Thursday, May 31, 2012

Acting in Unison Stirs Up Aggression

Head Lines | Mind & Brain Cover Image: May 2012 Scientific American MagazineSee Inside

A more tightly knit team, it seems, is a fiercer foe

Image: Ahmad Faizal Yahya/iStockphoto

In this groundbreaking adventure into the worlds of psychopaths, the renowned psychologist Kevin Dutton argues that there is a fine line between a brilliant...

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Military leaders have long known that marching in unison makes for a tight-knit platoon. Past research by psychologist Scott Wiltermuth of the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business suggests that this cooperation emerges when the group members? emotions are aligned. Now he finds such synchrony can also encourage aggression, according to a study published in January in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

Wiltermuth and his colleagues assigned subjects to groups. The researchers gave each group a set of cups and taught them a choreographed cup-moving routine that they would perform later to music. To create an atmosphere of competition, the researchers tasked them with memorizing a list of cities?they would be tested later, and the highest-scoring groups could win $50. Then all participants put on headphones and performed the cup routine in time to the music they heard. In some groups, participants ended up moving the cups in sync with one another; in other groups, each subject heard music with varying beats and could not coordinate with other participants. After completing the cup activity, the researchers told each group they could select the music a different group would hear during its cup-moving routine. One of the options was a loud, aggravating blast of static. Teams that had moved in sync were more likely to choose the noxious noise than those that had been out of sync. A more tightly knit team, it seems, is a fiercer foe.

In a companion study, to be published in Social Influence, Wiltermuth found that members of an in-sync group were also more destructive. The groups were given live pill bugs and told to shoo them into boxes described as ?exter?minators? (in reality, the boxes held the bugs unharmed). When prompted by a leader, those that had moved in sync earlier drove 54 percent more insects into the extermination boxes than did out-of-sync control subjects.

Wiltermuth explains that these findings underscore the importance of questioning our actions and those of our leaders. ?We are doing things we wouldn?t otherwise do, because we feel an emotional connection to our team,? he says.

This article was published in print as "Emotions in Lockstep."


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Streetlights Draw Insects At Ground Level

60-Second Science60-Second Science | More Science

More insects, including many carnivores and scavengers, hang out under streetlights than between them, even during the day. Christopher Intagliata reports.

More 60-Second Science

How does a Venus flytrap know when to snap shut? Can it actually feel an insect?s tiny, spindly legs? And how do cherry blossoms know when to bloom? Can they...

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You've probably seen clouds of insects swirling round a streetlamp at night. But something you may not have noticed is that streetlights attract bugs to the ground below them, too?especially carnivorous bugs, like beetles. So says a study in the journal Biology Letters by researchers at the University of Exeter. Thomas W. Davies, Jonathan Bennie and Kevin J. Gaston, Street lighting changes the composition of invertebrate communities]

The researchers set up 28 traps in the grass below and between streetlamps in the English town of Helston, in Cornwall. They collected captured insects at dawn and dusk over three days, and ended up with nearly 1200 specimens. Turns out, more bugs hung out under the lights than between them. And that was true at night and day?suggesting that streetlights permanently upped the value of the buggy real estate below them.

The researchers also found greater numbers of predators and scavengers under the lamps?like ground beetles, harvestmen and ants?because it may be easier to hunt for prey with the help of a spotlight.

With artificial lighting increasing globally at six percent a year, the authors say there's a chance light pollution could shake up food webs in unforeseen ways. Call it a bug in the system.

?Christopher Intagliata

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast]?
?


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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Hispanic Jobs | Bilingual Jobs | Spanish Jobs | Latino Jobs ...

Internal Posting Date: 4/30/2012 to 5/7/2012
External Posting Date: 4/30/2012 to N/A
Salary Grade:
Bargaining Status: Non-Bargaining
Employee Status: Active PRN
Exempt Status: Exempt
Hours Per Pay Period: 24.00
Work Schedule: DAY SHIFT
Shift: 1
Department: INFECTIOUS DISEASE (PROF)
WORK HOURS: Day Shift - As Needed VP#: MED OPS - OUTPT

Job Summary: Delivers direct patient care consistent with the advanced practice registered nurse's education, experience and certification, in collaboration with a physician, which includes diagnosis, management and/or referral of health care issues. Promotes consumer, family, and community health through preventative health care actions and through patient advocacy. The advanced practice registered nurse may also manage complex illnesses and/or deliver specialty care. Upholds the standards of the system-wide customer service program.

MHS Life Flight: Responsible for advanced emergency and critical care patient management during air and ground transport of the critically ill or injured patient from the scene or outlying sites to participating secondary and tertiary care institutions. Provides intensive care monitoring, critical care intervention and advanced surgical skill procedures to critically ill and injured patients. This includes the management of high-risk obstetrical, medical, surgical, respiratory and cardiovascular patients. The specialized training of the Flight Nurse Practitioner allows for the provision of care to critically ill and injured patients through the use of ventilatory support, continuous cardiac and hemodynamic monitoring, including intra-aortic balloon pump. Upholds the standards of the system-wide customer service program.

