Farrah Abraham, 'Teen Mom' star, closes sex tape deal for nearly $1 million - New York Daily News

Kevin Perkins, PacificCoastNews.com/Kevin Perkins, PacificCoastNews.'Teen Mom' star Farrah Abraham has cut a nearly $1 million deal with Vivid for her sex tape.

Lights, camera, pay day!

'Teen Mom' star Farrah Abraham has finally inked a deal with Vivid Entertainment to sell her sex tape for nearly one million dollars, TMZ reports.

While sources close to her indicated that Abraham was considering other offers, she reached an agreement with Vivid to release the video that's reportedly being called 'Farrah Superstar: Backdoor Teen Mom.'

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty ImagesJames Deen said he is not a 'prostitute' after he revealed the sex tape producers wanted him to pretend Abraham was his girlfriend.

PHOTOS: BUSTED! CELEBRITY SEXCAPADES CAUGHT ON TAPE

She initially requested to be paid $2 million or legal ramifications would be brought against any company who released it.

The MTV reality star originally denied ever doing a film and later claimed the video was intended for her personal use only and never to be publically released.

Splash News/Splash NewsFarrah Abraham spotted arriving at LAX Airport with daughter Sophia and grandpa Michael coming from Dallas. They reportedly accompanied her to her sex tape negotiation meeting.

Porn star James Deen, who appears in the sex tape with Abraham, confessed to 'Today' that it was all planned out from the very beginning.

RELATED: FARRAH ABRAHAM ON JAMES DEEN: HIS MANHOOD IS 'SMALL'

'If you're going to make a celebrity sex tape and try to pass it off as an amateur home video, you don't hire a well-known porn star!' he said. 'You hire, like, some random dude.'

MTVFarrah Abraham and daughter Sophia from MTV's 'Teen Mom.'

Deen, 27, went on to admit that the producers behind the sex tape requested he pretend Abraham was his girlfriend to make her story more believable.

'They wanted to send us out on a date and then call the tabloids to come,' he added. 'I told them I am not a prostitute and I'm not going to go on fake dates with people for the tabloids.'

Abraham shot back claiming Deen's 'penis is small' but she didn't waste any time jumping right into negotiations. The rookie porn actress was even spotted entering a negotiations meeting with her father and daughter.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHcnVCIF28_WSEFl0w4Pp9SiZxLRg&url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/lights-camera-pay-day-teen-mom-star-inks-1-million-sex-tape-deal-article-1.1330172

Lakers' Howard faces uncertain future after "rocky" year - Reuters

Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard (12) reacts after being fouled by the San Antonio Spurs during Game 4 of their NBA Western Conference Quarterfinals basketball playoff series in Los Angeles, April 28, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson

By Jahmal Corner

LOS ANGELES | Mon Apr 29, 2013 4:06pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Dwight Howard walked off the floor after his ejection just as Kobe Bryant hobbled to his courtside seat as the All-Star team mates heading in opposite directions symbolized a lost season for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers were mercilessly swept out of the playoffs on Sunday by the San Antonio Spurs 4-0, their first opening-round exit since 2007, with Sunday's 103-82 rout serving as the final blow of a tumultuous season.

Whether injuries, coaching, or a clash of high-profile personalities are to blame, the Lakers never did find the harmony to match their National Basketball Association championship expectations.

"Throughout the whole season, from top to bottom we couldn't get the type of chemistry we needed," Los Angeles forward Antawn Jamison told reporters. "We expected a lot of things to happen but they didn't. Things should have been different."

Fittingly, the Lakers' Howard stood at the center of the season's storm from start to finish. Los Angeles was all smiles when they acquired Howard from Orlando in a blockbuster off-season trade but the mood gradually dampened.

Howard never appeared to fully recover from last year's back surgery and suffered through an underwhelming campaign that included a shoulder ailment and perceived tension between he and team leader Bryant.

For Howard, playing his last game before unrestricted free agency, his lasting impression could not have been worse Sunday when he received a second technical foul early in the third quarter and exited with just seven points.

The contrasting image of Bryant emerging from the Lakers' locker room on crutches to a standing Staples Center ovation, and an able-bodied Howard leaving his team in need did little to help his image or the impression of his year as a whole.

"(It was) like a nightmare. Like a bad dream, and we just couldn't wake up out of it," said Howard, who defended his relationship with Bryant after the game and said he was not aware of their crossing paths in the third quarter.

"I think I handled some situations good, and I think I handled some bad. It's a growing process. Nothing went right from the start."

The Lakers started the season a disappointing 17-25 before using a 28-12 finish to eke into the postseason.

But the stretch run took a toll on the aging roster as Bryant, Steve Nash, Metta World Peace, Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks all went down with injuries and watched the team's final game in street clothes.

"It was kind of a year that was all upside down," said Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni, who was hired in place of the fired Mike Brown in November and never earned the approval of a Lakers fan base that booed him in the end.

"I hated that injuries started mounting. A lot of freaky stuff happened."

What will happen with the Lakers franchise moving forward is anyone's guess. Bryant, 34, will begin rehab on a major ankle injury; Howard, 27, will test free agency and is noncommittal about his plans, and the supporting cast has tenuous status.

"I would be pretty surprised if there were no changes whatsoever," said Pau Gasol, a frequent subject of trade rumors.

Gasol exchanged warm interaction with fans following the contest, which may well have been his last as a Laker.

Bryant, on the other hand, ended his day boarding a golf cart that took him from the bowels of the Staples Center to the parking lot, putting the season's long road well behind him.

"It was a rocky year," Howard said. "It's all over with now."

(Editing by Frank Pingue)

• Link this
• Share this
• Digg this
• Email
• Reprints

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGh-qkIbaAiC12g-iedlGgEKBr6JQ&url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/29/us-nba-playoffs-lakers-idUSBRE93S0VR20130429

May: The Red Sox' nest egg month - Over The Monster

After doing a great job in a difficult April, the Red Sox have a chance to really build up a nest egg in May to get them through harder times to come.

The Red Sox have made good things out of an April that promised to be anything but easy. While their last four games against a hapless Astros team has done a lot to bring down Boston's strength of schedule, it's the first time Sox fans have really gone into a series expecting to take them all.

The year started with a run through the A.L. East, with four opponents who could hardly be considered pushovers. Ironically, the Yankees team which seemed the least impressive of the bunch is now the team just behind Boston in the standings, while the Jays--the powerhouse many feared would put them back in their place in Toronto--are dragging the division down with a dreadful 9-17 start. Then came the Indians, a team perhaps getting ahead of itself in hopes of contention, but still not to be taken for granted. The division-leading Royals followed, and then finally a strong Oakland Athletics leading up to the drop off against the Astros.

Read More: Despite odds, Red Sox' 19 games in 19 days is a success

No, the schedule hasn't exactly been easy in April, especially with so many games coming one after the other. May, however, offers a different look entirely.

The first full series of the month will certainly not set the tone. After the Sox finish up a series in Toronto (the same one that starts tomorrow), they'll head off to Arlington to take on a Texas Rangers team that currently sits atop the AL West with a 16-9 record. From there, however, things drop off consideraby. Over the ensuing 26 days, the Sox will play 25 games, which include:

• Seven games against the Minnesota Twins
• Four games against the Cleveland Indians
• Four games against the Philadelphia Phillies
• Three games against the White Sox

To be fair, the Twins are 11-10, but they still have a ways to go to prove themselves significantly different from the 66-96 abomination of 2012. It doesn't help that they have a run differential of -1.

Also mixed in will be a series against the Rays and the first home series against the Blue Jays. Either of those could look a lot worse by the time they start, but at least for now they're not hugely intimidating either.

This is not, however, an opportunity for the Red Sox to relax, because they can't simply coast through this coming month. Instead, they have to absolutely crush it. This is their opportunity to build a nest egg, and a nest egg could be exactly what they need, because June is on the horizon?

What's so bad about June? Well...

• Four games against the Tigers
• Four games against the Orioles
• Three games against the Rangers
• Two games against the Yankees
• Four games against the Rockies

And then there's the Angels, who can't be this bad for long, to say nothing of another pair of series against the Blue Jays and Rays, with the latter including April's postponed contest. The Red Sox seem right now like a team that can take any given series from any given team. But with May looking the way it does, and June looking the way it does, it's best not to let the opportunity to build a big cushion go by the wayside.

• Can we trust Clay Buchholz's strikeout rates?
• Time for Carl Crawford to stop talking about the Red Sox
• When losing 13-0 isn't awful
• The value of Felix Doubront to the Boston Red Sox
• In defense of Stephen Drew

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNH92qUDHSvtYOnXphcLBEafwqdsLA&url=http://www.overthemonster.com/2013/4/29/4281814/red-sox-schedule-record-may-june

Manufacture Reputation Tag, Following-hand, Pk 100

Brand: Approved Vendor

Protection and Maintenance TagsProduction Reputation Tag, Height 3 In, Width 5 3/4 In, Legend Rejected, With Additional Text, Material 19-Point Card Stock, Chamfered Corners, 3/8 In I.D. Metal Grommet, ISO 9001 Standards, 12 In Cotton Thread Ties, Package Quantity 100

Link source

Apple's OS X 10.9 Will Reportedly Allow Multi-Monitor Fullscreen, More Power ... - TechCrunch

Apple's next version of OS X, 10.9 is on the way, according to 9to5Mac, and will offer an improved multi-monitor experience, finally allowing users to run fullscreen apps on one monitor and access different desktop spaces or other fullscreen apps alongside those. That's a big plus for power users, but most of the other additions planned seem to be under the hood improvements instead of a�dramatic�amount of new features and UI changes.

The report cites anonymous sources and claims that what 10.9 will bring is more about iterating than overhauling, which is in keeping with Apple's recent development strategy with OS X. Some highlights include enhancements to Finder to bring it in line with third-party tools that add�things�like tabbed browsing and tags for content organization, as well as a brand new Safari that should provide a generally improved�browsing�experience. The fullscreen thing has been a problem since the introduction of the feature, and there are also said to be a number of improvements to core apps and functionality, which will make for better overall system performance.

