The backpack arrived in the mail about 3 days ago ? perfect timing for a business day trip I needed to make and a great test of this backpack?s capability. How did it work for me? Great. I love it. But why?Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/5fA4ctj174A/
California Propositions Electoral College chuck pagano A Gay Lesbian daylight savings time 2012 Where To Vote james harden
A SECRETIVE Chinese military outfit known as Unit 61398 is ?believed to be behind international hacking attacks and the global theft of information, a new report claims.
The unit is said to have stolen hundreds of terabytes of data from at least 141 organisations in 20 industries, US security firm Mandiant reported yesterday.
Unit 61398 is more than 20 similar hacking groups linked to China which pose an ?Advanced Persistent Threat?, said Mandiant. Its report styles Unit 61398 as APT1, one of the ?most prolific cyber espionage groups? and persistent of China?s ?cyber-threat? actors.
While most of the victims of APT1 are US-based, five are said to be based in the UK. Mandiant said that over a seven-year period Unit 61398 has stolen a wide range of intellectual property, including technology blueprints, manufacturing processes, test results, business plans, pricing documents, partnership agreements, e-mails and contact lists.
The report said the group is likely ?government-sponsored? and that it is able to carry out such extensive cyber attacks ?in large part because it receives direct government support?.
Mandiant said it has traced the hackers to a building in the Pudong area of Shanghai, which houses the 2nd Bureau of the People?s Liberation Army General Staff Department?s 3rd Department, known as Unit 61398. The report suggests this is the base for the hacking effort, since the only other option is ?a secret, resourced organisation full of mainland Chinese speakers with direct access to Shanghai-based telecommunications infrastructure engaged in a multi-year, enterprise scale computer espionage campaign right outside of Unit 61398?s gates?.
Mandiant said its report probably only covered a ?small fraction of the cyber espionage that APT1 has conducted?.
The Chinese government denied the allegations as ?groundless?. A foreign ministry spokesman said cyber crime was an international problem and should be solved through co-operation on the basis of mutual trust and respect.
He added that ?groundless criticism is irresponsible and unprofessional and it will not help to solve the problem?. He said the Chinese government objects to the allegations that the cyber attacks originated from a building owned by the PLA.
Richard Bejtlich, chief security officer for Mandiant said he could have ?predicted the exact words the [Chinese] spokesman used?. Responding to China?s claims of hacking by the US, he said: ?Western countries focus activity on legitimate targets of espionage, foreign military and foreign government. Other countries such as China and Russia also focus on private companies,? he said.
He added that one of the dangers of this type of activity was ?the erosion of economic competitiveness? and that stolen information stolen could be passed onto Chinese state companies. He said there was also a risk China could destroy information through hacking.
Recently news organisations including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post reported they had been attacked by hackers. The New York Times said it was hacked after carrying a report about the alleged wealth of the family of outgoing premier Wen Jiabao. Mandiant were hired by the newspaper to investigate. It traced the hacking to China but not to APT1.
Cyber-security firm that rarely seeks publicity
Mandiant is one of a handful of US cyber-security companies that specialise in attempting to detect, prevent and trace advanced hacking attacks, as opposed to the common-or-garden-variety viruses and criminal intrusions that plague corporate networks every day.
Privately owned and little known to the general public, Mandiant does not promote its analysis in public and only rarely issues topical papers about changes in techniques or behaviours. It has never before directly linked hackers to a military branch of the Chinese government, which gives the new report special resonance.
In the report, Mandiant details the attack programmes and dummy websites used to infiltrate US companies, typically via deceptive e-mails.
US officials complained in the past that China sanctioned trade-secret theft, but have had limited evidence. Mandiant said it knew the Chinese military would shift tactics and programmes in response to its report but concluded that the disclosure was worth it because of the scale of the harm and the ability of China to issue denials in the past and duck accountability.
The Mandiant report comes a week after president Barack Obama issued an executive order to get owners of power plants and other critical infrastructure to share data on attacks to improve security.
aurora borealis gcb mary j blige dionne warwick patricia heaton arsenic and old lace leslie
The Catholic Education Service (CES) for England and Wales has reiterated concerns that Religious Education will remain relegated among academic subjects, after plans to introduce the English Baccalaureate were scrapped.
Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, had planned to introduce an English Baccalaurate Certificate (EBC) for five core subjects, excluding Religious Education, but it was announced last week that plans for the EBC would not proceed after all.
A statement from the CES said that under new proposals RE would still not be given sufficient importance. It said that the Catholic Education Service was ?disappointed that Religious Education remains effectively relegated to outside the ?core? under these proposals when it is at the very heart of the curriculum in every one of our more than 2,000 schools in England.?
