The Advantages Of Flying Private vs Commercial | Traveling

Hundreds of thousands of flights are taken every year for both business travel and leisure. You have two main choices when traveling by plane: you can either charter a private plane or take a commercial flight. Let?s take a look at some of the advantages of flying privately:?

Checking In

Check-in is usually one of the more stressful parts of the flying experience. Taking the luggage to the terminal and waiting in line to check your bags is unpleasant enough. Then you must line up once again while boarding the plane. It is often necessary to wait for people to place their luggage in the overhead bins before you can take your seat.

With a charter flight, the plane is operated by a smaller company. This means there will be a much smaller number of people on the plane, so it will not take nearly as long to check-in as it does on a commercial flight.

Security

Airlines usually tell you to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours before your scheduled flight so you will have enough time to wait in line for the security check. It is still necessary to have a security check on a private flight, but due to the much smaller number of passengers, the process can be finished quickly. This leaves you ample time to stop into the?pilot shop?and look at all the cool gadgets and accessories. If you?re an aspiring pilot or aviation fanatic, or even just a techie, you?ll be pleasantly surprised.

Departure

Since the check-in and security time is greatly reduced with private flights, it is easier and faster for them to depart from the airport. They still need to wait for a take-off slot and ground clearance. However, the whole process usually goes more smoothly than commercial flights because there is much less that can go wrong.

Arrival

The situation is similar upon arrival at the destination. The process of going through the customs line and collecting your baggage is simpler because there are less people involved.

Relaxation

Flying commercial can be a stressful experience. There may be a screaming baby close to you, the lack of oxygen in the air could be bothering you or maybe you are just annoyed by the overall cramped conditions. This will mean that when you finally arrive at your destination, you will be in a bad mood. These problems do not occur on a private flight, so you will be assured of reaching your destination rested and refreshed.

Location

Commercial airlines are required to fly to and from major airports. The larger planes require longer runways, large maintenance facilities and the necessary infrastructure to deal with the large number of passengers and bags. Private planes do not need as much of these things, so while you may be required to depart from a major airport, the plane can land anywhere with an adequate landing strip. This eliminates the need for connecting flights to get to resorts and hotels.

Getting from one location to another can be a major annoyance. The stress of traveling often takes the fun out of many trips. It is clear that flying private is the best choice for convenience, comfort and dependability.

Source: http://exoticvisitors.com/travel-tips/the-advantages-of-flying-private-vs-commercial/

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Romney flip-flops again on health care, after proudly telling Latinos he's "grandfather of Obamacare" (Americablog)

Rays keep pace in wild-card race

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:39 p.m. ET Sept. 19, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon knows that even after a much-needed victory, his team still has an uphill battle to make the AL playoffs.

Desmond Jennings hit a two-run triple during Tampa Bay's seven-run sixth-inning, and the Rays snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Boston Red Sox 13-3 on Wednesday night.

Despite the win, Tampa Bay fell 6 1/2 games behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees, who swept a day-night doubleheader against Toronto. The Rays started play six games back in the AL wild-card race.

"We want to do a little of Minnesota Fats ... got to run the table," Maddon said. "We've got to believe we can do it. We have to get really hot. We have no alternative. The standings are very difficult, but we are alive and kicking."

Jennings also scored following his triple against reliever Alfredo Aceves when the throw from the outfield eluded third baseman Pedro Ciriaco.

Four Boston pitchers walked six in the sixth, including passes to Carlos Pena and Jose Molina with the bases loaded. Luke Scott had a sacrifice fly, and Jeff Keppinger added an RBI single.

"Walks are the killer bee," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine said.

Keppinger hit a solo homer, and Pena added a two-shot off Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-6) as Tampa Bay went ahead 5-3 in the fourth.

Chris Archer (1-3) allowed three runs and five hits in five innings for the Rays, who won for the second time in nine games. It was the rookie's first major league win.

"It feels pretty good," Archer said. "This is a classic example of keep the team in the game for as long as you can and they'll pull it out for you. I think it was big all around tonight. It's hard not to be selfish, but as a team it's awesome that we got the win, and for it to be my first one, that's pretty amazing, too."

The Red Sox (68-82), assured of their first losing season since 1997, got two RBIs from Jacoby Ellsbury.

Boston took a 3-1 lead in the third on Ellsbury's run-scoring single and an RBI grounder by Dustin Pedroia. Ellsbury has 10 RBIs in his last 11 games.

Ben Zobrist, who drove in four runs in the Rays' 7-5 loss to Boston on Tuesday, cut the deficit to 3-2 with an RBI single later in the third.

Tampa Bay loaded the bases with no outs during the second on singles by Evan Longoria, Scott and Keppinger. The Rays scored just once to tie it at 1 when Matt Joyce followed with a walk. Matsuzaka avoided further damage by striking out Pena and getting a double-play grounder from Molina.