Job Qualifications (required): Required:
MSN or grandfathered under ORC
Graduate of an accredited advanced practice registered nurse program
Current registered nurse licensure in the state of Ohio
Certificate of Authority as an Advanced Practice Nurse from the Ohio Board of Nursing
Certification as Advanced Practice Registered Nurse in specialty.
Current BLS Certification or obtains within 90 days of hire.
Obtains other advanced life support certifications applicable to practice area within 180 days of hire
Meets the requirements/qualifications for clinical privileges in the specialty/department with The MetroHealth System and must report to Medical Staff Office at time of hire to apply for clinical privileges
Maintains a standard care arrangement and renew/sign it annually

Required for Flight Nurse Provider:
1.A minimum of five years recent, active nursing experience in a critical-care unit, some of which can be in the Emergency Department
2.Must have and maintain all required certifications in BLS, ACLS, and PALS.
3.Within six (6) months of hire, ATLS (or accepted equivalent).and obtain NRP certification.
4.Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Certification
5.Must be able to lift 50 pounds and work in outside environment during inclement weather as needed to provide patient care.

Note: Other department specific qualifications for providers will be addressed through the Certificate of Authority and credentialing process.

Job Qualifications (preferred): Preferred:
Have or be able to apply for a Certificate to Prescribe/Externship from the Ohio Board of Nursing

Preferred for Flight Nurse Provider:
Previous NP critical care experience
A board certification as a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN), Critical-Care Registered Nurse (CCRN) or Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN).
EMT-B/I/P state of Ohio
Prehospital, flight and/or critical care transport experience
Familiarity and utilization of human patient simulation education and training

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5 Smart Legal Moves Before You Sign a Lease - Real Estate Law ...

With the housing market in a slump, high unemployment and a disturbing amount of student debt, there's no question that more and more people are turning to the rental market. Got to live somewhere, right?

It's not uncommon for first-time renters to feel overwhelmed by the prospect. It's a lot to take in -- the hunt, the move-in, the possibility of bad neighbors and horrible landlords.

Now, we can't promise you won't land in rental hell. But taking the follow steps before you sign a lease can go a long way in helping you avoid such a situation.

1. Talk to other tenants. Or Google the landlord and the building. You can learn a lot about the area, the property and the management this way. Most disgruntled tenants are perfectly happy to share their annoyance.

2. Inspect the premises. While visiting the property, take a good look at the inside and outside of the unit. Do you see mold or water damage? Evidence of shoddy repairs? How good is security? Are the grounds taken care of? If all is well, remember to document the condition (with photos!) before you move in.

3. Draft a roommate agreement. It's a bit formal, but before you sign a lease, write down who pays for what and any rules of the house. This will protect you in case someone wants to move out.

4. Buy rental insurance. It's cheap, so do it. It'll protect you should something happen to the building or if there's a break-in. The landlord's insurance policy often doesn't cover a tenant's belongings or relocation fees.

5. Read the lease. This is actually the most important thing you need to do before you sign a lease. If you do nothing else, still do this. You need to know your rights and responsibilities, especially when it comes to repairs, guests and use of the facilities.

Related Resources:

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Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher Reconciling?

1 second ago ( 3:28 PM)

This is how the press figured out they're getting back together. They tapped their phone and heard Ashton call Demi and say "Can I come back home, Mommy?"

ItWasntMeReally: This is how the press figured out they're getting back

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/ItWasntMeReally/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157610838.html

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2 minutes ago ( 3:26 PM)

Just because they were seen together on Facebook doesn't mean they're really back together.

ItWasntMeReally: Just because they were seen together on Facebook doesn't mean

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/ItWasntMeReally/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157610421.html

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3 minutes ago ( 3:26 PM)

Uh oh... That only means the show is not doing well. ?Perhaps it's getting canceled?

ItWasntMeReally: Uh oh... That only means the show is not doing

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/ItWasntMeReally/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157610183.html

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3 minutes ago ( 3:25 PM)

No point in taking him back. It'll only happen again and again.

ckdogs: No point in taking him back. It'll only happen again

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/ckdogs/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157610079.html

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HUFFPOST SUPER USER

TheFabOne

From the Bottom To the Top, The Cream Of The Crop!

3 minutes ago ( 3:25 PM)

That's the sign of a true player.

Can go out, shag with the best of them, and STILL come back and have an attractive wife ready to forgive him back to her.

TheFabOne: That's the sign of a true player. Can go out,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/TheFabOne/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157609998.html

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4 minutes ago ( 3:24 PM)

divorced, married, whatever.

oldwolf49: divorced, married, whatever.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/oldwolf49/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157609856.html

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6 minutes ago ( 3:22 PM)

For all her "red string bracelet" spiritual involvement, she's still one f'd up hot mess.

redbud9: For all her "red string bracelet" spiritual involvement, she's still

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/redbud9/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157609395.html

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3 minutes ago ( 3:26 PM)

The child of some raging alcoholics. She never had her needs met and now is probably bottomless needs.

metoo123: The child of some raging alcoholics. She never had her

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/metoo123/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157610234.html

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7 minutes ago ( 3:21 PM)

She'd be a complete and utter fool to take him back. And clearly very desperate.