It continued: ?GCSE RE is a valuable and worthwhile subject, but it could be better, and we hope to be able to work with Ofqual and Examination Boards to ensure that it becomes so.?
The statement added: ?We welcome the announcement today by the Secretary of State for Education concerning the reform of qualifications at 16. It is clear that the government?s own consultation regarding examination reform showed broad consensus, accepting the need for reform yet rejecting the initial proposals for that reform. That the Secretary of State proposes to reform exams ?with the help of school and university leaders? is particularly welcome. Working closely with education professionals will help ensure that any reform will enjoy the widest possible support and confidence.?
Source: http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2013/02/religious-education-special-pleading-increases-in-volume/
marysville tornados dr. seuss dr seuss the temptations rush limbaugh sandra fluke green book
By MIKE HUTTON 648-3139 or mhutton@post-trib.com February 18, 2013 10:24PM
SCHEREVILLE ? Ball State football coach Pete Lembo has already spent plenty of time kicking around the idea of exactly how his staff is going to handle the new rules that will go into effect in July for texting and making phone calls to recruits.
It wasn?t a discussion that Lembo really wanted to have.
?We have already started those discussions,? he said. ?There are only so many hours in the day that you and the support staff can focus on recruiting. You can?t focus on it 100 percent of the time.?
The NCAA essentially deregulated the contact period for coaches, allowing them unlimited phone calls and text messages to recruits. The rules now limit contact for all high school students. For instance, a coach can only call a junior prospect in basketball twice a week and he is prohibited from texting them. A coach can now have unlimited contact via telephone or texting starting sophomore year. The idea behind the deregulation is meant to simplify the rule book and let players and their families set guidelines on how a student athlete is recruited.
Lembo, who was in town for the Sportsmanship Banquet at Villa Cesare Banquet Hall in Schereville, said the rule favors the high revenue schools, who will now start to add staff to connect with kids via social media in creative ways.
?The haves ? the programs with $90 million budgets ? are going to budget personnel to on this,? he said. ?The have not?s won?t be able to keep pace.?
For Lembo, the key to recruiting success will be to focus on finding kids that fit the BSU niche.
He targeted kids from winning high school programs that were team captains this year. The Cardinals signed 21 players and 14 of them were team captains. Ten of the kids they signed were from programs that won at least ten games.
Lembo?s biggest concern about the unlimited contacts is for the kids. There are some coaches who will over text and call do anything to get their pitch to a recruit.
Most kids will know not to call back or send a text if they aren?t interested.
Some may not.
?I have some concerns for the student athletes,? he said. ?The student getting called out of class more and getting more phone calls. I think it could have a negative impact on academics for the students and a negative impact for the coaches.?
prince fielder state of the union address 2012 obama state of the union 2012 2012 state of the union address jorge posada maurice sendak sotu
Feb. 18, 2013 ? Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects about 4 million in the United States and is the primary cause of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Current therapy against HCV is suboptimal. Daclatasvir, a direct acting antiviral (DAA) agent in development for the treatment of HCV, targets one of the HCV proteins (i.e., NS5A) and causes the fastest viral decline (within 12 hours of treatment) ever seen with anti-HCV drugs. An interdisciplinary effort by mathematical modelers, clinicians and molecular virologists has revealed that daclatasvir has two main modes of action against HCV and also yields a new, more accurate estimate of the HCV half-life.
Results of the NS5A study are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on February 18th, 2013.
"Ultimately, our study will help design better DAA drug cocktails to treat HCV," said Loyola University Health System (LUHS) and Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM) mathematical modeler Harel Dahari, Ph.D, who co-led the study. Dahari is one of five members of the Division of Hepatology at Loyola headed by Scott Cotler, MD who authored the study along with Thomas Layden, MD, HCV virologist Susan L. Uprichard, Ph.D and Dr. Uprichard's Ph.D graduate student Natasha Sansone. The study was co-led with Jeremie Guedj (Institut National de la Sant? et de la Recherche M?dicale) and conducted with Drs. Alan Perelson (Senior Fellow at Los Alamos National Laboratory), Libin Rong (Oakland University) and Richard Nettles (Bristol-Myers Squibb).
The new study documents HCV kinetic modeling during treatment both in patients and in cell culture that provides insight into the modes of action of daclatasvir. In addition, the study suggests a more accurate estimate of HCV clearance from circulation previously estimated in 1998 by Drs. Dahari, Layden, Perelson and colleagues in Science.
