(Reuters) - A Zumba fitness instructor who doubled as a prostitute and secretly videotaped her encounters with dozens of men in a small Maine beach community pleaded guilty on Friday to 20 counts.
The instructor, Alexis Wright, 30, pleaded guilty in state court in Portland, Maine, to prostitution and conspiracy charges. She also pleaded guilty to theft for accepting state welfare assistance and tax evasion for failing to report her prostitution income.
The quiet seaside town of Kennebunk, Maine, known for its maritime heritage and proximity to former President George H.W. Bush's home in nearby Kennebunkport, was rocked by the case after police in October began releasing the names of dozens of local men who were Wright's clients.
"I think the unfortunate thing about this case and the attention that it's received and the length of time that it's gone on is that it will never be over for her," Wright's attorney Sarah Churchill told Maine's WCSH television.
Prosecutors had initially charged Wright with more than 100 violations. She faces 10 months in jail and will be sentenced in May.
Wright's business partner, businessman Mark Strong, was convicted this month of running the prostitution business with her. He was sentenced to 20 days in jail.
The plea agreement forestalls a trial in which jurors would have viewed footage of Wright engaged in sex acts with men that she surreptitiously recorded.
(Reporting by Jason McLure in Littleton, New Hampshire; Editing by Ian Simpson and Eric Beech)
Mar. 29, 2013 ? A new study found that obstructive sleep apnea, a common form of sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), is associated with increased rates of ADHD-like behavioral problems in children as well as other adaptive and learning problems.
"This study provides some helpful information for medical professionals consulting with parents about treatment options for children with SDB that, although it may remit, there are considerable behavioral risks associated with continued SDB," said Michelle Perfect, PhD, the study's lead author and assistant professor in the school psychology program in the department of disability and psychoeducational studies at the University of Arizona in Tucson. "School personnel should also consider the possibility that SDB contributes to difficulties with hyperactivity, learning and behavioral and emotional dysregulation in the classroom."
The five-year study, which appears in the April issue of the journal SLEEP, utilized data from a longitudinal cohort, the Tucson Children's Assessment of Sleep Apnea Study (TuCASA). The TuCASA study prospectively examined Hispanic and Caucasian children between 6 and 11 years of age to determine the prevalence and incidence of SDB and its effects on neurobehavioral functioning. The study involved 263 children who completed an overnight sleep study and a neurobehavioral battery of assessments that included parent and youth reported rating scales.
Results show that 23 children had incident sleep apnea that developed during the study period, and 21 children had persistent sleep apnea throughout the entire study. Another 41 children who initially had sleep apnea no longer had breathing problems during sleep at the five-year follow-up.
The odds of having behavioral problems were four to five times higher in children with incident sleep apnea and six times higher in children who had persistent sleep apnea. Compared to youth who never had SDB, children with sleep apnea were more likely to have parent-reported problems in the areas of hyperactivity, attention, disruptive behaviors, communication, social competency and self-care. Children with persistent sleep apnea also were seven times more likely to have parent-reported learning problems and three times more likely to have school grades of C or lower.
The authors report that this is the first sleep-related study to use a standardized questionnaire to assess adaptive functioning in typically developing youth with and without SDB.
"Even though SDB appears to decline into adolescence, taking a wait and see approach is risky and families and clinicians alike should identify potential treatments," said Perfect.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Michelle M. Perfect, Kristen Archbold, James L. Goodwin, Deborah Levine-Donnerstein, Stuart F. Quan. Risk of Behavioral and Adaptive Functioning Difficulties in Youth with Previous and Current Sleep Disordered Breathing. SLEEP, 2013; DOI: 10.5665/sleep.2536
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.
You already know that as a web designer or a web developer you need passive income.?However, making money online might seem like some unrealistic fantasy: sure, maybe those ?4-hour work week? folks can chill in Thailand while the money is rolling in, but what about everybody else?
This is why I decided to show you what web designers CAN and DO to make passive income online.
How can web designers make passive income online?
Web designers who want to create streams of passive income are in a very good situation right now. Most businesses nowadays either have strong online presences or are completely virtual. What does this have to do with passive income?
It means that web designers and web developers who want to earn passive income have plenty of opportunities to do so:
E-books:? the supply of e-books has not yet matched the demand. Every day there are thousands of new people reading e-books on their portable devices, and many of these people want to learn web design and web development, something that you can teach them.
Online courses: many people are looking for instructional e-books, but the other half of these people prefer a more interactive setting. Online course providers like TeamTreeHouse and Udemy are the leading examples of this, but you can start your own course as well, just setup a simple blog and host your videos for premium memberships.
Apps: the amount of people using smartphones and tablets is steadily increasing, and there?s always a huge demand for new and unique applications that will either help or entertain the user.
Software As A Service (SaaS): more and more companies and individuals are using services to help manage their payroll, team management, storage, and the like. These services require monthly fees and are mostly automatic. Imagine developing an online system and offer it for $5 a month. Imagine how much can you earn passively using this method?
WordPress themes: thousands of people start their own blog daily, and many of these people use WordPress as their CMS. Just check ThemeForest.net and see for yourself how much WordPress theme authors make.
WP plugins: under WordPress? terms of use, plugins should be open source, and therefore free. There?s a workaround here. Offer a free edition and an extended edition that you can charge for.
