Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/48406330/
joe arpaio cat in the hat green eggs and ham wiz khalifa and amber rose oh the places you ll go blunt amendment justin bieber birthday
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/48406330/
joe arpaio cat in the hat green eggs and ham wiz khalifa and amber rose oh the places you ll go blunt amendment justin bieber birthday
ZURICH | Mon Jul 30, 2012 1:32am EDT
ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis said on Monday European regulators approved Afinitor to treat women with a certain type of breast cancer, following a panel backing in June.
The drug is the first in a class known as mTOR inhibitors to be approved for post-menopausal women with advanced hormone-receptor positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. American health regulators also backed the drug as a breast cancer treatment[ID:nL2E8IKD8B]
Afinitor, also known as everolimus, is designed to be given in combination with another drug, Aromasin, to treat women whose cancer has recurred or progressed after treatment with two other therapies. Aromasin is made by Pfizer Inc.
Novartis's drug - expected to become a major seller for the Swiss drugmaker - is already approved to treat patients with four other types of cancer, including kidney and a rare type of pancreatic cancer.
(Reporting By Katharina Bart)
joseph kony ipad 3 release date apple store down apple live blog ohio primary cell phone jammer sandra fluke
"Every piece of content can attack you." That's the assessment of Nir Zuk, chief technology officer at Palo Alto Networks. Social Media, smartphones, and ever pressing emails create a daily barrage of security threats to your company. And no one is immune.
You can learn more about how to protect your data here.
Source: http://bizsecurity.about.com/b/2012/07/30/attack-of-the-killer-data-2.htm
mike the situation jacksonville jaguars jacksonville jaguars benjarvus green ellis shaka smart hungergames bagpipes
The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.
As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Source: http://robertsonvance94.typepad.com/blog/2012/07/sports-recreation-the-fantasy-sports-brain-setyafegs-posterous.html
denver vs new england denver broncos vs new england patriots cruise ship sinking vernon davis starship troopers starship troopers nfl
Source: http://ethanrithew.blogspot.com/2012/07/sports-recreation-fantasy-sports-brain.html
chia seeds embers shannon brown mike rowe shld 2012 sec football schedule medifast
Source: http://uluclyo.posterous.com/sports-recreation-the-fantasy-sports-brain-bl
scientology Wimbledon 2012 TV Schedule Nastia Liukin anderson cooper fourth of july Jason Terry Gabby Douglas
Source: http://bray69.typepad.com/blog/2012/07/sports-recreation-the-fantasy-sports-brain-blogspot-uluclyos.html
ann curry nhl obamacare Nexus 7 euro 2012
Source: http://travel-news-e.blogspot.com/2012/07/sports-recreation-fantasy-sports-brain.html
james randi wargames blake griffin dunk florida primary full force odd fellows eli whitney
jared sullinger jaleel white levi johnston paul ryan 2013 srt viper scott walker recall fisker atlantic
Archos makes regular stops at the FCC. We know this. When it passes an Arnova-badged device called the GBook through the US agency, though, that piques our interest. The name immediately suggests a reading-friendly Android tablet in the vein of the Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet, but there's not much in the way of imagery and details to make a definitive judgment call. The hand-friendly small design and the 802.11n WiFi inside only fuel those suspicions, however. We don't see clues in the testing as to when the Arnova GBook might reach stores; that said, the looming back-to-school and holiday seasons may have some sway in getting the device to bookworms sooner rather than later.
Filed under: Tablet PCs
Archos Arnova GBook heads to the FCC, may have literary ambitions originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Jul 2012 01:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/29/archos-arnova-gbook-heads-to-the-fcc/
mozambique oosthuizen great expectations jake owen oosthuizen louis double eagle bubba
The party of Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai pushed on Saturday for approval of a disputed draft constitution needed for new elections, calling it "the best document" possible.
A spokesman for the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Douglas Mwonzora, said that if the draft was looked at objectively, "one will come to the unescapable conclusion that it is the best document so far since 1896."
That date marks the colonisation of the country which was initially known as Rhodesia.
A new constitution, which is to be put to a public referendum, is one of Zimbabwe's main reforms ahead of elections to replace an uneasy coalition formed by President Robert Mugabe and Tsvangirai three years ago.
The coalition was designed to prevent the country from tipping into wider conflict in the aftermath of a bloody presidential election.
European Union officials have said they would lift most sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe a decade ago once the country has held a "credible" vote on a new constitution.
Mwonzora said his party's officials were satisfied with the draft and had agreed to support the document, which was completed last week by negotiators from the country's two man political parties.
Some analysts have criticised the document as a flawed compromise which will not have any effect, however.
The proposed constitution would curtail presidential powers and impose a two-term limit of 10 years. Mugabe has been in power since Zimbabwe's 1980 independence.
It would also strip the president of immunity from prosecution once he leaves office, a major concern for Mugabe who fears being hauled to court over human rights abuses.
Following a long debate on allowing same-sex marriage and ending capital punishment, the draft defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and maintains the death penalty except for women and people aged 70 or older.
It provides for citizenship by birth, descent or registration but does not allow dual citizenship.
The draft also foresees compensation for white farmers who were forced off their land by Mugabe's controversial land reforms and protects the property rights of the new farmers.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/zimbabwe-pms-party-backs-draft-consitution-spokesman-173815865.html
fiat 500 abarth madonna halftime m i a clint eastwood mia super bowl tom coughlin wes welker
Electronic engineering has added a good deal as well common photography selections. For the most portion images has all absent digital, from the digital camera to the processing. This is in all likelihood the major evolution in the earth of photograph taking seeing that the creation of the know-how. Not only are you equipped to get far more photographs because of to unrestricted storage you can now manipulate them a great deal more easily.
An individual with an adequate electronic digicam, desktop computer and the best software system can generate studio like prints in no time flat. All you will need to do is have the correct tools and understand how to use it to turned out to be a pro photographer. Electronic processing and personal pc technology have opened the area up for just about any person to enter.
Summary
Regular and electronic photography absolutely enhance a particular one additional. No matter if you are a competent or novice every of these, have their respective sites in your lifespan. Conventional images abilities are positively transferrable to the digital images application. The bottom line is that equally these varieties of images have a place in the earth. In the ideal state of affairs, photographers will realize this fact and use both technologies to deliver fabulous work. The world is altering changing into even more contemporary and technologies pushed electronic photography is only yet another case in point of this point.
How would you like the probability to see colourful animals and strange creatures in their purely natural habitat? Underwater images has you the chance to see coral reefs and other unique animals. You?ll get the prospect to take a look at sections of the earth that are mainly undiscovered. The earth is about sixty eight% water and most of that has in no way been filmed or even looked at previously.
I?ve always been fascinated with discovering the oceans. I?ve been ready to moyen two of my preferred enjoyments in everyday life in underwater images. I?m ready to seize stunning produces underwater with my digicam. I was hooked once I took my to begin with diving lesson. First matter you are going to have to be great at is evidently diving. If you are not a fine diver then it?s planning to be tricky in being an underwater photographer. Adding a digital camera as a distraction to a beginner diver is just inquiring for catastrophe.