"Our modeling of viral kinetics in treated patients predicts that daclatasvir not only blocks the synthesis of the viral RNA within infected cells but also blocks the secretion of infectious virus from the cells," explained Dahari. This prediction was confirmed in Dr. Uprichard's laboratory using cultured liver cells that support the entire life cycle of HCV infection. Drs. Dahari and Uprichard are directors of a new program for experimental and translational modeling recently established at Loyola to promote the type of interdisciplinary research exemplified in this publication.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Loyola University Health System, via Newswise.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
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/htUi5Md3SMg/130218164128.htm
stacy keibler oscar red carpet daytona 500 start time ryan zimmerman oscars red carpet jennifer lopez wardrobe malfunction hugo
New Delhi, Feb 18 , 2013 (IANS)
India Monday remained non-committal on whether the alleged corruption in the VVIP chopper deal would be on the agenda for talks with visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron here.
"I have no idea. I have not looked at the agenda. I know what the agenda was a week ago but I don't know if there is a revised agenda," External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
"I would think one prepared the agenda much in advance. You cannot take any visiting dignitary by surprise. There are many levels at which these investigations are taking place. It is only in due course that it reaches the highest level. I am not sure of the agenda," he said.
Cameron arrived in India Monday on a three-day visit.On the investigations into the alleged scam, Khurshid said: "Even now we are not being able to get concrete material from the Italians on where matter has proceeded and arrests have been made."
"They (Italian government) haven't indicated anything and according to their rules, they cannot share anything with us. It is a little premature to jump to conclusions on what we can get and from where," he added.
"We have sent teams to Italy. They will return with information which we can analyse and comment on," he said.
The CBI is probing allegations of kickbacks in the $750 million (Rs.3,600 crore) deal for 12 AgustaWestland AW101 choppers from Italy for the Indian Air Force's elite Communication Squadron, which ferries the president, the prime minister and other VVIPs.
The defence ministry Friday initiated action for cancellation of the contract. It also issued a formal show cause notice to AgustaWestland, a Britain-based subsidiary of Italian firm Finmeccanica.
AgustaWestland has been given a week to explain why the contract should not be cancelled.
Go to Top
Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/313005/india-non-committal-chopper-deal.html
masterchef Dictionary.com Chicago teachers strike september 11 2001 september 11 2001 blake lively serena williams
One of the amazing things about technology is that it opens the doors to things for less fortunate folks that many of us take for granted. Being able to sit down and read a good book is something that we do on a daily basis, but never think about all of the people out there who don't have that luxury. With sites like Amazon, we have a seemingly infinite number of choices on what we'd like to read, but a child in Africa may never have that luxury.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/1W5Voh9m4MA/
McKayla Maroney gronkowski jeremy renner best buy black friday deals breaking dawn part 2 breaking dawn part 2 Jennifer Lacy
Wiping out top predators like lions, wolves and sharks is tragic, bad for ecosystems ? and can make climate change worse. Mass extinctions of the big beasts of the jungles, grasslands and oceans could already be adding to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Trisha Atwood of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, studied the effect of removing predator fish from ponds and rivers in Canada and Costa Rica. Across a range of ecosystems, climates and predators, she found a consistent pattern: carbon dioxide emissions typically increased more than tenfold after the predators were removed.
"It looks like predators in many types of ecosystems ? marine and terrestrial as well as freshwater ? can play a very big role in global climate change," she told New Scientist.
The widespread and dramatic ecological impacts of the loss of top predators are well known. In the ensuing "trophic cascade", the vanished top predator's prey proliferate, which in turn puts pressure on the species that the prey eats, and so on down the food chain. In this way, changes at the top of a food chain destabilise the balance of populations right the way down.
But the geochemical impacts of trophic cascades, including any impact on emissions from ecosystems, are much less well known. Atwood's study of freshwater ecosystems showed how changes to species at the bottom of the food chain, such as photosynthesising algae, following the removal of a top predator dramatically increased the flow of CO2 from the ecosystem to the atmosphere.
The effect will not always be to increase CO2 emissions, however ? sometimes the loss of top predators could decrease emissions, she says. "But we show that something so seemingly unrelated, like fishing all the trout from a pond or removing sharks from the ocean, could have big consequences for greenhouse-gas dynamics."
Other recent studies have hinted at similar effects. Last October, Christopher Wilmers of the University of California, Santa Cruz, reported how the disappearance of sea otters is linked with increased CO2 emissions from North American coastlines (Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, doi.org/khz). With no otters eating them, sea urchins thrive and eat out kelp forests ? often known as the "rainforests of the oceans" ? resulting in major CO2 releases.