A new version of OS X could also include some app switching and pausing tricks borrowed from iOS, which would make for CPU and battery life usage improvements, especially for more casual users who don't need�multiple�apps running fully at the same time. Depending on how effective it is, it could even make for true worry-free all-day computing.

Apple's next-generation OS X is probably going to at least be previewed by the Worldwide Developer's Conference coming up in June, so we won't have long to wait to find out what's in store. The event will probably focus primarily on software, in fact, based on comments made by CEO Tim Cook during Apple's most recent earnings call. But if that's the case, it sounds like it will also be showing off primarily evolutionary changes from OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion.

Macs are an increasingly small percentage of Apple's overall revenue picture, however, and the company has actually been lucky in that Microsoft's last major OS overhaul, Windows 8, seems to have mostly met with consumer disappointment and confusion. Taking Mountain Lion, and improving it where it most needs it, might be the smartest approach to take at this point.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEpnKEuTi1oVLw5nFyqSSttoxLu4g&url=http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/29/apples-os-x-10-9-will-reportedly-allow-multi-monitor-fullscreen-more-power-user-friendly-finder/

Rpr Tag, 5-3/4 x 3 In, Bk/Yel, 3/8 In, PK10

Brand: Brady

# Accident Prevention

Renovate Tag, Clarification Economy Polyester, Legend Gear ID___ Problem___ Signed By___ Date___ Restore This Tag To Maint. Dept. As Renovate Bring about Is Completed, Reverse Side Legend Gear ID___ Problem___ Signed By___ Date___ Restore This Tag To Maint. Dept. As Renovate Bring about Is Completed, Legend/Background Color Black/Golden-haired, Height 5-3/4 In., Width 3 In., Hole Size 3/8 In.Survive Pull Break down 50 lb., Values OSHA 1910.145, Includes (10) Nylon Ties, Wrap Amount 10

Link source

Cars that can monitor your health - Telegraph.co.uk

Ford's system is the thin edge of the wedge, however. While the US is leading research in this area, the amount of time we spend in our cars in Europe makes the driver's seat an ideal place to monitor health signs such as pulse, blood pressure, stress, even blood sugar for signs of incipient diabetes '� not to mention hypochondria. Our ageing population suggests that such research might be well placed. EU figures predict a rise in the proportion of over 65-year-olds in the population from 2010's 17.4 per cent to 29.5 per cent in 2060. Old people suffer more health problems, some of which can affect driving ability, such as diabetes, heart disease and strokes. Ford researchers say that drivers with cardiovascular disease are 23 per cent more likely to be involved in a car accident.

The company's health-monitoring seat came out of research at its European Research Centre in Aachen, Germany. The race-style driver's seat has sensors which detect the heart's electrical impulses and is capable of measuring 95 per cent of drivers for 98 per cent of the time. Dr Achim Lindner, the Ford research centre medical officer, says: 'As always in medicine, the earlier a condition is detected the easier it is to treat and this technology even has the potential to be instrumental in diagnosing conditions drivers were not aware they suffered.'

Another monitoring device is a steering wheel capable of detecting a driver's pulse, oxygen saturation and perspiration. This is the result of a research project from the Munich Technical University in conjunction with BMW. The first of the twin monitors measures infrared reflectance through the driver's fingers to measure heart rate and oxygen saturation; the second measures the skin's electrical conductance, which reveals stress and blood pressure. The data is radioed to a microcontroller, which is displayed on the vehicle's information display.

'We make the medical [monitoring device] as a separate unit,' says Dr Ing Lorenzo D'Angelo, a researcher on the BMW/TUM project. 'Our data is only recorded, not analysed. We don't want the car to say, 'Hey, your blood pressure is too high'.'

Even so, some experts are worried that the technology is moving in the direction of the car acting as a direct medical advisor. Mikael Edvardsson of Volvo's safety electronics and functions department, is cautious. 'We cannot have a situation where the car is the doctor and we are trying to do things that surgeons do in hospital with complicated and expensive machines,' he says.

Both the Aachen seat and the BMW steering wheel are a long way from production and neither are entirely reliable at present. The seat can be fooled by different driver sizes and seating positions, while the steering wheel system requires the driver's hands to be in contact with the sensors at all times. They are also robust versions of what hospital and ambulance patient monitoring systems are already capable of, but they both point to a world where the car could monitor a driver, perhaps one day forming part of an autonomous driving system to allow the elderly or those with a medical history of heart attacks or strokes to stay on the road for longer.

Proponents of the technology point to a rosy future, but there are other issues with in-car medical monitoring. Edvardsson questions how the data will be used. 'The driver needs to trust the car,' he says, 'and we need to explain that security is robust.'

Most driving administrations require a driver to tell them of any pre-existing health conditions. In the UK, drivers are mandated to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) if they suffer arrhythmias or have a pacemaker fitted, but angina, valvular heart disease or a heart murmur are not notifiable. So what if real-time monitoring shows up such issues? Would insurance companies and driving authorities demand access to the data?

Ford's Strumolo is concerned that such fears might prevent the take-up of such technology. 'It is important to assure people that this data isn't being reported,' he says. 'If you have a hypoglycaemic event and tell your doctor, in 18 US states they legally have to notify the state's department of transportation. People could be afraid of losing their licence.'

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNF3JFZyxnlDb2t63c1vI4Db4yBFkA&url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/road-safety/10013373/Cars-that-can-monitor-your-health.html

Deals Site LivingSocial Says It's Been Hacked - ABC News

Online deals service LivingSocial said Friday that its website was hacked, and the personal data of more than 50 million customers may have been affected.

The company said customers' names, email addresses, dates of birth and encrypted passwords may have been compromised by the cyberattack. But it said the database that stores customer credit-card information was not accessed or affected.

The Washington, D.C-based company said it was working with law enforcement officials to investigate the attack and was contacting customers in nearly all of the countries where it operates.

A banner on its website Friday evening read: "important notice for customers. If you haven't already updated your LivingSocial password, please update it now."

In an email to customers, company CEO Tim O'Shaughnessy requested that users reset their passwords, and he reminded them to disregard any emails claiming to be from LivingSocial that seek personal or account information.

"The security of your information is our priority," he wrote. "We always strive to ensure the security of our customer information, and we are redoubling efforts to prevent any issues in the future."

The company did not immediately explain how the hacking occurred, except to describe it as a cyberattack that "resulted in unauthorized access to some customer data from our servers."

It's the latest bad news for LivingSocial, which offers deals on everything from restaurants to spa sessions. Last November, the company announced it was cutting 400 jobs worldwide, or about 9 percent of its workforce, as the deals marked continued to face challenges.

In recent years, online deals have gone from fad to a much-copied business model that's easy to set up but difficult to sustain. LivingSocial is one of the largest of the online deals companies.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEm87m5vYpKuWTjzFN-NQZNkH0mWg&url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/deals-site-livingsocial-hacked-19053435

Netflix CEO says future of TV is in apps - Washington Post

After Netflix's blockbuster earnings sent its stock soaring this week, the company's chief executive made a bold prediction: TV as we know it is coming to an end.

Billions of people around the world will abandon remote controls and begin tapping video apps across an array of devices, Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings said. They will choose what to watch like they order food off an a-la-carte menu rather than be force-fed hundreds of channels. Instead of CBS, NBC and ABC, a new set of names will dominate, he said.

'As Internet TV grows from millions to billions, Netflix, HBO, and ESPN are leading the way,' Hastings wrote in a manifesto on Netflix's future. 'Internet TV will replace linear TV.'

Such ideas have been around since the introduction of high-quality video over the Internet. But earnings results from several technology giants this week showed that that vision is closer to becoming reality.

The number of consumers turning to Netflix and other online entertainment providers has taken even Wall Street by surprise. Netflix has 30�million U.S. subscribers, a bit more than HBO and about 9�million more than the nation's biggest cable company, Comcast. Hastings audaciously projected Netflix's audience to grow to as many as 90�million as it expands globally. Its revenue, which exceeded $1�billion for the first three months of 2013, was a record. Minutes after the figures were announced Monday, Netflix stock soared more than 23�percent.

In addition, Netflix and Amazon both touted their efforts this week to create original shows. Netflix's 'House of Cards' was hailed as a success by the company, helping draw more subscribers into its fold. This month, Amazon launched 14 original comedy and children's shows '� and it is allowing viewers to vote on which ones should be turned into full-blown series.

The fact that Silicon Valley is finding success with Hollywood-like ventures bodes ill for the traditional television model. While it is unlikely that cable TV will disappear altogether, Hastings conceded, the growth of Internet TV, accessible through apps on big and small screens alike, is putting a once-powerful television industry on its heels.

Some broadcasters have begun scrambling to catch up to online viewing habits.

This week, CBS announced an investment in online TV provider Syncbank, which can stream live shows on the Internet. Others, such as Fox and Univision, said they are considering pulling all of their shows off public airwaves, making the content accessible only through pay models. And a host of the major broadcasters last week renewed a legal fight against Aereo, which streams local broadcasts over the Internet for a small subscription fee.

For all of these efforts, the networks still have a way to go to make a name for themselves in Internet TV, analysts say.

Streaming Netflix videos take up one-third of all U.S. Internet bandwidth during peak traffic hours, and its average subscriber streams 87 minutes of video a day, according to BTIG Research. That makes the online service a major competitor of regular TV, analysts say.

More from other tech giants is on its way.

Amazon is expected to create a television streaming device, and perhaps a mobile phone, that would prominently display its online video service. Apple has been rumored to be working on a television that may bring an a-la-carte model to consumers. Both firms are expanding their array of devices that encourage people to buy individual shows and movies from their stores.

Although Apple and Amazon delivered mixed earnings reports this week, both companies said demand for a-la-carte content over the Web is soaring. Apple said sales of media on iTunes hit a record in the first quarter.

