93% The Sessions

All Critics (89) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (82) | Rotten (6)

Most often with The Sessions the blunt comedy outweighs the drift toward sanctimony.

It sends viewers out of the theater with a heightened sense of the physical and a real feeling for all the things that sex means in human life.

The achievement of this simply told, exceptionally fine film is the clarity with which it portrays the drama of a good soul in an inert body.

Hawkes' performance is the must-see hook of The Sessions, but Hunt gives this funny, touching movie its soul.

Character actor John Hawkes is often cast as a frightening rustic (Winter's Bone, Martha Marcy May Marlene), but he gives a tender and witty performance here as Mark O'Brien.

The joy of The Sessions goes beyond sexual healing. It makes physical intimacy far more a matter of the heart, and you won't be alone wiping an occasional tear.

"The Sessions" introduces us to some harsh truths we may not want to consider, but the outcome is one we cannot fail to understand.

"The Sessions" is a film that reminds us of the fragility of life, and how human beings are capable of a deep emotional bond when it is least expected.

... a story of triumph over disability that takes the form of an uplifting sex comedy rather than a depressing saga of a dying man.

That exceedingly rare combination of sexy, clever and sweet, a winning tale of one charming disabled man's quest to get some stank on his hangdown.

The film greatly benefits from Hawkes' tremendous performance. (Full Content Review for Parents also available)

For the entire endeavor to emotionally register, you must buy into the romance that purportedly blossoms between Hawkes and Hunt. I didn't, not for a second.

Hawkes' work here is that good that it carries one away on a wave of emotion that dismisses critical thought. The film around him could have been better but you're unlikely to realize that while you're watching it.

...a perfectly watchable showcase for two undeniably above-average performances.

Uneven and perhaps a little too tidy as it aims to promote one man's extraordinary spirit. It is John Hawkes and Helen Hunt, however, who are most worth seeing.

Practically ignores everything about O'Brien's life except as it relates to his sexual odyssey, turning the life of the man into little more than a curio.

A powerful expression of our common needs, fears, and consolations.

For better and for worse, The Sessions has 'crowd-pleaser' written all over it.

More Critic Reviews

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_sessions/

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Debt Settlement Employee Wants to Know Why PN Financial is a ...

A tipster, Rick, (send in your tips here) sent in the following comment:

?Please look into this company headquartered in Illinois. I work at a settlement company and we have major headaches due to this company setting up long term payment plans then when it is paid in full they never pay the creditor!

This has happened several times. So we have clients who have paid thousands to this agency and now have nothing to show for it and are of course coming after us!

Now we are getting reports from clients that they are sending letters to them saying they are willing to settle on XXXX for XXXX and these folks don?t even HAVE accounts with XXXX. Major major crooks and I have no idea how they continue to operate.?

PN Financial has a spotty past. A CBS Chicago story in April labeled PN Financial a debt settlement company and said they ripped off a consumer.

The CBS station called PN Financial ?a scam artist masquerading as a legitimate debt-collection agency.? ? Source

As the story went on to say, ?She forked over $1,800 but then found that PN Financial was taking the money for themselves, Mika says. None of it had gone to pay off her debt.?

That certainly sounds exactly like Rick?s statement and observation.

It seems to me we have two issues here.

The first is that debt relief companies should attempt to validate any debt with an outside party before beginning payment on it. If the debt can?t be validated or is outside the statute of limitations, that debt should be put aside will other priority unsecured debts are focused on.

The second is that it appears either Rick?s company or the consumer should file a complaint with the Illinois Attorney General and Federal Trade Commission. The debt settlement company may want to get their attorney involved.

According to the suit filed by the Illinois Attorney General, PN Financial ?emerged last year as one of the most egregious cases of illegal debt collection during her tenure as Attorney General.?

Additionally, Madigan said in some instances PN Financial attempted to collect debts it was not authorized to collect. As a result, some consumers paid PN Financial, without realizing they didn?t owe any outstanding balances to the collection company, and reported losing at least $9,000. PN Financial also contacted other consumers over debts that had already been paid off. ? Source

Hopefully, Rick?s company, and other debt relief companies will read this post before setting up any payment plan with PN Financial on behalf of a consumer.

I did contact PN Financial and ask them to respond but by the time of publication I still had not heard back from them.

If you have additional advice for Rick about on he and his company should deal with PN Financial on behalf of consumers, please post it in the comments section below.

Get Out of Debt Guy ? Twitter, G+, Facebook

I can always use your help. If you have a tip or information you want to share, you can get it to me confidentially if you click here.

Source: http://getoutofdebt.org/47339/debt-settlement-employee-wants-to-know-why-pn-financial-is-a-scam

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One Perfect Bite: Crock-Pot Chinese Hacked Pork

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple crock-pot meal is suspiciously like the pulled pork Americans have come to love. The big difference is that Chinese ingredients are used to flavor it and the finished dish is served over noodles rather than in buns. It is a simple and inexpensive dish that is perfect to serve on a brisk fall evening when you need a meal that's near table ready when you walk through the door. While it must marinate overnight, the pork goes from the fridge to the crock-pot without any additional fussing and that makes it a perfect choice for a busy day meal. The recipe was developed for Family Circle magazine and the only change I've made to it is the addition of 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to brighten the heaviness of the soy and hoisin sauces. I think those of you who try the recipe will be pleased with the results. It is fast, easy and quite tasty. Here's how it is made.

