Don't Let Student Loans Kill Your Credit Score | CreditScore.net

Going to college can bring about a whirlwind of changes and new obligations ? balancing academic deadlines, social obligations, new-found independence, and learning to live on a budget. It?s a lot to learn in a short period of time.

And it all comes at a hefty price tag for which millions of college students accrue significant debt to finance. Financing a college education is never easy, and the recession is making it even more difficult as parents and students see their budgets tighten.

So, what happens when you do everything right? You get into the right school, you find the right major, your grades are stellar, but mom or dad loses their job, or you graduate and don?t find a job? Like millions of other students, you fall behind on your student loans. The financial pressure could be enough to give you restless nights and stomach ulcers, but the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says there are options.

According to the CFPB blog, more than 25% of all student loan borrowers are at least one monthly payment behind, and the number of defaulted student loans is in the millions. Graduates of public universities owe an average of 22,000, and add at least $8,000 to that for a private college education. One in eight student loan recipients have debts more than $50,000.

?The unemployment rate among young college graduates is more than twice the rate of their older counterparts,? CFPB bloggers Michael Pierce and Noah Kunin wrote. ?Of those who have found work, more than a third of college graduates under age 25 have taken jobs that do not require a college degree. These young adults will feel the impact of graduating into a recession for a decade or more ? it will take 10 to 15 years for their salaries to catch up to those who had the benefit of graduating into a healthy job market.?

As difficult as it may be to keep up with those payments, allowing them to fall into default can have serious consequences including penalties, damaged credit, and even going to court. While many other forms of debt can be wiped away by filing for bankruptcy, student loans are immune, and can stay with you your whole life. On the bright side, your wages cannot be garnished for student loans, and alternative payment plans for low income borrowers can be more affordable than you may have previously thought.

The CFPB and the U.S. Department of Education have teamed up to provide student loan borrowers who may have fallen behind on their loans with a number of resources:

Categories: Debt, Student Loans

Elise Rambaud Marrion writes about consumer finance news. Follow her on Twitter @emarrion_cmn for personal finance and credit news.

Source: http://www.creditscore.net/dont-let-student-loans-kill-your-credit-score/

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Puzzle Game Reflexions for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch

The neon ball has been trapped in the dangerous room. Could you use those mirrors to help the ball escape from the room? Let?s go on checking the puzzle game Reflexions.

Reflexions is an addictive puzzle game developed by YoYo Games, and designed for both iPhone and iPad. The universal game features minimalistic but gorgeous game graphics, enchanting music, and simple touch controls. All you need to do in the game is to tap the screen with your finger to cleverly rotate the mirrors in order to lead the neon ball into the exit point, and you also need to watch our those dangerous obstacles. Moreover, the puzzle game comes with 40 challenging levels divided into 4 worlds, and supports Retina displays and Game Center with achievements.

Reflexions with a size of 24 MB is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad running iOS 3.0 or later. The universal game is free for a limited time at present. If you?re interested, jump to App Store for more details.

Source: http://iappsin.com/puzzle-game-reflexions-for-iphone-ipad-and-ipod-touch.htm

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Mobile IP Technology | The IT Digest

Real-world solutions for Cisco IOS? Mobile IP configuration, troubleshooting, and management

• Understand the concept of mobility and the requirements of mobility protocols
• Learn necessary components of a Mobile IP network, including features, functions, and message flows
• Examine security concepts related to Mobile IP, including protocol authentication and dynamic keying
• Evaluate high availability solutions and integration with AAA servers in campus networks
• Explore the features of metro mobility, including reverse tunneling, firewall, NAT traversal, and integration with VPN technologies
• Configure IOS Mobile IP networks, including integration topics such as redundancy, QoS, and VPN
• Manage the Mobile IP infrastructure, including Home Address management, scalability considerations, and network management
• Take a look at the future of Mobile IP, including Layer 2 integration challenges, Mobile IPv6, unstructured mobility, and mobile ad-hoc networking.

Two of the world?s most powerful technology trends, the Internet and mobile communications, are redefining how and when people access information. With the majority of information and new services being deployed over IP, the use of devices such as cellular phones, PDAs, and laptops for accessing data networks is pushing the need for ?always on? IP connectivity. The evolution of mobile computing points to a coming together of the best of desktop computing and cellular communications?the predictability and ?always connected? experience of the desktop combined with the ease of use and mobility of the cell phone.

One challenge to mobile data communication is moving data across different networks. The solution to this problem is a standards-based protocol: Mobile IP. Mobile IP is an open standard that allows users to keep the same IP address, stay connected, and maintain ongoing applications while roaming between IP networks.

Mobile IP Technology and Applications is the first book to address the practical application of Mobile IP in real-world environments. Cisco IOS? Mobile IP configuration, troubleshooting, and management are covered in depth and supported by real-world examples. Mobility solutions addressed in this book include enterprise campus wireless LANs and metropolitan mobility for both individual devices and whole networks. Each example is designed to teach configuration, management, and troubleshooting in a manner that is directly applicable to common mobility needs.

Source: http://www.ciscopress.com/bookstore/product.asp?isbn=158705132X

Source: http://www.theitdigest.com/mobile-ip-technology/

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Invicta FC, Sara McMann and Women?s MMA: The Morning News Roundup ? 7.29.12

A weekend without the UFC, Strikeforce or Bellator can often mean a weekend without happiness.? Okay, not really.? But if that actually is the case with you, please, get help.? Or get a hobby or something.? Anyway, there were no offerings from the aforementioned titans of mixed martial arts; however, last night the Invicta Fighting Championships had its second installment, and in terms of high-level MMA action, it pretty much rocked.? Therein lies where this morning's news is coming from.

• Unless you were one of the lucky few to make the trek out to Kansas City to see the event in person, you were forced to watch Invicta FC via the free stream broadcast over the organization's website.? You were also forced to deal with a stream that was virtually non-existent for the first half of the fourteen-bout card, which, according to the event promoter Shannon Knapp, was attributed to crashed servers.? But hey, it was free, and when the feed was strong, we got to see some exciting stuff, like Strikeforce veterans Amanda Nunes and Liz Carmouche kick butt and take names.? Reviews of the event can be found here, here and here.? Personally, I rated it four out of five mouthpieces.

?

• Olympic Freestyle wrestling Silver Medalist Sara McMann came away with another win in Invicta FC's thrilling main event, bringing her unblemished record up to 6-0 with a unanimous decision win over the ultra-tough Shayna Baszler.? The bout was a close one and hotly contested right up to the final bell; in the waning seconds, Baszler rocked McMann with strikes, and McMann was moments away from doing "the Worm".? But the bell rang and it went to the judges, and that was all she wrote.? The victory puts McMann in line for a shot at the Invicta FC bantamweight title, which is vacant and waiting for someone worthy to claim it.?

?

• With over 200,000 purported Internet viewers, the first Invicta FC event was considered a success, and last night's numbers have to at least be in that ballpark.? So where does that put the current state of female MMA?? Probably in a very good place, especially with Strikeforce champ Ronda Rousey's step up in exposure and Invicta FC already planning a third event.? Say what you will about women fighting, but there's a market for it ? and right now, that market is strong.

?

• Yesterday was UFC president Dana White's birthday. ?I hope that in honor of the occasion you all cornered your pets and screamed at them "Do you want to be a [expletive] fighter?"? I know I did.

?

Jim Genia tweets the darndest things.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/invicta-fc-sara-mcmann-women-mma-morning-news-140820218--mma.html

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Rare Diseases: 5 Recent Reasons to Cheer

On Sunday morning, July 21, I faced a room of people from families with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), an inherited blindness caused by mutations in any of at least 18 genes. It was the final session of the Foundation for Retinal Research?s bi-annual LCA family conference, and I was there to discuss the history of gene therapy. But I zapped through that quickly, because the future is much more intriguing.