Joyce also had an eighth-inning RBI single.

Matsuzaka gave up five runs and nine hits in three-plus innings. The right-hander is 2-8 in 14 starts against Tampa Bay.

"After the first inning, I kept throwing it where they wanted the ball, and they never miss those pitches. It really hurt me," Matsuzaka said through an interpreter. "As always I'm disappointed in myself for not helping my team out. It's been really hard to keep the positive going so far."

Valentine didn't directly answer a question about whether Matsuzaka will make another start this season.

"We'll see what he's feeling like (Thursday)," Valentine said. "Maybe a little more rest is what's needed at this time of year."

Matsuzaka had elbow ligament replacement surgery in June 2011 and started this season on the disabled list.

Ciriaco had a leadoff single in the first, stole second, and scored on Ellsbury's single to make it 1-0. Ciriaco is 15-for-15 in stolen-base attempts this season.

Notes: Tampa Bay LHP David Price (18-5) will go for his 19th win this season against Boston RHP Clay Buchholz (11-6) in the finale of the four-game series on Thursday night. ... Red Sox RHP Daniel Bard faced five batters. He walked three and gave up one hit. ... Aceves allowed four runs in two-plus innings. ... Justin Gatlin, the 100-meter bronze medalist at the London Olympics, threw the ceremonial first pitch.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Video Games Help Patients and Health Care Providers | University ...

Sept. 19, 2012 ? Can video games help patients with cancer, diabetes, asthma, depression, autism and Parkinson?s disease? A new publication by researchers from the University of Utah, appearing in the Sept 19 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, indicates video games can be therapeutic and are already beginning to show health-related benefits.

The lead author of the paper ?Patient-Empowerment Interactive Technologies? is Carol Bruggers, a professor in the University of Utah?s Department of Pediatrics and physician at Primary Children?s Medical Center. Contributing to the paper were other faculty from the University of Utah?s Department of Pediatrics, the Brain Institute, College of? Fine Arts, College of Pharmacy, School of Computing, Pierre Lassonde Entrepreneur Center, students who recently graduated from the Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE) Master?s program, and a current medical student.

In the Perspectives article, the team describes therapeutic video games, including their own Patient Empowerment Exercise Video Game (PE Game), an activity-promoting game specifically designed to improve resilience, empowerment, and a ?fighting spirit? for pediatric oncology patients. The researchers also looked at other games that have been shown to help patients with several chronic diseases.

?Therapeutic video games will push video game design into exciting new directions,? says Robert Kessler, director of EAE. ??Meeting the needs of the competing goals of physical therapy through exercise and patient empowerment is extremely challenging. The PE Game is clearly the first of a whole line of research into therapeutic video games.?

The researchers looked at available clinical data on health-related video games, including sedentary games and activity-promoting ?exergames? played with Wii, XBOX or PlayStation systems.

Bruggers says that ?a growing number of published studies show promise in effecting specific health-related behavioral changes and self-management of obesity, neurological disorders, cancer or asthma. We envision interactive exergames designed to enhance patient empowerment, compliance and?clinical outcomes for specific disease?categories?.

Health care providers will also benefit from many opportunities to use incentive-based video games in management and prevention of diseases. More and more companies, non-profit organizations and academic centers are involved in design and publishing interactive technologies for metabolic diseases, mental health disorders, cancer, stroke or rehabilitation. The authors say ?Clinical evaluations of onset, daily and total play time, types of game stories and music, and intensity of physical activities will provide useful information for development and optimization of therapeutic exergames.?

The Utah researchers say that video games can act as ?nonpharmacological interventions [that] may enhance patients? resilience toward various chronic disorders via neuronal mechanisms that activate positive emotions and the reward system.?

Roger Altizer, a professor at the University of Utah?s College of Fine Arts and director of game design and production for the EAE program, is excited about how his video games can be used to harness patients? brains to promote a positive attitude and empowerment.

?People play games because they are engaging. We are now starting to understand how games motivate us, and how to use this motivation to change health care,? says Altizer. ?If games like ours can help patients to feel better and motivate them to manage their health care or physical therapy, then I believe we will soon see the medical community saying, ?game on!??

Grzegorz Bulaj, an associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the University of Utah, adds: ?Research shows that playing video games increases levels of dopamine in the brain, but whether interactive technologies can mimic actions of pharmacological drugs remains unknown. Nonetheless, our study points towards video games becoming a part of personalized medicine, helping and bringing smiles to individual patients, doctors, nurses and physical therapists. Our paper shows these games offer great promise, but we also looked at the challenges of delivering safe, efficacious and fun-loaded therapeutic games.?