Persnicketychick: She'd be a complete and utter fool to take him

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Persnicketychick/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157608990.html

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8 minutes ago ( 3:20 PM)

Divorce, defriended on Facebook and dropped as a Twitter follwer? Oh, it's a done deal...that's a modern day breakup trifecta.

Bdub24: Divorce, defriended on Facebook and dropped as a Twitter follwer?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Bdub24/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157608839.html

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8 minutes ago ( 3:20 PM)

What does a 50 year old women have in common with a 34 year old man? He's still has time to make babies...this is over and done with. It was ridiculous to begin with. I hpe Ashton hooks up with Mila. Now that's a cute pair!

MelanieGagnon: What does a 50 year old women have in common

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/MelanieGagnon/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157608752.html

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9 minutes ago ( 3:19 PM)

If they are still in love, I hope they give it another shot. There's nothing worse than spending the rest of your life wishing you had tried harder.

msperry1123: If they are still in love, I hope they give

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/msperry1123/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157608567.html

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9 minutes ago ( 3:19 PM)

as soon as I saw the words "spiritial advisor" I stopped reading...

boileroperator: as soon as I saw the words "spiritial advisor" I

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/boileroperator/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157608556.html

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8 minutes ago ( 3:21 PM)

spiritual GURU...which is funnier.

Waiting_for_Something: spiritual GURU...which is funnier.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Waiting_for_Something/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157608943.html

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9 minutes ago ( 3:19 PM)

They deserve each other.I don't even know why I clicked on?Slow day.

Audrey_Ferragamo: They deserve each other.I don't even know why I clicked

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Audrey_Ferragamo/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157608508.html

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HUFFPOST COMMUNITY MODERATOR

Lilly-G

14 minutes ago ( 3:15 PM)

Moore is not 34 yrs. old....she probably wishes she was, however!

Lilly-G: Moore is not 34 yrs. old....she probably wishes she was,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Lilly-G/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157607311.html

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14 minutes ago ( 3:14 PM)

Moore turns 50 this year, and is not 34, as your article states.

Copyright: Moore turns 50 this year, and is not 34, as

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/Copyright/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157607180.html

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8 minutes ago ( 3:20 PM)

Can't you people read...MOORE is 49 and Kutcher is 34...and, that is exactly what the article stated. And, Demi was foolish the first time she married him, she will be an even bigger fool if she stays with him...he will do it again...she won't be able to handle it the second time...get over him

portia2708: Can't you people read...MOORE is 49 and Kutcher is 34...and,

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/social/portia2708/demi-moore-ashton-kutcher-reconciling_n_1553414_157608829.html

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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Judgment day for Philippines' chief justice

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A Manual to Acquiring and Utilizing Travel Insurance coverage | RC ...

Is Travel Insurance Truly Needed?

Travel is already expensive adequate, isn?t it? The price of air fare, cruises, hotels, ground transportation, meals and actions and entertainment are previously substantial enough. I do not know about you, but I work difficult for my money, and when I travel, I need to preserve as significantly of my funds in MY pocket as you can. Is travel insurance a necessity or a luxury? Why not reduce a couple of corners right here and there. Why acquire some thing if it?s not actually essential?

My personal answer is, needless to say, that I am not independently wealthy and can?t withstand the prospective financial losses if I require health-related care whilst I?m traveling. Not getting independently wealthy also means that I am within the industry for sufficient but low cost travel insurance coverage. I suspect which you are inside the same position, which means you, too require low cost travel insurance. If you?re even now not sure about that, contemplate the following.

Did you realize that if you get sick or are injured while traveling abroad, your health-related plan may not cover all of the expenses you are going to incur? In the event the charges of remedy are higher than the maximums of one?s health-related program, you?ll be accountable for the variation, except if you might have previously bought travel insurance. In reality, you might not even be admitted into hospitals in some countries with no proof that you just have health or health-related insurance coverage.

This is true for everybody, regardless of age or length of time abroad. Suppose you fall ill just several hrs after arriving at your destination. Or suppose you make a day-trip to one more country, and you also are injured inside a site visitors accident. Or suppose certainly one of your kids is a part of a group producing a class visit abroad, gets meals poisoning and demands hospitalization. In all cases, without sufficient travel well being insurance, you can be responsible for the costs above and beyond the limitations of the present medical strategy.

Therefore, before going abroad, you will need to produce certain that you are adequately covered by travel health-related insurance that will not break your budget. You must test to see if suitable coverage is previously readily available to you through your health-related plan, employee positive aspects, or perhaps by way of a bank card. When the coverage is sufficient to your requirements, then you can get pleasure from your trip without incurring the additional expense of travel insurance. Even so, should you be not certain of one?s coverage, or in case your coverage is inadequate or non-existent, then your subsequent step needs to be to study and obtain the travel insurance coverage you?ll need.

How Much Can you Assume To Spend?

When I bought my initial plane ticket to China a couple of many years ago it price close to $2000 round-trip, and my travel insurance coverage cost me over $500 since I did not store around for low cost travel insurance on the internet.