Exome sequencing identified the rare mutation that causes Gavin Stevens? hereditary blindness (Leber congenital amaurosis, or LCA). (Troy Stevens)

The excitement pervading the room that day was palpable, following a day of scientific updates, and not only because those with young children were soon to visit Sesame World and the sights of Philadelphia.

Jennifer and Troy Stevens exemplified that hope. Two years earlier, at this conference, they?d learned that researchers had been unable to identify a mutation behind their toddler Gavin?s blindness. Now they know the name of their gene: NMNAT1. I?ll return to their story.

The star of the 2010 conference had been 10-year-old Corey Haas and an energetic young sheepdog, both cured of LCA with gene therapy. This weekend, the stars were the new programs and technologies that would allow other families to join Corey?s ? and not just those with blindness.

The rare disease community in the US collectively belies its name: at least 30 million people suffer from 7,000+ diseases, many so rare that they hover beneath the radar of big pharma. But maybe not for long, thanks to the following recent reasons to cheer:

#1: GENE THERAPY PENDING APPROVAL

On July 20, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced impending first approval of a gene therapy in the western world.

It?s for lipoprotein lipase deficiency (LPLD). The enzyme normally breaks down tiny triglyceride-packed globules called chylomicrons, and its absence causes episodes of very painful pancreatitis that can be fatal. LPLD is an ultra-rare disease, striking 1-2 people per million. And the only treatment is a diet so low in fat that most patients can?t stick to it.

The gene therapy, Glybera, consists of adeno-associated virus type 1 delivering an overactive variant of the LPL gene, injected into a leg muscle during a single day. But not many people have had it.

James Wilson, MD, PhD, developed the vector, AAV1, used in the lipoprotein lipase deficiency gene therapy. (University of Pennsylvania).

The research team, led by Daniel Gaudet, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine at the University of Montreal, with colleagues from Amsterdam Molecular Therapeutics (recently replaced by privately-held UniQure), reported a two-year follow-up of 14 adult patients receiving 100 billion to 1 trillion viruses. And it seems to have worked, depending upon how one assesses success.

?The triglycerides dropped, but after 60 days they trended back up. The primary endpoint had failed, but the secondary endpoint was recurring episodes of pancreatitis ? and they found a statistically significant, or close to it, decrease,? explained James Wilson, MD, PhD, editor-in-chief of Human Gene Therapy and professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, who developed the vector. Tracking a few more patients, work not yet published, may have led the EMA?s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use to finally recommend approval, after three rejections.

Tomas Salmonson, MD, acting chair of the committee, points to the new data as well as restricting use to the sickest patients in pushing the gene therapy forward. ?Our established ways of assessing the benefits and risks of Glybera were challenged by the extreme rarity of the condition and also by uncertainties associated with data provided.?

For the additional study, the researchers looked at what was happening in the chylomicrons in the blood, and found that triglyceride level can fluctuate, contrary to assumptions of steady change. And that means something is happening that might explain the decrease in the painful episodes ? a very real measurement. Summed up Jean Bennett, MD, PhD, leader of one of the LCA2 clinical trials at Penn, ?It?s a huge vote of confidence for the entire field of gene transfer.?

Dr. Wilson agrees. The repercussions won?t be at the FDA, where scientists make decisions based on data, he said, but on the willingness of big pharma to invest in gene therapy. Despite recent successes ? LCA2, hemophilia, adrenoleukodystrophy ? the pharmaceutical industry has been hesitant to fund gene therapy because it has lacked an approval. ?So-called regulatory uncertainty has been the biggest problem, and if there?s no precedent, they can continue to say no. Biopharma is not interested in the ultra orphans. But I have a feeling we?ll be seeing some activity,? he added.

#2: FINDING HOMES FOR STALLED DRUGS

By August 14, researchers can submit pre-applications to the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) Discovering New Therapeutic Uses for Existing Molecules program. The idea is simple yet brilliant: match compounds that are languishing on company shelves to diseases with newly-discovered mechanisms. Such candidate drugs have passed initial safety tests but were dropped for business reasons, such as a tiny market, or because they didn?t treat what they were intended to.

Corey Haas and Hannah Sames are ambassadors for the rare disease community, here signing their photos in ?The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It.? Corey has LCA2, successfully treated with gene therapy, and Hannah, awaiting hers, is one of 54 people in the world who has giant axonal neuropathy. (Sandy Andersen)

Since the announcement in June, eight industry leaders have signed on, offering an initial 58 compounds to find new therapeutic homes. And the need is compelling: of the 4,500+ diseases with recently-revealed mechanisms, only about 250 have treatments. ?If researchers funded through this effort can demonstrate new uses for the compounds, they could significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to get a treatment to patients in need,? said Kathy L. Hudson, PhD, NCATS acting deputy director.

Everyone wins.

#3: SPEEDING FDA APPROVAL

On July 9, President Obama signed into law the FDA Safety and Innovation Act, which updates the 1983 Orphan Drug Act. The new law provides $6 billion over the next 5 years to assist the agency in evaluating new drugs and medical devices. The Act will speed access to new treatments and development of especially promising ones, and the Humanitarian Use Devices program will target those that treat rare diseases, giving priority to diseases of children. ?Treatments are desperately needed because most are serious, many are life-threatening, and about two-thirds of the patients are children,? said Peter L. Saltonstall, president and CEO of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), which was critical in developing both acts.

The Act may be a lifesaver for people such as 8-year-old Hannah Sames, one of 54 people in the world known to have giant axonal neuropathy. The gene therapy trial that she will take part in is nearing phase 1, but the sponsoring not-for-profit, Hannah?s Hope Fund, is about to run out of money.

#4: EASING INSURANCE ACCESS

When the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act on June 28, I scrolled through the relieved statements from various rare disease organizations. Thanks to the ACA, children like Hannah Sames and Gavin Stevens will not be penalized for their pre-existing conditions, nor face annual or lifetime insurance caps.

#5: IDENTIFYING DISEASE GENES

Exome sequencing can identify mutations when single-gene tests don?t. The strategy sequences the protein-encoding part of the human genome in individuals, usually young children, whose syndrome has evaded recognition, searching for mutations passed silently from parents, with functions that could explain the symptoms. Once that?s known, researchers can develop new treatments, or repurpose existing ones.

New exome-derived discoveries are being reported nearly weekly, some appearing in the media before the technical papers are published. A recent news release about a 4-year-old named Maya with a neurological disease, for example, made its way into many news reports and blogs, with a touching story and accolades. Yet none named the gene or its precise function ? the part I?m most interested in.

In contrast to the incomplete Maya story, when John Chiang, PhD, director of the Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon told me he?d discovered Gavin Stevens? mutation among nearly 2,500 gene variants in the blind boy?s exome, he asked that I not report it. That was 8 months ago ? the mutation is unveiled in a quartet of papers in the current Nature Genetics, after something of a turf war among four research groups.

Gavin?s parents had heard about Dr. Chiang at the Foundation for Retinal Research meeting two years ago, where Jennifer had called him, distraught, after learning that single-gene tests couldn?t explain their son?s blindness. Dr. Chiang, who described his skill as ?I do the dirty work, I find the mutations,? had helped several families after existing tests had fruitlessly, but expensively, probed the most common parts of only the most common genes. Dr. Chiang had first developed larger gene testing panels, and when those still didn?t identify some families? mutations, quietly sent their DNA off to the Beijing Genome Institute for whole exome sequencing.