Chinese Hacked Pork...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 pounds boneless center-cut pork roast
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces wide lo mein noodles, cooked following package directions
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Steamed snow peas (optional)

Directions:
1) Whisk soy sauce, honey, hoisin, garlic, ginger, five-spice powder and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl. Place in a resealable plastic bag and add pork. Seal. Turn and shake to coat meat. Refrigerate overnight.
2) Coat slow cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place pork in bowl and pour marinade over top. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
3) Remove pork to a large baking dish and keep warm. Pour liquid from slow cooker into a saucepan. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch into broth. Bring liquid in saucepan to a boil and whisk in the broth mixture. Cook for 1 minute.
4) Shred pork into large pieces with two forks; stir in sauce. Spoon over noodles; garnish with scallions and serve with steamed snow peas, if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Pumpkin Pecan Squares with Cinnamon Chips

Two Years Ago Today: Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

Three Years Ago Today: Patatas Bravas

Source: http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.com/2012/10/crock-pot-chinese-hacked-pork.html

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Re-imagining Google Analytics to support the versatile usage patterns of today's users

Cross posted from the Google Analytics Blog

A typical consumer today uses multiple devices to surf the web and interact in many ways with your business. For most large businesses, already swimming in many sources of hashed data, it’s an enormous challenge, but also an incredible opportunity. 

Measurement today is evolving from technology that counts site traffic into a broader system that measures your effectiveness in advertising, sales, product usage, support, and retention. Ultimately, this sort of integrated measurement can help you deliver the best service, products, and experiences for your customers.

We’ve been developing solutions, like Google Analytics Premium and Mobile App Analytics to advance this vision. For large enterprises, such as Premium customers and those who want to work with APIs, we're now starting to offer “Universal Analytics.” This will help these customers tailor Google Analytics to their needs, integrate their own datasets and ultimately get a more complete vision of the entire marketing funnel.

The new tools offered by Universal Analytics via the new Measurement Protocol (an API that enables you to send your data to Google Analytics) can help you measure the how people actually become and remain loyal customers:

• Consumers use multiple devices.

Mastering data on your website is no longer sufficient - larger clients are increasingly asking for a cross platform view of their data in Analytics. The tools from the Measurement Protocol allow you to seamlessly send your own data about your customers  and business (from any digital device that you are measuring) to your Analytics account. This can help you see how users interact with your brand from multiple touchpoints - phones, tablets, laptops or more - in one place. 

• The world is mobile.

We announced Mobile App Analytics at I/O in 2012 as a beta. It’s been delivering great results for clients. Universal Analytics now enables you to measure your marketing more holistically by integrating this data with your Google Analytics account. 

• Cross-channel measurement is essential.

Cross-channel information is more important and more diverse than ever before. Universal Analytics, via the Measurement Protocol, lets you sync your own data from across various marketing channels, so you can discover relationships between the channels that drive conversions.

• Your business is unique. 

Not every campaign (or app, or website!) is the same, and sometimes, depending on your business and goals, you want to learn more about a particular aspect of the way visitors interact with your business. With Universal Analytics, you can integrate your own data and can customize the metrics that matter to you - beyond website visits.  Google Analytics can deliver the custom metrics you want, in the same report you’re used to, based on the customized data you provide.

As a Google Analytics user, Universal Analytics won’t mean any changes in your account. But if you’re a large enterprise that is interested in exploring the integration options, you can request access to the Universal Analytics beta. You can also learn more in our help center.

Posted by Manav Mishra, Group Product Manager, Google Analytics

3 Product Categories Poised for Comebacks - CE Pro Article from ...

Now that new home construction appears to be on the comeback, which home technologies will stand to benefit the most?

Several product categories that are extremely dependent on new construction have certainly had a tough time migrating to the existing home market, namely central vacuum, structured wiring and multiroom audio.

What are the prospects for these three as the market rebounds?

Structured Wiring: During the housing boom, some integrators were installing tens of thousands of structured wiring enclosures. But even with the market on the rise, has new wireless technology made this category obsolete? Not really. A home will still need a centralized networking hub that combines hardwiring and wireless, but try convincing a builder of that!

Multiroom Audio: The category of distributed audio was on a roll when housing was booming, then the bottom dropped out. According to CEA data, sales of multiroom audio systems to dealers were $180 million back in 2008 then dropped by 22 percent in one year to $139 million in 2009. Today, the category is at $292 million, but that growth is mainly due to the development of wireless audio, not hardwired solutions.

Strong solutions from NuVo, Proficient, SpeakerCraft, Russound, Eos, Wasp Audio, Monster, Navvo/Voco, Crestron, Legrand, Soundcast, Channel Vision, Lightspeakers, Sony, DVDO, Casatunes, Dynaudio and the big kahuna, Sonos, that did not exist before the housing collapse are now the market. Heck, there?s now an entire organization - the Wireless Speaker and Audio Association (WiSA) - dedicated to expanding the technology

But while these wireless audio products were developed to target the existing home market, they are also perfectly suitable for new construction. So the conclusion is that architectural in-ceiling speaker sales will jump as more new homes are built, but you won?t necessarily be running more speaker wire.

Central Vacuum: Much more than the other two categories, central vacuum is almost 100 percent linked to new construction. It is labor intensive and messy to retrofit an existing home with a central vac system, but easy as pie while the walls are open during new construction. As evidence, look at the CE Pro 100 Brand Analysis for the past three years. In 2012, only 36 percent of companies installed central vac. That?s compared to 45 percent in 2010 and over 50 percent in 2007. Electrolux/Beam has garnered the lion?s share of the market with nearly half the integrators carrying it.

One New England integrator recently told me that the housing crisis gave him an easy excuse to drop central vacuum, even though it was quite profitable. He has moved his company to the ultra-high-end of the market and determined that installing central vacuum systems gave the impression to architects and designers that his technicians were ?less skilled laborers.?