A couple of many years later on, a little bit older and wiser, and my travel insurance coverage for an additional trip to China cost me a lot less?about $300 for roughly exactly the same coverage. The distinction? Before acquiring my travel insurance for the 2nd trip, I shopped around on the web and got the coverage I needed, in the correct price. If I?d have bought my travel insurance for this most current trip from my travel agent, it would?ve price me about $600 for the trip, and my plane tickets only price $1,500! Not exactly the wise method to go.

So how much will it price you? Not as significantly cash as it will cost you in case you get sick or injured abroad and also you never have any travel insurance coverage! That?s the evident answer to the question.

In reality, just how much travel insurance costs will rely in your age along with the kind of coverage you decide on. Standard policies expense as little as $5.50 USD per $1000 of coverage. On the other hand, you are able to assume a total coverage policy to cost you from 7 to 10% from the cost of the trip, depending on your age. The older you will be, the more you will pay out. Regardless of what the price of the policy, nonetheless, it is positive to be a lot much less than the cost of medical evacuation!

The good news is the fact that you?ll be able to simply, conveniently and swiftly investigation and locate excellent but low cost on-line travel insurance coverage and lessen the expenses although producing an informed purchase. This really is significantly much better than taking what you are supplied at the travel agency because you can select from numerous travel insurance coverage businesses and polices and conserve by yourself a great deal of funds inside the approach. A single location you?ll be able to start your search is at Travel Insurance Central, http://www.travel-insurance-central.com

What You must Consider When Purchasing Travel Insurance

To help you in your investigation, here are some recommendations to help you make an informed purchase.

1. Consider the worst-case situation. If you can financially withstand the worst-case scenario then perhaps you don?t need to have travel insurance coverage or possibly you do not need a complete policy.

2. Ensure the policy you might be thinking about gives sufficient medical/dental coverage, like health-related evacuation coverage just in situation you require medical care inside a location where the top remedy available is under the specifications you are accustomed to in your nation. This can take place should you fall ill in a developing country and even on a cruise ship.

3. Examine your present insurance policies for attainable coverage. There?s no sense in having to pay far more for what you previously have in your house owner or tenant policy, such as theft and loss coverage.

4. If you are a frequent traveler, you need to think about annual or year-round travel insurance policies. Often they are called multi-trip travel insurance policies. What ever the title, these policies might be fairly inexpensive when compared to single-trip travel insurance policies.

5. Know what you might be getting, so study the fine print. Make sure that you just understand what the firm considers to be a respectable explanation for cancellation or interruption. If the list is also restrictive, possibly you should take into account another policy.

6. Never restrict your self to acquiring only out of your travel agent. He/She will most likely only have one company?s solution(s) accessible, and it?s there to your convenience, but that convenience can be quite expensive!

7. Ask a great deal of concerns regarding the coverage. Perform the ?what if? game. Ask for clear explanations of terminology. Make certain that you simply and also the travel insurance coverage company are speaking exactly the same language.

8. Don?t buy the insurance coverage via your transportation provider. If the airline goes bankrupt, how sufficient will your insurance coverage be?

Once You?ve Purchased Your Travel Insurance

Bear in mind that your travel insurance coverage policy addresses you between certain certain dates, so don?t commence your trip early or extend your trip with no first shifting the dates of coverage on your travel insurance coverage policy. Obviously, this may expense you extra, but that is less expensive than discovering your self with out coverage whenever you need it essentially the most.

Also, it almost goes without having saying that you need to bring your travel insurance policy with you whenever you go abroad. You can?t consult the policy if it really is sitting on your desk in your own home. You ought to also carry your travel insurance company?s toll-free assistance cellphone quantity along with other make contact with data with you wherever you go. It does you no great in the event you get ill or hurt along with the essential policy details is sitting in your hotel space. It?s also a superb concept to bring your regular medical coverage cards and information with you.

I hope these suggestions will help you by the very best travel insurance coverage to suit your needs. Then take your trip using the peace of thoughts that originates from figuring out that you are insured by the correct travel insurance coverage policy on the right cost. Bon voyage!

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Kim Kardashian Laments Removal of Luggage Items, Loss of TSA "Trust"


Look, TSA, we know that terrorists flew planes into the Twin Towers in 2001, and that security has been understandably tight ever since... but come on. Can't an exception be made for Kim Kardashian?!?

That's basically what the reality star wondered over the weekend, as she touched down in Los Angeles - following a PDA-filled trip to Cannes with Kanye West - and lamented the loss of a few luggage items.

Kim Kardashian Arrives at LAX

"Very disappointed in British Airways for opening my luggage and taking some special items of mine! Some things are sentimental and not replaceable," Kardashian Tweeted Saturday. "What happened to the days when you could lock your bags! We need to get back to that. There's no sense of security and no trust! Shame on you."

Poor Kim. Allow us to offer a couple responses to her questions at least:

  1. 9/11 happened to the days when you could lock your bags.
  2. Consider this a lesson learned: next time, travel with a three-ounce bottle of lubricant.