PSD templates: There?s never too many PSD templates available out there. Developers in a hurry will grab any template that closely resembles their perfect template, tweak it a little, and use it for their clients. No need to hire a web designer!
Making money while you sleep is not something that only exists in the alternative universe of unicorns and rainbows. You, as a web designer or a web developer, can create streams of passive income for yourself, assuming that you are willing to put in ?all the time and energy required to pull it off. It?s not easy, but it?s also definitely possible.
7 web designers who successfully make money online?
There are plenty of web designers and web developers who are already taking advantage of opportunities in front of them:
1. Jacob Cass Explains How He Built A Successful Web Design Blog
Jacob Cass is a multidisciplinary designer and art director who has worked the all kinds of clients, including the likes of Disney, Jerry Seinfeld, Red Bull, Nike and VitaminWater. He currently works as an interactive art director/designer at a NYC agency, Ammirati, while also freelancing under his business and blog Just Creative. He also runs Logo of the Day, a logo gallery website dedicated to showcasing the best logo designs around the world, and Logo Designer Blog, a blog dedicated to branding and identity design.
In this interview, Jacob Cass answers the following questions:
What role did Jacob?s blogging success play in his web design career?
How Jacob managed to build such a popular blog and a massive social media following?
How does Jacob earn money with Just Creative?
You can read the interview?here.
2. How Sacha Greif ?earned $15,000+ with an e-book he wrote in 3 weeks.
Sacha Greif is a web designer who specializes in user interfaces for web and mobile apps. He has worked with clients such as Hipmunk, Le Monde, MileWise and UNESCO. Sacha runs his own start-up, Folyo and has released his own e-book, which was very well received. He also runs his own web design blog.
In this interview, Sacha explains the following:
How Sacha come up with the idea for his e-book ?Step by step UI design??
How he decided the appropriate price for this particular product?
How Sacha managed to get the link to his landing page on the front page of Hacker News?
You can read the interview here.
3. Chris Spooner on his blogging success
Chris Spooner is a graphic and web designer from the UK who runs two popular design blogs Blog.SpoonGraphics and Line25.
In this interview:
Why did Chris decide to start his own web design blog in the first place?
How does he come up with ideas for blog posts and what does his writing process look like?
How does Chris earn money with his blogs?
You can read the interview here.
4. How Ruben Gamez turned BidSketch into a successful online business
Ruben Gamez is the solo founder of?Bidsketch?, an online proposal software website for web designers.
In this interview:
Why did Ruben decide to build Bidsketch in the first place?
How did he manage to turn his side project into a successful ?business while ?having a full time job?
How did Ruben know when it was the right time to quit his job and start working on his business full-time?
You can read the interview here.
5. Jarrod Drysdale explains how he ?made more than $38 000 with his e-book
Jarrod Drysdale is a web designer who runs his own blog at Studio Fellow. During his career as a designer, Jarrod has worked with tech startups, movie studios, financial companies and consumer brands. He also wrote an e-book for startup founders ?Bootstrapping Design?.
In this interview:
What was the biggest lesson that Jarrod learned from his failed startup?
How did he test his idea before starting to write an e-book to make sure people actually wanted it?
What is the main reason why Jarrod?s launch was so successful?
You can read the ?interview here.
6. Jacob Gube on the explosive growth of Six Revisions
Jacob Gube is the founder of Six Revisions, one of the most popular and fastest growing web design blogs on the Internet. He?s also a web designer and web developer who specializes in front-end development and PHP development.
In this interview:
How did Jacob turn Six Revisions into one of the fastest growing web design blogs on the internet without any prior experience in online marketing?
How does he manage the logistics of running a high traffic blog with an international team of writers?
What is the main reason for the explosive growth of Six Revisions?
You can read the interview here.
7. How a teenager built a profitable web design blog in one year.
Stelian Subotin is a web designer and a writer.
In this article:
Why did he decide to start his own web design blog when he was only 16?
How did he manage to go from zero to 650 000 unique monthly visitors in one year?
How did he monetize his blog and how much did he earn from it?
You can read the article here.
FAQ about Passive Income
I?m a single 20-something freelance web designer/web developer. I?ve read the ?4-hour work week?. It all sounds very appealing: I?d love to be able to travel the world without having to worry about money too much. Is it really possible for someone like me to create streams of passive income that would make this dream come true?
Yes.
You don?t need that much money to pull that off. With $2000-3000/month you can easily travel through most places in Eastern Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. That?s of course assuming that you?re fine with traveling on a lower-end budget (no ?5-star hotels).
I?d say that your best bet is probably SaaS because it?s recurring income (as opposed to one-time purchases such as e-books or video courses).
It might take longer than you think to get to that $2000-3000/month level, though.
I have a full-time job, family, and a mortgage. I don?t want to quit my job and?backpack?through Southeast Asia. ?I want extra income to create a better life for my family. Is making money online a good option for me?
Yes, if you are willing to put in the time and energy required to create and maintain streams of passive income, which might be demanding when combined with your other obligations.
I?d even say that passive income is necessary to people who have serious financial obligations (kids, car payments, health insurance, mortgage, etc.).
You don?t want the livelihood of your family to depend on a single source of income: your job. We all saw how well that worked out for thousands of people back in 2008, didn?t we?