Source: http://www.cepro.com/article/3_product_categories_poised_for_comebacks/

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Ultimate Anti Virus Application Assessments - Anti Spyware Scanner ...

A major rated antivirus plan can eradicate security threats ahead of they infect an harm your laptop. But what does major rated honestly imply? And the way can a major rating truly assist you to opt for the best safety software package to guard your system. These four effortless guidelines can help you choose.

1. Look For Testing and Item Ratings ? Top rated rated antivirus software has typically been tested and evaluated by independent testing facilities whose judgment you can easily trust, This most more often than not involves technical and market magazines, as well as some software program and technologies forums that encourage members to rate a particular product. While these forums usually are not officially recognized as an impartial testing facility, this type of ?consensus testing? collects opinions and feedback from a large group of advanced customers, and in general delivers an accurate evaluation of the effectiveness as well as the shortcomings of a software title.

2. Look For Organization Ratings ? A robust enterprise with increasing sales and new product development can be a corporation that is alot more likely to become making constant improvements in their items. They?ve the money to pay their engineers to investigate new viruses and other threats rapidly, and to design and implement updates that may defeat these threats. Though there?s lots of firms that build and sell computer system security products, you will find only ten to 15 that can definitely considered to become powerful marketplace leaders. These are the firms that may afford to build and assistance excellent products, and these are the suppliers that a smart consumer does business enterprise with.

three. Look For Function Lists ? Feature listings make it simple to judge irrespective of whether the product provides all the capabilities you are in search of. In addition to standard threat protection from viruses, spyware, malware, adware, and Trojan horses, look for capabilities like zero cost automatic updates and real-time file scanning. Also, some users may possibly be interested in precise options like parental controls for children, file backups, and task scheduling for scans at certain instances when those scans won?t interfere with customers. As you overview person feature lists of many goods, make note of attributes which might be crucial to you, as well as those which have been unnecessary.

4. Look For Critiques and Comparisons ? An internet site with item comparisons or critiques tends to make it easy to view merchandise, rates, and characteristics side-by-side. In this format it is easy to swiftly see which goods have every one of the options and capabilities you?ll need, without having the burden of unnecessary or unwanted features that could be a true drain on your system?s resources.

Deciding on a best rated antivirus product that has been thoroughly tested, supported by a powerful provider, and offers the correct attributes in the ideal price is perfect way to defend your computer system, your files, and your privacy.

If you want some other data about the subject matter, please search to Anti-Virus Protection ? Choosing The Right Laptop Safety Software Programs as the earlier mentioned review would provide you with more data on the topic.

Source: http://www.healthuse.com/ultimate-anti-virus-application-assessments-anti-spyware-scanner-virus-scan-3.html

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Bobby Brown Thinks It?s ?His Perogative? To Drink & Drive

Bobby Brown Thinks It’s “His Perogative” To Drink & Drive

Bobby Brown, the ex-husband of the late Whitney Houston, was arrested early Wednesday morning in Los Angeles for DUI. The New Edition singer was reportedly [...]

Bobby Brown Thinks It’s “His Perogative” To Drink & Drive Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/10/bobby-brown-thinks-its-his-perogative-to-drink-drive/

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Darker than Black, Brighter than White

In 2050, a mysterious gate appears and the stars disappear and are replaced with fake ones. At the same time, emotionless people with mysterious abilities appear, using the power of these fake stars as their own.

Owner:

Game Masters:

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is the auto-generated OOC topic for the roleplay "Darker than Black, Brighter than White"

You may edit this first post as you see fit.

"Why can?t we kill humans? Why is it that killing plants and animals are okay but not humans? Do we deem humans as far more superior than them? Who are we to make such judgments?"

- Igarashi Satsuki (X/1999)

Forensic_Anthro

Member for 3 years

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I'd like to reserve the Doll, please~ I should have the character submitted by tomorrow. c:

Animality Opera

Member for 3 years

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Submitted~!

Hope he looks alright. I wasn't completely certain about the origin of Dolls, nor just how strict the Syndicate is about cutting its employers off from their former lives, haha.

Animality Opera

Member for 3 years

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May I reserve the second in command? I'll make it later today.

MiraMija

Member for 0 years

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Post a reply

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Square Makes First International Step: Mobile Payment Service Now Live In Canada

Square has taken its first step outside of the U.S. for its mobile payment service. It is now live in Canada. The company said today that its mobile reader is now available nationwide, priced at the same rate as in its home market: 2.75% per swipe.

More to come ? refresh for updates. Release below.

Square Arrives in Canada

Canadians Can Now Accept Credit Cards and Run their Business using Square on their Mobile Device

SAN FRANCISCO? October 24, 2012 ? Square, the company making commerce easy for everyone, today announced availability in Canada. Square enables anyone, anywhere in Canada to accept credit cards, run and grow their business.

Square?s free Mobile Card Reader plugs into the headphone jack of an iPhone, iPad, or Android device. Square Register is the free app that enables anyone to safely and securely accept credit card payments with one simple, low transaction rate of 2.75% per swipe, with no hidden fees. Funds from swiped payments are available the next business day, eliminating the wait for cash flow.

Canada is Square?s first market outside the US. Over 2 million individuals and businesses can already accept credit cards with Square, and Square is processing over US$8 billion in annualized payments.

?We are focused on making commerce easy for everyone. Square builds free tools for local businesses of all sizes and types to thrive,? said Alyssa Cutright, VP of International for Square. ?We?re thrilled to introduce Canadian businesses and their customers to the most seamless and enjoyable way to do business.?

Square Register serves as a free full point-of-sale system for businesses to accept payments, track inventory, and monitor daily reports, empowering them to make smart decisions for their business. Square Register also helps businesses attract new customers with tools to create customized loyalty and rewards programs as well as showcase themselves in the Square directory.