Global climate models do not take such impacts into account yet. Atwood says they could be major, as freshwater emissions may be on a par with the influence of deforestation, which is thought responsible for around 15 per cent of human-caused CO2 emissions.
Environmentalists will herald the findings as further evidence that it is vital to protect pristine habitats and the charismatic species at the top of their food chains. But there is a dark side. A recent study found that some island ecosystems around New Zealand store 40 per cent more carbon than others because of their top predators ? invading rats that are wiping out seabird colonies. Rats, it seems, are good for the climate (Biology Letters, doi.org/bbmtw9).
Journal reference: Nature Geoscience, DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1734
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.
Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.
Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article
Subscribe now to comment.
All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.
If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.
kathy griffin jadeveon clowney orange bowl Rose Parade 2013 rex ryan PNC Bank Louisville football
Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says the nation is in debt to WA as he helped launch the Liberals state election campaign.
Premier of WA Colin Barnett launches the Liberal's WA election campaign at the Campaign Rall at Octagon Theatre, UWA. Wife Lyn Barnett and Colin leave the function. Picture: Colin Murty Source: PerthNow
Tony Abbott, Leader of the Federal Opposition talks to the crowd at the launch. Picture: Colin Murty Source: PerthNow
FEDERAL Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says he would model his government on Colin Barnett's administration as he launched the WA Liberals state election campaign.
Mr Abbott and deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop were among those who joined Mr Barnett at the Octagon Theatre at the University of WA for the official launch of the WA Liberal election campaign.
The Opposition Leader was given an enormous reception by the crowd of about 300 before a speech in which he described West Australians as ?the best Australians.?
"How much I respect the premier of this state, how much I have learnt from him, how much I wish to model myself on him, should I get the opportunity to lead our country,'' Mr Abbott said.
"The Barnett government has become a model for all the governments that we run or hope to run. That's the kind of government that I wish to run in Canberra.''
Making a clear appeal to the parochial WA electorate ahead of the federal poll in September, Mr Abbott said the rest of Australia owed the state for driving the nation's economy.
"All of us owe a debt to you. Every Australian owes a debt to Western Australia and in an important sense, West Australians are the best Australians,'' Mr Abbott said.
Mr Abbott heaped praise on the Premier, whom he described as a friend and a person he modelled himself on, especially after the 2007 federal election.
"We were out of power (in 2007) in every state...some wondered whether our party had a future," he said.
"Then along came Colin Barnett and one by one the bad government's started to fall...there is one bad government yet to go.
"That's the big one in Canberra which must fall if our country is one more to flourish.
"I want to thank Colin for the beacon of hope that he has been to the Liberals right around our country."
Mr Abbott also threw down a challenge to Prime Minister Julia Gillard to visit WA in the lead up to the election.
"I do challenge the prime minister - come west, Prime Minister, come west. Don't be shy of coming to Western Australia,'' he said.
"Justify the carbon tax. Justify the mining tax. Because the first person it seems you have to persuade is your very own state leader.''
Colin Barnett used part of his 30-minute address to make several election promises.
He announced the science education centre Scitech will be rebuilt on the Burswood peninsula at a cost of $15 million, while $57 million will be spent over four years to employ 155 school health nurses.
Mr Barnett also trumpeted a plan to ?bring back the family holiday? by building camping areas and chalets at a cost of $20 million in the state?s national parks and added that an announcement on funding for medical research was coming later in the week.
The WA Liberal leader warned that changing the government on March 9 will mean a change of direction for WA.
?If you change the government, you change the state,? he said. ?And I urge you not to risk (voting) Labor and not risk our future.
?This government has been a good government, we have been ethical, we?ve been taken good and strong positions.
?We have been a government that makes decisions for the good of the people and for the good of the state.?
This afternoon, WA Labor Treasury spokesman Ben Wyatt criticised the Liberals for what he called a 'focus on pet inner city projects' and he said the party had run out of ideas.
He said Mr Barnett showed little vision for Western Australia at the campaign launch.
?It?s clear Mr Barnett has run out of ideas,? Mr Wyatt said.
?We still haven?t seen any tough decisions from Mr Barnett or any trace of how he will identify cost savings to pay for his promises, including the plan to move Scitech to Burswood Peninsula,? he said.
?WA Labor supports science, but the best place to encourage it is in the classroom.
