Thursday, September 20, 2012

Video: PFT Live: Remembering NFL Films' Steve Sabol

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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/21134540/vp/49090169#49090169

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First Etruscan pyramids found in Italy

The first ever Etruscan pyramids have been located underneath a wine cellar in the city of Orvieto in central Italy, according to a team of U.S. and Italian archaeologists.

Carved into the rock of the tufa plateau ? a sedimentary area that is a result of volcanic activity ? on which the city stands, the subterranean structures were largely filled. Only the top-most modern layer was visible.

"Within this upper section, which had been modified in modern times and was used as a wine cellar, we noticed a series of ancient stairs carved into the wall. They were clearly of Etruscan construction," David B. George of the Department of Classics at Saint Anselm, told Discovery News.

As they started digging, George and co-director of the excavation Claudio Bizzarri of the Parco Archeologico Ambientale dell'Orvietano noted that the cave's walls were tapered up in a pyramidal fashion. Intriguingly, a series of tunnels, again of Etruscan construction, ran underneath the wine cellar hinting to the possibility of deeper undiscovered structures below.

PHOTOS: Open House: Etruscan Site Reveals Domestic Treasures

After going through a mid-20th century floor, George and Bizzarri reached a medieval floor. Immediately beneath this floor, they found a layer of fill that contained various artifacts such as Attic red figure pottery from the middle of the 5th century B.C., 6th and 5th century B.C. Etruscan pottery with inscriptions as well as various objects that dated to before 1000 B.C.

Digging through this layer, the archaeologists found 5 feet of gray sterile fill, which was intentionally deposited from a hole in the top of the structure.

"Below that material there was a brown layer that we are currently excavating. Intriguingly, the stone carved stairs run down the wall as we continue digging. We still don't know where they are going to take us," Bizzarri told Discovery News.

The material from the deepest level reached so far (the archaeologists have pushed down about 10 feet) dates to around the middle of the fifth century B.C.

"At this level we found a tunnel running to another pyramidal structure and dating from before the 5th century B.C., which adds to the mystery," George said.

Indeed, the Etruscans have long been considered one of antiquity's greatest enigmas.

A fun-loving and eclectic people who among other things taught the French how to make wine, the Romans how to build roads, and introduced the art of writing to Europe, the Etruscans began to flourish in Etruria (an area in central Italy that covered what now are Tuscany, Latium, Emilia-Romagna and Umbria) around 900 B.C., and then dominated much of the country for five centuries.

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Known for their art, agriculture, fine metalworking and commerce, they started to decline during the fifth century B.C., as the Romans grew in power. By 300-100 B.C., they eventually became absorbed into the Roman empire.

NEWS: Ancient Images of a Mother Giving Birth Found

Their puzzling, non-Indo-European language was virtually extinguished and they left no literature to document their society. Indeed, much of what we know about them comes from their cemeteries: only the richly decorated tombs they left behind have provided clues to fully reconstruct their history.

The subterranean pyramids in Orvieto could offer a unique insight into this civilization as the structures appear to be unique.

"The caves have indeed a shape unknown elsewhere in Etruria," Larissa Bonfante, professor emerita of classics at New York University and a leading expert on the ancient Etruscans, told Discovery News.

According to Bizzarri, there are at least five Etruscan pyramids under the city. Three of these structures have yet to be excavated.

"Clearly, they are not quarries or cisterns. I would say that there is nothing like these structures on record anywhere in Italy," Bizzarri said.

According to George, the underground pyramids could represent some sort of a religious structure or a tomb. In both cases, it would be a discovery without precedent.

"Most likely, the answer waits at the bottom. The problem is we don't really know how much we have to dig to get down there," Bizzarri said.