Square Register app is free for download from the App Store and Google Play. Square?s Mobile Card Reader is available for free on www.square.ca.

About Square, Inc.

Square is making commerce easy for everyone. Square?s Mobile Card Reader enables anyone to accept credit cards anywhere, anytime at one simple rate. Square Register serves as a full point-of-sale system for businesses to accept payments, track inventory, and share menu and location information. Square Wallet, available in the US, is the most seamless way to pay, enabling individuals to pay with their names at their favorite local businesses, discover new ones nearby, explore menu listings, and store receipts. Founded in 2009, and headquartered in San Francisco, Square is currently available in the U.S. and Canada. More information is available at squareup.ca.

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2012/10/24/square-makes-first-international-step-mobile-payment-service-now-live-in-canada/

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Measuring app usage with new reports and SDK from Google Analytics

Google Analytics helps you measure value across all the steps a user takes between app download and your ultimate goal. Whether you’re hoping users will purchase in-app, level up in your game or register for your service, Mobile App Analytics points out what’s impeding and aiding users along their paths to your ultimate goal. On Tuesday, we presented a webinar, “Understanding your App Users with Google Analytics” about ways to promote your mobile app with AdWords. Led by Jessica Sapick, Mobile Ads Product Marketer, and Chrix Finne, Mobile Ads Product Manager, the webinar explained how to use Mobile App Analytics to iterate on app development and marketing.

Attendees learned:

1. How to set up a Mobile App Analytics account
2. The benefits of the new software development kit
3. How to use the new app overview, engagement, Google Play sources, device and network, engagement flow, loyalty, and crash and exception reports
4. How to use analytics data to assess and iterate on advertising strategies

To learn more, download the webinar slides or watch the recording on the Google Business YouTube Channel.

Posted by Jessica Sapick, Product Marketing Manager

Big week of BCS scoreboard watching for Oregon

This is a big week for Oregon's BCS title hopes.

No, not because the second-ranked Ducks play hapless Colorado. That'll be a breeze.

The teams directly ahead of Oregon in the BCS standings (Alabama, Florida and Kansas State), and the one right behind (Notre Dame), are all playing ranked foes Saturday.

So the Ducks, fourth in the BCS standings, could get some of the help they need to move up ? or they could slip further back in the race to the national championship game.

It's a bit early to get overly worked up about the BCS pecking order. There are 11 undefeated teams in major college football, and the most there could be at the end of the season is seven. But you can whittle that down to four serious contenders for a spot in the BCS title game in Miami.

Ohio State is ineligible. Ohio University doesn't play a tough enough schedule. The Big East champion probably won't be able to climb over the top teams from the Southeastern Conference, Pac-12 and Big 12, and Notre Dame.

Out of the top five teams, Oregon seems to be the most likely to get left out of the national title game if more than two teams finish unbeaten. Excuse Ducks fans if they are a bit skittish. The BCS hasn't always worked out in their team's favor (see 2001 and '05).

Here's an example of the Ducks' problems: Notre Dame is at Oklahoma. If the Fighting Irish win, there's a chance they could jump the Ducks in the BCS standings the way Kansas State did last week. If Oklahoma wins, it makes Kansas State's victory at Oklahoma look even better and could push the Wildcats further ahead of the Ducks.

The Ducks' problems come down to schedule. Oregon's opponents so far just haven't been particularly good, and it's especially weighing the Ducks down in the computer ratings.

Oregon is second in both polls that are used in the BCS standings, but sixth in the computer rankings.

And part of Oregon's strength of schedule problem is Kansas State's fault. The Wildcats and Ducks were supposed to play each other last season in Manhattan, Kan., and this season in Eugene, Ore., but Kansas State backed out of the home-and-home when the Big 12 going to a nine-game conference schedule.

That left the Ducks with Arkansas State, Fresno State and Tennessee Tech to tuneup with this season. Oregon easily dispatched all three, but two months into the season the Ducks still don't have a marquee victory.

Obviously, Kansas State couldn't have known how this would play out, but it's looking like one of the best decisions coach Bill Snyder has made since returning to the sidelines.

After Colorado, the Ducks get into the teeth of their conference schedule with Southern California, Stanford and Oregon State all coming up, plus a possible Pac-12 title game (and maybe a rematch against USC). Win all those and the computers will spit out some different numbers on the Ducks.

Will it be enough to catch Kansas State if the Wildcats keep winning? Or fend off Notre Dame? Stay tuned.

The picks:

THURSDAY

No. 14 Clemson (minus 12) at Wake Forest

Tigers can't afford another ACC slip ... CLEMSON 31-17.

FRIDAY

Cincinnati (plus 3?) at No. 16 Louisville

Battle for the Keg of Nails will have Big East title implications ... LOUISVILLE 28-24.

SATURDAY

No. 13 Mississippi State (plus 24) at No. 1 Alabama

As line shows, Bulldogs have plenty of doubters ... ALABAMA 38-17.

Colorado (plus 45?) at No. 2 Oregon

Ducks have outscored opponents 199-49 in first half ... OREGON 50-14.

No. 3 Florida (plus 6?) vs. No. 12 Georgia at Jacksonville, Fla.

What happened to Bulldogs' defense? Last three opponents have averaged 211 per game on ground ... FLORIDA 31-23.

BEST BET

No. 15 Texas Tech (plus 7) at No. 4 Kansas State

Seth Doege for Heisman? If Red Raiders beat Wildcats, their QB could be a contender ... KANSAS STATE 41-31.

No. 5 Notre Dame (plus 10) at No. 8 Oklahoma

Best offense Fighting Irish have faced, but also best defense Sooners have faced ... OKLAHOMA 28-17.