Now that exome sequencing is commercially available in the U.S., Dr. Chiang cautions that it still doesn?t help all families, and that costs can greatly exceed the oft-mentioned $1,000 pricetag when considering analysis. ?I would only recommend it as the last resort when all known genes are ruled out,? he advised.

CODA

Karen Poulakos has Leber congenital amaurosis, and does quite well in her world of shadows. Gene therapy may return the vision that she remembers from her childhood. (Ricki Lewis)

On Saturday at the retinal research conference last weekend, I watched Jennifer and Troy beam as Eric Pierce, MD, PhD, director of the Ocular Genomics Institute in Boston and co-author of one of the Nature Genetics papers, talked about their mutation. Discovery of the gene, which affects cellular energy (NAD synthesis), is a starting point for gene therapy, and this particular candidate is a great target. ?The gene is small, and encodes an enzyme,? said Dr. Pierce.

The next day, as my talk about the history of gene therapy wound down, I took stock of my audience. Two young women with canes sat in the front row. A few rows back sat Karen Poulakos, also with a cane, whom I?d chatted with earlier.

Karen has Corey?s disease, LCA2, but, at age 63, had been deemed too old for the gene therapy clinical trial two years ago. But things had changed, she?d learned at the meeting, and she just might be eligible for the phase 3 trial coming up. Karen has lived a full life in her world of shadows, barely remembering when she could see better, and she?s now contemplating what it might be like to see again.

As I collected my things, I marveled at the hope radiating from the faces in the room, sighted as well as not. And I thought that this is science at its very best. This is what it is all about, the molecules, the mice, the deciphering of nature?s mechanisms: helping people.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=eaea537b8f67ae32fe8b5a6982030cc1

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Health or fitness article - HEALTH, BEAUTY & FITNESS

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Source: http://curryrecipe-jp.net/health-2/health-or-fitness-article/

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Yesterday's Complextions: Reflextions of Complicated Emotions ...

My husband?s grandmother was waiting for us as we pulled up to the car port of her senior living community.? Still pretty spry for her 90+ year old body she is always elegantly adorned in sharp contrast with the family matriarch who quietly lies dying in her home twenty minutes to the south.? Dressed in a vibrant purple blouse with white capris, her matching purse hung over the front of her walker as she quickly made her way to the car, seeming chipper and thankful for company and the opportunity to go on an outing.? As we drove away my eyes turned back to towards the funeral home across the street, cars filled the parking lot and people filed out.? I found it eerily symbolic of the reason for our trip.

As we drove the same road I had traveled just last week after June?s funeral, grandma told us stories from her youth, explaining that before her family moved into town she had to trim the lantern wicks every single day to keep them from smoking and soiling the house.? She described the way that she ran from room to room turning switches on and off and flushing the toilet when they moved into their home in the town that had electricity and indoor plumbing.? She reminisced about the covered wagon rides that served as the school bus in the olden days and the way they were so bumpy from the rocks in the dirt roads.?? She said that in the winter the bed of the wagon was lined with hay meant to insulate your feet from the frigid air while the wheels were replaced with? wooden skis allowing the wagon to glide along swiftly in the fallen snow.? She made meme giggle when she let out an uncharacteristic ?God Damn It? as she? described the ?school bus driver? and the way he?d swear at the kids and wen she told the story of how she and her siblings tipped over an outhouse one year as a Halloween prank, forfeiting their ability to celebrate it again for several years.? I enjoyed the drive, savoring each words of her stories, both for my children to hear, but also for the appreciation of the life and experiences she was willing to share.

We were headed to a family gathering for her daughter, my husband?s Aunt Bev who, several months ago was diagnosed with Stage 4 ovarian cancer.? The cancer has already spread to several other spots and she is scheduled for a surgery this week.? As we drove I wondered what it was like for this woman, who is approaching a century of life to be traveling to a gathering of love and support that really was much more likely a final good bye for her child.

As we approached the town and crossed over a marsh like part of the mountain river, my mind retraced the many times I?d traveled this route as a child with my parents to visit my own grandmother.?? Visiting this town is often a painful reminder of the absence of my parents and family in my own life and the reasons for that current void.?? While most days I can busy myself with my current life and focus on the good things that I have, the aching echoes of the past were in the forefront of my conscience, creating a feeling of tension and anxiety to trickle through my veins.? Memories flooded into me and I struggled to keep from screaming out in rage before arriving at the fire hall that was our destination.

?BINGO!?? we all yelled, instead of ?surprise? because Aunt Bev?s love of bingo made it the perfect decoy reason for her to enter hall where a crowd of several dozen people waited in eager anticipation for her arrival.?? The moment she entered the room her face turned crimson and a wave of emotion and tears spilled out of her as she realized her closest family and friends had gathered here for her.? I watched as her daughters struggled not to cry as they embraced her and sat across from her husband, who in his own gruff way, was undoubtedly touched by that moment, struggling with the awkwardness of trying to be stoic but yet knowing his wife was dying.? I had to fight back my own swell of emotions as? I watched as her mother embrace he in a large and uncharacteristically genuine hug, smiling, sharing her affection.? I wondered what Grandma was thinking and feeling knowing that could be one of the last chances she got to touch and hold her daughter.?? The moment was beautiful in its morbid poignancy.

I had never been at the fire hall before but I knew that some where on the walls hung some sort of reference to my own grandfather, Henry Smith.? Dying in the late 1950?s, I never got to meet him, but I?ve often heard stories that he was a kind and respectable man who perished while fighting a fire during the time he was the fire chief.? I struggle to explain why this felt so profound to me, except to say that my family heritage is so clouded by embarrassment and shame. Grandpa?s life and his death has always felt like the bright and shining bit of hope that I could some how rise above the shadows of the violence and madness that have been bequeathed to me.? I gradually made my way around the room scouring the plaques until I found the one that said ?Past Fire Chiefs? and there it was.? Engraved upon a simple tag? it? read ?Henry Smith: 1957-1959.??? A brief two years was all he had until his life had ended.? Then I made my way to a corner in the back of the room where there hung a 1957 photo with portraits of each fire man. ? It was not long before I found him because I knew what I was looking for, as the same portrait hangs on the wall of my mother?s home.? I stood and stared at it for a few moments, trying to figure out what emotion I was feeling when I realized that I have his nose.?? Perhaps the significance of the realization would be more apparent if I shared the fact that my husband has often said that the first thing he noticed about me when we met decades ago, was my ?cute little nose that just barely stuck out beneath my ski goggles.?? My husband who spent the entire drive to the fire hall grimacing in pain, hardly speaking a word, and radiating his hurt and anger as he struggled to contain his emotions all present because of things I?ve done.

I felt? and feel so alone as my brain struggles to comprehend all the emotions that swirled around and in me yesterday.? I was reminded of my grief for June as I drove the same road that I had after her funeral the week before for the purpose of greeting an Aunt who is dying of cancer, while transporting her mother, knowing the woman may never see her child again, while desperately wanting my children to remember fondly their interactions with their Great Grandmother before she dies herself because I never had a chance like that because my childhood was traumatic and abusive , while watching as my husband struggle with some intense emotional pain that is entirely my fault, while driving to my mother?s home town, where I was reminded of the fact that I?ve been estranged from my family for several months because of their insanity and abuse which leaves me with a constant void that just simply always aches,? to enter a fire hall where a picture of my grandfather, who I never met, and who I?ve always thought was my only link to sanity, hung on the wall when I realize that I look like him.