There are a very few items you need to give some thought to before striving to get into underwater photography. If you have an understanding of that underwater photography has really completely unique difficulties. You will be capable to locate your way via the studying curve much quicker than most. Underwater images machines has appear along way simply because I primary became interested in it. The difference somewhere between underwater photography and other types of images is that it relies just as significantly on technique as it does your tools. A wedding photographer can have great approach, but if the devices is substandard then it will impact how the pictures transform out.
Underwater images has two kinds of images. These are huge-angle and close up photographs. This is unlike most other sorts of images. The sole motive you only have these two choices is the drinking water alone. With other types of photography the sunshine or you angle are your biggest matters you have to offer with. The variation is you have a large number of a great deal more types of pictures you can acquire. Even while most would take a look at crystal sharp h2o and determine you wouldn?t have any issue with clarity. If you had fog or smoke though seeking to choose an image on land you would have clarity problems. This holds correct when you are underwater and clarity gets a single of your issues to getting an ultimate shot.
Lighting is also thoroughly totally different with underwater images. Depth plays an crucial portion in what colors you see and what you are ready to seize. One time you get to a depth of about 60 feet your only likely to see green and blue. It is like shooting in bowl of pancake syrup. To compensate for the shade distortion you are going to want to get as near as you can to the animal. Your huge-angle lens is heading to allow for you to get a significantly better concentrate on enormous fish and corral and surrounding objects. For a Macro shot you?ll have to get as close as you can to get the perfect shot. Too far out and your shot will be out of concentrate and have no color at all. There aren?t any variety lenses that can be use in underneath h2o images as they would be utterly worthless in this natural environment.
If you are searching for anything less expensive and never want an excellent quality underwater photo. You ought to decide on up a disposable digicam for a handful of pounds at your lieu sporting goods retail outlet. Sad to say, this won?t deliver the results for a specialized photographer. So, your machines is going to be your greatest cost. At any time you add saltwater and gear collectively and you know your likely to shell out a good deal. A portrait photographer only has to be bothered about a small rain and maybe some sand and dust.
photography tips
lindsay lohan the monkees strikeforce davy jones love actually miesha tate vs ronda rousey idiocracy
?
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:?Table Normal?;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:?";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:?Calibri?,?sans-serif?;
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:?Times New Roman?;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:?Times New Roman?;
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
Newbury web design from UK company based in Newbury, West Berkshire, England ? find information about quality website design, internet advertising, web site promotion, internet marketing. http://www.generateuk.co.uk
?
Source: http://crocobiz.com/ads/web-design-newbury-umairmehboob/
broncos broncos lehigh walking dead season finale matt flynn denver news frozen planet
?62% of all US small businesses don?t have a web presence!!? ? Google Representative
Last fall I attended a Local Search Marketing conference held by GetListed.org and that was the most shocking statistic that I heard that day.? She said that this is what Google believed to be true (think they have the data to support this?).
Now that?s good news for you as a savvy small business owner if you already have a long term commitment to online marketing, a monthly online marketing budget and are strategizing with a results driven local search marketing firm, and not good news if you are not? as marketing is a consistent, persistent and cumulative effort to produce results that leave your competitors in the dust.
This above video by Location3.com is excellent in sharing the statistics of consumer web habits? as you read between the lines and view each statistic as an opportunity for you business.
Only 37% of businesses have claimed a local business listing
*this supports the Google Reps? claim with only a 1% increase after 10mths, but 1% of 27 million small businesses in United States is 270 000 businesses waking up!!
Opportunities in mobile websites, mobile location directories, mobile social media platforms, mobile pay per click (PPC) and more:
Opportunities in local community connections, location based offers and discounts, loyalty programs and more:
If you are a passionate business owner, then your mind must be spinning right now with excitement and a bit of panic.?? Every statistic that is trustworthy can be viewed as an opportunity to be seized upon, compared to one who shrugs it off as a set of boring numbers.
Source: http://www.smallbusinessonlinecoach.com/blog/seo/consumers-flock-web-business-greet-them/
the notebook duke basketball miranda july joe paterno near death joepa sc primary bill moyers
Contact: Richard Harper
raharper@fs.fed.us
864-676-5153
USDA Forest Service ? Southern Research Station
Georgia contains the largest area of forest cover of any state in the South, with forests making up 67 percent of land cover or 24.8 million acres, according to a Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) Factsheet just released by the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS). While this land area remains stable, timber inventory has increased.
"Forest area in Georgia remained relatively stable over the last 50 years," says Richard Harper, SRS forester and author of the analysis. "While forest area stayed about the same, timber inventory more than doubled over the same periodsuggesting that Georgia's forest landowners are engaged in long-term strategies to improve sustainability of their forests."
"We are very proud of our forest resources here in Georgia, and our pride is evident in the findings of this report," said the director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, Robert Farris. "Our landowners demonstrate the pride they have in their land daily with every tree that is planted and every forest management strategy that is implemented. We praise each and every one of them for the steps they are taking today to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy all the benefits of our forests."
Commercial timberland areadefined as land available to produce forest productsmakes up 98 percent of total forest land area in Georgia. The remaining 2 percent of forest area is in forest reserves where harvest is prohibited. Most of commercial timberland is privately owned, placing Georgia in the position of having the most privately owned timberland in the nation.
"Private individuals own 91 percent of Georgia timberlands, some 22.2 million acres, with individual or family forests making up 13.5 million of these acres," says Harper. "In this group, we found a general decline in tracts of over 100 acres and a 7 percent increase in tracts under 100 acres, suggesting that larger tracts are being divided for financial need or opportunity, or as a result of estate transfers within families."
Since 1982, when forest industry peaked in its holdings, ownership of Georgia timberland in that category has shifted from industry (landowners operating a primary wood-processing plant) to non-industry corporate ownership. In 2011, forest industry held 2.1 million acres of Georgia timberland, while non-industry corporate ownership rose to 6.6 million acres. Over the past three decades, forest industry area declined 65 percent while timberland area owned by non-industry corporations increased 251 percent.
The analysis also includes information about forest types; volume by diameter class and stand origin for softwoods and hardwoods; and data on growth and removals for the survey period.
###
Access the full analysis: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/40936
Headquartered in Asheville, N.C., the Southern Research Station is comprised of more than 120 scientists and several hundred support staff who conduct natural resource research in 20 locations across 13 southern states (Virginia to Texas). The Station's mission is "to create the science and technology needed to sustain and enhance southern forest ecosystems and the benefits they provide." Learn more about the Southern Research Station at: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/
The Georgia Forestry Commission is the state agency responsible for providing leadership, service and education in the protection and conservation of Georgia's forest resources. The agency's headquarters is in Dry Branch, and it has offices throughout the state. Commission professionals provide a wide variety of services in the areas of forest protection, forest management, reforestation and forest utilization. For more information about GFC or Georgia's forests, visit www.gatrees.org.
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Richard Harper
raharper@fs.fed.us
864-676-5153
USDA Forest Service ? Southern Research Station
Georgia contains the largest area of forest cover of any state in the South, with forests making up 67 percent of land cover or 24.8 million acres, according to a Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) Factsheet just released by the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS). While this land area remains stable, timber inventory has increased.
