newsmen reticulated: September 2012

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Arts and Entertainment Briefs Sept. 27 | Salisbury, NC - Salisbury Post

Wednesday, September 26, 2012 4:25 PM |

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Stanly County Concert Association presents David Holt along with Josh Goforth and the Lightnnigh Bolts on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The Polka Dots polka band will play at Salisbury Wine Shop's third annual Oktoberfest on Friday.

Local band I, For One will open at the the Progressive Music Tour's Greensboro appearance.

Lee Street Theatre announces an open call for scripts from residents of North and South Carolina for its fifth annual 10-Minute Play festival. This year's theme is "Hotel 6." Thanks to a grant from the Rowan Arts Council, Lee Street will offer playwright development in this year's program.

Submission Deadline is Dec. 1, 2012. Guidelines for submission are:

1. The play must be a comedy and incorporate into the overall theme of "Hotel 6."

2. Play must be easy to stage on a small black box stage with limited sets and props.

3. Limited to no more than three characters.

4. Two stapled copies of each script, in proper format, must arrive on or before the deadline to

Lee Street Theatre, Attn: Hotel 6, PO Box 201, Salisbury, NC 28145. No email entries.

5. Limit your entry to 3 scripts, please.

4. The script(s) must not have been previously staged by anyone in any way.

5. Enclose one cover sheet per playwright with contact information (include email address) and the title(s) of the submitted script(s), along with a one-sentence synopsis. To ensure unbiased judging, the playwright's name must not appear anywhere on the script(s), which will not be returned.

Winning playwrights will be notified (by email) on Jan. 3, 2013. Selected playwrights will be invited to attend a playwriting workshop weekend in February. The workshop focus is on play development and be lead by Denise Stewart, author of "Dirty Barbie and Other Girlhood Tales."

Open auditions will be held April 15-16. Performances dates are May 15-18, 2013 and the directed will be Justin Dionne, Managing Artistic Director of Lee Street Theatre. This year's festival is sponsored by Grayshores Trading Company.

For details, contact info@leestreet.org or visit the Hotel 6 page at or www.leestreet.orgLet's polka! The Polka Dots polka band will help celebrate Salisbury Wine Shop's third annual Oktoberfest on Friday. There will be German wine and beer, and soft drinks and water available for purchase, as well as food by Cooper's The Meeting Place. There is no cover charge. Salisbury Wine Shop is located downtown at 106 S. Main St. The event begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28. For more information, contact 704-636-5151, sws@salisburywineshop.com or visit www.salisburywineshop.comLearn the techniques that made Catniss Everdeen a survivor of the Hunger Games. At Hunger Games 411, expert archers will demonstrate archery equipment and give pointers on technique and safety at a free event to be held Saturday, Sept. 29 beginning at 10:30 a.m. There will be information for beginning archers and bowhunters.

The event will be held at the Rowan County Wildlife Association Property, 650 Majolica Road. It is sponsored by Rowan County Wildlife Association, Rowan County Parks and S&S Graham Archery. For details, contact bobpend@rowancountync.gov or 704 216-7819, or visit the Hunger Games 411 website for more information on this and other activities in the program.Stanly County Concert Association presents live in concert David Holt, along With Josh Goforth and The Lightning Bolts on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. This is a reciprocal concert for the RCCA. Individual tickets are $20. For a video on David and his music, go to www.DavidHolt.com. For ticket information, visit www.StanlyConcert.com. The Stanly County Agri-Civic Center is located at Hwy 24-27/Newt Road, Albemarle.Mark your calendars for Oct. 20 - the Salisbury Symphony Guild is bringing Oktoberfest to the F&M Trolley Barn from 6:30-10:30 p.m. Traditional food and dancing accompanied by the Gootman Sauerkraut Band with the gusto and fun flavor of an authentic Bavarian beer hall. Tickets are $50 per person and can be obtained at the Convention and Visitors Bureau, Literary Bookpost, Pottery 101 and The Salty Caper. For more information, contact the Salisbury Symphony office at 704-637-4314 or visit www.salisburysymphony.orgThe band I, For One from Mocksville/Salisbury has been chosen to open at the Greene Street Club in Greensboro. I, For One was selected among a large amount of local bands to open for the Greensboro appearance of Born of Osiris, Norma Jean, The Word Alive, I The Breather, and Crown The Empire, hosted by The Progressive Music Group. This night of music is Monday, Oct. 1 at the Greene Street Club, 113 N Greene St., Greensboro. Doors open 5 p.m., DOS tickets are $18. Advance tickets are $16 and available from band members (336-813-0225), Facebook at www.FB.com/IForOneNCOn Sunday afternoon, Sept. 30, at 1 p.m., the Rowan Museum will open the exhibit honoring the history of firefighting in Rowan County, entitled "Where's The Fire?" will reflect the commitment and service of Rowan's firefighters through the history of all the local departments. Departments participating are: Army Air National Guard, Rowan Fire Marshal Office, Rowan County Emergency Services, East Spencer, Woodleaf, Spencer, Bostian Heights, Mt. Mitchell, Cleveland, Faith, Ellis, South Salisbury, Franklin, Pooletown, Granite Quarry, City of Salisbury, Locke, Union, West Rowan, China Grove, Rockwell City, Rockwell Rural and Richfield/Misenheimer. Items on display are from the turn of the century to the present. Youngsters especially will enjoy the interactive pieces of the exhibit, and guests will be delighted to step on the tailgate of a modern fire truck and also ring firebells.