"That?s our focus and that?s why we announced a commitment to establish a selective Gifted and Talented program at South Fremantle Senior High School and the State's first Future Science Centre.?
with AAP
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PerthnowTopStories/~3/AI8A-MlhP98/story-e6frg13u-1226579781128
Lisa Robin Kelly Nexus 4 Girl Meets World Jason Babin Nolan Daniels angus t. jones monday night football
Yesterday, 06:16 PM
| |
| ? Join Date: May 2008 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 2,597 | No
__________________ |
?
|  |
|
Yesterday, 06:44 PM
| |
| Senior Member ?Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Pensacola Posts: 1,823 | get a Muscovy duck, female you will enjoy much. |
|
?
| |
|
Yesterday, 06:47 PM
| |
| Senior Member ?Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Minnesota Posts: 286 | I had a couple of mallards when I was a kid. I don't remember where we got them. We kept them in the back yard with a kiddie pool and coop for them to sleep in. They were nice birds; very friendly, didn't mind being held. I don't ever recall us clipping their wings and they never flew away. I guess they liked being fed better than being out on their own. Here a site I found after a quick search: http://www.liveducks.com/index.html |
|
?
| |
|
Yesterday, 06:57 PM
| |
| ? Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Ms, Gulf Coast Posts: 1,445 | Used to raise them years ago. If you want a duck I would suggest the Runner breeds such as the Rouen they rarely if ever fly but poop a whole heck of a lot everywhere.
__________________ |
|
?
| |
|
Yesterday, 06:59 PM
| |
| ? Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Anywhere but here... Posts: 4,839 | Russ check when the agricultural fair is coming back to your area, it's a great place to pick either or both. Try to get an egg that's ready to hatch, when it hatches the first person it sees it bonds with - that will keep'm stick'n around. My dad had both as a kid, they made for great but noisy companions, although not as bad as the rooster.
__________________ |
|
?
| |
|
Yesterday, 10:48 PM
| |
| ? Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mandeville, Louisiana Posts: 594 | Ive had Geese, turkey, peacocks, ducks, chickens, guinea hens.... Ducks and Turkey are the most social and interactive. They can be fun pets if you raise them from small. You can order them online, but might need to order a larger quantity so that they dont die in transport, otherwise, find a co-op that might be able to order them with their chicken order. |
|
?
| |
|
Source: http://www.thehulltruth.com/dockside-chat/485922-anyone-have-duck-goose-pet.html
ufc on fox evans vs davis fast times at ridgemont high fast times at ridgemont high soylent green phil davis george st pierre
FILE -In this Dec. 28, 2011 file photo, then-Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, currently National Association of Insurance Commissioners CEO, smiles during an interview with The Associated Press in his Omaha, Neb office. President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is unfolding as a national experiment with American consumers as the guinea pigs: Who will do a better job getting uninsured people covered, the states or the feds? (AP Photo/Dave Weaver, File)
FILE -In this Dec. 28, 2011 file photo, then-Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, currently National Association of Insurance Commissioners CEO, smiles during an interview with The Associated Press in his Omaha, Neb office. President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is unfolding as a national experiment with American consumers as the guinea pigs: Who will do a better job getting uninsured people covered, the states or the feds? (AP Photo/Dave Weaver, File)
FILE - In this June 28, 2012 file photo, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger speaks in Topeka, Kansas. President Barack Obama?s health care overhaul is unfolding as a national experiment with American consumers as the guinea pigs: Who will do a better job getting uninsured people covered, the states or the feds? The nation is about evenly split between mostly blue states that decided by Friday?s deadline they want a say in running new insurance markets and mainly red ones defaulting to federal control because they want nothing to do with ?Obamacare.? (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama's health care overhaul is unfolding as a national experiment with American consumers as the guinea pigs: Who will do a better job getting uninsured people covered, the states or the feds?
The nation is about evenly split between states that decided by Friday's deadline they want a say in running new insurance markets and states that are defaulting to federal control because they don't want to participate in "Obamacare." That choice was left to state governments under the law: Establish the market or Washington will.
With some exceptions, states led by Democrats opted to set up their own markets, called exchanges, and Republican-led states declined.
Only months from the official launch, exchanges are supposed to make the mind-boggling task of buying health insurance more like shopping on Amazon.com or Travelocity. Millions of people who don't have employer coverage will flock to the new markets. Middle-class consumers will be able to buy private insurance, with government help to pay the premiums in most cases. Low-income people will be steered to safety net programs like Medicaid.
"It's an experiment between the feds and the states, and among the states themselves," said Robert Krughoff, president of Consumers' Checkbook, a nonprofit ratings group that has devised an online tool used by many federal workers to pick their health plans. Krughoff is skeptical that either the feds or the states have solved the technological challenge of making the purchase of health insurance as easy as selecting a travel-and-hotel package.