'Cord-cutting is going to happen. The fact that it hasn't yet is simply because cable companies have been effective at maintaining bundles,' said Carl Howe, director of consumer research at the Yankee Group in Boston. 'What these disrupters '� Netflix, Hulu and Amazon '� are doing is opening up more distribution possibilities for programmers, and that changes everything.'

For now, consumers are glued to live broadcast and cable TV, watching 41/ 2 hours daily, according to Nielsen research. That figure has barely budged in years, but Netflix may soon steal more of that viewing time, analysts say.

'As time spent with Netflix continues to grow, we suspect live and DVR'd TV viewing will fall,' said Richard Greenfield of BTIG Research. Netflix, HBO and ESPN, he added, are beginning to become more important brands than the major networks.

Indeed, the competitors Hastings worries about aren't broadcasters with three letters in their name.

'The only thing that's noticeably changed in the last 12 months is Hulu and Amazon bidding more aggressively,' Hastings told investors this week.

Sign up today to receive #thecircuit, a daily roundup of the latest tech policy news from Washington and how it is shaping business, entertainment and science.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEJrUwDorbVNil1EAlL3EtgwlMQmQ&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/netflix-ceo-says-future-of-tv-is-in-apps/2013/04/26/f21f5cce-adc7-11e2-98ef-d1072ed3cc27_story.html

Egg Harbor City delays budget vote pending refinance of bonds - Press of Atlantic City

EGG HARBOR CITY '� City Council held its 2013 budget hearing Thursday night, but won't vote on adoption of the $5.7 million spending plan until after a May 8 hearing with the Local Finance Board.

The proposed 2013 budget is based on figures dependent on planned bond refinancing, said city Chief Financial Officer Jodi Kahn.

The city is applying to refinance a maximum of $5.5 million in water and sewer bonds from 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008 into one bond issue. The refinancing would save more than $1 million in debt-service costs, and allow the city to pay off the bonds five years early '� in 2043 instead of 2048, Kahn said.

As long as the refinancing is approved by the board, City Council will likely pass the budget during its May 9 meeting, Kahn said. If the refinancing is not approved, council will have to amend the budget May 9 and vote on it May 23, she said.

Under the budget as introduced, the municipal tax rate increases about 5 percent. Council members and city officials have blamed rising costs of pensions and health insurance for city workers, and increases in police salaries, for the increase.

The new rate jumps 8.9 cents to $1.80 per $100 assessed value. So the tax bill for municipal services alone will be $2,565 on the average home, which was assessed at about $142,500 in 2013, according to city Tax Assessor Bill Johnson.

City residents must also pay a local school tax rate of $1.29 per $100 assessed value; Egg Harbor City's share of the Greater Egg Harbor School District tax rate of $0.543; and a county tax rate of $0.34. So the total new tax rate for city residents is $3.97, which amounts to $5,657 for that average home.

Kahn said when the budget was introduced that revenues are down $93,000, even though the city had $400,000 in land sales this year. She warned that when the land sales slow or stop, 'There's going to be quite a large hole in the budget.'

In addition to police and insurance costs, the increase in spending is driven by a required extra principal payment on debt this year, she said. Each penny of the tax rate equals $22,500, Kahn said. So 5 cents of the increase goes toward rising appropriations, and 4 cents makes up for falling revenue, she said.

Contact Michelle Brunetti Post:

609-272-7219

MPost@pressofac.com

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHqWlYP2W7WQcq5MPiJI4oRl1sqcA&url=http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/communities/hammonton_egg-harbor-city/egg-harbor-city-delays-budget-vote-pending-refinance-of-bonds/article_f3d89968-aef3-11e2-b5a4-0019bb2963f4.html

Transportation staff to monitor bike and pedestrian corridors, will encourage ... - New York Daily News

Debbie Egan-Chin/New York Daily News

Transportation Department staffers will monitor bike-rental stations during the launch of the city's new program.

The city will deploy 'street managers' to make sure everyone plays nice.

The eight Transportation Department staffers next week will be positioned in Manhattan at key bike and pedestrian corridors, the department announced Thursday.

Susye Greenwood for New York Daily NewsStreet managers won't be able to enforce laws, but they will encourage cyclists to ride in the direction of traffic, yield to pedestrians and halt at traffic signals, as well as advise pedestrians to wait on the curb for the traffic signal and not stand in bike paths.

RELATED: RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS WORRIED OVER CITY BIKE STANDS

The potential for conflicts could grow with next month's launch of the city's bike-rental program. Citi Bike will make thousands of bicycles available at hundreds of docking stations south of 59th St. in Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn. The program will later expand to all five boroughs.

The street managers won't have enforcement powers, but will simply advise cyclists to ride in the direction of traffic, yield to pedestrians and halt at traffic signals; urge pedestrians to wait on the curb for the traffic signal and not stand in bike paths; and discourage drivers from parking illegally in bike lanes.

pdonohue@nydailynews.com

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFgY8mSCiOt3l-N-4Cq8Bz_YIUuMg&url=http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/monitor-posted-new-bike-rental-facilities-article-1.1327730

FDA develops handheld device to spot fake malaria drugs - CBS News

WASHINGTONU.S. health officials are making a high-tech screening device available in Africa to help spot counterfeit malaria pills in hopes that the technology may eventually be used to combat the fake drug trade worldwide.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that U.S. partners in Ghana will begin using a federally developed handheld device to screen for fake or diluted versions of two common malaria pills.

More than a third of malaria-fighting pills used in Africa and Asia are either fake or bad quality, according to a study released last year. Rampant drug counterfeiting has undermined efforts to fight the mosquito-borne disease, which causes fever, chills and flu-like illness. Malaria kills more than 660,000 people each year, more than 90 percent of them in Africa.

If the FDA's counterfeit detection device, or CD-3, proves effective in Ghana, the agency hopes to mass produce it on an international scale, which could ultimately reduce counterfeiting around the world.

Counterfeit medicines have long been a problem in developing regions like Africa and Asia, but more fake drugs have been making their way to U.S. pharmacies and hospitals as drug supply chains increasingly stretch across continents. Over 80 percent of the active ingredients used in U.S. pharmaceuticals are now manufactured overseas, according to one congressional estimate.

"We live in a world where the marketplace is increasingly global, where the supply chain of drugs is increasingly vulnerable and we are seeing many more problems with substandard and counterfeit drugs around the world," said FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, in an interview with The Associated Press. "Unfortunately developing economies are the most burdened by this problem, but we've had serious threats to health in this country as well."

Last year the FDA issued three separate warnings about counterfeit versions of the Roche cancer drug Avastin that were sold to U.S. cancer clinics and hospitals. An unknown amount of those fakes was administered to patients. Five years earlier, hundreds of Americans suffered severe allergic reactions and at least 80 died from taking a contaminated blood-thinning ingredient imported from China.

Most counterfeit operations are based in countries with weak regulatory standards, like China, India or Turkey. The fake or substandard drugs can make their way to Africa, Europe or the U.S. through complicated international networks of medical wholesalers and suppliers.

Fake drugs with no malaria-fighting ingredient can lead to deaths when patients rely on them, and those containing some active ingredients - but not enough to cure the disease - are also problematic because they promote resistance that can eventually outsmart medicines and render them useless.

Play Video

Online pharmacies: What you need to know

FDA officials say this trend could eventually threaten Americans.

"If anti-malaria drug resistance develops in Ghana and other regions it impacts us because it means that strains of malaria are circulating and anyone can be exposed to them when they're traveling, or when people who are infected come into this country," Hamburg said.

The FDA initiative in Ghana follows the recommendation of a recent report by the Institute of Medicine, which concluded that making detection technology available to developing countries could help curb drug counterfeiting.

Designed by FDA forensic scientists, the CD-3 is a battery-operated device that shoots different wavelengths of light at a product to determine its authenticity. The device, which is about the size of a barcode scanner, compares scanned images to a stored image of the original product, picking up minute differences in packaging, pill color or shape.

The FDA has used the device since 2010 to screen a number of products imported to the U.S. including cosmetics, food, medical devices and cigarettes.

The FDA plans to provide 10 scanners to Ghana, which will be used to screen drugs at five laboratories in towns around the country. These labs are run by the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention, a nonprofit group that sets quality standards for medicines used in the U.S. and 140 other countries.

Regulators are interested in whether the device can detect fake versions of two widely used malaria pills: Malarone from GlaxoSmithKline, and Coartem from Novartis.

The accuracy of the CD-3's readings will be verified at a national laboratory, where the composition of the drugs will be tested using traditional methods.

Funding for the work comes from a combination of public and private sources, including the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Skoll Global Threats Fund, founded by former eBay President Jeff Skoll.

FDA officials say each CD-3 currently costs about $1,000 to produce. However, regulators hope that the cost will come down after the device is mass produced. The agency said New York manufacturer Corning Inc. has signed an agreement to develop the technology for mass production based on its performance in Ghana.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNH-QYdAChp7gKm9M4zBBbr-81sZyA&url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57581398/fda-develops-handheld-device-to-spot-fake-malaria-drugs/

'Duck Dynasty' finale ratings beat 'American Idol' - Entertainment Weekly

Maybe the Duck Dynasty guys should judge American Idol.

A&E's docu-soap phenomenon shattered previous ratings records for its Wednesday night finale. The episode following the Robertson clan to Hawaii delivered 9.6 million viewers and a 4.3 adults 18-49 rating.

That rating makes Duck Dynasty the highest-rated show last night '� and not just on cable. The number is bigger then CBS' Survivor (2.9) and bigger than Fox's American Idol (3.3). As you can see, the fight wasn't even close.

Duck Dynasty, along with AMC's The Walking Dead, represent small-yet-growing number of cable shows that can overthrow the heavy hitters on broadcast. Season three of Duck Dynasty averaged 8.4 million total viewers (up 95% versus season 2) and 4.8 million adults 18-49 (up 92%), making it cable's top-rated reality series this year, and the No. 2 original series overall behind only The Walking Dead.

