday Mania
Think Black Friday will get you the best prices on holiday gifts? Think again. The day may be great for obtaining lower quality merchandise on the cheap, but according to Consumer Reports, shoppers do at least as well or better by waiting until after Black Friday for the lowest prices on quality merchandise.
Consumer Reports asked the price prediction website Decide.com to analyze the prices of some of Consumer Report?s best recommended products:
?In a significant proportion of cases, Decide.com data showed, the lowest prices of the season on those items were not on Black Friday or Cyber Monday, the day following the Thanksgiving weekend. Specifically, more than a quarter of the recommended TVs and cameras were at least 5 per cent cheaper between Cyber Monday and December 13 than they were earlier, including during the Black Friday weekend.?
Mark Your Calendar For Free Shipping Day
Shop online on Monday, December 17, 2012 and you?ll receive free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve at over 1000 online retailers. Last year Free Shipping Day produced over $1 billion in online sales. To check out which online retailers are participating this year, visit FreeShippingDay.com.
Consider Discounted Gift Cards For Extra Holiday Savings
Save between 5% ? 30% simply by using discounted gift cards. Give them as gifts themselves or use them at retailers where you do your holiday shopping. Check out Giftcardrescue.com, Plasticjungle.com, or Giftcards.com for deals on gift cards from hundreds of merchants.
Take Advantage of Social Media
One of the surest ways to secure great discounts is by following your favorite retailers using social media. Simply by subscribing to your favorite merchant?s twitter feed or facebook page you?ll be eligible for exclusive coupons, deals, and other freebies. Lord and Taylor, for instance offered a facebook offer for 25% off almost everything in the store. Kohl?s offered a facebook coupon for 20% off of store merchandise.
By being smart and planning ahead you can save big bucks this holiday season.
BMWK, What are some of your best holiday shopping your secrets?
About the author
Alonzo Peters is founder of MochaMoney.com, a personal finance website dedicated to helping Black America achieve financial independence.
iJento, a provider of digital and multichannel customer intelligence for businesses who want to improve their customer targeting, has raised a new $8 million round of funding, led by MMC Ventures. Previous investors, Nauta Capital, and Oxford Partners also participated in what is for them effectively a follow-on round. The new funds will be used to "fuel growth" and support its recent U.S. launch, and maintain what the company claims is a market leadership position. (Well, they would say that, wouldn't they.)
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Public release date: 25-Oct-2012
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