To view a short video of the University of Utah?s Patient Empowerment Game in action, visit:
https://vimeo.com/49771636

Journalists seeking copies of embargoed Science paper should contact the AAAS Office of Public Programs by calling 1-202-326-6440 or?emailing scipak@aaas.org.

Source: http://unews.utah.edu/news_releases/video-games-help-patients-and-health-care-providers/

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11 vacations you should book right now

Courtesy of Puerto Rico Tourism Company

Vieques, Puerto Rico, offers serenity to clear the mind and ease the soul.

By Robert Firpo-Cappiello, Budget Travel

Sure, you've still got sand in your shoes. Baseball season is still in full swing. But there's no use denying it: The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting chillier, and winter is on its way. But there's good news: We've found 11 irresistible winter getaways that can put you on world-class slopes or white-sand beaches. There's just one catch: If you want a price as dreamy as these trips, don't wait for the first snowfall to make your reservation.


Slideshow: See some spectacular vacations to book now

Orlando, Fla.?
There's a good reason folks around the world book theme park vacations a year or more in advance: While admission to the parks isn't cheap ? often topping $80 per day for adults ? you can get a break on airfare and hotel reservations by booking early. Orlando, Fla., is the epicenter for park sharks ? it's home to Universal Studios Florida, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from New York to Orlando on Delta start at $186.?

Stay:?Wyndham Orlando Resort is less than 20 minutes from Universal Studios Florida, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World; it offers three restaurants, three pools, a health club, and if Harry Potter and Mickey Mouse aren't enough to bring out the kid in you, it even has its own ice cream parlor (8001 International Dr., Orlando, Fla.,?wyndham.com, doubles from $95).

Laguna Beach, Calif.?
You're under no obligation to actually catch a wave just because you visit Laguna Beach, an iconic seven-mile stretch of sea and sand in Southern California's Orange County ? most visitors are content to swim and soak up the warmth of the sun. But if you're so inclined, lessons with a champion surfer come with a money-back guarantee that you'll "get up" ? surf slang for standing on the board ??on your first lesson (lagunabeachsurfinglessons.com, group lessons from $75 per person). If you can bring yourself to towel off and put your shoes back on, good vibrations can also be found in nearby Laguna Village, a prime spot for browsing quality art galleries and other shops ? a reminder of the town's roots as an artists' colony.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from New York to Los Angeles on Air Train start at $302; round-trip flights from Chicago on Spirit Airlines start at $270.?

Stay:?Pacific Edge Hotel on Laguna Beach is right on the beach and walking distance from Laguna Village (647 South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach,?pacificedgehotel.com, doubles from $132).

Tulum, Mexico?
Tulum invites you to do as much, or as little, as you like. On Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, the seaside community is home to pristine Caribbean beaches famous for their giant sea turtles and the site of pre-Columbian Mayan ruins, including temples and castillos dating back to the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries. Admission to the cliff-hugging ruins is only about $5.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from New York to Cozumel on United start at $649; round-trip flights from Los Angeles on United start at $631.?

Stay:?Hotel Cabanas Los Lirios Tulum offers a private beach, restaurant, grocery store and spa; breakfast is included (Carretara Tulum Boca Paila, 52-998-8879602,?hotels.com, doubles from $135).

Puerto Rico?
Where can you prowl the winding streets of an Old World-style city, explore a? rain forest and pay an eerie nighttime visit to a bay that glows in the dark, all without leaving the United States? Only Puerto Rico offers historic Old San Juan, the teeming, colorful El Yunque Rain Forest, and the hauntingly beautiful La Parguera bioluminescent bay. Oh, and there are also the world-class beaches if you insist on doing nothing much at all.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from New York to San Juan on Jet Blue start at $290.?

Stay:?Embassy Suites Dorado Del Mar Beach & Golf Resort, just outside San Juan, includes an 18-hole Chi Chi Rodriguez-designed golf course built along the rocky cliffs and jetties of Puerto Rico's Atlantic coast; complimentary cooked-to-order breakfast is included (201 Dorado Del Mar Blvd., Dorado, Puerto Rico,embassysuites.hilton.com, doubles from $154).?

Oahu, Hawaii?
In the dead of winter, the classic image of Oahu's hotel-lined Waikiki Beach can either haunt your dreams or, if you book now, be yours to savor in person. The Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu stretches from the Ala Wai Canal to Diamond Head, a volcanic cone misnamed by 19th-century explorers who believed the rocky cone held diamonds. Take a stroll on Beach Walk, where you'll find gift shops and art galleries (including a ukulele shop) and casual dining options that include traditional Hawaiian dishes and live music.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from San Jose, Calif., to Honolulu on Alaska Air start at $499.?