"Forest area in Georgia remained relatively stable over the last 50 years," says Richard Harper, SRS forester and author of the analysis. "While forest area stayed about the same, timber inventory more than doubled over the same periodsuggesting that Georgia's forest landowners are engaged in long-term strategies to improve sustainability of their forests."
"We are very proud of our forest resources here in Georgia, and our pride is evident in the findings of this report," said the director of the Georgia Forestry Commission, Robert Farris. "Our landowners demonstrate the pride they have in their land daily with every tree that is planted and every forest management strategy that is implemented. We praise each and every one of them for the steps they are taking today to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy all the benefits of our forests."
Commercial timberland areadefined as land available to produce forest productsmakes up 98 percent of total forest land area in Georgia. The remaining 2 percent of forest area is in forest reserves where harvest is prohibited. Most of commercial timberland is privately owned, placing Georgia in the position of having the most privately owned timberland in the nation.
"Private individuals own 91 percent of Georgia timberlands, some 22.2 million acres, with individual or family forests making up 13.5 million of these acres," says Harper. "In this group, we found a general decline in tracts of over 100 acres and a 7 percent increase in tracts under 100 acres, suggesting that larger tracts are being divided for financial need or opportunity, or as a result of estate transfers within families."
Since 1982, when forest industry peaked in its holdings, ownership of Georgia timberland in that category has shifted from industry (landowners operating a primary wood-processing plant) to non-industry corporate ownership. In 2011, forest industry held 2.1 million acres of Georgia timberland, while non-industry corporate ownership rose to 6.6 million acres. Over the past three decades, forest industry area declined 65 percent while timberland area owned by non-industry corporations increased 251 percent.
The analysis also includes information about forest types; volume by diameter class and stand origin for softwoods and hardwoods; and data on growth and removals for the survey period.
###
Access the full analysis: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/40936
Headquartered in Asheville, N.C., the Southern Research Station is comprised of more than 120 scientists and several hundred support staff who conduct natural resource research in 20 locations across 13 southern states (Virginia to Texas). The Station's mission is "to create the science and technology needed to sustain and enhance southern forest ecosystems and the benefits they provide." Learn more about the Southern Research Station at: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/
The Georgia Forestry Commission is the state agency responsible for providing leadership, service and education in the protection and conservation of Georgia's forest resources. The agency's headquarters is in Dry Branch, and it has offices throughout the state. Commission professionals provide a wide variety of services in the areas of forest protection, forest management, reforestation and forest utilization. For more information about GFC or Georgia's forests, visit www.gatrees.org.
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/ufs-gf2072712.php
superbowl kick off time 2012 new york giants hot wings recipe 7 layer dip recipe chris carter superbowl 2012 kickoff time what time is the super bowl 2012
BANGOR, Maine ? Despite dabbling in filmmaking since the age of 6 and producing and-or directing several short films over the last 10 years, Jacob Caron had never entered a film in a competition.
Knowing about his love and interest for filmmaking, Tam Caron ? one of his aunts ? suggested he produce one and enter it in the 35th annual Maine Student Film and Video Festival.
The only problem was the Brewer High School student had just two weeks to create, edit and submit a film by the festival deadline.
?The good news was the festival rules weren?t too limiting. The bad news was I had two weeks to do it and it was the last two weeks of school,? said Caron, who lives in Eddington. ?But I thought about it and figured I might as well go for it. No guts, no glory.?
Just over a month later, the 17-year-old senior-to-be is basking in the glory after his short film titled ?Freedom of the Press? beat out 29 other entries and won the festival?s grand prize.
?I think there were 29 other film entries. It was kind of overwhelming. When I found out I won, I couldn?t believe it,? Caron said. ?I expected someone else with a more dramatic or thematic film to win.?
Caron?s 13-minute film is part ?Goodfellas,? part ?Untouchables,? part ?Stand By Me? and part ?Doogie Howser, M.D.? without the M.D. It chronicles the activities of the New England Mafia, run by the youngest organized crime boss in the country, and a young, crusading journalist who has been hired by a local newspaper editor to do an expose on the criminal organization.
?This is by far the longest film I?ve done. The previous longest one was seven or eight minutes,? said the son of Drew and Nancy Caron. ?My friends and I put this together in two weeks.?
And they did it under budget. Way under budget.
?My friends acted with payment of a large pizza after the shoot,? Caron said with a laugh. ?I think my total expense was about $30 for clothes at Goodwill.?
Caron not only directed the film, he also acted (playing two parts as a TV reporter and the newspaper editor), filmed, cast and handled most of the production work. He even composed his own musical score.
?All the music for this had to be original. I play piano, so that helped me be able to mix a score for the movie,? he said.
Caron, who also is entering his film in the Portland Film Festival student division, did all the musical scoring on deadline day for the film?s submission.
The film was shot at various locations all over Bangor, Brewer and Orono, including his mother?s optometrist office. It was a marathon effort packed into a tight time frame.
?I could barely keep my eyes open in school some days. We were all exhausted,? said Caron. ?We had several all-nighters, including the last day before the deadline.?
Caron unintentionally bucked a couple of trends with his movie. He went longer than the suggested 10-minute limit and he elected not to go with a drama filled with imagery, enigma or esoteric, outside-the-box themes.
?I wasn?t really too into that, so I figured I?d make something different, and something they hadn?t seen before,? he said.
At the screening of his film last Saturday, it was apparent many in attendance hadn?t seen this before.
?At the screening, there was a big population of children under the age of 10 because they grouped all the kids? films together with the older one,? Caron explained. ?Once the F-bombs started and the lead pipe [used in an implied mob beating scene] came out, the theater doors started opening and kids started leaving.
?There were a few dirty looks from parents and about half the theater cleared.?
Still, Caron, whose older sister Rachel is majoring in performing arts in college, got high marks from the three judges at the competition and won a two-week scholarship to the Maine Media Workshop to learn from filmmakers, editors and videographers from all over the world earlier this month.
?One of the festival officials said he couldn?t believe this kind of film came from a student,? Caron said. ?They liked the cinematography, camera angles and the lighting.?
Not bad for a guy whose school doesn?t even have a film club. That made the workshop an even greater opportunity for someone hoping to major in film study at either the University of Southern California or University of California Los Angeles.
?The whole thing was a really cool experience,? he said. ?Even with all the sleep deprivation.?
oklahoma city bombing robbie robertson the curious case of benjamin button secret service prostitute rich ross april 20 jennifer love hewitt
By Ken Bridbord, M.D., M.P.H., Director, Division of International Training and Research, Fogarty International Center, U.S. National Institutes of HealthDr. Ken Bridbord Dr. Bridbord was a co-chair of the International AIDS Conference in 1987. Conversations I had with colleagues in June of 1987, during the last AIDS meeting held here in Washington, inspired me to develop a program that would create HIV/AIDS research expertise in the regions where the need was greatest.