Whether or not the bugs get worked out, consumers will be able to start signing up Oct. 1 for coverage that takes effect Jan. 1. That's also when two other major provisions of the law kick in: the mandate that almost all Americans carry health insurance, and the rule that says insurers can no longer turn away people in poor health.
Barring last-minute switches that may not be revealed until next week, 23 states plus Washington, D.C., have opted to run their own markets or partner with the Obama administration to do so.
Twenty-six states are defaulting to the feds. But in several of those, Republican governors are trying to carve out some kind of role by negotiating with federal Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Utah's status is unclear. It received initial federal approval to run its own market, but appears to be reconsidering.
"It's healthy for the states to have various choices," said Ben Nelson, CEO of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. "And there's no barrier to taking somebody else's ideas and making them work in your situation." A former U.S. senator from Nebraska, Nelson was one of several conservative Democrats who provided crucial votes to pass the overhaul.
States setting up their own exchanges are already taking different paths. Some will operate their markets much like major employers run their health plans, as "active purchasers" offering a limited choice of insurance carriers to drive better bargains. Others will open their markets to all insurers that meet basic standards, and let consumers decide.
Obama's Affordable Care Act remains politically divisive, but state insurance exchanges enjoy broad public support. Setting up a new market was central to former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's health care overhaul as governor of Massachusetts. There, it's known as the Health Connector.
A recent AP poll found that Americans prefer to have states run the new markets by 63 percent to 32 percent. Among conservatives the margin was nearly 4-1 in favor of state control. But with some exceptions, including Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico, Republican-led states are maintaining a hands-off posture, meaning the federal government will step in.
"There is a sense of irony that it's the more conservative states" yielding to federal control, said Sandy Praeger, the Republican insurance commissioner in Kansas, a state declining to run its own exchange. First, she said, the law's opponents "put their money on the Supreme Court, then on the election. Now that it's a reality, we may see some movement."
They're not budging in Austin. "Texas is not interested in being a subcontractor to Obamacare," said Lucy Nashed, spokeswoman for Gov. Rick Perry, who remains opposed to mandates in the law.
In Kansas, Praeger supported a state-run exchange, but lost the political struggle to Gov. Sam Brownback. She says Kansans will be closely watching what happens in neighboring Colorado, where the state will run the market. She doubts that consumers in her state would relish dealing with a call center on the other side of the country. The federal exchange may have some local window-dressing but it's expected to function as a national program.
Christine Ferguson, director of the Rhode Island Health Benefits Exchange, says she expects to see a big shift to state control in the next few years. "Many of the states have just run out of time for a variety of reasons," said Ferguson. "I'd be surprised if in the longer run every state didn't want to have its own approach."
In some ways, the federal government has a head start on the states. It already operates the Medicare Plan Finder for health insurance and prescription plans that serve seniors, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. Both have many of the features of the new insurance markets.
Administration officials are keeping mum about what the new federal exchange will look like, except that it will open on time and people in all 50 states will have the coverage they're entitled to by law.
Joel Ario, who oversaw planning for the health exchanges in the Obama administration, says "there's a rich dialogue going on" as to what the online shopping experience should look like. "To create a website like Amazon is a very complicated exercise," said Ario, now a consultant with Manatt Health Solutions.
He thinks consumers should be able to get one dollar figure for each plan that totals up all their expected costs for the year, including premiums, deductibles and copayments. Otherwise, scrolling through pages of insurance jargon online will be a sure turn-off.
Associated Pressoaksterdam the fray national anthem dallas tornado ncaa basketball oikos kentucky wildcats oakland school shooting
By Martin Domin
|
Renan Barao successfully defended his interim bantamweight title with an impressive victory over Michael McDonald at Wembley Arena in London.
The Brazilian came into the contest on a 29-fight unbeaten run and had not tasted defeat since 2005 while McDonald, at 22, was bidding to become the youngest champion in UFC history.
Having largely dominated the exchanges going into the fourth round, the 25-year-old champion forced McDonald to tap out after executing the arm triangle choke.
Brilliant: Renan Barao kicks Michael McDonald in their interim bantamweight title fight
Renan Barao SUB Michael McDonald
Cub Swanson UD? Dustin Poirier
Jimi Manuwa TKO Cyrille Diabate
Gunnar Nelson UD Jorge Santiago
James Te Huna UD Ryan Jimmo?
After missing with a spinning kick, Barao took the fight to the floor in the opening stages but was unable to exert his dominance as McDonald, once back on his feet, took the initiative, landing flush with both hands. The American had Barao pinned against the cage but was stopped in his tracks when the Brazilian landed a spate of punishing left hands before he finished the round in control on the ground.