A reception will be held in the Messinger Room, as well as a service to honor all of Rowan's past firefighters, at 3 p.m. The exhibit, service and the reception are open to the public. The museum is located at 202 N. Main St. For information or to schedule group tours, call 704-633-5946 or email rowanmuseum@fibrant.comCONCORD - The Bluegrass Battle of the Bands to benefit Levine's Children's Hospital will be held Saturday from 2-6 p.m. at the Walmart at Concord Commons. Ten or more bands will compete for $1,500 in prize money ribbons and trophies. The event will also include autograph signing by the team from the reality TV show Lizard Lick Towing. The first 500 registrants for the autograph signings will have a chance to meet and take photos with Lizard Lick Towing and Recovery's Ron and Amy.

The bluegrass competition is from 2-6 p.m. under the big top tent. Admission for Saturday's event is free to the public. Bring a lawn chair.

Competing bands include Common Ground of Concord; Midway Bluegrass of Concord; Sons of the South of Troutman; Dirt Creek Band of Denver; Southern Junction of Concord; Destined Four Glory of Lincolnton; Adam McPeak and Mountain Thunder of Max Meadows, Va. More bands to be announced.

Walmart #1027 is located at 150 Concord Commons Place. For Bluegrass information,call 704-267-9439. Vivian Hopkins, organizer for the event, hosts weekly bluegrass music on Friday nights at the E.H. Montgomery General Store in Gold Hill.WINSTON-SALEM - Reynolda House Museum of American Art offers free admission on 'Smithsonian' Magazine's 8th Annual Museum Day, Saturday, Sept. 29, for visitors who present a Smithsonian Museum Day admission ticket.

This is available for download at the Smithsonian's website, smithsonianmag.com/museumday. For information on Reynold House, visit reynoldahouse.org or call 336-758-5150.

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Source: http://www.salisburypost.com/Entertainment/092712-time-out-briefs

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Reef 2: High Tide [Blu-ray] - Detailed Review

If it weren?t for the sharks, the reef would be a tropical paradise underwater. In this second adventure, Pi and Cordelia are now parents of their new son Junior. And Pi?s shark enemy, Troy, is again on the loose, on the hunt with his shark gang, and just waiting for high tide. Pi decides to trains his family and reef buddies in the art of water fu to have them all prepared for the underwater battle. When a mysterious new reef fish, Ronny, begins to distract the reef creatures with new ideas to protect the reef. However, the reef does not know that Ronny is Troy?s spy sent to be a distraction and a spy. Things are at an all time low when Troy captures Cordelia! Now Pi and his son Junior have much to do to not only save Cordelia, but to also save the reef and its motley school of fish and friends!

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Web Developer and SEO Specialist with 8+ years of experience in open source web development. He is also the moderator of this blog (www.rswebsols.com)

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Source: http://www.rswebsols.com/astore/reef/reef-2-high-tide-blu-ray-detailed-review

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Review: Apple iPhone 5

My iPhone 5 didn't go through any extra inspection processes. It wasn't pampered or given any special treatment. I've tested exactly the same hardware you would get, straight out of the box. And let me tell you, it's a gem.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/8xW54a17x6E/

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Julian Assange lashes out at President Obama's UN free speech comments

WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, mocked President Obama in a video addressed to the UN Wednesday. He asked how Obama could support freedom of speech in the Middle East, but not in the context of WikiLeaks?

By Brian Winter,?Reuters / September 26, 2012

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange addresses a meeting via videolink from Ecuador's London embassy during the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters, Wednesday.

Jason DeCrow/AP

Enlarge

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, speaking via a choppy video feed from his virtual house arrest in London, lashed out at US President?Barack Obama?on Wednesday for supporting freedom of speech in the?Middle East?while simultaneously "persecuting" his organization for leaking diplomatic cables.

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Assange, who has been holed up in the?Ecuadorean Embassy?since June to avoid extradition, made the comments at a packed event on the sidelines of the?United Nations General Assembly.

Assange mocked Obama for defending free speech in the Arab world in an address to the?United Nations?on Tuesday, pointing to his own experience as evidence that Obama has "done more to criminalize free speech than any other US president."

"It must have come as a surprise to the Egyptian teenagers who washed American teargas out of their eyes (during the Arab Spring) to hear that the US supported change in the Middle East," Assange said.

"It's time for President Obama to keep his word ... and for the US to cease its persecution of WikiLeaks," he said.

Assange's combative comments, plus statements made by Ecuadorean Foreign Minister?Ricardo Patino?and his other allies at the event, suggested no solution is in sight to the diplomatic standoff surrounding the 41-year-old Australian.

British authorities have surrounded the?Ecuadorean Embassy?and said if Assange sets foot outside, they will arrest him and extradite him to?Sweden?to face rape and sexual assault allegations.

Assange's lawyers and?Ecuador's government?fear that could lead in turn to extradition to the?United States, where they say he would face "inhumane" prison conditions and even the death penalty.

Assange, who looked to be in good health as he sat at a desk in front of a bookshelf and addressed the 150 or so people at the event, said Britain and?Sweden?have so far refused to provide guarantees he would not be extradited to the United States.

US and?European government?sources have countered that the?United States?has issued no criminal charges or launched any attempts to extradite Assange.

Patino is scheduled to meet with British Foreign Secretary?William Hague?in New York on Thursday to discuss Assange, and he said there are "multiple paths" that could lead out of the standoff. Yet, in an interview with Reuters following the U.N. event, Patino made clear that?Ecuador?is not willing to cede much ground.

"The ball's in their court right now," Patino said.

Patino held in his hands a mimeographed copy of an 1880 agreement signed between Britain and?Ecuador, which he said prohibits extradition in cases such as Assange's. He said he would show the document to Hague on Thursday.

Patino rigorously defended?Ecuador's decision to grant political asylum to Assange, expressing disbelief that Britain is "determined" to arrest the former computer hacker even though he said there are no criminal charges against him. "This means you have reason to suspect he's being persecuted," Patino said.

He said Assange is in relatively good spirits but expressed concern his physical and psychological condition could deteriorate.