Read the original here:
25 Years of HIV/AIDS Training has Transformed the Research Landscape
Related posts:
time magazine person of the year 2011 time magazine person of the year 2011 new orleans jazz fest new orleans jazz fest louis ck michelle duggar heisman
Vegas, martinis, and the words "baby" and "money" helped launch Vince Vaughn's film career -- and helped established him as an extraordinarily compelling cinematic scoundrel, a role he's played repeatedly over the last decade and change. But that isn't all Vaughn can do, as he's proven while assembling an admirably eclectic filmography, moving from comedy to horror to action thrillers and back again, and sharing screens with everyone from Richard Attenborough to Jennifer Lopez in the process. This weekend, however, Vaughn's back in his comedically caddish wheelhouse with The Watch, and to celebrate, we decided to revisit his best-reviewed films, Total Recall style!
As always, we let the Tomatometer do the sorting for us, and although it did the easy work, tossing out the obvious rotten flicks (bye bye, Couples Retreat), we still had to make a few judgment calls on roles that, though memorable, still amounted to cameos (adieu, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Into the Wild, and Anchorman). What we were finally left with was a list that we think captures the breadth of Vaughn's filmography while limiting it to the movies that gave him a healthy amount of screentime. And with that, let's dispense with the formalities and get down to the films, shall we? Ladies and gents, the best of Vince Vaughn!
52%
Vaughn's first major role came in Swingers, a film with a budget of $250,000. His next movie was a bit of a step up: 1997's The Lost World: Jurassic Park boasted a $73 million bankroll, not to mention Steven Spielberg in the director's chair and a cast including such famous names as Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore, and Lord Richard Attenborough. Of course, Lost World wasn't greeted with quite the same critical reception enjoyed by Swingers, but on the other hand, it did make over $600 million at the box office -- and it featured dozens of awesome-looking CGI dinosaurs, which makes up for any critical brickbats, or the fact that Vaughn's character is a knuckleheaded environmentalist who's more concerned about saving giant carnivores than his own traveling companions. Looking Closers' Jeffrey Overstreet summed it all up succinctly when he wrote, "If you liked Jurassic Park, you'll probably like this one a little less. What the first film did poorly, this film does worse."
54%
Based on Michael Grant Jaffe's novel Dance Real Slow, 1998's A Cool, Dry Place broke Vaughn's string of rapscallions and ne'er-do-wells and gave him the first thoroughly sympathetic role of his career: Russell Durrell, a young lawyer struggling through single fatherhood after his wife (Monica Potter) abandons him and their five-year-old son (Bobby Moat). Despite a cast that also included Joey Lauren Adams, Place barely squeaked its way into theaters, grossing a few thousand dollars during a one-week run -- and though many critics rolled their eyes at the film's leisurely pace and heavy melodrama (Filmcritic's Christopher Null accused the plot of "just [sitting] there like a stuffed monkey"), they were matched by scribes such as Sandra Contreras of TV Guide, who wrote, "Its heart is in the right place, but this sweet drama just doesn't build enough true drama from its slender premise. That said, it's not bad enough to merit the kind of stealth release its studio has imposed on it."
60%
After 2000's The Cell, Vaughn was relatively quiet for a few years; although he appeared in a pair of major releases (Domestic Disturbance and Made, both released in 2001), he spent much of his time in films whose appeal was more, uh, selective (The Prime Gig, I Love Your Work). It took another testosterone-heavy ensemble comedy to remind audiences what made the Swingers star famous -- and okay, so Old School ended up being stolen by Will Ferrell, but Vaughn got his share of laughs, too, and it foreshadowed his funny roles in Anchorman and Starsky & Hutch. A not inconsiderable number of critics dismissed Old School's raunchy lowbrow humor, but the majority agreed with Cinerina's Karina Montgomery, who gasped, "I can't believe it, but I want to see it again."
63%
After making a splash with Swingers, Vaughn hit the ground running, booking roles in several years' worth of big-budget productions, including 1997's Jurassic Park sequel, The Lost World, and the costly Jennifer Lopez flop The Cell. Between the tentpoles, however, Vaughn hadn't lost his taste for the odd lower-profile project -- like Clay Pigeons, a Ridley Scott-produced black comedy about a drifter (Vaughn) who uses his imagined friendship with a casual acquaintance (Joaquin Phoenix) as the impetus for a homicidal, Throw Momma from the Train-style "favor." Playing a charming, murderous lunatic helped prep Vaughn for the starring role in Gus Van Sant's Psycho remake -- and while Pigeons didn't make much of an impression at the box office, it earned the admiration of critics like the Palo Alto Weekly's Jeanne Aufmuth, who wrote, "This is not your classic whodunit. It's blacker, funnier, and edgier."
64%
The overlap on the Venn diagram between Dodgeball and Wedding Crashers, 2004's Starsky & Hutch stars Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson as the titular detectives -- and Vaughn as Reese Feldman, the bar mitzvah-throwing drug kingpin who's responsible for pushing a new, untraceable form of cocaine. While a number of critics were turned off by the way the movie enthusiastically embraced its cheesy television roots, for most, it was too goofily good-natured to resist -- right down to Snoop Dogg's appearance as the streetwise police informant known as Huggy Bear. It is, wrote Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post, "A really good not-great movie, the kind that would be classified as a guilty pleasure were it not executed with guilt-free honesty and good nature."
Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1925589/news/1925589/
russell westbrook horsetail falls ice t downton abbey new york knicks president day lin
By Joseph Antos and Michael R. Strain
Generally speaking, if you owe the IRS, it will get the money from you?with the possible exception of the ObamaCare tax.
Now that the Supreme Court has decided that ObamaCare?s mandate to buy health insurance is a tax, will the IRS be able to collect it?
Generally speaking, if you owe the IRS, it will get the money from you?with the possible exception of the ObamaCare tax. Though ObamaCare?s individual mandate imposes a tax on people who do not purchase government-approved health insurance, the law explicitly neuters the IRS?s ability to collect the tax.
Bizarre? Yes. And it matters. If policymakers expect uninsured young people to buy health insurance when it is even more expensive than it is today, the threat of serious consequences for not doing so must be real. Yes, the threat that the IRS might come after you if you do not do what you are told looks real at first glance. But Democratic politicians, fearing public backlash for making the mandate too intrusive, pulled its teeth.
First, the tax (nee penalty) is too small to matter to the people who are its target. In 2014, the tax will be the larger of $95 or 1 percent of taxable income for an individual. By 2016 it rises to $695 or 2.5 percent of income. Young people would not want to pay a dollar if they could avoid it, but avoiding the tax means signing up for insurance that many do not think they need. That insurance is not free. Even with subsidies, they will pay at least 3 percent of their incomes for premiums and up to 6 percent of the cost of the insurance in deductibles and copayments. That adds up to a lot more than 95 bucks.
Second, the law counts on most of the scofflaws turning themselves in. If you do not have insurance and think you owe the tax, then you will be asked to check a box to that effect on your tax return. If you choose to ignore the mandate, you might also choose not to check the box. But even those who do confess that they do not have insurance may not be liable for the new tax. Illegal aliens, Native Americans, prisoners, those who are without insurance for less than 3 months, those who do not have to file an income tax return, anyone who faces a hardship or cannot find affordable coverage, and others are all exempt.