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Monday, May 28, 2012

UFC 146 Primetime - Dos Santos vs. Mir - Episode 3 - Part 1

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Cargill Relaunches Sweekar with High Oleic Sunflower Oil Blend

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PFT: Forte's agent calls durability concerns absurd

Kevin VickersonAP

Despite all the excitement and anticipation in Denver given the arrival of Peyton Manning, the fact remains that:? (1) the schedule is front-loaded with potent offenses; and (2) the Broncos? defense has been suspect at times.

This year, the Broncos are breaking in yet another defensive coordinator, loading up on cornerbacks, and hoping to find a pair of starting defensive tackles.? Gone is Brodrick Bunkley; unsigned is Marcus Thomas.

Kevin Vickerson hopes to fill the void.

After dropping to 275 pounds last year in the hopes of better fitting into the team?s return to a 4-3 front, Vickerson has added a whopping 49 pounds, straining the scale at 324.? As Lindsay Jones of the Denver Post explains it, Vickerson hasn?t simply followed the Joe McKnight McDonald?s diet.? Vickerson?s body fat has plunged from 37 percent to 24.

?Coming off an injury, you could get out of shape with a bad body,? Vickerson said, referring to an ankle injury that landed him on injured reserve after only five games.? ?A lot of guys, especially D-tackles, would come back way over-heavy, sloppy, bad weight.? I?ve had that before, and I didn?t want that again.?

Vickerson has had to buy more food with less money.? He agreed to cut his pay from $2.5 million to $1.2 million in order to remain on the roster.

?You have to use your leverage when you have your leverage,? Vickerson said.? ?I was coming off a year of IR.? I didn?t do nothing last year.? I want to earn my money, and if that means I have to earn it again and show, ?Hey I am worth it,? then I?ll get it next year or get a long-term deal sooner rather than later.? A job is a job.? I?d rather take a pay cut and have a job, than not take a pay cut and not have a job and have my wife and kids looking at me like, ?What are we going to do??? You have to be smart about the situation.?

And so Vickerson will vie with rookie Derek Wolfe and veterans Justin Bannan and Ty Warren (if Warren takes a pay cut of his own) and others for a shot to parlay a contract year into a contract large enough to complement his 324-pound frame.

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Medicare Health Insurance Plan ? Get A Free Health Insurance Quote

Are you looking for Medicare Health Insurance Plan?? There are various websites that allow you to request health insurance quotes instantly.? Find the best deals on health insurance now by going here.

It?s not very bright to not have health care coverage these days.? Injuries and illnesses can occur when you least expect them.? Getting health care is by no means cheap and costs add up rather quickly.

Not having health insurance can mean a financial wipe out if an unexpected accident or ailments should come up.? Medical assistance can cost an arm and a leg and that?s why it?s so imperative for Americans to find affordable health insurance.

Various organizations are in business to provide health care insurance.? Insurance companies will provide different packages so people can choose which one fits their needs.

Getting the proper health plan can be difficult.? You must get an ideal coverage and make sure you get it for a price that is within the range that you are comfortable paying.? Therefore, it?s a good idea to get insurance rates online so you can get the best rates out there.

Get an instant quote right now!

So that you can get your Medicare Health Insurance Plan, you will need to complete a basic form when using a health quote website.? You will obtain numerous insurance policies from the various providers and you can review them to see which one fits your needs the most.? You can pick out those insurance plans that give you exactly what you need and that are within your financial reach.

Health quote websites save you time and energy.? To get a quote from each insurance provider separately would take many hours to accomplish.? Happily, however, free services exist for anyone to get health quotes from all the available providers very easily and quickly.

For more information on Medicare Health Insurance Plan and to get a free quote, go here.

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Sunday, May 27, 2012

Afghan road lifelines blocked by graft, kickbacks

KABUL (Reuters) - When the Afghan government unveiled plans for a road linking his small village to larger centers elsewhere, Rahmanullah was so enthusiastic he offered a section of his farm for the route, thinking it would help move his produce to larger markets.

He even signed up for the construction gang, earning $6 a day to help build the 28 km-long route from Gardez, the capital of east Paktia province, and Rahmanullah's home in the mountainous Mirzaki district.

But two years on and Rahmanullah's farming land has gone and the road has largely disintegrated, along with the hopes of local people for a less hardscrabble life in a province where the insurgency offers much-needed money for fighters.

"I gave my farming field for free to the builders to give us a road and this is the result," Rahmanullah said, glumly pointing to a cratered and crumbling surface snaking from his village.

Like other similar projects meant to build prosperity under the counter-insurgent orthodoxy that people with jobs won't fight, the Mirzaki road fell victim to shoddy construction and kickbacks in the award of lucrative building contracts.

More than $57 billion has been spent on Afghanistan's reconstruction since the toppling of the former Taliban government in 2001, but critics says millions of dollars have been misspent as donor aid is parachuted on to an opaque maze of local and international contractors.

Afghanistan is regularly ranked close to the bottom of countries most affected by corruption, according to the Berlin-based graft watchdog Transparency International, with donors linking ongoing aid as the war winds down to improvement in its record.