In my opinion, passive income is more about financial security, than it is about the ?location independent lifestyle.
How much time does it take to create a reliable source of passive income?
It depends.
You can start making a little amount of money straight away by creating WP plugins and selling PSD templates.
You will need a lot more time and knowledge if you want to make money with e-books, apps, video courses, SaaS, etc.
I?d say that it will probably take longer than you think. Don?t quit ?your job just yet.
How much time does it take to maintain a source of passive income?
It depends on what kind of system of passive income you have set up.
In general, once the system is up and running, you should be able to maintain it by spending a few hours a week or so on it, especially if you outsource many tasks related to it.
Keep in mind that often if you don?t spend time on marketing your product/service the stream of passive income dries up over time, though.
Do you need to have a blog in order to make money online?
No.
You need to find a real pain that people are experiencing right now and offer a solution that they are willing to pay for.
I?d even say that I think that blogging is often overrated for the wrong reasons. It is indeed a good way to build your personal brand and accelerate your web design career. It isn?t the easiest way to make money online though, it requires a lot of resources and time.
I?d say that if making as much money as possible is your primary goal you might be better off by creating a video course or SaaS.
Attention: making passive income online is not as easy as it might look!
Okay, so I don?t like giving people rose tinted glasses, then watching them fail, therefore I?ll be blunt with you:
Bad news: Making money online is HARD. It requires a massive time and energy investment over an extended period of time. Please don?t even start if you are not willing to face this harsh reality.
Good news: You can achieve similar results much faster than most people in these interviews. In order to do that, you need to commit to learning online marketing, which will help you avoid wasting time on all the silly mistakes that beginners make. It?s much easier to get the results you want when you know what you are doing.
The world of online marketing can be very confusing, though. You are bombarded with conflicting advice from different gurus. How do you know which people are legitimate experts and which are just con artists? That?s the problem: you don?t.
This is the reason why I?ve compiled the list of my favorite online marketing resources:
?7 websites that will help you learn online marketing from scratch?
Entrepreneurship is not easy. I?m not going to sugarcoat this: it might take you months or even years until you get your first business off the ground. Time will pass anyway, though. Why not put it to a good use?
BERLIN (AP) ? "Are there still Jews in Germany?" ''Are the Jews a chosen people?"
Nearly 70 years after the Holocaust, there is no more sensitive an issue in German life as the role of Jews. With fewer than 200,000 Jews among Germany's 82 million people, few Germans born after World War II know any Jews or much about them.
To help educate postwar generations, an exhibit at the Jewish Museum features a Jewish man or woman seated inside a glass box for two hours a day through August to answer visitors' questions about Jews and Jewish life. The base of the box asks: "Are there still Jews in Germany?"
"A lot of our visitors don't know any Jews and have questions they want to ask," museum official Tina Luedecke said. "With this exhibition we offer an opportunity for those people to know more about Jews and Jewish life."
But not everybody thinks putting a Jew on display is the best way to build understanding and mutual respect.
Since the exhibit ? "The Whole Truth, everything you wanted to know about Jews" ? opened this month, the "Jew in the Box," as it is popularly known, has drawn sharp criticism within the Jewish community ? especially in the city where the Nazis orchestrated the slaughter of 6 million Jews until Adolf Hitler's defeat in 1945.
"Why don't they give him a banana and a glass of water, turn up the heat and make the Jew feel really cozy in his glass box," prominent Berlin Jewish community figure Stephan Kramer told The Associated Press. "They actually asked me if I wanted to participate. But I told them I'm not available."
The exhibit is reminiscent of Holocaust architect Adolf Eichmann sitting in a glass booth at the 1961 trial in Israel which led to his execution. And it's certainly more provocative than British actress Tilda Swinton sleeping in a glass box at a recent performance at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Eran Levy, an Israeli who has lived in Berlin for years, was horrified by the idea of presenting a Jew as a museum piece, even if to answer Germans' questions about Jewish life.
"It's a horrible thing to do ? completely degrading and not helpful," he said. "The Jewish Museum absolutely missed the point if they wanted to do anything to improve the relations between Germans and Jews."
But several of the volunteers, including both German Jews and Israelis living in Berlin, said the experience in the box is little different from what they go through as Jews living in the country that produced the Nazis.
"With so few of us, you almost inevitably feel like an exhibition piece," volunteer Leeor Englander said. "Once you've been 'outed' as a Jew, you always have to be the expert and answer all questions regarding anything related to religion, Israel, the Holocaust and so on."
Museum curator Miriam Goldmann, who is Jewish, believes the exhibit's provocative "in your face" approach is the best way to overcome the emotional barriers and deal with a subject that remains painful for both Jews and non-Jews.
"We wanted to provoke, that's true, and some people may find the show outrageous or objectionable," Goldmann said. "But that's fine by us."
The provocative style is evident in other parts of the special exhibition, including some that openly raise many stereotypes of Jews widespread not only in Germany but elsewhere in Europe.
One includes a placard that asks "how you recognize a Jew?" It's next to an assortment of yarmulkes, black hats and women's hair covers hanging from the ceiling on thin threads. Another asks if Jews consider themselves the chosen people. It includes a poem by Jewish author Leonard Fein: "How odd of God to choose the Jews. But how on earth could we refuse?"