Stay:?Best Western Plus Coconut Waikiki Hotel is an Art Deco-style boutique hotel with a tropical pool; it's a short walk from Waikiki Beach Walk (450 Lewers St., Honolulu,?bestwestern.com, doubles from $153).

Bozeman, Mont.?
For those who'd prefer not to escape winter but rather to plunge deeper into it, Montana throws its arms open wide. The minute you step off the plane in Bozeman, the cold, pine-scented air will remind you that you're not in Wherever You Came From anymore. Powder hounds swear by Bridger Bowl ski lodge, in the nearby Bridger Mountain range (part of the Rocky Mountains). The lodge offers ski lift/lodging packages with local hotels starting at $139 per person for two days of skiing and one night's lodging. If you decide to mix your powder with a spoonful of learning, drop by the Museum of the Rockies, at Montana State University, to delve into Montana's Native American and pioneer history and to see some of the world's finest dinosaur fossils.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from Los Angeles to Bozeman on Alaska Air start at $347.?

Stay:?Homewood Suites by Hilton Bozeman provides a cozy home away from home in the heart of this college town (1023 Baxter Lane, Bozeman, Mont.,?homewoodsuites.hilton.com, doubles from $99).

Albuquerque, N.M.?
A winter sojourn to the Southwest doesn't have to mean just golf courses and exhibition baseball. Albuquerque presents an eclectic dance card to visitors: The Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum is a hotspot for hot-air balloon enthusiasts ? and also for those content to just watch those gentle giants take flight. The Pueblo Cultural Center presents one of the world's most impressive collections of Southwestern Native American art, including changing exhibits by contemporary artists. If, after soaking up New Mexico's distinctive desert landscape, you want to find out more about how the land took the shape it did, head to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from Chicago to Albuquerque on United start at $426.?

Stay:?Nativo Lodge features an indoor and an outdoor pool, a fitness center, and spa (6000 Pan American Freeway North East, Albuquerque, N.M.,?hhandr.com, doubles from $67).

Costa Rica?
This Central American nation's reputation for all-around beauty, adventure and affordability is well deserved. Start with the markets, museums and nightlife of capital city San Jose, then head to Arenal ? the kind of rumbling, lava-spewing volcano you may have thought existed only in movies. And if an active volcano isn't enough to get your adrenaline flowing, dive into Manuel Antonio national park to cavort with monkeys, or just go take a hike ? no, we really mean take a hike ? in the cloud forests near Monteverde and Santa Elena along the continental divide.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from New York to San Jose, Costa Rica, on American Airlines start at $478; round-trip flights from Miami to San Jose, Costa Rica, on American Airlines start at $392.?

Stay:?Hotel Presidente, in San Jose, offers boutique hotel style in a convenient central-city location and includes a complimentary continental breakfast buffet (Central Avenue Blvd., 7th Street, San Jose, Costa Rica,?hotel-presidente.com, doubles from $100). Hotel Mountain Paradise lets you get up close and personal with Arenal Volcano (Fortuna, Alahuela, Costa Rica,?hotelmountainparadise.com, doubles from $150).

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy?
This stunning region of Italy's Dolomite Mountains ? featuring peaks more than 9,000 feet above sea level ? was the site of the 1956 Winter Olympics and has always attracted a swanky European crowd, including movie stars and royals. But strict zoning has kept the area true to its surprisingly Teutonic roots, and you'll see white-timber houses that look as if they were transplanted out of a fairy tale. The popular Cortina d'Ampezzo ski resort offers a seven-day Dolomiti Superski pass, which gives you access to all the area's slopes for about $40 a day, and booking your trip now can nab you reasonable airfare and hotel rates for this tony enclave.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from New York to Rome on Finn Air start at $611.?

Stay:?Alaska Hotel is centrally located in Cortina d'Ampezzo and offers complimentary breakfast and a fitness center (39 Largo delle Poste, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy,?hotels.com, doubles from $145).

Smuggler's Notch, Vt.?
With incredible ski destinations in the American west and the mountain ranges of Europe, it's easy for easterners to forget that there are some awesome slopes under their noses. For one-stop shopping, Smugglers' Notch, in Vermont's Green Mountains, is convenient, affordable and regularly ranks among the top favorites of ski enthusiasts. Here, a little more than an hour's flight from New York City, you'll find weeklong packages that include a mountainside condo, lift tickets, snow tubing, and a family entertainment and recreation center.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from New York to Burlington, Vt., on JetBlue start at $140.?

Stay:?Smugglers' Notch ski lodge basic packages include a studio condominium and lift tickets (4323 Vermont Route 108 South, Jeffersonville, Vt.,?smuggs.com, doubles, including lift package for two, from $218).?