? 2012 Discovery Channel

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/49088030/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Romney defends 'off the cuff' remarks on Obama backers as victims (Los Angeles Times)

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Alabama and LSU are Nos. 1 and 2 in the AP Top 25

Alabama running back Blake Sims, left, and teammate offensive linesman Ryan Kelly celebrate Sims' fourth-quarter touchdown against Arkansas in an NCAA college football game in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. Alabama defeated Arkansas 52-0. (AP Photo/April L. Brown)

Alabama running back Blake Sims, left, and teammate offensive linesman Ryan Kelly celebrate Sims' fourth-quarter touchdown against Arkansas in an NCAA college football game in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. Alabama defeated Arkansas 52-0. (AP Photo/April L. Brown)

LSU head coach Les Miles center, sings the LSU alma mater with his daughter Macy Miles, below, and his team, after their NCAA college football game against Idaho in Baton Rouge, La. Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. LSU won 63-14. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Alabama coach Nick Saban applauds during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/April L. Brown)

Southern California quarterback Matt Barkley, right, is sacked by Stanford linebacker Trent Murphy during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. Stanford won 21-14. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

(AP) ? Alabama and LSU are back atop The Associated Press college football poll, holding down Nos. 1 and 2 the way they did most of last season.

The Crimson Tide is No. 1 for the third straight week, and it was almost unanimous. Alabama received 58 of 60 first-place votes. LSU got the other two.

The Southeastern Conference rivals were ranked first and second for eight weeks during last season before eventually meeting in the BCS title game. The difference last year was LSU was first and Alabama second ? until the Tide won the national championship game.

LSU moved up to No. 2 this week after Southern California's first loss of the season. USC slipped 11 spots to 13th after losing 21-14 at Stanford.

Stanford jumped from 21st to ninth.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-09-16-T25-College%20FB%20Poll/id-0ab0b229492a40a690e0fe44394bc2a6

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Monday, September 17, 2012

Mobile Miscellany: week of September 10th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany week of September 10th, 2012

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, C Spire Wireless activated its first LTE networks and we discovered strong indication that Isis will leverage the GSMA's SIM-based NFC standard for its mobile payments system. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of September 10th, 2012.

Continue reading Mobile Miscellany: week of September 10th, 2012

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Becoming a Successful Internet Marketing Company Affiliate by ...

Participating in affiliate programs as an internet marketing
company affiliate is a viable way to make money on the internet
without having your own products and services for sale. In
essence, as an internet marketing company affiliate, you market
other companies? products and services for a fee.

Generally affiliate programs are either one-tier or two-tier
programs which means if you participate in a one-tier program,
you get paid for referrals that you send to the company for which
you are an internet marketing company affiliate. If you
participate in a two-tier program, you also get paid for
referring other affiliates to the program.

In most affiliate programs, an internet marketing company
affiliate gets paid either a percentage of sales that result from
their referrals, or a flat fee per lead or click-through that
result from their internet marketing efforts.

The defective line of thinking that leads an internet marketing
company affiliate to failure and disappointment is the thought
that being an internet marketing company affiliate is an easy,
get-rich-quick business opportunity. Unsuccessful internet
marketing company affiliates are those who don?t realize that in
order to make money with affiliate programs you have to actively
market them.

The error that is common to a new internet marketing company
affiliate is that they launch a website to display links, or even
pages, for the purpose of promoting various affiliate programs
for which they are an internet marketing company affiliate for,
but they don?t actively market their website or their affiliate
products. As a result, their website doesn?t generate any revenue
or generates very little revenue.

To be a successful internet marketing company affiliate you
absolutely have to market your affiliate products and services.
You can actually make loads of money as an internet marketing
company affiliate, but affiliate marketing is not a get-rich-
quick scheme. It is a business opportunity that must be taken
seriously and it does require work, some internet marketing
knowledge, and some funding for launching an aggressive internet
marketing campaign.

Because you don?t have to put out money for product development
or inventory, starting an internet business as an internet
marketing company affiliate may not require as much of an
investment as other types of internet businesses, but assuming
that it is a zero-investment venture is flawed thinking.