"The village people hoped the new road would help them find good markets for their vegetables and fruit, getting them there on time before they spoiled," said Rahmanullah, who like many Afghans has one name.

According to a Paktia provincial official, the $7 million contract for construction of the Mirzaki road was given to an Afghan company named Seven Star, but was then sold on to another local contractor for less than $6 million.

Qari Fahim, Seven Star's owner, blamed the convoluted contracting process for failing to release the money on time.

"I got only 25 percent of the contract upfront. Other instalments for the rest were delayed for months. Finally I had to hand over the project to another company for less money," Fahim told Reuters.

Another 105-km road joining Paktia to neighboring Khost province, to the northeast, has also been crippled by graft and kickbacks, some Afghan officials concerned about the problem say on condition of anonymity, fearing repercussions.

That contract, worth $126 million, was awarded to an Indian-based company three years ago, but it was then onsold to an Afghan contractor for $84 million. The road is still incomplete.

Visiting a half-finished part of the route, Paktia governor Juma Khan Humdard fumed at the contract skimming, which forces contractors lower on the chain to skimp on costs and build less-durable roads guaranteed to deteriorate.

"There has been corruption, kickbacks. That's why this road can't be built," Humdard said.

ROADS TO STABILITY

Road-building has been a major priority for President Hamid Karzai and Western backers as his government's popularity fades over its inability to deliver the progress sought by voters in a country where a third of the 30 million population live beneath the poverty line.

The U.S. Agency for International Development promised to build as much as 1,900 km of roads under one program but delivered less than a tenth of that when the program was cut last year, after U.S. taxpayers had spent almost $270 million.

USAid did not address specific accusations about the program, but a spokesman told Reuters it had invested $2 billion in total to build and rehabilitate 1,800 km of roads.

Afghan officials said while 6,700 km of road had been asphalted across Afghanistan, around 4,000 km were quickly deteriorating due to shoddy construction and graft.

The problem even extends to the capital, where poor drainage and heavy winter rains and snow left many major roads choked with traffic jams and impassable.

"We need around $70 million for maintenance of poorly constructed roads built with inadequate materials," Ahmad Shah, the deputy minister of public works, told Reuters.

Azizullah Ludin, the head of the government's anti-graft unit in Kabul, criticized civilian/military Provincial Reconstruction Teams, or PRTs, for their method of awarding contracts, which sees kickbacks go to contracting companies.

"There is no transparency in contract letting by PRTs or other foreign military units. The contracting companies take a share for themselves and then pass contracts over to others desperate to break into potentially lucrative aid contracts.

"We have a case of a $50 million contract awarded to a foreign company with no equipment or machinery, who then passed it to an Afghan company for $30 million," Ludin said.

"It's not only Afghan companies, but foreigners. There are many such cases, not only in roads, but in almost every part of construction."

Ludin said construction of many buildings had also been suspended due to poor quality of materials used, from schools to hospitals and government buildings.

"A $9 million health clinic was built in Bamiyan province. When we inspected it, it was found to be vulnerable to collapse because of winter snow and even small earthquakes," he said.

The governor in volatile southern Helmand province, Gulab Mangal, said he had suspended construction of three major roads through the province last month after complaints from local villagers that they had been poorly built.

The roads were meant to connect the provincial capital Lashkar Gah to Giresk and Nawa districts, as well as the town of Marjah, where U.S. surge troops fought one of the fiercest battles of the Afghan war in 2010.

Mangal also blamed the bidding process and said construction companies had been awarded contracts based on their family or business connections with deciding officials in Kabul, rather than their ability to deliver or any knowledge of Helmand.

"Government officials, lawmakers and even the Taliban received a share of money from those contracts," an official told Reuters in Kabul. "There have been amounts of money involved."

(Editing by Rob Taylor)

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Oklahoma City drag boat race event to feature Salute to the Troops

Oklahoma's post 9/11 veterans will be honored at the 2012 Ozarka-Riverwind OKC Nationals drag boat races June 8-10 on the Oklahoma River.

Salute to the Troops will be presented June 9 by the Chickasaw Nation.

Retired and active troops who served since Sept. 11, 2001, will be given complimentary admission.

They are asked to register in advance at www.kfor.com/okcnationals and to present their military ID card at the race to receive their passes.

Each service member will receive two complimentary passes. Children age 12 and younger will be admitted at no cost. Free parking will be available for troops and their families.

?On behalf of all the men and women of the Oklahoma National Guard, I would like to express how honored we are to be recognized by our fellow citizens at this year's OKC Nationals drag boat races,? Maj. Gen. Myles Deering said in a news release. ?I know many of our soldiers and airmen will greatly appreciate this special day along the Oklahoma River with family and friends watching the tremendous action and competition.?