I so badly wanted to reach out to my grandfather, to find some shred of hope and dignity to cherish, but grasping for it felt like I needed to reach across a blazing fire and that there was no way to reach it without getting burnt.?? I feel so desperate for some sort of connection to fill the void within me for the days where the ache of absence of my family hurts more than the damage from their madness. I am just confused by all of this and am frozen in this moment because of the complexity of this.

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Tagged: Cancer, death and dying, Family, Life

Source: http://leighsamuelcannon.wordpress.com/2012/07/29/yesterdays-complextions-reflextions-of-complicated-emotions/

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Pirates?deal Astros club-record 12th straight loss

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:07 p.m. ET July 28, 2012

HOUSTON (AP) - Wandy Rodriguez was happy when his Pittsburgh debut was over, especially since it came against his former team.

Rodriguez pitched six innings, Rod Barajas hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth and the Pirates rallied past Houston 4-3 on Saturday night, sending the Astros to their club-record 12th straight loss.

"It was hard, but I know I tried to concentrate and put the ball wherever I wanted and that's what I did all night," Rodriguez said. "I did not think a lot about, this is my old team."

Rodriguez allowed three runs and six hits with five walks and five strikeouts. The free-falling Astros, who have lost 25 of 27, traded the left-hander to Pittsburgh on Tuesday for three minor leaguers.

Rodriguez was 80-84 with a 4.04 ERA in eight seasons with the Astros. He holds the franchise record for strikeouts by a lefty with 1,093.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said it was a good debut for Rodriguez and he liked the pitcher's quick pace.

"All in all, I thought he navigated through traffic very well," Hurdle said. "I thought he was probably excited to get out there and pitch. I have never seen him walk five in a game all of the years I have watched him pitch. I'm sure he had some emotion or adrenaline."

Alex Presley and Neil Walker homered for Pittsburgh.

Barajas stopped an 0-for-18 slide with his key single off Fernando Rodriguez that scored Andrew McCutchen. The hit also ended an 0-for-17 streak with runners in scoring position for the Pirates.

"I haven't been clutch for a while," Barajas said. "I have had a lot of opportunities. I was starting to think the only way I can get a runner in from third base is a wild pitch. My last two runs that have scored when I was hitting were wild pitches. When you are struggling, you just want to figure out a way offensively to help the team out."

Chris Resop (1-3) earned the win with a scoreless seventh. Brad Lincoln pitched the eighth and Jason Grilli earned his second save.

Chuckie Fick (0-1) gave up a run and two hits in his first appearance with the Astros since being claimed off waivers Friday.

Houston lost 11 in a row in 1995.

"We can sit here and probably try to pick things apart as best we can on all kinds of issues," Astros manager Brad Mills said. "But we've been facing some good pitchers in tough situations. I think we saw Wandy pitch like that many times for us."

Wandy Rodriguez gave up all three runs and six hits in the first four innings.

Houston called up Armando Galarraga to make his first major league start since May 16, 2011, with Arizona. He allowed three runs - two earned - and five hits with five strikeouts in five-plus innings.

Galarraga said he was tired after his wife gave birth to their first child Friday night in Austin. He drove to Houston on Saturday.

"I didn't have my best sinker tonight, but I kept the game close," Galarraga said. "I need to show I can pitch again and contribute. There are a lot of new people and new faces around here with all the changes, but we need to keep it together and pitch well."

Walker put Pittsburgh up 2-1 in the fourth with a solo home run to right field.

Justin Maxwell put the Astros on top 3-2 in the fifth with a two-run triple off the right-field wall. That scored Jose Altuve and Matt Downs, who hit back-to-back singles to start the inning.

Pittsburgh tied it at 3 in the sixth when Garrett Jones scored on a passed ball, but squandered an opportunity for more after loading the bases with no outs. Pedro Alvarez hit a dribbler and Carlos Corporan stepped on the plate before throwing to first for a double play. After the passed ball, Barajas popped up to end the inning.

Presley gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead with a one-out homer to right off Galarraga. Jones hit a two-out triple to deep center that Maxwell initially caught but dropped after tripping on Tal's Hill, but Galarraga escaped further damage in the first by getting Walker to fly out.

Corporan tied the game at 1 with a single off Rodriguez that scored Maxwell, who led off the inning with a walk.

NOTES: Houston claimed INF Steve Pearce off waivers from Baltimore. Pearce will report to the Astros on Sunday. ... The Astros optioned LHP Fernando Abad to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for Galarraga. They also sent RHPs Enerio Del Rosario and Aneury Rodriguez outright to Oklahoma City. ... The Pirates have homered in 18 straight road games. ... Pittsburgh will start RHP James McDonald (10-4, 3.15 ERA) in the finale of the four-game series Sunday against RHP Lucas Harrell (7-7, 4.07).

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

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Ciriaco's gift triple lifts BoSox

Curtis Granderson misplayed Pedro Ciriaco's ninth-inning flyball into a go-ahead triple, and the Red Sox beat the Yankees 8-6 after Mark Teixeira had tied the score with a two-run homer off nemesis Vicente Padilla.

Hot White Sox defeat slumping Rangers

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Adam Dunn hit his major league-leading 31st home run, Philip Humber pitched six solid innings and the Chicago White Sox won their fifth straight game by beating the Texas Rangers 5-2 on Saturday night.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48377420/ns/sports-baseball/

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A&Q ? Answers Archive ? Protect farmers' land use rights

(Reporter Li Jingrui) National Association of Industry and Commerce has the CPPCC National Committee at the meeting, submitted a report entitled The National Federation of Real Estate Chamber of Commerce last year, National City real estate development costs of survey, total expenses, part of the flow to the government (ie the proportion of the cost of land + taxes) 49.42%.

Among them, the three-tier cities,prom dresses, Shanghai?s development projects the flow of government share the highest, reaching 64.5%; Beijing, 48.28%; Guangzhou was 46.94%. the

land finance government into the biggest beneficiaries of

survey shows that in the real estate project development, land costs accounted for the highest proportion of direct costs, up to 58.2%, for the most important part of the

in municipal engineering and public facilities, in addition to inputs for the project itself, these construction as part of the municipal engineering to participate in the service of the functions of cities.

Federation of Industry and Commerce believe that this is actually a municipal construction to provide additional services,polo lacoste pas cher, which to some extent disguised form of the direct costs of real estate development projects.

report that the And because the government portion of income in real estate development costs is rigid, which makes in recent years, prices remain high,converse pas cher, thereby relatively reducing the purchasing power of the public.

In addition, the high cost of land not only increases the financial pressure has also led to the unsustainability of government land revenue.

disinvestment to the Government to the available financial resources to reduce

the National Federation of warning in the report due to the reduction in real estate investment, land auction prices down, which greatly reduces the sustainability of government financial resources available. In addition, due to real estate unmarketable,polo ralph lauren pas cher, development companies can not return the cash,ed hardy pas cher, financial institutions face potentially huge risk.

survey data

the total cost of the refrain used to pay taxes to

survey of real estate companies need to pay, in addition to land costs, taxes and the total cost of 26.06 % of total expenditure, 19.06%, 14.21% of the total sales revenue.

development projects of government revenue over four percent

survey shows development project flows to the government?s share of total sales income of 37.36%, only 26.14% of the remaining share. If in a variety of non-tax fees and the total cost of municipal construction and public supporting facilities investment added to the share of government revenue, government revenue share will be over 40%. normalized government

view from a single city, Shanghai?s development projects total sales revenue in the flow of government share of the highest

Shanghai 60% of the sales revenue is 61.84%,Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts, only 4.15% of the enterprises remaining; and Beijing to the government?s share of 42.42 percent, corporate surplus of only 11.87%.