For most programs, as an internet marketing company affiliate you
have to have a website through which you market your affiliate
programs because some affiliate programs view your website as
part of their approval process and some only allow you to use
affiliate links to them on a website. In addition to the
investment involved with website development an internet
marketing company affiliate also needs funding for internet
marketing of the affiliate programs.

Common internet marketing methods used by an internet marketing
company affiliate to promote affiliate programs include search
engine marketing, email marketing, linking campaigns,
distribution of expert articles, viral marketing, and
participation in online newsgroups and forums.

Purchasing advertising through pay-per-click search engines,
ezines, directories and so forth is also a method of internet
marketing that is conducive to promoting affiliate products and
services as an internet marketing company affiliate.

One thing is for certain. In order to make serious money as an
internet marketing company affiliate, you simply have to market
the products and services of your affiliate programs.

Some website operators join affiliate programs and become an
internet marketing company affiliates for the purpose of
supplementing their income a little while providing their website
visitors with easy access to products and services that may be
beneficial to them. For them, actively marketing affiliate
programs may not be a necessity because the affiliate programs
are not their primary source of income.

However, if you desire to be an internet marketing company
affiliate who generates revenue solely from affiliate programs,
you must be an active internet marketer.

Copyright Christopher J. Enders. Are you at the end of your rope, fed up and confused by all the scrambled internet marketing advice you?re getting? Whether you are new to internet marketing, or a website owner who wants to make more money from your website, learn the proven strategies that will sky-rocket your internet business at http://BiznessTips.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Source: http://www.youcanbetheboss.org/becoming-a-successful-internet-marketing-company-affiliate-bychristopher-j-enders/

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Friday, September 14, 2012

Studies shed light on how to reduce the amount of toxins in plant-derived foods

ScienceDaily (Sep. 12, 2012) ? A number of environmental toxins pose considerable health threats to humans, and the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) ranks high on the list. Most of us are exposed to it through plant-derived foods such as grains and vegetables. Now, new research offers ways in which investigators can reduce the amount of Cd found in the food we eat, according to a review published online September 12th in the Cell Press journal Trends in Plant Science.

"Cadmium is virtually everywhere in the environment, and it is taken up into the human body and bioaccumulates for decades in the kidney," says first author Dr. Stephan Clemens, of the department of plant physiology at the University of Bayreuth, in Germany. Cd exposure may lead to kidney dysfunction, osteoporosis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious health conditions. Because there is no safe level of cadmium exposure, there is an urgent need for lowering its intake.

Most Cd enters the body through plant-derived foods because plants can efficiently take up Cd from the soil. "We need to further develop molecular understanding of the mechanisms that lead to plant Cd uptake for the reduction of Cd levels in food. Fortunately, our knowledge is growing," says Dr. Clemens.

In their recent review, Dr. Clemens and his colleagues examined studies investigating how Cd accumulates in certain plants, and they used the information to determine how we might develop low Cd accumulating crops. "Through excellent basic rice molecular biology and genetics research, we have in the past couple of years learned a lot about why one rice plant accumulates more Cd in the grain than another rice plant even when they are grown on the same field," he explains. "This knowledge can now be used for targeted and efficient breeding to develop cultivars that retain their favorable characteristics but transport less Cd to the grain." He adds that we should also make an effort to better understand Cd accumulation in other crop plants such as wheat and potato. The authors note that, to their knowledge, breeding for low Cd accumulation is not common practice, but it should be possible because there is such variation in Cd uptake by different varieties of rice, wheat, and other plants, and because research has identified genes that can be used as markers to select specific varieties to breed.

It would of course be best to get rid of Cd in the environment, "but it will take a long time to achieve this; in the meantime we need other solutions," says Dr. Clemens.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Cell Press, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Clemens et. al. Plant science: the key to preventing slow cadmium poisoning. Trends in Plant Science, 2012

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/DYy7lnlpfmY/120912125517.htm

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The Story of the Only American Not on Earth on September 11th

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Sunday, September 9, 2012

Excellent Gifts For Platinum Wedding Celebrations | UR Gift Ideas

It is possible to surely make a couple?s platinum anniversary lots more exclusive with anniversary treats like platinum-themed items, artwork depicting the celebrants, an enchanting holiday retreat, an assortment of 70 products, jewellery objects engraved with diamonds, or sapphire-themed objects.