Nha Trang, Vietnam?
Yeah, the airfare to Vietnam from the U.S.'s West Coast is not cheap, averaging between $900 and $1,300 round-trip, but once you get there, food and lodging can be quite reasonable. The beaches of Nha Trang, on the country's south central coast, are a major wintertime draw, and many visitors are more than happy to skip major cities like Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Hanoi in favor of this laid-back beach town. Besides superb surf, scuba, and sunbathing, Nha Trang offers a number of temples dating as far back as the 9th century and Vietnam's signature cuisine, which blends French Colonial influence with traditional Southeast Asian claypot and noodle dishes.?

Get there:?Round-trip flights from Los Angeles to Nha Trang, Vietnam, on Vietnam Airlines start at $1,221.?

Stay:?Novotel Nha Trang has an outdoor pool and a spa (50 Tran Phu St., Nha Trang, Vietnam,?novotel.com, doubles from $70).?

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Source: http://itineraries.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/11/13809854-11-spectacular-vacations-you-should-book-right-now?lite

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Protests against prison abuse before Georgian vote

(AP) ? Street protests against the brutal abuse of prisoners escalated Thursday in the Georgian capital, fueling anger against the Western-allied government and possibly boosting support for the opposition before a tight parliamentary election.

Two days after television stations aired videos of guards beating inmates and raping them with truncheons and brooms, thousands rallied outside the Interior Ministry and the Tbilisi prison where the abuse occurred. The protesters, some carrying brooms, then marched down the capital's main avenue to the presidential palace to demand the ouster of the interior minister.

Veriko Kapanadze said her son looked scared and tense when she last visited him in prison.

"Now I understand why. It's like a Gestapo prison," she said.

"I'm awfully worried for my son," said another protester, Nargiza Georgadze.

President Mikhail Saakashvili has sought to defuse tensions by accepting the resignation of a minister in charge of penitentiaries and completely reshuffling prison personnel. Saakashvili further sought to limit the damage by putting Georgia's ombudsman in charge of penitentiaries, voicing hope that he would "fully reform the system."

But the simmering public anger threatens to damage his party in the Oct. 1 parliamentary vote and may boost support for the opposition Georgian Dream coalition led by billionaire philanthropist Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Even some youths linked to the ruling party joined Thursday's street protests as Saakashvili and his loyalists sought to distance themselves from the incident.

Saakashvili, who has led Georgia since 2004, has remained popular thanks to economic reforms, anti-corruption efforts and moves to integrate closer into the West. But his image was dented by his handling of a disastrous war with Russia in 2008. The opposition has also accused Saakashvili of a systematic clampdown on dissent and independent media.

Ivanishvili, Georgia's richest man who sold his extensive business assets in Russia to enter Georgian politics, said the videos had confirmed his longtime suspicions about Georgian authorities' brutality.

Irakli Alasania, the leader of the Free Democrats party that is part of Ivanishvili's coalition, said the prison videos have shattered the ruling party's image. "It has unmasked Saakashvili's regime, exposing a sadistic mechanism hidden behind its glossy facade," he said.

Saakashvili and his allies have described Ivanishvili as a Moscow pawn who aims to take the tiny nation on the Black Sea back into the Russian fold. Ivanishvili has rejected their allegations, pledging to continue a course toward integration into the West while moving to normalize ties with Russia, which have remained frozen after the war.

Stakes in the parliamentary vote are high. Saakashvili, who is serving his second and final term that expires next year, has pushed through laws that make the prime minister more powerful than the president. If Ivanishvili's coalition wins, he would become prime minister.

Georgian prosecutors have arrested 12 prison officials and Saakashvili has vowed that all those responsible will be severely punished. At the same time, the Georgian Interior Ministry has accused Saakashvili's political foes of staging the videos, claiming prison officials were paid to orchestrate and film the abuse by an inmate with connections to Ivanishvili. Ivanishvili has rejected the claim.

The prison abuse videos were broadcast by the Maestro and Channel 9 television stations; the latter belongs to Ivanishvili. They said they got the videos from a prison official who has fled abroad.

Some analysts said the incident will play into Ivanishvili's hands in the polls.

"The prison torture videos have dealt a serious blow to the ruling party's authority," said Irakly Menagarishvili, a former Georgian foreign minister who now heads the Center for Strategic Research, an independent think tank.

He said Saakashvili needs to act quickly to save his United National Movement party from being beaten and added that the government has failed to contain the fallout.

Alexander Rondeli, an independent political expert in Tbilisi, agreed that the scandal would take a toll on Saakashvili's party.

Saakashvili may have quelled some of the anger by giving the penitentiaries minister's job to Giorgy Tugushi, the ombudsman who long has criticized Georgia's prisons.

"Now I have a chance to completely reorganize the system and ensure the protection of inmates' rights," Tugushi said.