UPSET SPECIAL

No. 7 Oregon State (minus 4?) at Washington

QB Sean Mannion (knee) returns for Beavers ... WASHINGTON 31-28.

No. 9 Ohio State (pick'em) at Penn State

Most interesting game in the Big Ten so far has no championship implications ... PENN STATE 35-31.

No. 10 Southern California (minus 6?) at Arizona

Matt Barkley's Heisman campaign resets ... USC 42-28.

Duke (plus 27?) at No. 11 Florida State

ACC title game preview? Hard to say it with a straight face ... FLORIDA STATE 45-14.

Tennessee (plus 14) at No. 17 South Carolina

Two straight losses have derailed Gamecocks' championship hopes ... SOUTH CAROLINA 35-24.

Kent State (plus 13?) at No. 18 Rutgers

Beware the MAC ... RUTGERS 31-14.

Washington State (plus 24?) at No. 19 Stanford

First season at Wazzu has been forgettable for Mike Leach ... STANFORD 43-14.

No. 20 Michigan (plus 2?) at Nebraska

Denard Robinson tends not to play well against good defenses. Not a problem this week ... MICHIGAN 33-27.

No. 21 Boise State (minus 16?) at Wyoming

Defense carrying the Broncos ... BOISE STATE 28-14.

No. 22 Texas A&M (minus 15) at Auburn

Coach Gene Chizik and Tigers desperately need a victory ... TEXAS A&M 35-24.

No. 23 Ohio (minus 7) at Miami, Ohio

Bobcats are unbeaten, but have been living dangerously ... OHIO 37-33.

___

Last week's record: 18-3 (straight); 8-13 (vs. points)

Season record: 134-26 (straight); 77-65 (vs. points)

Best bets: 2-6.

Upset specials: 4-4.

___

Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphdurssoAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/big-week-bcs-scoreboard-watching-oregon-203508836--spt.html

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Body found identified as suspect in deaths of 5 in Ala., Tenn.

By NBC News staff

Updated at 10:15 p.m. ET: A body found in Hazel Green, Ala., has been identified as that of the man wanted for questioning in the deaths of five people, a county coroner said Tuesday.

Authorities have ID'd the body as that of Warren Vincent Crutcher, 24.

Whisenant said the death was not a suicide but did not elaborate.

Earlier Tuesday, a victim identified as Jeffrey Pope was found dead in Huntsville, Ala.,?NBC station WSMV-TV of Nashville reported.

He died of a gunshot to the chest, NBC station WAFF-TV of Huntsville reported. Pope's mother said he had been friends with Crutcher.

---

On Monday night, police found the body of Jessica Brown at her home in Fayetteville, Tenn. Her 2-month-old son was found unharmed.

Hours earlier, three bodies were found at another Fayetteville home. The dead were identified as Amber McCaulley, Chabreya Campbell and Campbell's 18-month-old son, Rico Ragland. Campbell was also several months pregnant.

Another boy, 3-year-old Vincent Crutcher, was found unharmed at the home.?

Authorities have not said how the Fayetteville victims died.

Crutcher was arrested in March 2011?after assaulting Campbell and taking their child, the Huntsville Newswire reported. The report did not make clear whether Vincent Crutcher was the child who was taken.

Officials?believe Crutcher is the father of the two boys left unharmed, WSMV reported. They do not believe he was the father of Rico Ragland.

Check back for updates on this developing story.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/23/14648324-body-found-is-that-of-suspect-in-deaths-of-five-in-alabama-tennessee?lite

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ObamaCare MIA (TIME)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/257897441?client_source=feed&format=rss

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iOS app promoters can now measure downloads with AdWords

Apps are a powerful way to keep your most loyal users engaged, and can also be a real driver of revenue for marketers big and small. When advertising apps, the key is to know what’s working and what’s not. While advertisers have already been able to measure their Android app downloads within AdWords, we’ve now launched the ability to track iOS downloads that were driven by in-app display ad campaigns.

To set up iOS conversion tracking, advertisers need to create a single code snippet in their AdWords account and install it in their app. This snippet is accessible in the AdWords interface in the same place where advertisers have been able to codelessly track Android downloads. With iOS conversion tracking, marketers can better understand which campaigns are most effective at driving app downloads. These enhanced insights help marketers iterate on app promotion strategies to reach their return on investment goals, with the help of features like the Conversion Optimizer for apps.   

Figuring out what ads are working is key for marketers like Sho Masuda, Vice President of Player Marketing for GREE, a leading mobile social game app developer. GREE has used click to download and in-app advertising solutions with AdWords to promote their app, and Masuda says, "Google’s host of tracking and optimization tools help us quickly iterate and maximize ROI across our app promotion campaigns. iOS conversion tracking will help us gain even deeper insights into our Google app promotion efforts for our iOS apps."

If you’d like to learn more about how to track value beyond the app download, you can watch a recording of our Learn with Google webinar “Understanding your App Users with Google Analytics” here.

Posted by Morgan Hallmon, Product Manager

Guidelines To Help You Promote Your Online Businesses

Most people are discovering methods to earn more income right now, and Internet marketing is a brilliant technique of doing that. However, many individuals don?t learn how to get started with it. You may well be wondering the exact same thing. The next post features great tips you can use to assist you with Online marketing.

Competitors could be a very important tool to your Online marketing initiatives. Research what the competitors is performing and the things which are helping them also as damaging them. Focusing on what other people are doing can show you a lot. You are going to rise above the competitors.