While every single wedding anniversary is definitely memorable, reaching 70 memorable many years of marriage is definitely induce to honor. There are numerous strategies which will assist make a platinum anniversary additional memorable, and one among them will be to offer special gifts wedding anniversary. Here are some tips:

Platinum goods

Platinum may be the traditional symbol for 70th anniversaries. This pliable element is recognized for its resilient properties and is also much more useful than silver or gold. Assume of giving things that could be connected with platinum. Exclusive concepts include things like a flower preserved in platinum for women and platinum jewelry. Guys could possibly like platinum watches or cuffs.

A piece of art that functions the celebrants

An artistic masterpiece that wonderfully depicts the adore from the couple could be an excellent 70th anniversary present. If you?re skilled in painting, attempt obtaining a exclusive photograph from the pair, like a photograph of them on their wedding celebration, and use it as a guidebook for your portrait. A sculpture of them might be an additionally distinctive gift idea. Should you be not artistically inclined, an choice can be to commission a local-based artisan to make the masterpiece alternatively.

A romantic getaway

Numerous married couples have a trip they aspire to have. Why not help the pair go for this aspiration by arranging for them a romantic retreat? This seriously is the best opportunity for them to celebrate their adore and reminisce on all of the the 70 many years they?ve spent together. Arrange to get a night?s keep at a resort from town or, if you can afford it, for a luxury cruise.

An assortment of seventy gifts

Instead of give a specific item, you might spoil the celebrants with 70 unique keepsakes. Each item is really a great representation of each year the couple invested. So as to make the present additional meaningful, you may request members of the family and buddies to contribute something. The knickknacks you gather can assortment from sentimental letters, tiny decorations, homemade treats, an exciting book and lots of other goods. To personalize the gift, you might attach a tiny tag to just about every single gift item explaining the that means behind it or its unique top quality.

Jewellery items inlaid with diamonds

Diamonds undoubtedly are a splendid symbol for relationships and anniversaries as these stones are regarded as to last forever. Aside from their which means, diamonds may also be amazing and may very well be elegant additions to a lot of items. Feel of providing a charm which has diamonds like a heart pendant, bracelets, cuff back links, rings and earrings inlaid with diamonds. To customize bracelets and pendants, you?ll be able to opt to get these customized using the pair?s names along with a short nevertheless heartwarming message.

Present goods linked with sapphire

Along with diamonds, sapphires also are meaningful for 70th yr anniversaries. Look at giving personalized accessories which have sapphires like cuffs, earrings and pendants. You could possibly also order a beautiful floral arrangement that feature a number of blooms in sapphire colour. Males also can enjoy a sapphire tie pin.

When picking a gift for the celebrating couple, generally think about their personalities and tastes and add your very own creativity to generate the present special.

from your own site.

Source: http://www.urgiftideas.com/?p=809

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Saturday, September 8, 2012

Speaking in Community: On Writing a Fantasy Series

Part I of a stumbling series of blogs about the trials of grappling with writing a fantasy series...

Wrap up story in first book:

Here?s my experience? I wrote the first story for SufferStone in the 1990?s without a thought that the ?planet story? may grow into a series.? The action of the first book comes to a conclusion and all loose ends are tucked in at the denouement.

I should have thought ahead and allowed a bad guy to escape as George Lucas did in Star Wars when Darth Vadar survived the destruction of the Death Star. This villain returns to trouble the rebel forces in a later story.