Yet another invites visitors to express their opinion to such questions as "are Jews particularly good looking, influential, intelligent, animal loving or business savvy?"
Despite the criticisms, the "Jew in the Box" has proven a big hit among visitors.
"I asked him about the feelings he has for his country and what he thinks about the conflict with Palestine, if he ever visited Palestine," visitor Panka Chirer-Geyer said. "I have Jewish roots and I've been to Palestine and realized how difficult it was there. I could not even mention that I have Jewish roots."
On a recent day this week, several visitors kept returning to ask questions of Ido Porat, a 33-year-old Israeli seated on a white bench with a pink cushion.
One woman wanted to know what to bring her hosts for a Shabbat dinner in Israel. Another asked why only Jewish men and not women wear yarmulkes. A third inquired about Judaism and homosexuality.
"I guess I should ask you about the relationship between Germans and Jews," visitor Diemut Poppen said to Porat. "We Germans have so many insecurities when it comes to Jews."
Viola Mohaupt-Zitfin, 53, asked if Porat felt welcome as a Jew living among Germans "considering our past and all that."
Yes, Porat said, Germany is a good place to live, even as a Jew. But the country could do even more to come to terms with its Nazi past, he added. He advised the would-be traveler that anything is permissible to bring to a Shabbat dinner as long as it's not pork.
"I feel a bit like an animal in the zoo, but in reality that's what it's like being a Jew in Germany," Porat said. "You are a very interesting object to most people here."
Dekel Peretz, one of the volunteers in the glass box, said many Germans have an image of Jews that is far removed from the reality of contemporary Jewish life.
"They associate Jews with the Holocaust and the Nazi era," he said. "Jews don't have a history before or after. In Germany, Jews have been stereotyped as victims. It is important that people here get to know Jews to see that Jews are alive and that we have individual histories. I hope that this exhibit can help."
Still, not everyone believes this is the best way to promote understanding.
Rabbi Yehuda Teichtal from the Jewish Chabad community in Berlin said Germans who are really interested in Jews and Judaism should visit the community's educational center.
"Here Jews will be happy to answer questions without sitting in a glass box," he said.
Geoscientists to meet in Austin, Texas, to discuss groundwater, petroleum, and Texas geologyPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Christa Stratton cstratton@geosociety.org Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America South-Central Section Meeting, April 4-5, 2013
Boulder, Colorado, USA - Geoscientists from the south-central U.S. and beyond will convene in Austin, Texas, USA, on 4-5 April to celebrate GSA's 125th Anniversary and discuss new science, expand on existing science, and explore the unique geologic and historic features of the region. Topics discussed include water sustainability and groundwater management, petroleum potential in the Gulf of Mexico, engaging the next generation of geoscientists, and climate change and human impacts on Earth's landscapes.
Each day of the meeting will feature special keynote talks, beginning Wednesday evening, 3 April, with Cliff Frohlich, Associate Director of and Senior Research Scientist at the Institute of Geophysics at The University of Texas at Austin, speaking on "Texas Earthquakes: Natural and/or Man Made?"
Thursday morning's keynote, "The Ophiolite Enigma Resolved," will be delivered by John Dewey, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. Thursday afternoon's keynote by Derek C. Briggs of Yale University and the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History will cover the preservation and evolutionary significance of fossil biotas with a talk titled "The Limits of Fossilization." Briggs will also present the Friday keynote, "The Silurian Herefordshire FaunaSoftBodied Fossils in Volcanic Ash."
Friday's events include the start of the popular HydroDays Workshop, which will run through 7 April, in the surrounding karst areas of Texas. Karst researchers, educators, students, policy makers, cavers, and karst lovers of all persuasions are invited.
###
Selected Highlights of the Scientific Program
The scientific program is composed of oral and poster presentations organized into 21 themed sessions plus an array of research in general discipline areas. Go to http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/sc/2013mtg/ to learn more. Two Plenary Sessions on careers in geoscience are also planned (one for academic and one for industry careers): http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/sc/2013mtg/students.htm#plenary.
THURSDAY, 4 APRIL
The Role of the Geosciences in Water Sustainability I: Examples, Challenges, and Societal Impacts
David M. Borrok of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Durga D. Poudel of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Johnathan R. Bumgarner of the U.S. Geological Survey, presiding, 8 a.m. to noon (session 4).
Paper 4-8: Sustainability on the U.S./Mexico Border: 1. Water, Climate, And Social Change in a Fragile Landscape. Lead author: William Hargrove of The University of Texas at El Paso: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217075.html (10:40 a.m.).
The Role of the Geosciences in Water Sustainability II: Examples, Challenges, and Societal Impacts
David M. Borrok of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Durga D. Poudel of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Johnathan R. Bumgarner of the U.S. Geological Survey, presiding, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (session 14).
Paper 14-6: Sediments, Nutrients, and Fecal Matters Impair Surface Water Quality in a Coastal Agricultural Watershed. Lead author: Durga D. Poudel of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Session33344.html (3:30 p.m.).
New Ideas about the Geologic Evolution and Petroleum Potential of the Gulf of Mexico
Robert Stern of The University of Texas at Dallas and Peter Clift of Louisiana State University, presiding, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (session 13).