Gigi Tsereteli, a deputy speaker of parliament from Saakashvili's ruling party, sought to play down the prison videos' impact. He said the "intolerable and outrageous" prison videos have taught a "hard lesson to the government," but insisted that it wouldn't lead to the ruling party's defeat at the polls.

"The government has reacted quickly: a minister has stepped down, and the perpetrators of these crimes have been arrested," he told The Associated Press. "I don't think it will affect our electorate. People have long made their choice in our favor."

.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-09-20-Georgia-Prison%20Abuse/id-cb1d620cbcca4f33898580da0b0a6bc1

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Macy's NYC flagship getting $400M makeover

In this undated artist rendering by studiorendering.com and provided by Macy?s shows the expected design for the women?s shoe department once renovations are completed. Macy?s New York flagship store is being transformed from old-fashioned, warm and fuzzy to a sleek, white 21st century style. The transformation will cost $400 million and is expected to take four years. (AP Photo/Macy?s)

In this undated artist rendering by studiorendering.com and provided by Macy?s shows the expected design for the women?s shoe department once renovations are completed. Macy?s New York flagship store is being transformed from old-fashioned, warm and fuzzy to a sleek, white 21st century style. The transformation will cost $400 million and is expected to take four years. (AP Photo/Macy?s)

FILE- In this Dec. 11, 1931 file photo, shoppers fill the ground floor at Macy?s in New York. A $400 million makeover is giving New York?s iconic Macy's store a sleek, new 21st century style. (AP Photo/File)

This Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012 photo shows the newly-renovated fine jewelry department at the Macy's flagship store in New York's Herald Square. A $400 million makeover is giving New York?s iconic Macy's store a sleek, new 21st century style. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

This Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012 photo shows the newly-renovated Herald Square cafe at the Macy's flagship store in New York's Herald Square. A $400 million makeover is giving New York?s iconic Macy's store a sleek, new 21st century style. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

This Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012 photo shows the newly-renovated shoe department at the Macy's flagship store in New York's Herald Square. A $400 million makeover is giving New York?s iconic Macy's store a sleek, new 21st century style. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

(AP) ? A $400 million makeover is giving New York's iconic Macy's store a sleek, new 21st-century style.

And some preservationists aren't happy about it. They see the overhaul of America's biggest department store as scrapping classic Beaux Arts and Art Deco touches in favor of the latest trend in retail design ? something like an Apple computer store.

"Macy's has Apple fever," said Theodore Grunewald, a New York preservation activist. "Everyone is jealous of Apple, and thinks the secret to the company's success is this beautiful, elegant minimalist design vocabulary they have. But this is about protection of our heritage."

Macy's reconstruction, to be completed in 2015, will add 100,000 square feet to the 1.1 million square feet of existing retail space. Floor-to-ceiling fabric shrouds areas under renovation. But some sections already have been finished, including the world's largest women's shoe department, which offers 280,000 pairs of shoes ? several thousand displayed in white settings.

Macy's spokeswoman Elina Kazan gushes that the store will be a "spectacular place to shop at an iconic New York City destination."

About 20 million shoppers a year visit Ohio-based Macy's flagship store. The building has nine floors of retail space and covers nearly an entire city block, from West 34th Street to West 35th Street, between Seventh Avenue and Broadway.

It is best known as home of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and as the setting that inspired the beloved 1947 Christmas film, "Miracle on 34th Street."

Originally constructed in 1902 in the Beaux Arts style, it was expanded in the 1930s with plenty of Art Deco details. Most noticeable was a jazzy, geometric coating of marble, encasing more than 100 columns that soar to the ceilings.

Grunewald said the columns will now be simplified, losing the marble and the ornamental toppings that give the space "its pizazz."

While Macy's has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, it has not been given landmark designation, allowing its owners to make architectural changes.

"I was stunned they were doing this, making it look like everywhere else in America when they have a little treasure here," said preservationist Christabel Gough of the Society for the Architecture of the City.

Macy's officials said it was premature to compare the renovation to Apple since it is still a work in progress. They said, too, that the plan actually revives some of the building's distinctive features.

Originally, the interior street floor "was one great retail hall, and Macy's asked us to bring it back as one grand space," said Jay Valgora, chief architect for the renovation. "Macy's asked us to bring back the grandeur of the original store, and whenever there's true historic fabric, to restore it."

Also, the original, ornate entrance on 34th Street will return, and some huge old windows that were painted over have been opened again, lighting a new chocolate-and-champagne cafe. Forty-two of the store's original wooden escalators will stay.

Valgora said the old and the new Macy's will "complement each other" in the same light-filled venue.

"I like it ? how organized and open it is," said Rosie Pina, a Manhattan schoolteacher. "Change is good."