McDonald was determined to avoid being taken to the canvas in the second session and recovered from a takedown in some style, landing a kick while on his back. But although he was edged out in the hand-to-hand exchanges, Barao posed the greater threat with his legs, despite again falling short with a spinning kick.
A quieter third round saw McDonald again display his agility by escaping from a clinch but it was Barao who dictated the centre of the Octagon with the Brazilian enjoying the better of the sporadic exchanges.
Happy days: Barao celebrates his victory at Wembley Arena on Saturday night
Matt Riddle SD Che Mills
Renee Forte UD Terry Etim
Danny Castillo UD Paul Sass
Andy Ogle UD Josh Grispi
Tom Watson TKO Stanislav Nedkov
Vaughan Lee UD Motonobu Tezuka
Phil Harris UD Ulysses Gomez
McDonald had work to do as the bout entered the penultimate round but he was by now bleeding from the nose and regularly swallowing punches from the increasingly confident champion. And with 90 seconds of the session remaining, Barao forced the submission after finally perfecting the takedown.
'The fight was great,' the winner said. 'McDonald is a good fighter and I'm pleased with the result.? I knew he would be a tough opponent.? I felt great coming into the fight, very confident with myself and with my team and I had great expectations.
'In the run up to the fight I kept my normal work outs and training but I have improved my physical condition a lot which has helped. I also worked on my boxing and ju jitsu. The crowd were excited, they cheered me on. I'm going home to Brazil to relax for a bit, see my friends and spend some time on the beach now after the win.'
Michael McDonald admitted he will go back to the drawing board after his defeat.
'I feel like I have to go study a little bit, everything I do is about learning and I know how much my first defeat helped me,' he said. 'I know how much a better fighter it made me so I'll just have to go back to the drawing board.?
'Before the fight I worked on everything, it's one thing I'm particular on. Now I'll just go back and keep working hard.'
On the way to victory: Cub Swanson punches Dustin Poirier in their featherweight fight
American Cub Swanson edged out compatriot Dustin Poirier in an entertaining featherweight contest to move closer to a title shot.
An evenly-matched first round burst into life in the final 90 seconds when Swanson landed flush with his right hand, sending Poirier staggering backwards. The Californian sprung forward, seeking the finish with his knee but was eventually forced on to the back foot and taken down with the remainder of the round played out on the floor.
Poirier was eager to return the fight to the floor in the second session and succeeded when he executed a spectacular takedown following an attempted backhand from Swanson. But having recovered well, Swanson held the advantage going into the final round and dominated on the floor, winning on all three scorecards by margins of 30-27 (twice) and 29-28.
Swanson admitted he had expected to finish the job inside the distance,
'I'm happy enough with the fight,' he said. 'I thought I fought really good but I can improve. I could have had better accuracy in my strikes but I wasn't expecting him to fight as well as he did. I expected to hurt him. I didn't think it'd go to three. I'm ready for the next big fight and it's an honour for me to be on the main card at a major event like this.'
Over and out: Jimi Manuwa kicks Cyrille Diabate who was forced to retire at the end of the first round
Poirier meanwhile felt he had the opportunities to win the fight.
'I was feeling confident,' he said. 'I thought I had him hurt a couple of times, I just didn't pull the trigger.? He was on top of his game but I think I was too, I just let him off the hook a couple of times and didn't attack. I am really disappointed, I wanted to win this fight for my wife and my career, I have a lot to work on.'
Londoner Jimi Manuwa impressed in front of a home crowd when he forced veteran Cyrille Diabate to retire after just one round of their light-heavyweight clash.
Manuwa dominated an action-packed five minutes, both on the floor and when the two elected to fight toe-to-toe. Diabate enjoyed a brief recovery towards the end of the session but Manuwa's repeated kicks to his left leg had taken their toll and he was unable to continue.
Gunnar Nelson's unbeaten record remains intact following his points victory over Jorge Santiago.
A cagey start to the fight was broken when Nelson performed a takedown and although Santiago recovered, his swinging punches in response failed to connect.
Tumble and fall: Gunnar Nelson takes down Jorge Santiago in their welterweight fight
The Icelander was again the aggressor in the second round, pinning his more experienced opponent against the cage before leveraging Santiago to the floor, where the pair remained for the rest of the session.
With both men visibly tiring in the final five-minute stanza, they opted to trade with Nelson landing the more telling blows only to ship several several punches in the final 10 seconds. That flurry wasn't enough to alter the inevitable result however with Nelson winning on all three scorecards by margins on 30-27 and 29-28 (twice).