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

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Gunman in standoff with Indiana police

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Activists: Toll from Syrian attack more than 90

This image made from amateur video released by Shaam News Network and accessed Friday, May 25, 2012 purports to show shelling in Jobar, Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

This image made from amateur video released by Shaam News Network and accessed Friday, May 25, 2012 purports to show shelling in Jobar, Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

This image made from amateur video released by Shaam News Network and accessed Friday, May 25, 2012 purports to show police running toward a protest in Damascus, Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

This image made from amateur video released by Ugarit and accessed Friday, May 25, 2012 purports to show Syrian troops in Douma, Syria. (AP Photo/Ugarit via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

This image made from amateur video released by Shaam News Network and accessed Friday, May 25, 2012 purports to show a wounded child being evacuated in Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

This image made from amateur video released by Shaam News Network and accessed Friday, May 25, 2012 purports to show a wounded child being evacuated in Aleppo, Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

(AP) ? Government troops shelled a string of villages in central Syria before pro-regime thugs swept through the area, shooting people in the streets and in their homes in attacks that killed more than 90 people, activists said Saturday.

The assault on Houla, an area northwest of the central city of Homs, is one of the bloodiest single events in Syria's 15-month-old uprising.

Activists from the region said regime forces peppered Houla with mortars following a large anti-regime protest on Friday. After the bombardment, pro-government thugs known as shabiha raided the villages, killing men on the streets and stabbing women and children in their houses.

Amateur videos posted online showed scores of dead covered in sheets and blankets, some covered with chunks of ice to preserve then until burial. One video showed 14 dead children lined up on the ground, shoulder to shoulder. Another had at least a dozen more, some with holes in their heads and faces, lying on what appears to be the floor of a mosque.

The Syrian government blamed the massacre on "armed terrorist groups" but provided no details or death toll.

The killings strike a stiff blow to an international peace plan brokered by envoy Kofi Annan meant to end the violence in Syria. The basis of the plan is a cease-fire between President Bashar Assad's forces and rebels seeking to topple the Syrian regime. It was supposed to start on April 12 but has never really taken hold, with pockets of daily violence.

The U.N. put the death toll weeks ago at more than 9,000. Hundreds have been killed since.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday that there has only been "small progress" on implementing the plan and blamed the Syrian government for much of the "unacceptable levels of violence and abuses." Annan is supposed to visit Syria soon to check on the plan's progress, though no date has been announced.

On Saturday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius condemned the attack on Houla, saying that "with these new crimes, this murderous regime pushes Syria further into horror and threatens regional stability."

Abu Yazan, a local activist reached via Skype, said regime forces fired shells at the villages that make up Houla, an area about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the city of Homs after an anti-regime demonstration Friday.

He said local rebels fighting under the banner of the Free Syrian Army tried to fight the army off in clashes around the area before pro-regime thugs known as shabiha stormed the villages, raiding homes and shooting at civilians.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said more than 90 people were killed in the Houla area. Abu Yazan said 106 people were killed, most of them in the village of Taldaw. More than 40 were children, he said.

"They killed entire families, from parents on down to children, but they focused on the children," he said.

Another activist, Abu Walid, said that many of the women and children had stab wounds.

The activists said the Houla killings appeared to be sectarian, raising fears that Syria's uprising, which started in March 2011 with protests calling for political reform, is edging closer to the type of sectarian war that tore apart its eastern neighbor, Iraq.

The Houla villages are Sunni Muslim. Activists said that the pro-regime forces all came from an arc of villages south of Houla that are populated by Alawites, members of the offshoot of Shiite Islam to which Assad belongs.

"Our area is Sunni and the surrounding villages are Alawite," Abu Walid said. "I don't like to talk about sectarianism, but it was clear that this was sectarian hatred."

Amateur videos posted online showed dozens of bodies laid out in different rooms, including women wearing Muslim headscarves and children in shorts and T-shirts.

Syrian state TV blamed the "massacre" in Houla on "armed terrorist groups" ? a term it often uses for the opposition.

The claims and videos could not be independently verified. The Syrian government bars most media from operating inside the country.

Anti-regime groups, who have expressed frustrations with the international community's reluctance to intervene in Syria's conflict, strongly condemned the killings.

World powers have fallen in behind the U.N. plan, which is supposed to lead to dialogue between all sides on a political solution. The U.S. and European nations say they will not intervene militarily. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Libya have said they will arm Syria's rebels, although no country is known to be doing so now.

A spokeswoman for the opposition Syrian National Council called on the U.N. Security Council "to examine the situation in Houla and to determine the responsibility of the United Nations in the face of such mass killings, expulsions and forced migration from entire neighborhoods."

The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights released an unusually harsh statement, saying Arab nations and the international community were "partners" in the killing "because of their silence about the massacres that the Syrian regime has committed."

The U.N. has sent more then 250 military observers to Syria to try to salvage the cease-fire, and a spokesman for the team said they visited Houla on Saturday.

One Houla activist said the observers' visit would not help and could cause the government to attack again.

"As soon as they came we asked them to leave because many areas they go to get attacked," Abu Suleiman said via Skype. "We don't want them to get near us."

Also Saturday, the expected release of a group of Lebanese Shiites who were kidnapped in Syria this week appeared to hit a snag, a day after the Lebanese government confirmed the men had been freed and were on their way to Beirut.

Lebanese and Syrian officials have blamed Syrian rebels for Tuesday's kidnappings of the 11 men in northern Syria, but nobody has claimed responsibility.