The urge to satisfy reader interest in Book I is difficult to resist. Take, for example, Kushiel?s Dart by Jacqueline Carey. Phedre is a servant of Naamah that places a high value on a tattoo along the servant?s back. She is loved and guarded by a Cassiline brother named Joscelin. When the Book I wraps up, she has inherited an estate and can ease into motherhood, except how does that whet the reader?s appetite for Book II? The last chapters actually push Joscelin away so our young heroine is available for new adventures.

By way of comparison, JRR Tolkien wrote The Hobbit as a stand-alone novel and embarked on the LOTR series only after the success of the first book.

Wrap up story over three books:

So I got started with Book II titled HeartStone and pushed the story into the next generation, following characters who were children of the main characters in Book I. Favorite locations were revisited; the vocabulary grew with terms that held leitmotifs; and pressures on the residents of Dolvia were similar -- so part of my work as a writer became familiar, like greeting an old friend.
I also had big themes I was pursuing such as how do women solve problems within a segregated community, and how do the tribes bind together to become an emerging nation.

The second book became part of a story arch that, I thought, would be resolved over three books as Brianna Miller is introduced as a teenager and grows into a capable businesswoman and politician for her tribe. Good plan, huh?

What happened to me was that a section of Book III titled StrikeStone blossomed into its own story line with a new narrator who I could not resist, so the plan to ?wrap up? the story in three books is abused. I?m so grateful for the series of six or twelve books from other writers so I?m not a pathfinder for returning to Dolvia for a new go-around with familiar characters.
I wonder if you (as a writer) had similar experiences where the characters take you to (delicious) places you had not imagined months earlier?

For example, Robin Hobb wrote the Farseer series, followed by the Liveship series. I could see hints that she would combine the two because the worlds were similar enough to become tangent. The Farseer series mentions stone dragons and memory stones, but real dragons are introduced later as part of the reader learning more about the milieu.

Keep the characters alive for a series without becoming formula:

I enjoyed The Bone Doll?s Twin by Lynn Flewelling, but the mystery of the twins is resolved in Book III before a final battle scene that ties up all story lines, so I cannot imagine why she would begin again with this characters. Maybe she has already moved onto developing a new milieu.

In The Curse of Chalion by Lois MacMasters Bujold, the ing?nue Iselle wins her true love and plot points are tucked in nicely after the bad guy dies.? The following book Palladin of Souls follows the adventures of tangent characters so that Iselle who became a ruler of the kingdom, and Caz, the narrator of Book I, are only mentioned in the later stories. Bujold has a tendency to provide character studies within an otherworld with several planets (or castles) and several tangent sets of characters rather than the growth of one hero/heroine during a war or regime change.

So the arch of a series in fantasy is dictated more by character growth and changing action than by a formula the writer has sketched out in advance. My question today concerns controlling elements of the story and what experiments from writers seemed to work, and which ones may have been less effective.

In Magic Study, I think it was, Book III of a series by Maria Snyder, the main characters travel over a mountain pass to speak with a sibyl and meet a new tribe who happen to show miniature dragons as a curio, much like the baby dragons in (which one, Book V??) of Harry Potter that never re-enter the story. Here are fantasy elements that titillates but are left undeveloped.

What are your experiences with writing/reading fantasy series? Which ones lacked the magic? Which ones were overloaded with fantasy elements?

Source: http://speakingincommunity.blogspot.com/2012/09/on-writing-fantasy-series.html

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ECB unveils aggressive bond plan to save euro

El presidente del Banco Central Europeo, Mario Draghi, ofrece una rueda de prensa el jueves 6 de septiembre de 2012 en la ciudad alemana de Francfort, donde anunci? un nuevo programa de compra de bonos entre las 17 naciones de la eurozona para favorecer un disminuci?n en el costo de sus deudas. (Foto AP/Michael Probst)

El presidente del Banco Central Europeo, Mario Draghi, ofrece una rueda de prensa el jueves 6 de septiembre de 2012 en la ciudad alemana de Francfort, donde anunci? un nuevo programa de compra de bonos entre las 17 naciones de la eurozona para favorecer un disminuci?n en el costo de sus deudas. (Foto AP/Michael Probst)