"I think of myself, how I'd react in that situation, not being able to go outside, being isolated," Patino said. "It's practically like being jailed."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/V-bl2prRCSo/Julian-Assange-lashes-out-at-President-Obama-s-UN-free-speech-comments

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Why Twitter's Ad Sales Team Trumps Facebook - Business Insider

Doug, the ADD dog from Up!

Adam Kmiec, the global director of digital marketing and social media at the?Campbell Soup?Co., had some harsh words for Facebook's ad sales team at?Business Insider's?Social Media ROI Conference?today.

Kmiec said that as someone who's been in the ad space for years, he's "never seen anything as ADD as Facebook." Specifically: How Facebook interacts with brands and advertisers.

"Before they were public, you couldn't get Facebook on the phone," Kmiec explained.

Pre-IPO, Kmiec described an era in which communication and data was virtually non-existent. Facebook would launch sponsored stories, but it didn't provide any data.

"It's interesting what happens when you actually have to show your numbers," he continued. "Oh, we might actually have to have sales people."

Kmiec used Twitter's ad team as the counter to Facebook's, saying that they were aggressive and hired smart and communicative people from the beginning.

"The product was made to benefit people through the eyes of brands," Kmiec said. "If you ever want to be blown away, ask Twitter to show data on a social trend." It's fast.

Other panelists chimed in with positive experiences of using Twitter ads, too.

"We don't see the volume on Twitter that we do with Facebook sharing, but the ROI is higher," Kip Levin, EVP/Ecommerce at Ticketmaster, said. "Because of what we're seeing from organic sharing we think it will be a great advertising platform."

Chris Fralic,?a partner at First Round Capital, added, "Twitter has come on very strong with its ad product, especially with mobile."

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-twitters-ad-sales-team-trumps-facebok-2012-9

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Saturday, September 15, 2012

Routines to Strengthen Family Relationships | Shop Parish

The bustle every day often makes the relationships among family members becomes tenuous. Therefore, it is better if you take your husband and children engage in activities that can build closeness back. As quoted from she knows, she is five routines that you can try with the family.

1. Surprising Journey
Give your baby a surprise to you to take her to nice places suddenly, like take her out for ice cream before bed, go eat out to a favorite restaurant, or take him to the playground. According to Jill Savage, a mother of five children and the author of eight books about parenting, surprise is not a daily routine can make a baby feel happy and closer to parents.

2. Perform Together Game
Gather the whole family and play together. Ranging from card games, monopoly, scrabble, or anything that can involve the whole family and make your child feel happy. If your baby is a teenager and no longer like the games mentioned, take her to where she wanted. Try not to resist his advances when he wants to do his favorite things with you.

3. Cooking and Enjoying Dinner Together
According to Bryce Gruber who is a mother and also the editor of ?The Luxury Spot?, cook and enjoy dinner with the baby at least a few times a week is a good way to strengthen family closeness. In addition to maintaining proximity, by cooking with you also indirectly teach baby how to cook and set the table.

4. Keep Watching Together Event
Take the time to spend the weekend watching movies with the whole family at home. Besides deligh, baby will enjoy while learning to make popcorn before the movie started. Although this is an easy thing to do, but not all parents are aware that this can be done to strengthen family relationships.

5. Create a custom Unique Family Together
Either by way of custom cooked breakfast with her mother on weekends, or go fishing with my dad once a month, pick a habit that was done regularly to bring your relationship to the child. Be creative and keep fit with your baby in order to serve targeted activities become boring for him.

Tags:?family relationships, family relationships chart, family relationships in america, family relationships in spanish, routines to build muscle, routines to do at the gym, routines to get ripped, routines to lose weight, strengthen core, strengthen immune system, strengthen knees, strengthen lower back

Source: http://www.shopparish.com/family/634/routines-to-strengthen-family-relationships

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Apple Notches More Patent-Related Victories Against Android ...

law-legal-concept According to Bloomberg?Apple has won another legal victory against rival Samsung, this time in front of the US International Trade Commission (ITC). Samsung had gone to the ITC to block import of iPhones and iPads (from China) into the US on the grounds that Apple had violated four of Samsung?s patents.?Administrative law judge James Gildea found that Apple didn?t violate any of the four?Samsung?patents in question.

The decision is still preliminary and not final; however it?s likely to stand. And it comes on the heels of Apple?s recent federal court trial victory against Samsung last month in San Jose, California.

Halfway across the world in Munich Germany a court said that Google-owned?Motorola Mobility will be compelled to empty the shelves of all its Android phones and tablets that infringe Apple?s ?bounce-back? patent, which was also at issue in the US Samsung trial.

In order to implement the decision in Germany, Apple will be?required?to post a bond and provide a list of products it seeks to have removed from the shelves. Motorola has the right to appeal the decision.

Related Topics: Legal: Patents

Source: http://marketingland.com/apple-notches-more-patent-related-victories-against-android-oems-samsung-and-motorola-21616

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Muhammad Ali accepts Liberty Medal in Philadelphia

Boxing legend and humanitarian Muhammad Ali was awarded the Liberty Medal on Thursday night to a huge ovation in front of Philadelphia?s National Constitution Center.

ali1Ali was selected to receive the prestigious award for being a ?champion of freedom? who showed courage and conviction in his efforts to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe.

The three-time heavyweight champion appeared in an outside ceremony on the mall that overlooks Independence Hall.

His wife, Lonnie, spoke on his behalf.

?All he did was stand up for what he believed. Simply stated and yes, for many of the things that he stood up for?and continues to stand up for today?it took, dedication, conviction and confidence,? said Lonnie Ali.

?These are the values that gave him the inner strength to stand up for what he believed. Many agreed with him? many more did not.?