Third, the law requires the IRS to sift through 140 million income tax returns to track down the few scofflaws who are actually liable. This requires collecting information from both the insurance companies and the individual filers in an expensive feat of bureaucratic detective work. What are the specifics? The details of any plan other than taking your word for it have not been worked out yet, but the likely scenario finds insurance companies sending documentation to the IRS and to the taxpayer, which the taxpayer would then include with his return. That means even more bureaucracy and regulatory burden than the healthcare industry and the IRS currently have. And more bureaucracy and regulation mean greater expense, both to insurers (who will pass those costs to consumers in higher premiums) and to the government.
Taking all parts of ObamaCare together, the IRS is expected to spend $881 million from 2010 through 2013 on thousands of new workers and upgrades to computer systems?amazing, since the bulk of ObamaCare does not even go into effect until later years.
Finally, even if the IRS has determined that you owe the new tax, it has very limited ability to force you to pay it. Basically, the IRS has two options: To ask you for the money and to reduce the size of your tax refund. But the IRS cannot reduce your refund unless you overpay. Since taxpayers have great control over their withholding, a savvy taxpayer who does not want to buy insurance could easily work the system to ensure that the IRS could not hold back his refund to enforce the mandate tax. And half of American households do not owe any income tax to begin with, so good luck getting the money from them. In addition, with electronic filing, the IRS may have already sent you the full refund before they?ve figured out that you owe the ObamaCare tax. All in all, it could take years for the IRS to collect its money.
This contrasts sharply with the way the IRS collects other taxes. To put it simply, the IRS gets the money it is owed because it has broad powers to enforce compliance. After all, there?s a reason we?re all scared of the IRS.
To enforce tax compliance, the government can bring a lawsuit against you, but that option is generally reserved for the most serious tax evaders?not individuals who owe a $695 penalty. In contrast, the ObamaCare law says that anyone who does not have health insurance and fails to pay the tax cannot be criminally prosecuted or criminally penalized. There goes the government?s strongest weapon.
What happens most of the time is very simple: If you refuse to pay your taxes, then the government takes your stuff. The government can take all the assets you currently have and assets you expect to receive in the future. For example, the money you have in your checking and savings accounts, your car, your boat, your retirement account, any rental income, and wages that have not been paid to you can be taken by the IRS in order to collect the money you owe. The IRS?s power is so strong that it holds third parties liable if they choose not to surrender property that the IRS demands. So your bank has to comply with the IRS.
Not so if the tax you refuse to pay is the ObamaCare tax. Under ObamaCare, the IRS cannot seize any of your property to enforce the mandate penalty. The IRS cannot go after the money in your bank accounts, and it can?t sell your car. It can?t send you to jail, and it can?t touch your stuff.
Congress has enacted a law that cannot be enforced. Congress purposely limited the enforcement powers of the IRS to avoid the public outcry that a strong mandate to buy government-approved insurance would evoke. The mandate may be constitutional, but as Chief Justice Roberts pointed out, a constitutional law is not automatically good policy.
The government?s inability to enforce the individual mandate is just one of many problems with ObamaCare. Mandate or not, laws should be enforceable, and they should be reasonable. This law has to go. The American public should turn the tables on the government and enforce a mandate of its own: Create and execute reasonable health policy.
Joseph Antos is the Wilson H. Taylor Scholar in Healthcare and Retirement Policy at the American Enterprise Institute, where Michael R. Strain is a research fellow. This post first appeared at The American.
Filed Under: THCB
Jul 27, 2012marine helicopter crash chicago weather star jones wheres my refund photo of whitney houston in casket carrot top george huguely
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Western-led sanctions and diplomatic pressure will not force Iran to halt its nuclear program, Iran's Supreme Leader said Wednesday.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters in Iran, voiced confidence that the Islamic Republic can beat the latest punitive measures aimed at blocking the country's vital oil and banking industries over the disputed program.
"They (the West) explicitly say they need to increase pressures, tighten sanctions to force Iranian authorities to reconsider their calculations," Khamenei said in comments broadcast on state television. "But a look at the facts leads us not only to avoid reconsidering our calculations, but to move on our intended path with greater confidence."
The latest European Union sanctions against Iran's vital oil industry came into effect on July 1, three days after the U.S. tightened measures that prohibit international banks from completing oil transactions with Iranian banks. The moves, a response to Iran's refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, further complicate the country's ability to conduct trade abroad.
The West suspects Iran is pursuing a nuclear weapon. Iran says the program is for peaceful purposes such as power generation and medical treatment.
In his remarks, Khamenei said he felt some countries partaking in the U.S.-led sanctions will not continue them over the long term because of economic drawbacks, calling the sanctions a challenge that could be overcome.
"Although there are challenges in the path of the Iranian nation, there is no dead-end," he said.
Khamenei said Iran has offered some concessions in the past, but claimed the West is unwilling to allow what Iran calls a peaceful nuclear program.
He was referring to a period between 2003 and 2005 when Iran agreed under former reformist president Mohammad Khatami to suspend uranium enrichment and all related activities as part of confidence building measures to dispel fears that Tehran was not seeking nuclear weapons.
"The West became so arrogant during that period that they opposed possession of three centrifuges which our officials had agreed. But now there are 11,000 centrifuges operating in the country," he said.
Centrifuges are machines that spin at supersonic speed to purify uranium. Uranium enriched to low level is used to fuel a nuclear reactor but higher enrichment makes it suitable for use in building a nuclear weapon.
Iran's suspension of nuclear advancements coincided with a period of small steps toward easing the diplomatic freeze between Tehran and Washington, but tensions quickly returned following the election in 2005 of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and moves to restart Iran's nuclear efforts.
The U.S. and its allies accuse Iran of using its civilian nuclear program as a cover to develop an atomic bomb, but Iran has denied the charges and says its nuclear program aims at producing electricity and radioisotopes used to treat cancer patients.
Khamenei also urged Iran's politicians to show unity and avoid bickering in efforts to overcome the sanctions, which experts say have driven up the cost of imports by 20 to 30 percent.
Ahmadinejad's conservative rivals in parliament are openly criticizing the handling of the economy and failing to prevent a sharp rise in food prices in recent months.
"The reality is that there are problems but one should not blame this or that. It must be resolved through unity and wisdom," Khamenei said. "You should avoid useless disputes and publicizing these disputes in order to protect the nation's unity."
Iran's parliament speaker has acknowledged that 20 percent of Iran's economic problems are due to sanctions, a rare public acknowledgment by a top official that sanctions are biting.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/irans-leader-says-sanctions-wont-alter-policies-122110079.html
appeasement ian stewart ian stewart odom vt vt los angeles angels
Considerations about personal development usually is a result of sometimes a clear or muddled sign in types daily life that lends to some personal evaluation. Making certain your personal advancement is at par with all the targets, duties and partnerships you aspire to keep and take care of is very important.
When you?ve created a blunder, consider everything you may possibly inform your little one or your best friend when they possessed carried out the same. Often times men and women may be tougher on themselves than someone else in the event it isn?t needed. Be as delicate on your own when you are with other individuals whenever they make a few mistakes, and you?ll feel better about your self.