Paper 13-5: Multidisciplinary Investigation of Surface Deformation in Houston, Texas. Lead author: Shuhab Khan of the University of Houston: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Session32126.html (3:10 p.m.).
Engaging the Next Generation of Geoscientists
Katherine K. Ellins of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin and Laura F. Serpa of The University of Texas at El Paso, presiding, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. (sessions 16).
Paper 16-10: Serious Gaming as an Educational Approach: Initiatives Designed to Engage At-Risk Students with Geosciences and Hands-On Computational Skills. Lead author: David Conover, Video Game Design Instructor at Connally High School, Austin, Texas, USA: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217791.html (4:50 p.m.).
FRIDAY, 5 APRIL
Geology of Texas
John Snedden of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin and Pamela A. Speciale of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin, presiding, 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (session 20).
Paper 20-2: Natural Fracture Characterization in the Haynesville Shale, East Texas. Lead author: Frank Morgan of Louisiana State University: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217161.html (8:20 a.m.).
Paper 20-3: Thermal Energy in Place in Texas: A Novel Method for Estimating Accessible Geothermal Power with Existing Oil and Gas Wells Using ArcGIS. Lead author: Daniel S. Zafar of the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217271.html (8:40 a.m.).
Paper 20-4: The 1928 Cline, Texas, Meteorite. Lead author: Robert A. Graham of The Tome Group: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217388.html (9 a.m.).
Desired Future Conditions and Modeled Available Groundwater: The New Groundwater Management Paradigm in Texas
WF (Kirk) Holland of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District and John Dupnik of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, presiding, 8 a.m. to noon (session 23).
Paper 23-10: A Policy Proposal for Regional Aquifer-Scale Management of Groundwater in Texas. Lead author: John Dupnik of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217344.html (11:25 a.m.).
Climate Change, Earth Process, and Human Impacts on Determining Earth's Landscapes
Rong Fu of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin and Suzanne A. Pierce of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin, presiding, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. (session 35).
Paper 35-2: Modeling the Impact of Afforestation on Global Climate. Lead author: Craig Jackson of Ohio Wesleyan University: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217554.html (11 a.m.)
View the complete session schedule by day or search the program by keywords at https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013NE/webprogram/start.html. Click on session titles for a list of presentations, and click on presentations for the individual abstracts.
Find complete meeting information at http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/ne/2013mtg/index.htm.
Find local contact information at http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/ne/2013mtg/contact.htm.
MEDIA REGISTRATION
Eligibility for media registration is as follows:
Working press representing bona fide, recognized news media with a press card, letter or business card from the publication.
Freelance science writers, presenting a current membership card from NASW, ISWA, regional affiliates of NASW, ISWA, CSWA, ACS, ABSW, EUSJA, or evidence of work pertaining to science published in 2012 or 2013.
PIOs of scientific societies, educational institutions, and government agencies.
Present media credentials to William Cox onsite at the GSA registration desk to obtain a badge for media access. Complimentary meeting registration covers attendance at all technical sessions and access to the exhibit hall. Journalists and PIOs must pay regular fees for paid luncheons and any short courses or field trips in which they participate. Representatives of the business side of news media, publishing houses, and for-profit corporations must register at the main registration desk and pay the appropriate fees.
For additional information and assistance, contact Christa Stratton, GSA Director of Communications, at the address above.
http://www.geosociety.org
The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with more than 25,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Geoscientists to meet in Austin, Texas, to discuss groundwater, petroleum, and Texas geologyPublic release date: 28-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Christa Stratton cstratton@geosociety.org Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America South-Central Section Meeting, April 4-5, 2013
Boulder, Colorado, USA - Geoscientists from the south-central U.S. and beyond will convene in Austin, Texas, USA, on 4-5 April to celebrate GSA's 125th Anniversary and discuss new science, expand on existing science, and explore the unique geologic and historic features of the region. Topics discussed include water sustainability and groundwater management, petroleum potential in the Gulf of Mexico, engaging the next generation of geoscientists, and climate change and human impacts on Earth's landscapes.
Each day of the meeting will feature special keynote talks, beginning Wednesday evening, 3 April, with Cliff Frohlich, Associate Director of and Senior Research Scientist at the Institute of Geophysics at The University of Texas at Austin, speaking on "Texas Earthquakes: Natural and/or Man Made?"
Thursday morning's keynote, "The Ophiolite Enigma Resolved," will be delivered by John Dewey, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. Thursday afternoon's keynote by Derek C. Briggs of Yale University and the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History will cover the preservation and evolutionary significance of fossil biotas with a talk titled "The Limits of Fossilization." Briggs will also present the Friday keynote, "The Silurian Herefordshire FaunaSoftBodied Fossils in Volcanic Ash."
Friday's events include the start of the popular HydroDays Workshop, which will run through 7 April, in the surrounding karst areas of Texas. Karst researchers, educators, students, policy makers, cavers, and karst lovers of all persuasions are invited.
###
Selected Highlights of the Scientific Program
The scientific program is composed of oral and poster presentations organized into 21 themed sessions plus an array of research in general discipline areas. Go to http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/sc/2013mtg/ to learn more. Two Plenary Sessions on careers in geoscience are also planned (one for academic and one for industry careers): http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/sc/2013mtg/students.htm#plenary.