Fox's American Idol has suffered a rather dramatic ratings decline this season, though last night's episode was basically on par with the previous week. The once-unbeatable franchise has endured several ratings indignities of late, such as getting topped by repeats of CBS' The Big Bang Theory. Being trounced by a cable show is now added to the list, but that's hardly a unique badge of dishonor this season.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGop-xL_P6rryQUlXkbQJ72ln-cMw&url=http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/04/25/duck-dynasty-finale-ratings-american-idol/

Inspection Tag, Safety Inspection, Pk 10 Review

Brand: Approved Vendor

Safety and Maintenance TagsInspection Tag, Height 7 In, Width 4 In, Legend Safety Inspection, With Bonus Text, Reverse Side Same as Front, Notes Economy Polyester, Chamfered Corners, 3/8 In I.D. Metal Grommet, ISO 9001 Values, Nylon Ties, Package Quantity 10

Link source

NMC RPT158G Manufacturing accident Prevention Tag with Brass Perforation, Unrippable Vinyl, 3" Part, 6" Height, Conservational, Conservational (Pack of 25) Best Deal

Brand: NMC

# Events 3-inches length by 6-inches height
# 0.015 Unrippable vinyl
# Conservational bemused industrial accident prevention tag
# Unwrippable and enter on
# With brass grommets

NMC industrial accident prevention tag. Warn off potential hazards and provide in rank on the job site. Tags sold in packs of 25 and includes self-locking nylon fasteners. Conservational bemused. 0.015 Unrippable vinyl. Unwrippable and enter on. With brass grommets. Events 3-inches length by 6-inches height.

Link source

Gwyneth Paltrow is World's Most Beautiful Woman: Another reason to 'love to ... - Washington Post

People magazine named Gwyneth Paltrow the World's Most Beautiful Woman for 2013.

Not that you needed another reason to hate, er, love the 40-year-old actress.

Earlier this month, Washington Post Style writer Monica Hesse examined the complicated relationship Paltrow has with fans (and non-fans) while taste-testing the health-conscious recipes in Paltrow's cookbook 'It's All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great.'

Here's how Hesse described Paltrow's unique brand of celebrity:

There are other celebrities in America who are more clueless, more doe-dazed than Gwyneth. But they don't lay themselves bare the way she does, nakedly offering herself up for scrutiny again and again, a flayed fillet of fame. In 2008 she was just an actress, a good one, the Oscar-winner in the Pepto ball gown, who seemed coltish but kind. Then she launched Goop, billed as a way to help readers save time, simplify their lives, feel inspired and generally share 'all of life's positives.'

Commenters on Hesse's article also had a lot to say about Paltrow and her dietary restrictions. Here are some takes from our readers:

simon2 : It's true, I could un-subscribe from GOOP but there is a strange fascination in seeing how ghastly Gwyneth�can get.... her idea of what a normal person would spend for a throw is so way off. To her $1000 is 10 cents.�I wonder how she could get a realistic idea of what ordinary people are, do, spend and eat?

awoaca : No Gwyneth, no book. My life has enough irony.

From Commenter danaman:

Ha ha LOL - what a hoot of an article! ��Spewed my organic fair trade lovingly gathered chamomile tips tea gently infused on a sunny windowsill in a lead-free crystal cup all over my dust-free, sanitized with (organic, of course) first crush apple cider vinegar keyboard.��Now I have to get up and joyfully repeat the tea-making and keyboard purifying whilst inhaling cleansing deep breaths through alternating nostrils.��By tomorrow's glorious, multi-hued, cloud-studded sunset, I should be ready to read today's news, focusing on the now and present.

lindsaycurren:

I'm confused, I thought we just loved to love her. I'm always the last to know that "we're" "over" something/someone.�

More celebrity news:

Gwyneth Paltrow says her selection as world's 'most beautiful woman' is 'obviously not true'

Amid low ratings, word gets out that 'Idol' mulled replacing Mariah Carey with Jennifer Lopez

Kris Jenner says Khloe Kardashian was too busy to host 'X Factor'

The Reliable Source: Could Reese Witherspoon's arrest help her career?

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEkd_X-USVmT4NTyM2h39mf5kfs0g&url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/gwyneth-paltrow-is-worlds-most-beautiful-woman-another-reason-to-love-to-hate-her/2013/04/25/fed3b7c8-ad16-11e2-a8b9-2a63d75b5459_story.html

Last-minute 49ers NFL Draft guide - San Jose Mercury News

Print�� Email�� Font Resize

By Cam InmanBay Area News Groupmercurynews.com

Posted: � 04/25/2013 10:27:15 AM PDT

April 25, 2013 5:33 PM GMTUpdated: � 04/25/2013 10:33:23 AM PDT

SANTA CLARA -- The NFL is on the clock, counting down the hours to its 78th annual player selection show. First-round action doesn't start until 5 p.m., and the following information should catch you up to speed on the 49ers' draft attack:

• The 49ers hold 13 draft picks: 1st round (31st), 2nd round (34th, 61st), 3rd round (74th, 93rd), 4th round (128th, 131st), 5th round (157th), 6th (173rd, 180th), 7th (237th, 242nd, 252nd).
• Going up? Yes, the 49ers are a hot candidate to trade up and not sit tight at 31. Yahoo's Jason Cole reports that the 49ers are eyeing defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson for such a move. Richardson fits the 49ers' defensive-line profile in at least one way: he's from Missouri, which also produced the right flank of the 49ers' line in Justin Smith and Aldon Smith, both of whom were hindered by injuries late last season and exposed the need to add depth there.
• Thursday night's action is confined to first-round selections, and a 10-minute cushion exists between picks.
• TV coverage: NFL Network and ESPN/ESPN2 will cover the draft's all three days. Alex Flanagan (NFL Network) and Colleen Dominguez (ESPN) will be reporting from the 49ers' facility on Thursday. The 49ers will not have a draft-room camera (sarcastic reason offered by CEO Jed York on Twitter: "I'm embarrassed about balding.")
• The draft takes place in New York at Radio City Music Hall. The 49ers are hosting a "Draft Bash"from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at San Jose's San Pedro Square; the event is sold out.
• The 49ers' positions of greatest need: defensive line, safety, cornerback, tight end and wide receiver/return specialist.
• General manager Trent Baalke has pulled off nine trades while presiding over the past three drafts. The 49ers traded up for right tackle Anthony Davis (11th overall, 2010), quarterback Colin Kaepernick (36th overall, 2011), offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore (163rd, 2011) and guard Joe Looney (117th, 2012). Linebacker NaVorro Bowman (91st, 2010) and cornerback Chris Culliver (80th, 2011) are among those the 49ers acquired by trading down.
• At least 19 players have been projected as the 49ers' first-round selection in nation-wide mock drafts. The most popular choices are Florida International safety Jonathan Cyprien, Stanford tight end Zach Ertz and Southern Methodist defensive lineman Margus Hunt.
• The 49ers have drafted 24 tight ends in their history, and Vernon Davis (2006) is the only one selected in the first round.
• Kentwan Balmer is the last defensive lineman selected by the 49ers in the first round (2008). He was traded after the 2009 season (and since headed to the Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins).
• The 49ers list Dana Hall (1992) as the only safety they've ever selected in the first round. That said, they list Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott (1981) in the "defensive back" category.
• The last time the 49ers drafted 31st overall resulted in one of their biggest draft busts: wide receiver Rashaun Woods (Oklahoma State).
• The last time the 49ers drafted 13 players was 1991, and that class included defensive tackle Ted Washington (first round, 25th overall), running back Rickey Watters (second round) and defensive back Merton Hanks (fifth round).
• The 49ers have not drafted a first-round cornerback since 2002, when they got another bust in Mike Rumph (Miami).
• The last UCLA player drafted in any round by the 49ers was wide receiver J.J. Stokes (first round, 1995). Keep that in mind if the 49ers move up to draft Bruins defensive lineman Datone Jones.
• Here is the draft's green-room roster: DE Ezekiel Ansah (Brigham Young), DE Barkevious Mingo (LSU), WR Tavon Austin (West Virginia), WR Cordarrelle Patterson (Tennessee), OT Eric Fisher (Central Michigan), CB Xavier Rhodes (Florida State), DT Sharrif Floyd (Florida), DT Sheldon Richardson (Missouri), OT D.J. Fluker (Alabama), CB Darius Slay (Mississippi State), OT Luke Joeckel (Texas A&M), QB Geno Smith (West Virginia), OT Lane Johnson (Oklahoma), S Kenny Vaccaro (Texas), DE Dion Jordan (Oregon), G Chance Warmack (Alabama), RB Eddie Lacy (Alabama), OT Menelik Watson (Florida State), QB E.J. Manuel (Florida State), DE Bjoern Werner (Florida State), CB Dee Milliner (Alabama)
• Guy McIntyre, a former 49ers lineman and current director of alumni relations, will announce Friday's second-round draft pick.

Copyright 2012 San Jose Mercury News. All rights reserved.Print�� Email�� Font ResizeReturn to Top��

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGdvAZMPXEKQqya8w-mTq63r-Ujgw&url=http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_23105816/last-minute-49ers-nfl-draft-guide

Establishment/Manufacturing accident Prevention DVD Kit

Brand: Approved Vendor

# Protection Housekeeping and Accident Prevention

Protection and Dictatorial Falling in outline TrainingDVD kits include an instructor's handbook, DVD, reproducible scheduling and attendance forms, employee quiz, schooling certificate, 5 posters, and 30 employee booklets. DVD programs are packaged in a 3-ring binder including instructors handbook, DVD, reproducible scheduling and attendance forms, employee quiz, and schooling certificate.General SafetyProvide equipment looked-for to promote and conduct a complete protection assembly.Protection Schooling Kit, Protection Housekeeping and Accident Prevention, DVD, 30 Booklets, 5 Posters, Scheduling And Attendance Forms, Quiz, Schooling Certificate And Leader's Handbook, Topics Enclosed Include Surplus Equipment And Rubbish, Gripping Cords And Rigging, T

Link source

Today Is Administrative Professionals' Day! - Patch.com

Let us all give a cheer for the backbone of America!