Establish your current strong points prior to consider to modify your perceived weaknesses. An important part of personal development has an authentic idea of the entire self. Regrettably, self improvement usually concentrates only on weaknesses. Often, enhancing an presently developed strength might be a lot more beneficial to attaining your long term goals.
With self improvement, ensure that you concentration more about what you are actually presently proficient at and increase this to the highest potential. This is significant since you can force forward and improve oneself as an alternative to not making any development and house on which retains you back. Usually do not neglect your weak spots, do not permit them to drag you straight down.
Give yourself messages full of positive imagery. Submit estimates and expressing in places where by you will notice them commonly. This helps to establish self speak which is beneficial to the well being. Consider using your notebook, freezer, and toilet match for positioning of esteem developing messages. Use them to strengthen your notion in oneself.
Discover ways to really like your self. So many people are not cozy with regards to their physiques or their personalities. Accept what you are about: possibly you will need a couple of alterations to enjoy on your own. Workout should your system is the matter. Keep in mind that individuals will not love you till they could see that you feel good about yourself.
Keep yourself about positive men and women. Being around folks that are positive may be transmittable and may alter you means of considering. It is actually a bad idea for an individual which is frustrated to get around individuals who consider unfavorable. It might become worse their depression and cause far more negative considering, which is precisely what you don?t want to do.
Personal development can provide the ideal prospect for any effective life. Many people proceed through daily life future to make the most money or gain the most power. These desired goals are perfect but do not produce all the total satisfaction as knowing that you are the best you will be, using the expertise and skills that you?ve been offered.
how to write a blog post
Source: http://www.laytonhower.com/index.php/uncategorized/turning-into-who-you-want-to-be-2/
trace adkins the darkest hour the darkest hour neverland wormwood bcs bowl games phoebe prince
from NYDailyNews.com
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/video-beatdown-suspect-pounded-resisted-arrest-tape-25m-suit-shows-man-put-fight-article-1.1120579
Simon W. Johnson
swj@swjlawoffice.comLaw Office of Simon W. JohnsonMartindale, Avvo, Justia, LawGuruLinkedIn, Twitter, FacebookServing Cleveland and Ohio, 44124
No related posts.
Source: http://safeguardfreedom.com/blog/?p=6938
jake owen oosthuizen louis double eagle bubba masters winner instagram facebook mike wallace
A couple years ago, I lost a dream job in a horrid way. I?d spent years networking and branding myself for the opportunity and had just gotten it. Then, shortly after I started, the company?s fortunes went downhill and my co-workers and I endured an agonizing, demoralizing few months until we were laid off.
It was devastating. This was something I?d dreamed about and worked incredibly hard for, and it was snatched out of my hands by forces beyond my control. Suddenly, I had to start my job hunt all over again ? when I was already demoralized from working in a company that was racing downhill.
A bunch of other friends of mine have been in similar situations in recent months. One also lost a hard-won job at a dream company because her company?s business went downhill. Another, about to graduate with his MBA, had to jump back into job hunting after the start-up he was working at part-time reluctantly concluded that they couldn?t get the funding to bring him on full-time
Finding yourself back on the market unexpectedly is really stressful and demoralizing. But when you lose a job, you have to get back out there right away. No matter how much you want to, you simply cannot spend all your time curled up on your couch watching Grey?s Anatomy with an increasingly cuddle-resistant cat! Nor surfing the internet or any other ways people cope.
So off to networking events you go. Then, you fill out job applications, go on interviews and beg everyone you know for help. And ? when you?re already feeling down ? you hear ?No? a lot. And all the while, your nest egg is ticking towards empty. The worst part of this is that no matter how down you feel, you have to go into each interview and networking event with a smile and a positive attitude!
Unsurprisingly, unexpected job-hunting feels really depressing. Which is why it?s so important to keep your personal branding going even when you have a job you like ? so if the worst happens, you don?t have to start from scratch.
However, whether or not you?ve kept up your personal branding, throwing yourself back into a job-hunt takes a lot out of you.
So when you find yourself in that position, even if you?re short on money, it?s absolutely essential to find a way to do activities that make you feel good about yourself.
For me, that was horseback riding. Even when I was carefully watching my money, I kept a partial lease on a horse at a nearby stable. Regularily, I would head over to the ranch, saddle up Jet and head out for a run on the trails. I always came back feeling much better.
Another friend of mine, embroiled in a tough job hunt, kept his spirits up by playing a sport he?s incredible at, and traveling to regional tournaments around the US where he could compete at an elite level. He?d get there the cheapest way possible, sleep on the floor of a friend?s house and do everything he could to keep his costs down, but he?d still go.*
For both of us, those activities were essential parts of our job-hunting strategy. We were able to keep going to networking events and keeping our spirits up for interviews because we consistantly had something that we did well at ? and that forced us to think positively for a while. And that?s so essential ? because if you have to put your best self on display after a discouraging job loss ? you need to feel positive about yourself as well.
So don?t throw yourself into your job hunt and forget about everything else that makes you happy in life. You?ll do better in your job-hunt if you get a regular emotional boost ? even if you have to be creative to figure out ways to make that thing you enjoy happen.
*Incidentally, my friend was offered a job he really wanted less than a week after he finished highly in a Nationals competition for his hobby. Perhaps a coincidence, but the effort he put into preparing for this competition and then the resulting emotional high probably helped!
Author:
Katie Konrath blogs about creativity, innovation and ?ideas so fresh? they should be slapped? at www.getfreshminds.com. She works for leading innovation company, Ideas To Go.
Source: http://www.business2community.com/strategy/do-something-that-builds-you-up-while-job-hunting-0228062
chris hansen ehlers danlos syndrome the closer michael turner split pea soup land of the lost cleveland cavaliers
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Gun control advocates are looking ahead to this year's first presidential debate, set to be held in Denver, Colorado, as a chance to keep pressing President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney on U.S. gun policy.
The first debate between the two is scheduled for October 3 at the University of Denver, about 10 miles from the cinema in Aurora, Colorado, where a gunman killed 12 people on July 20.
A nonpartisan commission announced the debate schedule in October 2011, long before the shooting.
Obama and Romney "will be asked about what they would do to prevent gun violence and the public will expect them to offer solutions," said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, at a news conference on Thursday.
Neither Obama nor Romney has given a detailed statement about gun policy since the Aurora shooting, though White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Tuesday that Obama may have more to say "in the future."
The first presidential debate is scheduled to focus on domestic policy. It will be divided into six, 15-minute segments, each devoted to a topic determined by a moderator, according to the debate commission.
The identity of the moderator has not been announced.
Colorado was home to another high-profile shooting in April 1999, when two teenagers killed 13 at Columbine High School.
The Brady Campaign, based in Washington, D.C., is the largest U.S. gun control lobbying group. It was largely credited with the 1993 passage of a law imposing federal background checks on some gun purchases.
The group is named for Jim and Sarah Brady, who became prominent advocates for gun control after Jim Brady, as President Ronald Reagan's press secretary, was severely wounded in a 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan.
Gun control advocates have been overwhelmed in recent years by the political strength of the National Rifle Association and other gun rights groups, who draw influence from a legion of passionate, often rural supporters.