THURSDAY, 4 APRIL
The Role of the Geosciences in Water Sustainability I: Examples, Challenges, and Societal Impacts
David M. Borrok of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Durga D. Poudel of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Johnathan R. Bumgarner of the U.S. Geological Survey, presiding, 8 a.m. to noon (session 4).
Paper 4-8: Sustainability on the U.S./Mexico Border: 1. Water, Climate, And Social Change in a Fragile Landscape. Lead author: William Hargrove of The University of Texas at El Paso: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217075.html (10:40 a.m.).
The Role of the Geosciences in Water Sustainability II: Examples, Challenges, and Societal Impacts
David M. Borrok of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Durga D. Poudel of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Johnathan R. Bumgarner of the U.S. Geological Survey, presiding, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (session 14).
Paper 14-6: Sediments, Nutrients, and Fecal Matters Impair Surface Water Quality in a Coastal Agricultural Watershed. Lead author: Durga D. Poudel of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Session33344.html (3:30 p.m.).
New Ideas about the Geologic Evolution and Petroleum Potential of the Gulf of Mexico
Robert Stern of The University of Texas at Dallas and Peter Clift of Louisiana State University, presiding, 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (session 13).
Paper 13-5: Multidisciplinary Investigation of Surface Deformation in Houston, Texas. Lead author: Shuhab Khan of the University of Houston: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Session32126.html (3:10 p.m.).
Engaging the Next Generation of Geoscientists
Katherine K. Ellins of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin and Laura F. Serpa of The University of Texas at El Paso, presiding, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. (sessions 16).
Paper 16-10: Serious Gaming as an Educational Approach: Initiatives Designed to Engage At-Risk Students with Geosciences and Hands-On Computational Skills. Lead author: David Conover, Video Game Design Instructor at Connally High School, Austin, Texas, USA: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217791.html (4:50 p.m.).
FRIDAY, 5 APRIL
Geology of Texas
John Snedden of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin and Pamela A. Speciale of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin, presiding, 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (session 20).
Paper 20-2: Natural Fracture Characterization in the Haynesville Shale, East Texas. Lead author: Frank Morgan of Louisiana State University: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217161.html (8:20 a.m.).
Paper 20-3: Thermal Energy in Place in Texas: A Novel Method for Estimating Accessible Geothermal Power with Existing Oil and Gas Wells Using ArcGIS. Lead author: Daniel S. Zafar of the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217271.html (8:40 a.m.).
Paper 20-4: The 1928 Cline, Texas, Meteorite. Lead author: Robert A. Graham of The Tome Group: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217388.html (9 a.m.).
Desired Future Conditions and Modeled Available Groundwater: The New Groundwater Management Paradigm in Texas
WF (Kirk) Holland of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District and John Dupnik of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District, presiding, 8 a.m. to noon (session 23).
Paper 23-10: A Policy Proposal for Regional Aquifer-Scale Management of Groundwater in Texas. Lead author: John Dupnik of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217344.html (11:25 a.m.).
Climate Change, Earth Process, and Human Impacts on Determining Earth's Landscapes
Rong Fu of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin and Suzanne A. Pierce of the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin, presiding, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. (session 35).
Paper 35-2: Modeling the Impact of Afforestation on Global Climate. Lead author: Craig Jackson of Ohio Wesleyan University: https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013SC/webprogram/Paper217554.html (11 a.m.)
View the complete session schedule by day or search the program by keywords at https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2013NE/webprogram/start.html. Click on session titles for a list of presentations, and click on presentations for the individual abstracts.
Find complete meeting information at http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/ne/2013mtg/index.htm.
Find local contact information at http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/ne/2013mtg/contact.htm.
MEDIA REGISTRATION
Eligibility for media registration is as follows:
Working press representing bona fide, recognized news media with a press card, letter or business card from the publication.
Freelance science writers, presenting a current membership card from NASW, ISWA, regional affiliates of NASW, ISWA, CSWA, ACS, ABSW, EUSJA, or evidence of work pertaining to science published in 2012 or 2013.
PIOs of scientific societies, educational institutions, and government agencies.
Present media credentials to William Cox onsite at the GSA registration desk to obtain a badge for media access. Complimentary meeting registration covers attendance at all technical sessions and access to the exhibit hall. Journalists and PIOs must pay regular fees for paid luncheons and any short courses or field trips in which they participate. Representatives of the business side of news media, publishing houses, and for-profit corporations must register at the main registration desk and pay the appropriate fees.
For additional information and assistance, contact Christa Stratton, GSA Director of Communications, at the address above.
http://www.geosociety.org
The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society with more than 25,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education.
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It's just like being Tony Stark! Minus the women, money, genius, and booze.
You might have heard about the new free to play Iron Man 3 on-rails shooter coming soon to Android. We caught up with the Gameloft folks here at GDC 2013 to have a go, and it looks fantastic. Players have to tap, swipe, and tilt to avoid obstacles and blow up bad guys.
Along the way, players collect tokens which can be spent on buying bitchin' new Iron Man suits and consumable power-ups. Even though it largely follows the simple endless runner formula, the awesome graphics and wealth of unlockables guarantees you'll be playing this one for awhile to come.