Today is�Administrative Professionals Day, where we honor the men and women who support us, and keep everything running behind the scenes.

Administrative Professionals Day/Week was originally organized in 1952 as "National Secretaries Week" by the National Secretaries Association, �according to the�International Association of Administrative Professionals.�It was established as an effort to recognize secretaries for their contributions in the workplace, and to attract people to secretarial/administrative careers.

IAAP defines administrative professionals as 'individuals who are responsible for administrative tasks and coordination of information in support of an office-related environment and who are dedicated to furthering their personal and professional growth in their chosen profession.'

Give a SHOUT OUT to your favorite Administrative Assistant in the comments and tell everyone what makes them so great! Honor them by adding a photo to our gallery by clicking the "Add Photos and Video" button.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNH89XQ8QS2HBj6wRZL7Q32u5_Hzkw&url=http://clawson.patch.com/articles/today-is-administrative-professionals-day-54a7a1ef

HIM vs. Three Days Grace - Cage Match - Loudwire

Photos: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire / Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com

HIM continue on in the Cage Match, as their track 'Tears on Tape' beat out 30 Seconds to Mars in the last round, but can they do it again as they face their latest competition?

Three Days Grace enter the matchup with their latest chart-topping tune 'The High Road' off of their latest disc 'Transit of Venus.' The band recently experienced a lineup change in which singer Matt Walst took over vocal duties from ex-frontman Adam Gontier. Walst and the crew are currently on tour all over the U.S. and are also set to play major festivals such as Rock on the Range. For a full list of dates, go here.

So will Three Days Grace get a win by taking 'The High Road' or will HIM continue on their own path to victory with 'Tears on Tape'? Listen to both tracks and vote for your favorite in the poll below!

(This Cage Match will run until Friday, April 26, at 8AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!)

HIM, 'Tears on Tape'

Three Days Grace, 'The High Road'

Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll.

Rules of Cage Match:Fans can vote once per hour for their favorite song. If a song remains the reigning champ for five straight cage matches, it is retired to the Loudwire Cage Match Hall of Fame. With so many great songs out there, we have to give other bands a chance!

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNH2DTcXrUmgiW-xtP-FJ9hjn_Si_g&url=http://loudwire.com/him-vs-three-days-grace-cage-match/

2013 NFL mock draft: Trades will screw up all of our predictions - Arrowhead Pride (blog)

Gil Brandt's 2013 NFL mock draft has been released and to no one's surprise he has the Kansas City Chiefs selecting Texas A&M left tackle Luke Joeckel. Boring! (But still a good pick!)

What else is going on in Gil Brandt's 2013 NFL mock draft? Lots of stuff. Take a look below at a few of the notables in the top 10:

Ziggy Ansah goes No. 2 overall -- Maybe 'ol Gil Brandt knows a thing or two about the draft. This would be a surprise pick but you also have to remember that Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and GM John Dorsey also traveled to BYU to work out Ansah, which could mean he was at least under consideration for the No. 1 pick for some period of time.

Jets trade up to No. 3 (Raiders) to select Dee Milliner -- Replacing Darrelle Revis. Good luck with that. No. 3 is apparently just far enough down to garner some trade talk while No. 1 is too high.

Chargers trade up to No. 4 (Eagles) to select Eric Fisher -- Hmm. The Chargers do need offensive line help. It's why that BS rumor that started the other day about the Chiefs trading Branden Albert to San Diego actually fooled some people. The Eagles are said to be looking to trade back and they look like they're in a terrific spot to do so. If the Jaguars and Raiders pass on Eric Fisher (or Luke Joeckel if the Chiefs don't take him), teams wanting a day-one starter at offensive tackle will need to call the Eagles.

Top OTs off the board by No. 5 -- Lane Johnson to the Lions with the fifth pick. A few weeks ago it was crazy talk to put Lane Johnson in the top five. Now it's crazy talk to leave him out. The draft, everybody!

Raiders take Sharrif Floyd at No. 9 -- Many people are mocking Floyd to Oakland with the third pick. The Raiders would probably love this scenario -- get picks and the player you want.

Eagles take Geno Smith at No. 11 -- A little more reasonable at 11 than four.

More Chiefs draft news:

Chiefs fans split on Joeckel vs. Fisher

Odds on the top draft picks

Two mock drafts, two picks for the Chiefs

Non-offensive line options for KC

� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNE12xWIVXnHfOdDXOrv5LRe9duTZw&url=http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2013/4/23/4257752/2013-nfl-mock-draft-trades-picks

7/8" X 3 1/8" RV Plastic Accident Prevention Tag Danger Hands Off Do Not Operate With Do Not Remove Notification On Back (25 Per Package)

Brand: Accuform

A81MDT227PTP Features: -Price Is For One Package -Smallest Order Of 1.-Accuform Cryptogram RV-Plastic Tags are intended for light-duty indoor or sheltered outdoor environments. The .015'' have a supply of has a temperature array of -4 to 158 F, resists UV rays for 3-12 months and has good chemical and scratch resistance..-HANDS OFF DO NOT OPERATE 25/PK.-UNSPC CODE: 55121700.-Shut out and Tagout Shut out Tagout area safeguard tag out.-TAGS PLASTIC 6X3-1/2 DANGER.

Link source

Abuse-ridden ALF ordered to close - MiamiHerald.com

The Hillandale Assisted Living Facility, a Tampa Bay-area home where disabled young adults were raped, beaten, drugged and locked in a dank closet '� one resident was struck by a car and killed '� may be closing its doors on the orders of state health regulators.

The state Agency for Health Care Administration revoked Hillandale's license in an order dated April 15. The facility had been operating without the ability to collect precious Medicaid dollars since June 13, 2011, when the state yanked the home's status as a provider under the state and federal insurance program for needy and disabled Floridians. AHCA had hoped the loss of Medicaid dollars would starve out the home, but it found alternate state funding.

The April order, signed by AHCA Secretary Liz Dudek, concludes that Hillandale had consistently 'failed to provide a safe and decent environment free from abuse and neglect and failed to treat its residents with consideration and respect.'

In addition to the closure, Hillandale's owners, Gene and Amelia Cowles, face $21,000 in fines and fees. Under Florida law, the Cowles family may appeal Dudek's order to the district court of appeal.

Hillandale, the order said, 'cares for a very vulnerable segment of Florida's population: young persons with mental and physical problems. [The home] has demonstrated that it cannot adequately care for such residents and safeguard them from harm. Thus, [it] should not longer be allowed to have its license.'

The Pasco County home had been the scene of much reported abuse, neglect and mayhem since it opened its doors in 2005, and advocates for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities had lobbied the state to close it. The seminal event occurred on May 14, 2011, when one of the home's caregivers, who had a history of inappropriate contact with residents, was accused of having sex with a 26-year-old woman who suffers from autism and is cognitively impaired.

The man, 59-year-old Orlando Baez, was charged with sexual battery. The case remains open.

Augustine Smythe Weekley, Jr., the attorney for Hillandale's owners, declined to discuss the case, except to 'point out that the [administrative law judge] did not recommend revocation, but AHCA acted on its own to do so.' He added: 'Appeal is being considered.'

The health care agency also declined to comment. In an email to the parents of the reported rape victim earlier this month, an assistant general counsel for AHCA, James H. Harris, wrote: 'I know that this will not fix the harm done to your daughter, but perhaps it will prevent harm to others.'

Hillandale, whose owners also run two other ALFs in Tampa Bay, received extensive coverage as part of an award-winning series of stories in The Miami Herald, called Neglected to Death, which showed the state had allowed scores of problem homes to remain open '� sometimes for years '� despite a litany of abuses.

The final order provides 30 days for state health, social service and disability administrators to arrange for the 'safe and orderly' transfer of the 20 or so Hillandale residents.

Annie Aponte of Safety Harbor, the mother of the reported rape victim, is haunted at the thought that Baez took pictures of the woman, in violation of federal privacy laws. 'When I read that in the [court documents], that's what also got me upset,' she said. 'I don't know what pictures he took '� of her in the shower, in the bathroom, or when he was raping her? I don't know. I want to know where they are and who has them. I want them.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFBDKz0lNh8_1jvJvp4gFa9ICYd_w&url=http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/04/23/3360615/state-orders-tampa-bay-area-facility.html

The DIY Cellphone, ruggedly handcrafted, is now in its second version. (David ... - ABC News

Lisa Grossman had never felt so "giddy with excitement" to hear her phone ring. The ring, as she recently described it in New Scientist magazine, where she works as a reporter, sounded like "a tinny version of the Christmas carol 'Angels We Have Heard on High.'"

But no matter. The ring came from a cellphone she'd built herself, by hand, in an afternoon.

PHOTOS: MAKING YOUR OWN CELLPHONE

"I felt like a wizard," Grossman told ABCNews.com. "I spent most of that day soldering," fusing minuscule components, about 60 of them, to a circuit board with molten metal filler. "I had never soldered anything before, and only had a vague idea of how it worked."

That made her the perfect candidate for David Mellis, a graduate student in the MIT Media Lab's High-Low Tech group -- part of whose mission is to "democratize engineering"-- as he walked her through the steps.

"He just had a little plastic bag, and dumped all these tiny, tiny parts on the table in front of me, and said here you go," Grossman said. "Here's how you hold the iron so that you don't melt what you don't mean to melt and burn yourself.

"I did burn myself a couple of times," she said, "but I felt it was battle scars."