?But regardless, just as important as his personal values and principles, was the opportunity that this country afforded him: to live in a country where the Constitution provides freedom of speech, to enable him to say what he believes. To live in a country where the Constitution protects the freedom of religion, to enable him to practice and adhere to the tenants of his faith freely without fear of persecution. To live in a country where the Constitution enabled him to challenge policies of the government that he believed were unfair. Muhammad often challenged laws, policies, and social norms in this country, but it is this country?s founding principles that enabled him to stand up for his personal principles. And for that, he is eternally grateful but aware, that these freedoms should never be taken for granted.?

While Ali is one of the world?s most famous athletes, he?s also known as a world-class humanitarian and a champion of liberty.

?Muhammad Ali is a beacon of hope, of compassion, of the goodness of humanity. And tonight, he is deeply honored, and humbled, to be a beacon of liberty,? said Lonnie Ali.

Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett said that Ali is a figure who has literally lived the Constitution.

?We recognize a man who lived the First Amendment in and out of the ring,? said Corbett. ?His role in history came by becoming a milepost in our nation?s journey toward making the Constitution come to life for all Americans.?

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said that Ali is an enduring inspiration.

?When athletes come from humble beginnings to achieve greatness, it serves as an inspiration to all of us,? Nutter said. ?Unlike athletes and other public icons who have their moment in the sun and then slip quietly away, Muhammad Ali continues, to this day, to inspire young people throughout the world.?

Ali?s work as an ambassador for peace began in 1985, when Ali flew to Lebanon to secure the release of four hostages. Ali also has made goodwill missions to Afghanistan and North Korea; delivered medical aid to Cuba; traveled to Iraq to secure the release of 15 United States hostages during the first Gulf War; and journeyed to South Africa to meet another Liberty Medal winner, Nelson Mandela, upon his release from prison.

Ali also was involved in the recent efforts to free the American hikers held captive in Iran.

Ali is the 24th^{recipient of the medal. Previous winners include many of the men, women, and organizations that have shaped and guided the world through the past two decades, including Mandela, Sandra Day O?Connor, Kofi Annan, Shimon Peres, and Colin Powell.}

In November 2005, Ali and his wife Lonnie also opened the Muhammad Ali Center in their hometown of Louisville.

For more on Ali and the Liberty Medal, visit constitutioncenter.org/libertymedal/recipient_2012.html

More Liberty Medal Coverage

Muhammad Ali conquered fears to win first big title
Ali to join elite company with Liberty Medal
How Ali inspired today?s athletes to become leaders

Friday, September 14, 2012

China reacts with surveillance ships to Japan's purchase of disputed islands

Chinese surveillance ships briefly entered waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea that fuel nationalist passions on both sides. Will Beijing ultimately accept Japan's reasoning for the move?

By Peter Ford,?Staff writer / September 14, 2012

An aerial photo shows the Chinese marine surveillance ship Haijian No. 51 (l.) cruising as a Japan Coast Guard ship Ishigaki sails near Uotsuri island, one of the disputed islands, called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, in the East China Sea, September 14.

Kyodo/Reuters

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China sent six surveillance ships into waters near disputed islands in the East China Sea on Friday, but quickly withdrew them in a sign that Beijing does not want tensions with Japan to rise too sharply.

Skip to next paragraph Peter Ford

Beijing Bureau Chief

Peter Ford is The Christian Science Monitor?s Beijing Bureau Chief. He covers news and features throughout China and also makes reporting trips to Japan and the Korean peninsula.

Do You Have What It Takes To Market Online Successfully? Read ...

TIP! Entice your customers with discounts for shopping with you. For instance, you could offer ten percent discounts on orders over 200 dollars.

As time moves on, the role that Internet marketing plays in your online business simply gets more and more important. Promoting your website on the Internet today is an important thing to do. Now is the ideal time to get started. The following article has great tips for getting started in successful internet marketing tactics.

TIP! Use descriptive language so your customers create a mental relationship with the product. This enables you to build brand recognition.

Consider your potential customers and your current customers and what they want to see by visiting your website. If you can cater to their expectations for your site, you will notice a sharp upturn in sales and duration of site visits. Try and get objective opinions about your site. Do not hesitate to create a message board or to sign up for social networks so you can interact with your audience. Take notes and try to make the necessary changes to your site and strategy.

TIP! Try placing banners where they don?t look like banners. Dress them up to resemble click-able links, leading to more valuable content.

Publish positive customer reviews, informative articles and updates within your industry. Ensure that you have the right to publish so you do not get sued. You could write articles based on your interviews and post them on article directories. This will help drive traffic and sales to your site as well as boost your credibility.

TIP! If your internet marketing plan is already underway, you know what products are your biggest money-makers. Next, try using these products to think of new products that might generate a similar profit.

Blogging is one of the best ways to increase traffic to your site. However, you absolutely must keep it updated by regularly posting fresh, original content. People are more likely to go to a site where they know there?s always new content.

TIP! Take advantage of email to improve your business. Make sure these emails contain interesting information.

If you are offering certain claims about your product, they must be true. Just saying that something works is not nearly as effective as including a video backing up your claims. Selling products you really use yourself allows you to provide your own authoritative views on their usefulness.

TIP! Try to minimize the use of AJAX and Flash so customers are not overwhelmed or bombarded with them on your site. Most search engines ignore flash content within your website.

To do well at Internet marketing, a marketer has to do research and attack the situation with dedication. Find a mentor, online or physical, that you have faith and trust in. Experts in the subject of internet marketing often provide advice that is either free or available for a low cost. Once you have chosen a technique you want to try, stick with it until it proves profitable or shows that you need to move on to a new technique. It may start out slowly, but your time and effort will all pay off.

TIP! If you have ad space on your website, consider selling the space to a major company. This looks good to your viewers and validates your presence in the market.