President of European Central Bank Mario Draghi is surrounded by media people at the beginning of a news conference in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012, following a meeting of the ECB governing council concerning the further strategies in the European financial crisis. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

President of European Central Bank Mario Draghi listens to questions as the Euro logo is reflected in his glasses during a news conference in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012, following a meeting of the ECB governing council concerning the further strategies in the European financial crisis. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

President of European Central Bank Mario Draghi approaches a news conference in Frankfurt, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012, following a meeting of the ECB governing council concerning the further strategies in the European financial crisis. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

(AP) ? The European Central Bank unveiled its most ambitious plan yet to ease Europe's financial crisis with a plan to buy unlimited amounts of government bonds to help lower borrowing costs for countries struggling to manage their debts.

The program announced Thursday goes well beyond the ECB's earlier, ?210 billion ($264 billion) bond-buying program, which was not big enough to have lasting impact.

Large-scale purchases of short-term government bonds should drive up their price and push down their interest rate, or yield, making it less expensive for countries to borrow money and taking pressure off their finances.

"We will have a fully effective backstop to avoid destructive scenarios," ECB President Mario Draghi said at a press conference, in which he also defended the euro currency union as "irreversible."

After the ECB plan was announced, the yields on government bonds across Europe fell and stock markets rallied.

"This is a potential game-changer," says Jacob Kirkegaard, research fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. "This is the first time the ECB has committed its balance sheet in this way. And the way it is done is politically sustainable in Europe."

The ECB's 23-member governing council approved the plan with only one dissent member Draghi wouldn't identify. The head of Germany's Bundesbank, Jens Weidmann, has public opposed the plan, arguing that the ECB is moving too far in the direction of financing government deficits, which is prohibited by the European Union treaty.

The ECB's pledge of support came with an important caveat: Countries that want the central bank to help with their borrowing costs must first ask the 17 countries that use the euro to buy their bonds with existing bailout funds and they must submit their economic policies to the scrutiny of the International Monetary Fund.

That puts immense pressure on heavily indebted countries such as Spain and Italy ? which have been reluctant to seek help from their euro partners ? to take the next step in stemming the three-year-old financial crisis.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy refused Thursday to make any commitment to trigger the ECB bond-buying. "When I have something new, I'll tell you," he told reporters at a press conference that was held after he met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti praised the plan as an "important step forward" but said any decisions on Italy's potential request for aid were "premature."

If Spain and Italy were to accept aid from the eurozone's bailout funds, it would put them in the same group as Greece, Ireland and Portugal ? something the two countries have been wary of.

The ECB first said a bond-buying plan was in the works on Aug. 2, and markets have climbed steadily since then. Investors across the globe greeted the release of a more detailed plan with further enthusiasm.

The Dow Jones industrial average climbed more than 230 points in afternoon trading to 13,280. Germany's DAX index rose 2.9 percent and France's CAC-40 index surged 3.1 percent. The euro rose 0.33 percent during the day to $1.2636.

The interest rates on the three-year and ten-year bonds of Spain and Italy fell in a sign of market anticipation of ECB bond-buying.

"If the current positive market mood continues, the ECB may end up having to buy nothing," said Marco Valli, an analyst at UniCredit bank in Milan.

Other analysts cautioned that while the ECB plan would provide short-term relief to European countries and financial markets, it doesn't address underlying economic weakness across the region, which could persist for years. It also exposes the ECB to the risk of governments reneging on aid conditions after receiving help. The bank would then be in a tough spot. Halting bond purchases could reignite the crisis, while continuing them would mean supporting continued failure to reform.

Put simply, buying government bonds does not stimulate growth, which has been hurt in Spain, Italy and other countries, in part, by the need to rein in government spending.

Six countries in the eurozone are in recession ? Greece, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Malta and Portugal ? and unemployment across the region is currently at 11.3 percent.