In 2004, for example, Congress did not renew a 10-year ban on many semiautomatic rifles similar to one used by the shooter in Colorado.
Gross said "political pundits and the media" have been too quick to dismiss the possibility of change after the Aurora shooting. "The skepticism out there has been overwhelming, but they've been wrong," he said.
Obama should be applauded for raising the possibility he will do more on gun control, but it is not enough, Gross said. "The president said very similar things in his last campaign. A speech is not a plan. An endorsement of a measure is not a solution," Gross said.
The Brady Campaign has launched a new website, wearebetterthanthis.org, to gather signatures for petitions in favor of new gun control measures.
Supporters of gun rights have countered that the days after a shooting is not the time to talk about changes in laws, saying instead that the focus should be on victims.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/long-planned-colorado-debate-may-force-obama-romney-163535457.html
straight no chaser bcs standings bcs standings douglas fir jim boeheim jim boeheim bill of rights
ScienceDaily (July 25, 2012) ? While aquariums provide a relaxing pastime for humans on Earth, recreation is not the goal behind the new Aquatic Habitat, or AQH, aboard the International Space Station. Instead, researchers will use this unique facility to look at how microgravity impacts marine life.
Sponsored by the Japanese Space Agency, or JAXA, this habitat is a closed-water circulatory system, which provides a new facility option for station research. Scientists will use the habitat to study small, freshwater fish on orbit. For the first investigations, they plan to examine the Medaka (Oryzias latipes) fish.
Scientists have multiple studies planned to look at the impacts of radiation, bone degradation, muscle atrophy, and developmental biology. The investigations could last up to 90 days and provide data that may lead to a better understanding of related human health concerns here on Earth.
"We think studies on bone degradation mechanisms and muscle atrophy mechanisms are applicable to human health problems, especially for the aging society," said Nobuyoshi Fujimoto, associate senior engineer at JAXA's Space Environment Unitization Center.
Medaka fish are ideal specimens for many reasons. They are transparent, making it easy to view the inner workings of their organs. They also breed quickly and easily in microgravity environments, enabling multi-generation studies. Researchers can take advantage of a variety of genetic modifications to these fish, as well. Finally, scientists already have all of the Medaka genome identified, which makes it easier to recognize any alterations to the fishes' genes, due to factors like space radiation.
The habitat will reside in the Japanese Experiment Module, or JEM, which is also known as Kibo, or "hope" in Japanese. It will attach to a multipurpose small payload rack for power and housing. The AQH launched on July 20, with the third Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle, or HTV cargo vehicle flight, also called Konotouri.
This facility includes an improved water circulation system that monitors water conditions, removing waste while ensuring proper pressure and oxygen flow rates. The system's design upgrades are based on lessons learned from previous habitats that flew on space shuttle missions STS-47, STS-65, and STS-90.
"In order to keep water quality in good condition for the health of the fish, we had to do many tests on the filtration system, especially the bacteria filter," said Fujimoto. "The special bacteria filter purifies waste materials, such as ammonia, so that we can keep fish for up to 90 days. This capability will make it possible for egg-to-egg breeding aboard station, which means up to three generations may be born in orbit. This would be a first for fish in space."
This habitat will provide automatic feeding for the fish, air-water interface, temperature control, and a specimen sampling mechanism. There will be two chambers for habitation, each sized at 15 by 7 by 7 cm, holding about 700 cc water and a stabilized area for oxygen that will enable fish to "peck" air. LED lights will simulate day and night cycles, while two video cameras record images of the fish to downlink to the ground, upon request.
The air-water interface design also makes it possible for the AQH to potentially house amphibians in future studies, though currently planned investigations only use fish. Small plastic plates at the upper side of each aquarium use a grid structure to trap a small amount of air, injected by the crew at the start of an investigation. The design, which was tested using parabolic flights, prevents the water from escaping into the microgravity environment.
When researchers are ready for the fish to participate on orbit, they will travel in a special transport container to the station, where the crew will then install them within the habitat for observation. While the AQH is not specifically an aquarium, hopefully the crew will enjoy a sense of relaxation in viewing the fish as they go about their duties aboard the orbiting laboratory.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA. The original article was written by Jessica Nimon, International Space Station Program Science Office, NASA's Johnson Space Center.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/HVYiTkEVcts/120725183634.htm
cesar chavez day raspberry ketone ron burgundy millennial media nit championship transcendentalism bells palsy
N.J. Sex Offender Internet Registry
The poster child of sex offenders who altered their digital identity is Fran Kuni, who changed his name to Jamie Shepard and was able to get a job as a U.S. Census worker in New Jersey before being busted by a mom who recognized him when he knocked on the door of her home.
By Bob Sullivan
Nearly one in six convicted sex offenders is using sophisticated techniques invented by identity thieves to avoid their legally mandated registration requirements, a new study has found. These digital absconders might be able to avoid post-incarceration restrictions by living near schools and playgrounds, and could possibly gain employment working with children.
The study, conducted by Utica College and funded by the U.S. Justice Department, estimates that roughly 92,000 of the 570,000 registered sex offenders across the country are systematically manipulating their names, birthdays, Social Security numbers and other personal identifiers so they can live as they want while appearing to satisfy court-imposed or statutory restrictions.
"These are offenders who are flying under the radar and authorities don't know it," said Don Rebovich, the Utica professor who directed the study. "The authorities really don?t have the resources to keep on checking on these people. Offenders find where the vulnerabilities are in the system and exploit them."
These digital absconders create two obvious problems. Communities expend energy and resources dealing with offenders who aren't really there -- local police knock on doors and send notices to warn neighbors; public listings are published on the Internet. And sex offenders live where they please as normal adults, without any protective measures kicking in.
"In the worst-case scenario, by thwarting registration requirements, they could potentially have easier access to children," said Staca Shehan, director of case analysis at the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who is familiar with the study. "(In) those jurisdictions that have residency restrictions that would not allow (offenders) to live within distance of a school, daycare or park, (they) could avoid that type of requirement."
While the study found that an average of 16.2 percent of sex offenders manipulate their identities nationally, some states fared worse: Louisiana, Washington, D.C., Nevada, Tennessee and Delaware all had digital absconder rates of higher than 25 percent.
Officials in Tennessee, Nevada and Delaware challenged the study's conclusions and complained that they had not been contacted by the researchers for additional information that might have clarified the results; officials in the other states did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
'Strategic' manipulation
Shehan said there are generally two kinds of sex offender absconders: those who simply fail to keep their records current, and hope they fall through the cracks; and those who are more systematic in their evasion, intentionally altering their identities so they can circumvent the restrictions.?
"That takes a lot more thought," she said. "They are much more strategic about what they are doing ... and so that's much more concerning."
In one celebrated case of sex offender identity manipulation, a convict named Frank Kuni changed his name to Jamie Shepard and was able to get a job as a U.S. Census worker in New Jersey. Kuni was recognized by a mom after he knocked on the door of her Pennsauken home, and he was later sentenced to three years in prison. Kuni?s case attracted national headlines because of the fear it created surrounding temporary Census workers.