Keep an eye out for this one in Google Play on April 25. Anyone itching to catch the new movie?
Many game developers will tell you that the PlayStation 3's Cell processor was a real bear to support. What they can't tell you: the PlayStation 4's lead architect, Mark Cerny, was already thinking of a solution as far back as 2007. He just revealed to Gamasutra that he'd been researching x86-based processors for the PS4 merely a year after the PS3 launch, knowing that there were "some issues" with realizing the Cell's potential. The new console's unified memory and eight-core CPU were the ultimate results of Cerny's talks with game creators shortly after he took the reins in 2008. We've already seen the shift in attitudes through a very developer-centric PlayStation Meeting, but Cerny wants to underscore just how different the PS4's holiday launch should be versus what we remember from 2006 -- even the first wave of PS4 games should benefit from a healthy toolset, he says. We'll know his long-term planning paid off if the initial PS4 library shows the level of refinement that took years to manifest on the PS3.
DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) ? Injured Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose says he will not suit up against Miami on Wednesday and sounds like a player who just might miss the entire season.
Rose squashed rumors that he might make his long anticipated return from surgery on his left knee against LeBron James and the Heat with two words at the morning shootaround: "Not tonight." The comments came in the wake of a Twitter post by rapper Waka Flocka Flame, who wrote, "Word is D.Rose back."
Rose and the rapper are fans of each other, but the former MVP said he's not sure when he'll be back. He said his return is "in God's hands."
The Heat are on a 27-game win streak, trailing only the 33 straight by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971-72.
LONDON (AP) ? The harsh spending cuts introduced by European governments to tackle their crippling debt problems have not only pitched the region into recession ? they are also being partly blamed for outbreaks of diseases not normally seen in Europe and a spike in suicides, according to new research.
Since the crisis first struck in 2008, state-run welfare and health services across Europe have seen their budgets cut, medical treatments rationed and unpopular measures such as hospital user fees introduced.
Those countries that have slashed public spending the hardest ? namely Greece, Spain and Portugal ? have fared the worst medically.
"Austerity measures haven't solved the economic problems and they have also created big health problems," said Martin McKee, a professor of European Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who led the research.
He said worsening health was driven not just by unemployment, but by the lack of a social welfare system to fall back on. "People need to have hope that the government will help them through this difficult time," he said.
The paper was published online Wednesday in a special series of the journal Lancet.
McKee said Greece in particular was struggling. Based on government data, he and colleagues found suicides rose by 40 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year. Last year, the country also reported an exponential rise in the number of HIV cases among drug users, due in part to addicts sharing contaminated syringes after needle exchange programs were dropped.
In recent years, Greece has also battled outbreaks of malaria, West Nile virus and dengue fever.
"These are not diseases we would normally expect to see in Europe," said Willem de Jonge, general director of Medecins Sans Frontieres in Greece.
In 2011, MSF helped Greece tackle a malaria outbreak that broke out after authorities scrapped spraying programs to kill mosquitoes.
"There's a strong willingness in the government to respond (to health problems) but the problem is a lack of resources," de Jonge said.
Outside Madrid's Hospital Clinico San Carlos, several patients grumbled about deteriorating medical care.
"The cutbacks are noticeable in many ways," said Mari Carmen Cervera, 54, an unemployed nurse. Cervera's mother was initially admitted to the hospital with a serious heart problem that required surgery. Cervera says her mother was discharged too early and had to be brought back when she had trouble breathing one night.
"While she was (hospitalized), she wasn't being properly washed by the nursing staff, so I had to do it myself," she said. "I personally think what has happened to my mother is a consequence of negligence and I am going to make an official complaint as soon as (she) is well enough to come home again."
Hans Kluge of the World Health Organization's European office, advised countries against radical health reforms during an economic crisis. "In every health system, there is fat to cut," he said, recommending countries start with straightforward measures such as buying more generic drugs or eliminating unnecessary hospital beds.
Still, McKee and colleagues found not all countries mired in debt are unhealthy. Despite massive losses in its banking sector, Iceland rejected a bailout deal prescribed by the International Monetary Fund. McKee and colleagues didn't find any bump in suicides and the population may even be healthier since it nearly went bankrupt ? which could have been a result of global junk food chains pulling out of the country due to rising food costs.
Elsewhere, the researchers noted a drop in road accidents as more drivers opted for public transport. In turn, that has led to a shortage of organ donations and transplants, particularly in Spain and Ireland.
___
AP Writer Harold Heckle in Madrid contributed to this report.
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Tuesday its strategic rocket and long-range artillery units have been ordered to be combat ready, targeting U.S. military bases on Guam, Hawaii and mainland America after U.S. bombers flew sorties threatening the North.
The order, issued in a statement from the North's military "supreme command", marks the latest fiery rhetoric from Pyongyang since the start of joint military drills by U.S. and South Korean forces early this month.
South Korea's defense ministry said it saw no sign of imminent military action by North Korea.
"From this moment, the Supreme Command of the Korean People's Army will be putting into combat duty posture No. 1 all field artillery units, including long-range artillery units and strategic rocket units, that will target all enemy objects in U.S. invasionary bases on its mainland, Hawaii and Guam," the North's KCNA news agency said.