David A. Mellis, MIT Media Lab

The DIY Cellphone, ruggedly handcrafted, is... View Full SizeTip of the Day: DIY Projects Watch VideoWatch Out for DIY Dangers Watch VideoGastric Bypass Kit Offered Online Watch Video

Mellis, who designed the circuit board and created the downloadable software for the Do-It-Yourself Cellphone, had been a co-founder of Arduino, a company known for its simple, open-source circuit boards and microcontrollers. Popular with electronic hobbyists and hackers, they're hardly for everyone.

Looking to extend the do-it-yourself electronics concept to nontechies such as Grossman, who said she'd never built anything before, Mellis set about designing consumer products that wouldn't require an engineering or computer science degree to make.

"It's about giving people the idea that the consumer electronics we use are things that you can open up and make yourself and understand how they work and change how they work," he told ABCNews.com.

He started with radios, moved on to portable speakers and computer mice with 3-D printed cases before tackling the ultimate object of neurotic fixation: the cellphone.

"It is the ultimate device. We use them constantly, and we have these complex relationships with them, but they are technically more challenging," Mellis explained, speaking from his own DIY Cellphone without a scratch of static in the background.

Grossman said, "He showed me the logic layout. Here's how all the little pieces talk to each other. And here's which connections have to be made between which parts. The soldering was a bit like doing color by numbers: That part goes here, that part goes there.

"And there were parts where he was like, Make sure you don't solder those two legs together, because that will make things talk to each other that shouldn't talk to each other."

And many of the parts "are just so small," Mellis said. Especially tricky to solder is the microcontroller. "It's like a bug about the size of a penny -- maybe five-eighths of an inch, but it has 11 legs on each side, and each leg is like about a 10th of an inch," he said.

While the DIY Cellphone currently lives primarily in the lab, almost all of its parts can be bought online from websites that sell electronic components, Mellis said, while the instructions and source code can be downloaded from GitHub. The GSM module, which does most of the processing -- talking to the network, handling the audio -- comes from an e-commerce site in China.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNErNy50K86jI23FHMSWZqC1VWGUVA&url=http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/build-cell-phone/story?id=18952735

USDA: Lion Cage Where Intern Died Worked... - ABC News

The enclosures at a Central California wild animal park where a lion killed an intern were working properly at the time of her death, federal officials said.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday that the agency's investigation on the day after the mauling in March found no violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act at Project Survival's Cat Haven.

USDA investigators looked at whether proper enclosures were in place, and whether they were in good working order, among other things.

"We looked at anything and everything that could have contributed to that incident, including enclosures, the employee training program, procedures for cleaning enclosures and feeding the animals, and we did not find any violations," said USDA spokeswoman Lyndsay Cole.

The federal agency's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service sent two people '� an inspector and a big cat specialist '� from its office in Fort Collins, Colo., after the attack that killed Dianna Hanson, 24, of Seattle. Hanson, a big cat lover, was working a six-month internship at the private zoo in the Sierra Foothills near Fresno just west of Kings Canyon National Park.

The inspection into Hanson's death included the safety clasps on enclosure doors. Hanson was cleaning the cage of a 4-year-old male lion named Couscous when he somehow escaped from a smaller enclosure and attacked her. Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mimms has said the gate was not completely closed.

Sheriff's deputies killed the animal when they could not lure him away from Hanson's body.

Cat Haven officials could not be reached immediately for comment.

Since the property opened in 1993, it has housed numerous big cats, including tigers, leopards and other exotic species. It is permitted to house exotic animals by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and is regulated as a zoo by USDA. The USDA's last 13 inspections of the facility showed no violations.

Officials at another big cat sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida, told The Associated Press last year that at least 21 people, including five children, have been killed and 246 mauled by exotic cats in the U.S. since 1990. Over that period, 254 cats escaped and 143 were killed.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFBF7SX7-rZ3RHyNkNIN_cTeAY15A&url=http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/usda-lion-cage-intern-killed-worked-fine-19026230

Close isn't good enough for Cubs - ESPN (blog)

AP Photo/Al BehrmanHave the baseball gods conspired against the Cubs, who keep finding ways to lose close games?

CINCINNATI -- To say the Chicago Cubs are getting frustrated with their early season results would be an understatement. At 5-13 they're six games out of first and 4.5 games out of fourth place, going into action on Tuesday night. But things could have been different over this first month. As history suggests the Cubs are getting unusual results.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau they're the third team (1966 Reds, 1909 Browns) in major league history to have five or fewer wins in their first 18 games while all 18 were decided by four runs or less. No blowouts here and yet the Cubs still stand eight games under .500 already.

In fact, 15 of 18 have been decided by three runs or less for the first time since 2001. And the last time the first 18 were decided by four runs or less was in 1908.

Pitcher Travis Wood may have summed it up best after yet another tough defeat, 5-4, to the Cincinnati Reds in 13 innings Monday night. The Cubs led 4-2 entering the bottom of the 13th.

"It's easy to be down but it's also hard to be down because we're not getting blown out every game," Wood said. "We're right there every game. We just have to come together as a team and figure out how to pull it out."

If it's not the defense (17 errors in 18 games) it's the bullpen (4.86 ERA). If it's not the bullpen it's clutch hitting (.147 with runners in scoring position). The only thing working is their starting staff (3.11 ERA). But that's not enough, obviously.

"I don't know what we did to (tick) off the baseball gods because they are mad at us and they're letting it show," reliever James Russell said. "You can't cry over spilled milk. It is what it is. You just have to come in every day and be ready. And once we get on that hot streak we'll let it roll and have some fun."

But once some of the other parts of the team come around -- if they do -- will the starting pitching still be there? Those baseball Gods can be devious. Wasting good performances from the most integral part of the game, as the Cubs are doing right now, might just come back to haunt them making things worse.

"We've been in almost every single game," Michael Bowden stated. "It's just a few things here or there. We're close."

But close isn't good enough. All eighteen games have been relatively close but only five have ended up in the win column.

"They are tough because you're doing everything you can," Wood said. "You just have to hang in there and ride it out. Tides will turn."

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHNzL-qiTyo09ya5DK1lT1zqN29NQ&url=http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/cubs/post/_/id/16368/close-isnt-good-enough-for-cubs

Oracle takes a leaf out of Microsoft's book, prioritizes Java security - Ars Technica

The release of Java 8, originally due in September this year, has been pushed back. The new version's headline feature'�Project Lambda, which brings anonymous functions to Java'�isn't yet finished.

The reason for this delay is, in part, security. Over the past eight months, a large number of critical security flaws have been found and patched. This has damaged Java's reputation, with Apple, for example, reacting by removing the Java plugin from its Safari browser.

In response, Mark Reinhold, chief architect of the Java Platform Group at Oracle, has announced a "renewed focus on security" that will tie up engineering efforts. As a result, Java 8 has now been pushed back until the first quarter of 2014.

Reinhold explained that Oracle originally planned to release a feature complete beta of Java 8, Milestone 6, back in January. It failed to do so, however, due to the incompleteness of Project Lambda. Removing Project Lambda might have allowed Oracle to meet its original September release date, but this wasn't felt to be an appealing choice, as Project Lambda is the most important feature of the new version. Without it, there'd be little point releasing Java 8 at all.

The Oracle announcement is reminiscent of Microsoft's push for security that started in the first half of the 2000s. Bitten by multiple security flaws and an increasingly bad security reputation, the company made security a top priority, developing new processes and procedures to ensure that security was baked into product design.

This eventually culminated in the release of Windows XP Service Pack 2, in 2004. This Service Pack contained a raft of security improvements, and some Microsoft insiders claim that it demanded so much development effort that it contributed, in part, to the delays suffered by Windows Vista.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEZ86eq156EGAiFQZvyJEMmwSy7zA&url=http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/04/oracle-takes-a-leaf-out-of-microsofts-book-prioritizes-java-security/

Brady 87493 1 1/2" diameter, 1.5 inches Brass (B-907), Brass Stamped Brass Valve Tags (25 Tags) Big Sale

Brand: Brady

# 19 gauge cartridge brass (40 mils thick) with black to the top text for easy readability

Made from 19 gauge cartridge brass (40 mils thick) and used for all-function function valve identification. These tags are avaialble in a ordinary 1 1/2" around style. Black to the top text for easy readability

Link source

Brady 50251 5 1/2"Height x 3"Width, Gray Job Polyester (B-837), Black/Red on Colorless Push to out Tags (25 Tags) At approximately calculate ago Shipping

Brand: Brady

# "Do Not Operate - Contractor" (reverse side B)

Constructed of gray duty polyester, our durable tags offer completely encapsulated graphics that withstand dampness, grease, chemicals and extreme temperatures. Tags accept pencil, pen and marker (pen and marker can be completely erased using isopropyl alcohol, allowing for repeated use!). Gray duty construction holds up to 80 lbs of influence force, preventing accidental removal. 3/8" diameter gray-duty brass grommet accepts most lock restraints. Tag mass is 5 1/2"H x 3". Standard package includes 25 tags and nylon fasteners.

Link source

Brady 235601 1/2" Diametermeter Stamped Brass Valve Tags, Facts 101-125, Legend "HWS" (25 per Wrap) Preeminent Deal

Brand: Brady

# 19 gauge cartridge brass (40 mils thick) with black to the top text for easy readability

Made from 19 gauge cartridge brass (40 mils thick) and used for all-function function valve identification. These tags are avaialble in a ordinary 1 1/2" round style. Black to the top text for easy readability

Link source

'What Would Ryan Lochte Do?,' TV review - New York Daily News

Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Ryan Lochte is set to make his small-screen debut.

He's superhuman in the pool but super stupid on TV.

Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte, star of E!'s new waste of time, 'What Would Ryan Lochte Do?,' comes off as a skirt-chasing dingbat in the new reality show that follows him, er, chasing skirts and acting dumb.

RELATED: RYAN LOCHTE TO MAKE A BIG SPLASH WITH THE LADIES & NEW E! SHOW

Don Juan Moore/E!Acting dumb and showing off his body are what Ryan Lochte does on his new E! show, 'What Would Ryan Lochte Do?'