Weapon

recommend a tax integration for real estate tax or property tax

-China Federation of Industry and Commerce in the report suggested that a one-time charge of land rent and focused on the development and marketing aspects of tax revenue, integration into a unified real estate tax or property tax levy delayed until the housing to maintain links. real estate tax reform in

goals should be established in the Government through the real estate tax on real estate market policy interventions to reduce the transaction costs of the real estate market and improve transaction efficiency, but also through the real estate tax increase and to maintain government revenue and should not result in financial risk concentrated on the principle.

proposed reform of land considering land bidders bidding program, especially in green building to promote social harmony and sustainable development indicators into comprehensive consideration.

If these factors are taken into account, not only the efficient allocation of land resources, but also greatly promote the harmonious development of the social environment.

Source: Beijing News prom dresses

Source: http://uploadons.com/blog/protect-farmers-land-use-rights/

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Saborio makes sure Real Salt Lake beats Vancouver

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:31 p.m. ET July 27, 2012

SANDY, Utah (AP) - Alvaro Saborio scored in both halves to help Real Salt Lake beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Friday night in Major League Soccer.

Salt Lake improved to 13-7-3 with its third straight home victory to move within a point of Western Conference rival San Jose for the best record in the league.

Darren Mattocks scored for Vancouver (9-7-7).

Saborio opened the scoring the 34th minute on a penalty kick that he slotted inside the left post. The penalty kick came after Jay DeMerit committed a hard foul on Kyle Beckerman in the box in the 32nd minute and was shown a yellow card.

Mattocks tied it in the 52nd minute. Camilo put a ball behind the RSL defenders and Mattocks beat them to it. Goalkeeper Rimando came off his line to stop Mattocks on the right side of the area, but the Vancouver player slipped around Rimando and fired the ball inside the left post.

Barry Robson nearly put Vancouver ahead a minute later, but his shot ricocheted off the post.

Saborio struck again in the 58th minute. Javier Morales sent a cross from the right flank to Saborio at the upper left corner of the 6-yard box, and he jumped and headed the ball home.

Vancouver goalkeeper Joe Cannon was shown a red card when he committed a handball infraction outside the area in the 76th minute. Cannon will miss the Whitecaps' next game as a result.

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

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Terry not off hook in racism case

PST: The British courts have had their say on the alleged John Terry ugliness, but now England?s FA will have something more to say about it.

Drew Hallowell / Getty Images

PST: All-Star week epitomizes Beckham arrangement

With David Beckham rising to the occasion (remarkably so, given his lack of training), the MLS All-Star Game became a metaphor for league?s entire Beckham experience. For all the worries about his commitment to his North American mission, Beckham was there when it counted.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/48365486/ns/sports-soccer/

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Star-studded audience for Olympic opening ceremony

AAA??Jul. 27, 2012?9:05 PM ET
Star-studded audience for Olympic opening ceremony
By JILL LAWLESSBy JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press??

Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Britain's Prince Harry, from left, attend the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games at the Olympic Stadium in London, Friday, July 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Toby Melville, pool)

Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Britain's Prince Harry, from left, attend the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games at the Olympic Stadium in London, Friday, July 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Toby Melville, pool)

Queen Elizabeth II arrives for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Summer Games at the Olympic Stadium in London, Friday, July 27, 2012. (AP Photo/John Stillwell, Pool)

Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, left, and his wife Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge wait for the beginning of the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games in the Olympic Stadium in London, Friday, July 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Toby Melville, pool)

Britain's Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge attend the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 27, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, top left, Britain's Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, center, and Britain's Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, right, watch the Opening Ceremony at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 27, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

LONDON (AP) ? The Olympic opening ceremony had monarchs, presidents, prime ministers, Michelle Obama and the cast of "Downton Abbey" ? and that was just in the audience.

The ceremony itself included Muhammad Ali, Paul McCartney and David Beckham ? who drove the Olympic flame down the Thames in a speedboat. This was a decidedly A-list affair.

Among the 60,000 spectators at Olympic Stadium was Queen Elizabeth II, her husband Prince Philip and younger royals including Prince William and his wife Kate, and Prince Harry.

There was a sprinkling of screen stars, including British actors Richard E. Grant and Orlando Bloom, who stopped to take pictures with British soldiers and fans outside the stadium.

"I'm a big fan of Danny Boyle, so I'm excited to see what he's done," Bloom said.

Actor Hugh Bonneville, who plays aristocrat Lord Grantham in the costume drama "Downton Abbey," tweeted a picture of his fellow cast-members arriving at the stadium.

Across town in Hyde Park, Duran Duran, Paolo Nutini, Stereophonics and Snow Patrol played at a concert for music fans who couldn't go to the ceremony, which was shown on big screens.

The British government says more than 80 heads of state and government were in the Olympic Stadium audience, including royalty from Brunei, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.

The U.S. was represented by first lady Michelle Obama, and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was also on hand, a day after making himself unpopular in Britain by expressing doubts about the country's ability to pull off a successful games.

Britain proved Friday it could pull off a successful opening ceremony. Boyle's show, a 27 million pound ($42 million) spectacular titled "Isles of Wonder," drew rave reviews from live and television spectators.

Beckham, who helped bring the games to London, said the ceremony was "an amazing moment."

___

Associated Press Writer Cassandra Vinograd contributed to this report.

Associated Press
People, Places and Companies: Michelle Obama, Muhammad Ali, Paul McCartney, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince William, Prince Harry, Richard E. Grant, Orlando Bloom, Danny Boyle, Paolo Nutini, Mitt Romney, London, United Kingdom, United States

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Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. in Mayo Clinic for depression (Star Tribune)

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Soda companies racing for a new sweet spot

A Monday, June 11, 2012, photo shows cans of ten-calorie soda from PepsiCo Inc. displayed in New York. Coke and Pepsi are chasing after the sweet spot: a soda with no calories, no artificial sweeteners and no funny aftertaste. The world's top soft drink companies hope that's the elusive trifecta that will silence health concerns about soda and reverse the decline in consumption of carbonated drinks. But coming up with such a formula could still be years away. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

A Monday, June 11, 2012, photo shows cans of ten-calorie soda from PepsiCo Inc. displayed in New York. Coke and Pepsi are chasing after the sweet spot: a soda with no calories, no artificial sweeteners and no funny aftertaste. The world's top soft drink companies hope that's the elusive trifecta that will silence health concerns about soda and reverse the decline in consumption of carbonated drinks. But coming up with such a formula could still be years away. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

A Monday, June 11, 2012, photo shows a bottle of Pepsi Next displayed amongst cans of ten calorie sodas from PepsiCo Inc. in New York. Coke and Pepsi are chasing after the sweet spot: a soda with no calories, no artificial sweeteners and no funny aftertaste. The world's top soft drink companies hope that's the elusive trifecta that will silence health concerns about soda and reverse the decline in consumption of carbonated drinks. But coming up with such a formula could still be years away. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

A Monday, June 11, 2012, photo shows bottles of Pepsi Next and Pepsi Max displayed amongst cans of ten-calorie sodas from PepsiCo. in New York. Coke and Pepsi are chasing after the sweet spot: a soda with no calories, no artificial sweeteners and no funny aftertaste. The world's top soft drink companies hope that's the elusive trifecta that will silence health concerns about soda and reverse the decline in consumption of carbonated drinks. But coming up with such a formula could still be years away. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Coke and Pepsi are chasing after the sweet spot: a soda with no calories, no artificial sweeteners and no funny aftertaste.

The world's top soft drink companies hope that's the elusive trifecta that will silence health concerns about soda and reverse the decline in consumption of carbonated drinks. But such a formula could be years away.