The North previously threatened nuclear attack on the United States and South Korea, although it is not believed to have the capability to hit the continental United States with an atomic weapon. But the U.S. military's bases in the Pacific area are in range of its medium-range missiles.
South Korea's defense ministry said it had detected no signs of unusual activity by the North's military but will monitor the situation. The South and the U.S. military are conducting drills until the end of April, which they have stressed are strictly defensive in nature.
The North has previously threatened to strike back at the U.S. military accusing Washington of war preparations by using B-52 bombers which have flown over the Korean peninsula as part of the drills.
North Korea has said it has abrogated an armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean War and threatened a nuclear attack on the United States.
(Reporting by Jack Kim and Ju-min Park; Editing by Neil Fullick)
When we chose to change our eating habits, we usually diet to lose weight. Sometimes we may have health issues, such as high cholesterol, which is what leads us to eat healthier.
Often times we diet to lose weight because as we are overweight and realize that our eating habits may have gotten in this predicament to begin with.
It is possible to just exercise and lose weight, but sooner or later the person will not lose any more weight without changing eating habits as well. Most of the time it is the other way around; people diet, that is they count carbohydrates, fat grams, or calories, somehow limiting their food intake to reach weight loss goals.
Even though every source you read on diet to lose weight encourages combining the diet plan with exercise, not everyone does this right away. Of course, it is ideal to diet and exercise from the beginning of a diet plan, some people may feel overwhelmed by taking on too much change at once, if exercise has not been a part of their life.
There are quite a few online support sites to visit, that have a multitude of information for anyone looking to diet to lose weight. Some diets work better for some than others, for instance, the Atkins diet required quite a drastic cut in carbohydrates, which may not be an appropriate diet to lose weight for everyone.
The South Beach Diet is a popular diet to lose weight because it allows dieters to eat many of the foods they eat anyway and is not quite as restrictive as others. There are also weight loss systems such as Jenny Craig, the LA Weight Loss Center, or Curves for Women.
All of these programs are great and offer a good deal of support for anyone who wants to diet to lose weight. Exercise is encouraged, and for the Curves for Women plan, it is the central part of the program.
When you do decide to diet to lose weight, be sure you visit with your healthcare provider first before beginning your program, especially if you have quite a bit of weight to lose, or if you have health issues that may be of concern. Exercise should not be contraindicated for anyone and can be tailored for each individual dieter?s specific needs.
You diet to lose weight, but you must also incorporate exercise into your plan. You will gain greater health, and also be able to maintain your diet and fitness goals.
Photoshop savant and Deviant Art member Elemental79 is back with another mind-blowing timelapse as he turns a screenshot from the 1994 16-bit classic Super Metroid into a high-res work of art. More »
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union suspended most sanctions on Zimbabwe on Monday after the country's voters approved a new constitution limiting presidential powers and paving the way for an election.
The move is the most far-reaching step so far in the European Union's strategy of easing sanctions to encourage political and economic reform in the southern African country.
Zimbabwe has been governed by an uneasy coalition since President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai were forced into a power-sharing deal after a disputed 2008 vote.
"The EU ... has today agreed to immediately suspend the application of measures against 81 individuals and eight entities," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
Ten people, including Mugabe, and two companies, including state-run diamond mining company the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC), remain on the sanctions list, restricted by asset freezes and travel bans, an EU source said.
A number of "key decision makers" would remain under EU sanctions until peaceful, transparent and credible elections had been held, Ashton said.
Zimbabwe is expected to hold presidential and parliamentary elections in the second half of the year in what will be seen as a showdown between political rivals Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
Britain, the former colonial power which has regularly clashed with Mugabe, said EU sanctions remained in place on a small core of people around the president.
"That small group includes those who we believe ultimately carry the most responsibility for ensuring elections are free of violence and intimidation," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement.
The European Union first imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe in 2002, in protest against human rights abuses and violations of democracy under Mugabe's rule.
Rugare Gumbo, a spokesman for Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, said it was "completely unacceptable" for the European Union to only partially lift sanctions.
"We want them unconditionally removed. There is no reason why some should be removed from the list while some remain. There is nothing we have done to deserve these illegal sanctions anyway," he said in Harare.
INTIMIDATION
In a referendum on March 16, nearly 95 percent of voters approved a new constitution that limits presidential terms and strengthens the powers of the cabinet and parliament.
Ashton said the peaceful vote was a significant step towards implementing the 2008 power-sharing agreement.
She said however that the European Union was concerned about recent reports of harassment of political activists.
EU foreign ministers last month removed 21 people and one company from the sanctions list. They also hammered out a compromise under which ZMDC, which operates five diamond mines in Zimbabwe's rich Marange fields, would be freed from sanctions within a month of peaceful and credible elections being held.
The new limits on presidential terms do not apply retroactively, so Mugabe, 89, and in power since independence from Britain in 1980, could still theoretically rule for the next decade.
The referendum passed without incident and turnout was high. But Mugabe detractors seized on the arrest of four staff members from Tsvangirai's party and a leading human rights lawyer as evidence that ZANU-PF is bent on intimidating rivals before the election.
(Additional reporting by Nelson Banya in Harare and Mohammed Abbas in London; Editing by Rex Merrifield and Andrew Heavens)
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Public release date: 28-Mar-2013
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