Now you know why Internet marketing is crucial for a successful online business. There are several approaches for this. There is a variety of knowledge available. This article presents the best tips and techniques to help you get started and be successful with an Internet marketing campaign

Source: http://blog-links.info/link-building/do-you-have-what-it-takes-to-market-online-successfully-read-to-find-out/

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Most U.S. students lack solid writing skills, exam finds

Just a quarter of eighth and 12th grade students in the United States have solid writing skills, even when allowed to use spell-check and other computer word processing tools, according to results of a national exam released Friday.

Twenty-four percent of students at each grade level were able to write essays that were well developed, organized and had proper language and grammar. Three percent scored as advanced. The remainder showed just partial mastery of these skills.

"It is important to remember this is first draft writing," said Cornelia Orr, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, which administers the Nation's Report Card tests. "They did have some time to edit, but it wasn't extensive editing."

Students who took the writing test in 2011 had an advantage that previous test takers did not: a computer with spell-check and thesaurus. Previously, students taking the National Assessment of Educational Progress writing test had to use pencil and paper, but with changes in technology, and the need to write across electronic formats, the decision was made to switch to computers.

Orr said students use technology and tools like spell-check on a daily basis. "It's as if years ago we had given them a pencil to write the essay and took away the eraser," she said.

She said word processing tools alone wouldn't result in significantly better writing scores if students didn't have the core skills of being able to organize ideas and present them in a clear and grammatical fashion.

Still, students in both grades who used the thesaurus and the backspace key more frequently had higher scores than those who used them less often. Students in the 12th grade who had to write four or five pages a week for English homework also had higher scores.

Because this was the first version of the computerized test, the board cautioned against comparing the results to previous exams. In 2007, 33 percent of eighth grade students scored at the proficient level, which represents solid writing skills, as did 24 percent at grade 12.

The results at both grade levels showed a continued achievement gap between white, black, Hispanic and Asian students. At the eighth grade, Asian students had the highest average score, which was 33 points higher than black students on a 300-point scale. At the 12th grade, white students scored 27 points above black students.

There was also a gender gap, with girls scoring 20 points higher on average than boys in the eighth grade and 14 points higher in 12th grade. Those who qualified for free and reduced price lunch, a key indicator of poverty, also had lower scores than those who did not; there was a 27 point difference between the two at the eighth grade.

For the 2011 exam, laptops were brought into public and private schools across the country and more than 50,000 students were tested to get a nationally representative sample. Students were given prompts that required them to write essays that explained, persuaded or conveyed an experience.

Kathleen Blake Yancey, a professor at Florida State University who served on the advisory panel for the test, said one factor to keep in mind is that research shows most students in the United States don't compose at the keyboard.

"What they do is sort of type already written documents into the machine, much as we used to do with typewriters four decades ago," she said.

Yancey said for this reason, there was some concern about having students write on the computer as opposed to by hand. Likewise, having the advantage of spell-check assumes students know how to use it. And in some schools and neighborhoods, computers are still not easily accessible.

"There are not so many students that actually learn to write composing at the keyboard," she said.

Yancey added that many kids who do have access to computers are not necessarily using them to write at school, but to take standardized tests and filling in bubbles.

"Digital technology is a technology," she said. "Paper and pencil is a technology. If technology were the answer, that would be pretty simple."

Follow Christine Armario on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cearmario

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/test-most-students-not-proficient-writing-150219766.html

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Thursday, September 13, 2012

Home Staging Success: Four Ways to Improve Customer Service ...

Customer service is one of the most important components of every successful home staging business. The most profitable home stagers generate a significant portion of their new business through ?word of mouth? referrals from satisfied customers ? and the key to creating these satisfied customers is by providing exceptional service. But too often, customer service is talked about in a vague, non-specific way. What does great customer service really look like? Today, I?m going to share with you four specific, tangible actions you can take to improve your customer experience immediately.

1) Follow up without being asked. The next time you provide a service for a client, make a note to yourself to give them a call in a couple of days just to check in. It?s a simple act that will make a huge impact on your customers?simply because it is so unexpected. More often than not, the customer will report that everything is fine. But every once in a while, you?ll have the opportunity to troubleshoot a problem proactively, rather than forcing them to call you to complain.

2) Go the extra mile ? and train your staff to do the same. ?Going the extra mile? is somewhat of a clich??but it simply means exceeding expectations. Whether that is filling out paperwork on behalf of your customer so that they don?t have to or going above and beyond what is required of you on a job, take every opportunity that you have to make your customers say ?wow!?

3) Never say ?no??always have a solution. Make it your goal to always have a solution for your customers. If they have a request that you can?t fulfill, connect them with a trusted professional who can help. Even though it may not translate directly to money in your pocket, your customers will come to see you as someone who always has an answer?and that reputation is incredibly valuable.

4) Listen more than you talk. Make it a point to listen to your customers. Ask them about their concerns. Many business owners are constantly in ?sales mode??which is another way of saying ?they never shut up!? Train yourself to listen more than you talk? your customers will appreciate it!

Questions, comments, or additional ideas? Feel free to get in touch with me today!

Source: http://www.stagingtraining.com/blog/home-staging-success-four-ways-to-improve-customer-service-today.php

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What if There Is an Election Wave?

With a month to go before Election Day 1980, President Carter held a significant advantage over Ronald Reagan. Gallup surveys showed Carter leading Reagan by an 8-point margin. But thanks to an outstanding debate performance and a lousy economy, Reagan won 44 states and 489 electoral votes. Along the way, he helped a Senate Republican minority become a majority, as 12 new GOP senators swept into office.

Few believe that a similar wave will develop this year. The electorate is narrowly divided; neither President Obama nor Mitt Romney has opened any sort of significant polling lead; and a state-by-state analysis of House and Senate races suggests that while many incumbents are vulnerable, the net outcome is unlikely to overwhelmingly benefit one side or the other.

But the fact remains that a surprisingly large number of Senate races across the country are so close that the last eight weeks before Election Day presents opportunities for both sides. The conditions for a wave election like those in 2006, 2008, and 2010 don't exist yet, but the potential for a late-breaking tide isn't completely out of the question.