Brian Williams, a sports club technician from Queens, joked, "I'm a male, and I don't really care how it looks when I'm shopping."

But standing by the jewelry area near some aging, cream-colored pillars and looking over at a gleaming, snow-white new section, he added: "I like the older better ? it feels warmer, more at home."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-09-19-Macy's%20Makeover/id-c82dc1d00786408e84fea4150b7c4090

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Professional Medical Device Saw Blades | ArticlePDQ.com

Professional medical devices company that supply, among other medical equipment and two-hundred and eighty-five different stainless steel surgical saw blades. In addition to their saw blade specialty, focuses on medical items for orthopedic, neurologic, and plastic surgery, hand pieces for large and small bones, and pneumatic, battery, and electric powered systems.

The way in which a surgical blade is handled prior to use can determine how effectively it performs during use. There are a number of ways that the cutting edge of a blade can become damaged once removed from its protective foil packet.

The type of saw blade a surgeon will need is very dependent upon the type of surgery he or she performs. For example, an oscillating saw easily cuts through the bone without skin tissue damage. Obviously, for success procedures, these saws need to be extremely sharp and be able to retain their sharpness. They understand these and other needs of the medical community and use the latest technology to ensure that their products meet optimum requirements.

When removing a blade form the protective packet make sure it is not dropped into a metal bowl or container as this can reduce the initial keenness of the cutting edge even before it is fitted to the handle.

All bone cutting blades are made from the highest quality stainless steel. They are also corrosion resistant.

Large Bone Cutting Surgical Blades

The large bone cutting blades come in a variety of types and sizes. They carry Dynamic, 3M Aesculap, Stryker, AO Synthes, and Desoutter types of medical saw blades. Each blade comes in a variety of thicknesses and lengths.

Small Bone Cutting Surgical Blades

The small bone cutting blades come in both a sagittal and oscillating model. They have an operating speed of 18,000 cmp, an operating pressure of 100 Psi, a variable switch, and a Linvatec-type hose connector.

The small bone medical saw blades come in a large variety of locking styles including MicroAire, Stryker, and Linvatec.

Additional Types of Surgical Cutting Blades

Others types of blades include their Reciprocating blades and their Aesculap blades.

A Reciprocating surgical blade has the ability to be used in connection with other blades, depending upon the purpose of the procedure and the kind of incision the surgeon wants to make.

An Aesculap surgical blade is renowned for its sharpness. It is the highest-quality cutting blade allowing for precise and safe surgical procedures.

Both of these cutting blades come in a variety of thicknesses and lengths.

Mike Funes invites you to take a look at Science Medic Co., Ltd. The type of Saw Blade a surgeon will need is very dependent upon the type of surgery he or she performs.

Source: http://articlepdq.com/health-fitness/professional-medical-device-saw-blades/

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Legalize pot vote coming up in 3 states

A catchy pro-marijuana jingle for Colorado voters considering legalizing the drug goes like this: "Jobs for our people. Money for schools. Who could ask for more?"

It's a bit more complicated than that in the three states ? Colorado, Oregon and Washington ? that could become the first to legalize marijuana this fall.

The debate over how much tax money recreational marijuana laws could produce is playing an outsize role in the campaigns for and against legalization ? and both sides concede they're not really sure what would happen.

At one extreme, pro-pot campaigners say it could prove a windfall for cash-strapped states with new taxes on pot and reduced criminal justice costs.

At the other, state government skeptics warn legalization would lead to costly legal battles and expensive new bureaucracies to regulate marijuana.

In all three states asking voters to decide whether residents can smoke pot, the proponents promise big rewards, though estimates of tax revenue vary widely:

  • Colorado's campaign touts money for school construction. Ads promote the measure with the tag line, "Strict Regulation. Fund Education." State analysts project somewhere between $5 million and $22 million a year. An economist whose study was funded by a pro-pot group projects a $60 million boost by 2017.
  • Washington's campaign promises to devote more than half of marijuana taxes to substance-abuse prevention, research, education and health care. Washington state analysts have produced the most generous estimate of how much tax revenue legal pot could produce, at nearly $2 billion over five years.
  • Oregon's measure, known as the Cannabis Tax Act, would devote 90 percent of recreational marijuana proceeds to the state's general fund. Oregon's fiscal analysts haven't even guessed at the total revenue, citing the many uncertainties inherent in a new marijuana market. They have projected prison savings between $1.4 million and $2.4 million a year if marijuana use was legal without a doctor's recommendation.

"We all know there's a market for marijuana, but right now the profits are all going to drug cartels or underground," said Brian Vicente, a lawyer working for Colorado's Campaign To Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol.

But there are numerous questions about the projections, and since no state has legalized marijuana for anything but medical purposes, the actual result is anyone's guess.