The Utica study, believed to be the first attempt to quantify these more strategic absconders, was conducted by Utica College's Center for Identity Management, set up to examine a variety of identity issues in the digital age. Rebovich is director of the center.
It's well known that some sex offenders neglect their registration requirements, dropping off the grid and accepting only cash-paying jobs to remain hidden. But the Utica study found something more subtle, and perhaps more disturbing -- sex offenders who appear to be satisfying their registration requirements while living a digital double life.
In a parallel survey of 223 law enforcement agencies from 46 states, Utica found that awareness of ID-theft style registry evasion was low -- only 5 percent of respondents said they knew of an identity manipulation case within their jurisdiction.?
And nearly 40 percent of the agencies responded that they had zero absconders, suggesting some law enforcement agencies are unaware of the problem.
The power of the Utica study lies in the use of sophisticated algorithms developed by private firm ID Analytics, a fraud-fighting company used by many large banks and other financial institutions. ID Analytics receives more than 1 billion credit applications and other credit-related events?from clients every year. It uses sophisticated software to track the behavior of identity thieves across the credit system, and can find fraud that individual firms miss. It knows, for example, if a criminal uses a systematic series of birthdays or addresses on a set of credit card applications at various banks in an attempt to evade fraud detection. The ID Analytics tool has enough data that it can generally tell the difference between honest typographical errors and systematic fraud attempts.?
ID Analytics ran sex offender data through its massive database of credit-related events, and found evidence of rampant identity manipulation among the offenders.
Kristin Helm, a spokeswoman for Tennessee's sex registry, challenged the study's findings, saying that fewer than 1 percent of that state's sex offenders are absconders. Criminals have always used false identities to try to evade police, but law enforcement systems are geared to handle that issue, she said. "Fingerprints obtained by law enforcement identify individuals regardless of a name or Social Security number," she said, adding that names sometimes change for legitimate reasons, too, such as marriage.?
But Stephen Coggeshall, chief technology officer for ID Analytics, said his technology is well-versed in screening out mundane reasons for identity changes and finding patterns that specifically indicate active evasion is taking place.
"This goes way beyond typos," he said. "These are people who have slightly adjusted or substantially adjusted their personally identifiable information for a reason. They are actively doing so, and we are observing them use these aliases relatively recently."
Nevada spokeswoman Julie Butler also questioned the validity of the study, which she had not seen. She said that Nevada uses fingerprints to track sex offenders, so identity manipulation techniques would be ineffective.
"Our registry is fingerprint-based. We don't base it on date of birth, or Social Security number, or name," Butler said. "They can put down their name as whatever and we still have them in the database."
But Coggeshall responded that even in states which use fingerprint identification, an identity manipulator would only be discovered when trying to engage in an activity ? such as becoming an elementary school teacher ? which triggers a fingerprint evaluation.?
"In general it doesn't help you track where they are or if they're living under an alias at an unregistered location," he said. "It can help to find sex offenders as they enroll in certain groups, but many ? groups don't routinely fingerprint new enrollees."
SSNs connected to multiple people
Two years ago, using this tool on a database of Social Security numbers, ID Analytics found that rampant evidence of identity theft: 5 million SSNs were connected to three or more U.S. adults in credit applications, and 140,000 were associated with five or more people, indicating almost certain fraud. The tool can also track individual identity manipulators, as ID Analytics calls them, as they attempt various frauds across an array of credit issuers.
This tool was turned on the sex offender registry problem at the invitation of Utica College in Utica, N.Y., beginning last year. ID Analytics took a large sample -- nearly 100,000 -- of the 570,000 active registered sex offender records and ran them through its credit application database, looking for signs of manipulation.
The findings were disturbing. In Louisiana, the study found, nearly two-thirds of offenders' records showed signs of manipulation. Rebovich theorized that Louisiana's problem might stem from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which gave some people a golden opportunity to drop off the grid.
Officials in Louisiana did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Rank | State | Examined | Manipulated | Percent |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | La. | 7,637 | 4,924 | 65 |
2 | D.C. | 1,255 | 378 | 30.1 |
3 | Nev. | 3.922 | 1.13 | 28.8 |
4 | Tenn. | 12,140 | 3,414 | 28 |
5 | Del. | 3,223 | 25.7 | 25.7 |
In many cases, the study found, the steps criminals take are subtle -- changing an address from "440 Monroeville Road" to "434 Monroeville Road," for example. In fact, in the majority of cases, digital absconders?were much more likely to move across town than across the country. Absconders who fake their address are six times more likely to remain in the same state than to cross state lines, the study found, and 90 percent of those who remain in state stay within 40 miles of their original registered address. In many cases, the data shows, those addresses belong to a family member. That might allow absconders to show up on a moment's notice at their registered address in case local police do a random check, Rebovich said.
But the address change could also allow them to apply for jobs and housing they would otherwise be unable to qualify for, he said.
While half of the manipulations involve bad addresses, plenty of other types of evasion are going on, the study found. One subject studied had five names, three Social Security numbers and four dates of birth, for example.
About 10,000 offenders had used at least four different Social Security numbers, Rebovich said. The evidence indicates this was usually done to evade the court registration requirements rather than commit financial identity theft, the study found.
One reason sex offenders seem to get away with evasion is that registration requirements are set by states and vary widely. In some states, convicts merely send updates through the U.S. mail to state officials, and are subjected to little, if any, verification. In others, officers try to check on sex offenders, but ofter are assigned hundreds, or even thousands of offenders, to track.
In other states, such as Florida, there are strict requirements and frequent random inspections, Rebovich said. That shows up in the data -- Florida's digital absconder rate is about half the national average, at 9.4 percent.
The study was funded by the Justice Department's Bureau of Justice Assistance, which plans on issuing a comprehensive report later this fall. Requests for comment from the Department of Justice went unanswered.
'System is never going to be perfect'
Shehan, of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children, said she didn't believe that the potentially high rate of digital absconders means the entire sex offender registry program is broken. In fact, she said the situation has improved since passage of the Child Safety and Protection Act of 2006, which instituted some national standards on offender registries.
Still, she said it's important that states move to biometric identifiers, such as fingerprints, to maintain more accurate records of offenders and their whereabouts.
"Criminals are constantly thinking of ways to beat the system," she said. "The system is never going to be perfect."
Rebovich is hoping the study will spur new methods for checking up on sex offenders, including techniques that would seem familiar to those who work in financial fraud. In a model developed by Utica and ID Analytics, offenders could be given a score, similar to a credit score, which would rate the likelihood that identity manipulation was occurring.?
"We are trying to develop a predictive model," he said. "So we can turn it into an alert system, so states can do this in real time, if they want to." ?
Coggeshall said such an alert system would have helped police track down Frank Kuni before he was able to get a job with the Census Bureau.
"In retrospect, we know there are things we would have been able to observe" he said.
http://on.msnbc.com/topnewsemailsignup">Click here to sign up to receive our Top News email each day.
?*Follow Bob Sullivan on Facebook.
*Follow Bob Sullivan on Twitter.??
portland trailblazers will kopelman casey anthony leann rimes dakota fanning casey anthony video diary lamarcus aldridge