The ECB revised lower its economic forecast for the 17-nation eurozone economy on Thursday, saying it would shrink between 0.2 percent and 0.6 percent in 2012. The bank left its benchmark refinancing rate unchanged Thursday at 0.75 percent, a record low.

Here are some of the details of the ECB's bond-buying plan:

? To trigger ECB bond-buying, a country must first ask its euro partners to use one of two bailout funds to buy their bonds at auction. The ECB would then buy bonds with remaining maturities of one to three years on secondary markets until it is satisfied that their interest rate has fallen to a reasonable level.

? The ECB would reveal the amount of bonds it has purchased on a weekly basis. It would reveal their average maturity and the countries that issued them on a monthly basis.

? The ECB will have the same status as private creditors holding bonds in a country. This pledge is intended to reassure private bond investors, who would otherwise worry about being the first to take any losses.

? For each euro the ECB spends on bond-buying, the bank plans to withdraw an equivalent amount from the financial system, by taking deposits or selling notes. This is meant to address concerns that by pumping money into the financial system the ECB could incite inflation.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-09-06-European%20Central%20Bank/id-62c203a6543d468f8d872873af59cc9e

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Friday, September 7, 2012

DNC?s Israel debacle

Opinion Blog
By Josh Mansour

Created:
5 hours ago

Last updated:
4 hours ago

On a night when former President Bill Clinton galvanized the Democratic base, describing the ?mess? that President Barack Obama was charged with cleaning up when he took office, it was Clinton who was the ultimate cleaner, limiting the stench made earlier in the day by an administration that continues to show its disinterest in the state of Israel and its Jewish people.

Earlier Wednesday, Obama and party leaders frantically attempted to recover from an embarrassing decision to remove language from the platform that recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

According to the Huffington Post, it was Obama who personally made sure to strengthen the wording to support Israel, but the situation deteriorated further when Los Angeles Mayor and convention Chairman Antonio Villaraigosa asked for approval from the delegates and was met with resounding boos.

As a result, Villaraigosa asked for votes to change the language three separate times and made the unpopular decision to announce that the required two-thirds of the delegates supported the amendment, despite the overwhelmingly negative response and the lack of clarity about whether the booing was in response to the language, or the initial gaffe by the administration.

The out-of-control circus was captured on video and, according to the Huffington Post, was uploaded to YouTube by Republican National Committee staffers within minutes.

Now, for the sake of transparency, I am both Jewish and an Obama supporter, but this administration has been one of the weakest supporters of Israel in U.S. history.

As Jewish party leaders, such as Obama?s former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz gave interviews defending the process, the embarrassment only grew, with Wasserman Schultz?s response to CNN prompting Anderson Cooper to lampoon her description of the events as being from ?an alternate universe.?

Yet for members of the Jewish community the situation is hardly surprising, as questions about Obama?s support of Israel began before his presidency and have only intensified with time.

With the Jewish community being made up largely of democrats, Obama?s indifference and occasionally flat out disrespect toward Israel, especially in comparison to former President George W. Bush, has been alarming and hurtful to many.

A country with Israel?s limited size and support from surrounding nations requires a staunch and consistent defense from its greatest ally.

The fact that the United States? tone regarding Israel has changed so dramatically in just four years is terrifying for a minority so often targeted with persecution.

Thus, Obama leading the way in changing the language was not only necessary, but merely a required first step.

There is considerable work that needs to be done to repair a relationship that has become increasingly strained in the past four years with a group that historically has been a foundation for the Democratic Party.
Jews too often have been disregarded as unimportant and insignificant in global history, and no presidential administration in recent memory has furthered those thoughts more than Obama?s.

If that?s not how he truly feels, as he and members of his administration have repeatedly said, it?s time for him to prove his loyalty to a minority group that desperately needs his help more than most.