If standard e-mail to consumers and potential clients are component of your Internet web marketing strategy, ensure that you rotate the hyperlinks you use in your e-mails. Anything this is the exact same will simply bring about your potential customers ignoring the info you try to present for them. Retain the issue collection of your e-mails interesting so that your consumers will continue to see them.

Ensure your web site arises on bing searches. Pinpoint the most widely used search engines like yahoo, and optimize your web site with search phrases your potential audience can look up. In case your business pops up near the top of a list, you can dramatically improve your awareness.

Try adjusting content material and articles delivery service so that customers feel as if they?re in charge. It becomes an effective marketing strategy. Be sure to give your shoppers the selection to sign up.

Design your site to be intriguing, well made and full of information that is relevant. What your website seems like, and also the information it contains, will have a huge bearing on your amount of good results. It should draw people and then make them wish to adhere about. The look must be stimulating and loving to inspire recurring guests.

Produce a FAQ area on your site so that you can improve client satisfaction. An FAQ provides quick answers to your visitors? concerns, increasing their total satisfaction making use of their expertise on your web site. As soon as the client will see the advantages to your merchandise in the crystal clear and succinct approach, there greater the possibility they find yourself building an obtain.

Keep your content material new and fresh to enhance its high quality. Outdated information will drive consumers apart. A fantastic up-to-date website will motivate viewers to keep.

People often will not feel everything they study in adverts. This a result of most companies not being forthright concerning their products previously. Consequently, you need to supply proof for anything you say on the website. Don?t think twice to utilize testimonies, analysis details, reviews, just before-and-following images ? whatever give you support have. Don?t declare that your products or services does something you?re struggling to confirm. You have to get your customer?s word as truthful and honest. Steer clear of misleading marketing without exceptions. By being honest in all you say and do, you should have a solid, long-lasting business.

Don?t just abandon and decline tips that failed to make the effects which you needed. Your idea that neglected to find on before, may possibly work now. The internet atmosphere is regularly transforming, and new methods and concepts are always used to develop distinct results. Don?t put cash into ideas that don?t figure out, but do cling on directly to them for afterwards.

Bring in experts and respective authorities inside your field to job interview with you. Ensure that you have consent from their website prior to publish therefore you don?t deal with legal problems. You can send these job interviews into genuine content articles and make submissions to E-zine web directories. This helps travel traffic and income for your web site as well as improve your reliability.

One wise approach to build a contact collection is to generate a press webpage. Fundamentally, you?re making a site which will bring your visitors in to sign up for something, thus allowing you to acquire their email messages. It might be a totally free advertising supply or even a lower price in return for his or her e-mail address and label. You will definitely get someone else in your e mail and they can obtain a good free stuff.

Viewing as you?ve see the above post, you ought to now know how to use Internet marketing to assist your company. Understand that the web can be used worldwide, and when using these reputable techniques, you could have your product or service looked at by many people.

There is more content available on aftermarket headlights take a look at Marg J. Minish?s site there is loads of information not outlined on this page, find those details on Author?s site to discover more.

Source: http://www.defaulttricks.com/guidelines-to-help-you-promote-your-online-businesses/

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THOSE WHO SAVE US Screenplay Signed, Sealed, Delivered ...

?.Let the moviemaking begin!

Dear Readers: So many of you have been so kind to me over the years asking me about the THOSE WHO SAVE US movie. (I remember one reader inquiring at an event, ?Do you have any interest in this book being made into a film?? and I said, ?Hell yes, I have interest!?) I never thought I wanted to write the screenplay for my book. I thought that required an entirely different skill set than writing a novel?like expecting a cellist to be able to play an oboe because they?re both musical instruments. I thought that as an autocrat?which is what a novelist is, a control freak ruling her own fictional kingdom, as opposed to a screenwriter, who has to play well with others?I?d stick with writing books. I?d thought I?d take the money for the THOSE WHO SAVE US film option (whatever that might be) and run.

Then my producer offered me the chance to write the screenplay, and I did. ?(More about what that process taught me here, in this column for Grub Daily.)

What does it mean that the screenplay?s done and turned in?

It may very well prove true that I do indeed have a different writing skill set than the one necessary to write a screenplay. The screenplay may not be used at all. My producer might go with another writer, or she might bring in many writers as the translation process from book to screen continues. Even if?as in some ideal world that exists only in my head?she used the screenplay as I?ve written it word for word, it would still morph in the director?s hands, and the actors?, and the editors?, into its own creature.

The movie might not be made at all?at least not this round. The funding could fall through, the producer could change her mind. The option might revert back to me, like a rental property the tenants have vacated, then rented to someone else.

Like all of writing, this is not an instant-gratification scheme.

Still, I?m delighted to have the chance to have developed these new muscles. And I love the way the screenplay turned out. And I dearly, dearly hope the movie gets made, by this producer, with the cast I envision, and before I?m too old to go to the Oscars in a backless dress.

Speaking of casting: ?YOU decide. Who plays what roles?

Thank you for playing this magical game with me!

xoxo

Jenna.

Author of New York Times and # 1 international bestsellers THOSE WHO SAVE US and THE STORMCHASERS. One of Oprah's 30 Favorite Women Writers.

Source: http://www.jennablum.com/blog/2012/10/those-who-save-us-screenplay-signed-sealed-delivered/

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Marijuana use may cause severe cyclic nausea, vomiting, a little-known, but costly effect

ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2012) ? Marijuana use -- both natural and synthetic -- may cause cannabinoid hyperemesis (CH) a little-known but costly effect that researchers suggest is a serious burden to the health care system as it often leads to expensive diagnostic tests and ineffective treatments in an effort to find the cause of a patient's symptoms and provide relief, according to two separate case reports unveiled October 22 at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas. Cannabinoid hyperemesis is characterized by a history of chronic cannabis use followed by a cyclic pattern of nausea, vomiting and colicky abdominal pain. Interestingly, compulsive hot baths or showers temporarily relieve symptoms, another characteristic which aids clinicians in diagnosis.