A plane was scheduled to fly the men from Turkey to Beirut Friday night, but Lebanese officials said their arrival would be delayed for "logistical reasons."

The kidnappings fueled fears that Lebanon is getting drawn into the bloody conflict in Syria. In the hours after Tuesday's abductions, protests erupted in Beirut's Shiite-dominated southern suburbs.

___

Associated Press writers Elaine Ganley in Paris and Zeina Karam in Beirut contributed reporting.

Associated Press

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Friday, May 25, 2012

Speedy Science: How Fast Can You React?

Rule of Thumb?: For most people, it takes some time to see and respond to a falling object. You can find out just how long it takes in this activity, and the answer may surprise you! Image: George Retseck

We?ve long understood black holes to be the points at which the universe as we know it comes to an end. Often billions of times more massive than the Sun, they...

Read More??

Key concepts:
Reaction time
Neuroscience
Gravity

Introduction
Think fast! Have you ever noticed that when someone unexpectedly tosses a softball at you, you need a little time before you can move to catch it (or duck)? That's because when your eyes see an incoming signal such as a softball, your brain needs to first process what's happening?and then you can take action. In this activity, you can measure just how long it takes for you to react, and compare reaction times with your friends and family.

Background
You may not realize it, but when your senses pick up clues from the outside world?the smell of baking cookies, the color of a stoplight, the rrrring! of an alarm clock?it takes a fraction of a second for you to recognize that signal and respond. During that time your brain receives information from your senses, identifies a possible source, and allows you to take action. The jam-packed fraction of a second is called your reaction time.

This activity teaches you about your brain's reaction time, but it also relies on the laws of physics. Specifically, you can calculate your reaction time using our handy chart, which is based on how quickly a ruler falls. How do we know how quickly your ruler will fall? Gravity pulls all objects toward Earth's center at the same speed. If you want to try this out at home, try dropping a tennis ball and a basketball from the same height: They should both hit the ground at the same time!

Materials
???? Ruler (inches or metric)
???? Paper
???? Pencil
???? Chart (below)

Line Where Partner Pinched Ruler
(inches | centimeters)
Reaction Time
(seconds | milliseconds)
2 in. 5 cm. 0.1 sec. 100 ms.
4 in. 10 cm. 0.14 sec. 140 ms.
6 in. 15 cm. 0.17 sec. 170 ms.
8 in. 20 cm. 0.2 sec. 200 ms.
10 in. 25.5 cm. 0.23 sec. 230 ms.
12 in. 30.5 cm. 0.25 sec. 230 ms.
17 in. 43 cm. 0.3 sec. 300 ms.
24 in. 61 cm. 0.35 sec. 350 ms.
31 in. 79 cm. 0.4 sec. 400 ms.
39 in. 99 cm. 0.45 sec. 450 ms.
48 in. 123 cm. 0.5 sec. 500 ms.
69 in. 175 cm. 0.6 sec. 600 ms.


Preparation
??? ? You need to use some math skills in this challenge. To make things easier, we've provided a chart, above, that you can print or copy out on a piece of paper. The basic rule: 100 milliseconds translates into about two inches or five centimeters.
??? ? On a clean sheet of paper, write the name of each person?including yourself?who will take part in this experiment. You only need two people for this activity, but it's also great for a group. Leave five spaces below each name.

Procedure
??? ? Hold the ruler vertically so that the zero end hangs down.
??? ? Ask your partner to stand next to you and place his or her hand below the ruler's zero line, ready to catch the ruler when it falls by pinching it between his or her thumb and index finger. Your partner's fingers should be just below the ruler, but as close as possible to the bottom edge without touching or overlapping.
??? ? Tell your partner that you will count from one to five and drop the ruler at some point during the count. Your partner will need to catch the ruler as quickly as he or she can, pinching the ruler between his or her fingers.
??? ? Count from one to five and drop the ruler at some point
??? ? Your partner should catch and pinch the ruler. How fast did your partner appear to act? Did your partner's fingers pinch near the zero line?
??? ? Write down the centimeter or inch line where your partner's fingers pinched the ruler.
??? ? Calculate how long it took your partner to respond using the chart provided. Was your partner as fast as you thought?
??? ? Repeat the drop four more times for your partner, and record the measurement each time. Does your partner's reaction time change? Are the five reaction times different? Vary when you drop the ruler: For example, you could drop on the count of five first, then drop on two.
??? ? Switch tasks and try catching when your partner drops the ruler, then compare your results with the others. Do most people have a similar reaction time? Are older people faster than younger people? Are girls faster than boys?
??? ? You can also try a few variations: What happens when you tell your partner when you will drop the ruler? Does reaction time improve with practice?
??? ? Extra: Ambidextrous, anyone? Repeat this activity and compare your results when you use your dominant hand?the hand you write with?and when you use your other hand. Is there any difference between hands?
??? ? Extra: Consider adding other distracting sounds and sights?such as turning on a TV set or flicking a flashlight on and off?during the activity. Do your responses slow with so many sensory signals?


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