That's because the ingredient that makes soda taste good is also what packs on the pounds: high-fructose corn syrup. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame that are used in diet drinks don't have any calories but are seen as processed and fake. Natural sweeteners that come from plants present the most promising alternative, but companies haven't yet figured out how to mask their metallic aftertaste.

Despite the complexities, soft drink makers push on in their search.

"I can't say when it will be here, but it's in the reasonable future," said Al Carey, who heads the beverage unit for the Americas at PepsiCo Inc., the world's No. 2 soda maker.

There's good reason that soft drink makers are so eager to tweak their formulas. Once a beloved American treat, sodas are now being blamed for the nation's bulging waistlines ? two-thirds of the country's adults are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That, coupled with the growing variety of flavored waters and sports drinks, has sent per capita soda consumption down 17 percent to about 1.3 cans a day since its peak in 1998, according to Beverage Digest, an industry tracker.

In New York City, a ban on the sale of sugary drinks bigger than 16 ounces in restaurants, theaters and stadiums could take effect as early as March. The mayor of Cambridge, Mass., proposed a similar ban last month. And in Richmond, Calif., voters will decide in November whether to pass the nation's first penny-per-ounce tax on soda and other sugary drinks such as fruit juices and teas.

All the negative publicity has some once-faithful soda drinkers cutting back. Krista Koster, a 29-year-old who lives in Washington D.C., used to down about two cans of soda a day. Now she's trying to kick the habit and be more conscious about what she drinks.

"I've just been hearing how bad soda is," said Koster, who works in public relations. "You start considering a lot of the ingredients, whether it's fake sugar or the real sugar."

High-fructose corn syrup, the cheap sweetener that's used in most sodas, has the same nutritional value and taste of sugar. A can of regular soda typically has about 40 grams of high-fructose corn syrup and 140 calories. By comparison, the same amount of apple juice has about 38 grams of sugar and 165 calories, but companies can tout the vitamins and other nutrients juice provides.

Aspartame, the artificial sweetener commonly used in drinks such as Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, doesn't have any calories. But some drinkers worry about the fact that the sweeteners are not naturally occurring in nature. Public perception has been colored by past studies that have suggested it caused cancer and brain tumors in rats even though The American Cancer Society says there's no evidence showing it has any link with an increased risk for cancer in adults.

The concerns have led soft drink companies to search for natural, zero-calorie sweeteners, including stevia, which is derived from a South American shrub. Natural sweeteners have neither the calories of sugar nor the negative associations of artificial sweeteners. The trick, however, is figuring out how to make them taste good in colas.

"Every sweetener has its own notes that need to be mixed with other flavors," said Mehmood Khan, chief science officer for PepsiCo. "It's a bit like an orchestra playing music, as opposed to one instrument."

So far, stevia is the natural sweetener that has gotten the most attention and is already used in Coca-Cola and PepsiCo products, including orange juice and bottled teas. But it's proving more difficult to hide the aftertaste in colas.

Soft drink makers are testing different extracts from the stevia plant that they hope will be easier to blend. They're also scouring the world for other naturally occurring sweeteners, such as one called mogroside that is extracted from monk fruit and a derivative of a berry called miracle fruit.

Coca-Cola, based in Atlanta, says it's currently testing additional drinks that use stevia and other natural sweeteners but declined to give details. The tests are part of the ongoing "home-use tests" the company conducts, in which consumers may be given a six-pack of a new product to try over the course of a week.

To accelerate the pace of such trials, Coca-Cola two years ago dedicated a production line at one of its plants solely to churning out test beverages. But taste isn't the only consideration for the world's biggest soda maker.

"Some of the very exciting (sweeteners) we're playing with are really small in terms of production and planting, and they need to be nurtured," says Katie Bayne, president of Coca-Cola's North American soda business.

Coca-Cola also is testing versions of its Sprite and Fanta that use stevia in Atlanta, Detroit, Louisville, Ky. and Memphis, Tenn. The drinks have about half the calories of regular Sprite and Fanta (70 per can, instead of 140 or 160, respectively). But the "Select" drinks fall short of the ideal because they have sugar.

PepsiCo, based in Purchase, N.Y., is also on the hunt for new drinks that use natural, no-calorie sweeteners. In 2010, the company entered a $62 million, four-year deal with food flavor company Senomyx Inc. to develop natural sweeteners and "taste enhancers" that can intensify sweetness. Coca-Cola also previously had an eight-year contract with Senomyx; neither of the partnerships has yet produced any products for commercial use.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group, the nation's third-largest soda maker, also is searching for the right combination. The company's line of flavored sodas, such as Sunkist and A&W Root Beer, may make it easier to mask the taste of natural sweeteners like stevia than with colas.

At a beverage industry conference earlier this year, Dr Pepper's Chief Financial Officer Marty Ellen said he thinks a "sweetener breakthrough" is achievable in the next few years.

Recreating the exact taste of extremely valuable brands such as Coke and Pepsi is a high-stakes game and companies don't want to rush any drinks to the market. But making a natural cola that doesn't have any calories isn't impossible. Smaller companies such as Zevia, based in Culver City, Calif., already make such colas using stevia.

Zevia is now sold in 10,500 locations ? including Kroger and Whole Foods ? up from just 850 locations four years ago. CEO Paddy Spence doesn't think Coke and Pepsi's efforts to come up with their own zero-calorie drinks will threaten his company.

"When consumers see a brand all of a sudden with different positioning, they see right through that," Spence said. "They'll say 'you're a sugar soda company that has a couple different stevia products.'"

Still, considering their enormous resources, it's likely that soda companies will eventually find a way to make natural drinks with no calories that taste good, says Mike Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

"If you look 10 years ahead, we're going to see a different marketplace for sodas," he said.

___

__AP Writer Jason Keyser contributed from Chicago.

Follow Candice Choi on www.twitter.com/candicechoi

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-07-26-Soda%20Race/id-6a0d03af78304a3c82c07f486b5de21e

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Novel therapy may prevent damage to the retina in diabetic eye diseases

ScienceDaily (July 27, 2012) ? Researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center have identified a compound that could interrupt the chain of events that cause damage to the retina in diabetic retinopathy. The finding is significant because it could lead to a novel therapy that targets two mechanisms at the root of the disease: inflammation and the weakening of the blood barrier that protects the retina.

To date, treatments for diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness among working-age Americans, have been aimed largely at one of those mechanisms.

In diabetic retinopathy, damage to the retina results, in part, from the activity of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a protein that weakens the protective blood-retinal barrier. Recent drugs targeting VEGF have exhibited good response for nearly half of the patients with diabetic retinopathy. But researchers believe that there is also an inflammatory component that may contribute to the disease process.

The study, published in the Biochemical Journal, June 2012 [epub ahead of print] identifies a specific protein common to both pathways as an important target in regulating the disease process in which blood vessels become leaky, and provides a drug that may be developed into a therapeutic intervention for patients in which anti-VEGF treatment alone is not sufficient.

"In diabetic retinopathy and a host of other retinal diseases, increases in VEGF and inflammatory factors -- some of the same factors that contribute to the response to an infection -- cause blood vessels in the eye to leak which, in turn, results in a buildup of fluid in the neural tissue of the retina," says David A. Antonetti, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Molecular and Integrative Physiology, who has also been awarded a Jules and Doris Stein Professorship from Research to Prevent Blindness. "This insidious form of modified inflammation can eventually lead to blindness."