"Most healthcare providers are unaware of the link between marijuana use and these episodes of cyclic nausea and vomiting so they are not asking about natural or synthetic cannabinoid use when a patient comes to the emergency room or their doctor's office with these symptoms," said co-investigator Ana Maria Crissien-Martinez, M.D. of Scripps Green Hospital and Clinic in San Diego. She said CH was first described in a 2004 case series of 9 patients in Australia and since then, 14 case reports and 4 case series have been published, including a prospective series of 98 patients published by Mayo Clinic in February 2012.

"Patients who use cannabis whether natural or in synthetic form called 'Spice' also don't realize their unexplained episodes of cyclic nausea and vomiting may be a result of this use, with some increasing their cannabis use because they may think it will help alleviate their symptoms -- and it actually makes them worse," said Dr. Crissien-Martinez. "The only resolution is cannabis cessation."

Dr. Crissien-Martinez co-authored the case report, "Marijuana: Anti-Emetic or Pro-Emetic" which described a series of 9 patients with cannabinoid hyperemesis at Scripps Green Hospital with average age at diagnosis 30 years-old; 88 percent male; onset of cannabis use during teen years; 88 percent used cannabis daily; 56 percent compulsive bathing behavior; and 80 percent symptom resolution with cannabis cessation.

The other case report, "Spicing Up the Differential for Cyclic Vomiting: A Case of Synthetic-Cannabinoid Induced Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS)," may be the first reported case of CH attributed to synthetic cannabinoid, according to Fong-Kuei Cheng, M.D. and his research team from Walter Reed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center/Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD.

"Legal synthetic cannabinoids became available in the United States by 2009 with widespread usage among military personnel due to its ability to elude standard drug testing. It is important to recognize that routine urine drug testing does not include JWH-018 and JWH 073, which are the primary components in synthetic cannabinoids," said Dr. Cheng.

The case report described a 22-year active duty military male who was admitted with a 10-month history of progressive, intermittent abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, with episodes occurring every two months and lasting up to a week. He underwent several diagnostic tests before a urine synthetic cannabinoid test confirmed the diagnosis of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). Since discontinuing these drugs, the patient has remained symptom-free, according to the case report.

"This case illustrates that CHS should be in the differential diagnosis of unexplained, episodic abdominal pain with nausea and vomiting, particularly if relieved with compulsive hot showers. Recognition of this syndrome is important to prevent unnecessary testing and to reduce health care expenditures," said Dr. Cheng. "We have also noted, particularly in the active duty population where drug testing for cannabis usage is done routinely, that there appears to be an increased usage instead of the synthetic cannabinoids, so we would advocate routine additional testing for them when the clinical suspicion is high."

Patients frequently have multiple hospital, clinic and emergency room visits with extensive negative work-up to include imaging studies, endoscopies, and laboratory testing before they are finally diagnosed with cannabinoid hyperemesis, according to the researchers of both case reports.

"We estimate $10,000 to be the minimum cost of one admission -- but on average our patients required admission to the hospital 2.8 times, a total of almost $30,000 for workup," said Dr. Crissien-Martinez, who added that that cost does not include the added costs of primary care physician and/or gastroenterologist and emergency room visits, which averaged 2.5 and 6 times respectively.

Dr. Crissien-Martinez said that 80 percent of the Scripps Green patients who stopped cannabis experienced symptom resolution; however, only one of them remained abstinent and consequently symptom-free.

"As health care providers, we must be aware of the potential side effects of chronic cannabis use and understand that cannabinoid hyperemesis is diagnosed clinically to avoid expensive diagnostic and therapeutic modalities," said Dr. Crissien-Martinez. "Instead the focus should be shifted towards counseling and resources allocated towards marijuana cessation."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), via Newswise.

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

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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/~3/rGOl0wCrr-0/121022081353.htm

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Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Keyboard

As the not-so-distant relative of the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Keyboard, the Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Keyboard (Sculpt Mobile) ($49.99 direct) has plenty in common with its cousin, including a distinctive curvy design and Windows 8 hotkeys. But you won't be confusing the two anytime soon: the Sculpt Mobile features Bluetooth connectivity, has a markedly slimmer profile, and does not feature a dual-function spacebar. While its light weight and dongle-free connectivity make it a good traveling companion for Windows 8-optimized tablets or hybrid ultrabooks, though, its low profile doesn't make for the most ergonomically satisfying typing experience. Moreover, despite making navigating through Windows 8's tiled interface somewhat easier, its hotkeys don't make enough of a difference to make it a clear favorite among keyboards.

Design and Features
The first thing you'll notice about the Sculpt Mobile is its remarkably thin profile. Measuring a mere 0.75 inch in thickness, the Sculpt Mobile's svelte chassis lies almost entirely flat, save for a barely noticeable taper near the top row of keys in order to accommodate the battery compartment. At any rate, its flat design is on par with the Evoluent Essentials Full Featured Compact Keyboard (EKB). From both a design and ergonomics standpoint, the Sculpt Mobile should have included a pair of flip-open feet on the underside.

Like the Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Keyboard, the Sculpt Mobile sports a gentle six-degree curve. Since it lies flat, however, this results in certain keys?particularly in the middle section?to be wider than others. The matte-finish keys themselves aren't backlit, leaving users in dimly-lit settings quite literally in the dark. Curiously, Microsoft opted not to feature engraved characters on the keys; consequently the overall design looks as though stickers were pasted onto the keys, which has the unfortunate effect of cheapening the Sculpt Mobile's look. The Sculpt Mobile's plastic chassis features a glossy black border surrounding the keys, which makes for a nice contrast with the matte-finished keys but also attracts a fair amount of smudging as was the case with the Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750.