"I think what this year reminds me of in some ways is 1980--although I'm not predicting a blowout like we ended up having in '80--in which people really don't think the guy's done a very good job, and the Democrats are betting on our candidate being inadequate," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in an interview. "That race was remarkably close until 10 days out, as flawed as Carter was. He wasn't nearly as skilled a politician as Obama. Rotten record and all the rest, it still didn't break until the end."

In recent wave elections, close Senate races have overwhelmingly broken toward one party. In 2006, Democrats won every competitive Senate contest except Tennessee, where Republican Bob Corker edged Democrat Harold Ford by 2 points. In 2008, Democrats again came close to running the table; only McConnell, who won reelection by 6 points, staved off a competitive challenge. But for unelectable nominees in Nevada, Delaware, and Colorado, Republicans ran the table when their wave crested in 2010.

At the moment, public and internal party polling shows races in 11 states as even or with one side having only a slight advantage. The two parties quibble over which states are truly competitive, but Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, and Virginia are on at least one side's list of nail-biters. Add in Maine, where Republicans are making a play to boost nominee Charlie Summers, and an even dozen seats are up for grabs with less than two months to go.

"I can't think of a cycle in the last 10 years where we have had more races in single digits," Guy Cecil, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told reporters at a briefing last week.

Underscoring the trouble Democrats have faced all cycle, just four of those 12 seats are currently held by Republicans. If a wave breaks in either direction, Democrats face more downside risk than Republicans, who need to net just four seats to take control of the upper chamber.

Lucky breaks and good fortune as a result of long preparation have led to tweaks in both sides' strategies. Republicans have all but pulled out of Missouri, where Rep. Todd Akin's campaign imploded after disastrous comments about "legitimate rape." Democrats are advertising in Connecticut, where a closer-than-expected contest has them on defense, while Republicans are taking a gamble on Summers in Maine with a $500,000 ad buy. Promising recruits have bolstered Democratic chances in Arizona, Indiana, and?North Dakota, three states in which the party might not have expected to be competitive this year.

It remains unlikely that a wave will build over the next eight weeks. Strategists still believe both sides have about an even shot to win control of the Senate. But some of the constituent factors that combine to make a wave--a disappointed electorate, a troubled economy, and a number of evenly divided Senate races--exist, in whole or in part.

If one side sweeps to unexpected victories in November, it will seem like Reagan's deja vu all over again.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/election-wave-104814691--politics.html

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AP Exclusive: Knox boyfriend maintains innocence

SEATTLE?? Raffaele Sollecito, whose budding love affair with American exchange student Amanda Knox helped land him in an Italian prison for four years, maintains the couple's innocence in a new book but acknowledges that their sometimes bizarre behavior after her roommate's killing gave police reason for suspicion.

The pair was imprisoned for the November 2007 death of Meredith Kercher at Knox's apartment in Perugia, north of Rome. An appeals court overturned their conviction and freed them last fall, issuing a 143-page opinion that blasted the utter lack of evidence against them. Rudy Guede, a petty criminal who was convicted separately, remains imprisoned and is serving a 16-year-sentence.

Sollecito's book, "Honor Bound," is due out Sept. 18. The Associated Press purchased a copy Tuesday.

In it, he describes how the early days of their relationship became a nightmare: the horror of Kercher's slaying; the misunderstandings that swept them up in the case; their tabloid portrayals as two suspects unrecognizable to themselves.

Knox became "Foxy Knoxy" and received the brunt of the attention as she shopped for underwear after the killing and turned cartwheels in front of investigators. While police investigated the crime scene, Sollecito caressed her and they kissed, unaware of the television news cameras across the street.

Later at the police station she climbed in his lap and draped her arms over him, making Sollecito uneasy, he said.

Police found their behavior "odd" and he acknowledged they had no "real alibi the night of Nov. 1 except each other."

Knox is also writing a book, due out next spring. Her deal, with HarperCollins, is reportedly worth $4 million.

The couple were arrested several days after Kercher's death and later convicted in proceedings that made headlines around the world. Prosecutors portrayed the case as a drug-fueled sexual assault, and Knox and Sollecito were sentenced to 26 years and 25 years, respectively.

The appeals court found the prosecution's theory to be unsupported by any evidence. Prosecutors have appealed the acquittal, and Italy's highest court will hear their arguments next March.

Sollecito frequently criticizes the police for their handling of the case, reaching for a far-fetched conspiracy instead of the simpler explanation that Guede had on his own committed a burglary gone wrong.

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Sollecito, then finishing his undergraduate studies in computer science, writes that he met Knox at a classical music concert at the Universita per Stranieri, the University for Foreigners, on Oct. 25, 2007 ? a week before Kercher's death. He asked for her number, and she told him to come by the bar where she'd be working later that night. At the end of the shift, he writes, they took a walk, held hands and kissed. She accepted an invitation to come back to his apartment and spent the night.

Soon the couple became inseparable. She began spending the nights at his apartment. They shopped for groceries together, and took a sightseeing day trip to Assisi.

Sollecito wrote about his first night in prison, saying he wavered between "great waves of indignation and a nagging sense of guilt." He said that while he knew he was innocent, he was angry at himself for having a foggy memory of the night of the killing because he and Knox had smoked marijuana.

When they were finally acquitted, Sollecito writes that he felt "indescribable joy." He remembers looking at the police, hoping to see them appear defeated, but they wouldn't look at him. He saw Knox sobbing, and they later had a private moment in the basement of the courthouse, waiting to be taken back to prison one last time. According to Sollecito, she squeezed his hand and said she couldn't wait to see her home and friends.

Knox moved back to Seattle. It's not clear where Sollecito is living.