Lochte, who has male-model looks and a personality bordering on a yogurt taco seems to fumble though the show, splashing viewers with bloopers, vacant stares and silly sayings like, 'Go big or go home.'

It's the same kind of ridiculous babbling that turned him into a laughingstock while doing live TV interviews.

RELATED: RYAN LOCHTE INTERVIEW LEAVES TV ANCHORS IN FIT OF LAUGHTER

Sam Jones/ E!The 11-time Olympic medalist tries to invent his own catchphrases on the show, along with chasing girls.

A video of Lochte trying to banter with two morning shows in Philadelphia earlier this week left viewers '� and the anchors '� in tears as he dropped chestnut phrases like, 'If you're man at night, you need to be a man in the morning.'

On the show he even tries to come up with his own catchphrase, 'Jeah!'

RELATED: RYAN LOCHTE: MY IDEAL GIRL 'DOESN'T HAVE TO PLAY A SPORT'

Don Juan Moore/E!Struggles Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte struggles with on his new E! show include training for the 2016 games and transitioning from one-night stands to a meaningful relationship.

It's rough, and after you get past the show's single joke (that would be Lochte's personality) and the 11-time Olympic medalist's washboard abs, one can only wonder how it will be possible to garner enough material for an entire series.

To this end, producers struggle to build drama by showcasing Lochte's rigorous training for the next summer games in Rio de Janeiro and his dream of moving past one-night stands and into a meaningful relationship.

RELATED: RYAN LOCHTE CAUGHT KISSING CARMEN ELECTRA

Another suspenseful situation for Lochte to dwell on is whether he can deliver a speech at a Muscular Dystrophy event in Washington, D.C., without coming off as a moron.

dkaplan@nydailynews.com

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFeln577inzcWZvIFB9153QeqAjEg&url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/ryan-lochte-tv-review-article-1.1322017

What does 2013 schedule tell us? - ESPN

NFL Releases 2013 ScheduleNFL Releases 2013 ScheduleNEXT VIDEO

• NFL Releases 2013 ScheduleNFL Releases 2013 Schedule
• Monday Night Football Schedule ReleasedMonday Night Football Schedule Released

Now we know. Baltimore will open at Denver. Manning vs. Manning will be in Week 2. Chip Kelly will begin to revolutionize the game -- as Philadelphia tight end Brent Celek predicted earlier this week -- and make his head coaching debut on "Monday Night Football" in Week 1 against Washington.

We are still more than four months away from real football, from the big games and the packed stadiums. Every team is 0-0. Every team is optimistic. Every team can still win its division, can still make the playoffs, and can still win the Super Bowl. At least, they can on paper.

The National Football League finally released the 2013 slate of games, which begged these 10 questions:

What is the impact of the Baltimore Ravens opening the season on the road?

[+] Enlarge

Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY SportsOpening at Denver is a tough way for Joe Flacco and the Ravens to start their championship defense.

Since 2004, the NFL has opened the regular season with the defending Super Bowl champions playing at home. It has allowed the teams to bask in the glory of their accomplishment one last time in front of their own fans. It has been a tremendous advantage. Prior to last season, when the New York Giants lost their season opener to the Dallas Cowboys, the defending champs were 8-0 in season openers with an average margin of victory of 10.4 points.

Translation: Open at home, start the season 1-0.

Because of a conflict with the Baltimore Orioles, the Ravens will open at Denver in a rematch of Baltimore's thrilling double overtime win in the divisional round of the 2012 playoffs.

Since 2008, when John Harbaugh became the coach and Joe Flacco the starting quarterback, Baltimore is 33-7 at M&T Bank Stadium and 21-19 on the road. The Ravens lost six starters on defense from the Super Bowl team, traded valuable receiver Anquan Boldin to San Francisco and have a big question at left tackle. What should have been a home win in the season opener has become a possible road loss. The good news: Three of their next four games will be against teams that finished below .500 in 2012.

Who's got the easier road to the NFC West title, the San Francisco 49ers or Seattle Seahawks?

Along with the Atlanta Falcons, the 49ers and Seahawks will open the season as favorites to win the NFC. It is scary how they are almost mirror images of each other. Dynamic young quarterbacks. Potentially dominating defenses. Brash head coaches who have carried over a collegiate rivalry to the pros.

Both teams will have to deal with their opponents having spent much of the offseason devising schemes and collecting players to counter the read option.

San Francisco caught a break on who they play at home versus the road. Of the Niners' nondivisional opponents, they will play Atlanta, Carolina, Green Bay, Houston and Indianapolis at home. Four of those teams made the playoffs last year. They will travel to New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Washington, Jacksonville and Tennessee. Only one of those teams made the playoffs.

The Seahawks will play New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Minnesota, Jacksonville and Tennessee at home and travel to Atlanta, Carolina, the New York Giants, Houston and Indianapolis.

So, advantage San Francisco.

San Francisco's strength of schedule is tougher (.520 versus .516 for Seattle), but the Niners' path is easier given which teams they get at Candlestick Park, where San Francisco is 13-2-1 under third-year coach Jim Harbaugh.

If Robert Griffin III is ready to play Week 1, how does the first month of his season look?

More NFL Schedule Coverage

Overall, the NFL has a great schedule in 2013. New rivalries have emerged. Old rivalries remain, writes John Clayton. Story

'��Fox: Answering 10 key questions'��Sando: MNF slanted toward NFC'��More: 2013 schedule | MNF on ESPN'��Insider: Easiest, hardest paths

How does your team's schedule break down? ESPN.com's NFL Nation bloggers outline the highs and lows of the 2013 schedule. AFC | NFC

'��SportsNation: Cast your votes

Of all the players attempting to come back from a major injury, Griffin will be watched the most closely. He tore the ACL, MCL and meniscus in his right knee in the Washington Redskins' playoff loss to Seattle. The reports of his recovery have been positive, although Griffin has not yet been cleared to participate in the team's offseason workouts, which began this week.

If he is able to start the season, Griffin will face a challenging September. Washington opens with Philadelphia at home, and then will play at Green Bay, home versus Detroit and at Oakland. Usually teams like having their bye week toward the middle of the season, but Washington gets its bye in Week 5, which probably will come at a perfect time for Griffin to rest and reload.

The next four after the bye: at Dallas, vs. Chicago, at Denver and vs. San Diego. Washington better hope Griffin is ready.

How many wins is Sean Payton worth to the New Orleans Saints?

I've heard three, maybe four. That might be a little high. Payton certainly has his work cut out for him.

As Payton noted at the NFL owners meeting, last season the Saints finished last in the NFL in defense and ranked toward the bottom of the league in rushing offense. A porous defense and an ineffective running game are not friends to a quarterback.

"We found a way to 7-9," Payton said, "and that's where we are right now."

The Saints probably won't be there for long, but they will start the season looking up at the Falcons, who have won 36 games in the past three seasons. From 2008, when Mike Smith took over the Falcons, through 2011, New Orleans won six of eight games against Atlanta. The teams split last season, each winning at home. They will meet in Week 1 in New Orleans and Week 12 in Atlanta.

What's the can't-miss homecoming game?

There are some compelling ones. Ed Reed returns to Baltimore in Week 3. Peyton Manning returns to Indianapolis in Week 7. Wes Welker returns to New England on Week 12.

But I'm most interested to see Andy Reid return to Philadelphia for a Thursday night game in Week 3.

"That should be a warm welcome," Reid told ESPN's Trey Wingo.

[+] Enlarge

Drew Hallowell/Getty ImagesWill Eagles fans be kind to Andy Reid when he returns to Philadelphia as coach of the Chiefs?

It is always entertaining to see how Eagles fans respond when one of their former star players returns in another team's uniform. Some burned their green No. 81 jerseys when Terrell Owens returned in 2006 with the Cowboys. Most cheered for Donovan McNabb when he first took the field as Washington's quarterback in 2010, then booed his every throw thereafter. They lauded Brian Dawkins, one of the most beloved Eagles ever, when he returned as a Bronco in 2009.

How will they react to Reid, who led the Eagles to five NFC Championship Games and one Super Bowl but never delivered what has eluded the organization: a Lombardi Trophy? The Eagles went 12-20 in Reid's final two years. His play calling and clock management throughout his tenure irritated fans. Reid didn't run the ball enough with Brian Westbrook or LeSean McCoy. He stuck with McNabb too long. He entrusted Michael Vick too much. And Reid never found an adequate replacement for the masterful Jim Johnson, his defensive coordinator who died prior to the 2009 season.

Change was overdue in Philadelphia. The fans at Lincoln Financial Field likely will politely applaud Reid when his Kansas City Chiefs take the field, and then howl -- and cheer if he calls three straight passing plays for Alex Smith on first-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

The Carolina Panthers have the toughest schedule. What does that mean for their playoff chances?

More From ESPN.com's City Sites

ESPNNewYork.com The Giants open the 2013 season at the NFC East rival Cowboys, while the Jets face the Patriots in Week 2. Youngmisuk | Jets analysis

ESPNDallas.com The Cowboys' toughest stretch is December -- again. Until Dallas proves otherwise, the last month will always be the toughest. Analysis � � Schedule

ESPNBoston.com The Patriots will open on the road for a third straight season, but the Week 10 bye is perfectly timed. Reiss

ESPNChicago.com The Bears open with the Bengals and close with the Packers. Michael Wright and Jeff Dickerson try forecasting the Bears' 2013 season. Forecast

It means they'll miss the postseason. Again.

The last team to enter the regular season with the league's toughest schedule and still make the playoffs was Pittsburgh in 2008. The Steelers went 12-4 in the regular season, won the AFC North, got a first-round bye in the playoffs and beat San Diego, Baltimore and Arizona to win their second Super Bowl in four years. Tough schedule? What tough schedule?