Like its larger Sculpt Comfort counterpart, the top row of the Sculpt Mobile features a mixture of Windows 8-optimized hotkeys and charm keys, which can also be used as standard function keys when pressed in conjunction with the "Fn" key. Using the Sculpt Mobile on the new Sony VAIO Duo T1 (D11213CX) was helpful inasmuch as it made navigating Windows 8's tiled interface a somewhat more fluid experience. Accordingly, the Sculpt Mobile's F1 through F4 keys are media playback keys that are also compatible with earlier versions of Windows. Windows 8's five so-called "charms" can be accessed through the F5 through F8 keys, and entail shortcuts to sharing data, accessing settings, searching for files, toggling between devices, returning to the desktop. Technically speaking, the latter is considered to be a "charm," but that particular shortcut can be found on the Sculpt Mobile's lower left side. The F9 through F12 keys, meanwhile, pertain to apps; F9 rotates between open apps, F10 lists all open apps on the left side of the screen, F11 enables a split-screen mode between any two apps, and F12 lists all open apps on the bottom portion of the screen. As was the case with the Sculpt Comfort Mouse, the Sculpt Mobile's directional arrows simply allow for moving between individual tiles on the Windows 8 desktop rather than scrolling across them fluidly. In other words, users looking to get the most out of their Windows 8 experience will still need to spring for a compatible mouse or a touch display.

The Sculpt Mobile runs off of two AAA batteries (included), which can be inserted by sliding a switch on the underside to pop out the battery compartment. According to Microsoft, battery life is a purported ten months. The Sculpt Mobile is not rechargeable, but even the most neurotic of battery-checkers (and I'm one of them) should be satisfied with this number.

Performance
Like the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000, the Sculpt Mobile utilizes Bluetooth connectivity, and setting it up is a straightforward process. After turning on the Sculpt Mobile, simply press and hold the Connect button on the underside?with, annoyingly, a pen cap or toothpick given its tiny size?and then simply pair the keyboard with your system.

While the "pairing" process is an extra step that typically isn't necessary with keyboards that use dongles, Bluetooth has the advantage of not taking up any USB ports, which can be a critical factor for those who don't have too many to spare (we're looking at you, Ultrabook users). That said, alternative dongle-based remedies exist, like Logitech's "Unifying" receiver technology, which allows up to six Logitech peripherals to be connected through a single dongle.

Typing on the Sculpt Mobile is a mixed bag. On the one hand, it's certainly superior to using a tablet's onscreen keyboard. But its shallow profile isn't terribly comfortable to type on, especially for a prolonged amount of time, as it required my hands to be placed at a strange, low-lying angle as if I were playing a piano.

The Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Keyboard has some good things going for it, like a cool curvy design and Windows 8 hotkeys. It's also a good traveling companion thanks to its portable design and dongle-free connectivity. While it's preferable to using an onscreen keyboard on a tablet, though, its low profile doesn't make for a very comfortable typing experience. Moreover, the Sculpt Mobile itself doesn't do much to enhance the Windows 8 experience despite its hotkeys, as users will still need to get a compatible mouse or touch display to get the most out of the tiled interface. For these reasons, our current Editors' Choice, the Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 is a better choice, thanks to its Bluetooth connectivity and slightly thicker profile.

More keyboard reviews:
??? Microsoft Sculpt Mobile Keyboard
??? Razer DeathStalker Ultimate
??? iKeyboard for Apple iPad
??? Microsoft Sculpt Comfort Keyboard
??? Mad Catz S.T.R.I.K.E. 7 Gaming Keyboard
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/AFVzEeKjtbo/0,2817,2411233,00.asp

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Lack of sleep tied to teen sports injuries

ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2012) ? Adolescent athletes who slept eight or more hours each night were 68 percent less likely to be injured than athletes who regularly slept less, according to an abstract presented Oct. 21, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans.

For the abstract, "Lack of Sleep is Associated with Increased Risk of Injury in Adolescent Athletes," researchers asked middle and high school athletes (grades 7 to 12) enrolled at the Harvard-Westlake School in Studio City, Calif., to answer questions about the number of sports they played and the time they committed to athletics (at school and through other programs), whether they used a private coach, whether they participated in strength training, how much sleep they got on average each night, and how much they subjectively enjoyed their athletic participation. Seventy percent of the student athletes (112 out of 160 students; 54 males and 58 females; mean age 15) completed the survey, conducted in conjunction with Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Researchers then reviewed those students' school records pertaining to reported athletic injuries.

Hours of sleep per night was significantly associated with a decreased likelihood of injury, according to the study results. In addition, the higher the grade level of the athlete, the greater the likelihood of injury -- 2.3 times greater for each additional grade in school. Gender, weeks of participating in sports per year, hours of participation per week, number of sports, strength training, private coaching and subjective assessments of "having fun in sports" were not significantly associated with injury.

"While other studies have shown that lack of sleep can affect cognitive skills and fine motor skills, nobody has really looked at this subject in terms of the adolescent athletic population," said study author Matthew Milewski, MD.

"When we started this study, we thought the amount of sports played, year-round play, and increased specialization in sports would be much more important for injury risk," said Dr. Milewski. Instead, "what we found is that the two most important facts were hours of sleep and grade in school."

The advanced age risk may reflect a cumulative risk for injury after playing three or four years at the high school level, Milewski said, and older athletes are bigger, faster and stronger.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Academy of Pediatrics, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

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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/AOyiNXJtPBs/121021102814.htm

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