___

Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle

___

AP writers Manuel Valdes and Rachel La Corte contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48996466/ns/today-books/

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Genes render some rice species sterile

Public release date: 13-Sep-2012
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Contact: Natasha Pinol
npinol@aaas.org
202-326-6440
American Association for the Advancement of Science

System of 3 genes prevents hybrid rice from reproducing, new study shows

This release is also available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese.

Researchers have identified a set of three genes that are responsible for hybrid sterility in rice, or the inability of many hybrid rice species to pass their genes on to the next generation. These findings inform a model that suggests how such hybrid sterility is maintained across rice species, and they may lead to the genetic improvement of rice as a food stock.

The research is published in the 14 September issue of the journal Science, which is published by AAAS, the nonprofit science society.

When two different species mate, like a horse and a donkey, their hybrid offspringa mule in this exampleis born reproductively sterile. But, this phenomenon, known as hybrid sterility, isn't limited to the animal kingdom: Plenty of plants produce viable hybrids that are genetic dead-ends as well.

Now, Jiangyi Yang and colleagues from Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, China, along with other researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, have investigated the hybrid sterility that results between the indica and japonica subspecies of the cultivated rice, Oryza sativa.

The researchers honed in on a specific region of the rice chromosome, S5, which they had previously associated with hybrid sterility. They found three tightly linked genesORF3, ORF4, and ORF5that control fertility in indica-japonica rice hybrids. The ORF5 gene functions as a killer and ORF4 partners with it while ORF3 works against them, taking on the role of a protector, they say.

Apparently, among indica and japonica subspecies of cultivated rice, the killer gene and its partner work together to kill female gametes, or eggs, while the protector gene actively tries to save them. Specifically, the researchers suggest that ORF5 produces a molecule that is sensed by ORF4 and leads to an uptick in stress on a cell's endoplasmic reticulum. That stress eventually activates ORF3, which works to stabilize and protect the endoplasmic reticulum, they say.

This kind of killer-protector system underlies the hybrid sterility between these two species of cultivated rice, according to the study. Yang and the other researchers suggest that non-lethal combinations of ORF4 and ORF5 may allow indica-japonica hybrids to pass their genes on to subsequent generationsand that overcoming this hybrid sterility in rice could lead to more desirable crops in the future.

###

The report by Yang et al. was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation, the 863 Project, and the 111 Project of China. D.S. Brar of the International Rice Research Institute provided the rice seeds.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society, and publisher of the journal, Science as well as Science Translational Medicine and Science Signaling. AAAS was founded in 1848, and includes some 261 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world, with an estimated total readership of 1 million. The non-profit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy; international programs; science education; and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, www.eurekalert.org, the premier science-news Web site, a service of AAAS.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Genes render some rice species sterile

Public release date: 13-Sep-2012
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Natasha Pinol
npinol@aaas.org
202-326-6440
American Association for the Advancement of Science

System of 3 genes prevents hybrid rice from reproducing, new study shows

This release is also available in Chinese on EurekAlert! Chinese.

The research is published in the 14 September issue of the journal Science, which is published by AAAS, the nonprofit science society.

###

[ | E-mail |

Share ]

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-09/aaft-grs090712.php

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Khloe Kardashian in running for "X Factor" host

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/khloe-kardashian-running-x-factor-host-185959471.htmlfelix hernandez Ron Palillo julia child Texas A&m taylor swift taylor swift katy perry

Partners Wanted.

Hey everyone!

I'm new to this site and while I have found myself interested in several different RP's it seems they have all been filled so I'm taking to this board to ask if anyone would be interestered in an one on one or small group RP. I don't have very many ideas as to what I would like to do but I prefer realistic role plays as to any other kind. All I ask for in a partner is literacy and more than one paragraph in which I am able to played off of. If any of you have any idea you'd like to discuss or you're interested you can PM or reply here. I'm always up for brainstorming!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/TVeUyRh4jnA/viewtopic.php

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Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Ham it Up at Bear Paw

The Bay-Lakes Council will participate in the 2012 Jamboree On The Air with ham radios at Bear Paw Scout Camp on Saturday, October 20, 2012 from 8:00 to 4:00 p.m.? Mr. F. James Fournier will be there with his ham radios and ready to help you communicate with the world.
The Jamboree-on-the-Air, or JOTA, is an annual Scouting event that uses amateur radio to link Scouts around the world, around the nation, and in your own community. Held on the third full weekend of October each year, this worldwide jamboree requires no travel, other than to a nearby radio amateur?s ham shack. ?Scouts of any age can participate, from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts and Venturers.

Once at the ham radio station, the communication typically requires speaking into a microphone and listening on the station speakers. However, many forms of specialized communication can also take place, such as video communication, digital communication using typed words on the computer screen transmitted by radio, communication through a satellite relay or an earth-based relay (called a repeater), and many others. The exchanges include such information as name, location (called QTH in ham speak), Scout rank, age, and hobbies. The stations you?ll be communicating with can be other Scouts across town, across the country, or even around the world! The World Scout Bureau reported that the 2011 JOTA had nearly 750,000 Scout participants from over 6,000 amateur radio stations! A participant patch is available, as is a certificate/log sheet that can also be used to fulfill a Radio merit badge requirement.

The cost for the day is $7.00 to include the cost of the JOTA national patch, commemorative QSL card and a small morning snack.? Bring a brown bag lunch.? Please contact the Bay-Lakes Council to register.? Deadline for registration is October 6, 2012.

Source: http://www.bpsc.org/?p=1915

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Avoid Michael Clarke Duncans Fate | Health Fitness 4 Men ...

Michael Clarke Duncan, star of The Finder and The Green Mile, passed away Monday.

Earlier this year, Michael Clarke Duncan was keeping fit through a healthy competition with his The Finder costar Geoff Stults. ?If you really flub a line, you have to drop and give 20 pushups,? Duncan told Men?s Health. ?You?ve got to help a friend along.?