The compound targets atypical protein kinase C (aPKC), required for VEGF to make blood vessels leak. Moreover, Antonetti's laboratory has demonstrated that the compound is effective at blocking damage from tumor necrosis factor also elevated in diabetic retinopathy that comprises part of the inflammation. Benefits of this compound could extend to therapies for uveitis, or changes to the brain blood vessels in the presence of brain tumors or stroke.

"This is a great leap forward," says Antonetti. "We've identified an important target in regulating blood vessel leakage in the eye and we have a therapy that works in animal models. Our research is in the early stages of development. We still have a long way to go to demonstrate effectiveness of this compound in humans to create a new therapy but the results are very promising."

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Paul Titchenell, Cheng-Mao Lin, Jason Keil, Jeffrey Sundstrom, Charles Smith, David Antonetti. Novel Atypical PKC Inhibitors Prevent Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Induced Blood-Retinal Barrier Dysfunction. Biochemical Journal, 2012; DOI: 10.1042/BJ20111961

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/a6Tel875wt0/120727144147.htm

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Jennifer Hudson Finally Gets Justice | Black and Married With Kids ...

Jennifer Hudson performing at the 2012 Grammys

William Balfour, the man convicted of killing Jennifer Hudson?s mother, brother, and 7-year-old nephew, has received 3 lifetime sentences for his crimes. Balfour is the estranged husband of Hudson?s sister, Julia. In October 2008, he shot the three victims to death. Balfour was on parole during the time of the murder, after spending 7 years in prison for murder, car theft, and vehicular hijacking.

In December 2008, Balfour was charged with 3 counts of first degree murder and 1 count of home invasion. Balfour pleaded not guilty to the charges and has maintained his innocence throughout. On May 11, 2012, Balfour was officially convicted on 3 counts of first degree murder, 1 count of home invasion, 1 count of residential burglary, 1 count possession of a stolen motor vehicle, and 1 count of aggravated kidnapping.

In the years following the death of her loved ones, Hudson has given birth to her first child and is in a loving relationship with professional wrestler, David Otunga. Hudson will also be on the 2nd season of the musical television series, ?Smash?. She will play a Broadway star named, Veronica Moore. Watch Smash Monday nights at 10pm on NBC.

?

About the author

Source: http://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2012/07/jennifer-hudson-finally-gets-justice/

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Health Care Workers Petition FDA To Change Opioid Labeling

ABC News:

Thirty-seven health care workers signed and submitted a petition to the Food and Drug Administration Wednesday, urging officials to change labels on prescription opioids, such as OxyContin, morphine or Vicodin, all part of an effort to curb prescription drug abuse.

Read the whole story at ABC News

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A History of Innovation ? a Future of Leadership - Lumina Foundation

Jamie P. Merisotis, President & CEO, Lumina Foundation
Keynote Address, National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges, New Orleans, LA

Thank you, and good morning everyone. I?m very pleased to be here. It?s always a special moment to be in New Orleans, and I want to thank the Council?and our hosts, the Louisiana Community and Technical College System?for the opportunity to speak with you today. I also want to congratulate and thank Joe and his colleagues at LCTCS for the wonderful work they?ve done here, particularly in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The area?s community colleges have been instrumental in the rebuilding process, helping countless residents hone the skills they need to move on and move up.

Of course, the resilience and responsiveness of these institutions comes as no surprise to anyone in this room today?and certainly not to me or my colleagues at Lumina Foundation. As everyone in this room knows, Lumina has long appreciated and honored community colleges? immense value. We?ve been partners with this uniquely American?and absolutely vital?sector of higher education for many years. We value the relationship we have built through efforts such as Achieving the Dream, the Developmental Education Initiative, the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, Project Win-Win and many others. And I assure you, that relationship is stronger than ever.

In fact, I believe the connection between Lumina and your institutions is sure to become even tighter in coming years. One glance at the agenda for this conference tells me that quite clearly. During these past few days, you?ve covered topics such as performance funding ? developmental education ? issues related to jobs and workforce development. If I didn?t know better, I might think this agenda had been created for a meeting among my own Lumina colleagues back in Indianapolis. In other words, our concerns and our goals aren?t just similar; they are one and the same. And it?s gratifying to see that, in many cases, community colleges and Lumina are working together to address those concerns and reach those goals.

Of course, the overriding goal?the Big Goal that my colleagues and I work toward every day?is one that I know you?re familiar with. We call it Goal 2025. It?s been at the center of Lumina?s radar screen for years, and it?s been on many of yours as well. By 2025, we want 60 percent of Americans to hold high-quality college degrees, certificates or other credentials.

We pursue this goal for a clear and compelling reason: because it must be achieved if our nation and its citizens are to prosper. In this economy?which is becoming more global, more complex and more demanding every day?college-level learning is a precious commodity in the labor market. Economists and labor experts tell us with increasing clarity that postsecondary credentials are vital to any individual who hopes to maintain a middle-class lifestyle. In fact, the evidence these experts cite is voluminous and undeniable. For example:

• Roughly two-thirds of jobs now being created require some sort of postsecondary credential.
• Even in so-called declining industries, more and more jobs are demanding higher skill levels.
• Workers with college credentials are employed at dramatically higher rates than those without postsecondary training.
• College-trained workers also earn significantly more in their lifetimes than those who lack such credentials ? and this wage differential is actually widening.

Clearly, the individual benefits of college are huge. And if we want these individual benefits to add up to long-term, sustainable, societal gains, we need to reach the 60 percent threshold. That?s the level that will keep us on par with labor market demands and with the attainment rates in other highly developed countries. Practically, what this means is that we need millions more students to earn degrees and certificates?students of every age ? every color ? every ethnic group and income level ? from every geographic area.

Naturally, pursuing this 60 percent goal serves Lumina?s overall mission, which is to enroll and graduate more students from college?especially low-income students, students of color, first-generation students and adult learners. And again, the connections to your own institutions are strikingly obvious. After all, the student populations we single out as most important are the ones you?ve always served.

I want to point out another connection as well ? one that is relatively recent, very visible and, quite literally, tangible. It?s the recent report from AACC?s 21^st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, titled Reclaiming the American Dream. This is yet another indication that Lumina and the nation?s community colleges are very much on the same page. That?s especially remarkable since Lumina didn?t even pay for the report!

I know you?ve had a chance to hear from my friend AACC President Walter Bumphus and discuss the Reclaiming the American Dream agenda over the past two days, but I?d like to reinforce just a couple of the key themes from the report. One is the simple yet powerful framing that the report offers for reimagining the community college. The ?Three Rs??Redesigning the student experience, Reinventing institutional roles, and Resetting the system to create incentives for success?are a wonderful summation of the forward-looking agenda for community colleges.

Among the many excellent recommendations, we are compelled by ideas such as increasing completion rates by 50 percent by 2020, while preserving access, enhancing quality and eradicating attainment gaps. This can be done by building clear pathways to completion, by implementing policies that ensure smooth transfer, and by vigorously supporting student success. We also are enamored of the idea of the community college becoming ?a broker of educational access,? in essence, a hub that connects students to relevant learning from multiple providers through multiple modes of delivery. And of course, no one in this room will be surprised to learn that Lumina strongly agrees with the recommendation that increasing public and private investment in community colleges must be aimed at improving student success and institutional performance. This means revamping student financial aid programs and public funding models so that both actually reward student success and college completion.

Community colleges are ahead of the redesign game in many ways

In the report?s foreword, Walter Bumphus urges community colleges to ?imagine a new future for themselves,? and the report?s introduction calls for ?a dramatic redesign? of your institutions. It?s an exciting prospect and a commendable approach. But, frankly, we at Lumina Foundation take a somewhat broader view. We?re convinced that this ?dramatic redesign? is necessary for all of higher education. What?s more, we feel that community colleges are actually ahead of the game in many ways.