The Icelander said: 'I'm very pleased with the win. I don't like to think too much before the game about what will happen, I just want to react and go with how I feel during the fight.?
'It was a very tough fight with some good exchanges and it was a great experience for me. I focused on my striking a bit in training before the fight and I think that helped me win the fight.'
Light heavyweight James Te Huna recovered from a torrid first round to earn a unanimous victory over Ryan Jimmo.
Recovery: Ryan Jimmo punches James Te Huna but was beaten on the scorecards
Jimmo dropped Te Huna with a crushing left kick to the head and immediately went for the finish, landing a barrage of punches to the head which the Aussie did well to survive.
The second round was orchestrated on the floor until Te Huna seized the initiative, turning the tide and forcing Jimmo to cover up under a flurry of blows. And the Canadian maintained his momentum in the final round, dominating the clinch and doing enough to impress all three judges by scores of 29-27 and 29-28 (twice).
Te Huna revealed he had executed his game plan to perfection.
'It was a tough match and I thought he had me finished in the first round,' he said. 'I came back though and spotted a few weaknesses in his game which I took advantage. I knew I'd have to avoid his kicks, he's a strong kicker, so worked on that. I've very happy to win but there's areas that I can work on.'
British welterweight Che Mills suffered a second defeat in his last three fights against American Matthew Riddle.
American star: Matthew Riddle (right) was a convincing winner over Brit Che Mills
Mills spent the opening minute pinned to the cage wall before Riddle executed the takedown. Mills landed cleanly as enjoyed better of the stand-up battles but Riddle was always eager to take the fight to the floor and did so with a minute of the first round remaining.
The American again looked to take the fight to the floor in the second session and did so despite Mills connecting with a stunning kick to the head. From then on, Riddle controlled the round, attempting a late submission.
Mills looked to seize the initiative at the start of the final stanza but despite landing cleanly, he soon found himself on the back foot. He managed to escape the clinch in the final minute but Riddle, refusing to engage, saw out the round to claim a split-decision victory.
The Brit conceded he needs to improve his floor work.
'I stayed on the bottom too long,' he said. 'The fight went pretty much as I'd expected, though I was confident of the win.? I had really worked on my wrestling before and I think I showed that I've improved. I'll keep working hard going forwards, more of the same.'
?
?
st. patrick s day brandon lloyd brandon lloyd celtic thunder fabrice muamba collapse prometheus trailer patrice oneal
The phone lineup is straightforward, covering the majority of use cases in governmental agencies.
The Polycom CX500 IP desktop phone, a basic phone for desks, hallways, lobbies, cubicles, common areas and more. This phone offers a device-only mode, which makes safe to use in more ?public? spaces.
The ?CX600 IP desktop phone, an extension of the CX300 is a more specialized option with an on-board client allowing for pairing with a PC to transfer contacts and contact information without requiring the PC to make calls. It also features an embedded dual port ethernet switch.
Lastly, Polycom boasts that the C3000 IP conference phone (pictured) ?is the only conference phone optimized to natively take advantage?of Microsoft Lync?s capabilities. It features a specialized PIN authentication ability and also includes the same PC pairing functionality.
This focus on Microsoft Lync is interesting,?particularly?amid a recent?acquisition?of Microsoft Gold Partner Sentri, which specializes in Lync UC and UC security. It?s likely Polycom is looking to?strengthen its portfolio with Microsoft technology in anticipation of ?the coming wave of Microsoft Office solutions and communication platforms. Cloud or on premise, phone hardware will still be needed in varying capacities and Lync optimization can become an is attractive option for both customers and solutions providers already knee-deep with Microsoft.
And while it may be true that Polycom ?s Federal focus is about?capitalizing?on Government infrastructure overhaul ? there won?t be abundant demand ?especially since?Gartner predicts government?spending is likely to decline by 2 percent over the 2013 year (and continue to do so) as government spending comes under scrutiny. Instead, Polycom?s efforts with this phone trio could be to capture the Federal vertical through Microsoft?s momentum.
Earlier in January,?Microsoft inked a 3-year deal with the US Department of Defense, set to blanket nearly 75 percent of the Pentagon?s 1.5 million computers and help with modernizing the infrastructure and improve ?cross -agency?collaboration.??It wouldn?t be surprising if ?Lync and Polycom ?showed up there, too.
?
Source: http://channelnomics.com/2013/02/15/polycom-federal-case-lync-phones/
walking dead season finale matt flynn denver news frozen planet creighton new smyrna beach st. joseph
Posting Rules