The Green Mile star, who received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the 1999 film, suffered a heart attack on July 13 of this year and ?never fully recovered,? according to a written statement released by his publicist. He died yesterday at Cedars-Siniai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

At 6?4? and a muscular 300-some pounds, Duncan embraced living in the moment. ?I don?t regret what?s happened and I don?t worry about what I don?t have. I just do what?s in front of me,? Duncan told us in his interview with Men?s Health earlier this year.

We don?t yet know what specifically led to Duncan?s death. But you can use his unfortunate fate as a chance to take control of your own life and safeguard your heart. As Duncan said, ?My mother used to tell me, as long as I can remember, something that?s on my license plate now: YCDA?You Can Do Anything. And it?s true.?

Heart disease is the #1 killer of men?and you can prevent it. Follow these 17 ways to protect against heart attack and heart disease.

1. Drink two cups of coffee a day. People who did this had an 11 percent lower risk of heart failure than subjects who shunned java, according to a study of 140,000 people published this year from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Researchers credit the brew?s healthful antioxidants, which may reduce your risk of health conditions that lead to heart failure.

2. Ask your dad how your grandparents died?and when. Having a relative die of heart complications before age 60 doubles your own risk of premature heart disease, according to an August 2012 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. If that?s you, control what you can: Don?t smoke, maintain a healthy weight, and exercise regularly.

3. Eat vitamin C-rich foods like citrus fruits. In a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who took a 500-milligram vitamin C supplement daily saw their blood pressure significantly drop after 2 weeks.?How? Vitamin C may regulate blood levels of nitric oxide, which helps vessels maintain normal pressure, researchers believe.

4. Snack on cherries. People who ate two daily servings of the savory fruit had fewer markers of inflammation in their body, a small study in the Journal of Nutrition found.

5. Soak up the sun. A study published this year found that mice exposed to a light box were more protected from heart attack?induced tissue damage than mice that didn?t receive light therapy. The sun increases the number of heart-protective proteins in your body, explains lead researcher Tobias Eckle, Ph.D., professor at the University of Colorado Denver.

6. Spice up your food. When researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong studied the effects of capsaicinoids?compounds that lend flavor to chili peppers and jalapenos?in hamsters, rodents fed the spicy foods showed lower levels of LDL (?bad?) cholesterol than the animals that ate capsaicinoid-free meals. Capsaicionoids appear to block the gene that causes your arteries to contract, leading to relaxed muscles and better blood flow to the heart, researchers believe.

7. Shed your spare tire. Cutting your sodium intake alone won?t always do the trick: In a recent review of seven studies, people who lowered their salt intake were just as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as those who didn?t limit sodium, according to research in the American Journal of Hypertension. Shedding pounds is a better solution: Getting in shape can yield as much as a 10- to 29-point drop in blood pressure. And regular aerobic exercise can make it fall another 10 points. (If you?re trying to lose fat, don?t fall for these 5 Fat-Loss Myths.)

8. Have a beer. According to a recent review of more than 18 studies on booze, beer is just as good for your heart as vino. Drinking a little more than a pint of beer a day could make you 30 percent less likely than non-drinkers to suffer from stroke, heart attacks and heart disease, researchers found. (Just don?t overdo it. Moderate drinking?the healthy kind?is defined as no more than two alcoholic beverages a day for men or one for women.)

9. Keep a water bottle by your desk. Loma Linda University researchers found that drinking 5 or more 8-ounce glasses of water a day could help lower the risk of heart disease by up to 60 percent?exactly the same drop you get from stopping smoking, lowering your LDL cholesterol number, exercising, or losing a little weight.

10. Take a glass-half-full attitude. Optimists were 50 percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to pessimists, according to a study in Psychological Bulletin.

11. Start your morning with grapefruit. Eating just one grapefruit each day can lower your total cholesterol and LDL levels by 8 and 11 percent, respectively, lowering your risk of heart disease. It will also provide you with more than 150 percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C.

12. Swig cranberry juice. Men who drank 3 cups of the juice daily raised their levels of ?good? HDL cholesterol by 10 percent. Researchers credit plant compounds called polyphenols for the results. Tip: Make sure the label says you?re drinking at least 27 percent cranberry juice, since the drink is often diluted. (Click here for the 125 Best Packaged Foods for Men.)

13. Pick whole grains. In a study at Tulane University, researchers found that people who ate four or more servings of foods like whole grains, nuts, and beans a week had a 22 percent lower risk of developing heart disease (and 75 percent fewer camping companions) than those who ate the foods once a week or less.

14. Eat a burger?just make sure it?s grass-fed. Grass-fed beef has a profile of healthy fats similar to fatty fish like salmon. It?s also loaded with heart-protective vitamin E.

15. Clean house. Just 2.5 per week of chores like mowing the lawn or carrying groceries can reduce unhealthy inflammation in your body, according to a study published this year in Circulation.

16. Schedule a checkup. Even if you?re in your 20s, you could benefit from a cardiovascular risk assessment. Your doctor takes a detailed inventory of all of your risk factors?your blood pressure, family history, cholesterol levels, and more?and uses a formula to give you an idea of your heart disease risk. If you?re at high risk, you and your doctor can work together to make life-saving changes.

17. Fill up on fiber. Men with a high-fiber diet had a 15 percent lower risk of heart disease, a Swedish study found. (Choose nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables rather than supplements or high-fiber bread.)

Research by Mike Darling, Markham Heid, Bari Lieberman, J. Rentilly, Amy Rushlow, Cassie Shortsleeve, and Jill Yaworski

More from MensHealth.com:

Source: http://www.healthfitness4men.com/avoid-michael-clarke-duncans-fate/

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System of 3 genes prevents hybrid rice from reproducing, new study shows

System of 3 genes prevents hybrid rice from reproducing, new study shows