Among the problems: No one knows for certain how many people are buying black-market weed. No one knows how demand would change if marijuana were legal. No one knows how much prices would drop, or even what black-market pot smokers are paying now, though economists generally use a national estimate of $225 an ounce based on self-reported prices compiled online.

"It's difficult to size up a market even if it's legal, certainly if it's illegal," said Jeffrey Miron, a Harvard University economist who has studied the national tax implications of the legalization of several drugs.

In Colorado, the $60 million figure comes from Christopher Stiffler, an economist for the nonpartisan Colorado Center on Law & Policy. He looked at the state's potential marijuana market in a study funded by the pro-legalization Drug Policy Alliance. The figure comes from a combination of state and local taxes and projected savings to law enforcement.

Marijuana smokers and dealers, he argued, pay a premium now because the drug is illegal, and if government can find a way to capture that excess, tax collections should rise.

"You can basically take advantage of economies of scale, and the price of marijuana will go down and government can come in and capture the difference," Stiffler said.

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Related: Smoking marijuana linked to testicular cancer

The biggest unknown: Would the federal government allow marijuana markets to materialize?

When California voters considered marijuana legalization in 2010, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder warned that the federal government would not look the other way and allow a state marijuana market in defiance of federal drug law. Holder vowed a month before the election to "vigorously enforce" federal marijuana prohibition. Voters rejected the measure.

Holder hasn't been as vocal this year, but that could change. In early September, nine former heads of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration called on Holder to issue similar warnings to Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

That political uncertainty could translate into states spending thousands of dollars to defend the laws, critics say.

Related: LA voters to decide on city's ban on medical pot dispensaries

"I think it's important that this ballot lay out for the voters how much litigation is going to result from this," said Colorado assistant Attorney General Michael Dougherty, a critic of the legislation.

Legalization proponents counter that some of the 17 medical-marijuana states already collect pot taxes in violation of federal law, which does not condone medical use of the drug. Colorado collects several million dollars a year in pot-related taxes, including sales taxes, licensing fees and fees paid by patients to acquire the drug. Oregon last year doubled the cost of a medical marijuana card to raise money for things like clean water and school health programs.

"Marijuana can be regulated, can be taxed, can be sold. We're doing it now, just currently to sick people," said Vicente, the lawyer working on the Colorado legalization campaign.

Backers concede there are big questions about how marijuana would be taxed and regulated, but they are hoping to sell voters on taking the chance.

"We're like Star Trek. We're heading into a new world," said Art Way of the Drug Policy Alliance, answering tax questions recently posed by law students gathered at the University of Denver to learn about Colorado's initiative.

In the end, voters deciding the marijuana questions won't be making up their minds based on the impact on taxes, said Miron, the Harvard economist.

"It's small potatoes," Miron said of marijuana's tax implications. "I'm as firmly in the pro-legalization camp as anybody in the world, but it's because I think smoking marijuana is not the government's business."

"That is the question ? not whether it will produce revenue, but whether these drugs should be legal."

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49092106/ns/us_news-life/

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PFT: Giants' Nicks ruled out for Panthers game

CHAD JOHNSON DEATH THREATSGetty Images

Free-agent receiver Chad Johnson is still looking for a job.? And the man who is outside the NFL has gotten some air time on the next edition of CBS/Showtime?s Inside the NFL.

The folks at TMZ.com (who else?) have the video of the interview, during which Johnson insists that he was cut from the Dolphins only because of his arrest for domestic violence.? ?That was the reason, there?s no need to blow smoke up my ass,? Johnson said, sheepishly adding the words ?up my ass.?

Johnson, whose voice at time seemed to crack while discussing his current circumstances, admits he had an altercation with his wife in late July.? ?I took full responsibility for it,? Johnson said.? ?I apologized for it. . . .? I made a mistake.?

The interview debuts on the same day Johnson?s divorce from Evelyn Lozada reportedly became final.

Johnson also said he?s getting help for his temper.? ?I?m taking classes, anger management classes, and I?m trying to find out how can I channel my anger when I?m in situations to where I would pop off?? Johnson said.? ?How can I defuse those situations??

Nothing Johnson said will make any team more likely to sign him.? In fact, talking could hurt his chances of getting a new job.

The perception remains ? smoke or no smoke blown up his ass ? that Johnson no longer can play.? And if anyone believed he could, he would have been among the 67 players who had tryouts on Tuesday of this week.

So between his performance last year with the Patriots, his performance in his short stint with the Dolphins, and the innocuous sideshow that turned sinister when he allegedly (or perhaps admittedly) head-butted his ex-wide, no one wants him.? And we don?t expect an interview with Inside the NFL or any other media outlet to change that.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/09/19/hakeem-nicks-out-for-giants-at-carolina/related/

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