The Panthers probably won't be so lucky. Carolina's 2013 opponents had a .543 winning percentage in 2012. Denver's had a .430. The Panthers have an early bye in Week 4 and have a brutal three-game stretch in Weeks 9-11 playing at home vs. Atlanta, at San Francisco and vs. New England.

That's a tough stretch. Tougher still is that this is the second time in three years Carolina has faced the league's hardest schedule. It also did in 2011, when Cam Newton was a rookie and the Panthers finished 6-10.

The 2012 Giants, the 2010 Titans and Texans, and the 2009 Dolphins each missed the playoffs when faced with the NFL's toughest schedule heading into the season. If the Panthers do, too, that likely will be it for coach Ron Rivera.

How quickly will the New England Patriots win a fifth consecutive AFC East crown?

Can the Jets win the division? No. Can Buffalo? No. Can Miami? General manager Jeff Ireland has improved his team in free agency and has 11 picks in the draft, but it is probably unrealistic to think the Dolphins can knock off the Patriots just yet.

Look at New England's early schedule. The Patriots open at Buffalo, then face the Jets and Tampa Bay at home. Depending on the health of tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, it is likely New England will be 3-0 entering a Week 4 game at Atlanta. The Patriots will be finished with the Jets after Week 7, and get what should be three of their toughest opponents at home: New Orleans in Week 6 Pittsburgh in Week 9 and Denver in Week 12. Three of their final four games are vs. Cleveland, at Miami and vs. Buffalo.

In the past three seasons, the Patriots have gone 16-2 in their division games. Even with the uncertainty surrounding their tight ends and an underwhelming cast of wide receivers, New England should have the division wrapped up by December.

What did the NFL do to help the four teams that will play in London this season?

Minnesota will "host" Pittsburgh in London in Week 4, and Jacksonville is the designated home team against San Francisco in Week 8. For each team, the league scheduled a bye week following the London game. The week before, the Vikings, Steelers and Jaguars have home games. The 49ers, who have the longest trip to London, requested a Week 7 road game on the East Coast to cut down the 5,300-plus-mile trip from San Francisco to England. They will play at Tennessee in Week 7.

The league wants to encourage teams to play international games. Making a favorable schedule, particularly with the bye week after the game, is an important way to do that.

What team has a schedule that could get its head coach fired midseason?

You've got to feel for Leslie Frazier. Here's how the Minnesota Vikings' schedule looks starting in Week 7: at the Giants, vs. Green Bay, at Dallas, vs. Washington, at Seattle, at Green Bay, vs. Chicago, at Baltimore, vs. Philadelphia, at Cincinnati.

Jason Garrett and Rivera are happy it is Frazier who must face that stretch, and not them.

So cut to the chase: Looking at the schedule, what team is going to win the Super Bowl?

Consider this quirk: The past four teams the Eagles have hosted in their home opener -- New Orleans in 2009, Green Bay in 2010, the Giants in 2011 and Baltimore in 2012 -- all went on to win the Super Bowl. Coincidence?

So the San Diego Chargers, who will play at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 2, are going to win the Super Bowl.

I'm kidding. Or am I?

Ashley Fox

• ESPN.com NFL columnist
• Joined ESPN in 2011
• Has also worked at Sports Illustrated, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Louisville Courier-Journal

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGt01cNTq3jHVxnVAs54iHZjaNAVw&url=http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9188557/what-does-nfl-schedule-tell-us-2013

Brady 235471 1/2" Diametermeter Stamped Brass Valve Tags, Numbers 276-300, Legend "HWR" (25 for every Wrap)

Brand: Brady

# 19 gauge cartridge brass (40 mils thick) including black to the top copy pro straightforward readability

Owing to early 19 gauge cartridge brass (40 mils thick) and old pro all-function function valve identification. These tags are avaialble in a ordinary 1 1/2" around style. Black to the top copy pro straightforward readability

Link source

Happy 75th birthday, Superman: The Man of Steel and his Los Angeles ... - 89.3 KPCC (blog)

It's Superman's 75th birthday, but he's still looking good for his age. (Though wait, didn't he used to look like this?)

Thursday, April 18 marks the 75th anniversary of Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman, hitting newsstands. While Superman made the cover, he wasn't even the only story in that comic, taking only 13 pages of that first issue '� but he soon took over, with the first issue selling 130,000 copies and later issues hitting the million mark.

Los Angeles has its own connections with the iconic hero. You'll often notice a Superman planted squarely on Hollywood Boulevard, posing for tourists '� this was even documented in the 2007 film, 'Confessions of a Superhero.' Legendary Superman actor Christopher Reeve made his home in L.A. for a while and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

If you want to experience a bit of what one of Superman's flights is like, you can head up north a little to Six Flags Magic Mountain and take a ride on Superman: Escape From Krypton.

A local Superman enthusiast even made a remote control Superman to fly around the coast:

Thursday is also the anniversary of another iconic character that appeared in that first issue of Action Comics '� Lois Lane. Fellow supporting cast members Perry White and Jimmy Olsen don't make their debuts until later.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson declared Thursday to be 'Superman Day' in the city. Superman's creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, were from Cleveland, and now the city is using that fact to try to claim ownership over the iconic hero as the brand new motion picture 'Man Of Steel' prepares to fly into theaters.

'The Man of Steel in a steel town, the strength that he had, that's all part of what Cleveland is,' Cleveland Mayor Jackson told NPR. 'We're a tough community that has overcome many challenges and obstacles, and Superman is a good representative model of Cleveland.'

The city marked the occasion by raising a Superman flag, passing out special cupcakes at the airport, offering a birthday card at the airport's Superman Welcoming Center and turning the lights at City Hall and skyscraper Terminal Tower blue, red and yellow.

Superman is a native of the fictional Smallville, Kansas, but the closest to a real-life home for him has been Metropolis, Illinois '� though the comics are always careful not to mention exactly which state the iconic city is in. It's not the high-rise city of the Metropolis of the comics world, which has drawn strong inspiration from both New York City and Chicago, but it does feature a giant Superman statue.

And President Obama even posed with it back in the day.

<a href-'http://www.siegelandshustersociety.org/news.php'>The Siegel and Shuster Society raised $150,000 to fix up Siegel's childhood Cleveland home, and its owner has labeled it 'Superman's House.'

Think you're a real Superman fan? Celebrate with this quiz by Superman superfan/comic book writer Mark Waid. A sample question: What's Clark Kent's Social Security Number?

You can also check out this BBC interview from 1981 with Superman's creators:

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNEHQasZbR_UJ6tK2716jx9IhcRRSw&url=http://www.scpr.org/blogs/newmedia/2013/04/18/13369/happy-75th-birthday-superman-the-man-of-steel-and/

Female Star Comes Out as Gay, and Sports World Shrugs - New York Times

Ruth Fremson/The New York Times

The former Baylor basketball star Brittney Griner on Wednesday. Her casual revelation of being gay drew little media attention.

One of the most dominant basketball players in recent memory came out as gay Wednesday, casually mentioning the fact in an interview as if it were an afterthought. The news media and the sports world seemed to treat it as such, too, with little mention of the star's sexuality showing up on social media or on message boards, and virtually no analysis of what the revelation meant for tolerance in society as a whole.

At first glance, it all seemed utterly implausible. After all, players, fans, coaches and league executives had been waiting with bated breath for weeks, if not months and years, to see if an active team-sport athlete would come out as gay. So how could this sort of revelation be treated with such nonchalance?

'Because it was a woman,' said Jim Buzinski, a co-founder of Outsports.com, a Web site about homosexuality and sports. 'Can you imagine if it was a man who did the exact same thing? Everyone's head would have exploded.'

The aftermath of the former Baylor star Brittney Griner's revelation in several interviews this week was muted, to say the least. Griner, who was chosen with the No. 1 pick in the W.N.B.A. draft Monday, did not treat the issue with any outward hesitation '� in fact, she almost appeared to refer to her publicly coming out in the past tense, as though it had happened before '� giving a casual feeling to the entire episode.

It was an odd juxtaposition: as there is increased speculation about whether a male athlete '� any male athlete '� will come out while still playing a major professional team sport, one of the best female athletes in the history of team sports comes out, and the reaction is roughly equivalent to what one might see when a baseball manager reveals his starting rotation for a three-game series in July.

'A few weeks ago, we had a story on Outsports about the rumors that an N.F.L. player was going to come out '� no one knew who, or anything more than that,' Buzinski said. 'All it had was, 'I think some player might possibly come out but I don't know who,' essentially.'

Buzinski gave a wry laugh. 'That story got 10 times the traffic of Brittney Griner, on video, saying that she is a lesbian,' he said.

There is, obviously, a more substantial history to female athletes' coming out and continuing to play. Individual-sport stars like the tennis legend Martina Navratilova and team-sport players like basketball's Sheryl Swoopes and soccer's Megan Rapinoe are among the women to continue playing after publicly discussing their sexuality.

But those players generally received a similarly subdued response, with nothing close to the expected surge in attention that figures to follow a male athlete's coming out. The reaction to Griner's disclosure, then, was simply the latest example of a disturbing trend, according to some leaders of L.G.B.T. causes.

'We talk a lot in the L.G.B.T. community about how sexism is a big part of what contributes to homophobia,' said Anna Aagenes, the executive director of GO! Athletes, a national network of L.G.B.T. athletes. 'It's disheartening when there are so many great role model female athletes out that we're so focused on waiting for a male pro athlete to come out in one of the four major sports.'

Context may not be the only factor in the ho-hum public response to Griner's disclosure. Stereotypes about female athletes being homosexuals continue to persist, and that probably played a role in how the sports world responded to Griner, said Sherri Murrell, the women's basketball coach at Portland State and the only openly gay basketball coach in Division I.

Murrell praised Griner for her low-key approach '� 'she was being who she is,' Murrell said '� but added that stereotypes about females involved in sports clearly still exist.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFQC1PcEe7MOU314qWK4qGwdTOC-g&url=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/sports/basketball/brittney-griner-comes-out-and-sports-world-shrugs.html