Think about it. Community colleges are the very definition of redesign. Among all of the sectors of higher education, you have most often been the innovators. You?ve always made it your business to be cost-effective. You have a long, strong history of collaboration?with other institutions, with employers, with all types of stakeholders. You were student-centered and flexible long before those terms could accurately be applied in other postsecondary settings. If comprehensive system redesign is needed?and we?re fully convinced that it is?then who better than you to show the way?

Your leadership as state system leaders is especially important at this point in our national dialogue about the future of higher education. Increasingly, we are hearing questions about the value of a college credential, and whether college really is for everyone.

The definition of ?college? includes far more than the four-year degree

My response, of course, is a resounding ?yes,? and I hope yours is as well. But we must be clear that the definition of ?college? includes far more than the four-year degree. It includes all types of post-high school credentials. I also think your leadership is essential in making the case for why college really matters. Clearly college matters for many of the economic reasons that I alluded to earlier in my remarks. The nation?s long-term economic success depends on a 21^st century labor force, one with adaptable workers who possess high-level skills and relevant knowledge the types of skills and knowledge that can only be offered in well-designed and rigorous college-level programs.

In addition, I think we need to sharpen our arguments, some of which have been lost in the public debate, about the important social and cultural benefits of increased college attainment. We need to strengthen the understanding among policymakers, employers and the general public that college-educated citizens have proven to be more engaged and more ethical citizens. They?re more likely to vote and volunteer, more likely to appreciate diverse views and perspectives, more apt to demonstrate high levels of moral and ethical decision making.

Really, though, wondering whether college is for everyone is a false premise?as is often the case when dealing in absolutes. The question of whether every person needs college serves only to distract us from the obvious and urgent need to dramatically increase postsecondary attainment overall. It?s not just that credentials matter; it?s that what college gives us individually and collectively matters.

This leads to two other important issues I would urge you to think about, and act upon, in your roles. One is that equity of opportunity matters. Clearly equity is important for moral and ethical reasons. Increasing attainment is important, especially for low-income students, first-generation students, students of color and adult learners. But equity also matters for economic reasons?chiefly because these populations represent the nation?s fastest-growing groups and are most in need of the enhanced skills and knowledge that come from postsecondary education. Therefore, if we fail to ensure equity, we as a society will pay an increasingly higher price for that failure.

The other important issue is to stress that quality matters. Not all credentials yield the same benefits. Clearly, having a college credential is much better than not having one, but postsecondary credentials are most effective when they deliver competencies that are generalizable. In other words, they need to provide recipients with critical thinking, problem solving, analytical and other skills and knowledge. These are the competencies most desired by employers, and they also are the ones that best serve our democratic needs and ideals. Specific content knowledge is important too, of course; but in many real-world, workplace scenarios, it is the generalizable skills that predominate. In any case, given the rapidly evolving nature of work, what is most important is that credentials represent genuine learning that is both generalizable and specific. Real learning: that?s the true definition of quality ? and this type of high-quality educational experience needs to be delivered much more broadly and equitably.

In the very near future, talent is going to be seen as society?s most important resource

The quality discussion also is leading up to what we think could be one of the most game-changing moments in higher education in our lifetimes. Now, more than ever, it?s clear that we need to develop more transparent, recognized pathways to credentials and to better define the credentials that count.? Redesign of what credentials look like, who gets to award them, and what is represented by them is at the core of the nation?s need to better define its talent. Because in the very near future, talent is going to be seen as society?s most important resource, and higher education will be seen as the lever for developing it.

Most community colleges are already ahead in this discussion. Many are deeply involved in noncredit learning delivery that is actually bona fide training leading to tangible workforce outcomes. ? There are also industry-recognized credentials, and the exploding world of open education resources that will enable students to develop knowledge/skills through lower-cost instructional resources. More and more learners expect to be able to use this ?new currency? in meeting their education and employment goals.? And, of course, the new concept of badges?in essence, ?micro-credentials? for discrete knowledge and skills that are awarded through 3^rd party assessments?this concept also is garnering significant attention in the community college world.

All of these trends are at work in your institutions today, which shows that community colleges understand the equity-quality imperative. Of course, the best community colleges have always been driven by this dual commitment. What?s more, there seems to be a real hunger out there to ?double down? on this commitment ? an eagerness to seize the opportunity for redesign and self-improvement. We at Lumina have seen this spirit at work for many years and in many community college settings. In fact, we?ve had a front-row seat for several impressive efforts, such as in the ways that many Achieving the Dream colleges have reoriented their campus cultures wholly toward student success.

And we?ve seen it in some work that is just about to begin. We were immensely gratified by the response to an RFP issued for a project called Credit When It?s Due?an effort to increase the number of associate degrees granted in what is commonly called the ?reverse-transfer? process. We received proposals from a total of 32 different entities, an impressive response. Nearly all of these represent statewide partnerships that include hundreds of community colleges, plus public university and independent college partners.

What all of these examples demonstrate is that community colleges are committed to improvement. You?re eager to retool, to build the type of higher-ed system that serves all students and our nation ? the kind that is very much needed if we hope to reach Goal 2025.

We all know what kind of system that needs to be: a student-centered system ? one that meets students where they are and gives them the support they need to succeed ? One that ensures quality by fostering genuine learning. ? One that truly prepares students for work?and for life?in an increasingly global society. ? One that is flexible, accessible, accountable and committed to quality. And it?s critically important that the system be designed to serve today?s students?the ever-growing number of low-income, first-generation, minority and adult students who constitute the ?real world? on campuses and in classrooms these days.

Of course, community colleges are just one part of that system, but they are a formative and fundamental part ? in many respects the point of the spear. The fact is, there is simply no way for the nation to return to a position of global leadership in degree attainment, no way for us to reach that 60 percent target, unless community colleges lead the way.

Notice the word I used there: lead. The drive to boost college attainment offers you and your institutions a singular and historic opportunity for leadership. Because of your expertise in creating workforce-relevant programs, because of your long experience in serving adult and minority students, because of the decades you have spent perfecting innovative and cost-effective ways to deliver high-quality education?because of all these things and more, you can show the way to reshaping American higher education in a way that benefits us all.

Let me be clear, though: We at Lumina recognize the challenges you face in seizing this leadership role. We understand the pressures that community colleges and systems are under: You all must serve multiple constituencies: your students, your individual states, and the various employers in the areas you serve. You all face increasingly loud calls for accountability and relevance. Your enrollments are increasing rapidly, and these growing waves of students are often those who face the most daunting barriers to success. And in most cases, you?re being asked to handle all of these demands even while your funding is being cut.

I?ve noted with admiration Joe May?s recent testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. He pointed out that, over the past 5? years, enrollment in LCTCS has grown by 55 percent while state support for the system has declined by 37 percent. Clearly, those starkly opposing trends reflect a serious challenge that no one can ignore.

And yet, as I hope I?ve made clear this morning, opportunity exists as well for the nation?s community colleges. The institutions that are focused and forward-looking ? those that can act decisively on the innovative spirit that has always been a hallmark of community colleges ? those that can truly put student success at the top of the agenda ? these are the institutions that will not merely survive; they will thrive. More important, they will help this nation meet its most urgent and compelling need.

And so, let me urge you to embrace your leadership role in helping reach Goal 2025. It is a challenge for which you are well suited ? and one in which you can always count on Lumina for support and partnership.

Thank you.

Source: http://www.luminafoundation.org/about_us/president/speeches/2012-07-15-a_history_of_innovation.html

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