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Thursday, September 6, 2012

Implant Sciences: Debt Conversion Signals Confidence, Lifts Burden From Shareholders

Implant Sciences (IMSC.PK) announced some good news for shareholders and the company alike on Wednesday morning that demonstrates extensive confidence from its biggest debt-holder. The DMRJ Group holds all $27.5M of IMSC's debt, due September 30, of which $23 million is in the form of a revolving line of credit. Wednesday's agreement extends the due date of IMSC's indebtedness to March 31 of next year, but more importantly reconstitutes $12M of IMSC's line of credit into a senior convertible secured note, essentially convertible into IMSC common stock at $1.09 per share. The deal demonstrates confidence on behalf of the DMRJ Group, which has been a long-time backer of Implant Sciences and is now increasing its potential equity stake in the company. In fact, DMRJ's Managing Director David Levy said as much in Wednesday's press release:

Implant Sciences continues to solidify its position as an emerging leader in the Explosives Trace Detection market. The Company has attracted top industry talent, built an international sales presence and is moving through the regulatory process. Renegotiating a portion of our line of credit with Implant Sciences into a term loan that is convertible into equity in the Company clearly shows our confidence in the continued success of Implant Sciences.

DMRJ sees the opportunity to become a major shareholder as a much more lucrative position than as a debt holder. Although prior maneuvers demonstrated as much (earlier debt-to-equity conversions), the venture capital firm's interests are now directly in line with those of shareholders, and investors see the importance. IMSC was up 9% in afternoon trading on Wednesday.

In 2008, Implant Sciences entered into the first debt agreement with DMRJ that originally consisted of a senior secured convertible note and warrants to purchase common stock. In 2009, a $3M line of credit was added, opening up a more substantial avenue for IMSC to obtain necessary development capital, which was increased later that year to $5M. Again, in early 2010, DMRJ doubled the amount borrowable under the line of credit to $10M and pushed back all due dates to September of 2010. After subsequent increases to $15M and then $23M by February of 2012, the line of credit was extended and all debts were slated to come due in September of this year. Today's announcement, however, not only converts that debt but delays repayment another six months to allow IMSC time for a major domestic launch.

While IMSC has been gaining market traction abroad in security indications, its biggest potential market may exist domestically in transportation and cargo facilities. Implant Sciences develops explosive trace detection devices for use in security and screening. The technology, available in the handheld Quantum Sniffer H-150 and the benchtop QS-B220 unit, improves on other systems by reducing the cost of ownership and risk of radiation exposure. Existing products on the market use a small amount of radioactive material in the detection process, making field repair near-impossible and long-term or repeated use a risk in the eyes of the public. The final catalyst for a major domestic debut is around the corner with a certification from the Transportation Safety Administration's (TSA) testing lab. Recently IMSC announced, "[the QS-B220 completed] certification readiness and verification testing and has now been accepted into final validation testing with the TSL," which will allow the TSA to use the product in regulated transportation settings, from airports to cargo facilities. Legislation set to go into effect on December 3 should not be lost on IMSC investors either - it requires all cargo on international passenger flights to be screened for explosives. Final TSA certification should come before the end of the year, making the Quantum Sniffer systems obvious as security organizations cast about for new technology to assist in increased regulation for explosive detection.

As I noted in a previous article, the parent company of the DMRJ Group is a very successful U.S. hedge fund. Platinum Partners has had annualized returns of 20% since inception in 2003 due to a strategically diverse investing approach. According to an article from HedgeFundsreview.com, "Over the years Nordlicht [chairman and Chief Investment Officer] has shown a knack for identifying unconventional investment opportunities and devising strategies to capture profits with significant downside protection." To say that Implant Sciences is a result of this approach would be a stretch, but as the parent company of IMSC's debtor - and now future shareholder - Platinum Partners certainly has a stake in DMRJ's investment strategies.

Disclosure: I am long IMSC.PK. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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Source: http://seekingalpha.com/article/848431-implant-sciences-debt-conversion-signals-confidence-lifts-burden-from-shareholders?source=feed

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